Hot take: Utah powerplay might be one of the better ones this season

[Evergreen]

All depends on coaching, not the personnel. The Flyers have had enough firepower to have a decent powerplay the past few seasons and instead, it's historically bad because Torts hired a former goon with brain damage named Rocky Thompson to run it. Make it make sense.

I'm as flabbergasted that Rocky hasn't been fired as you are, but the Flyers' best forwards--Konecny, Tippett--are best on the rush, rather than on the cycle. The Flyers also don't have any elite playmakers. Or a bona fide QB. Or a good net-front guy. So I disagree with your assessment of the personnel.

I think Michkov will help a lot. And maybe Drysdale can be the solution on the point. Or York takes another step. We'll see. If the PP struggles again this year, you've got to think Rocky finally gets fired.

 

[Shark Finn]

I'm quietly rooting for the Utahotes this year.

Don't you mean Utaholes?

 

[GhostfaceWu]

Lol ya okay

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

It’ll be better than Pittsburgh’s at least.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

 

[Leafshater67]

It’s going to be so funny to watch the coyotes become a playoff team again the second they move into another city. I think they’ll get in and i agree with your assessment on their PP.

They’re not a contender but I can’t see them not making the playoffs.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Habs had one of worst pp last season, but have the personel to have one of the best pp unit in the league this season (Suzuki, Slafkovsky, Laine, Caufield, Hutson)

 

[Yepthatsme]

All-world is definitely hyperbole but this is a heavy handed critique that seemingly relies on your aversion to his “flash” and cherry-picked stats.

I mean, how about this:
- 23rd in the league in even strength goals the last two seasons
- 20th in the league in even strength points the last two seasons
- 21st in the league in points per game over the last three seasons

You make it sound like he’s a power play merchant and he’s definitely not. He’s been one of the most standout even strength producers for his team the past three years vis-a-vis comparison to his teammates around him and without anything close to resembling a #1 center on his line. The fact that the Yotes have been anything close to average offensively with the roster they have had since 21-22 is in large part due to Keller’s driving the offensive play.

He’s probably not a #1 option on a contending team but he’s certainly not paid like one either. He is one of the best offensive players in the league, even at even strength and considering he’s been a PPG player over three seasons on a rebuilding/dysfunctional franchise - I’d say he’s a guy would could definitely hit that 90-100 point territory as he enters his prime on an improving roster.

I’m not even sure that many folks know just how productive Keller has been stuck in Arizona so I find it really hard to believe he’s “the most overrated player” on HFB.

That’s the thing though, his biggest argument was “he is doing this good while being on such a bad Arizona team”. That’s no longer the case, you had an offense that was ranked 17th and a powerplay that was ranked 15th. Despite all this and their rampant improvements, even until the massive fall off of the team at the start of their 11 game losing streak, he was 40th in points in the league. Literally nothing about him is “one of the best offensive players in the league” he has very few teams in the league he’d be the best offensive option. His point per game actually went down as Utah improved, with a better supporting cast around him. Anyone saying he’s one of the best offensive players in the league is by default over rating him, proving my point.

It’s ignorant to call his literal last seasons totals in the league cherry picking, he’s finally on an improved roster and his totals are run of the mill for a top of the lineup player. Yet you yourself call him a top offensive player in the league, and the OP called him an all world talent. That’s over rating his talents, most teams if not almost all have a much better offensive player than him.

Proof in point, the biggest argument in his favor is despite how bad his team is he produces, yet 6 of the 15 teams below Utah in goals per game had a player with better offensive production, with multiple others having more impressive outputs with the roles they faced. Last season he didn’t even show kindly against players in now worse spots than he was on, yet he has the title of “one of the best offensive players in the league”.