BlackStar
Registered User
- Aug 12, 2010
- 3,000
- 611
Eller is playing in a role that's very offensive centered and he still doesn't generate much offense.
If you put a guy with no offensive skill in an offensive role, that player still won't do much. Semin looks finished and got a ton of opportunities in offensive situations.
People here overplay the "role" factor. Plekanec plays a ton of tough minutes and he still produces excellent offensive numbers.
So in your incredibly biased and fallacious thinking, a "very offensive role" consists of playing 13 minutes a night (8th among all forwards on the team)?
Interestingly, Eller also happens to be 8th among all forwards in even-strength goals, this as he happens to be 8th among all forwards in forwards in even-strength ice time.
Meaning, factually, objectively, Eller is producing as well as he should be. That is irrefutable.
However, considering variables such as him having to adjust to a new role, and playing with a struggling Galchenyuk (goalscoring wise--affecting Eller's lack of assists), and not having the benefit of another legitimate top-six talent on his line, Eller has performed better than what should be expected of him.
Again, the player who happens to be 8th among all forwards in ice-time on the team also happens to be 8th in goalscoring.
The only legitimate argument then is about his lack of assists. Therefore, we must ask ourselves, why is it that a player who averaged roughly 14 assists a season playing heavy defensive minutes with offensive black holes for linemates on pace for only 4 assists this year?
Furthermore, why is that player on pace for only 4 assists when he had 22 of his 30 points in 42 games in the 12-13 season (that's an average of 40ish assists in 82 games)?
Simple logic states that there are undervalued (perhaps intentionally so by some) variables to explain this anomaly. The most obvious and simple of such variables include his linemate, Galchenyuk shooting 5% worser than his career percentage. On top of that, the Eller and Galchenyuk have had to play with a revolving door of 4th liners for the entire season.
When we consider that Eller is shooting a career best, 15%, on the only thing he variable he alone controls (goal scoring), Eller is producing well. Frankly, only people with a clear agenda against Eller or at the very least, people who fail to understand the many factors involved in production/statistics are the people who would complain about Eller's production so far.
Sadly, this board is full of immature people who refuse to admit their wrong or change their minds when evidence is brought up to refute their error, so I don't expect that to change anytime soon.