thoughts on D.Boyle

[NikC]

just curious how you felt about losing Boyle. I realize he's not the player he was a few years back, but how is he on the PP? is he a defensive liability?
what should ranger fans expect? how many minutes a night does he average?

thanks.

all the best.

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[Gene Parmesan]

We loved his time here but it was time to move on. He's not the type to mentor young players, he should provide a boost to the power play, still moves the puck well and is a fiery competitor. Funny that he and Brassard are teammates now, they had a pretty funny run in during an SJ/CBJ game.

 

[hohosaregood]

He's old, he's a puckhog, and his brain and feet are like a step behind.

 

[Bizz]

Ever since his concussion he tends to make slow, tentative decisions with the puck.

 

[ThorNton Apologist]

He is still a decent power play option. But on a contending team he should be a #5 type dman.
I would say if he is iced on the top PP unit that ideally he should get 14-18 min a game.

 

[Juxtaposer]

Bottom pairing guy at even strength, good PP guy if you can get him to make decisions faster. Fiery competitor who wants to win. **** Max Lapierre.

 

[magic school bus]

He's old, he's a puckhog, and his brain and feet are like a step behind.

Brutally honest, but true.

Unless he has a great offseason, Boyle is a bottom pairing defenseman and 2nd PP unit guy.

 

[AgentCooper]

Pretty much agree with everything said. Once an elite player, now a shell of his former self but not completely useless. Good option for the bottom pairing, and quite good on the PP. Prone to atrocious turnovers in his own zone, but still a good skater and puck mover. Don't expect him to mentor youth, he's out there for himself. He's a fiery guy and a fierce competitor.

 

[Leidi J]

just curious how you felt about losing Boyle. I realize he's not the player he was a few years back, but how is he on the PP?

His decision-making on the PP was one of the main reasons our PP tanked in the later half of this season and in the playoffs. I know you can't blame it on only one guy, but considering he was and saw himself as the PP QB and insisted on controlling the puck there, I do mostly blame him for it struggling. As others have mentioned, he just doesn't make the same split second decisions that used to make him so good. He's too slow and by the time he does something the defenders are ready. Which is also why he can't really get his shot through from the point it seems.

is he a defensive liability?

I don't know if i'd use that term exactly. As others have said, he's still a decent backend Dman. But Todd McLellan and the Sharks staff still insisted on using him and playing him the most minutes a night among our defense when it was absolutely clear he should not be utilized as such anymore. That was one of the main problems with us keeping him (aside from only wanting to go year by year on 1 year deals and him wanting two) was that the coaching staff refused to reduce him role to fit his current skill and production as opposed to what he used to bring. And he probably wouldn't have accepted a decreased role here anyways. It was a mental hurdle that just couldn't be overcome by all involved.

what should ranger fans expect? how many minutes a night does he average?

The answer to the second question is too many. I think he was our only Dman above 20 minutes a night. If the rangers use him as a bottom type Dman with 2nd unit PP duties I think he could still be useful. He's competitive and does give it his all and is a good locker room guy who won't put up with **** (though as others have said, don't expect him to take on that mentor role to young guys. he openly scoffed at that when he was here.). If used correctly I could see him being decent enough for the rangers... particularly in the less physical eastern style of play.

Pretty sure no one around here was upset or opposed to him leaving, but he's not completely useless yet like Brad Stuart was.

 

[SJeasy]

Pretty much agree with everything said. Once an elite player, now a shell of his former self but not completely useless. Good option for the bottom pairing, and quite good on the PP. Prone to atrocious turnovers in his own zone, but still a good skater and puck mover. Don't expect him to mentor youth, he's out there for himself. He's a fiery guy and a fierce competitor.

He's lost about two full steps. It was part of his issue on defense. It made him extremely slow on puck recoveries on dumpins. He should not be on the ice 5on5 against fast forwards. Someone like Kreider or Hagelin would eat him alive.

 

[Barrie22]

Adios, hope the door doesn't hit him on the way out. There is no way he would of signed that kind of contract with the sharks.

 

[magic school bus]

He's lost about two full steps. It was part of his issue on defense. It made him extremely slow on puck recoveries on dumpins. He should not be on the ice 5on5 against fast forwards. Someone like Kreider or Hagelin would eat him alive.

Yeah, his speed is another misconception. i see a lot of people saying "he's still a good skater," or something along those lines and it's just not true.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Yeah, his speed is another misconception. i see a lot of people saying "he's still a good skater," or something along those lines and it's just not true.

He still is a good skater, just not as fast as he was. More to skating than speed.

 

[SJeasy]

He still is a good skater, just not as fast as he was. More to skating than speed.

He is still a nifty skater (edges), but he is really slow. I caught a whole bunch last year where he was losing a full stride within 3 strides on various opponents, not all of them fast. Demers is average for speed and he was much faster than Boyle with virtually the same ability with edges.

 

[magic school bus]

He still is a good skater, just not as fast as he was. More to skating than speed.

To a degree, sure, but you'll occassionally see him try to do that reverse-spin move to avoid forecheckers and it just didn't work any more. That's not even a speed move. Just plain skating ability.

 

[AgentCooper]

Yeah, his speed is another misconception. i see a lot of people saying "he's still a good skater," or something along those lines and it's just not true.

Good skater doesn't necessarily mean fast skater. He's lost some of his speed, but I'd still consider him a "good" skater. He's shifty, strong on his edges, and still manages to be pretty elusive.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

To a degree, sure, but you'll occassionally see him try to do that reverse-spin move to avoid forecheckers and it just didn't work any more. That's not even a speed move. Just plain skating ability.

I agree with that but he's not a bad skater. Like Easy said still agile and pretty nimble but isn't going to win any drag races anymore.

 

[Nighthock]

He's old, he's a puckhog, and his brain and feet are like a step behind.

 

[NathanCouture]

2 of my favorite Dan Boyle moments:



and

 

[Doctyl]

There's like two different descriptions of Boyle here. One saying he's still a good player just not what he once was. The other saying he's awful. So biases aside, which is it?

 

[Barrie22]

There's like two different descriptions of Boyle here. One saying he's still a good player just not what he once was. The other saying he's awful. So biases aside, which is it?

little of side A and a little of side B.

some aspects of his game he still has, and others have fallen off the cliff drastically.

boyle now is like a rookie trying to figure out what works and doesn't work for them in the nhl.

except boyle has gone his entire career having done it this one way, and his body and mind just won't allow him to do it any more.

so boyle needs to find a new way to play or he will continue to get worse.

 

[SactoShark]

There's like two different descriptions of Boyle here. One saying he's still a good player just not what he once was. The other saying he's awful. So biases aside, which is it?

The former. He's still got a ton of skill. That didn't go away. He's just a bit more hesitant and holds the puck too long. There were a couple games during the Sharks' horrible 4 game choke where I thought he was one of the best players on the ice. That's relatively speaking, of course.

There are a lot of bitter and angry Sharks fans around here. Everyone was ready to trade Joe Thornton for Leafs scraps, so Danny Boyle isn't gonna get cut any slack either.

 

[hohosaregood]

There's like two different descriptions of Boyle here. One saying he's still a good player just not what he once was. The other saying he's awful. So biases aside, which is it?

It's basically your expectation of what you hope to get. If you're hoping to get one of the top offensive defenseman in the league who is still reliable in your own end, you're **** out of luck because that's not who he is anymore. If you want a powerplay specialist then okay. He's not as fast but he's still shifty and that's a detriment to his defensive play on retrieving puck and during this last year, his decision making with the puck is a step behind the play a lot of times.

 

[Gecklund]

2 of my favorite Dan Boyle moments:



and

Anyone else notice that Desi was on a line with Thornton and Pavelski?

 

[Led Zappa]

It's basically your expectation of what you hope to get. If you're hoping to get one of the top offensive defenseman in the league who is still reliable in your own end, you're **** out of luck because that's not who he is anymore. If you want a powerplay specialist then okay. He's not as fast but he's still shifty and that's a detriment to his defensive play on retrieving puck and during this last year, his decision making with the puck is a step behind the play a lot of times.

I still think a lot of it will depend on how his brain heals over the summer. He'll never be Dan in his prime, but I could see him being a lot better than last year.