Confirmed with Link: Patrik Nemeth signed

[Fil Larkmanthanasiou]

I dont love Dekeyser by any means but hes definitely a guy who is play above his ability. He shouldnt be a top pairing guy on any team but if the wings had a couple top pairing D and he was on the second pair I think he would be fine. Instead hes forced to play some PP mins and do things hes not really able to do well so we dont like him.

Lol. 14 seconds of PP time per game

 

[lilidk]

T I think DD was good at overtime, because a lot of ice and he can skate. His hockey iq not so good and it is harder for him when 5 on 5 ,

 

[newfy]

Lol. 14 seconds of PP time per game

Last year sure. A couple years before that he was playing 34 seconds a game. With injuries he ended up playing a regular spot on the PP at times the last couple of years. He has no business being near a PP. If he had the proper guys ahead of him to knock him into what his role should actually be he would look solid enough I think. He definitelyisnt garbage or terrible like some are implying here. If he was on a team like Nashville who had Josi, Ekholm and Ellis ahead of him and he just logged big PK minutes and played second pair, peoples opinions of him would be different

 

[Oddbob]

Why the defence of Dekeyser from so many? Even if he was paid 2.5 per season, he doesn't really do anything well. No offence, no physicality, not good a moving the puck, he is as bad as Ericsson at getting the puck out of our zone, with lazy lobs and passes. Doesn't defend the goalie or stand up for teammates. I am legit not sure what makes him anymore than a 5-6 guy at absolute best. He skates decently for a big guy and has decent reach, that is about it for his skills, and what good are those when he is so average-below average at everything else, and is paid about 2-2.5 times what he should be?

 

[Mlotek]

Why the defence of Dekeyser from so many? Even if he was paid 2.5 per season, he doesn't really do anything well. No offence, no physicality, not good a moving the puck, he is as bad as Ericsson at getting the puck out of our zone, with lazy lobs and passes. Doesn't defend the goalie or stand up for teammates. I am legit not sure what makes him anymore than a 5-6 guy at absolute best. He skates decently for a big guy and has decent reach, that is about it for his skills, and what good are those when he is so average-below average at everything else, and is paid about 2-2.5 times what he should be?

He used to have good defensive positioning when he first broke with the team. Since than its been downhill.

The reason he got paid so much is because he's from Michigan.

You know, Holland and that Michigan fetish.

Same reason why Miller was kept on the team for so long, and why Eaves was the one jettisonned for whatever 3rd line center Holland got from Nashville.

 

[Retire91]

I didn't expect Yzerman to do an immediate turn around of the team so I am okay with signings like Patrik Nemeth to a 2-year contract even if he's a bit overpaid.

The thing that makes me nervous is the possibility that signings like stick around forever and get slotted into roles that are over the player's head and block prospects from getting NHL development. That is coming directly from my Holland hangover. I wasn't feeling that way until Yzerman signed Filpulla, but that singing just flooded me with dread. I hope the organization has moved away from the country club that Holland ran and this is truly a short term stay or, if it's a long term stay, he is played the level of depth he is suited for and moved out of the way when someone better is developed.

 

[Henkka]

Why the defence of Dekeyser from so many?

Last season 5-on-5:
- 2nd best defenceman in Relative Corsi (behind Hronek)
- Best defenceman in Relative GF%
- 2nd best defenceman in Relative xG% (behind Jensen)
- Most starts from Defensive Zone
- 2nd best defenceman in Relative HDCF% (behind Jensen)
- Toughest quality of Competition

So, basicly best 5-on-5 defenceman on the team overall when you combine everything together. Tough to find a stat where he does poorly.

We have many bad defencemen. DeKeyser isn't one of them. Everything would look much much worse without him.

 

[obey86]

Why the defence of Dekeyser from so many? Even if he was paid 2.5 per season, he doesn't really do anything well. No offence, no physicality, not good a moving the puck, he is as bad as Ericsson at getting the puck out of our zone, with lazy lobs and passes. Doesn't defend the goalie or stand up for teammates. I am legit not sure what makes him anymore than a 5-6 guy at absolute best. He skates decently for a big guy and has decent reach, that is about it for his skills, and what good are those when he is so average-below average at everything else, and is paid about 2-2.5 times what he should be?

Agreed. He's bottom pair, replacement level garbage.

 

[Oddbob]

Last season 5-on-5:
- 2nd best defenceman in Relative Corsi (behind Hronek)
- Best defenceman in Relative GF%
- 2nd best defenceman in Relative xG% (behind Jensen)
- Most starts from Defensive Zone
- 2nd best defenceman in Relative HDCF% (behind Jensen)
- Toughest quality of Competition

So, basicly best 5-on-5 defenceman on the team overall when you combine everything together. Tough to find a stat where he does poorly.

We have many bad defencemen. DeKeyser isn't one of them. Everything would look much much worse without him.

You defend him by mentioning he is the best of a very bad bunch and a rookie(s)? There are many teams he wouldn't even be more than a 5-6 guy and some he wouldn't even make the cut. And yet here he sits making $5 million per year.

 

[Winger98]

He used to have good defensive positioning when he first broke with the team. Since than its been downhill.

The reason he got paid so much is because he's from Michigan.

You know, Holland and that Michigan fetish.

Same reason why Miller was kept on the team for so long, and why Eaves was the one jettisonned for whatever 3rd line center Holland got from Nashville.

The team around him was also a lot better. The guy didn't progress as any of us hoped, but he's also not as bad as folks are making out. Slot him in as the third or fourth D on this team, with the guys ahead of him clearly better and handling minutes according to that, and Dekeyser looks a lot better.

And I think Eaves was moved because he couldn't stay healthy.In the five seasons after he left Detroit, he played over 60 games just once.

 

[obey86]

The team around him was also a lot better. The guy didn't progress as any of us hoped, but he's also not as bad as folks are making out. Slot him in as the third or fourth D on this team, with the guys ahead of him clearly better and handling minutes according to that, and Dekeyser looks a lot better.

And I think Eaves was moved because he couldn't stay healthy.In the five seasons after he left Detroit, he played over 60 games just once.

Yeah, lots of valid moves to be concerned about, trading Patrick Eaves isn't one of them.

 

[hkydave04]

Last season 5-on-5:
- 2nd best defenceman in Relative Corsi (behind Hronek)
- Best defenceman in Relative GF%
- 2nd best defenceman in Relative xG% (behind Jensen)
- Most starts from Defensive Zone
- 2nd best defenceman in Relative HDCF% (behind Jensen)
- Toughest quality of Competition

So, basicly best 5-on-5 defenceman on the team overall when you combine everything together. Tough to find a stat where he does poorly.

We have many bad defencemen. DeKeyser isn't one of them. Everything would look much much worse without him.

You're comparing him to other players on a bottom 5 team. Just cuz he's good on our team doesn't make DD good! I don't think he does anything well, like a poster stated earlier,,but skate well. Shit, Dorothy Hamill skates well...lol

 

[hkydave04]

Why the defence of Dekeyser from so many? Even if he was paid 2.5 per season, he doesn't really do anything well. No offence, no physicality, not good a moving the puck, he is as bad as Ericsson at getting the puck out of our zone, with lazy lobs and passes. Doesn't defend the goalie or stand up for teammates. I am legit not sure what makes him anymore than a 5-6 guy at absolute best. He skates decently for a big guy and has decent reach, that is about it for his skills, and what good are those when he is so average-below average at everything else, and is paid about 2-2.5 times what he should be?

Agreed 100%%

 

[Henkka]

Agreed 100%%

Disagree 100%.

 

[Henkka]

You defend him by mentioning he is the best of a very bad bunch and a rookie(s)? There are many teams he wouldn't even be more than a 5-6 guy and some he wouldn't even make the cut. And yet here he sits making $5 million per year.

DeKeyser is the only defenceman on this team who has better 5-on-5 GF/60 than GA/60 from last 2 seasons combined. By far.

He must be doing something good that bashers aren't able to see.

Guy is Defending = preventing goals. When he is on the ice, less goals happen against our goal than against opposite goal. On a bad team, this is more of IMPRESSIVE, than looking bad.

And guy plays against toughest opponents. It's nothing like some statistical fluke, when some guy gets easy matchups + offensive end faceoffs, to ride for nice looking stats. These stats are great and against wind.

You can feel free to say that he LOOKS bad. He can look like anything and be effective. That's what matters. Are you effective or not.

 

[Bench]

Disagree 100%.

You can't triple stamp a double stamp!

 

[avssuc]

I think it depends on the team. I remember people used to say the same thing about Nyquist and how he would NEVER be a top 6 forward on a playoff team, then sure enough he goes to the Sharks and plays in a top 6 role. I think with the right partner on the right team he could be a top 4 guy.

Wasn't the promotion due to attrition based necessity?

I have to disagree. Gus was, at least, willing to high stick dudes in the face along the boards. DeKeyser won't even gently ask guys to move out of the crease... because guys the size of Nyquist can easily destroy him.

 

[avssuc]

Dekeyser and Green are probably a better pair than anything the Pens could put together when they won their most recent Cup.

The Capitals had to send Green packing to win a cup. Letang by himself is better than those two put together. I'd take Matta or Schultz over DeKeyser.

 

[obey86]

Wasn't the promotion due to attrition based necessity?

I have to disagree. Gus was, at least, willing to high stick dudes in the face along the boards. DeKeyser won't even gently ask guys to move out of the crease... because guys the size of Nyquist can easily destroy him.

I don't think so. He was immediately slotted onto one of their top 2 lines once acquired IIRC.

Teams rarely put all their best players on line 1, their 2nd best players on line 2, etc. The wealth is typically spread out over multiple lines, so Nyqvist caliber players routinely play in the top 6 across the league.

 

[Winger98]

The Capitals had to get a second center who wasn't Brooks Laiche to have a real chance at a Cup.

 

[kliq]

Wasn't the promotion due to attrition based necessity?

I have to disagree. Gus was, at least, willing to high stick dudes in the face along the boards. DeKeyser won't even gently ask guys to move out of the crease... because guys the size of Nyquist can easily destroy him.

Well, that’s why with DD who you pair him with is so important.

Regarding Nquist, I’m not sure. But I remember reading over and over again how he wouldn’t sniff the top 6 on a contender.

 

[kliq]

The Capitals had to send Green packing to win a cup. Letang by himself is better than those two put together. I'd take Matta or Schultz over DeKeyser.

Schultz is an interesting one. Like DD, the fan base in Edmonton turned on him, but in Pittsburgh he appears to fitting in just great.

 

[obey86]

Well, that’s why with DD who you pair him with is so important.

Regarding Nquist, I’m not sure. But I remember reading over and over again how he wouldn’t sniff the top 6 on a contender.

People say the same thing now with Mantha, AA, Bertuzzi. They may not be the best player/line driver on a top 6 line for a contender, but they can definitely play in the top 6.

 

[Gniwder]

The Capitals had to send Green packing to win a cup. Letang by himself is better than those two put together. I'd take Matta or Schultz over DeKeyser.

Letang didn't play the last time the Penguins won the Cup. He was injured, Trevor Daley played 21 games in the playoffs. Schultz was the only D who put up any offense.

Offensively, Green is better than that D (with Letang out). Defensively, he falls apart in the playoffs when things get physical because he has no idea how to avoid a check.

Green got bumped down to third pair by Carlson (drafted) and Niskanen (UFA). Green is too expensive to have around as third pair, so the Caps let him go.

But in any case, the 2017 Stanley Cup Pens' D wasn't that great.

 

[Fil Larkmanthanasiou]

Letang w

The Capitals had to send Green packing to win a cup. Letang by himself is better than those two put together. I'd take Matta or Schultz over DeKeyser.

Letang was injured and didn't play at all in the playoffs that year.