Joshua Leivo & Tanner Pearson Be Better Or Get Waived!

[Blue and Green]

As usual Leivo's team is in positive territory on virtually every metric when he's on the ice, yet people fixate on his shooting percentage through 25 games. I guess that's the shortest path to the desired negativity. At $1.5M he's providing good value.

 

[Peen]

Both of these guys are good bottom six forwards who look awful in top six roles.

 

[sting101]

Out of curiousity does anyone know how many goals Pettersson Horvat and Boeser have scored 5 on 5 without EN goals outside of the Panther and King blow outs?

 

[Orr4Norris]

15-20 goal scorers spend most of the year not scoring. Especially if you factor 1-2 2g games... that’s 65ish games of not scoring. Pearson’s streaky, but he does get shots.

I was more than a little shocked to see Leivo out on a 5 on 3 though. Please, no more of that.

 

[sting101]

As usual Leivo's team is in positive territory on virtually every metric when he's on the ice, yet people fixate on his shooting percentage through 25 games. I guess that's the shortest path to the desired negativity. At $1.5M he's providing good value.

well said and what is the expectation for what was essentially a waiver pick up?

Leivo in the btm 6 is a nice depth player. Has good hands, wins his fair share of board battles, can step up on occasions, cheap depth. Thought he was one of our better players last night

 

[4Twenty]

As usual Leivo's team is in positive territory on virtually every metric when he's on the ice, yet people fixate on his shooting percentage through 25 games. I guess that's the shortest path to the desired negativity. At $1.5M he's providing good value.

What value?

Shooting %? If you doubled his percentage, he's at 4 goals in 25 games, getting tons of minutes. 6th most utilized forward at EV strength, averaging 2:09 per game on the PP.

Like I said already, he can play in the league, but he's pretty much a tweener, can't score like a top 6, not great defense (not a PK guy), so he's essentially like that good cup of coffee that you let go cold.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Pearson:
GP: 25 P: 12 -3 GF/60: 1.9 GA/60: 2.4 ATOI: 16:39 CF%: 48.2

Leivo:
GP: 25 P: 11 +3 GF/60: 2.3 GA/60: 2.1
ATOI: 14:52 CF%: 54.2

Neither are top 6 players, but are good bottom 6 forwards. Leivo is a solid 3rd line winger and is more valuable than Pearson imo. Leivo wins a lot of 50/50 board battles but it doesn’t translate into much offensively, however he plays the right way consistently and generates possession while making very few mistakes, that’s exactly what’s needed out of a bottom 6 winger. The problem is they’re forced to play higher up in the lineup because of poor roster construction, not their fault.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

I cringe every time Leivo takes a shot: he whiffs a softie RIGHT. INTO. THE. PADS. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Is there a worse shooter on the team?

 

[bossram]

I don't get what people want from them? On a good team, ideally Leivo and Pearson are 3rd liners. On this team, one of them has to play in the top-six. That's how it is.

They're both producing at a decent clip, around 0.45 points-per-game. That's basically right in line for a middle-six player. Leivo is also a very strong defensive/possession presence, helping on the forecheck and maintain offensive zone possession. I don't think Pearson is as effective all-around, but his personal sh% is really low and should be expected to pop a couple more goals. They're about as effective as you should expect them to be.

 

[F A N]

I cringe every time Leivo takes a shot: he whiffs a softie RIGHT. INTO. THE. PADS. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Is there a worse shooter on the team?

Well considering he has only scored 2 goals most of the shots he took didn't go in. But I think he has a pretty good shot from the slot area. I seem to notice him missing the net more than shooting a softie into the pads.

 

[4Twenty]

I don't get what people want from them? On a good team, ideally Leivo and Pearson are 3rd liners. On this team, one of them has to play in the top-six. That's how it is.

They're both producing at a decent clip, around 0.45 points-per-game. That's basically right in line for a middle-six player. Leivo is also a very strong defensive/possession presence, helping on the forecheck and maintain offensive zone possession. I don't think Pearson is as effective all-around, but his personal sh% is really low and should be expected to pop a couple more goals. They're about as effective as you should expect them to be.

They're 5th and 6th for forward ice time on the team.

We want them to play less and to have better players.

Pearson's goal total is inflated by empty net goals. Ol' TP has one goal on a goalie in 20 games.

Leivo has one goal since the 3rd game of the season (21 games).

I guess the biggest issue to me, is that neither guy has separated themselves from a player who I think is an absolutely dumb hockey player in Jake Virtanen.

The team has a large of pile of 3rd/4th line tweeners playing 2nd line and PP roles, the problem isn't just them, it's the way the roster is constructed.

 

[vanuck]

I wonder if Gaudette wouldn't be a better fit on Horvat's RW. Perhaps Green will go to this once Sutter is back, especially if Gaudette still hasn't earned his trust by then. Leivo doesn't belong anywhere near the top 6; it's insane how much PP time they're trying to feed him. I'd rather they put Virtanen in for him instead.

 

[vanarchy]

Pearson at least works hard most of the time. I don't have an excuse for Leivo's anemic offense, though.

 

[Spectrefire]

As usual Leivo's team is in positive territory on virtually every metric when he's on the ice, yet people fixate on his shooting percentage through 25 games. I guess that's the shortest path to the desired negativity. At $1.5M he's providing good value.

Guy's paid $1.5 million, looks good in all the fancy stats, is on pace for 36 points with an career low shooting percentage that's due to rebound, and people want to run him out of town lol.

Reading some of these comments, you'd think we're expecting Boeser like production out of a guy making less than $2 million.

I don't get what people want from them? On a good team, ideally Leivo and Pearson are 3rd liners. On this team, one of them has to play in the top-six. That's how it is.

They're both producing at a decent clip, around 0.45 points-per-game. That's basically right in line for a middle-six player. Leivo is also a very strong defensive/possession presence, helping on the forecheck and maintain offensive zone possession. I don't think Pearson is as effective all-around, but his personal sh% is really low and should be expected to pop a couple more goals. They're about as effective as you should expect them to be.

If those two aren't producing like Connor McDavid, then they shouldn't even consider themselves NHLers.

60 wingers in the NHL last season had 40 points or more. Yet people here act like you're literally useless offensively if you can't put up PPG.

 

[supercanuck]

This thread should be merged with the fire Green thread because probably only one person in the organization thinks Josh Leivo/Tanner Pearson should be out on a 5-on-3 powerplay and consistently out during 3-on-3 OT. (Adding that I think they are perfectly capable bottom 6 forwards and have nothing against them.)

I would just love to see Jake given 25 games straight on Bo's wing, PP, and OT. Let him sink or swim.

 

[bossram]

They're 5th and 6th for forward ice time on the team.

We want them to play less and to have better players.

Pearson's goal total is inflated by empty net goals. Ol' TP has one goal on a goalie in 20 games.

Leivo has one goal since the 3rd game of the season (21 games).

I guess the biggest issue to me, is that neither guy has separated themselves from a player who I think is an absolutely dumb hockey player in Jake Virtanen.

The team has a large of pile of 3rd/4th line tweeners playing 2nd line and PP roles, the problem isn't just them, it's the way the roster is constructed.

Well, the bolded is kinda the point. Leivo and Pearson are what they are - they're middle-six guys. They're playing about as well as anyone should expect. The problem is roster construction. That's not on the players.

Pearson would be right in line with his career averages on a normal shooting percentage. Leivo is producing (if not goals, assists) at a decent clip and dominates possession. What else do we want for 1.5 million? If the problem is that they shouldn't be placed so high in the lineup, well, that's clearly not in their control.

 

[MS]

Leivo has been pretty good value this year but he just isn't a top-6 forward and is unfairly a lightning-rod for criticism when his coach uses him in high-leverage skill situations. It isn't his fault any more than if Green stuck Jordie Benn out there on the PP and he looked like crap. Leivo is a pretty effective 25-30 point 3rd line on a cheap contract.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

As far as I'm concerned they are both just stock, replacement level, NHL'ers. That not to denigrate them in any way... they are far from the worst players on the team. If we had a better team, they'd be just fine filling out our bottom 6.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

delete

 

[MS]

As far as I'm concerned they are both just stock, replacement level, NHL'ers. That not to denigrate them in any way... they are far from the worst players on the team. If we had a better team, they'd be just fine filling out our bottom 6.

Replacement level guys are players like Granlund, Schaller, and Motte. Both are clearly a cut above that type of player, although Pearson's contract probably makes him a negative-value asset.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Replacement level guys are players like Granlund, Schaller, and Motte. Both are clearly a cut above that type of player, although Pearson's contract probably makes him a negative-value asset.

Hmm, I took "replacement level" to mean flat line average, but upon reading up a bit, I see that it actually means Granlund, Schaller, Motte, Megna type players. Yeah, Lievo and Pearson are definitely a step or two above that.

 

[Hit the post]

Hmm, I took "replacement level" to mean flat line average, but upon reading up a bit, I see that it actually means Granlund, Schaller, Motte, Megna type players. Yeah, Lievo and Pearson are definitely a step or two above that.

Replacement level like as in a David Bruce.

(runs & hides)

 

[VanJack]

Pearson is a living testament why goals and points in 'garbage time' in March, when your team is basically out of the playoff picture, are so misleading. Pearson looked like a revelation playing on a line with Horvat last spring. But this year, not so much.

And Leivo had a bit of a scoring spurt after the Canucks acquired him from the Leafs, but two goals in 25 games speaks for itself. Which leads me to Ferland, who also had only two or three goals in his last 28 games with the 'Canes.

Jimbo has loaded up on depth forwards who basically score once a month.

 

[Canucks1096]

with Sutter Beagle Rousell and Ferland coming back soon. There will be 16 forwards, even with 16 forwards both Leivo and Pearson will not be waive. There are no forwards in Utica that is ready to replace those two as well. Heck, most likely no forward prospects in Utica will ever make it as a regular in the nhl.

 

[lawrence]

what happened to Pearson. He worked so well with Horvat last year, and was on paceing for 38 goals now Of course I won't expect that but he really slowed down.