5 best 5 worst

[JimEIV]

I'm a big fan of his but it's true Kovalchuk's been disappointing. Something was wrong with his health this season anyway. And it was getting magnified in 5on5 situations, his biggest issue.

But saying he's somehow a real concern is laughable. The guy having a disappointing year is still hands down our most prolific player offensively.

99% of our players has never or will never reach the 0.8PPG mark on a season. He didn't score a lot but 4 of them were shorthanded goals, 4 others were game winners.

I don't disagree with this one bit...and you've consistently evaluated Kovalchuk with a levelheadedness that I can respect.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Adam's shot lost a lot in accuracy this season. How many times did he miss the net lately ?

He'll bounce back though.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

Sophomore slump

Henrique is about where I expected him to be. Roster is just majorly weak is all

 

[JerryGigantic]

I don't know why you're even trying. Its not beneath him at all considering he's been pouting all over the board regarding kovy for multiple years now...

Most immature poster we have.

I think flyfishing accompanied by only brown liquor and inner rage is pretty damn mature behavior if you ask me.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

I don't disagree with this one bit...and you've consistently evaluated Kovalchuk with a levelheadedness that I can respect.

He's made some improvement but I wish he was a better possession player and more effective without the puck. I'd like to believe he'll continue to improve again.

But there's no doubt Kovalchuk's the epitome of a skilled player. He should be the icing on the cake that is a cup contending line-up, the man that will score your Stanley Cup clinching goal in a game 7 OT.
We were close to this last year, hopefully Lou will make the right moves soon enough.

 

[JimEIV]

I seem to remember him Being the go to guy last season. Let's call a spade a spade: he was A LOT better than Parise in the regular season and then led the team in pts in the playoffs despite a broken back. You can't ignore his great play last year while burying him for this season. Parise was damn near invisible in the playoffs because his shot is garbage and when the physicality/ intensity picks up in the postseason he's easily neutralized. What percentage of his playoff goals last year were empty netters? We've seen it time and time again. You can point back to ONE SERIES in all of Parise's years as a devil and say he dominated. Tampa bay. That's it. And it was against a Tampa team with garbage defense and goaltending..

Parise started off scorching hot this year but has been mediocre since. He's a 60pt player at this point in his career who's making 12/12/11/11/8 in his next five years. That contract will be a poison pill sooner rather than later.

He's not immune from criticism but you have to like how his game has rounded out as a whole. Best part about all of this is he has another go at it next year.

There is too much here for me to address in one post and I didn't want to ignore it....but two things.

One, my point is soley about evaluating Kovalchuk without bias.

Second much of that post was about Parise's lack of playoff success which is somewhat irrelevant to this conversation.

Why can't anyone point out Kovalchuk's short comings? If I say Clarkson sucks no one will bat an eyelash. And from my POV this is a guy who should be being praised for rising above anything he was supposed to be and literally carried the team for about 10 games this season...

On the other hand we have a player who is SUPPOSED to carry the team and really hasn't at any point in time he has been here - and if you criticize him people get all bent out of shape.... it's bizzare to me.

 

[Saugus]

Kovalchuk did carry the team at points in the playoffs last season. During the Flyers and Rangers series he was a beast even while playing with a wonky back.

 

[JimEIV]

I think flyfishing accompanied by only brown liquor and inner rage is pretty damn mature behavior if you ask me.

At least you understand.

 

[Bleedred]

Adam Henrique had a pretty good year on paper, but the consistency has been a problem.

 

[Rob Nieds work ethic]

Good:

Loktionov
Carter
Bernier
Greene

Bad:

Zajac
Ponikarovsky

 

[BrodeursCups]

There is too much here for me to address in one post and I didn't want to ignore it....but two things.

One, my point is soley about evaluating Kovalchuk without bias.

Second much of that post was about Parise's lack of playoff success which is somewhat irrelevant to this conversation.

Why can't anyone point out Kovalchuk's short comings? If I say Clarkson sucks no one will bat an eyelash. And from my POV this is a guy who should be being praised for rising above anything he was supposed to be and literally carried the team for about 10 games this season...

On the other hand we have a player who is SUPPOSED to carry the team and really hasn't at any point in time he has been here - and if you criticize him people get all bent out of shape.... it's bizzare to me.

You can point out his shortcomings, I do as well when he has a bad game. But do you have to take it as far as wanting his contract ripped up and repeatedly saying how big of a mistake it was to trade for him then sign him? It's just overkill. We all know how you feel about the player, you don't have to drag him through the mud all the time when he's brought up.

Focus on his play and what you'd like to see him do better...

I brought up Parise's pedestrian postseason play because you referenced him being the better player and the go to guy. I love the guy and miss him like hell, but I always wanted to see more - which he may have been incapable of - when the chips were down.

 

[JimEIV]

Kovalchuk did carry the team at points in the playoffs last season. During the Flyers and Rangers series he was a beast even while playing with a wonky back.

Uhhhmmm? What? No. No. No. Sorry just no. The 4th line carried the team past the last two rounds into the finals period. Sure other individuals had "moments". But is was purely the play of the 4th line that "carried" the team.

 

[JerryGigantic]

At least you understand.

Indeed I do.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Kovalchuk did carry the team at points in the playoffs last season. During the Flyers and Rangers series he was a beast even while playing with a wonky back.

Kovalchuk's throughout his career has demonstrated he can be a hell of a clutch player. Especially if you take into consideration the international games. He's a living god in Russia. This aspect of his game can't be measured with numbers ratings and other stats.

Kovalchuk's a guy you definitely need on a contending team, as much as a Parise who's going to make all the dirty work to give a skilled player like Kovalchuk enough room to express his talent.

 

[BrodeursCups]

Kovalchuk's throughout his career has demonstrated he can be a hell of a clutch player. Especially if you take into consideration the international games. He's a living god in Russia. This aspect of his game can't be measured with numbers ratings and other stats.

Kovalchuk's a guy you definitely need on a contending team, as much as a Parise who's going to make all the dirty work to give a skilled player like Kovalchuk enough room to express his talent.

Excellent post.

 

[Rhodes 81]

my biggest concern was adam henrique...and not the point production just the way he plays the game...im not sure i like the way he plays the intensity seems to lack...definately want to give him a fair look as he seems to have the knack for the big goal and has good hands but i was expecting so much more from him this season...oh well

i was just hopeful he could maintain a 60 point pace without playing between parise and kovalchuk the whole year. he didn't really do that, so i'll consider him a failure this season. hopefully he'll go along with zajac in rebounding next year. if either of them had played up to even reasonable expectations, we might still be in it.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Best
Greene
CBGB (they count as one entity)
Larsson
Loktionov
Brodeur

Worst
Volchenkov
Clarkson (after his steroids ran out)
Zajac
Henrique
Salvador/Deboer

I didn't end up including Hedberg because I felt it was unfair to him. I know he is capable of playing well, but that is under back-up conditions. A 39 year old, essentially career back-up, forced to start every game while Marty was injured. No matter how you slice that, it's going to turn out badly.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Kovy needs to regain his speed(if possible) and actually make one timers. Also, Jim I think you're a good poster, but if Kovy made half of his 10+(maybe even more) posts, I doubt you'd be feeling as strongly as you do. With better luck he could easily have 15 goals 17 assists in 33 games. That is a fine year especially with the doo doo he was playing with. He wasn't as good as he should be (perhaps b/c of injury?), but he's far from the problem. Give him a decent 1st line winger to work with and Loktionov and I bet next year he pots 40 again.

edit: My main concerns are Zajac, Henrique, Clarkson, and Lou's ability to cut defensive dead weight and acquire quality forwards.

 

[Devils Trap]

Best
Greene
CBGB
Lokti
Kovy
Brodeur

Worst
Personnel Decisions
Volchenkov
Clarkson
Poni/D'Ags
Harrold/Tallinder

 

[Emperoreddy]

Ya, lots of farming being done in that post. I was surprised to see no mention of potatoes.

Worst:
1. 8 defenceman musical chairs, this ties into the mishandling of Larsson and Fayne too.
2. Moose's craptacular stretch
3. Clarkson's bipolar act
4. Zajac not living up to the contract yet
5. Volchenkov sliding swiftly into uselessness

Best:
1. Loktionov for a fifth
2. Henrique keeping up his solid play as best he could with both Parise and Kovalchuk gone
3. Andy Greene
...

Ya, that's all I've got.

I'd add Larsson's play when he was allowed too. He is getting better and looking like he may live up to the hype of being the high 1st rounder we picked. Also CBGB as a whole still their jobs well.

I'd add one worst no one mentioned. The Power Play was horrific this year, and the PK wasn't a whole lot better.

 

[Bleedred]

Hopefully this means Shaw is on his way out. Let Barr run the power play. His unit he runs can actually SCORE. I find it amusing that there was about to be a penalty today right before Loktionov scored our only goal. If he didn't have possession of the puck when the delayed penalty was called then Henrik was getting a shutout today.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Good
- Loktionov
- Bernier

Bad
- rest of the team not in ugly list

Ugly
- Zidlicky
- Clarkson
- Zajac
- Henrique
- Volch
- Harrold
- Shaw

Greene almost made the good list but he simply performed as he should have for a long time now and consistently. I can't reward that. Loktionov simply exceeded all expectations and came on the cheap. Bernier stepped up beyond his standard as well.

Zajac and Henrique have to come back as critical core types but I wouldn't cry any tears for the rest of them if they wore a different jersey next year, in fact I'd welcome it.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Good
- Loktionov
- Bernier

Bad
- rest of the team not in ugly list

Ugly
- Zidlicky
- Clarkson
- Zajac
- Henrique
- Volch
- Harrold
- Shaw

Greene almost made the good list but he simply performed as he should have for a long time now and consistently. I can't reward that. Loktionov simply exceeded all expectations and came on the cheap. Bernier stepped up beyond his standard as well.

Zajac and Henrique have to come back as critical core types but I wouldn't cry any tears for the rest of them if they wore a different jersey next year, in fact I'd welcome it.

I think if Zids is cheap we should bring him back, and Clarkson if he isn't asking for the moon. The rest though ya I agree, let them go. Harrold should walk, Volch should be bought out, Shaw should be fired.

 

[blueliner]

In descending order ... all things considered.

Key Contributors:
Greene
Elias
Bernier
Carter
Kovalchuk
Gionta

Servicable:
Brodeur
Loktionov
Fayne
Zidlicky
Larsson
Tallinder
Zubrus
Clarkson
Sullivan
Barch

Disappointing:
Zajac
Henrique
Hedberg
Josefson
D'Agostini
Ponikarovsky
Kostopoulos

Weak Links:
Volchenkov
Salvador
Harrold

Seems an obvious thing to say but if we can find or groom a complimentary linemate for Kovalchuk, who amplifies his strengths as opposed to a revolving cast of incompatible passengers who need carrying, we'd be very well served.

 

[NJDevs26]

Well grading on a curve relative to expectations:

Brodeur C+ if only cause his save percentage is in line with the last couple years and his GAA is pretty good
Moose F

Greene A solid defensively, didn't really add a lot offensively though but he only really puts up points in spurts
Zidlicky C- modest point production and a little better defensively than I thought but still a -9 and didn't add much on the PP, so he gets graded lower
Larsson C+ considering how limited he was and how jerked around he was, he did improve later in the season defensively
Fayne C- most adversely affected by the switching in and out considering the level he was at last year, though he wasn't as bad recently as he was in the middle of the season
Harrold C probably a little better than his numbers showed (four points, -7 in 19 games) but still about what you'd expect for what he is
Tallinder B- not great, but slightly better than what I expected since he didn't play a lot last year and was also moved in and out.
Salvador F not just cause he was bad but he was bad compared to what he was last year - regular season 'and' playoffs.
Volchenkov D+ only cause he had a stretch of five or so games where he didn't stink and I didn't expect much from him anyway

Elias C+ not a great year for him. If I was just grading his production in a vaccum and not compared to who he is it'd be higher. He dissapeared when Kovy got hurt too
Kovy C- would have prorated out to 25 goals and 70 points in a full year, not great for him either, especially since I figured he'd dominate being in game shape
Clarkson C an A the first part of the season, an F the second half
Zajac D- only escapes an F because his 'intangibles' were still there, but offensively he was the biggest dissapointment of all
Henrique D+ I could really put him lower too, he would have had 35 points over a full season. Not good. He really dissapeared after his goalscoring spurt early.
Bernier A- One of the few that at least 'lived up' to expectations and was able to slot in on any line
Carter A- Picked up where he left off in the playoffs though he couldn't possibly keep up 'that' pace
Gionta B+ For all the **** he gets, 14 points and a +3 from a guy that's supposed to be a fourth liner?
Loiktionov B+ Blew expectations out of the water until he dissapeared (like most of the team) when Kovy got hurt
Zubrus C Never been much of a regular season player anyway, more of an incomplete grade if anything
Poni D+ Other than his obligatory goal in his first game against the Flyers, the sequel wasn't as good as the original, but I wasn't as high on him last year as most anyway otherwise I'd have it lower
Josefson D- Showed flashes the first few games of the season and the previous couple, but was horrible otherwise
Barch F Couldn't even fight