Confirmed with Link: Torey Krug signing 4 year deal

[Jean_Jacket41]

Overpaid IMO but glad the NTC doesn't kick in for a couple of years. IMO he'll never be more than a #4.

He's already better than that.

He's a top puckmoving Dmen league wide. The day we get other "Krug" type into the top-6 will be a great day. Ideally, one per pairing.

 

[Greek_physique]

Overpaid IMO but glad the NTC doesn't kick in for a couple of years. IMO he'll never be more than a #4.

Why do you feel he'll never be anymore more than a #4?

I feel the guy always gets this treatment because he's a 'small player' yet if he was 6'0 he'd be considered a top 2.

 

[wintersej]

I posted this in the Shattenkirk/Krejci thread by mistake...

From 2013-2016. All per 60 minute stats are minimum 3000 minutes.

Please explain how Krug could possibly be a #4.

5 on 5
Minutes: 3672 (52nd in NHL amongst D)... his TOI per game this last season was 38th in the league. Thats #2D TOI.
Offensive Zone Start%: 38.8 (3rd)
Corsi %: 53.0% (20th)
Points: 60 (20th)
Goals: 19 (10th)
P/60: 0.98 (18th)
G/60: 0.31 (11th)
Goals Allowed/60: 1.83 (8th)

All Situations
Minutes: 4661 (61st)
Points: 124 (20th)
Goals: 30 (20th)
P/60: 1.60 (12th)
G/60: 0.39 (21st)

 

[don]

Why do you feel he'll never be anymore more than a #4?

I feel the guy always gets this treatment because he's a 'small player' yet if he was 6'0 he'd be considered a top 2.

Because of his defensive play. He has gotten better but still no better than a 4 IMO. Size has nothing to do with it. It's how you play.

 

[wintersej]

Because of his defensive play. He has gotten better but still no better than a 4 IMO. Size has nothing to do with it. It's how you play.

8th in the NHL over the last three years in 5 on 5 goals allowed per minute.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

8th in the NHL over the last three years in 5 on 5 goals allowed per minute.

you're wasting your energy trying to argue using facts. Some people have their mind made up about things and won't change for anything.

 

[WhalerTurnedBruin55]

you're wasting your energy trying to argue using facts. Some people have their mind made up about things and won't change for anything.

Up by 1 with a minute left, defensive zone start. Is Krug on the ice?

Down by 1 with a minute left, offensive start. Is Krug on the ice?

I think the answer is yes for only one of those. And to be honest, there's nothing wrong with that.

Some just question of the price is right for it. Not that he is or/isn't a good player.

 

[Pia8988]

Up by 1 with a minute left, defensive zone start. Is Krug on the ice?

Down by 1 with a minute left, offensive start. Is Krug on the ice?

I think the answer is yes for only one of those. And to be honest, there's nothing wrong with that.

Some just question of the price is right for it. Not that he is or/isn't a good player.

Krug had 111 DZFO 5 on 5 while leading by 1, Chara has 126. By Comparison they bot had 78 OZFO, while Chara had 118 NZFO with Krug only having 102.

Down by 1 Krug led all defensemen in OZFO with 93 with Chara having 80.

Should we somehow detract from Krug as a player because both he and Chara are LHD? It's a pretty disingenuous question to propose when pretty much everyone is in agreement you put Chara out before Krug, but what happens if Chara has to come off? If for some reason Chara couldn't be on the ice at the time, absolutely Krug should be out there before one of Liles or Morrow (Seidenberg this past season)

 

[Seidenbergy]

8th in the NHL over the last three years in 5 on 5 goals allowed per minute.

The same folks that bring up those stats to defend Krug say such stats are meaningless when folks use them to defend Kevan Miller.

 

[don]

you're wasting your energy trying to argue using facts. Some people have their mind made up about things and won't change for anything.

Goes both ways. The thing that will change my mind is for his defensive play to get better. I usually state that my comments are "IMO". If anyone disagrees with me it's OK with me, as long as it's cavil. I respect your opinions and expect you to respect mine.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

Goes both ways. The thing that will change my mind is for his defensive play to get better. I usually state that my comments are "IMO". If anyone disagrees with me it's OK with me, as long as it's cavil. I respect your opinions and expect you to respect mine.

He's already 8th in the NHL over the last 3 years in 5 on 5 scoring against. How much better do you expect his defensive play to get?

 

[don]

He's already 8th in the NHL over the last 3 years in 5 on 5 scoring against. How much better do you expect his defensive play to get?

8th, hum. can you name 8 other d-men around the league you'd rather have than him. I can. That, to me, is the true test of where he ranks.

 

[mikelvl]

8th, hum. can you name 8 other d-men around the league you'd rather have than him. I can. That, to me, is the true test of where he ranks.

Where would they be without him right now? Chara, McQuaid, Miller or slow, slower, slowest. Unproven C. Miller and Morrow. They would be a train wreck.

 

[bp13]

I had felt like Krug was a borderline #4 even through much of this season, just based on the eye test. But it's pretty damn clear with advanced and even basic stats that he's more than that. I think the bias is based on his size, which is obviously completely unfair. He's a definite top 4 guy, and I'd say easily capable of being a #3 if the Bruins had a reliable #4 to stick next to him, which they obviously do not.

 

[wintersej]

8th, hum. can you name 8 other d-men around the league you'd rather have than him. I can. That, to me, is the true test of where he ranks.

No one is actually arguing he is the 8th best d-man in the league. But he is certainly better than the 120-150 range you have him in if you think he is a 4.

Personally, I put him in the 50-60 range.

 

[BluesTraveler]

Offensively Krug is a number one defenseman. There are maybe at most 20 guys in the league who can match or exceed his production on the ice.

Defensively he may not be in the league's top 20, but I don't think you could make a case for more than 50 guys being better than him on defense. But everyone is susceptible to cognitive bias, and a common one in the hockey fandom is that small skilled guys are incapable of defending. So when fans watch Krug play, they completely disregard his incredible skating, speed and vision in the defensive zone, and focus in on the rare mistakes that occur because of his size. Fans don't think he should be good defensively, so when they watch they see what justifies this belief.

 

[don]

Where would they be without him right now? Chara, McQuaid, Miller or slow, slower, slowest. Unproven C. Miller and Morrow. They would be a train wreck.

The same place they ended up last year, out of the playoffs.

 

[DoubleAAAA]

8th, hum. can you name 8 other d-men around the league you'd rather have than him. I can. That, to me, is the true test of where he ranks.

If the argument is that he is a #4, wouldn't you have to name 90 d-men you'd rather have?

Guy is a legit 2/3 for me, and I have zero concerns about his deployment in any situation. Honestly I'd like to see him loaded up with Z on the right side. Of course that leaves a complete black hole in the remaining 4, but I think he's perfectly capable of being a top pairing d-man in this league.

 

[DoubleAAAA]

Offensively Krug is a number one defenseman. There are maybe at most 20 guys in the league who can match or exceed his production on the ice.

Defensively he may not be in the league's top 20, but I don't think you could make a case for more than 50 guys being better than him on defense. But everyone is susceptible to cognitive bias, and a common one in the hockey fandom is that small skilled guys are incapable of defending. So when fans watch Krug play, they completely disregard his incredible skating, speed and vision in the defensive zone, and focus in on the rare mistakes that occur because of his size. Fans don't think he should be good defensively, so when they watch they see what justifies this belief.

It's true, people tend to miss the fact that not being trapped in the defensive zone because a player can actually move the puck out of it is a viable defensive skill. In fact its more effective at preventing goals then blocking shots or clearing the crease.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

No one is actually arguing he is the 8th best d-man in the league. But he is certainly better than the 120-150 range you have him in if you think he is a 4.

Personally, I put him in the 50-60 range.

Actually, that would be in the 91-120 range.

But carry on.

 

[wintersej]

Actually, that would be in the 91-120 range.

But carry on.

Yup

 

[finchster]

I think the issue here is separating hockey into offensive and defensive. The best defence is playing in the offensive end of the ice, no one can score there unless you have Toskala in net. While Krug is small and prone to defensive zone mistakes, there is little doubt he is the best on this team at turning defence into offence.

That is another important aspect of good defence and Krug has shown he is good at that by having better possession numbers than last year while also taking more defensive zone starts.