Yup. That number may feel big, but in reality.
You are a strong advocate for Dr. Evil. He needs a good supporting voice and you do a good job with it. I don't think anyone is trying to argue that on balance he isn't a very good defender in terms of his total impact. He suffers from two flaws. First, he only has one gear. He makes due with it and as long as he doesn't get caught flatfooted at the opposing blue line it's typically not a big deal, but it's noticeable to the eyeball test which some folks just don't like. Second, he's paid at what is still almost the top of the scale for defenders. With NJ having to make some decisions cap wise that will rankle some folks who, rightly or wrongly, expect that Luke will get a similar AAV on a long term deal and that would mean giving him the keys to the car. The issues you raise and passionately defend aren't really going to change that calculus for those looking to move Dr. Evil. His good advanced stats won't make him skate faster or change pace instantly and they won't lower his AAV. You've suggested that NJ can bring back Luke and Kovy next season without roster surgery but some folks are struggling a bit with that (me included and I'll touch on that below) or they want to do some roster remake and see Dougie as a high priced piece that might be moved to bring in a different player more to their liking. Dougie strikes me as a good guy and I like him on the team. He's a calm veteran presence and as you've noted the score tends to be in NJ's favor with him involved. But I understand the counter argument of moving him this summer when he is still capable to avoid a Subban like drop off. Hopefully he has a strong stretch run and NJ makes some noise in the playoffs so management isn't trying to remake the roster.
