Prospect Info: Connor Carrick

[Incetardis]

I think he's currently a perfect #7 on good team. I don't see top-4 upside because he's so weak in his own zone. I view him as a stop-gap for the next couple years until we acquire/develop better D. With the expansion draft looming, he's good trade fodder to add into a consolidation-type move. We have enough offense, we now need defensive roleplayers all throughout the lineup. I think Carrick is a bad fit both short- and long-term.

I tend to agree. I like Carrick a lot. I think he's a real smart player that plays with an edge which I love but he's an undersized offensive dman and we need some big nasty defensive minded Dman that are hard to play against to even out the lineup. Without Polak that D core is soft as ****. We'll see but I'm not sure with Reilly, Gards, and Zaitsev that he'll be able to play to his strengths and be an effective contributor to this team long term

 

[pgk]

Maybe he's being coached to do it, but there was a point in the game tonight where he literally switched positions with Marner. Marner went back and played RD in the defensive zone and Carrick was literally just standing on the offensive blue line. I'd consider that out of position, but I will concede that might be a set play or something Babcock is working on. Was a real WTF moment in the game for me.

Was that the play where we carried the puck in below the goal line and passed out front? I just saw marner covering for him. I didnt see where he went after that.

 

[Morgs]

So confused as to how people don't see him as a Top-4 D RIGHT NOW. Guy not only passes the eye test, but he also is leading our defense in CF%.

I guess this is the treatment Gardiner got too before people realized how good he actually is.

Oh wait, people still think Gardiner sucks.

 

[zeke]

Carrick is a very good young defenseman.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I'm sold on Carrick. Besides the Minnesota game, where he had some rather awful pinches, he's been rock solid.

Excellent shot suppression numbers, he's surpassed Gardiner as the best corsi guy on the blueline, and eye test wise, he's a smooth skater that is very calm with the puck, unlike a lot of other guys on our blueline(Marincin, Polak, Hunwick).

I think once people start to see what he's capable of offensively, people are really going to like him.

 

[cookie]

Carrick is a very good young defenseman.

Can't believe how cheap the leafs got him. The kid's a gamer and makes smart plays on offense.

 

[bobermay]

So confused as to how people don't see him as a Top-4 D RIGHT NOW. Guy not only passes the eye test, but he also is leading our defense in CF%.

I guess this is the treatment Gardiner got too before people realized how good he actually is.

Oh wait, people still think Gardiner sucks.

Carrick just needs to work on his consistency. Some nights it seems to me like he lacks the effort/drive, and looks rather mediocre and makes brainfarts defensively. On other nights he looks great. A nice peice to have in our organization though


On the other hand, Gardiner HAS been rather mediocre this year. You can't have a D-core of just PMD... they'll get exposed far too often.

 

[thewave]

Carrick is a very good young defenseman.

Carrick is a fine D, far better than Marincin Polak and Hunny. Tbh we have a top 4 that's passable as is. Zaitsev is a top pairing guy if you really watch him. Thing is we get murdered on the ice with Polak, Hunny and Mari all the time and so I wish Valiev was on the team. If I were them I would abandon the notion that Polak or Hunny are going to bring back a deadline return. Get Valiev and Loov going.

 

[Morgs]

Carrick just needs to work on his consistency. Some nights it seems to me like he lacks the effort/drive, and looks rather mediocre and makes brainfarts defensively. On other nights he looks great. A nice peice to have in our organization though


On the other hand, Gardiner HAS been rather mediocre this year. You can't have a D-core of just PMD... they'll get exposed far too often.

Florida:

Ekblad
Yandle
Demers
Psysk

They're doing alright

 

[bobermay]

Florida:

Ekblad
Yandle
Demers
Psysk

They're doing alright

I think you misunderstood my point. Guys like Ekblad, Psysk, Demers play a more well-rounded game. Its definitely important for most defenders to be able to handle the puck, but its even more important to have guys that can defend well too.

I don't have as much faith in guys like Gardiner, Carrick and recently Rielly on the defensive side of the game...

 

[leafsfan1234]

So confused as to how people don't see him as a Top-4 D RIGHT NOW. Guy not only passes the eye test, but he also is leading our defense in CF%.

I guess this is the treatment Gardiner got too before people realized how good he actually is.

Oh wait, people still think Gardiner sucks.

Apparently even Babcock thinks Gardiner sucks because he's playing the second fewest minutes of all our defensemen. Carrick is basically a rookie still and he's noticeable weak in his own end, he's definitely not a guy you would want playing top 4 minutes on a contending team. CF% speaks nothing of his defensive ability, it only implies more shots are directed at the other net when he's on the ice. I like Carrick, but in an ideal world he's on the bottom pairing not in our top 4.

 

[SprDaVE]

Carrick is a very good young defenseman.

Under appreciated as well.

 

[Discoverer]

CF% speaks nothing of his defensive ability, it only implies more shots are directed at the other net when he's on the ice.

If a player is a good enough puck-mover/offensive player that he spends the majority of his ice-time in the offensive zone helping create scoring chances, then it's a net-positive.

 

[thewave]

Apparently even Babcock thinks Gardiner sucks because he's playing the second fewest minutes of all our defensemen. Carrick is basically a rookie still and he's noticeable weak in his own end, he's definitely not a guy you would want playing top 4 minutes on a contending team. CF% speaks nothing of his defensive ability, it only implies more shots are directed at the other net when he's on the ice. I like Carrick, but in an ideal world he's on the bottom pairing not in our top 4.

Point being, not many D look like all stars with under a season of play. He is already being trusted in the top 4 right now because he is pretty good. His ceiling is where he is playing now but refined and better overall. Management is clearly just letting him log minutes and develop on the fly like the other top prospects.

 

[leafsfan1234]

If a player is a good enough puck-mover/offensive player that he spends the majority of his ice-time in the offensive zone helping create scoring chances, then it's a net-positive.

Some of the best players defensively in the league have terrible corsi stats such as Shea Weber.. Would you rather have Gardiner on the ice or Shea Weber? Corsi would say it should be Gardiner......

 

[zeke]

CF% speaks nothing of his defensive ability, it only implies more shots are directed at the other net when he's on the ice.

Score/Zone/Venue Adjusted

Corsi Against /60 Relative

1. Carrick -12.9
2. Gardiner -5.9
3. Marincin -1.4
4. Rielly +3.5
5. Hunwick +4.2
6. Zaitsev +6.2
7. Polak +10.4

Fenwick Against /60 Relative

1. Carrick -8.4
2. Gardiner -3.8
3. Hunwick -1.3
4. Marincin +1.2
5. Zaitsev +1.7
6. Rielly +5.8
7. Polak +6.7

Shots Against /60 Relative

1. Carrick -3.7
2. Polak -1.6
3. Hunwick -0.9
4. Marincin -0.9
5. Gardiner +1.1
6. Rielly +1.9
7. Zaitsev +3.4

Scoring Chances Against /60 Relative

1. Polak -2.8
2. Carrick -2.6
3. Marincin -1.4
4. Rielly -1.2
5. Gardiner -0.4
6. Hunwick +3.2
7. Zaitsev +3.8



Carrick has most likely been our best defensive defenseman so far - by a good margin.

 

[leafsfan1234]

Score/Zone/Venue Adjusted

Corsi Against /60 Relative

1. Carrick -12.9
2. Gardiner -5.9
3. Marincin -1.4
4. Rielly +3.5
5. Hunwick +4.2
6. Zaitsev +6.2
7. Polak +10.4

Fenwick Against /60 Relative

1. Carrick -8.4
2. Gardiner -3.8
3. Hunwick -1.3
4. Marincin +1.2
5. Zaitsev +1.7
6. Rielly +5.8
7. Polak +6.7

Shots Against /60 Relative

1. Carrick -3.7
2. Polak -1.6
3. Hunwick -0.9
4. Marincin -0.9
5. Gardiner +1.1
6. Rielly +1.9
7. Zaitsev +3.4

Scoring Chances Against /60 Relative

1. Polak -2.8
2. Carrick -2.6
3. Marincin -1.4
4. Rielly -1.2
5. Gardiner -0.4
6. Hunwick +3.2
7. Zaitsev +3.8



Carrick has most likely been our best defensive defenseman so far - by a good margin.

Better send those stats over to Babcock so he can start playing Carrick 25 mins a night, our defensive problems will soon be at an end!!!

 

[zeke]

Better send those stats over to Babcock so he can start playing Carrick 25 mins a night, our defensive problems will soon be at an end!!!

we don't really have defensive problems.

 

[leafsfan1234]

we don't really have defensive problems.

 

[Caesium]

we don't really have defensive problems.

This team has massive defensive problems. Corsi AKA "possession" is a glorified shot count and I don't give it much weight. It certainly doesn't measure defensive coverage.

 

[zeke]

This team has massive defensive problems. Corsi AKA "possession" is a glorified shot count and I don't give it much weight. It certainly doesn't measure defensive coverage.

Our corsi against is actually our worst defensive metric.

Our scoring chances against and high danger scoring chances against are our best defensive metrics.

 

[zeke]

Score Adjusted

56.3 corsi against /60 (17th)
40.9 fenwick against /60 (9th)
27.7 shots against /60 (5th)
7.7 scoring chances against /60 (8th)
35.5 average shot distance against (3rd)

 

[Jerkini]

To be fair, our defence looks a lot better if our goaltender simply starts playing at an average level. Anything better is a bigger bonus.

 

[Morgs]

Better send those stats over to Babcock so he can start playing Carrick 25 mins a night, our defensive problems will soon be at an end!!!

No he's actually playing extremely well in the role he's currently being given. It's not a sure thing that he will continue to succeed if you give him harder matchups, worse faceoff starts, and more time at 5v5.

Your sarcasm just proves your ignorance.

This team has massive defensive problems. Corsi AKA "possession" is a glorified shot count and I don't give it much weight. It certainly doesn't measure defensive coverage.

And nobody here will give much weight to your opinion. Hm wonder who I should trust, a guy random guy on a board, or an advanced statistic that has proven over the years to be one of the best (there are more that add to the greatness of a player/team) measurements that is more able to predict the outcome of the game from prior stats.

 

[Nooodles]

To be fair, our defence looks a lot better if our goaltender simply starts playing at an average level. Anything better is a bigger bonus.

I dont see it that way. Why would the defence look better when the goalie plays better? They still make those mistakes, its just that we dont get scored on because the goalie solves the problem. I think its the other way around. If the defence doesnt make mistakes every other shift, than our goalie can focus on the game and make those little saves you need to stay in the game. But what can he really do when he always have to face a 2 on 1 situation? And I'm not saying that Andersen is good right now. What I want to say is that its way harder for a goalie to play behind a bad defence than the other way around.