You are right on both fronts. People think players should be perfect and rant and rave over every little mistake. If the Kings moved Muzzin it would cost us 6+ million to try to replace him. He is a solid #2 and signed so cheap for what he brings. Not to bring up he is the rock of our 2nd pairing and if our depth was better he would be top pair with Drew. Poor guy is so under appreciated by lots of King fans.
Perhaps that's a sign that you're actually over-appreciating him. I see the same justifications over and over, as though people are simply repeating talking points. What makes a "solid #2"? LA won two Cups with their last #2 and have only one playoff win with their current "solid #2." What makes one the "rock" of his pairing? Every year that Muzzin has been in the league, he's had worse defensive stats than his partner. It's his partners who have been
his rocks, allowing him to play a risky, offensive game. It's perplexing the statements that many fans make without much of any substantiation, as though saying it makes it so. My theory is that some fans are just eager to elevate someone so that they can feel that their defense is
two really good defensemen, not just one.
If any poor guy is under-appreciated by Kings fans, it's Martinez, as I mentioned earlier. No matter what he does--score game- and series-winning goals, lead the team in points, take the fewest penalties of defenders on the team or have some of the best defensive stats on the team--he's consistently pushed aside while fans hand the praise and honor to "poor" Muzzin, instead. I bet that, had I suggested trading Martinez to the Islanders, instead, not nearly as many people would've spoken up to defend him.