Vagrant
The Czech Condor
Not to pile on the guy or pin a team's failures on one person, but his career history of failure in the playoffs stands out due to this one constant occurrence: every team he has played for has never advanced further than the first round.
In 2010 and 2011, the Kings were eliminated in the first round in six games.
In 2014, the Blue Jackets were out of the first round in six, and they were out in five games in 2017.
And this season, the Penguins were swept. In 26 playoff games, he is a -14, but his individual statistics are actually pretty solid with 5 goals and 21 points in those 26 games. He was also averaging a ton of ice time on his previous clubs, but only saw a little over 15 mins per game with the Penguins.
Over time, his numbers have gradually gotten worse, yet somehow, Jim Rutherford thought it was a good idea to give him a 5-year deal.
Will the 32-year-old dman eventually break out of this curse, and will he even complete that contract in Pittsburgh? One quick glance at the front page of capfriendly.com shows that he is one of the most popular names when it comes to the buyout calculator.
it's great. i remember you being one of the more adamant defenders of jack johnson when i was speaking truth about his scenario and his first few years of play in the league. glad the time has given you some clarity on his shortcomings.