David Booth - All The Tools....No Toolbox

[Goon42]

should've bought him out/10

 

[Mofletz]

Booth hasn't lived up to expectations but gosh guys, every single one of his plays is over analyzed and critiqued in our GDTs like no other player on the team right now. Everyone complaining about him 24/7 has really added to the negative perception of him, and his flaws are greatly exaggerated.

Raymond was given the same treatment in the past, where every shift when he didn't score was considered a failure.

$4.25M Cap hit

He deserves it.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Bad hockey IQ and hands which look like they diminish more and more each game...

 

[Betamax*]

Bad hockey IQ and hands which look like they diminish more and more each game...

I think I heard someone on TEAM Radio describe his skating style as similar to Taylor Hall. They both are injury prone but the big difference is that Hall has good hands and can actually produce tangible numbers.

 

[vanuck]

Well he was injured for the majority of the off season and couldn't skate.

If so, I wonder what they thought he could have done better in terms of training...

 

[MikeK]

I've been saying for over a year that it's time to call it like it is. He is coming up on 29yrs of age. He is what he is now and it isn't like he's going to magically hit a switch and become a perennial 30-40 goal scorer. Not sure why so many people keep saying he's going to be our top 6 savior. I think it's time to stop looking at him through our Canuck rose glasses and see him for what he is. Chalk it up to injuries if you must, but he just never materialized into the type of player many thought he could be. He absolutely should have been bought out and the team should have gone in another direction. He is a waste of nearly $4.5M on the teams cap.

 

[Win One Before I Die]

I dont believe any of these lies.

The real problem is that he is a support player. Who is he supposed to support? Yes he is overpaid but with the way Kesler has been playing, so is he.

 

[Bleach Clean]

If you thought he would be a perennial 30 to 40 goal scorer, then that has more to do with expectations and not what he represented. He is a top6 PWF, nothing more, nothing less. Usually, a 20~ goal per year guy. Right now, after the initial adrenaline push, he's working off 1.5 years of rust and injury. Did anyone expect him to bounce back to his best form immediately? Again, expectation.

With Daniel, Luongo and Kesler playing in spurts, he's on the second rung of concerns for me. At least with him and Kesler, one could say they are still working back from injuries. Daniel and Luongo don't have that excuse (assuming Daniel's concussion isn't still affecting him). The "saviour" is actually supposed to be Daniel returning to form. It's supposed to be Kesler playing like he did, and it has to be Luongo playing like it's November.

 

[arttk]

If so, I wonder what they thought he could have done better in terms of training...

Too much upper body workout and decrease in hand agility?

 

[thegutter]

they should make booth complete 100 passes after practice or he cant leave the ice, or go to church on sunday or something.

 

[pahlsson]

also anyone think he looks way slower this year, probably a result of his last two injuries but imo it's a huge reason why he looks even more useless than usual this season

 

[Pip]

You think Booth is the only player this happens to?

No, but he's the biggest victim recently, Kesler and Kassian all get some of this treatment, as well as Bieksa. Once someone is declared bad around here, they're not given a fair shake in our analysis.

Hence all the hyperbole when describing him, and his faults

 

[Shareefruck]

After lowering my expectations due to last year, I think he's been okay so far.

The one thing that sticks out at me though is that he's not driving the net-- The kind of kills his effectiveness.

He's done a nice job playing along the boards though.

 

[BobbyJazzLegs]

He is playing pretty well but not contributing on the scoreboard, sure. Needs a look with different linemates and more ice time imo.

Getting him and Kass into the top 6 for a few more shifts per game would be a nice start.

 

[PG Canuck]

I dont believe any of these lies.

The real problem is that he is a support player. Who is he supposed to support? Yes he is overpaid but with the way Kesler has been playing, so is he.

Uhh, Kesler? Booth is a support/complimentary player, nothing more. Booth isn't good enough to carry his own line, so how is the problem him being a support player?

 

[Drop the Sopel]

If you thought he would be a perennial 30 to 40 goal scorer, then that has more to do with expectations and not what he represented.

I expected absolutely nothing from David Booth coming into this season and have come away disappointed every night, save maybe his first pair of games. Expectations are not the problem here. This is about Booth playing worse with each passing game and not looking even remotely dangerous offensively against the weaker players on some of the poorest teams in the NHL.

As of today, it looks unlikely Booth cracks 30 points this season. That is simply nowhere near good enough, regardless of how paltry expectations have become.

 

[nmain37*]

Booth is a bloated whale laying on the beach waiting to be put out of its misery. Ship him off somewhere for 7th round draft pick. What a waste of 4 million. Bring up one of the young guns.

 

[luongo321]

I think there are a lot of players that are a lot worse than David Booth. His tunnel vision does piss me off though.

 

[Win One Before I Die]

Uhh, Kesler? Booth is a support/complimentary player, nothing more. Booth isn't good enough to carry his own line, so how is the problem him being a support player?

How is Booth supposed to be carried by Kesler when Ryan hasn't done any lifting at all this year.

Henrik has been carrying Kesler, can he carry Booth too? maybe this will work if Sedin goes to the gym some more.

 

[luongo321]

How is Booth supposed to be carried by Kesler when Ryan hasn't done any lifting at all this year.

Henrik has been carrying Kesler, can he carry Booth too? maybe this will work if Sedin goes to the gym some more.

Kesler is the problem. He is a one man army. Put him with scrubs and he'll still put up the same amount of points. There is no point in trying to find him some crappy top 6 at the trade deadline because he obviously doesn't trust anyone besides henrik/daniel or higgins.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

No, but he's the biggest victim recently, Kesler and Kassian all get some of this treatment, as well as Bieksa. Once someone is declared bad around here, they're not given a fair shake in our analysis.

Hence all the hyperbole when describing him, and his faults

Just to emphasis this point. Bieksa has been by far one of our best players, yet he is still routinely criticised, every gaff is magnified as though he cost us a playoff series and half the board continues to put him in every trade proposal because Tanev or Corrado will undoubtedly fill that hole.

Booth does need to perform at a higher tempo than he has, but his performance thus far does not warrant near as much criticism as this board gives.

 

[MikeK]

Everything people are saying, for the most part, makes sense. The problem I have with the end result is that he's taking up more cap space than he provides in performance. If Booth were around the $2M mark then I probably wouldn't have much to say. He isn't though and that, in my opinion, makes him a waste of space. I absolutely think he should have been bought out. Many players out there can do what he's doing right now for far less than $4.25M. I would like to see him traded at the deadline for, if nothing else, to rid his contract.

 

[BlackAces]

Everything people are saying, for the most part, makes sense. The problem I have with the end result is that he's taking up more cap space than he provides in performance. If Booth were around the $2M mark then I probably wouldn't have much to say. He isn't though and that, in my opinion, makes him a waste of space. I absolutely think he should have been bought out. Many players out there can do what he's doing right now for far less than $4.25M. I would like to see him traded at the deadline for, if nothing else, to rid his contract.

Did we ever have a chance to buy him out in the off season though? I thought there was something about injured players being exempt.

 

[shottasasa]

This is not a confidence issue. Booth doesn't have the skill to be an effective player in todays NHL. Should have bought him out in the off season.

I disagree. Booth didn't go from a 20+ goal scorer to not having the skill to be effective in the NHL before he turned 30. Confidence is the difference between him making authoritative small plays in close rather than skating into a blind alley, good accurate passes rather than double clutching or passing too hard, challenging defenders rather than allowing them to keep him wide and shooting to score rather than just shooting and praying.

Mindset is huge. In my opinion Hockey IQ is a trait in a player that is hugely affected by confidence. It is after all about making the right decision with very little time to decide, and isn't that much easier with confidence?

Off topic a bit but I think this to me is why some prospects that have all of the tools don't make it and some do, and why good development makes the world of difference. It's not superior scouting that gives teams better prospects, it is superior development. That is why i am excited for the Canucks having their own farm team.

 

[MikeK]

Did we ever have a chance to buy him out in the off season though? I thought there was something about injured players being exempt.

You might be right. It's late and my brain is fried so I can't think if they had the opportunity or not.

Look at Booth's player career. He has never been a consistent contributor and in 9 NHL seasons he has only played in all 82 games once. The guy is what he is, Bernier PT2. Oft injured and hands of stone.