Player Discussion Mike Matheson

[Miller Time]

Should have traded Matheson for a good haul this past summer and kept Kovacevic.

And whom plays up to replace Matheson's ice time?

Hutson is already at 23min /night.

Matheson is out of place as a #1D. He's clearly out of place used as much as he is... but he's also clearly a better option than our current alternatives.

Matheson is paid like a 2nd pairing dman, he'd be good as a #2, and great as a #3. Not his fault we have no viable alternative to reduce his minutes.

Until KH finds an upgrade at top pairing D, Matheson will keep getting used too heavily, and keep drawing the misguided ire of a fan base determined to have a few whipping boys.

Hopefully, if we do move him it's for the kind of return that will make the main board implode...

 

[salbutera]

My solution was adding a vet that's not a paper tiger like Matheson, someone the kids can actually look up to. Hughes decided to sit down and double down on his pet-client because that's what we do in the foxhole.

Matheson shouldn't play PP1.
Matheson shouldn't be on the ice when we need a goal.
Matheson should be leaned on at the detriment of playing younger players.
Matheson shouldn't be kept beyond this year because he has no value to us.

Well HuGo don’t agree with your thought process

 

[puckeater]

I can't your mom won't let me leave

His moms in a coma.

 

[BozoTheClown]

And whom plays up to replace Matheson's ice time?

Hutson is already at 23min /night.

Matheson is out of place as a #1D. He's clearly out of place used as much as he is... but he's also clearly a better option than our current alternatives.

Matheson is paid like a 2nd pairing dman, he'd be good as a #2, and great as a #3. Not his fault we have no viable alternative to reduce his minutes.

Until KH finds an upgrade at top pairing D, Matheson will keep getting used too heavily, and keep drawing the misguided ire of a fan base determined to have a few whipping boys.

Hopefully, if we do move him it's for the kind of return that will make the main board implode...

Have them all play between 18-22 minutes a game.

 

[Miller Time]

Have them all play between 18-22 minutes a game.

So that people can complain about Barron, Strubble, Xhekaj & Savard as they get exposed in bigger minutes?

Unless the goal is to spread the scapegoating to more players, while further reducing the on ice quality of play, not sure this is a great plan lol

 

[Mrb1p]

So that people can complain about Barron, Strubble, Xhekaj & Savard as they get exposed in bigger minutes?

Unless the goal is to spread the scapegoating to more players, while further reducing the on ice quality of play, not sure this is a great plan lol

But people are complaining about Matheson because he's god-awful.

 

[Benstheman]

So that people can complain about Barron, Strubble, Xhekaj & Savard as they get exposed in bigger minutes?

Unless the goal is to spread the scapegoating to more players, while further reducing the on ice quality of play, not sure this is a great plan lol

Whatever it is. Matheson is definitely not a solution going forward. Trade him for whatever value he is having.

 

[Miller Time]

Whatever it is. Matheson is definitely not a solution going forward. Trade him for whatever value he is having.

Or add an actual top pairing player, and slot him firmly in a 2nd pairing role... That's far better for us if the goal is to get competitive sooner than later.

Very hard to find an upgrade on Matheson in a 3-4 role at a similar cap hit, let alone cost of acquisition.

But people are complaining about Matheson because he's god-awful.

And better than the alternative... That's what blind complaining misses.

 

[Mrb1p]

Or add an actual top pairing player, and slot him firmly in a 2nd pairing role... That's far better for us if the goal is to get competitive sooner than later.

Very hard to find an upgrade on Matheson in a 3-4 role at a similar cap hit, let alone cost of acquisition.



And better than the alternative... That's what blind complaining misses.

Is he really better than the alternative? Does Struble make more mistakes than him? Does Xhekaj? Does Barron? Does Savard?

We know Hutson is a better alternative on the PP1. We know Guhle is probably at least similar on PP2.
We know Guhle and Hutson can both outplay him at ES/5v5.
We know that Struble, Xhekaj, Barron don't play a lot and they could play a couple more minutes with similar success.
We know that AX, Struble, Savard, Guhle can all play PK.

Stop butt clenching. Matheson isn't a necessity on this roster, he's just like Gustaffsson again. He's just like Kulak.

 

[Benstheman]

Or add an actual top pairing player, and slot him firmly in a 2nd pairing role... That's far better for us if the goal is to get competitive sooner than later.

Very hard to find an upgrade on Matheson in a 3-4 role at a similar cap hit, let alone cost of acquisition.



And better than the alternative... That's what blind complaining misses.

I agree we need to replace him with a more stable top pair guy, ideally on the right side. But at the end of the day, just can't have a left side of Hutson, Matheson, Xhekaj. At one point you have to play some decent defensive hockey to win.

 

[Clumsyhab]

Trade him before he's turning into another Petry, please

 

[Tyson]

Trade him before he's turning into another Petry, please

He has been bad...he and Savard both.

 

[Mrb1p]

Trade him before he's turning into another Petry, please

Petry was never this bad for us. Heck, I'm not even sure if Petry is this bad right now.

 

[Miller Time]

I agree we need to replace him with a more stable top pair guy, ideally on the right side. But at the end of the day, just can't have a left side of Hutson, Matheson, Xhekaj. At one point you have to play some decent defensive hockey to win.

once Hutson and Xhekaj/Strubble/Engstrom are established and entering their prime years, a Hutson/Matheson duo in the top 4 LD is absolutely fine.

not much different than the top 2 LDs for recent cup winners.

take any of those pairings when the top guy was the same age as Hutson (Forsling, Theodore, Toews) and consider what they'd have looked like.

Forsling
OEL
Mikola

Toews
Byram
Johnson

even Vegas...
Theodore
Martinez
Hague


Matheson may or may not still be here in 2-3 years, but if he is, and playing at the level he's currently at, as long as Hutson and the other young guys have progressed and are entering their prime years, and we've addressed the top 4 RD situation, and we're looking at a great LD situation.

trading Matheson for futures now makes no sense at all. we don't need the additional futures, and we do need quality vets. Matheson is a quality vet on a very good contract, he's taking on more than he's capable of because of our roster situation, moved into the right spot, and he's an obvious net positive.