Player Discussion Torey Krug IV

[Chief Nine]

If he were 4 inches taller and drafted no one would really be complaining about his defensive game.

Bingo. What bothers me most, and I’ve posted this before but Krug is a mutt. Hes a fighter (not literally but you get it) and he’s a heart and soul guy. This is the type of undersized athlete that Boston fans usually adore:

Julian Edelman
Dustin Pedroia
Wes Welker
Danny Woodhead
Doug freaking Flutie

He fits right in with those guys yet there’s people who despise him. Don’t get it

 

[GoBs]

Krug = Hawgy hockey (Greg Hawgood)

 

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

If he were 4 inches taller and drafted no one would really be complaining about his defensive game.

wow would his defensive game ever suck major if he was 4 inches taller... most of us try to be reasonable in our expectations because he is undersized so we cut him a bit of slack. 4 inches taller and he would simply be tom poti type sawft

very good offense though whether he was drafted or not... seems irrelevant. guy can join in on the offense as well as anyone weve had here since bourque left town

 

[Mainehockey33]

If he were 4 inches taller and drafted no one would really be complaining about his defensive game.

Remember when Dougie Hamilton was a Bruin?

 

[TwineTickler]

If he were 4 inches taller and drafted no one would really be complaining about his defensive game.

Is this a serious comment? If he were taller and drafted, that makes it allowable to be atrocious in your end defensively? That's silly. Has absolutely nothing to do with it. I don't think anyone here hates Krug as some are alluding to. Some of us hate the idea of resigning him to 5+ years at big money when he has glaring deficiencies that rear their head in every game. The guy is a fantastic offensive defensemen... and a great person... I love his personality and the banter with Marchy etc, but that doesn't change the fact that he's very poor as a defender. PP and offensively, top 5 probably in the league... but in my estimation it's just as important to keep the puck out of your net then to put it in their net. He gives and he takes.... and plenty of us are tired of the constant poor play in his own end and think he should be moved for assets as opposed to being re-upped. That's really all it comes down to.

 

[Dr Hook]

Let's not pretend this criticism hasn't been there for the last couple seasons. His defensive play is in fact his weakness. Nobody is saying he isn't a good PP QB or good offensive player (that I know of). But let's not hide behind the fact that because he adds points to the board that we can overlook consistent flaws in his defensive play considering he is a defenseman.

No one is pretending anything here, at least i am not. He has always had his critics sure, but by and large, he has contributed to more goals than he has caused. He is NOT a net negative player no matter how much you don't care for his defensive play. He is mediocre in that area at best, but he is also not the primary reason the Bruins lose games 99% of the time.

 

[compan]

I'm not sure if a lot of the people having a hard time with other's criticism of Krug realize many of the other roster players ALSO get criticism. Why is Krug immune to it? Nobody can tell me when he coughs up the puck in front of the net on a bad pass and the opposing team gets a great scoring chance that they don't feel anything about it. McAvoy gets plenty of criticism in the GDTs when he screws up. Chara too. When a player gets burned, they get burned. Maybe the players that take the most criticism around here are actually the ones that seem to get burned the most? It's great that Krug can help us score when we have more players on the ice than the other team, but I also care about the other team scoring less goals than we do when it comes to our defensemen.
It's always the same sort of stuff around here with "when he has a bad game the pitch forks come out" and "people will only complain when he is bad and not talk about when he is playing good". How many of those posters saying the second are in this thread regularly talking about how good of a game he is having?

No one is pretending anything here, at least i am not. He has always had his critics sure, but by and large, he has contributed to more goals than he has caused. He is NOT a net negative player no matter how much you don't care for his defensive play. He is mediocre in that area at best, but he is also not the primary reason the Bruins lose games 99% of the time.

Do you know how bad you would have to be in the NHL to be a net negative player? That is taking the debate and arguing the extreme point of it and ignoring the realistic conversation. He doesn't need to be a net negative to take criticism.

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

If he were 4 inches taller and drafted no one would really be complaining about his defensive game.

I don't think this is true. He has some pretty bad turnovers that would get any player roasted. I like Krug and think his positives outweigh his negatives.

However, his future as a Bruin is up in the air in my book. If McAvoy is going to get paid $6.5m or more, he needs to become a PP quarterback. That kind of money this early in his career demands it in my book.

I'm one of those that said in the beginning of this thread that the B's are going to trade Krug and then we'll all wonder why we can't score on the PP or from the backend at all. I still think that to a degree but I think McAvoy is going to partly fill his spot, and he kind of HAS to to that.

 

[compan]

I don't think this is true. He has some pretty bad turnovers that would get any player roasted. I like Krug and think his positives outweigh his negatives.

However, his future as a Bruin is up in the air in my book. If McAvoy is going to get paid $6.5m or more, he needs to become a PP quarterback. That kind of money this early in his career demands it in my book.

I'm one of those that said in the beginning of this thread that the B's are going to trade Krug and then we'll all wonder why we can't score on the PP or from the backend at all. I still think that to a degree but I think McAvoy is going to partly fill his spot, and he kind of HAS to to that.

I'd agree. McAvoy will get paid and we have Vaak that will be coming up and potentially in a similar contract situation if he shakes out. If Krug is going to get the money he is likely requesting, it comes at the expense of some RFAs. Which could be worth it or not. But if you have McAvoy (making what he will) on the PP in Krug's spot...do we need to pay a player like Krug what he would be worth on the open market?

 

[NDiesel]

I'm not sure if a lot of the people having a hard time with other's criticism of Krug realize many of the other roster players ALSO get criticism. Why is Krug immune to it? Nobody can tell me when he coughs up the puck in front of the net on a bad pass and the opposing team gets a great scoring chance that they don't feel anything about it. McAvoy gets plenty of criticism in the GDTs when he screws up. Chara too. When a player gets burned, they get burned. Maybe the players that take the most criticism around here are actually the ones that seem to get burned the most? It's great that Krug can help us score when we have more players on the ice than the other team, but I also care about the other team scoring less goals than we do when it comes to our defensemen.
It's always the same sort of stuff around here with "when he has a bad game the pitch forks come out" and "people will only complain when he is bad and not talk about when he is playing good". How many of those posters saying the second are in this thread regularly talking about how good of a game he is having?



Do you know how bad you would have to be in the NHL to be a net negative player? That is taking the debate and arguing the extreme point of it and ignoring the realistic conversation. He doesn't need to be a net negative to take criticism.

Well I flat out disagree with your first line. How many times do you go into the McAvoy thread when he plays poorly and rip into him? What about the Carlo thread? Chara thread? What about Gryz and Miller? Everyone gets the odd negative comment in a GDT, but I rarely see those threads blowing up about how bad they played and how they need to be better. Maybe they earn the right to make more mistakes because they are more steady defensively - but I'd argue Krug's offense earns him the right to make some extra mistakes too without getting roasted for it.

Sure these guys are better defensively on most nights, but every single one of them has had games where they are turnover machines or poor in their own end, yet they don't receive a fraction of the criticism that Krug does when he plays poorly.

There are three guys in my opinion that are ripped on year after year by the same set of posters (who not surprisingly disappear after a good stretch of play) and are mostly undeserving of it - Krug, Krejci, and Rask.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

]There are three guys in my opinion that are ripped on year after year by the same set of posters (who not surprisingly disappear after a good stretch of play) and are mostly undeserving of it - Krug, Krejci, and Rask.

I'd like to add Heinen to this list as well.

 

[compan]

Well I flat out disagree with your first line. How many times do you go into the McAvoy thread when he plays poorly and rip into him? What about the Carlo thread? Chara thread? What about Gryz and Miller? Everyone gets the odd negative comment in a GDT, but I rarely see those threads blowing up about how bad they played and how they need to be better. Maybe they earn the right to make more mistakes because they are more steady defensively - but I'd argue Krug's offense earns him the right to make some extra mistakes too without getting roasted for it.

Sure these guys are better defensively on most nights, but every single one of them has had games where they are turnover machines or poor in their own end, yet they don't receive a fraction of the criticism that Krug does when he plays poorly.

There are three guys in my opinion that are ripped on year after year by the same set of posters (who not surprisingly disappear after a good stretch of play) and are mostly undeserving of it - Krug, Krejci, and Rask.

I rarely go into any thread and complain about a player (minus Acciari in the first half of the season). I really only do it when it is a consistent problem and there isn't improvement at all in that area of the game.

You pretty much answered your own question with the bold. Those guys are better defensively on most nights. Krug is seemingly making the same mistakes over and over and is consistently doing it. Is that not a fair criticism for a player that is about to command a raise from his current $5.25m?

I'd like to add Heinen to this list as well.

Heinen seemingly disappeared for half the season though. He warranted criticism during that time. He is playing fantastic now which makes me think he got his confidence back or something.

 

[Over the volcano]

I don't think this is true. He has some pretty bad turnovers that would get any player roasted. I like Krug and think his positives outweigh his negatives.

However, his future as a Bruin is up in the air in my book. If McAvoy is going to get paid $6.5m or more, he needs to become a PP quarterback. That kind of money this early in his career demands it in my book.

I'm one of those that said in the beginning of this thread that the B's are going to trade Krug and then we'll all wonder why we can't score on the PP or from the backend at all. I still think that to a degree but I think McAvoy is going to partly fill his spot, and he kind of HAS to to that.

McAvoy is a great example - he’s had some stinkers on the defensive end this year (like Krug if not more often) but his draft pedigree and his physical gifts has people brushing them aside. Meanwhile all Krug does is produce and he gets stuck with overblown attention to defensive miscues.

FWIW McAvoy has one point on the PP this year ... one.

 

[Jean_Jacket41]

As a F, you just love playing with a Krug type on D.

No wonder the bromance rivalry with Marchand.

He gets you the puck on tape and feeds you scoring chances.

Would extend him 26M/4y.

Gives you this for couple next few years:

McAvoy
Krug
Carlo
Gryz
Vaak
Lauzon
Zboril

And Chara until 50y even if only as a physical HoF #6 with top PK time.

 

[Over the volcano]

Last nite was the worst game I seen from an NHL defencemen since Gardnier from Leafs in game 7 vs Bruins last year.Krug owes his team mates an apology

Well he’s on the concussion protocol and was likely concussed for at least a good portion of that game, so if you’re into apologies this would be a good time.

 

[TwineTickler]

Well he’s on the concussion protocol and was likely concussed for at least a good portion of that game, so if you’re into apologies this would be a good time.

Nah he got dinged up in the 3rd. He was benched for most of the 2nd and then one of his first shifts in the 3rd he got caught something up high and got dazed.

 

[Over the volcano]

Nah he got dinged up in the 3rd. He was benched for most of the 2nd and then one of his first shifts in the 3rd he got caught something up high and got dazed.

Doesn't make sense - he played 20 min. If he were benched for most of the second and got "dinged up" on one of his first shifts then he would have had to play the entire first period.

 

[Bun Cook]

Krug takes away as much as he gives. Trade him for a 2way player.

 

[Pia8988]

Krug takes away as much as he gives. Trade him for a 2way player.

But he doesn't.

He's +8 GF at EV.
If you add in the PP, he's +33.

No Bruin's defenseman currently can run a PP as well as he can so he should get credit for what he does there.

Chance wise the Bruins are +46 SCF and +24 HDCF.

Yes he faces easier competition, but that's called coaching. Put the player in the best spot to succeed instead of forcing him into situations he isn't suited for.

 

[bob27]

Krug takes away as much as he gives. Trade him for a 2way player.

If Bruins were like the Leafs, who let up 6 goals against every game you'd have an argument. That's not the case though. Bruins are a team that struggles to score goals, but are excellent at preventing them. They were bounced out against Tampa last year because they averaged only 1.75 goals for in games 2-5. The fix isn't to take one of the best offensive defencemen out of the equation and try to win every game 1-0.

 

[TwineTickler]

Doesn't make sense - he played 20 min. If he were benched for most of the second and got "dinged up" on one of his first shifts then he would have had to play the entire first period.

Time On Ice Report Away Team

May not make sense, but it's factual. Only 4 shifts in the 2nd.

He was "dinged up" early in the 3rd but played the rest of the period. I would love to show you the play where he got hurt, but couldn't find it online. Anyways, doesn't really matter, but he did not play the entire game with a concussion and it's not an excuse for his poor play early in the game.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

Krug takes away as much as he gives. Trade him for a 2way player.

Been proven wrong time after time, but this nonsense is still spewed.

 

[Gonzothe7thDman]

Krug takes away as much as he gives. Trade him for a 2way player.

You wasted your 1 post this year on this?

 

[duffy]

McAvoy is a great example - he’s had some stinkers on the defensive end this year (like Krug if not more often) but his draft pedigree and his physical gifts has people brushing them aside. Meanwhile all Krug does is produce and he gets stuck with overblown attention to defensive miscues.

FWIW McAvoy has one point on the PP this year ... one.

I remember the games Mac played brutal and called him on it! No player will get a pass from me.
The players who refuse to learn from their mistakes will get extra attention and rightly so in my book!
Mac has only one point on the PP, well how much time is he on the PP and how many points do each player have at ES? You can't cherry pick unknown variables to compare players and their worth to their teams.

 

[Over the volcano]

Time On Ice Report Away Team

May not make sense, but it's factual. Only 4 shifts in the 2nd.

He was "dinged up" early in the 3rd but played the rest of the period. I would love to show you the play where he got hurt, but couldn't find it online. Anyways, doesn't really matter, but he did not play the entire game with a concussion and it's not an excuse for his poor play early in the game.

That's crazy. He was definitly "off" his game.

I remember the games Mac played brutal and called him on it! No player will get a pass from me.
The players who refuse to learn from their mistakes will get extra attention and rightly so in my book!
Mac has only one point on the PP, well how much time is he on the PP and how many points do each player have at ES? You can't cherry pick unknown variables to compare players and their worth to their teams.

McAvoy has 66:32 min on the PP this year.
Krug has 19 pts at even strength, McAvoy has 22.