Player Discussion Tyler Motte: Quick, Closes Gaps. Tenacious, Shutdown Player. 5th in NHL in SH TOI (F); 43rd in PP GA

[Peter10]

Sounds like Leipsic to me. But of course nobody is really expecting Motte to score. His track record in both the NHL and AHL doesn't give any indication of it. So when everyone's back, the first guys shipped out to Utica are Gaunce, Archibald and Leipsic in that order. If they tried to sneak Motte down to the minors, they'd probably lose him on waivers.

Why would any team claim Motte off waivers?

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Why would any team claim Motte off waivers?

Speed and forecheck ability. That alone makes sense for a decent gamble in a bottom six role.

 

[mathonwy]

I'd rather have Dorsett than Motte.

 

[MS]

Speed and forecheck ability. That alone makes sense for a decent gamble in a bottom six role.

Carter Bancks has speed and forecheck ability, too. But he sucks at this level, and so does Motte.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

I'd rather have Dorsett than Motte.

Well yeah. Naturally you'd want the thing that's better.

 

[Nucker101]

I'd rather have Dorsett than Motte.

Who wouldn't?

 

[Peter10]

Speed and forecheck ability. That alone makes sense for a decent gamble in a bottom six role.

Players like him are available on waivers all the time, usually only get claimed if a team needs some warm bodies due to injuries troubles.

 

[JT Milker]

He’s a Strong, High IQ, Truculent player

 

[Blade Paradigm]

Just to continue on on Motte :

- currently has an absolutely godawful GA/60 of 4.5. That has translated 15 ES goals against in 19 games. By comparison, in similar minutes last year, Brendan Gaunce was on the ice for 12 ES goals in 37 games ... but somehow can't get out of the pressbox.

- started the year with 32 hits in his first 10 games. Has 11 hits in his last 9 - basically 1/3 of the rate he started at.

So this is a guy absolutely bleeding goals while doing zilch offensively. But he hustles to make a shot block occasionally, so fans (and a head coach) with a terrible eye test think he's doing great. He sucks.

From a statistical point of view, Motte and Brandon Tanev are very similar players. Jets fans view Tanev as a fourth-line grinder and a potentially-expendable asset depending on the circumstance.

Both lead their teams in hits (45 for Motte, 47 for Tanev), and blocked shots (18 for Motte, 21 for Tanev). Both score at about the same rate. Both are quick, puck pursuit players whose main roles are to kill penalties and pressure the opposition. Tanev has averaged 14:08 of TOI per game so far; Motte has averaged 13:55 of TOI per game.

I would give Tanev the slight edge, but they are very similar. Motte is also three years younger.

Your observation about Motte's decline in hit totals reflects a lack of consistency on his part. His preseason play and early performances this season were commendable. As of late, he has faded significantly. Some consistency would help Motte retain value as a defensive player.

Jets fans on B. Tanev:

Good hustle, grinder and defensive player

1.15 for a guy who forechecks, skates like the wind, draws a lot of penalties and suppresses shots at a good rate? I think that's fine.

That's also basically everything he does on the ice.

great player, just lacks scoring touch.

Kid's a total rottweiler that gives 110% every shift. He's earned his spot on the team.

Good contract. Loved his grit and determination last season. Always gives it all he's got

 

[Askel]

Brandon Tanev has been on for 6 GA in 18 games, While Tyler Motte has been on for 15 in 20. Motte is a player that does not get results, is not close to being as effective as Tanev.

All of your comparissons above is weird. I wouldn't mind Tanev as 4th liner here because he is a much better player than Motte.

 

[tantalum]

The teams obsession with getting faster is good, but only when the guy uses his speed for something. Skating around fast and doing nothing is the same as a player that is too slow to keep up with the play.

Yep. And playing fast often has little to do with foot speed. It's quick decision making. It's positioning. It's execution of passes. It's skill. Speed is great if a player knows how to take advantage of that speed. Typically that's your faster skilled players. Speed on it's own is pretty much useless...and that defines Motte.

 

[MS]

Brandon Tanev has been on for 6 GA in 18 games, While Tyler Motte has been on for 15 in 20. Motte is a player that does not get results, is not close to being as effective as Tanev.

All of your comparissons above is weird. I wouldn't mind Tanev as 4th liner here because he is a much better player than Motte.

This.

Brandon Tanev is a low-scoring bottom-6 forward who - like his brother - is a legitimately excellent defensive player.

Tyler Motte is a low-scoring bottom-6 forward who manages to convince people he's a good defensively because he really hustles to block a shot once in a while but actually is useless and bleeding goals.

Also Tanev has 24 ES points in 79 games over the past two seasons. Motte has 11 in 66.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

I like Mottes play...The guy has a tireless motor,and brings it every game..(poor guy usually gets destroyed once a game too)...For a player in a shutdown role,he's been a pleasant surprise this year...He is only 23

 

[timw33]

I like Mottes play...The guy has a tireless motor,and brings it every game..(poor guy usually gets destroyed once a game too)...For a player in a shutdown role,he's been a pleasant surprise this year...He is only 23

For a player in a shutdown role he's been downright awful.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

For a player in a shutdown role he's been downright awful.

I'm taking into consideration that he's playing in a depleted bottom 6...(both shutdown centers are out of the lineup.)

So ..what do you think the Canucks should do?...put him on waivers?

 

[timw33]

I'm taking into consideration that he's playing in a depleted bottom 6...

So ..what do you think the Canucks should do?...put him on waivers?

Yes, and he won't be claimed.

Completely inconsequential player for this organization and has been since we acquired him instead of literally any pick for Vanek.

 

[Askel]

I'm taking into consideration that he's playing in a depleted bottom 6...(both shutdown centers are out of the lineup.)

So ..what do you think the Canucks should do?...put him on waivers?

Get better players. Motte is a tweener at best, he can skate fast and people think he's great. If Benning hadn't spent the entire offseason adding 4th liners the Canucks would be in better shape.

 

[bossram]

Speed and forecheck ability. That alone makes sense for a decent gamble in a bottom six role.

Except that he bleeds goals, chances, and shots against. Sure he skates fast, but doesn't accomplish anything with that.

A guy like Gaunce is the opposite. He looks like he's not really doing anything. But that's the point. Nothing happens on the ice when he's out there. Very few goals/shots for, very few goals/shots against. That's perfectly fine for your 4th line. Motte looks like he hustles and works hard. But pucks end up in the back of the net anyway.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Get better players. Motte is a tweener at best, he can skate fast and people think he's great. If Benning hadn't spent the entire offseason adding 4th liners the Canucks would be in better shape.

I dont agree with that...Before Beagle and Sutter went down our PK was around 8th in the league,and it was precisely that which won us games earlier in the year..Last season it was abysmal..Motte earned himself a spot on the roster,and looks great bringing energy into the lineup ( Hughson and Simpson were commenting favourably on Saturday night)

I like our bottom 6 (when healthy),and don't have a problem with any of the signings of Beagle,Roussel (Schaller I consider a lateral move)

 

[Jay Cee]

 

[MS]

I'm taking into consideration that he's playing in a depleted bottom 6...(both shutdown centers are out of the lineup.)

So ..what do you think the Canucks should do?...put him on waivers?

Absolutely. He sucks.

He's probably been the single worst forward in the NHL getting consistent top-9 minutes so far this year.

 

[Blade Paradigm]

I just wanted to highlight Motte's PK ability. In terms of PP goals against / shorthanded TOI, Motte is actually among the league's best forwards at keeping pucks out of the net in shorthanded situations.

When a player block a tons of shots, it usually means his team doesn’t have the puck often when he’s on the ice

Hence, Patrice Bergeron has the most shot blocks of the Boston Bruins' forward group?

NHL.com - Stats, Shot Blocks, Boston Bruins, 2018-19

A big reason for the discrepancy is the line matching. Top line of the other team vs shutdown line, in 5-vs-5 situations as well. Motte also records some shot blocks on the penalty kill, which obviously is spent mostly in one's own zone. The entire PK shift is spent in the defensive end, save for the occasional shorthanded opportunity a la his goal today.

Motte leads the Canucks forwards in penalty kill TOI this season. In fact, he has the 5th-most penalty kill TOI of all forwards in the entire NHL.

He is 43rd in the NHL in PP goals against, which means he is effective on the PK -- especially relative to his PK TOI. Markus Granlund, on the other hand, has the second most PP goals against in the NHL and has less SH TOI than Motte, which means he bleeds goals against on the PK.

NHL.com - Stats - SH TOI, All Forwards, 2018-19

NHL.com - Stats - PP Goals Against, All Forwards, 2018-19

Patrice Bergeron has been on the ice for 6 PP goals against in 37:37 of SH TOI.

Tyler Motte has been on the ice for 5 PP goals against in 58:21 of SH TOI.

Alexander Barkov has been on the ice for 8 PP goals against in 39:31 of SH TOI.

Everyone who has logged anywhere near as much SH TOI as Motte has been on the ice for more PP goals against than him. For example, Carl Soderberg leads all NHL forwards in SH TOI with 65:47, but has been on the ice for a league-leading 14 PP GA. If you want to pinpoint a problem on the Canucks' PK, it's Markus Granlund: 11 PP goals against in 58:15 of SH TOI.

Motte has been effective for the Canucks on the PK. The Canucks have the 21st-best PK % in the league. I think it would be worse if not for him.

Between 2015-16 and 2017-18, the Canucks averaged the third-worst PK in the NHL.

Update: After tonight, Motte has the fourth-most SH TOI of all forwards in the NHL, although Patrik Laine was able to beat the Canucks on the PP today. He has 6 PP goals against in 61:20 of SH TOI. That's some commendable penalty killing on his part.



He played a strong game today. 4 shots, 4 hits, 3 blocked shots, and a shorthanded goal. He was placed on a line with Sam Gagner and Bo Horvat in the third period, and they created a few chances.

Winnipeg Jets - Vancouver Canucks - November 19th, 2018

 

[thekernel]

Brandon Tanev has been on for 6 GA in 18 games, While Tyler Motte has been on for 15 in 20. Motte is a player that does not get results, is not close to being as effective as Tanev.

All of your comparissons above is weird. I wouldn't mind Tanev as 4th liner here because he is a much better player than Motte.

Like, if you took the two players, swap teams, but have them perform the exact same as they have this season, then Motte would have less GA. I defy you to disagree with that statement given how wildly opposite the D-cores of Winnipeg and Vancouver are built.

Also, I defy you to watch video of every single goal against that Motte has been on the ice for and tell me he's the one costing this team. I suspect you'll find what I find -- his skillset makes him more indispensable than guys like Schaller, Granlund, Eriksson, Gaunce etc.

 

[sting101]

Motte was flying tonight.

Decent energy player who could carve out a niche with solid PK play. Big improvement over slugs like Schaller and Gaunce

 

[Askel]

I dont agree with that...Before Beagle and Sutter went down our PK was around 8th in the league,and it was precisely that which won us games earlier in the year..Last season it was abysmal..Motte earned himself a spot on the roster,and looks great bringing energy into the lineup ( Hughson and Simpson were commenting favourably on Saturday night)

I like our bottom 6 (when healthy),and don't have a problem with any of the signings of Beagle,Roussel (Schaller I consider a lateral move)

Of course you do, you like everthing Benning does. Also the Bottom six was not winning any games it was Petterson scoring at a 80goal 120 point pace, while Horvat was on a 50 goal pace that won us games. We won by outscoring our bad defense.

Motte is not worse than Shaller, Beagle, Roussel, Eriksson, Gaunce, Archibald, Granlund but the Canucks have to many forwards like this. Players that can't move up in the lineup, players that can't really score and is not that great at defending either. Look at Winnipeg their bottom six includes players like Perrault and Roslovic who has talent to move up and cover for injuries.

And yes you can blame this on rebuilding or whatever, but adding a lot of 4th liner is not adding depth, because players like that make no difference if you get an injury or 2 in the top 6 ,then suddenly Horvat is playing with Shaller who should be played above an NHL 4th line.