That's fair, but doesn't change the fact that he's been underwhelming since the season started. The injuries, etc have surely factored in, but I think it's reasonable to expect a whole lot more from him.
I think this comes down to defensive philosophy. I love defenders that, well, defend......others want to see pinching and scoring.
From the beginning of the season, barring injury, Pietro has been pretty solid at keeping puck in the ozone and making safe outlet passes. Contrast with Hague, who I heavily criticize while others love him......he pinches to the point that he gets constantly walked the other direction. He can't hold a puck in the blueline to save his life. His occasional brilliant passes are peppered by times where he either freezes with the puck lying between his skates, or tries to clear in a panic, right into an opponent who can now rush center, or he ices it. But, because he pinches, he contributes to scoring where Whitey and Pietro don't so much. Defense and puck possession first, scoring second. Pietro will contribute more to scoring as he matriculates back in. I'm not sure Hague can contribute to puck possession, ever.
Then there is Theo, who is fast and savvy enough to be both a responsible blueline holder and a pinching offensive contributor without getting constantly burned.
To emphasize, every player makes mistakes, even Mark Stone, but I look at the body of work in any particular game.
