Line Combos: when healthy

[ArGarBarGar]

I actually wonder if he's not being played on the PP to keep his cap hit low on his next contract.

I mean for defenseman it's as simple as pts=$$$. Pts even determine Norris trophies now :laugh

Smith has as many even strength points as Campbell, and is 1 behind players like Fowler and Doughty. That's some pretty expensive company to be in.

I'm pretty confident if we have him steady PP time he'd be right around a .5 ppg defenseman. And again, those aren't cheap.

It seems like his production at ES is begging for PP time. So I have to wonder why he's not getting it...

I sincerely hope they aren't doing it just to save money. I'd rather get a 40-50 point season out of Smith and pay the man than a 20 point season out of Smith and not know if we are going to have a suitable number of puck moving defensemen next season.

Not to mention we could be winning more games if we put Smith out there on the powerplay.

 

[Henkka]

I actually wonder if he's not being played on the PP to keep his cap hit low on his next contract.

I mean for defenseman it's as simple as pts=$$$. Pts even determine Norris trophies now :laugh

Smith has as many even strength points as Campbell, and is 1 behind players like Fowler and Doughty. That's some pretty expensive company to be in.

I'm pretty confident if we have him steady PP time he'd be right around a .5 ppg defenseman. And again, those aren't cheap.

It seems like his production at ES is begging for PP time. So I have to wonder why he's not getting it...

Also in my scoring chance statistics, Smith is the ultimate leader in "good plays"/icetime. He doesn't create a lot of chances but has a lot of screened shots. They just aren't going in. Imo, our tip-in ability is also missing.

I calculate those values on against ES+PP ice, so those PK defencemen doesn't get twisted values.

Kronwall is the ultimate leader in creating chances. Not a surprise.

 

[Frk It]

I sincerely hope they aren't doing it just to save money. I'd rather get a 40-50 point season out of Smith and pay the man than a 20 point season out of Smith and not know if we are going to have a suitable number of puck moving defensemen next season.

Not to mention we could be winning more games if we put Smith out there on the powerplay.

I mean, I don't think we'd actually do that.

The whole things just kind of weird to me with how good his even strength production is compared to the rest of the league. Also have to figure that he's getting less ES minutes than the guys that have those similar ESP totals too.

 

[Henkka]

I mean, I don't think we'd actually do that.

The whole things just kind of weird to me with how good his even strength production is compared to the rest of the league. Also have to figure that he's getting less ES minutes than the guys that have those similar ESP totals too.

How about qualcomp? Is he getting his production against easier matchups?

 

[Frk It]

How about qualcomp? Is he getting his production against easier matchups?

I don't know a ton about advanced stats in that specific regard, so can't help out there.

I did search ESP/60 amongst defenseman and brendan smith is 30th in the league. He is actually tied with Kronwall for the same ESP/60 at .96

He has a better ESP/60 than guys like Yandle, Ekman-Larsson, Mcdonagh, Ehrhoff, and Shea Weber.

 

[SoupNazi]

He has a better ESP/60 than guys like Yandle, Ekman-Larsson, Mcdonagh, Ehrhoff, and Shea Weber.

That is quite the list.

 

[aar000n]

im starting to lose faith that they will get healthy.

 

[detredWINgs]

This is a little OT for this topic, but I don't know where else to put it so its going here:

Tomas Jurco has 35 hits in 14 games. Yes, its a small sample size, and yes - hitting stats and the like aren't the most reliable, but still. 35 hits in 14 games means Jurco is tied for #2 on the Wings in hits per game. Abdelkader (2.8 per game) is #1, and Tootoo shares the #2 spot with Jurco at 2.5 hits per game. Thats pretty physical company for the kid, and frankly, I'm shocked that he's been so willing to throw his weight around.

 

[Flowah]

This is a little OT for this topic, but I don't know where else to put it so its going here:

Tomas Jurco has 35 hits in 14 games. Yes, its a small sample size, and yes - hitting stats and the like aren't the most reliable, but still. 35 hits in 14 games means Jurco is tied for #2 on the Wings in hits per game. Abdelkader (2.8 per game) is #1, and Tootoo shares the #2 spot with Jurco at 2.5 hits per game. Thats pretty physical company for the kid, and frankly, I'm shocked that he's been so willing to throw his weight around.

You can't always show up on the score sheet, especially as a young player who is up in the NHL for the first time. But you can definitely make sure that you're hitting people when you're out there. He's smart enough to realize that perhaps.

 

[Vladdy84]

This is a little OT for this topic, but I don't know where else to put it so its going here:

Tomas Jurco has 35 hits in 14 games. Yes, its a small sample size, and yes - hitting stats and the like aren't the most reliable, but still. 35 hits in 14 games means Jurco is tied for #2 on the Wings in hits per game. Abdelkader (2.8 per game) is #1, and Tootoo shares the #2 spot with Jurco at 2.5 hits per game. Thats pretty physical company for the kid, and frankly, I'm shocked that he's been so willing to throw his weight around.

He hits hard too. He's got all the tools to be a premier power forward in a couple years. In 2016...

Mantha-Jarnkrok-Jurco
Tatar-Sheahan-Nyquist

 

[InjuredChoker]

i might do longer stat analysis of smith later. but seems like there is fair amount of luck involved in his ES points so far.

he's recorded a point on 50% of all goals scored by DRW. (5on5 points).

past 3 years, only erik karlsson has been able to do that. so obviously smitty won't maintain that.

also, he has fairly low amount of shot attempts relative to the point pace he has been able to produce. only matt carle has been able to maintain that kind of point pace with as low shot attempts. carle's shot is bad, almost hilariously bad considering how much points he gets. so while the bad isn't as high there i find it unlikely as carle produces offense little different ways than smitty does.

that's not so he hasn't had good season point wise on ES; he most certainly has. but some regression is expected, and he would need to improve a fair amount to produce at that level consistently.

but still, promising, nonetheless.

 

[TatarTangle]

********.

Don't lie to yourselves.

Yes, we would defeinitely be worse with Datsyuk and Zetterberg!

What? That's absolutely asinine.

If everyone had been healthy you can guess that it'd be the same line-up they had in the beginning of the season. Bertuzzi, Cleary, Samuelsson all getting top minutes because Zetterberg and Datsyuk make up for their play. Tatar still sits in the press box. Who knows what happens with Nyquist. Maybe Weiss bounces back from his horrid play. Maybe he doesn't. Jurco and Sheahan never see a second of ice time with the Red Wings.

It's not completely 'asinine' to think had this team maintained it's health they could have a worse record right now because their roster was worse when healthy. Nyquist, Tatar, Jurco and Sheahan have been some of the bright spots thus far and if healthy they have diminished roles, or none at all.

 

[Henkka]

If everyone had been healthy you can guess that it'd be the same line-up they had in the beginning of the season. Bertuzzi, Cleary, Samuelsson all getting top minutes because Zetterberg and Datsyuk make up for their play. Tatar still sits in the press box. Who knows what happens with Nyquist. Maybe Weiss bounces back from his horrid play. Maybe he doesn't. Jurco and Sheahan never see a second of ice time with the Red Wings.

It's not completely 'asinine' to think had this team maintained it's health they could have a worse record right now because their roster was worse when healthy. Nyquist, Tatar, Jurco and Sheahan have been some of the bright spots thus far and if healthy they have diminished roles, or none at all.

You have to be a very big believer, if you believe that Tatar would have been a healthy scratch for all season.

First Tootoo dropped out from the picture as a healthy scratch, then Sammy, also Eaves dropped later, and Bert has been healthy scratch in latest games. Cleary has been saving his ass many times as a healthy scratch for a kid, but some other guys have been injured and kept him on the roster. Like the last time with Zetterberg. Cleary was already becnhed but his injury took him back on the roster.

The message is clear. Kids are coming and pushing the dead weight out. Sooner or later.