You know 101, there are more aspects to a players game then TOI and points. Watching him play 40+ times live and another 30+ times on TV, it was clear that it was not the same JP that was there the year before. He was slow to the puck, he missed plays, he misread breakouts and he missed defensive responsibilities. These were plays and reads that he was making in previous years. I can't tell you the reason, but it would seem that Trotz saw the same thing. He started to get it together towards the end of the year and the playoffs and hopefully that JP shows back up.
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Originally Posted by SLake
I agree with jlsg. Since the Burrows hit, Dumont decision-making and other aspects of his game have become slower and JP has never been a player fast enough to lose that speed when it comes to decision-making.
When Dumont is successful he is seeing the game one-step ahead of the competition. It's what has made him a good playmaking winger over the course of his career despite his lack of any real above-average physical skills. That doesn't show up necessarily on the scoresheet and it must be taken into consideration that when Dumont was moved down the lineup...the level of competition he was facing dropped as well - effectively allowing him to continue scoring at a good clip despite having less talent in his linemates.
That is why Trotz demoted JP, not due to any statistical reasoning, but because if you watched his play...you couldn't help but notice that he hadn't been the same player as he was pre-Burrows. If anything, based on the fact that he was leading the team in scoring at the time of his demotion. I believe that had his decision-making not taken the dip I'm referring to...that the whole SAD line could have achieved much more success last season.
Trotz made the right call and JP knows it. It is the reason that JP has worked hard this season to add muscle and improve his physical skills because that is what it takes to continue to play at this level on a consistent basis when your decision-making skills erode...
I know this is a Santorelli thread, but since there was some Dumont talk, I thought I would relate this story from last season. I used to beat up JP from time to time, but as stated above, I agree that he was never the same since the Burrows hit which I believe explained most of what I was seeing. Whether it was that hit or something else, I can't say for sure, but I backed off ripping him during the season after the following situation.
The story: So last season I'm on a road trip and we meet this Preds fans husband/wife couple in the hotel bar the night before the game. After awhile, they tell me they know JP though some charity work and things in Nashville, and they were going to try to say hello to him. They ask me if I want to meet him and even though I was like "no, don't want to bother any one/I'm not a jock sniffer/etc.", they told me that as long as he wasn't busy JP would be cool with meeting fans. We meet him and they ask JP how's the "blank injury". He says it's killing him and that it's impossible during the season for treatment and rest to take care of it, so he's just going to have to gut it out and wait for the off-season to get better. So after after JP leaves, I ask this guy what the deal is and and tells me it's more than just the normal wear and tear and that this "injury" is why he looked so off his game. I tell him nothing has been the same since the Burrows hit, and he says "well, that plus this and you see what's happening on the ice".
I'm not going to say when this game was or what exactly the injury was (but it was non surgical in nature), but I never heard anything from the media or the team regarding it. When I think about that brief encounter and what the "injury" was, I could see how his game was impacted so I basically gave him a "pass" on these message boards for the rest of the season. I rip into just about everybody on the team on a regular basis, and will continue to do so of course, but this served as a reminder that we don't always know all the facts.
I know this is a Santorelli thread, but since there was some Dumont talk, I thought I would relate this story from last season. I used to beat up JP from time to time, but as stated above, I agree that he was never the same since the Burrows hit which I believe explained most of what I was seeing. Whether it was that hit or something else, I can't say for sure, but I backed off ripping him during the season after the following situation.
The story: So last season I'm on a road trip and we meet this Preds fans husband/wife couple in the hotel bar the night before the game. After awhile, they tell me they know JP though some charity work and things in Nashville, and they were going to try to say hello to him. They ask me if I want to meet him and even though I was like "no, don't want to bother any one/I'm not a jock sniffer/etc.", they told me that as long as he wasn't busy JP would be cool with meeting fans. We meet him and they ask JP how's the "blank injury". He says it's killing him and that it's impossible during the season for treatment and rest to take care of it, so he's just going to have to gut it out and wait for the off-season to get better. So after after JP leaves, I ask this guy what the deal is and and tells me it's more than just the normal wear and tear and that this "injury" is why he looked so off his game. I tell him nothing has been the same since the Burrows hit, and he says "well, that plus this and you see what's happening on the ice".
I'm not going to say when this game was or what exactly the injury was (but it was non surgical in nature), but I never heard anything from the media or the team regarding it. When I think about that brief encounter and what the "injury" was, I could see how his game was impacted so I basically gave him a "pass" on these message boards for the rest of the season. I rip into just about everybody on the team on a regular basis, and will continue to do so of course, but this served as a reminder that we don't always know all the facts.
...but the Burrows hit was the season before last...
I think the Burrows hit is being referenced as more of a psychological issue. It's possible that something in JP's mind changed after being run like that. Of course, when these kinds of things happen to me I usually tell myself, with excessive vulgarity, to suck it up and move on. Injuries I get, but these guys are adults and professionals. If you can't live up to what is demanded of you because of a mental issue you need to seek therapy. Otherwise, suck it up and move on.
I think the Burrows hit is being referenced as more of a psychological issue. It's possible that something in JP's mind changed after being run like that. Of course, when these kinds of things happen to me I usually tell myself, with excessive vulgarity, to suck it up and move on. Injuries I get, but these guys are adults and professionals. If you can't live up to what is demanded of you because of a mental issue you need to seek therapy. Otherwise, suck it up and move on.
I think it has more to do with the split-second decision making capabilities of the brain than anything to do with heart or desire.
Dumont is a great individual and honestly plans on being a full-time Middle Tennessee resident long after his NHL career is through. He is quickly becoming the face of the franchise with regards to charitable activities having attended virtually every event sponsored by the team the past three summers and throughout the year.
I think what PP was saying earlier was that there was definitely an effect from the Burrows hit two seasons ago that affected his performance, but his drop off last season wasn't due to that so much as it was due to an undisclosed injury that limited him even more.
I'm hoping with the news that he has been working out all summer and adding muscle that whatever that injury is has healed and indeed we see a return to form for JP this season. How could that possibly be a bad thing?
J.P. Dumont is the biggest wildcard this team has entering training camp. Even more so than Kostitsyn, Klasen, or if the team signs O'Sullivan (which would totally floor me...no idea where he'd fit), Dumont has been a great veteran playmaker for this team in the past and didn't really fit in the bottom six last year. If he can regain form, it provides the team with another top-six option and another incredibly difficult decision come opening night...
I think what PP was saying earlier was that there was definitely an effect from the Burrows hit two seasons ago that affected his performance, but his drop off last season wasn't due to that so much as it was due to an undisclosed injury that limited him even more.
I think it has more to do with the split-second decision making capabilities of the brain than anything to do with heart or desire.
Dumont is a great individual and honestly plans on being a full-time Middle Tennessee resident long after his NHL career is through. He is quickly becoming the face of the franchise with regards to charitable activities having attended virtually every event sponsored by the team the past three summers and throughout the year.
I think what PP was saying earlier was that there was definitely an effect from the Burrows hit two seasons ago that affected his performance, but his drop off last season wasn't due to that so much as it was due to an undisclosed injury that limited him even more.
I'm hoping with the news that he has been working out all summer and adding muscle that whatever that injury is has healed and indeed we see a return to form for JP this season. How could that possibly be a bad thing?
J.P. Dumont is the biggest wildcard this team has entering training camp. Even more so than Kostitsyn, Klasen, or if the team signs O'Sullivan (which would totally floor me...no idea where he'd fit), Dumont has been a great veteran playmaker for this team in the past and didn't really fit in the bottom six last year. If he can regain form, it provides the team with another top-six option and another incredibly difficult decision come opening night...
I can confirm that JP has had a rigorous workout routine this summer. Including paying for icetime and inviting the highest level players in the area to participate in training camp type practices.
