How can you compare Plekanec with Bergeron ?
- Thread starter Number 57
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Do you realize how dumb your posts sound?
Krejci is placed with Horton and Lucic, Plekanec has been playing with the likes of Darche, Moen, White, Prust, Bourque, and Gionta over the past couple of years. The guy has consistently changed linemates, some not even top 6 players (heck, some not even top 9!), yet still performed pretty well offensively. His defensive game is almost perfect. He's had very little offensive support from other lines until last year when DD was suddenly given the best two wingers for no apparent reason while Plek had to survive with scrappers on his line.
Krejci doesn't go to the dirty areas because he doesn't have to. Why in the hell would you tell Krejci to go to the dirty areas when Lucic and Horton are on your line?
What next, you're going to complain that Lucic doesn't carry the puck on his line and isn't creating nice plays/passes???
Bergeron has a little more offensive flare than Plekanec, that's all. His size isn't a skill one develops, so that's irrelevant. He's had the luxury of playing on a much deeper team and has had solid wingers.
You said it yourself, Plekanec is a 2nd line center, but we've used him as a 1st line center. The problem isn't him. Get that out of your messed up head.
No he doesn't, and you've provided zero reason as to why he should.
Lafleurs Guy
Guuuuuuuy!
- Jul 20, 2007
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last time i checked a 60 point center usually falls close to the top 20 in pts as a center...so "barely a 2nd line center" is completely wrong...
not to mention plekanec is one of the best defensive centers in the game
sadly i actually read through that whole post..what a terrible thread
Well the fact you lump Desharnais and Plekanec into one suggests you aren't familiar with Plekanec's role on the team. He is the player that matches up against opposition top lines. He is also the player that is given the worst linemates due to Desharnais needing to be sheltered. Even with this he consistently puts up 55-60 points. The few times the coach had him in an offensive role, he put up around 70 points (Gomez was used against the top lines in 09/10, Koivu/Smolinski in 07/08).
The fact you can acknowledge Begin over Plekanec though suggest it would be tough to convince you much of his uses.
I agree but I still think Plekanec has the IDEAL 2nd center, I don't think he had that something to be a legit 1st line center. He's good at everything but doesn't excels in anything in particular.
I agree that if he got good wingers, he would have been much more productive. Last time he got DECENT wingers for a whole season he got 25g+ and 70 pts.
I'm seriously enraged at all the Pleks hate today 
Pleks is an amazing 2nd line center he's just been forced to do everything for too long because there's no one else. Sure with JM he was first pp waive, first pk waive and taking all defensive zone starts and still managed to put up significant points in most years. Therrien has been using him a little better but he still never gets the best wingers. Ever. And yes Pleks is soft but you put him with physical wingers and you solve that problem he's just never been given two physical wingers. Bourque was an improvement but still at gio on right
Pleks is an amazing 2nd line center he's just been forced to do everything for too long because there's no one else. Sure with JM he was first pp waive, first pk waive and taking all defensive zone starts and still managed to put up significant points in most years. Therrien has been using him a little better but he still never gets the best wingers. Ever. And yes Pleks is soft but you put him with physical wingers and you solve that problem he's just never been given two physical wingers. Bourque was an improvement but still at gio on right
Trading Plekanec would be the stupidest thing ever. It's pathetic how many people don't realize how IMPORTANT he is to our team. Ugh... This place drives me ****ing mental sometimes.
I'm seriously enraged at all the Pleks hate today
Pleks is an amazing 2nd line center he's just been forced to do everything for too long because there's no one else. Sure with JM he was first pp waive, first pk waive and taking all defensive zone starts and still managed to put up significant points in most years. Therrien has been using him a little better but he still never gets the best wingers. Ever. And yes Pleks is soft but you put him with physical wingers and you solve that problem he's just never been given two physical wingers. Bourque was an improvement but still at gio on right
Plekanec isn't soft, going into corners at 100MPH isn't his style and he would miss a ton of games playing that style. He does not hesitate to use his body in puck battles and take hits to make plays though.
He's not be the grittiest player but I wouldn't call him soft either. I would just call him smart player and that knows how to protect himself.
I personally never seen rush plays because he's scared of getting hit. He just know how to avoid being hit without putting his team in trouble. Nothing to do with being soft.
Bingo.....post win
Put Bergeron on Smurf Habs teams over these years...he likely be retired from hockey already...
Plek on a big team ,would only make him better...........he is the most under appreciated Hab for sure.
Canadiens Ghost
Mr. Objectivity
The Habs are better with Plekanec than without him. You will never be able to get better value than him in a trade.
Exactly how I feel about Plekanec...solid player, but overrated by most Habs fans.
He's not the two way dynamo most portray him to be. His seasons tend to mirror themselves, strong starts until he reaches a climax then he disapears as the games become more and more important down the stretch.
Though even at his worst, he remains a solid player who won't hurt you...just don't expect him to elevate his game when you need it
Turtleneck Plek
Real Life
To me, there's two things that make Bergeron a better player than Plekanec:
1 - He's a proven playoff performer. Both play a great defensive game, but Bergeron has that extra gear that enables him to step up offensively whereas Plekanec fades offensively in the playoffs.
2 - Bergeron is one of the best, if not the best faceoff taker in the league. Plekanec is barely average in that regard.
Apart from that, they are very similar. I think it's laughable to imply that Bergeron is a lot tougher than Pleks. If anything, team philosophy plays a lot into that, and the Bruins have always been a tougher team (and a terrible PP team) compared to the Habs who play a faster, PP-driven game. If everybody plays a softer game around you and you're not much of a physical player to start with, chances are you won't start taking the body as much. Put Bergeron on the Habs and we'd definitely get the same soft comments we get about Plekanec.
So while Bergeron is definitely a better player than Plekanec, I think it's utterly ridiculous to pinpoint this team's problems on a player who always gives his all and contributes in ways that do not always show up on the scoreboard while also being one of the team's leaders in points year after year.
I'm fine with trading guys like Desharnais and Gionta, but you keep players like Plekanec. His two-way game is too valuable to this team.
1 - He's a proven playoff performer. Both play a great defensive game, but Bergeron has that extra gear that enables him to step up offensively whereas Plekanec fades offensively in the playoffs.
2 - Bergeron is one of the best, if not the best faceoff taker in the league. Plekanec is barely average in that regard.
Apart from that, they are very similar. I think it's laughable to imply that Bergeron is a lot tougher than Pleks. If anything, team philosophy plays a lot into that, and the Bruins have always been a tougher team (and a terrible PP team) compared to the Habs who play a faster, PP-driven game. If everybody plays a softer game around you and you're not much of a physical player to start with, chances are you won't start taking the body as much. Put Bergeron on the Habs and we'd definitely get the same soft comments we get about Plekanec.
So while Bergeron is definitely a better player than Plekanec, I think it's utterly ridiculous to pinpoint this team's problems on a player who always gives his all and contributes in ways that do not always show up on the scoreboard while also being one of the team's leaders in points year after year.
I'm fine with trading guys like Desharnais and Gionta, but you keep players like Plekanec. His two-way game is too valuable to this team.
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If the Habs want to "get rid of a center"
I agree...it should be Desharnais
If the Habs want to improve their team by making a trade which could net them a solid return
It should be Plekanec
No...DD's not even part of the equation as far as i'm concerned.
Eller's minutes would increase and so would Galchenyuk's
It's very bizarre to me that so many would be against the idea of trading Plekanec because they value him so highly (and rightfully so) without even acknowledging that the return could actually set the Habs up pretty well.
Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with keping Plekanec...but if he becomes a player that other teams are interested in should the Habs become players for Vinny.
The Habs would be foolish to think like some of you here and completely disregard the idea of moving him.
The quest for grit and size is making posters go mad.
Plekanec compares to Bergeron in the way he plays the most minutes by playing 5-on-5, on the PK, on the PP and when the game is on the line. He's a good shooter yet a good passer. He has speed and vision.
Bergeron has been surrounded by better players all his career. Plekanec has been Montreal's most important offensive player for some seasons and he'll likely finish his career in Montreal.
Never forget that size and grit is important but players like Plekanec don't grow on trees.
I'm also glad you're not Montreal's GM.
Plekanec compares to Bergeron in the way he plays the most minutes by playing 5-on-5, on the PK, on the PP and when the game is on the line. He's a good shooter yet a good passer. He has speed and vision.
Bergeron has been surrounded by better players all his career. Plekanec has been Montreal's most important offensive player for some seasons and he'll likely finish his career in Montreal.
Never forget that size and grit is important but players like Plekanec don't grow on trees.
I'm also glad you're not Montreal's GM.
Exactly. If we didn't have Eller or Galchenyuk I wouldnt think about moving Plekanec. If he stays as the 3rd line center than fine but gotta get rid of DD and Gio. Sorry but if you deny this than I would think you didn't watch the team this year. Eller and Galch need to be the go-to guys. Plus Pleky is a tremendous PKer therefore he shouldn't play as many minutes he does especially since he's so soft, his body can't take it.
Honestly some of you are way too loyal. So you're saying because Pleky has been our best forward in the last 5 yrs we should keep him? And that I don't know his true value to the team? I do, and it's in a 2nd or 3rd line center checking role. Imagine how many points fricking Galchenyuk (even as a rookie) would have put up playing all the minutes Plekanec does? Some of you mistake ice time for skills.
It's not because Pleky gets PP time that he's better than Galchenyuk or Eller. Some could argue that with those two as 1st and 2nd line centers next year we're better off than with Plekanec. I'm not saying he's a detrimal to the team I'm just saying if he plays 3rd line minutes plus 1st PK than he's alright. But not sure about the $5M cap hit but at least he isnt as bad as Gionta or DD.
It's not because Pleky gets PP time that he's better than Galchenyuk or Eller. Some could argue that with those two as 1st and 2nd line centers next year we're better off than with Plekanec. I'm not saying he's a detrimal to the team I'm just saying if he plays 3rd line minutes plus 1st PK than he's alright. But not sure about the $5M cap hit but at least he isnt as bad as Gionta or DD.
I attribute his ''disappearance'' (looks more like a fatigue drop than anything else to me) due to the fact he's way overused early on. He is used as a #1 center, has a small stature, and usually drags his linemates on. If Plekanec isn't going, no one on his line is, that tells me a lot about him and his wingers.
He also has the toughest match ups.
He doesn't have a whole lot of offensive flare, and so, needs more creative wingers, something he hasn't had since both AKs were on his wings. That is why I think Eller has the potential to be a better, bigger, version of Plekanec.
Eller has the size, aggression, hands and vision to carry and create plays in the offensive zone. He has what Plekanec lacks.
What is great is that you can see Eller has improved his defensive game by watching Plekanec over the past 2 seasons, he plays like him defensively. Now if only he can improve his faceoffs, we'll have a very special player.
Having Plekanec as a 3rd line center behind Gal-Eller would be a huge luxury.
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