Claypool
Registered User
- Jan 12, 2009
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He earned too much of a reputation.
Agreed in that his ridiculous success created an impossible standard. I don't know that the first round pick situation is any reflection of trusting him or not. Holland was giving them away like candy for years. And it could just as easily overconfidence in Andersson's ability to find late round gems that made it easier to part with those first rounders.Couple thoughts
1) Threadworthy? Nice little video and all, but absolutely nothing new in that video.
2) They talk about how much they trust him, yet he hasn't been given a 1st round pick since 2000?
3) Same conversation will happen where people criticize him for not finding stars recently in rounds 2-7, while not understanding how ridiculously bad the odds are of finding stars in rounds 2-7. Or how ridiculous it was that he did it in back to back years while creating an entirely new core for this team for 10 years.
I'm guessing this will be an unpopular opinion but I would count Ericsson as one of his successes as well.
If it's unpopular, it's only because the team failed to find actual top pairing defensemen, forcing E to play above his ability. Dude would've been a great, and well-liked, middle-pairing/bottom-pairing player, if that's all he'd ever been asked to do. Fantastic pick/development work, all in all.
Couple thoughts
1) Threadworthy? Nice little video and all, but absolutely nothing new in that video.
2) They talk about how much they trust him, yet he hasn't been given a 1st round pick since 2000?
3) Same conversation will happen where people criticize him for not finding stars recently in rounds 2-7, while not understanding how ridiculously bad the odds are of finding stars in rounds 2-7. Or how ridiculous it was that he did it in back to back years while creating an entirely new core for this team for 10 years.
Honestly, if his hips weren't an issue and he hadn't busted up his hand, I think he could hold down minutes on the top pair as strictly a defense-first guy. Would he be great at it? No, but I think he'd arguably be our best option for it.
This is exactly right. You can't pick a player who's not on the board anymore.
Say there might be 1-3 stars in rounds 2-7 in any given draft, and that's if you're lucky. What if those players aren't playing in Sweden (and wherever else he scouts, if anywhere)? How exactly is he supposed to pick a star?
Honestly I think you've got Ericsson all wrong.I think you've got Ericsson all wrong. He was never good as a defensive defenseman. People assume because of his size that he plays that game.
Ericsson's strength was his shot. His breakout passing. His skating - especially for his size. And some offensive vision.
In the defensive zone, he's always been fairly clueless about positioning. He's always been a horrible shot blocker for someone in his role. He;s never been much of a netfront presense or good worker on the boards.
On the other hand, his offensive raw skills are good.
The problem his that he takes to long to shoot. For every great breakout pass he coughs up a puck in his own zone.
Ericsson has been a disappointment since 9-10.
He had a great year in the AHL (10-24-34) in 07-08.
In 08-09 he plays a regular shift as the Wings go to the finals and he looks fantastic.
He went 4-4-8 in 22 games.
For reference
Lidstrom went 4-12-16, Rafalski went 3-9-12, Kronwall went 2-7-9, Stuart went 3-6-9.
But the next year, Ericsson was awful. (4-9-13 -15). He wasn't much better the next year either.
To this day he's never put up more than 15 points in the regular season (Though he did have 13 in 45 games during the lockout season).
Big E, a lot like Smith, just never developed. In fact, like Smith, he regressed.
Here's hoping Dekeyser isn't the next chapter in that book.
Honestly I think you've got Ericsson all wrong.
I know people raved about his booming shot in the AHL skills competition but his windup takes a half an hour. It was never going to be effective in the NHL.
I agree about his breakout pass. It's good for a defenseive d-man. His skating is decent for a big man. As for net front presence I'd like him to be more Hatcher-esque but for many years now he's been one of the stronger net front presence the Wings have had.
But he is a forward who converted to defenseman at 19 years old and taken dead last in the draft. Fans over-hyped him because he looked good playing next to Lidstrom in the playoffs. The reality is I could play next to Lidstrom and probably look like a legit #2 D-man (see: Ian White).
Even in 2009 he was used on the PK and not on the PP. At his best the hope was for a defensive d-man with size and physical play who also had a good first pass.
When a scout like Hakaan Andersson tells you as a 19 year old to switch to defense, it's probably not because you've got tremendous offensive skills.
That's sort of my point. He's had to learn gap control and defensive positioning for the first time at the pro level.His passing and skating are the only things that have ever impressed me.
He plays defense like someone who learned the position at 18.
His passing and skating are the only things that have ever impressed me.
He plays defense like someone who learned the position at 18.
That's sort of my point. He's had to learn gap control and defensive positioning for the first time at the pro level.
Unless you're some kind of savant you're probably not going to be a top pairing guy in the NHL.
His passing shouldn't impress anyone, even before the wrist injury. He has always been slow to make decisions and has never moved the puck well, either in transition or in the offensive zone. I don't think he has ever read the play particularly well transitioning from defense to offense. Some players just know where there teammates are. The big guy isn't one of them.
Now he has always had a hard heavy shot (something we don't see enough of these days because you need to open your own shooting lanes in today's NHL) and has always been a underrated transporter of the puck.
Anyways, being big, long and mobile goes a long way in hockey. Ericsson is proof of that. Sadly, as others have pointed out he is neither fish nor fowl as a defensemen,
Ericsson was a better player than he's being credited.
When?
The AHL.
The 09 playoffs.
Maybe the lockout season?
Other than he's been mediocre and never worth more than $2M/Y
Honestly, if his hips weren't an issue and he hadn't busted up his hand, I think he could hold down minutes on the top pair as strictly a defense-first guy. Would he be great at it? No, but I think he'd arguably be our best option for it.
You just confirmed Winger's statement. He's definitely been better than you're crediting him.
Sure, but I think that still says more about our lack of talent than his ability.
Which I don't say to discount his ability, as I said, I think fans would love him if he'd never been stuck on/stapled to the top pair. But the inadequacies in his game, especially after injury, are hard to hide when you have to take on the most/hardest minutes against the toughest players.
It's like, how many people really have legit complaints about his play last year into this year? He seems to be, at worst, invisible. Which is a heck of a trait for any of our guys. And I think it's entirely because he's finally playing against appropriate competition.
Sure, but I think that still says more about our lack of talent than his ability.
Which I don't say to discount his ability, as I said, I think fans would love him if he'd never been stuck on/stapled to the top pair. But the inadequacies in his game, especially after injury, are hard to hide when you have to take on the most/hardest minutes against the toughest players.
It's like, how many people really have legit complaints about his play last year into this year? He seems to be, at worst, invisible. Which is a heck of a trait for any of our guys. And I think it's entirely because he's finally playing against appropriate competition.
Explain yourself.