Joffrey Lupul

[DjD4GGR]

Can anyone tell me what's going on with my favorite player? Is he playing injured? Hasn't been the same this year. He looks slow out there and his decision making isint very good. Last year he was flying and was making something happen every time he touches the puck. Can someone tell me what's going on?

Click to read more...

 

[SprDaVE]

It's easy to blame an injury but I think it's just a tough tough patch of hockey he's going through.

He's played his off-wing for quite a while as well, which he's said numerous times he's not comfortable with, but Carlyle insisted in playing him there while Raymond completely sucked on the other wing.

I don't think there's a right answer here. I think he was never as good as he was last season or when he was acquired, but he's better then what he's showed recently. He's been weak on the puck and not making good decisions either.

Hopefully the Olympic break will give him some much needed time off to refocus. He can definitely take over a game when he's playing with emotion and moving his feet, but we haven't seen any of that lately. We need to see his fire a lot more, especially down the stretch.

 

[ForSpareParts*]

I can't believe he slipped under the wrath of angry fans.

In his defence, I think he comes along from time to time with a crucial goal in a game where the top line isn't producing enough.

There's no question his game has slipped.

 

[KuleminFan41]

As good as he is,he's another player who doesn't "deserve" his paycheck but I find that he'd be easier to trade if you need to.

 

[I Believe]

He's had a rough year no doubt. The break should do him wonders.

 

[HockeyThoughts]

I can't believe he slipped under the wrath of angry fans.

I have no idea why our own "fans" keep harping on this point. Oh what, for once one of our players hasn't been crucified for underperforming based on ridiculous expectations set by the outlandish Toronto media and fans? What a shame.

He has been a heart and soul player for us the previous two seasons that he has played for us. He's performing at a 27G-54pt pace this season which is far from terrible anyways. I think the Olympic break will give him some time to regain his focus and perhaps allow some injuries to heal.

You have to remember, he set the these high expectations for himself. We received him as a salary dump in the François Beauchemin-Jake Gardiner swap and if he finishes the season at his current pace, it would actually be arguably the best statistical season of his career not in a Toronto Maple Leaf sweater.

Why are Leaf fans so quick to jump down our player's throats?

 

[Duke Silver]

He's played his off-wing for quite a while as well, which he's said numerous times he's not comfortable with, but Carlyle insisted in playing him there while Raymond completely sucked on the other wing.

Isn't Lupul's off-wing (LW) the place where he's most comfortable? Randy made a comment the other week about him being confounded that Lupul and Kulemin play better on their opposite side.

Or perhaps you and I have a different interpretation of "off-wing". I see it as a left-handed shooter lining up at RW and vice-versa. You may look at it as playing on the side of the ice they are least comfortable with.

 

[FreeBird]

As good as he is,he's another player who doesn't "deserve" his paycheck but I find that he'd be easier to trade if you need to.

Untradeable contract.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Everyone is happy with JVR, but if Lupul were in that spot he'd be scoring just as much if not more than him.

He's on pace for 25-30 goals and 25-30 assists. If he produces that well despite struggling and not being on the first even strength or PP unit, then I'm not sure there's much to worry about here.

 

[Joey Hoser]

Untradeable contract.

Fine. Not going to improve by trading him anyway.

 

[SprDaVE]

Isn't Lupul's off-wing (LW) the place where he's most comfortable? Randy made a comment the other week about him being confounded that Lupul and Kulemin play better on their opposite side.

Or perhaps you and I have a different interpretation of "off-wing". I see it as a left-handed shooter lining up at RW and vice-versa. You may look at it as playing on the side of the ice they are least comfortable with.

I meant the opposite he's natural with. So perhaps my terminology was wrong, but I meant he was playing on the other side he usually plays.

 

[Purity*]

He'll come around, don't worry. Every good player has a down year, and they just play through it. Remember when Getzlaf put up 57 points in 2012 season? A really bad down year, which is what Lupul is having.

I have a feeling come playoff time he will find his mojo again.

 

[BonMorrison]

As long as Lupul doesn't touch anything that resembles the right wing position, he'll be okay.

 

[FreeBird]

Everyone is happy with JVR, but if Lupul were in that spot he'd be scoring just as much if not more than him.

He's on pace for 25-30 goals and 25-30 assists. If he produces that well despite struggling and not being on the first even strength or PP unit, then I'm not sure there's much to worry about here.

So the 2nd line is really letting us down, if it's not Lupul then it has to be Kadri, when he played with Kessel and van Rymsdyke he neutered them for a week or so.

 

[Joey Hoser]

So the 2nd line is really letting us down, if it's not Lupul then it has to be Kadri, when he played with Kessel and van Rymsdyke he neutered them for a week or so.

How are they letting us down? If you include Raymond as the third guy on the second line, they're on pace for 150+ points. That's plenty for a second line.

 

[FreeBird]

As long as Lupul doesn't touch anything that resembles the right wing position, he'll be okay.

He makes more tape to tape passes in his own end than the opposition does, he's brutal in his own end. If he isn't scoring he's real drag on the team.

 

[FreeBird]

How are they letting us down?

It's Kadri every line he centre's turns non productive.

 

[Joey Hoser]

It's Kadri every line he centre's turns non productive.

As I edited into my post after, if you call Raymond the third guy on the second line, they are on pace for over 150 points. That's plenty of production for a second line.

That point is just stupid. Kadri is third on the team in points and obviously the offensive catalyst on that second line.

 

[theIceWookie]

Everyone is happy with JVR, but if Lupul were in that spot he'd be scoring just as much if not more than him.

He's on pace for 25-30 goals and 25-30 assists. If he produces that well despite struggling and not being on the first even strength or PP unit, then I'm not sure there's much to worry about here.

I think people just have unrealistic expectations for him.

He's actually playing well for the time he's getting and line he's playing on.

He's on pace for 27 goals, and 54 points. Those are pretty good second line numbers. Actually 27 goals is quite a good total.

And people saying he's got a bad contract? Give me a break. He's on pace for two less goals than Evander Kane is, and has the same cap hit. He's only two goals and 5 points off of Bobby Ryan's pace, and has a 150 000 dollar higher cap hit. He's on pace for the same number of goals as Ryan Kesler but has a pace of 3 higher points, and has a quarter of a million dollar higher cap hit. Ryan O'Reilly is on pace for 4 more goals, and on pace for 6 more points, and has a quarter of million lower cap hit (and plays with Duchenne).

So for around a 5 million to 5.5 million dollar cap hit, you can expect a winger to get between 25 and 32 goals (Jeff Carter, Jamie Benn are the high end of this currently at 33 and 31 respectively) and between 50 and 60 points.

So Lupul is doing exactly what's in line with his cap hit. If he gives you more, that's gold.

 

[LeafOfBread]

He needs to get re-focused and bring back the fire in his game. He looks disinterested out there, and everyone knows he's at his best when he's determined and focused.

It did tick me off a lot though when people were blaming Lupul's struggles on Kadri's lack of production. Of course, Kadri goes on a tear, and now nobody is saying that anymore, and rightfully so. Lupul is in a funk of his own and needs to figure it out.

My biggest gripe with Lupes is that if he isn't scoring or playing physical, he's virtually useless out there. He's the worst defensive forward on this team by a mile, excluding 4th line scrubs like Orr or McLaren.

 

[Drew311]

With the exception of about 10 games or so, he's been dreadful this season.

His production has been on par with a 2nd liner, but his defensive play and intensity have been below average at best for the majority of the season. Pretty much a 180 from the last couple of seasons where I thought he was one of the best "complete" players on the team.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

I wonder how many more productive years we can get out of that contract before it goes albatross on us, 1, maybe 2?

 

[Duke Silver]

I wonder how many more productive years we can get out of that contract before it goes albatross on us, 1, maybe 2?

Depends what your expectations are for a $5.25M UFA contract.

Stephen Weiss - 4 points in 26 games for $4.9M
Patrice Bergeron - 38 points in 57 games for $5M
Martin Havlat - 10 points in 28 games for $5M
Joffrey Lupul - 34 points in 51 games for $5.25M
David Clarkson - 10 points in 39 games for $5.25M
Nathan Horton - 11 points in 18 games for $5.3M

 

[Sergei Berezin]

^ I've never loved Lupul, but that's just wrong. It's a fair contract for a good player.

He's a great 2nd line winger, who has had to do a lot of out of the ordinary things this season with injuries. Playing the right side really threw his game off, but he also has been very inconsistent from shift to shift, which concerns me. Hopefully the Olympic break does him some good.

That 2nd line has played better and better since moving Lupul to the left and shifting Raymond down. Now I'm hoping that Clarkson and Lupul can find that chemistry and start producing. The good thing with Clarkson is that Lupul won't be expected to do so much physical work, like he was expected to do with Raymond on his line.

My biggest issue with Lupul this season has been that on too many occasions he's tried to do it all himself. It's worked like once (Carolina last season) ? and the rest of the time it hurts his line mates. Hoping he can fix that before the season is over.

 

[mikebel111*]

He was scoring at a pace which he likely wasnt going too sustain.
Regressing imo