Agree. Cally and Filppula are definitely overpaid because of their lack of scoring but they are important role players on this team.
Well, Cally is on a 3rd line skating with Paquette who is not having a very good series and was bad last night, and he is getting less mins than Flip. Where as Flip is getting over 20 mins a game, and skating with Palat and Drouin in the top 6, no reason he should not be putting up at least a couple of assists now but I don't fault him, will explain below.
As per overpaid, Callahan is one of the best PK'ers in the league, you pay for that. It is not just killing penalties like a bottom 6 dweller, it's taking control of the PK, influencing the entire PK, and literally putting a wall up against the other team. Flip has also been brilliant on the PK, which we have taken a lot of penalties, biased refs or not, the PK is getting the job done, so when players like Palat, Cally, and Flip who are our best two way forwards are constantly out there killing penalties, it's going to effect their offensive game. Palat broke through last night, but again he is skating in the top 6 like Flip. I pray and hope both Flip and Cally will score a goal or two, not just because we will have a better chance to win, but because it will quiet some of the critics for at least the next series, lol.
But right now, with a series lead 3-1 should not be complaining about anyone. Since everyone has contributed in a large way. It's really been a team effort so far, yeah the scoring might be lopsided, but almost everyone is playing their role on a grand level, especially Flip and Cally.
Also, Whoever thinks Cally has been invisible, tell that to Datsyuk and the Detroit Red Wings PP. They gave him 3rd star in Game 2, even when the entire Top line went on a tear, so they know how good he has been. Does he need to get his offensive game going? Yeah of course will def help. But If kept into this 3rd line role with Paquette, cannot except much scoring from him on that line. The fact that his screen was a large part of Kuch's 2nd goal totally went unnoticed is just another example of how unappreciated he is on this forum. If he tipped that and got the credit for the goal, would people be singing a different tune? It's a game of inches and luck.
And this is the problem of guys not living up to their big contracts. If he was being paid 2 million per like Boyle we wouldn't be having this conversation. Like Boyle, he's been great on the PK, he's blocked shots and he's been physical. The only problem with all of this is those things I just listed are the attributes of a bottom six player. He's a bottom six penalty killer/energy guy, yet he's being paid like a first line winger.
I know what you're saying and I totally agree that he should be doing more than he is offensively for that type of money but to tell you the truth, I don't see him as anything more than a bottom six penalty killer/energy guy (which he's very good at). I really don't expect that much out of him offensively. If he can bang one in every now and then, bonus.
I really like the way Callahan plays - but I like him at 2 million, not 6.
He scored 54 points the season before. Yeah he had a down season due to a recurring injury like Palat and Johnson. Are you going to tell me Johnson is a .50 to .60 player moving forward? **** no. Refuse to believe that, even with Cally.
What makes Callahan more valuable is his ability to shutdown and also bring the offensive game but he does it on a grand level. When he goes on an offensive tear he is a PPG player in those spans. But you also bring up the hits and blocked shots, which he led all forwards by a wide margin in those departments, 5th in BS in the entire league. To pay him only 2 million would be an insult. He does not just kill penalties, he runs the PK, and influences the guys around him, that is the major difference. He also has decent play-making skills, good vision, a good shot, and good speed. Those are not attributes of a Bottom 6 player, that is what makes him different from the bottom 6. Yeah the offense has not been there this season, but looking at the regular season, pretty much our entire Top 9 has been down in scoring. So is the blame on just one person, no. Part of his lack of production has been on Cooper, and just ****** luck.
Just to add, if he gets decent top 6 time next season and continues to struggle offensively and does not put up at least around 45 to 50 points, will not say another word.