Raphael Diaz

[alicia]

How was he tonight? I missed the game entirely because of work.

He got the only goal, but how was he overall?

Click to read more...

 

[KeninsFan]

Good:
- put a lot of shots on net, some got blocked but a lot got through
- his outlet passing really helped our transition game
- excellent gap control
- good stick along the boards, jarred it loose a couple times
- played "rover" in the offensive zone when we cycled <-- something we haven't had since Ehrhoff left

Bad:
- when Boston's big forwards forechecked he didn't take a hit to make the play
- some passes to his partner looked rushed but Habs fans said it's not a real problem

Outplayed every single Canuck tonight.
25:26 (most ice time)
+1
Torts used him when we pulled the goalie

 

[Demon Wolf]

Posted in the trade thread but will echo here too:

Always liked Diaz for the Habs. He has no problems handling top 4 minutes, it would be a luxury to have him on the third pairing. He has great gap control and even though he isn't very physical he is great in his own zone. Clever decisions with the puck, good stickwork.

He was traded because of the emergence of Beaulieu, and Habs have Markov and Subban to re-sign which will be costly.

I don't know much about your PP setup but Diaz is very good there when given the chance, he was just third on the depth chart with Markov and Subban eating most of the time.

All in all, great player and I will miss him. Some Habs fans gave him a bad rep only because he isn't overly physical, and physicality is the only thing you judge Habs players on nowadays

 

[kanucks25]

Seemed nervous in the first period, he was bobbling the puck quite a bit and didn't seem overly confident in his decision-making. However, he was great in the 2nd and 3rd and obviously Torts thought so, too, as he put him out there for almost half the game.

Likes to wrist the puck on net, and seemed to do a good job of it. Like many others have said already, he uses his stick and positioning more than his body.

I doubt he'll be anything more than a #5 OFD that you can throw on the power-play, especially in the Western with some big, powerful, skilled forwards. Still, he might prove serviceable enough to move one of our "top-4" D-men for a forward and/or youth.

 

[Apple Juice]

Thought he looked solid tonight. Couple of turnovers but who doesn't turn the puck over? Had a shoot first mentality whenever he had the chance to get the puck. Just kept throwing it onto the net, something we don't have from any of our defencemen. Has a pretty hard slap shot too which fooled Rask leading to his goal.

 

[Taelin]

It's nice to have a defenceman that can actually hit the net.

 

[Peen]

I pumped this guy's tires a lot on CDC and HF.

I have been a critic of Weise all of this season and part of last.

I will state it again. If he's even slightly better than Alberts long term, we won this trade.

 

[StIllmatic]

I think he would be an ideal partner for Garrison or Edler, either one of them.

 

[Royal Canuck]

It's nice to have a defenceman that can actually hit the net.

Jason Garrison can hit the net.

 

[thepuckmonster]

He can skate, thank the lord baby jesus.

 

[TheWanderer]

He played well with Stanton, but I want to see him with Edler or Garrison. The Edler - Garrison simply cannot be allowed to exist anymore. I think Diaz's pass-first mentality in the offensive zone is exactly what Edler/Garrison needs, as well as his ability to skate and supply the transition game - which neither Edler/Garrison is absolutely not capable of providing.

 

[thepuckmonster]

He played well with Stanton, but I want to see him with Edler or Garrison. The Edler - Garrison simply cannot be allowed to exist anymore. I think Diaz's pass-first mentality in the offensive zone is exactly what Edler/Garrison needs, as well as his ability to skate and supply the transition game - which neither Edler/Garrison is absolutely not capable of providing.

Agreed. Edler and Garrison are a terrible pairing, I even prefer Edler-Bieksa over it and that's saying a lot.

A. Lot.

 

[Nucker101]

Agreed. Edler and Garrison are a terrible pairing, I even prefer Edler-Bieksa over it and that's saying a lot.

A. Lot.

Also agree, I can't believe Sullivan insists on keeping those 2 together. It makes both of them look worse than they are.

 

[thepuckmonster]

Also agree, I can't believe Sullivan insists on keeping those 2 together. It makes both of them look worse than they are.

I quite liked Edler with Diaz last game. I like Eddie when he can play a more at-home style and cover for a roving defenseman. I think that's why he was so good with Hoffer. I don't like when Edler is expected to be the more offensive player on the pairing, he's prone to high risk decisions.

 

[kanucks25]

Also agree, I can't believe Sullivan insists on keeping those 2 together. It makes both of them look worse than they are.

He's keeping them together because the other two pairings work.

Hamhuis - Tanev is the best option for a shutdown tandem and Stanton - Bieksa have played very well together.


Doesn't really matter, anyway. Looks like at least one of them is going to be traded away by the time everyone is healthy.

 

[LuongosHair]

I quite liked Edler with Diaz last game. I like Eddie when he can play a more at-home style and cover for a roving defenseman. I think that's why he was so good with Hoffer. I don't like when Edler is expected to be the more offensive player on the pairing, he's prone to high risk decisions.

Agreed. Edler had his best seasons with him and after he went to the Sabres, Eddie has been pretty trash.
Hamhuis-Bieksa
Edler-Diaz
Garrison-Tanev
Stanton
Stanton is a lot better than a 7th d-man and I'd easily trade Edler if someone like Vanek or ROR came the other way

 

[me2]

agreed. Edler and garrison are a terrible pairing, i even prefer edler-bieksa over it and that's saying a lot.

A. Lot.

my eyes! They burn!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[TheWanderer]

Agreed. Edler and Garrison are a terrible pairing, I even prefer Edler-Bieksa over it and that's saying a lot.

A. Lot.

I just don't understand why our coaches (and yea, it spans AV, Torts, and even Sullivan) keep forcing the issue with this pairing.

As an example (pre-injuries and pre-Diaz), I think Stanton - Bieksa is the right move. Beyond that, we can have:

Hamhuis - Garrison
Edler - Tanev

-or-

Hamhuis - Edler
Garrison - Tanev

Both of which are better than creating a zero-offense Hamhuis - Tanev pairing and a zero-defense Edler - Garrison pairing.

I just don't understand why this issue is being forced so intently, and it very clearly is being forced... This is my biggest excitement with acquiring Diaz. I really hope he forms a Stanton - Bieksa -esque bond with one of Edler or Garrison, and we can put a rest to this horrible pairing.

(I personally hope it's Garrison so that we can trade Edler, because that seems more likely than Garrison being traded... but that's mostly beside the point entirely)


It's stuff like this that just completely annoys the hell out of me with coaching decisions.

 

[thepuckmonster]

I just don't understand why our coaches (and yea, it spans AV, Torts, and even Sullivan) keep forcing the issue with this pairing.

As an example (pre-injuries and pre-Diaz), I think Stanton - Bieksa is the right move. Beyond that, we can have:

Hamhuis - Garrison
Edler - Tanev

-or-

Hamhuis - Edler
Garrison - Tanev

Both of which are better than creating a zero-offense Hamhuis - Tanev pairing and a zero-defense Edler - Garrison pairing.

I just don't understand why this issue is being forced so intently, and it very clearly is being forced... This is my biggest excitement with acquiring Diaz. I really hope he forms a Stanton - Bieksa -esque bond with one of Edler or Garrison, and we can put a rest to this horrible pairing.

(I personally hope it's Garrison so that we can trade Edler, because that seems more likely than Garrison being traded... but that's mostly beside the point entirely)


It's stuff like this that just completely annoys the hell out of me with coaching decisions.

Yes, I quite liked Hamhuis-Garrison and I think Tanev is versatile enough to play well with Edler as well. I don't like that we have one great pairing and the rest are iffy.

 

[TheWanderer]

The real question is: what kind of pay-cheque is Diaz expecting, heading into this off-season? I think the screw-around at Montreal may allow us to go with a one or two year bridge deal or something, but who really knows. I hope we can keep him around for 2-3 mil, especially considering he's good enough to make Edler available. I mean, people were expecting that of Corrado, and Diaz is better than Corrado.

This team is starting to fill up with #4-5 sort of defensemen now: Stanton, Diaz, Corrado coming up, even Weber has been pretty good.

 

[TheWanderer]

Yes, I quite liked Hamhuis-Garrison and I think Tanev is versatile enough to play well with Edler as well. I don't like that we have one great pairing and the rest are iffy.

I just don't understand any reason - at all - for coaches to be constantly forcing the issue with the Edler - Garrison pairing...

 

[Bgav]

Such a smooth skater, looks like a solid pick up mg. Hopefully he plays well down the stretch, and gets re-signed.

 

[me2]

The real question is: what kind of pay-cheque is Diaz expecting, heading into this off-season? I think the screw-around at Montreal may allow us to go with a one or two year bridge deal or something, but who really knows. I hope we can keep him around for 2-3 mil, especially considering he's good enough to make Edler available. I mean, people were expecting that of Corrado, and Diaz is better than Corrado.

This team is starting to fill up with #4-5 sort of defensemen now: Stanton, Diaz, Corrado coming up, even Weber has been pretty good.

Weber cleared waivers this year. I see Diaz as a better player than Weber taking the same role but at 3rd pairing level rather than as a spare. I think Weber is gone at the end of the year.

 

[TheWanderer]

Weber cleared waivers this year. I see Diaz as a better player than Weber taking the same role but at 3rd pairing level rather than as a spare. I think Weber is gone at the end of the year.

It's really just too hard to say. If we walk into next year with the same guys (Hammer, Bieksa, Tanev, Edler, Garrison, Stanton), then we basically have to make decisions with the following players:

Alberts - probably let go. Sucks about the concussion...
Weber - probably loses spot to Diaz
Diaz - who knows if he passes Stanton?
Corrado - another year of AHL. It's getting to the point where he needs to take the next step. I think the year after next will be that season if we go down this route.

If one of our guys is traded (hoping Edler), the Diaz probably moves into the top 6, which means we keep Weber for #7.


Anything can happen, though, really. Who the hell knows where this team is going.

 

[vanuck]

An article about Diaz, if you can read French (I can't). Got it from the thread on the trade board and uses possession to argue his case which seems to back up the conclusion from that Habs Eyes On The Prize article: that in terms of performance he was actually Montreal's 3rd or 4th best defender and should never have been scratched like he was by Therrien. Yet another moneypuck move.

http://enattendantlesnordiques.blogspot.ca/2014/01/special-raphael-diaz-20630-ottawa-4-p.html