Quote:
Originally Posted by HockeyThoughts
Except, he would. Contrary to popular belief JayBo is actually a very good defenseman and was one of the most sought after free agents post-lockout. In Calgary he has been in way over his head, being heavily leaned on to be the #1 in every situation possible and logging way too many minutes. Given the right coach and defense-core where they are able to utilize his abilities and light a fire under his ass you could be getting a very good top pairing defenseman. The New York Islanders for example, with cap space to burn and a line-up looking to take the next step could really use a player like Bouwmeester to put them over the top. He many have slightly fell off offensively given all the responsibility and pressure put on him in Calgary, but he has never stopped being one of the premier defensive players in the NHL.
To sum it up, top pairing defenseman do not grow on trees. If you cut back his minutes by 1-2mins per game and let him focus on his strengths, I predict you would be seeing a very different Jay Bouwmeester.
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Seems like it is the same song and dance with Bouwmeester every time he is available.
He is a solid defenseman, with a contract that is looking better and better in a world where the cap keeps going up and up. He'd also be available in a market starved for defensemen, with very few top-4 FA/trade options.