Matt Carle

[The Wyzerhood]

If you can get past the contract, he's a decent second pairing defenseman. If you get Brewer out of there, bring in someone who plays tough and to their size, and is more mobile then I'm sure we'd notice Carle even less.

He seems to play well in stretches (first 10 games this season, then first 5-7 games under Coop) and in many of those games he logged 25-28 mins of ice time and it went completely unnoticed! Again, he'll never be worth his cap hit, but at least he has to speed to not constantly be beat to the outside and has a decent grasp of gap control.

The bigger concern has to be Brewer. He's just downright awful.

 

[Stammer Time*]

With Cooper he's been pretty good and it's been reflected in his ice time, he still makes .5M to 1M more than he should but that's the cost of signing one of the better available FA defensemen.

 

[Rschmitz]

If you can get past the contract, he's a decent second pairing defenseman. If you get Brewer out of there, bring in someone who plays tough and to their size, and is more mobile then I'm sure we'd notice Carle even less.

He seems to play well in stretches (first 10 games this season, then first 5-7 games under Coop) and in many of those games he logged 25-28 mins of ice time and it went completely unnoticed! Again, he'll never be worth his cap hit, but at least he has to speed to not constantly be beat to the outside and has a decent grasp of gap control.

The bigger concern has to be Brewer. He's just downright awful.

With Cooper he's been pretty good and it's been reflected in his ice time, he still makes .5M to 1M more than he should but that's the cost of signing one of the better available FA defensemen.

Agreed

 

[LightningStrikes]

TOI last game: 28+ minutes. Not bad.

 

[Steve Yzerman]

TOI last game: 28+ minutes. Not bad.

Brewer got 25 minutes as well.

 

[zeykshade]

That's all because Salo went down and Aulie was out for a good bit as well, but returned. Think we played a good bit of a period with only 4 D.

 

[LightningStrikes]

So, this guy.

Season | GP | G | A | P | S% | GPG | PGP | TOI/G | PPTOI/G | SHTOI/G
2012-13| 48| 5| 17| 22| 7.6|0.104|0.458|23:44|2:33|2:36
2013-14|82|2|29|31|1.7|0.024|0.378|22:11|1:26|2:19

Overall he has gotten less TOI/G and especially less on the PP although he's still leading all Lightning players in total TOI. You'd think his decline in point production is a result from his reduced PP time but it isn't: In 2012-13 he had 2 PPG and 5 PPP, this season he had 1 PPG and 7 PPP. His shooting percentage decreased dramatically, though, from 7.6% to 1.7% while his shots per game ratio actually increased from 1.375 to 1.402.

I'm no advanced stats geek so I can't comment on that but he has looked worse than last season, less confident (despite wearing the "A"). He's also been very streaky with lots of ups (he sometimes was our best D) and downs (he's also had nights full of boneheaded plays, bad pinches and several turnovers). As somebody else has said on here: On a good D, 2013-14 Matt Carle would be a #4.

It feels like the further we went into the season the worse it got. That probably had to do with Gudas' performance declining as well (probably too much work load early on and the wear and tear of 82 regular season games in the NHL - especially for a physical guy like him). They once were our best shutdown pairing. Recently they were a liability more often than not.

What's your take?

 

[2MinutesforGiraffing]

What's your take?

Matt Carle makes me angry a lot. When he screws up, for whatever reason he seems to screw up big. Let's just say I've given him a middle name that's not safe for the forum.

 

[Coopers Gum]

I honestly didn't think he was as bad as everyone makes him out to be. He made some bad plays, for sure, but he was paired with a rookie, physical D.

I think he did better than his stats, no doubt. Without Carle, our D would be horrendous.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

I would love carle moved as part of package so dont lose a ton of youth for a true pairing number 2 even if we took a hit with production/points to get a true shut down physical guy to me is a must.

The easiest way to do that and not kill our future is if carle is part of that package. I like his stick work and blocking shots but the rest to me is a total blah.

He is not worth the contract and he is not a number 2. So he is a decent 3 or 4 and we can do better imho. I dont see a trade like that going on but I hope.

I also realize if we do that we still need another 3-4 but that is easier to get than a true number two to me. So yes I want Carle moved but only in upgrade situation.

 

[The Macho King]

Honestly, he wasn't bad this season, although he was brutal in the playoffs. Just a lot of bad pinches - but everyone not named Hedman and Sustr were brutal in the playoffs, so that can't all be on him. Ideally he'd be our #4, and if we get a top 4 in the offseason and either Sustr or Koekkoek take a big step soon, he will be, so I don't have an issue with it.

He's a bit overpaid, but it's not an albatross. I can live with it.

 

[LightningStrikes]

Only Brewer had more blocked shots than Carle last season (94 over 87). This season Carle led all Lightning players with 161 BkS followed by Gudas (138 in 9 less games) and Hedman (101 in 7 less games).

 

[MattM92]

Carle wasn't as bad as people are making him out to be.

Also, who cares if he's #3 or #4. They play together and get practically the same minutes. He is a second pairing guy. Gudas is a 3rd pairing guy.

 

[The Macho King]

Only Brewer had more blocked shots than Carle last season (94 over 87). This season Carle led all Lightning players with 161 BkS followed by Gudas (138 in 9 less games) and Hedman (101 in 7 less games).

That stat isn't all good. A lot of that is because possession-wise, Carle and Gudas were pretty medicore (while Hedman was a monster as far as that goes). Blocks and hits can actually be negative - you don't block shots or lay hits when you have the puck.

 

[HoseEmDown]

He has his good moments and his bad, was our 2nd best defender for most of the season. I always thought of him as an offense first guy but his D game has improved since he got here. Didn't expect he'd get so much PK time, he also puts up decent points with his limited PP time. If him and Gudas can go back to their early season form we'd be in good shape, if not we need to find him a steady partner to cover his mistakes. With the cap going up his contract will start looking better as long as he doesn't play like playoff Carle.

 

[DFC]

I agree with most of the recent posters. Carle was okay this this year. He was our second best defenseman and we'd like to make him our #3. He had his bad moments, sure, but he also went on long stretches where he was quietly effective in his own end.

I think he changed his game a little this year into more of a reliable defenseman. I didn't notice him joining the rush nearly as much (until the playoffs -- no idea what happened there), which was maybe because he was paired with Gudas, and Gudas isn't exactly the guy you want to risk leaving hung out to dry. Carle's overall game was just quieter this year, so it was a lot easier to see the times he made mistakes and not remember all the nights he just went about his business.

 

[The Macho King]

Time to bump this.

What does Carle bring?

Physicality? LOLNOPE. He hits less than Tedward.

Puck Poise? You're ****ing making me laugh.

Good shot from the point? You're killing me over here.

This guy will be on the third pairing when Hedman gets back. We're paying 5.5 million for a third pairing defensman.

 

[2MinutesforGiraffing]

I'm gonna stand by my statement from April of this year above. His increased minutes have only brought despair and more drinking. Not profit.

Over on the R edd its we have a drinking game wherein a weak Matt Carle wrister from the blue line requires a drink. It's hit my budget hard this season.

The running theory is that SFY doesn't want to admit that contract (one of his first as GM of Tampa) was a bad one, based on Carle's stats when he played with Pronger. Can't say if that's true or not, but there is no question he is not worth $5.5 mil when he is - at best - a marginal 2nd/passable 3rd pair defenseman.

 

[Sky04]

I'm gonna stand by my statement from April of this year above. His increased minutes have only brought despair and more drinking. Not profit.

Over on the R edd its we have a drinking game wherein a weak Matt Carle wrister from the blue line requires a drink. It's hit my budget hard this season.

The running theory is that SFY doesn't want to admit that contract (one of his first as GM of Tampa) was a bad one, based on Carle's stats when he played with Pronger. Can't say if that's true or not, but there is no question he is not worth $5.5 mil when he is - at best - a marginal 2nd/passable 3rd pair defenseman.

It's not that he doesn't want to move it, it's who's going to take on that terrible contract, and we'd be giving a young defenseman too much time. If KoekKoek is ready next year, see ya Carle. This is a defenseman who could costs you big games in the playoffs.

 

[The Macho King]

I mean, Yzerman has made plenty of mistakes in his time. The Lindback trade is a big one, rolling with Roli/Garon is another. He's not perfect (don't stone me) - and I don't think he's the type to be ashamed of the contract. The problem is I don't think he's movable, at least not for a piece that would let us compete. I believe he also has a modified NTC.

Honestly... Hedman healthy and a lot of teams dealing with long-term D injuries, he may finally be movable and we'll have the depth to take the loss in stride (and the cap space would be HUGE). I just don't know what the price would be. Ugh... and it's also not going to happen.

 

[2MinutesforGiraffing]

Oh, I don't think he's movable. I was just positing the theory I've heard. I'm in the minority who would have rather dealt with another year of 'I LIKE COCAINE' Malone and bought out Carle. At least Bugsy was amusing.

 

[The Macho King]

Oh, I don't think he's movable. I was just positing the theory I've heard. I'm in the minority who would have rather dealt with another year of 'I LIKE COCAINE' Malone and bought out Carle. At least Bugsy was amusing.

Or spent a regular buyout on Malone. If I recall it wouldn't have been that much against the cap.

 

[More 2004]

Looking at his contract just depresses me.. eh.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Carle goes through rough stretches but Cooper clearly doesn't trust Gudas and Sustr enough to give them more minutes. Gudas also struggles when he's forced to play heavy minutes for an extended stretch of games. He's really unmovable with his contract unless we want to give up a high pick or retain salary which we can't do cause we'll be in a cap crunch soon. Just embrace the mediocrity.

 

[2MinutesforGiraffing]

Just embrace the mediocrity.

But it hurts my bar tab.