I'm kind of surprised to see all the negative comments. Oh wait...I just remembered what board I'm on.
I think Lats played alright. Consider that he had two years off hockey, and got injured again, (or misdiagnosed) while here.
He showed he can still play and he can still chip in. I hope he gets another chance with somebody because to me he looked like a guy that came to play, accepted any role assigned and seemed like a good teammate / community guy.
Maybe he is slow and a bit gunshy.
At worst I think he'll land in Europe somewhere and earn a pretty nice living. At super worst, maybe Leclaire has an opening at his hockey school.
I thought he was the darkhorse signing in all of UFA last year, advocated for getting him more ice all year, but I think its good hes gone.
Dont get me wrong, if we signed him for two years I would still be supporting him, but its best for both sides hes gone. He didnt fit the system Mac has implemented here. I think hes going to get another contract from someone and turn it around to be a solid second liner, but that door is closed here.
I dont think he got a fair shake, but he has nobody to blame but himself for that.
A pro athlete out of shape would never touch the court / field / whatever if I was the coach of the team until they turned it around. It not only hurts your performance, but its a slap in the face to your teammates who bust their ass, go home to specialized diets, and treat their body like the multi-million dollar machine that it is. He apparently doesnt.
Obviously Lats was hurt a lot, which limited his cardio / exercise, but he got too out of shape to use that as an excuse imo. You can lose fat by sitting on your couch and flipping channels.
If only he had the drive I guarantee Murray would be working on a contract right now.
