Robert Hagg Season Review

[Young Sandwich]

@JojoTheWhale tells me that I routinely write sentences that no one ever has and no one ever should have uttered before.

I'm still bummed over the fact that @HakstolisAFartVacuum was deemed kosher, but my original username of ButtLunch was denied a few years ago. I demand a recount.

 

[FatTugboatFlahr]

I'm still bummed over the fact that @HakstolisAFartVacuum was deemed kosher, but my original username of ButtLunch was denied a few years ago. I demand a recount.

f***ing snitch.

 

[Young Sandwich]

****ing snitch.

 

[Jtown]

bump

 

[smoochy]

We all know he's terrible, whether some refuse to admit it or not, so there's no point in going over it again.

But there's one thing I was curious about... what about him makes you think he has offensive potential or could ever be close to a two-way defensemen? Was it that clip? Because Grossmann 1.0 had a couple of goals that looked like that and I'm sure nobody thought that was because of dormant offensive ability. It was just luck, same as Grossmann 2.0.

Try being objective. You’re blind hatred makes you sound silly.

He’s not a world beater. But he’s doing much better than you give him credit for.

 

[hatcher]

Try being objective. You’re blind hatred makes you sound silly.

He’s not a world beater. But he’s doing much better than you give him credit for.

Hard for people to take on here. He has made big strides and will only get better.

 

[Jtown]

Hagg was not good last year. But surprise surprise a rookie dman not being good playing a ton of dzone minutes is not surprising. That being said i am impressed by his play and more importantly his attitude this year. He genuinely looks like a leader out there in ways i wish some of our younger player did. He is never going to be a pp guy but if he contribute 20 even strength points a year and play 20 minutes of steady d thrn i think we have a guy that is going to be here for a long time

 

[Striiker]

The Hagg superfans see what they want to see, not what's actually happening. Sad. Didn't think people would be so easily blinded by a handful of lucky points.

Try to be objective guys.

 

[MacDonald4MVP]

Hagg was not good last year. But surprise surprise a rookie dman not being good playing a ton of dzone minutes is not surprising. That being said i am impressed by his play and more importantly his attitude this year. He genuinely looks like a leader out there in ways i wish some of our younger player did. He is never going to be a pp guy but if he contribute 20 even strength points a year and play 20 minutes of steady d thrn i think we have a guy that is going to be here for a long time

And for 1.2 mil instead of 5.

 

[deadhead]

Hagg is becoming a steady, physical defensive defenseman with just enough offensive chops to contribute, but without Manning's delusion that he actually has offensive skills.
I think he'll be better when he can move to the left side with Myers and Friedman up.
He's the stay at home, clear the crease partner that mobile defensemen need to CYA, the way Gudas does for Sanheim.
The league is full of these guys, like Greene on NJ, who play 10-15 years in the league while never leaving a big impression on fans.

Hagg, Morin, Ginning will all compete for that role on the left side.
At some point I can see a deal to balance out the defensive corp pipeline, as Hogberg and Kalynuk are LHDs who will be in the mix.
Though with Wylie and St Ivany, that may not be necessary.

 

[TCTC]

I'm very pleased with his season so far. He's been one of the few bright spots on a team that doesn't provide a lot of excitement right now.

I don't care about people complaining about his TOI or his role. He's the least of our problems right now.

 

[landsbergfan]

The Hagg superfans see what they want to see, not what's actually happening. Sad. Didn't think people would be so easily blinded by a handful of lucky points.

Try to be objective guys.

I am not a Hagg hater like my dear friend @Magua, but it is important to note that when we disagree I am always right. I want Hagg to play well for the purposes of using him as bait in the expansion draft. My worry is that the team actually keeps him because of that. I think he is a viable 3rd pairing defenseman and can play higher if needed given the right partner (not Provy)

The points will slow down (10.5% on ice sh%), but I don't doubt that his awful breakout passing will. There was a perfect example towards the end of the first, where he is carrying the puck down near the goal line with acres of space around him. He has Lehtera moving up the ice with him (also wide open) and he slowly carries the puck up through the faceoff circle and waits until he has a defender on him to attempt the pass. The pass is affected by the defender, goes into Lehtera's skates, and the Ducks have an entire shift in the offensive zone. Off of an EASY breakout.

Up and off the glass...generate defense.

 

[smoochy]

The Hagg superfans see what they want to see, not what's actually happening. Sad. Didn't think people would be so easily blinded by a handful of lucky points.

Try to be objective guys.

No super fan. Just saying hes playing well and looks like a solid bottom pair guy. But get défensive and hyperbole all you like. Its what you do

 

[hatcher]

No super fan. Just saying hes playing well and looks like a solid bottom pair guy. But get défensive and hyperbole all you like. Its what you do

Awesome start to the year. All coaches would want him.

 

[smoochy]

Awesome start to the year. All coaches would want him.

Yep. Solid bottom pair guy. Home grown at a good cap hit....not getting the hate.

 

[hatcher]

Yep. Solid bottom pair guy. Home grown at a good cap hit....not getting the hate.

Plays awesome with provy right now.

 

[smoochy]

Plays awesome with provy right now.

Like that pair. Haag can cover D and let Provy jump into the play a bit when he sees an opportunity. As opposed to Provy feeling like he has to cover for Ghost. Spreads the offence out on the back end.

 

[Striiker]

I am not a Hagg hater like my dear friend @Magua, but it is important to note that when we disagree I am always right. I want Hagg to play well for the purposes of using him as bait in the expansion draft. My worry is that the team actually keeps him because of that. I think he is a viable 3rd pairing defenseman and can play higher if needed given the right partner (not Provy)

The points will slow down (10.5% on ice sh%), but I don't doubt that his awful breakout passing will. There was a perfect example towards the end of the first, where he is carrying the puck down near the goal line with acres of space around him. He has Lehtera moving up the ice with him (also wide open) and he slowly carries the puck up through the faceoff circle and waits until he has a defender on him to attempt the pass. The pass is affected by the defender, goes into Lehtera's skates, and the Ducks have an entire shift in the offensive zone. Off of an EASY breakout.

Up and off the glass...generate defense.

Yup. I'm all for a little unsustainable scoring luck to help the team, but people need to look at the big picture (which so many on here don't seem to be capable of doing). When that luck goes away (and it certainly will) we're left with a defensemen who's bad in all 3 zones.

The guy is an offensive black hole, horrific at moving the puck, and not even a good defensive player... which is why the only thing he gets praised for is his hit quantity (not even quality). So really the best compliment you can give him is he's less blow-up-in-your-face bad than MacDonald is... which seems to be why he's getting so much praise from certain people. His best achievement this year is merely being our 2nd/3rd worst defensemen (he trades off with Folin some nights), thanks to Macs spectacular failures leaving Hagg's failures in the shadows.

Like you said, last night there were multiple times when he had such easy puck moving options and he just can't do it at an NHL level... it's atrocious. In addition to the moment you mentioned, one that stands out to me was a breakout where he was literally about 5-10 feet from one of our forwards and he just claps it into the guys skates, which lost possession. Completely unforced error, which gets forgotten by his fans since it didn't lead to a goal against. But he does it often and eventually it will. Now obviously all players make mistakes, but the players whose mistakes it's easy to forgive (like Ghost) are the guys who make up for it many times over. Hagg doesn't do that, which is the problem.

 

[hatcher]

Like that pair. Haag can cover D and let Provy jump into the play a bit when he sees an opportunity. As opposed to Provy feeling like he has to cover for Ghost. Spreads the offence out on the back end.

Ghost pulled provy back alot and since the change Provy looks better.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Better than last year is not exactly a compliment. It would be impressive to be that poor again.

I hope he shows real growth. Nothing would make happier than being entirely wrong on this one his entire way through the org. I just don't think some appreciate the levels of ineffectivity he provided last year and hide behind 3rd pairing cliches.

my dear friend @Magua, but it is important to note that when we disagree I am always right.

I don't know you, but I want you to know I'm on your side in this situation.

 

[Striiker]

No super fan. Just saying hes playing well and looks like a solid bottom pair guy. But get défensive and hyperbole all you like. Its what you do

Oh? You don't like hyperbole? Seems a bit hypocritical of you.

Try being objective. You’re blind hatred makes you sound silly.

He’s not a world beater. But he’s doing much better than you give him credit for.

Sorry to embarrass you, but you asked for it, chief.

 

[TB87]

Provorov-Hagg has been better this season than last (considering the 60~minute sample together).

Hagg has been more aggressive offensively, is challenging more entries, and is being a little bit cleaner with the puck on exits. The last part he still has a ton of work to do to get to a middling level but it’s good to see growth there.

By the defensive metrics that are currently publicly available (CA & xGA), he’s still not exactly lighting the world on fire. A smidge above replacement level (still). The previously mentioned offensive aggressiveness is showing itself via his individual contributions to GF, xGF, & CF (the latter to a lesser extent).

For whatever reason, Provorov-Ghost didn’t work this season. They were effective for over half a season though so there’s no reason to expect it not to work again sometime in the near future. For the time being, Provorov-Hagg is fine. I still contend that Hagg is (& will end up being) a 3rd pair defenseman at the NHL level. While still prospects, I expect more of a contribution at the NHL level over Hagg from at least one of the following: Wyatt Kalynuk, Linus Hogberg, Yegor Zamula, & Mark Friedman. No idea who among those will distinguish themselves from the rest but I’m pretty confident that at least one of those four will contribute more at the NHL level than Robert Hagg.

 

[deadhead]

Zamula I doubt, right now he's a very long shot. If he improves, if he fills out without slowing down, if . . . check him out in two years.

Hogberg will not only beat out Hagg, he may even beat out Sanheim, starting on the 1st pair on the best team in the SHL at 20 with great possession numbers, he's not going to be flashy, but there's something to be said for reliable defensive defensemen. Sanheim has great promise, but at least reading Appleyard, Hogberg has the hockey IQ and consistency to be a more reliable top four defenseman.

Klaynuk is a wild card, he could be a college flash in the pan or a Ghost like steal later in the draft. We'll see when he hits the AHL.
Friedman has progressed steadily, but I don't see anything that stands out yet, so I can't project him over Hagg at this time.

I think Hagg's real competition is Morin and eventually Ginning.
I doubt with Provorov, Sanheim, Kalynuk that they'll carry more than one big LHD.
And Hagg on the right side isn't as natural as Myers, Friedman or Gudas (if they keep him), and will have St Ivany and Wylie knocking on the door in a couple years.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Still hasn't had one month with positive shot differentials in his career.

 

[David St Hubbins]

Credit to Hakstol. He showed patience and encouragement to a young player and his performance of late has shown great growth. To paraphrase Meatloaf - 1 out of 8 aint bad.