Pre-Game Talk: Week of postponement and the blues.... and the B-Lose×2... maybe?
- Thread starter Bill Peckerskull
- Start date
A big body PK defender would be such a sweet addition to this team. Plus I believe we’ll lose Graves to the ED.
I like Graves. He’s very under appreciated here. He’s got a very active stick. Gotten much more cerebral with his defensive positioning. But he’s still just a high end 3rd pair that struggles with transition hockey once the Avs have the puck. Teams don’t attack him defensively. But they shade his partner to force Makar or the like to pass it to Graves. Then put the full pressure on Ryan looking for an errant pass. Happens every game.
I’d want a top 4 level player like your suggestion here. A real brawler type to cross check guys like Benn and Pavelski until they are afraid to go near the net. And pay for it when they do.
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Top 4D is probably pretty low on the priority list in the off season. Need to figure a middle 9 winger/2&3C/G well beforehand.
Spirits
Avalanche and Vikings
- Jul 12, 2014
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He is the EXACT same player right now that he was last year. The homers on this board pushed a narrative that he was a steal for us because they wanted to believe it. That is to say, he is super garbage right now and he was last year. He will be next year too, hopefully Seattle is dumb enough to take him.
Things he does this year that he did last year.
- Get outmuscled by 165lbers on the regular.
- Avoids laying the hit on anyone.
- Takes a shot as soon as the puck touches his stick.
- Pinches in as often as possible and most of the time at the worst time.
- Doesn't clear the puck, one of the worst in the NHL at this.
- Has a TERRIBLE shot. I mean miss the net off the glass bad, the few times it doesn't go off a shin.
- Kills any chance we have to cycle the puck or set up any offensive flow.
- Doesn't seem to understand he is there as a complimentary piece to our ACTUAL NHL defensemen.
- He panics if ANYONE closes in on him and he bobbles most of the pucks he touches.
- Has no idea he isn't a clone of Al MacInnis.
Graves is still a good depth defenseman. I question whether he’s a good fit anymore as I think he’d do better on a team that needs some more offensive pop on the third pairing, like, say, Montreal.
I’ve said before I think the coaches—Pratt in particular—have mishandled a little bit. They NEVER should have turned him into a shot-blocker. He’s better than he was but that’s just not his strength. Graves is a guy you set loose and you deal with the consequences later. I think they tried overcoaching him again at the beginning of this season too. Tried to settle down his game even more and he just looked lost. He’s gotten some of it back but something still feels very much off. His shot selection has been TERRIBLE but it’s more than just that. I think the radical changes on the blueline have really rendered his game kinda moot, and he can’t adjust his game in the way they need him to. He probably needs a fresh start somewhere else, preferably with a coach who isn’t really stringent on systemic play.
I’ve said before I think the coaches—Pratt in particular—have mishandled a little bit. They NEVER should have turned him into a shot-blocker. He’s better than he was but that’s just not his strength. Graves is a guy you set loose and you deal with the consequences later. I think they tried overcoaching him again at the beginning of this season too. Tried to settle down his game even more and he just looked lost. He’s gotten some of it back but something still feels very much off. His shot selection has been TERRIBLE but it’s more than just that. I think the radical changes on the blueline have really rendered his game kinda moot, and he can’t adjust his game in the way they need him to. He probably needs a fresh start somewhere else, preferably with a coach who isn’t really stringent on systemic play.
MarkT
Heretic
- Nov 11, 2017
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I think the issue is Graves is at his best when he's playing aggressive, stepping up on plays, and pinching in the offensive zone. The trouble with this is given we have Makar, Girard and Toews on the team, there's no role available for that style of play from him. You'd much prefer those other three to play that style. The only role left available is stay at home, reliable, penalty-killing shot blocker, so that's what he tries to be.
At the end of the day, getting picked by Seattle and then traded to a team that needs him may be what's best for him. If he's on a team sorely lacking in aggressive defensemen, he could possibly thrive. He's never likely to be a great player, but on a team with a weaker defensive core he could be an important piece.
All that being said, I think if we lost him our PK would suffer terribly. I don't love him as a shot blocker, but as someone to use their long reach to fill passing lanes and break up passes? I think he may be the best on our team currently.
Top 4 D isn’t low when it’s the player we don’t have on our roster. A true shutdown stay at home type. This assumes we lose Graves to Seattle.
if Graves isn’t on the current Avs roster, you’re now playing Makar and Girard a ton on PK. Or Byram. Not ideal in any sense. We need a Graves type when he’s gone. We need a big body to block shots, deflect and disturb passing lanes with a long stick. Graves is the only guy doing this until Nemeth. And Nemeth struggled even more than Graves with turnovers and inaccurate passes last game. Nemeth’s D work was solid but his transition hockey was scattershot and a bit panicked.
Northern Avs Fan
Registered User
- May 27, 2019
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This isn’t Graves related, but just my thinking in general. I’ve always believed shot blocking is majorly overrated.
I used to play goal and always felt it was way easier to stop pucks when I could get a clean look at the shot. A lot of the time attempted shot blocks turn into players deflecting pucks into their own goal, or taking away the goaltenders ability to see the release of the shot.
I think there’s a time and place for shot blocking, but it backfires so often.
I used to play goal and always felt it was way easier to stop pucks when I could get a clean look at the shot. A lot of the time attempted shot blocks turn into players deflecting pucks into their own goal, or taking away the goaltenders ability to see the release of the shot.
I think there’s a time and place for shot blocking, but it backfires so often.
- Aug 25, 2006
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Don't get me wrong. No doubt I would prefer to play the Wild instead of the Blues but not at the expense of home ice advantage throughout the entire playoffs. The way I see it is this: the Blues are more dangerous offensively overall because if you contain Kaprizof the Wild don't have much but the Wild have goalies that have a much better chance to get hot.
Not only is he floating, but he's getting bodied and losing every puck battle as a result. He's lost his fire for sure
SaltySkywalker
Bushes of Love
- Jul 25, 2006
- 31,375
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Graves regressing shouldn't really bring as much concern as I'm seeing here. It's not like he's a top pick for the Avs or they gave up a lot to get him, or it's not like he's a top 4 d and Avs don't have any other choice there. Maybe Seattle will take him, or if not and he continues to regress, maybe Sakic can trade him for a pick or something or just ride out 2 more years of his contract and let him walk. Avs have Barron and Helleson who could be good options for the Avs 3rd pair in couple of years
- Apr 25, 2006
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Why is Rantanen taking so long to come back? I thought he didn't test positive. The 2nd line is utter shit. We need him.
Bill Peckerskull
Fargin' Icehole
Someone else pointed it out, but he has to have a certain number of negative tests over so many days before he can return. I feel like he could be back Monday.
It is really asinine the way they handle the exposures outside the room vs. those in the room, IMO. I mean, what's the difference? If you've been exposed, you've been exposed. Who cares if it was from your hair stylist or your goalie.
If you're being tested daily, and you're negative, I don't see why you can't play if you're exposed by someone outside the room, when your teammates, who were exposed by a fellow teammate, can.
