You should know that Teemu is immune from any criticism, however accurate it may be around here.
Apparently.
I love the guy as much as the next, but it's pretty clear his level of play has dropped from where it was earlier in the season. He's been pretty brutal at times with the puck. Trying to force plays, overhandling the puck, and like Duckstudd has said before, it's like the puck is a grenade for him at times. This has been particularly noticeable on the PP, since he's been on the right side(which I think is a mistake to begin with). I don't see why he should get a pass just because he's Selanne.
In my opinion, Selanne was arguably our best player in the first two months of the season. Since then? Not so much. He hasn't been our worst player, but he's been part of the problem
You don't think maybe this season has had a little wear and tear? He works out over the summer (if he wants one more year) and he's good as new and can hunt his milestones.
I don't get it, a FEW bad games from out top point getter and all of a sudden his play has dropped off. Yeah. It has dropped off. From top 10 in the league type producer, that still leaves you with a great player. And I'm not trying to be like, "how dare you talk about Teemu Christ like that" but seriously though. It's not like there are guys on our team doing much better at the moment. Perry turns it over trying to make a pretty play more times than I care to count.
You don't think maybe this season has had a little wear and tear? He works out over the summer (if he wants one more year) and he's good as new and can hunt his milestones.
I don't get it, a FEW bad games from out top point getter and all of a sudden his play has dropped off. Yeah. It has dropped off. From top 10 in the league type producer, that still leaves you with a great player. And I'm not trying to be like, "how dare you talk about Teemu Christ like that" but seriously though. It's not like there are guys on our team doing much better at the moment. Perry turns it over trying to make a pretty play more times than I care to count.
I'm not saying Selanne is a bad player. I'm not saying he can't contribute. All I'm saying is that he's been part of the problem lately, especially on the PP which is typically his greatest strength.
Is it entirely his fault? No, probably not. I don't think he's being used properly on the PP, for example. Selanne has never been the guy to run the PP. That's fallen to guys like Niedermayer, Pronger, Visnovsky, and so on. Selanne has always been the shooter. The guy that they try to get open, so they can feed him for his shot. For whatever reason, the coaches aren't using Selanne like that. They seem to want him to handle the puck more, and it's just not working. Until the coaches figure that part out, or they substitute him for another player like Ryan, I don't think we'll get our PP truly back on track.
The problem is that this isn't earlier in the season, is it? It's now.
Yup and I see the problem being Fowler and his poor decisions. I agree with you that playing Selanne on the right side is a poor decision by the coaching staff.
Yup and I see the problem being Fowler and his poor decisions. I agree with you that playing Selanne on the right side is a poor decision by the coaching staff.
See, I don't buy that. Lubo was pulled off the PP, and there has been better puck movement as a result. The problem I'm seeing on the PP is when the puck is moved down low. I've been happy with the puck movement on the point. Good mobility, quick to get the passes off. I'd prefer Getzlaf to be the shooter over Fowler, but I don't see Fowler constantly turning the puck over the way Selanne is. Koivu, in the mid slot area doesn't help much either. He's had a number of opportunities fed to him that he hasn't been able to bury.
At any rate, that's all besides the point. This isn't about Selanne's first two months. It's about the way he's playing now, and he's been a turnover machine. Shades of 09, when the same thing happened.
Selanne has looked bad in the PP. I blame it more on the setup than he himself. Ignore the fact that he's slowing down, even in his prime that's not his best role.
Don't keep giving him the puck on that side, that far from the net so he's not a shooting threat. For it to so consistently happen it's either the coaches making him do it, or they're not correcting him. Either way it's more coaching.
See, I don't buy that. Lubo was pulled off the PP, and there has been better puck movement as a result. The problem I'm seeing on the PP is when the puck is moved down low. I've been happy with the puck movement on the point. Good mobility, quick to get the passes off. I'd prefer Getzlaf to be the shooter over Fowler, but I don't see Fowler constantly turning the puck over the way Selanne is. Koivu, in the mid slot area doesn't help much either. He's had a number of opportunities fed to him that he hasn't been able to bury.
At any rate, that's all besides the point. This isn't about Selanne's first two months. It's about the way he's playing now, and he's been a turnover machine. Shades of 09, when the same thing happened.
I guess the question is, if his play is struggling as of late, what's the problem? Age? Fatigue? How he's being played? How he's being used?
The safe response would be, "all of the above", and a little bit more of him trying to hard.
Selanne has a spot on this team next year, but ideally for him, he would have a slot on this team where he isn't required to be the primary cog of the 1st PP unit and make the 2nd line productive.
The 2nd line hasn't been working, Koivu + Teemu just can't carry a 2nd line, and I don't know if its worth continuing to experiment with them their.
Selanne would still be a great addition on this team next year, but as people have repeated, we can't continue to build around him. To maximize his use, he is going to continue to be best used situationally.
Selanne has looked bad in the PP. I blame it more on the setup than he himself. Ignore the fact that he's slowing down, even in his prime that's not his best role.
Don't keep giving him the puck on that side, that far from the net so he's not a shooting threat. For it to so consistently happen it's either the coaches making him do it, or they're not correcting him. Either way it's more coaching.
THIS. I still hate the fact we completely changed our PP setup.
I guess the question is; would the ducks have gotten in to play-offs if Selanne retired last summer? At least the PP would have worked better?
No, who would have replaced his production? Also the team sucked during the beginning of the season and Teemu was the only one who seemed to care. Team without Teemu would have been just as bad or even worse this season.
He's been on the 1st unit all season. Honestly, the 1st unit has been pretty poor this season, and Selanne has certainly been a part of that.
Selanne is far down on the list
1. the pointmen have been an unmitigated disaster, when we force Getzlaf there it removes size down low and on the walls.
2. Poorly coached, never seems to be a plan out there.
3. ALL the forwards share blame, can't only pinpoint Selanne, he's asked to do to much, he should be asked to do less. his only job should be shoot the puck, and constant motion.
Selanne has still made some of the best passes on the entire team this year
He's being asked to do to much, he should not have to be the best player on his line. how about some perspective folks? :
I guess the question is; would the ducks have gotten in to play-offs if Selanne retired last summer? At least the PP would have worked better?
I don't think that is a question, at all. Personally, I find it easy to agree that Teemu hasn't been good in the last few games, but there is no question that his presence isn't a "problem" for the team in general, to put it incredibly lightly.
We would be a significantly worse team without him, and we'll most likely be a worse team without than with him next summer. While Teemu hasn't always been his "top-5 powerplay player in the entire game"-self, he also generally isn't the one holding our PP back.
Koivu, in the mid slot area doesn't help much either. He's had a number of opportunities fed to him that he hasn't been able to bury. 
