I could still say I don't get the "why now" for this Boro extension, but a thought keep popping in my mind : potential to save some $
Not sure it will materialize but it's the biggest motivation I can see. Another is the tremendous Boro work ethic that has the intention of pushing other Sens players in that department.
Yeah, that cognitive bias can work both ways. Like with management, who don't want the embarrassment of using a 9th overall pick on a fringe NHLer, along with giving him a 4 year $12.4 million contract (not to mention reportedly offering a 7 year $28 (?) million deal before that). Cowen has draft pedigree and a sizable contract, that will give him more leeway than he deserves, and we saw it last year. When a good shift for Cowen constituted not having an on-ice blunder, that's just sad.
IMO, his mobility wasn't the biggest issue last year (though he did get skated around regularly), it was his decision making. My favourite Cowen play from last year was the game late in the year against Calgary where he was on the PK and chased a Flame (a forward) outside the Sens' own zone. Said forward did a drop pass off the boards back to another Flame, who now faced a 4 on 3 situation due to Cowen being in the neutral zone and pretty close to centre ice rather than his spot down low on the PK after chasing the aforementioned player.
And really, 29 other teams? You think he'd have gotten a regular shift last yea on Chicago with Keith, Seabrook, Leddy, Hjalmarsson, Oduya, and Rosival? Or LA with Doughty, Martinez, Voynov, Greene, Muzzin, and Mitchell, with Regehr as a number 7? On a non-playoff team like Vancouver with Edler, Bieksa, Garrison, Hamhuis, Tanev, he'd have been #6 at best, not getting ice time over others like he did with Wiercioch and Gryba here.
It's your opinion and I'll leave it at that. Personally, I have a way different opinion and I'm just going to let time do his thing. Nothing more I can do at this point, HFers are strongly entitled to their opinions.
Ya, +/- is so flawed, so let's just not use it. As for ES GA/60, you sure that's not due to some sheltering going on from MacLean once he realized Cowen was not going to be a competent top 4 defenceman?
Nope. Advanced stats kind of help Cowen's case... He didn't have a great season but when you consider the team he played on and the dysfunctional team defense and below average goaltending (20th last season), it wasn't really all that bad, despite that you didn't like several plays he made or didn't make.
Also, can Micklebot or somebody else find the Sens goalies SV% for Sens players when on the ice at ES last year? I'd be interested in seeing that.
Bingo. Or more specifically, mis-using budget dollars when you're a low budget team. While it would be nice if Boro and Phillips could be decent 5, 6, or 7s (and I have major doubts on the latter given his atrocious performance last year combined with age), the Sens' problem is the lack of legit top 4 defencemen. It's basically Karlsson and Methot right now, with Ceci, Cowen (despite his trainwreck play last year) and Wiercioch having the potential, but no proof of them being there now. And given MacLean's tendency to shaft Wiercioch, who can move the puck well and had decent advanced stats, last year for Cowen or Gryba because those 2 can hit...it doesn't fill me with hope.
This team lacks a #2 D-man. If we suddenly add a #2, everyone fall into the right spot and defense would be just fine.
#1 Karlsson
#2 ???
#3 Methot
#4 Cowen
#5 Ceci
#6 Wiercioch, Phillips
#7 Borowiecki
Wildcard : Claesson
If/when Ceci/Cowen becomes that #2 guy, the defense could look solid. If Methot walks, then you also need one of them to become a good #3. Then you wait on some of Claesson/Englund/Wikstrand to become solid #4-7 contributors.
Finally, another draft pick or traded/UFA player could help as well.
Middle of the pack for Ottawa
I think the problem is Cowen had some particularly egregious mistakes, and those are the ones that stick in your mind. Most of the time he was fine, he just had some terrible stretches that stood out.
His last year reputation was glorified by the "eye test" and cognitive bias which threw him in a scapegoating position. He played just fine most of the time, but like you said, several blunders really put him on the "over-scrutinity HF microscope".
Another thing to consider to consider is his style of play. I've said it for a while now but the way he plays will never make the unanimity as it's not flamboyant and really not "Karlsson-like". Several people just don't like it, efficient or not.
Would I have liked Cowen to develop faster? Of course, but at the same time severe injuries and lack of NHL experience makes it more understandable why it takes some time...
But back to the topic of the thread, namely Borowiecki and the unwarranted extension he got.
Travis Yost had a good piece on it.
And despite this, so many people are sure he's a legitimate NHLer? Including management, who seem smitten with his character and hitting alone. Intangibles that frankly count for diddly-squat if you can't play well. And that he's a local kid. Yeeeesh.
You sound like a dime-a-dozen HFer, who put more stock in his analysis than those of several real hockey professionals. That alone, puts me even more on the other side of the argument.
The bold is factually inaccurate.
Greening signed his extension after the lockout shortened season in which Spezza only played 5 games. He was actually pretty close to the same production he had playing with Spezza on the top line which is great considering he did it from the third line.
This past season was tough for Greening, and hopefully he turns it around, but his contract wasn't based solely on his performance with Spezza.
Another proof of cognitive bias. Omitting facts in a hopeful way that it will go unnoticed. Greening has some great production all things considered all his career except last season (2.5 years vs 1 year)
I dislike Greening as much as the next person but his contract was well worth it at the time we signed him. In hindsight, they shouldn't have re-signed him, but I'm not expecting a 100% success in that projection game NHL managements play.
The rookie year undoubtedly played the biggest part in the negotiation, since it made him look like potentially more than a bottom 6 player. Despite similar production, his lockout shortened season was nothing to write home about either (though he did still look like a decent 3rd liner), with the exception of his OT goal against the Pens in the playoffs. Didn't he get scratched one game because MacLean was frustrated with his inconsistent production?
Nope, nope and nope
0.54, 0.45 and 0.40 are the PPG paces of Greening to start his NHL career.
His production slightly went down in 2012-13 because his PP TOI/G actually went down as well. For scoring depth players, you have to actually consider their ES TOI vs others because they don't PP much
In 2010-11, Greening had a great start of his career, scoring 13 ESP in 24 games, (0.54 ES PTS/G) (Spezza had 39 in 62 games)
In 2011-12, Greening had 29 ESP in 82 games (0.35 ES PTS/G) (Leader Spezza had 60 in 80 games)
In 2012-13, Greening had 15 ESP in 47 games (0.32 ES PTS/G) (Leader Turris had 20 in 48 games)
In 2013-14 (and that's where the problem is), Greening had 14 ESP in 76 games (Leader Spezza had 44 in 75 games)
His contract is certainly not only based on that one particular season... His numbers were actually quite good for a 3rd liner with no PP time.
Sucks that I have defend Greening because he's the player I wanted gone before basically everyone else here, but what can you do when you see some people go on such evident hate propagandas.
It's reasonable to think that Boro hasn't proven enough in the NHL to receive a 3 year one-way extension on top of this year.
It's also reasonable to assume a group of NHL executives knows a lot more than me about these kinds of things.
NHL executives make mistakes though. So do I.
To err is human.
You're entirely right. Problem is with some people around here, it sounds like NHL executives make mistakes 95% of the time... This is where I have a problem and laugh big time.
