Very interesting article. It suggests that the Panthers are doing something right in not trying to set up shots from the point. Encouraging! So if anything, Ekblad could be nice as a shooter on the left side. I like that Ekblad hasn't been forced to carry the load on PP though, as he does 5v5 and PK. He's still a child and could suffer with too much responsibility for both defense and offense.
I wonder if Huberdeau would be comfortable on the right side. Does he have a one-timer? He doesn't get a lot of chances to show it off.
My objection to dumping Yandle is that the PP does work, so any change is risky. But if Hoffman and/or Dadonov leave anyway, changes will have to be made so then Yandle wouldn't be as untouchable.
Ekblad average around 4-5 goals and 10-11 pts on the PP in his first couple years, his puck-handling and just general offensive IQ has got better.
Yandle was pacing 25 PP points this year but anyone thinking he will produce something similar to 39 PP pts in '17-18 is just unsustainable. He averages around 23 PP pts over his career, is it crazy to think Ekblad can't chase at least 17-18 pts on the PP if we re-sign Hoff along with Bark and Huby?
Its time to give him a shot on the PP and give some of his PK time to someone else, we don't want one of our most important players blocking extra shots when bottom 6 guys are capable.
Hoff will be in the right dot and you can slide Ekblad down in left dot for one timer when Huberdeau slides up to the point feeding either way.
Huberdeau is the teams best playmaker in my opinion and can adapt to roaming along the blue line or switch with Ekblad to his side wall spot.
Yes it seems lateral passing to one timers below the dots is the ideal solution to scoring. If you move Yandle and bring in a cheaper 2nd/3rd pair guy, you can re-sign Hoffman and put Ekblad as point/side wall one timer option.
Eventually you have Barkov, Huberdeau, Hoffman, Tippett and Ekblad as your top PP unit, the 2nd unit barely sees time anyhow.
On a side note: A problem that's plagued this team for a while. They're all pretty stationary, or more specifically they don't move their feet, stationary or just coasting. Nobody skates. It doesn't matter if you're not he best skater, mostly what matters is that you actually do skate. This is what's so frustrating for me, it's the simplest things that they don't do, that are well within their control, that would make a big impact. It's probably the difference between them and these teams still playing in the playoffs. And has been so for a few years now.
It's that "soft" problem with this team. That's what makes you soft, when you don't move your feet, and just want to just fling the puck around the ice. And it makes an even worse impact on defense. You're just a stationary target.
The opponent decides when you need to pass the puck, that's after your path the net has been stopped. Don't just wait in one spot and try to draw the defense to you and hope that opens up space. They play like a European team on bigger ice. That won't get them anywhere on the smaller ice surface. They've managed to put up some offense with it. But when it matters, that will easily get shut down. They're never going to go anywhere like that as a team.
It just shows that they do have some skill that they managed to put up offense, even though they're not playing the game the right way. It's so frustrating to just think if they actually did play the game the right way.
If it's one thing I want to change about this team, it's that (non skating, easy to play against). That's their identity, unfortunately. I really hate that about this team, hate it. Their identity should be the opposite of that. They should be the hardest working, hardest skating team on the ice every night. There's nothing this franchise has, they should be out there working hard to gain something. To get some respect. Instead having this soft, easy to play against team, laughable collection of players the opponent faces compared to most nights in this league.
They play like they've accomplished so much in this league already as a team. When they have accomplished nothing.
End of rant.
Loved the rant and agree with it, this isnt just on the PP but 5 on 5 in general whether fore/back-checking, general support leaving DZ through NZ to limit turnovers. Their isnt enough intensity and effort on a consistent basis.
I remember at start of year, players were saying how high/up-tempo Q's practices were but they clearly didn't play how they practiced then.
Watching the Isles, they dont even play a complicated system, just full of support from DZ through NZ. They spread out the defenses once in the OZ and just force teams to play one on one, win battles keeping it down low and then throw it out front for a jam play/rebound/one timer chance.
Now when Barzal is on the ice, its more puck possession and the D all zero in on him opening lanes for his teammates driving to the net.
Their passes aren't telegraphed or hard in the OZ/DZ, again, they're always spread out and have softer but accurate passes, never any blind drop passes or dump sans the chase part.
Just to pile on, we reset our PP so much at the blue line and how many times does the puck bounce over Yandle/others stick, its maddening.
Also Hoff shot is so telegraphed but luckily he has a rocket to overcome it.
Hence why we need just Barkov and Huberdeau on the PP passing and 3 shooters who are selfish looking to put it on net.