GDT: Devils vs. Bruins - 8 More to go… 7:00 PM - MSG

[Edmonton East]

Severson's going to finish dead last on defense......... for yet another year.

To be fair, it would have been Vatanen if he didn't get hurt.

 

[BenedictGomez]

To be fair, it would have been Vatanen if he didn't get hurt.

I'd like to think not. Vats' year has been a mystery to me, it's like he took a huge defensive step backwards.

 

[Wingman77]

Two important things:

1) That statistic is ridiculous hockus-pockus & really cant be taken seriously

2) Anyone watching this team even before Hall, Vats, Nico, (insert name here) went down knows it was a total train wreck.

To claim this team would have about 9 more full-blown 2 point wins without the injury bug is optimistic at best. In fact, oddly, I'd argue that after Hall and a few others went down, this team started playing more structurally sound. So while, yes, there's no team that could survive the Devils injuries this season, to claim they'd be fighting for that last playoff spot if not for injuries is completely unrealistic.

It also has to be accounted for that there were a number of nights throughout November and December where the team looked great some nights, but just as many nights, if not more, they looked very uninspired, out of position, and seemed to be going through the motions - which is partially why the questioning of Hynes became even more prevalent. After the new year, it all went further off the tracks.

 

[snwbdgislife]

That’s #3 for him if that’s the case right?

I fear it's number 4. The one that was never reported was the high, late hit by Carrick that knocked him out of the AHL playoffs.

 

[Edmonton East]

I'd like to think not. Vats' year has been a mystery to me, it's like he took a huge defensive step backwards.

Told everyone last year he is trash at defense....I honestly haven't noticed much of a difference, except he hasn't produced offensively like last year.

 

[BenedictGomez]

It also has to be accounted for that there were a number of nights throughout November and December where the team looked great some nights, but just as many nights, if not more, they looked very uninspired, out of position, and seemed to be going through the motions - which is partially why the questioning of Hynes became even more prevalent. After the new year, it all went further off the tracks.

Yup; this is pretty much how I saw it as well.

 

[Oneiro]

On a tactical level, the team is pretty piss poor at risk management. That's why I tend to agree with BG's skepticism about the team's chances prior to the injuries.

It's one thing to have a 50/50 puck situation and try something and it goes wrong. But it's another thing to go into that situation, try something that has limited upside and disastrous downside (2 on 1 situation, let's say) and say that, "Hey, we're a high risk team and them's the breaks when you play a skill game." I'm certainly a pro-Severson fan, but, regardless of analytics and viewed in terms of process, his positives this season are negated by forcing plays that, if executed, don't result in high percentage chances and, with no execution and weak support, can easily end up in the back of the net. He's not at all the only player with this problem.

It's a young team that's getting NHL-"literate" and we should obviously have some patience. I can also accept the premise that Hynes is young as well and obviously introspective and willing to make adjustments. But we're not a bubble team that got unlucky - there are problems with the approach.

 

[Camille the Eel]

Told everyone last year he is trash at defense....I honestly haven't noticed much of a difference, except he hasn't produced offensively like last year.

What I particularly like about Vats is his engagement and battle level. Also he sees the developing counterattack and can pass the puck hard on the breaking out players stick.

What I don’t like about him is poor skating, he’s actually constantly on his knees or the seat of his pants.

If given the right role (ideally 3d pairing, maybe 2d but that’s a stretch) he’s a good piece of a winning team. But you can’t try to put him in a Shane Webber role and think of him as your bulwark against a rising tide in your own end. He is utterly mismatched to do that. But you’d have to love his spirit. He’d die trying.

 

[MadDevil]

Vatanen is a perfectly fine 2nd pairing defenseman who is being asked to be a top pairing defenseman, while usually playing with a 3rd pairing LHD.

 

[Camille the Eel]

Also re Vats, if money hadn’t been an issue, I’m not sure I wouldn’t have preferred Adam Henrique on the team. Man for man definitely Rico.

But at 5.5 million, and a long term deal, the tradeoffs become more complex.