Parayko.
Thats the level we want him to get to. He doesn't need to be Burns, but a long, mobile defenseman who can chew up space and close off the opposition while still contributing 30+ points a year is a hell of a player in this league. Those guys don't really exist in the league.
One criticism: He needs to stop trying to just close people off using his arms and get better leverage and allow his body to do the work. When he uses just his arms, 95% of the time he'll drive a guy wide enough where they can't do anything significant but utilizing his whole frame and closing them off will kill these plays off immediately. The lack of quality scoring chances in the immediacy is fine, but that shouldn't come at the expense of sustained possession time against.
It's gotten better this year than it was last year, but it still happens more than it should. This doesn't mean that he needs to kill everyone at every opportunity, but it's the next step for him to take.
Thats the level we want him to get to. He doesn't need to be Burns, but a long, mobile defenseman who can chew up space and close off the opposition while still contributing 30+ points a year is a hell of a player in this league. Those guys don't really exist in the league.
One criticism: He needs to stop trying to just close people off using his arms and get better leverage and allow his body to do the work. When he uses just his arms, 95% of the time he'll drive a guy wide enough where they can't do anything significant but utilizing his whole frame and closing them off will kill these plays off immediately. The lack of quality scoring chances in the immediacy is fine, but that shouldn't come at the expense of sustained possession time against.
It's gotten better this year than it was last year, but it still happens more than it should. This doesn't mean that he needs to kill everyone at every opportunity, but it's the next step for him to take.