It's not really that much of a joke. He has been a mess defensively and bleeding goals against. He's scoring at a great rate, but much like Streit is scoring, it's rather hollow. I'd rather he score less and find his trusty 2-way game again. Just last season, he led Flyers D in TOI by almost 2 minutes per game. He WAS their #1 all-around defenseman. He's been a far cry from that this year in a very small sample. I disagree with the scratching because I think that guy is still in there and just needs some time and confidence, but it isn't without merit.
The 3-game scratching earlier was one thing. It was punitive, but more as a means to recollect himself. Only a handful of games later he gets scratched again? The message was already sent. You don't send messages back-to-back like this to a veteran player. This one felt like Hakstol saying a lineup without MDZ, right now's version, gives them a better chance to win. And he's probably not playing next game unless Hakstol had a problem with Manning's game. Probably more barring someone imploding.
Now, personally, we've seen what a healthy and mentally-on Del Zotto can do. He can be a 2-way, top 4 d man able to be deployed under any usage. He'd form a helluva top 4 with Provorov, Gudas, and Ghost. He blows MacDonald (who has been better of late), Streit, and Manning out of the water. I don't think it's the injury at this point. He was strong in pre-season, then strong in his return, then just fell off in a big way. It's all in his head. Does being scratched again, for what could be a decent stretch, help that? No, I'd say, and it might even further hurt his game if his confidence diminishes further. He's had a rough 9 or so game stretch after not much hockey the last 9 months....9-10 game does not a season make. Whatever it is, he needs to keep playing, keep watching tape, get coaching help, and work the kinks out. The reward is too great, whether it's here or as a trade chip.
