Player Discussion Erik Gudbranson
- Thread starter ProstheticConscience
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PuckMunchkin
Very Nice, Very Evil!
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by his recent stretch of games as most of you have been as well. It’s nice not yelling at him through the TV screen as I usually do.
It seems like he is skating with the puck more through the middle of rink, and realizing he is not that bad at it. He hasn’t been launching the puck head high off the glass as often out of his own zone, and instead trying a tape to tape pass.
Let’s see how long he can sustain this. Maybe something has just sort of clicked with him.
It seems like he is skating with the puck more through the middle of rink, and realizing he is not that bad at it. He hasn’t been launching the puck head high off the glass as often out of his own zone, and instead trying a tape to tape pass.
Let’s see how long he can sustain this. Maybe something has just sort of clicked with him.
PuckMunchkin
Very Nice, Very Evil!
clunk
Registered User
Are you prepared to admit you were wrong again when Gudbranson comes back down to earth as a 6th d-man who bleeds goals against?
PuckMunchkin
Very Nice, Very Evil!
Its akin to liking a dice that is loaded to roll 1s that suddenly gives you a couple of 4s.
geebaan
7th round busted
- Oct 27, 2012
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He hasn’t even played that good. He’s still super slow, he still has piss poor coverage in front of the net(go watch some of the goals other teams have scored lately).
So he hasn’t been nuclear with the puck and he has hit a few guys. Big whoop. Not a 4 million dollar player, and not a top 4 defense man.
So he hasn’t been nuclear with the puck and he has hit a few guys. Big whoop. Not a 4 million dollar player, and not a top 4 defense man.
I'm going to *shudder* defend Gudbranson a bit here.
I mean, yeah, it's overwhelmingly likely that this short stretch of adequate mid-pairing play is a blip carried mainly by Hutton and he'll regress into the same old crappy fringe Gudbranson he's been for 7 years.
But his comments about skating and skating more were really interesting, and he's noticeably skating harder and trying to push the play forward more instead of sitting back and allowing an opposition shooting gallery. Maybe, just maybe,he's figured something out a bit. We'll see if it lasts.
I mean, yeah, it's overwhelmingly likely that this short stretch of adequate mid-pairing play is a blip carried mainly by Hutton and he'll regress into the same old crappy fringe Gudbranson he's been for 7 years.
But his comments about skating and skating more were really interesting, and he's noticeably skating harder and trying to push the play forward more instead of sitting back and allowing an opposition shooting gallery. Maybe, just maybe,he's figured something out a bit. We'll see if it lasts.
Just A Bit Outside
Playoffs??!
- Mar 6, 2010
- 16,617
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Throw him into a trade proposal for Nylander.
Probably playing the best he has as a Nuck, RHD, younger than Tanev with a few more years signed to give TO cost control.
Probably playing the best he has as a Nuck, RHD, younger than Tanev with a few more years signed to give TO cost control.
Nucker101
Foundational Poster
- Apr 2, 2013
- 21,162
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This would’ve been possible if they still had Lou as GM with Hunter as the AGM
Hit the post
I have your gold medal Zippy!
Babcock seems to get aroused by having such a D on this blueline (see Polack as an example). Wouldn't hurt to see if there's sufficient interest.
So he went after Clutterbuck in the last game. Isn't that what all his detractors have been complaining about him not doing? Even after a short stretch, of a quarter season, is he not leading the teams D in points, along with another maligned and called out player on these boards? Revealing he had been playing injured prior to this season doesn't retroactively fix his bad play, but everyone here seems to think he has sustained this performance for three games or something. He's been fine, even by his new contract standards. If all we get is another 20 games like this this season, he's earning his pay cheque. That's 20 better games then we got out of Stetcher, Pouliot, Del Zotto and even Biega. That other 20 would make a half season of passable top-4 D hockey. He is not the problem with our D, he is just not a guy I want on our top pairing as soon as a single injury happens.
Hit the post
I have your gold medal Zippy!
Depends on how you want to view this. Enjoy and recognize his recent good play or continue to gripe about his past. Yes, he has not been great for us since he came over to vancouver. But hopefully everyone can look at how he has been playing and see the potential. I hope he keeps on improving.
PuckMunchkin
Very Nice, Very Evil!
I don't think "want" should come in to play here.
Just use logic to try to find the truth as often as possible.
to go a bit farther on what @PuckMunchkin said, he is 26 27 in 2 months... what potential? He should be well into his prime.
Sure I am happy he is playing better but can I also live in reality?
Want is very much in play when a player is playing well over a short stretch of games. Look at it as you will but don't discount what you see.
He is playing well lately in our reality. Nothing wrong with acknowledging that. And to say that a player at his age is beyond growing or learning from experience is not fair. People learn and grow at different rates. I would like to think I am able to still learn and improve at my age.
geebaan
7th round busted
- Oct 27, 2012
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This board is getting weird. Anything viewed as realistic or truth seeking is negative now. I don't understand it.
Not in Pro Sports. It is physical I am in my late 30’s and will get better at lots of things. I saw my men’s league play drop off a cliff at 31.
Gudbranson's WOWY's don't exactly inspire confidence for his play this year:
Erik Gudbranson - Teammates - On Ice - Natural Stat Trick
Every player who has played any meaningful minutes with Gudbranson has gotten much better results without him. The lone exception is Sutter, but we know he was buried in terms of zone starts/qual comp when not playing with Gudbranson. Gudbranson's numbers are clearly being carried playing a bunch of time behind the Pettersson, Goldobin, and Eriksson line, which has by far been the team's best possession line. That line has also been much better when not saddled with Gudbranson.
Erik Gudbranson - Teammates - On Ice - Natural Stat Trick
Every player who has played any meaningful minutes with Gudbranson has gotten much better results without him. The lone exception is Sutter, but we know he was buried in terms of zone starts/qual comp when not playing with Gudbranson. Gudbranson's numbers are clearly being carried playing a bunch of time behind the Pettersson, Goldobin, and Eriksson line, which has by far been the team's best possession line. That line has also been much better when not saddled with Gudbranson.
In pro sports the players do not learn over time? Or progress at different rates? I am not saying this is linear, or even a constant growth. I am commenting on what I have seen over the last few games and I hope it continues. Cover your eyes and ears all you like over what you are seeing lately. (and I stress lately)
I am saying the vast majority of professional hockey players do not get better at 27 with 8 seasons under their belt and the vast majority of people don’t get significantly better either in physical sports or activities they have been doing most their lives.
I can say he has played better, the last few games. It is being blind and def to think he will actually become a better player than he has been for most of his career.
What I am trying to get at is that he is showing that he has the ability to play better than he has. He is either learning or trying something different. Which is pretty promising considering what we have seen from him in the past, and hopefully he keeps it up.
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