The problem is when you make too many mistakes at the blue-line the way he does, you can't be trusted to be the last line of defense at the blue-line on the power play.
What the hell is the point when the guy can barely handle the puck, flubs passes, and just generally makes a ton of mistakes when under pressure.
Your defense has to be able to handle the puck under pressure or you are just going to end up giving the team break aways on your power play, and I'm pretty sure that's already happened the few times he has been on the power play.
His awareness is ****, and he isn't good at keeping the puck in either.
Edit : At what point is it just not worth it for a hard slap shot?
But that's all entirely false. Zadorov is far worse with the puck on the offensive blue line than Gelinas. Zads has given up several breakaways and odd man rushes from a dumb play at the blue line while being up a man. Yet Bednar keeps playing him there (and rightfully so). Gelinas crumbles under pressure in his own end but he's always been good in the Ozone under pressure. He handles the puck well and rarely flubs passes. He's one of the few defenseman who can keep a play alive.
Eric Gelinas isn't just a big shot offensively. He has, and has always had pretty good offensive instincts. He makes good ozone passes, is patient and as everyone knows, has an absolute bomb.
Gelinas has 13 primary assists 5 on 4 since 2013. That's in 320 minutes
Barrie has 15 primary assists in that time in 727 minutes
EJ has 15 primary assists in that time in 503 minutes
Weircioch has 9 primary assists in that time in 346 minutes
Beauchemin has 3 primary assists in that time in 401 minutes
Gelinas' PP production isn't just from his shot. It's from knowing how to do many things on the PP. It's a shame that a lot of fans education on Gelinas is based on his poor ES time on the Avs where he's been historically bad dating back to his days in Maine because it leads to false opinions like all he has is a hard shot.
Poor O'Brien
