Quote:
Originally Posted by RangerBoy
Stralman isn't much of an upgrade over Woywitka.
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Agreed, at least in terms of what could reasonably be expected from him.
But they fill completely diffrent roles on the team.
In many
essential areas we live of MDZ and Erixon right now, and maybe to a little extent on Emminger. McD is showing a up side, but he has zero continuity when it comes to being creative with his first pass, and Girardi just doesn't have the mobility. If you get a blueline with zero creativity -- it just becomes extremely easy to for the other team to read us like a book on the forecheck. Like you cannot imagine how hard a team like NJD would push us on the forecheck if we didn't have a single D who could step around a forechecker and gain center ice by himself.
The ability for a blueline to step around a forechecker/beat a trap with a pass is definitely essential for any hockey team.
Its very simple math. 1 D has the puck behind his own net. He than have 4 passing options. The forechecking team has 5 guys at hand, even if they put pressure on the puckholder -- they can take away all 4 passing options.
But you do not do that. Because you need back-up if the D behind the net beats his guys and skates up center ice, or you face a big risk to be hit with a odd man rush (often a wing is left open if a D steps around his forechecker). Thats why you play it safe and try to have 3 mans back no matter what (or a 3rd back that doesn't loose speed on the back check, so that he can recover and take away a trailing forward/D atleast).
Strålman would strengthen us in that area, as a backup or maybe even upgrade over Erixon and MDZ.