This game against the Sharks truely shows where the worst of the bottom pairing is comming from.
Whitney was border line terrible through a lot of that game. The worst player on the ice and seriously looks like his career is in jeopordy of being over. Bad decisions. Just isnt moving his feet enough. Seems almost scared when he has the puck in his own zone and turtles too often.
He caused one goal and struggled all night, but I think you're trying to deflect deserved scorn from Potter. Curious.
I'd be fine with benching Whitney AND Potter, waiving Peckham, and signing Brett Clark to an NHL contract. He had a fine season last year in bottom pairing duties...can't be worse than Pottney.
Whitney really did have a terrible game last night. When ever he had the puck in his own end and the Oilers were poised to break out, he'd sit with it way too long and let the fore-checker get to him, then make a bad play to ring it around the boards where another shark would be waiting to gather it up. I couldn't believe how many times he just sat there while the hard fore-check came at him.
Whitney may not be worth his contract, and is definitely struggling so far this season, but he is still way better than Potter. Whitney doesn't make poor decisions near every shift and Potter does.
Last night's game is just another example of how HF is right and Kruger should be sitting Potter for Fistric every game. If they need to break up Schultz squared so everyone is on a comfortable side, then do it. But no more Potter. Waive him already.
I really think they are showcasing one of Whitney/Potter. With 5 points in 3 games it's not exactly the end of the world right now. Kreuger's ways are working right now and one can only hope that eventually someone is moved to end this problem of too many d-man.
Whitney really did have a terrible game last night. When ever he had the puck in his own end and the Oilers were poised to break out, he'd sit with it way too long and let the fore-checker get to him, then make a bad play to ring it around the boards where another shark would be waiting to gather it up. I couldn't believe how many times he just sat there while the hard fore-check came at him.
Whitney has done this many many many times since the start of the year. People for some reason have not been giving it the attention it is due. Very weak play.
Give me Potter any day over watching Whitney freeze up with the puck in our own end.
S7ark: By my count Whitney making at least 4 mistakes to every one of Potters. And most people complaints about Potter are purely fabricated. Potter has not been directly responcible for a goal against yet this season. Go back and look at video. Questionable positioing maybe but no blown coverage to date so far. The same can not be said of Whitney.
I am not saying Potter has been great. But I think for a depth D-man he has been solid. Watch a few games around the league. There has been some piss poor Defense even from teams like the Rangers. Potter is playing exactly as well as you can expect for his contract and ice time.
I'm not saying we need to get rid of the kid, but let him sit out if everyone else is healthy. It's good to have depth on the back end and if any team needs depth for injuries its us. Let's face it, Whitney is playing poorly but we are hoping he improves. He needs to play so put him on the bottom pairing. We traded for Fistric because he plays well defensively and adds a much needed element of toughness he needs to be playing. Potter would be lucky to earn a spot on the bottom pairing of any NHL club, let him have his chance when those clearly better than him are injured.
Whitney has done this many many many times since the start of the year. People for some reason have not been giving it the attention it is due. Very weak play.
Give me Potter any day over watching Whitney freeze up with the puck in our own end.
S7ark: By my count Whitney making at least 4 mistakes to every one of Potters. And most people complaints about Potter are purely fabricated. Potter has not been directly responcible for a goal against yet this season. Go back and look at video. Questionable positioing maybe but no blown coverage to date so far. The same can not be said of Whitney.
I am not saying Potter has been great. But I think for a depth D-man he has been solid. Watch a few games around the league. There has been some piss poor Defense even from teams like the Rangers. Potter is playing exactly as well as you can expect for his contract and ice time.
Give me Whitney's ability to make a pass over Potter's tendency to just throw it to opposing players.
I disagree with your counting. Unless you are counting times where Potter is horribly out of position leaving Whitney to defend 2 or 3 players as mistakes for Whitney, there is no way Potter is making 4x less mistakes than Whitney. Potter pinches at the wrong times, chases players into the corners at the wrong times, misses easy outlet passes, and isn't even physical to make up for all those shortcomings. He is far and away the worst D in our top 7, imo.
I have no idea how you can say he has been solid. Potter is as far from solid as one can be and I think the poll shows I am not alone in those thoughts.
Edit: Whitney also has 3 points in 7 games this season to Potter's 0 in 4.
Give me Whitney's ability to make a pass over Potter's tendency to just throw it to opposing players.
I disagree with your counting. Unless you are counting times where Potter is horribly out of position leaving Whitney to defend 2 or 3 players as mistakes for Whitney, there is no way Potter is making 4x less mistakes than Whitney. Potter pinches at the wrong times, chases players into the corners at the wrong times, misses easy outlet passes, and isn't even physical to make up for all those shortcomings. He is far and away the worst D in our top 7, imo.
I have no idea how you can say he has been solid. Potter is as far from solid as one can be and I think the poll shows I am not alone in those thoughts.
Edit: Whitney also has 3 points in 7 games this season to Potter's 0 in 4.
I don't know if there is any point in argueing with you. You have fabricated a swack of situations where Potter was completly "out of position".
Whitney has turtled in his own end at least 6 times this years already. Coughed up the puck numerous times in both ends of the ice and was the prime reason for at least 2 goals against.
Whitney's passing is good typicaly. And most definatly better than Potter's. But positioning, skating, and physical play are the things desperatly needed for a D-man. Whitney has been **** in those areas.
The funniest thing is pointing to Whitney's points as something note worthy. Potter doesn't get any PP time, which is where whitney has gotten all his second assist points. It's even funnier because Whitney has had a hell of a time trying to keep the puck in the zone while he is out there, cause the guy can't move anything below the knee.
And when I say Potter has played solid. I mean he has played solid for a #6 D-man who makes practicaly nothing. Compared to Whitney who at the moment does't look good enough to be in the NHL.
And Whitney not Potter was the one who put the puck on the sharks tape last night.
Last edited by s7ark: 02-01-2013 at 02:29 PM.
Reason: don't bypass the profanity filter
I don't know if there is any point in argueing with you. You have fabricated a swack of situations where Potter was completly "out of position".
Whitney has turtled in his own end at least 6 times this years already. Coughed up the puck numerous times in both ends of the ice and was the prime reason for at least 2 goals against.
Whitney's passing is good typicaly. And most definatly better than Potter's. But positioning, skating, and physical play are the things desperatly needed for a D-man. Whitney has been **** in those areas.
The funniest thing is pointing to Whitney's points as something note worthy. Potter doesn't get any PP time, which is where whitney has gotten all his second assist points. It's even funnier because Whitney has had a hell of a time trying to keep the puck in the zone while he is out there, cause the guy can't move anything below the knee.
And when I say Potter has played solid. I mean he has played solid for a #6 D-man who makes practicaly nothing. Compared to Whitney who at the moment does't look good enough to be in the NHL.
And Whitney not Potter was the one who put the puck on the sharks tape last night.
You're right, there is no point in us continuing this. We're obviously seeing very different things. I see Whitney as struggling but still contributing. I see Potter as not being NHL level and a train wreck out there.
That being said, Whitney did have his worst game of the year last night. It was almost Potter level of bad.
Right now Whitney's positioning is stationary. A new good nic name for Whitney is Pylon.
He doesn't look as bad as he did last year for his skating but for some reason he is refusing to keep his legs moving. He is relying on his passing far too much and has been caught numerous times because of it.
Before he got injured of course he was much better D-man than Potter. Right now... I can't believe anyone is trying to say Whitney has been good positionaly this year.
Whitney may not be worth his contract, and is definitely struggling so far this season, but he is still way better than Potter. Whitney doesn't make poor decisions near every shift and Potter does.
Last night's game is just another example of how HF is right and Kruger should be sitting Potter for Fistric every game. If they need to break up Schultz squared so everyone is on a comfortable side, then do it. But no more Potter. Waive him already.
I see no need to waive Potter. Injuries are going to happen, the seventh defenseman will play games.
I see it as Whitney > Potter, and I haven't seen enough of Fistric to tell. A two game sample size is not enough - I'm surprised that so many HF posters here are apparently such excellent judges of talent to be able to tell in the 15 minutes of game time that Fistric is such a superior player.
Whitney skating issues is a big problem. His superior passing helps but he's in trouble.
With #5 Whitney, #6 Fistric and #7 Pottery....why waive Potter? Just keep him as your #7 - the Oilers will need him. He's probably better than Peckham.
I see no need to waive Potter. Injuries are going to happen, the seventh defenseman will play games.
I see it as Whitney > Potter, and I haven't seen enough of Fistric to tell. A two game sample size is not enough - I'm surprised that so many HF posters here are apparently such excellent judges of talent to be able to tell in the 15 minutes of game time that Fistric is such a superior player.
Whitney skating issues is a big problem. His superior passing helps but he's in trouble.
With #5 Whitney, #6 Fistric and #7 Pottery....why waive Potter? Just keep him as your #7 - the Oilers will need him. He's probably better than Peckham.
My concern is that if he's here he's going to keep getting played ahead of Fistric. I want him gone so the option isn't there for Krueger. Depth at D is always a good thing and I probably wouldn't have a problem with him being here if the coach wasn't misusing him so badly. But he is. It's kinda like MacT was with Peterson. Not a bad player to have, but so horribly overused that not having him was better than having him as depth, just to stop the coach from being an idiot.
Also, I do still think Peckham could rebound. He's still young and has looked like an NHLer in the past.
I personaly really want to see Fistric and Potter. Both playing thier natural sides laying down hammers and shutting down opponents.
At least try it for 2-3 games.
If Pecham played like he did in his rookie year he would be above Whitney, as he is currently playing, and Potter. But you then still have to play someone on thier off side.
Of course Pecham was terrible last year so no real reason to expect that.
