PPG isn't a particularly useful metric for a player whose job is to pot goals. He's been a .40 GPG in his time here, and in his healthy season, he led the team in goals.
As a point of reference, let's look at other Wild players in the post-Lemaire era:
D. Setoguchi - 2011-2012 - .31 GPG
D. Heatley - 2011-2012 - .28 GPG
M. Havlat - 2009-2011 - .26 GPG
M. Koivu - 2009-2012 - .25 GPG
P.M. Bouchard - 2010-2012 - .22 GPG
O. Nolan - 2009-2010 - .22 GPG
M. Cullen - 2010-2012 - .17 GPG
Nobody is even close to .40 GPG.
In GLat's last two seasons his scoring pace was .26 GPG and .30 GPG assuming he kept up the pace he was on prior to getting injured. So outside of his career year he really was on pace to score right along with the rest of the crowd.
In GLat's last two seasons his scoring pace was .26 GPG and .30 GPG assuming he kept up the pace he was on prior to getting injured. So outside of his career year he really was on pace to score right along with the rest of the crowd.
This is of course assuming my math is correct.
Right, so then outside of his career year, he's "only" scoring at the same rate as our captain and our two best snipers.
In GLat's last two seasons his scoring pace was .26 GPG and .30 GPG assuming he kept up the pace he was on prior to getting injured. So outside of his career year he really was on pace to score right along with the rest of the crowd.
This is of course assuming my math is correct.
And why shouldn't we take into account his 1st year here?
Going with the safe, low-risk option is exactly what gets the Wild drafting ~10th every year.
Seriously. Maybe EC can be a 20 goal guy next year, and that'd be nice. But he'll never be the game changer that Lats can be. Finding finesse guys like EC that we hope can put it together is easy. Finding someone with the nose for the net and physicality, coupled with scoring ability and size of Lats is much more difficult.
You guys are really latching on to the EC thing way to much. I think the guy is skilled and has more potential than GLat but recognize he still has to prove it. I am not advocating a top 6 spot for EC so just let that go. I am trying to talk realistically about GLat's.
Seriously. Maybe EC can be a 20 goal guy next year, and that'd be nice. But he'll never be the game changer that Lats can be. Finding finesse guys like EC that we hope can put it together is easy. Finding someone with the nose for the net and physicality, coupled with scoring ability and size of Lats is much more difficult.
How is Lat's a game changer? Did he change our game right into the number 10 draft spot? Pavel Datsyuk is a game changer...don't put Latin Dress in that territory.
I never said we shouldn't, I was merely putting it into perspective. He fell back to reality after that first year.
Not really. He was injured after that first year. If he had 12 goals in 75 games, you could say he fell back to reality. He never had the opportunity to prove if he could keep it up. Part of that has been his fault, part of it hasn't.
Not really. He was injured after that first year. If he had 12 goals in 75 games, you could say he fell back to reality. He never had the opportunity to prove if he could keep it up. Part of that has been his fault, part of it hasn't.
Thats why I said if he kept up his scoring pace from his healthy games those years. he could have scored more or less....all I had to go on was the pace he was on before he got hurt.
Thats why I said if he kept up his scoring pace from his healthy games those years. he could have scored more or less....all I had to go on was the pace he was on before he got hurt.
Extrapolating a scoring pace from injury-plagued seasons doesn't seem like a valid basis for an argument.
You guys are really latching on to the EC thing way to much. I think the guy is skilled and has more potential than GLat but recognize he still has to prove it. I am not advocating a top 6 spot for EC so just let that go. I am trying to talk realistically about GLat's.
And you are latching on to the concussion thing way too much.
Look, EC has had how long to prove it? He's played on top lines with who and been unnoticeable?
I'm willing to bet he had flashes of brilliant play at every stop in his career. That's probably how he has lasted this long to begin with. As old as he is and how long he has been in the league it is extremely unlikely that he is just now finally "getting it". I'm willing to take a swing with him next year as a depth player. He has to be a better option than Peters or Ortmeyer, I will say at least that much. And maybe he really does start living up to that potential and we could be stumbling blindly onto something special...stranger things have happened.
But realistically I don't see it happening. Right now the Wild are out of the playoffs, so the pressure to produce has gone for EC. His motivation right now is more than likely making sure he has a job next year and it is far more likely he becomes mister invisible next year if he gets a new contract than he keeps playing as he has been.
I rate Christensen as a high risk/low reward type player and that is why if we do sign him, I want him signed cheap and on a two way deal so we can ship him down to Houston. In fact I would prefer he start the season next year in Houston and he earns a spot as our first top-6 depth call up. We simply do not know which Christensen we would get next year because 4 good games during the garbage part of the year does not equal consistency. Christensens risk is entirely on if he shows up or not and that makes him an unknown quantity in my eyes.
Meanwhile I rate Lats as high risk/high reward and as I and several others keep saying, his potential is well worth the risk of a 2.5/1yr contract. We know exactly what we are getting with him. His risk comes exclusively from the concussion and I think he is not going to stop until he gets through it. I want him in a Wild uniform and I don't care if he has to sit the first 70 games next season waiting to recover and then get back into shape. He is worth that wait.
How is Lat's a game changer? Did he change our game right into the number 10 draft spot? Pavel Datsyuk is a game changer...don't put Latin Dress in that territory.
Lats comes out and throws his body around, gets the puck and creates scoring chances for himself and others by driving to the net. He energizes the team with his play. I never put Lats with Datsyuk, you did. A game changer isn't the same thing as a top 10 player. He does what it says, he does change the game when he's out on the ice, unlike any player the Wild has right now. He's capable of scoring the types goals that other wild players don't on a consistent basis. And I'm sorry that one player wasn't able to make this team amazing. Gaborik played for us and we drafted 12th 4th and 9th. Lats is a player that fits this team and will elevate the players around him.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sioux210
55 games isnt a healthy Latendresse
He was traded for during the season. 55 games with the wild and 23 with the Canadiens.
And you are latching on to the concussion thing way too much.
Look, EC has had how long to prove it? He's played on top lines with who and been unnoticeable?
I'm willing to bet he had flashes of brilliant play at every stop in his career. That's probably how he has lasted this long to begin with. As old as he is and how long he has been in the league it is extremely unlikely that he is just now finally "getting it". I'm willing to take a swing with him next year as a depth player. He has to be a better option than Peters or Ortmeyer, I will say at least that much. And maybe he really does start living up to that potential and we could be stumbling blindly onto something special...stranger things have happened.
But realistically I don't see it happening. Right now the Wild are out of the playoffs, so the pressure to produce has gone for EC. His motivation right now is more than likely making sure he has a job next year and it is far more likely he becomes mister invisible next year if he gets a new contract than he keeps playing as he has been.
I rate Christensen as a high risk/low reward type player and that is why if we do sign him, I want him signed cheap and on a two way deal so we can ship him down to Houston. In fact I would prefer he start the season next year in Houston and he earns a spot as our first top-6 depth call up. We simply do not know which Christensen we would get next year because 4 good games during the garbage part of the year does not equal consistency. Christensens risk is entirely on if he shows up or not and that makes him an unknown quantity in my eyes.
Meanwhile I rate Lats as high risk/high reward and as I and several others keep saying, his potential is well worth the risk of a 2.5/1yr contract. We know exactly what we are getting with him. His risk comes exclusively from the concussion and I think he is not going to stop until he gets through it. I want him in a Wild uniform and I don't care if he has to sit the first 70 games next season waiting to recover and then get back into shape. He is worth that wait.
So we dont have Lats or PMB...who is our Top 6 outside of Koivu, Heatly, Seto and Cullen?
Lats comes out and throws his body around, gets the puck and creates scoring chances for himself and others by driving to the net. He energizes the team with his play. I never put Lats with Datsyuk, you did. A game changer isn't the same thing as a top 10 player. He does what it says, he does change the game when he's out on the ice, unlike any player the Wild has right now. He's capable of scoring the types goals that other wild players don't on a consistent basis. And I'm sorry that one player wasn't able to make this team amazing. Gaborik played for us and we drafted 12th 4th and 9th. Lats is a player that fits this team and will elevate the players around him.
He was traded for during the season. 55 games with the wild and 23 with the Canadiens.
Lats comes out and throws his body around, gets the puck and creates scoring chances for himself and others by driving to the net. He energizes the team with his play. I never put Lats with Datsyuk, you did. A game changer isn't the same thing as a top 10 player. He does what it says, he does change the game when he's out on the ice, unlike any player the Wild has right now. He's capable of scoring the types goals that other wild players don't on a consistent basis. And I'm sorry that one player wasn't able to make this team amazing. Gaborik played for us and we drafted 12th 4th and 9th. Lats is a player that fits this team and will elevate the players around him.
He was traded for during the season. 55 games with the wild and 23 with the Canadiens.
It would appear we define a game changer differently.
