Lars Eller: first line minutes edition

[macavoy]

...Where has this idea been created that Eller isn't a "therrien" player?

He is trying Eller in a different role right now.

Eller is a mainstay on the PK, and he's been getting power play time as well, despite not having offensive results at all in the last 25 games.

Exactly! Everyone is crying that Eller lost his job to DLR when in reality, he got promoted to the first line and played the 2nd most minutes of any forward tonight.

But they claim he lost his confidence because he doesn't score on every opportunity. Too much recency bias on this forum.

Too many people have unrealistic expectations of Eller, they think because he was drafted in the first round, he should be a first line player because he has shown flashes of being capable.

The reality is he is a solid third line player who can fill in, on the top six.

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[Team_Spirit]

Don't trade Larry please.

Good night.

 

[HabsDieHard*]

Exactly! Everyone is crying that Eller lost his job to DLR when in reality, he got promoted to the first line and played the 2nd most minutes of any forward tonight.

But they claim he lost his confidence because he doesn't score on every opportunity. Too much recency bias on this forum.

Too many people have unrealistic expectations of Eller, they think because he was drafted in the first round, he should be a first line player because he has shown flashes of being capable.

The reality is he is a solid third line player who can fill in, on the top six.

I've actually been quite excited by their use of Eller recently.

He isn't putting up points, but he's getting power play time.

I saw someone on twitter the other day say something along the lines of "Therrien expects more from Eller and is trying to achieve that".

Putting him out of his comfort zone.

Showing that they believe he can be a part of the power play in a succesful role.

I hope in the coming years Eller learns to bring a more consistent offensive level on a nigh to night basis.

But in the mean time, I can appreciate what he does bring to the ice, even when his offence isn't there.

 

[Crusher117]

Don't trade Larry please.

Good night.

Id be surprised if they did. 2 years in a row he was a playoff beast. They'll probably wait until the off season so see what they do depending on his end of season and playoff play. (Unless we trade him for a big impact player : Simmonds and co.)

 

[Scintillating10]

Exactly! Everyone is crying that Eller lost his job to DLR when in reality, he got promoted to the first line and played the 2nd most minutes of any forward tonight.

But they claim he lost his confidence because he doesn't score on every opportunity. Too much recency bias on this forum.

Too many people have unrealistic expectations of Eller, they think because he was drafted in the first round, he should be a first line player because he has shown flashes of being capable.

The reality is he is a solid third line player who can fill in, on the top six.

Eller has like 9 goals, no offensive vision whatsoever. Be nightmare if he gets top line minutes

 

[HabsDieHard*]

Eller has like 9 goals, no offensive vision whatsoever. Be nightmare if he gets top line minutes

That's why he called him a solid 3rd liner who can fill in in the top 6 if need be.

 

[sheed36]

Eller has like 9 goals, no offensive vision whatsoever. Be nightmare if he gets top line minutes

Well Desharnais only has 11 goals and he plays top line minutes and gets a ton of PP time. I guess you're right though. Having 2 nightmares in your line up getting top line minutes isn't a good idea. Having DD there is too much as is.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Id be surprised if they did. 2 years in a row he was a playoff beast. They'll probably wait until the off season so see what they do depending on his end of season and playoff play. (Unless we trade him for a big impact player : Simmonds and co.)

2 years in a row? He got injured game 1 of his first playoff.

 

[HabsDieHard*]

2 years in a row? He got injured game 1 of his first playoff.

It's kind of like when people say Peyton Manning was the MVP of the league the year he was injured.

Because it highlighted how weak the rest of the team was. With him they were a playoff team, without they were the worst in the league.

With Eller the team had 3 solid centers and 3 lines that could score.

When Eller went down, they somehow did not have a single line that could score.

Their center scoring depth literally disappeared.

And so did their cup chances. Or chance to even win a round.

 

[HabsDieHard*]

Also that was his 2nd playoff, he played 7 games in 2010/2011.

Separated his shoulder in game 6 I think.

Did solid in a checking role that series.

 

[Prairie Habs]

It's kind of like when people say Peyton Manning was the MVP of the league the year he was injured.

Because it highlighted how weak the rest of the team was. With him they were a playoff team, without they were the worst in the league.

With Eller the team had 3 solid centers and 3 lines that could score.

When Eller went down, they somehow did not have a single line that could score.

Their center scoring depth literally disappeared.

And so did their cup chances. Or chance to even win a round.

We limped across the finish line that year, and our spiral started with the Emelin injury, not the Eller one.

That's like saying Martin should have won the Adams the year he was fired because we dropped from 9th to 15th after he was let go.

 

[HabsDieHard*]

You jest, but it was pretty obvious once Martin was fired how good of a job he was actually doing wtih that team.

Bottom line is when Eller went down, so to did the Habs offence from the middle.

 

[Prairie Habs]

You jest, but it was pretty obvious once Martin was fired how good of a job he was actually doing wtih that team.

Bottom line is when Eller went down, so to did the Habs offence from the middle.

No. The Habs played like garbage for weeks before Eller was hurt. The only reason we won the division was that Boston was in a similar slump.

 

[Paddyjack]

We limped across the finish line that year, and our spiral started with the Emelin injury, not the Eller one.

That's like saying Martin should have won the Adams the year he was fired because we dropped from 9th to 15th after he was let go.

Also, from what I remember, Price sucked in that serie.

Anyway, to be honest I like what they are trying to do with Eller these days. As much as I think expectations towards this guy are overboard, I feel that Eller being successful would be a huge bonus for the Habs.

 

[macavoy]

Eller has like 9 goals, no offensive vision whatsoever. Be nightmare if he gets top line minutes

You don't need vision to score goals. Offensive vision is more related to play making abilities.

 

[LV Hab]

We limped across the finish line that year, and our spiral started with the Emelin injury, not the Eller one.

That's like saying Martin should have won the Adams the year he was fired because we dropped from 9th to 15th after he was let go.

Eller was one of the Habs best forwards going into those playoffs. Before getting knocked out, his game was dominant. Better than last year's playoffs. If they limped in, he helped carry them in.

Eller is a very solid NHL player, he just doesnt have good finish. When his confidence is low his scoring touch seems to get worse. The guy does almost everything else well, he doesnt need to be a big point producer on a top line, he needs to do his job. That is 3rd line on this team.

When Mtl made that deal with St. Louis, they could have traded for Berglund instead of Eller. One is 26, the other 25, one has 19 points, the other 17, one makes 3.7, the other 3.5. They both are solid pieces on elite teams. We all expect more from Eller, but he is never going to be a 60 point guy, he doesn't need to be either.

I think we are 2nd in the league, 2 points back of first...and rolling teams right now. The west coast trip should tell us a lot.

 

[Paddyjack]

You don't need vision to score goals. Offensive vision is more related to play making abilities.

Well since Eller is a centre, offensive vision would be helpful, right?

 

[No More Subban]

Don't trade Larry please.

Good night.

Agreed. Please not with DD still in the lineup.

 

[Rapala]

Also that was his 2nd playoff, he played 7 games in 2010/2011.

Separated his shoulder in game 6 I think.

Did solid in a checking role that series.

I've mentioned this more than once to no avail.
Eller has yet to NOT show up for a post season game.
It doesn't resonate for some reason.
We have a group who are totally mesmorized by the reg season.
Which I've always looked at as practice for the Big Show.

 

[macavoy]

Well since Eller is a centre, offensive vision would be helpful, right?

Name 5 3rd line centers with more offensive vision than Eller?

 

[Rapala]

Name 5 3rd line centers with more offensive vision than Eller?

DD is one.

Eller has a North/South oriented vision as witnessed by many of his breakaway passes last year in the PO's
He does not posses a good peripheral vision like Chucky has.
His best games always included one or two North/South skaters.
Borky and even Gio were straight up and down wingers.

 

[Kojo]

Name 5 3rd line centers with more offensive vision than Eller?

I'll just name one: De La Rose. I love Eller and we should keep him but he's not doing well offensively.

 

[Rapala]

I'll just name one: De La Rose. I love Eller and we should keep him but he's not doing well offensively.

DLR see's the ice as well as Markov or Plecky if not better.
The beauty of this kid is he doesn't think about it it is just there!
MT talked about him being on the right side of the puck at all times and this is what I'm referring to.

There is the huge potential of unleashing a potent attack with that vision but...
It does come at the risk of interfering with the instinctive defense.
Sounds like a video game tradeoff...

 

[Kojo]

DLR see's the ice as well as Markov or Plecky if not better.
The beauty of this kid is he doesn't think about it it is just there!
MT talked about him being on the right side of the puck at all times and this is what I'm referring to.

There is the huge potential of unleashing a potent attack with that vision but...
It does come at the risk of interfering with the instinctive defense.
Sounds like a video game tradeoff...

If he just keep doing what he does he'll eventually be in a position to score points. He may or may not succeed but he can always fall back to being this great defensive forward that he will become.

And yeah, about Eller, keep him for now.

 

[ECWHSWI]

I'll just name one: De La Rose. I love Eller and we should keep him but he's not doing well offensively.