Recalled/Assigned: Mat Clark

[Hyack57]

So is Clark a bust now?

 

[Sean Garrity]

So is Clark a bust now?

Depends on your definition of bust. I think he'll still be a bottom pairing defenseman at the NHL level, but he's never going to be a coveted asset/player.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Depends on your definition of bust. I think he'll still be a bottom pairing defenseman at the NHL level, but he's never going to be a coveted asset/player.

I think he'd be a 6/7 on a team with less depth than we have now.

 

[Sean Garrity]

I think he'd be a 6/7 on a team with less depth than we have now.

I agree with that. So "bust" is subjective depending on your definition. When he came up, he didn't look out of place, but didn't look like he belonged.

 

[TheJoeMan]

So is Clark a bust now?

Yes. He was a second round pick taken ahead of Alex Chiasson, Silfverberg, Robin Lehner, and Richard Panik. This is his fifth year as a pro and he's currently 11th on the depth chart for d-men. He looked very much like a minor leaguer when he was here save for one decent game. I expected the Ducks to let him go last summer but they really didn't have better options and he was hurt for almost all of last year so I figure they gave him one more chance. I think he's done with the organization and will have a few challenge to move up another team's depth chart. If you ask me he's played his last game in the NHL. Stranger things have happened but I would be shocked if he ever makes it to this level again.

 

[salsa man]

Yes. He was a second round pick taken ahead of Alex Chiasson, Silfverberg, Robin Lehner, and Richard Panik. This is his fifth year as a pro and he's currently 11th on the depth chart for d-men. He looked very much like a minor leaguer when he was here save for one decent game. I expected the Ducks to let him go last summer but they really didn't have better options and he was hurt for almost all of last year so I figure they gave him one more chance. I think he's done with the organization and will have a few challenge to move up another team's depth chart. If you ask me he's played his last game in the NHL. Stranger things have happened but I would be shocked if he ever makes it to this level again.

To be fair, he's still young. He's about where Lovejoy was at this stage of his career, AHL guy who gets the occasional NHL cup of coffee. If he ends up as a similar calibre player to Lovejoy, I'd say he's a decent pick (even if he goes on to another team).

Yeah, he's probably a bust right now, but it's not set in stone.

 

[Dirk316]

He looked good in his last 2 games here, hes a great skater for being a physical dman. I think hes got a nhl future as a bottom pairing dman with upside

 

[TheJoeMan]

To be fair, he's still young. He's about where Lovejoy was at this stage of his career, AHL guy who gets the occasional NHL cup of coffee. If he ends up as a similar calibre player to Lovejoy, I'd say he's a decent pick (even if he goes on to another team).

Yeah, he's probably a bust right now, but it's not set in stone.

If he goes to another team he's has to start all over. Lovejoy was moving up the depth chart in Pittsburgh, Clark is moving down ours. He'll have to seriously improve to eventually be an NHL player.

 

[Duck Off]

So is Clark a bust now?

3 years ago I said the post above yours, and I think I was spot on. Bust, as in never play in the NHL? No. I mentioned Festerling and Brookbank as comparable players then, and I think they're still fairly accurate now. Probably a guy who tops as 6th guy, but more often a 7th/AHL guy.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

He looked good in his last 2 games here, hes a great skater for being a physical dman. I think hes got a nhl future as a bottom pairing dman with upside

I agree, but I think it'd take his brain awhile to adjust to NHL speed full time. I think he'd need a trade and quite a few games at this level to make it happen. He kinda needs to get lucky at this point.