Shareefruck
Registered User
I'm definitely confused about how the continued discussion of the second paragraph related to what we're actually talking about.Are we even talking about the same thing? I think you are confused. If Gaunce is playing 10 minutes a game mostly on the wing next season and putting up less than 20 points, he's not an elite 3rd line C. If Gaunce putting up 12+ goals 22+ points on the 4th line means he needs a bump up in minutes and he gets those minutes his value to this team has increased IMO. A good 4th line player that you would sign long term at $2M-3M AAV shouldn't average 10 minutes a game on your 4th line. Somehow, there seems to be posters here who think all it matters are the averages like if you give Gaunce Sutter's minutes he will score 20+ goals. It doesn't work that way.
I didn't say that putting up less than 20 points makes him an elite 3rd line C. I said that putting up 12+ goals and 22+ points from a limited 4th line role (which isn't going to get significantly more than 10-13 minutes) with the kind of defensive ability he has would put him in that ballpark. Giving any random player Sutter minutes may not bump a player up to a 20 goalscorer, but a jump from 4th line minutes/linemates to 3rd minutes/linemates will typically bump a player up by at least around five points. Totals aren't just going to stay the same regardless of deployment.
And apparently, as MS mentioned earlier, Gaunce himself saw this bump in production with an increase in icetime, although that's not something I was aware of until now or can confirm.
Oh, and Gaunce was 4-1-5 in 11 games where he played over 15 minutes last year, for the record. When he was given icetime, he scored.
Edit: I would also make a clear distinction between what "high end" means and what "elite" means. When I say "high end", I just mean one of the better ones, not a Selke-level 3rd liner.
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