sandwichbird2023
Registered User
- Aug 4, 2004
- 3,983
- 2,085
Feels like Hoglander is getting under-appreciated here. For his ice time and deployment last year, he is arguably the best depth scoring forward in the league in the first half of the 2023-24 season. His elevation to Petterson's line in my opinion actually hurts him as EP was obviously injured and wasn't anywhere near his normally effectiveness, dragging down Hog with him.
I think most people had recency bias on him based on his poor playoff. I don't doubt there will be some regression on his s%, but I also don't think he is done developing at age 23. He scored 5 more goals than JDB last year with essentially zero useful PP time. We need depth scoring like this to be competitive (how many years we made fun of the Oilers for wasting McDavid's prime by not having any depth scoring?), and even if he gets a raise next summer I think he will be valuable (unless he gets an insanely favorable arbitration award).
I have no complaints if we trade Hog for a young 2nd pairing D, but short of that I would have a tough time seeing him gone for anything else "reasonable".
I think most people had recency bias on him based on his poor playoff. I don't doubt there will be some regression on his s%, but I also don't think he is done developing at age 23. He scored 5 more goals than JDB last year with essentially zero useful PP time. We need depth scoring like this to be competitive (how many years we made fun of the Oilers for wasting McDavid's prime by not having any depth scoring?), and even if he gets a raise next summer I think he will be valuable (unless he gets an insanely favorable arbitration award).
I have no complaints if we trade Hog for a young 2nd pairing D, but short of that I would have a tough time seeing him gone for anything else "reasonable".