David Clarkson v. Troy Bodie

[hockeyes]

To suggest Bodie is a better skater than Clarkson is laughable. He looks like bambi out there... Bodie has clearly worked with Underhill and is using his long legs to get a long stride so when he has the room to go from our end to theirs yeah he picks up a lot of speed... but he's a terrible skater.

Again, to suggest Troy Bodie can make a difference but Clarkson can't based off a worst case scenario for Clarkson where he has missed half the year in various intervals with a new team and a couple good games from Bodie is laughable.

I agree Bodie isn't a good skater but at the same time, neither is Clarkson.

What Bodie excels at though, is masking this shortcoming.

Bodie regularly times his zone entries so that he is at full speed crossing the blue line once the puck enters the zone. This is why he is effective at what he does.

Contrast that to Clarkson who regularly is stationary/moving very slow at the blue line. That only works if you are either skilled enough to gain the zone and make a good pass or explosive enough of a skater that you can still get in and pressure the D. Clarkson unfortunately has neither of these attributes which is why he looks completely lost out there.

If Clarkson figured this out and timed his entries better he would be very effective. When Clarkson does get the puck or gets position he is strong with it, he just needs to be able to replicate that regularly and not be chasing the play 95% of the time.

 

[TieClark]

I agree Bodie isn't a good skater but at the same time, neither is Clarkson.

What Bodie excels at though, is masking this shortcoming.

Bodie regularly times his zone entries so that he is at full speed crossing the blue line once the puck enters the zone. This is why he is effective at what he does.

Contrast that to Clarkson who regularly is stationary/moving very slow at the blue line. That only works if you are either skilled enough to gain the zone and make a good pass or explosive enough of a skater that you can still get in and pressure the D. Clarkson unfortunately has neither of these attributes which is why he looks completely lost out there.

If Clarkson figured this out and timed his entries better he would be very effective. When Clarkson does get the puck or gets position he is strong with it, he just needs to be able to replicate that regularly and not be chasing the play 95% of the time.

Clarkson has been stationary because he's not gelling with his linemates at all to date other than his brief stint with Bolland and his defensive role with McClement and Kulemin. He's playing a rush game when he's not a rush player at all.

A lot of that also has to do with him missing significant time at various points... he hasn't adjusted to the system at all yet clearly. He excels once we have possession in the other teams end but we don't often hem teams in... most of our offence is off the rush like you see often with Kessel/JVR and like Kadri's goal last night. It's also why our 4th line often looks so bad... they looked great last night on the 1st goal where we had possession for an extended period in their end.

 

[zeke]

Clarkson has the speed, but he doesn't have the strength in my opinion, atleast not this year. Bodie has been effective and extremely noticeable in the last few games, let's keep em' rollin'

Clarkson has no speed. And even less acceleration. It makes it really hard for him to win puck races, or recover the puck when it bounces away from him on the forecheck.

 

[zeke]

Silly thread.

Cheer for the cheapest contract who's producing well VS the player who's struggling with the big contract.


Why not start a 'Flash in the Pan' thread instead? Soooooooo many past leafs that come in and produce and then we never hear about them again.

I would love to look up how many of you wanted Dominic Moore to be signed long term, anointed captain, voted Best Guy in the Locker Room of All Time, etc.

Just one more thread where people get to crap on Clarkson.

My point with this thread was not just the player comp, and definitely not tonsay that bodie is anything more than a borderline 4th liner - but more to demonstrate that clarkson's play so far isn't even worthy of a roster spot.

 

[Al14]

Bodie can express his INTANGIBLES far, far, better than Clarkson!

Clarkson for stick boy from any other NHL team!

 

[zeke]

Clarkson is the new Schenn. Except worse. But he still have fans that think he has a use of some sort

He's the new colby armstrong, actually.

 

[zeke]

Schenn is still and always has been a very useful player. Not everyone acts like melodramatic teenagers when judging a player

Schenn's a borderline #6 dman on a weak defense corps.

 

[Michael Gary Scott]

Guys, as long as Clarkson has CLARK in his name, he'll have people defending him tooth and nail. HES 30 YEARS OLD. To expect he'll somehow get substantially better is absurd. And for him to be useful he has to be SUBSTANTIALLY better. A slight improvement still makes him the worst player on this team save FML/Orr. Hes an awful player, awful contract, that was signed seemingly for the reason that he's from Mimico and he has CLARK in his name.

 

[Michael Gary Scott]

He's the new colby armstrong, actually.

except worse. Colby at least did something in the (very few) games he did play.

 

[TieClark]

Schenn's a borderline #6 dman on a weak defense corps.

Schenn would be the #4 at worst on this team currently

 

[zeke]

Schenn would have trouble making the marlies top-4.

 

[Atomos2]

To suggest Bodie is a better skater than Clarkson is laughable. He looks like bambi out there... Bodie has clearly worked with Underhill and is using his long legs to get a long stride so when he has the room to go from our end to theirs yeah he picks up a lot of speed... but he's a terrible skater.

Again, to suggest Troy Bodie can make a difference but Clarkson can't based off a worst case scenario for Clarkson where he has missed half the year in various intervals with a new team and a couple good games from Bodie is laughable.

These excuses for Clarkson are getting tiresome. Bodie makes a bigger difference than Clarkson. It says more about how bad Clarkson has been more than how good Bodie has been. The only reason we're accepting these excuses is because the guys that are getting paid less than our "#2/#3 forward" are picking up the slack and we're managing to hold onto a playoff spot. But he has been a touch above useless this year other than the rare game that you actually see him doing something.

 

[Al14]

Schenn would have trouble making the marlies top-4.

And, we got JvR for him!!!

 

[Diatomic]

To suggest Bodie is a better skater than Clarkson is laughable. He looks like bambi out there... Bodie has clearly worked with Underhill and is using his long legs to get a long stride so when he has the room to go from our end to theirs yeah he picks up a lot of speed... but he's a terrible skater.

Again, to suggest Troy Bodie can make a difference but Clarkson can't based off a worst case scenario for Clarkson where he has missed half the year in various intervals with a new team and a couple good games from Bodie is laughable.

Bodie is a better skater. Clarkson's skating is Frazer Mclaren bad. The reason he has so many hits is because he can't keep pace with his opponents so he tries to hit them instead in an attempt to slow them down.

 

[TieClark]

Bodie is a better skater. Clarkson's skating is Frazer Mclaren bad. The reason he has so many hits is because he can't keep pace with his opponents so he tries to hit them instead in an attempt to slow them down.

Ah so now we're discrediting what he has done well... if he didn't have the hits you'd be here complaining about how he doesn't hit. He does hit so you make up some lame excuse as to why he has a lot of hits.

I understand frustration, I don't understand the melodramatic crap like you're a teenage girl that continues to be spewed on here.

 

[Diatomic]

Ah so now we're discrediting what he has done well... if he didn't have the hits you'd be here complaining about how he doesn't hit. He does hit so you make up some lame excuse as to why he has a lot of hits.

I understand frustration, I don't understand the melodramatic crap like you're a teenage girl that continues to be spewed on here.

I dont care about hitting, Cody Franson is another pylon yet he's higher up in the league when it comes to hitting. The more you hit, the more your chasing the puck.

 

[TieClark]

I dont care about hitting, Cody Franson is another pylon yet he's higher up in the league when it comes to hitting. The more you hit, the more your chasing the puck.

Well that's good for you. Not sure why you think Bodie is an asset if not for his physical play though.

 

[BudMaster17]

Schenn would be the #4 at worst on this team currently

Lmfao... Ok I'll go with it.... Schenn would be the best defencemen on our team
Only makes sense when he was our worst dman a few years ago on an even worse core then our current. Schenn has grown into an elite dman over the last few years... Just look at the stats, they don't lie

 

[TieClark]

Lmfao... Ok I'll go with it.... Schenn would be the best defencemen on our team

...ok?

 

[zeke]

Bodie causes havoc on the forecheck, forces turnovers consistently, and while unskilled keeps it smart and simple when he has the puck.

 

[zeke]

Schenn is like Franson, but without the puck skills. And puck skills are the only thing good about franson.

 

[Stephen]

Clarkson has no speed. And even less acceleration. It makes it really hard for him to win puck races, or recover the puck when it bounces away from him on the forecheck.

The thing that's pathetic about Clarkson is his hustle and energy level isn't even always up to snuff to even hope to compensate for his amateur skating abilities. The guy needs to start thinking of himself as an AHL call up and play hungry to be more effective but when you're making a large fortune I guess you don't really have to worry about the game anymore.

 

[Bluelines]

Two physical right handed right wingers.

Bodie is much bigger and much faster and has a more unstoppable motor.

Clarkson has a history of producing more, but has been less productive than Bodie this year despite receiving hugely more minutes and better linemates.

Bodie isn't great defensively, but at least can cover his man and win puck races in the D zone, while Clarkson can't win a puckrace to save his life and often leaves his man wide open.

Both are tenacious on the boards.



So which player has been the more valuable right winger for the Leafs this year?

...aaaaaaaand Bodie can actually have a shift with out falling to the ice ...thats important for a NHLer ..right?

 

[ForSpareParts*]

Dominic Moore has been the kind of guy you want on your third line though. After leaving the Leafs, he's been around 30 points a game, and between 53.8 and 55% in the faceoffs. He's been a useful third line C, but nothing more. I would have loved to have had him locked up long-term... but on a reasonable contract, which he didn't want after his 41 point season.

What is this? My point has nothing to do with your evaluation of Dom Moore! Yes I remember him. Yes he had a 41 point season. Yes I remember the circumstance. Bodie might get 41 points some day too. The point is this thread compares an overpaid struggling player with the flavour of the week who is producing well at a cheap price. Why don't people find hobbies instead of attempt to rip Clarkson in new ways.

 

[socko]

I would think nobody would want Clarkson gone more than Nonis.

What is the first thing you think of when you see Clarkson play? Nonis is an idiot right? You forget the good things he has done like Bernier.

The sooner he is gone the better for Nonis.