I suppose the latter could be debated.
I consider Geertsen a solid stay at home defensive defenseman. Defense has always been his strong suit. I think some people are seeing the point increase and starting to jump to conclusions. Now I'm not saying it is meaningless but I am also not convinced that will translate to the pro level. I think what it did show was a certain level of progression that a lot of players don't reach. When Geertsen first got a genuine opportunity to play on the PP I wasn't overly thrilled about it. You would have to be able to relate to previous situations to understand my gripe. Not only did Geertsen look lost most times manning the PP but his shot had absolutely no threat. Zero. Why? Well for starters the lowest he could keep the puck most of the time was shoulder height. Most of his teammates refused to stand in front of the net because the puck would zip by their heads. The velocity was always there but the control was non-existent.
Long story short, after the first coaching change Geertsen really worked on his shot and due to Vancouver struggling and not having a lot of capable offensive minded defensemen Geertsen started to have success. He managed to keep his shot much lower and started to gain confidence. The last thing I said, confidence, that was probably the biggest change in his game. He would carry the puck from behind the net and not question his decision. He would take the extra time and make a better first pass. Last season that didn't happen often at all. He would force a play and usually that ended up bad for the team. Let me clarify that wasn't a problem exclusive to Geersten. Vancouver has had years of awful defense. Geertsen was probably their most reliable defenseman during this period. But those were mistakes he made more frequently.
If you asked me last summer what I expected from Geersten at his ceiling I would say maybe a #5 or #6 defenseman. Depending on how he progressed in the AHL. Now? I think projecting him to be a middle pairing defenseman is a pretty good bet. So #3 or #4. I think #4 is more likely but you never know.
One more thing in regard to his skating. I am not at all concerned with his skating. Not one bit. If you watched him play at 16 you'd realized his skating is already that much better. And to be clear I never thought he was a bad skater for his size. Quite the contrary. For his size he always moved fairly well. People often confuse longer strides for slow skating. Now that being said can there be improvements in his skating? Of course. And they will come. I have no doubt about that. He has the desire and work ethic to get it done. But his skating isn't a legitimate concern at least not in my eyes. His footwork is pretty good and he is usually in good position. The latter is ultimately the most important. Sometimes he makes a bad decision pinching (usually he is trying to step up and make a big hit) and sometimes that creates an odd man rush the other way. But those are mistakes I am fine with. He is trying to make a physical play and most of the time I'll happily that that gamble. It's not as though he's doing that at a crucial time of the game. Timing is extremely important in that regard.
I don't know how much (if any) stock you or any fans put into former NHL coaches opinions but I can tell you Claude Noel absolutely adored Geersten. He constantly raved about him. He only did that for two players. Geersten and Benson. It isn't a coincidence those are the two players you can tell night in and night out cared and gave it their all.
