Player Discussion Jackson LaCombe

[Rybread86]

I don't think there's any magic to it TBH.

Hazy and Ahlers always quote Carlyle saying that NHL defensemen need ~200 games to fully get comfortable.

I think this is LaCombe getting comfortable.

Exactly. And the same reason Im not worried about Minty and Zell yet. They just need time to come into their own and learn the ropes.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Exactly. And the same reason Im not worried about Minty and Zell yet. They just need time to come into their own and learn the ropes.

Minty and Zell need to learn how to play defense as OFD's. That will take some time. LaCombe spent four years in college developing and refining his defensive game. This year, Cronin is ramming defense down Minty's throat with the highest DZone Start% for a defenseman on the team with 61.4% at Even Strength (ES). Only way to get experience is playing games. Unfortunately, Minty's on a rotation and isn't getting in his reps.

 

[Static]

 

[Gliff]

Leads the league in exits. Crazy.

Who would have thought Zegras might not be the best player we draft from 2019 lol.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

 

[Daz28]

Leads the league in exits. Crazy.

Who would have thought Zegras might not be the best player we draft from 2019 lol.

It's hard to even put a ceiling on him either. Guy just keeps getting more Dahlin with the puck

 

[Trojans86]

Leads the league in exits. Crazy.

Who would have thought Zegras might not be the best player we draft from 2019 lol.

When I watch him play that is exactly what I see. He does such a great job of using his skating and size to shield forecheckers off and skate up the zone and he is also great at making passes up ice. He is one of those rare players that have enough skill and skating where they aren’t really threatened by forechecks so he can make aggressive decisions without consequence. He is also elite at using the net to shield forecheckers off and then skate up.

 

[AngelDuck]

He’s legitimately becoming a star before our eyes

If he can play the way he’s played the last 3 months consistently, I’ll be comfortable calling him a top 20 dman

 

[Gliff]

He’s legitimately becoming a star before our eyes

If he can play the way he’s played the last 3 months consistently, I’ll be comfortable calling him a top 20 dman

IDK about that, but I will say compared to the other defensemen under 25, there aren't many I would put in the same conversation, let alone take ahead of him.
Here are the guys I think are in the same conversation:
Faber
Seider
Harley
Sanderson
Hughes
Byram
Vlasic
Guhle
Power
Edvinsson
Clarke
Hutson

 

[AngelDuck]

IDK about that, but I will say compared to the other defensemen under 25, there aren't many I would put in the same conversation, let alone take ahead of him.
Here are the guys I think are in the same conversation:
Faber
Seider
Harley
Sanderson
Hughes
Byram
Vlasic
Guhle
Power
Edvinsson
Clarke
Hutson

He’s better than the vast majority of those guys IF he can play like he’s played the last 3 months IMO

 

[Gliff]

He’s better than the vast majority of those guys IF he can play like he’s played the last 3 months IMO

I think he is for sure better then all but the first 5.

No hate on him. Just like those guys a lot.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

He’s better than the vast majority of those guys IF he can play like he’s played the last 3 months IMO

I remember a Sabres poster came here wondering if the Ducks wanted to trade for Bowen Byram with one of our youth D. I didn't think we should trade LaCombe for Byram, especially with LaCombe's current pay rate. I did track Power and LaCombe. LaCombe is looking impressive.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

8 goals and 17 assists in 35 games from Dec 1st on, a pace of roughly 19 goals and 40 assists over a full season

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Interesting note to add, he's managed that production without even a single game where he put up 3 or more points. Just pretty consistently producing 1 or 2 points

 

[Sean Garrity]

My biggest knock on him coming up was he didn’t know how to use his size but he definitely is understanding how to use his size to his advantage and even be more physical.

 

[JAHV]

LaCombe for the Norris.

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

Lacombe is becoming a legit #1.. Pair him with Gudas drags him down at times with boneheaded plays.. But yah his game has been stellar.. I see a lot of Prime Duncan Keith in his play.. He is only going to improve..

 

[Mr Rogers]

As I echoed in my opening post he's always had a noticeable amount of offensive ability. But what he's shown this year is more than i thought he had, there is a certain flair even now.

 

[AngelDuck]

He flat out is looking like Niedermayer out there. It’s tough to project if someone can be that good consistently, but it’s who he reminds me of style wise and honestly he’s impacting the game like that the last 2.5 months

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

He flat out is looking like Niedermayer out there. It’s tough to project if someone can be that good consistently, but it’s who he reminds me of style wise and honestly he’s impacting the game like that the last 2.5 months

You are right. And I don't want to get ahead of myself, but what has impressed me most about his play is the fact he seems so consistent. All of our younger guys have had short bursts where you hope it's the real thing but it never lasts more than a few games at most. Since he started playing this well earlier this year he really has been extremely consistent.

Now, I want to see that continue for the rest of the year, but so far his consistently high level of play is what has really impressed me. I think there is a very good chance he is the real deal 50+ point solid D Dman.

 

[TheDarkWingThatDucks]

I am a fan of cotton eyed LaCombe. But I do love the change in the narrative (I know hockey duckie not you buddy). Like even myself, I never thought LaCombe was bad, didn’t think he’d be this good. I was like LaCombe for Laine ? Mostly because I thought Minty and Zelly (Fowler unmoveable) would be our future for a few years … plus stian.

We’ll would you look at that I’m not in the locker room and Fowler was happy to move.

So everyone is like so happy for LaCombe, never saw it coming, glad I’m eating crow. And then go. Cronin sucks / Verbeek sucks / Leo playing awful not worried yet / mctavish sucks / Zegras is a 20 pt player because Cronin sucks / cutter good for a rookie / Zelly and Monty are screwed because they arent being developed properly….. which is the exact same thing people said about LaCombe last year.

Can we just take a step back and realize people should get better at their jobs over time. Players / coaching / management, I just don’t get the whole world’s (because it’s not just this sub) obsession with tearing people down and feeling good when they are proven right, rather than rooting for people to succeed and be disappointed when they fail.

Just an odd phenomenon, like people get more joy going, I knew Leo was a bust, Verbeek should have drafted AF, but of course stubborn Verbeek gonna ruin the entire org and then Leo looks suspect while Adamo goes on a hot streak. Arg see why, I knew it!

That’s not to say we can’t question decisions as a fanbase, but the raging boners we get for tearing people down and then watching them fail, feeding our own ego’s with the satisfaction that this man failed to live up to his own and everyone else’s expectations.

Such a weird f***ing state we are as a society.

Anyways I hope this recently turned 24 year old has figured things out and continues to improve and doesn’t ask for a trade because a recent poll came out saying we have the worst mgmt team in the NHL.

 

[Gliff]

Just throwing this out there, but LaCombe is 2 years older then Zellweger, and 3 years older then Minty.

Just wait until they have similar development in 2-3 years