Quote:
Originally Posted by 96
I don't know what team you were watching. Matt Read played against tougher competition than any forward other than Giroux, Talbot, and Couturier (and somehow Rinaldo, but with significantly fewer minutes). He is miles better in the defensive side of the game than Jagr, Briere, Simmonds, or Schenn. Read played a ton of minutes on the PK for a reason. Read had some defensive lapses, particularly in the playoffs, but that is to be expected of a player who was playing in his first NHL season. I don't think Read is going to win the Selke anytime soon, but he is far from defensively deficient and certainly is not the worst defensive player on this team.
Regardless, Read is a very good 3rd line player who can move up or down in the lineup and can play in every situation - ES, PP, or PK - and can play nearly any position - C, RW/LW, point on PP. Finally, he comes with a cheap cap hit of only $900k. For a team that is always close to reaching the cap ceiling, Read is a very valuable player.
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I'm not saying we're paying read to be a defensive force (heck we're barely paying him at all!)
but he is undersized, often out of position, and a rookie. He was horrible at defense last year. But he scores a lot, and he's got linemates to cover his ass. I like read a lot, but he makes me pull my hair out sometimes when he's playing defense.
(briere too. But in the playoffs he plays like he gives a ****)