Because you type trocheck makes " poor defensive reads" on a nightly basis is true doesn't make it. Cause it's not.
I don't know what games you've been watching, but it's been that way for a long time. Trocheck has been very poor (both offensively and defensively) since that hot streak he had in November/start of December.
First 14 games (Nov 1 - Dec 1): 2+9
Next 14 games (before he got sent down): 2+0
18 games after re-called: 3+6 (2+1 of those coming in the last game)
His numbers doesn't justify the defensive lapses in his game.
Because you type bolland is 10 x the defensive player doesn't make that true either. He can't win half the faceoff which leads to putting your team on the defense. He is so pathetically so its laughable. He turns the puck over with too much ease (see Montreal game, remember the shorty?) and takes many tragicomical penalties.
So one trait is enough to warrant case closed in Trocheck vs. Bolland? There's so much more to hockey than just faceoffs and you should know that.
Bolland turns the puck over? Have you watched Trocheck play this season, seriously? He turns the puck over just as much, if not even more than Bolland. Also recently he's passed Bolland in the stupid offensive zone penalty category, so that argument is a no-go.
Nothing but applause should be for trocheck performsnce last night including 60+ % faceoff wins AGAIN. And when you win those it is a defensive play as it keeps their O from attacking. You know like winning the faceoff against staal leading to the lst goal.
Again, you're using one stat to justify Trocheck's superiority.
Before he scored those goals, I remember thinking (and I more than likely said this in the GDT) that how disappointing he's been yet again and a defensive liability. Scoring two goals in a meaningless game that was already 4-0 at that point and winning faceoffs won't change his poor defensive effort.
That said, barkov was awful for a 1/4 of the season. It's uncontroverted. If you WERENT thinking of alternate plans you were tragicomical.
So I was tragicomical, for seeing that our young 1C was struggling offensively, but still bringing it defensively every night? Umm, I can't see what's tragicomical about that, it's called not being short-sighted. Asking for your franchise forward to be traded because of a small sample size (in his sophomore season no less) is comical, there's no way around it.
I really can't get my head around how you refuse to acknowledge Trocheck's deficiencies, like he's some holy cow that can't be criticized. Playing the line-up that gives you the best chance to win is all that matters, not the players age or how much they're getting paid. Fact is that Bolland with all his negatives is still a better defensive player than Trocheck and Vinny will be lucky if he'll ever reach the kind of defensive mind that Bolland has, which is what you want from a 3C.
If Trocheck makes the roster next season as a winger, he can still take draws, there's no rules against that. There's no point in playing him at center solely because he's better than Bolland at faceoffs, especially since his defensive game is lacking and wingers have less defensive responsibility, which in turn can help bring out Vinny's offensive game more.
