Post-Game Talk: #57| FLYERS 1 at Flames 3| Wednesday, February 15, 2017

[JojoTheWhale]

This speaks to any number of things, including the relative dead weight we had at C (Vinny, Umberger now and then) and G's slippage 5-on-5 last year.

It also doesn't speak to trajectory. Where was Sean in 2014 and where is he today? Same place? Half a step forward? Or a step back?

There's a famous saying about lying with statistics; I'd prefer to say you can make any case about a player these days in a spreadsheet, with a few exceptions (ahem VDV). A few of you are just locked in on this player. It's to a fault, in my view.

The numbers were from 2015-16 and this year. Lecavalier accounted for 7 games played last year with a grand total of 66 minutes played in all situations. Umberger played in less than half of the games and played in only 351 even strength minutes -- or 12 more than part-timer Nick Cousins -- and as you say, the majority of those minutes were not at Center. Umberger even had a positive GF% at 5v5 last year if you can believe it. Neither has played a game this year, obviously. One minor quibble at best, one absolute non-factor.

Giroux taking a step back at ES does impact this, but was also still positive at ES by the end of the year. This year, the entire team's GF% is a dumpster fire, and we're only comparing to teammates.

You seem to be focusing on what you think Couturier can't do. I believe this is philosophically wrong. I don't care how a player is effective. I care about how effective they are. This is why I bristle when someone comes in saying Couturier isn't a 2C or whatever other label you want to place on him, but don't when the criticism is, "I don't think his skill set fits his position on PP2."

 

[BackWithaVengeance]

I think it's more like they are the Jr. Flyers Midget Program with size.