Yep. Datsyuk. For those convinced that Nash is a lost cause, I wonder how many of you - if you were Red Wings fans - would have been calling for Datsyuk's head after FOUR playoffs (one more than Nash) with worse performance than Nash has had thus far. And how much that could have been one of the worst trades in history if Holland ever actually considered dumping Datsyuk because of some perceived playoff choking... instead Holland stuck with him and it has paid off big time.
Granted it was certainly a bit of a different situation in that Datsyuk was making $1.5 million and then ~$3 million before he got his big pay day, part before the cap and part after it was implemented, so the Wings weren't initially feeling the weight of a highly paid player underperforming in the same way NYR has with Nash. But it also isn't like Datsyuk was relegated to the 4th line or was some scrub at that point in his career. He quickly emerged as an elite regular season player, and just struggled to find his way in the playoffs. For much of the period he struggled in the playoffs, he was playing on a line with Brett Hull and then later getting top line minutes.
Nash needs to figure out how to score goals and be effective in the playoffs. But I think the trade talk is a bit pre-emptive. After having a few days to sleep on it and remove myself from the emotion of being disappointed, I think there are some things to be hopeful about. First three series? Defensively good. Offensively, statistically he wasn't bad - in terms of shots - but he wasn't doing what he needed to do to put himself in the best positions to score. He wasn't elevating his play as you need to do in the playoffs. But I felt his play in the SCF gives me a bit of hope that he may have been starting to figure it out. Even though he didn't get the goals, he was doing a lot of the right things offensively. He drove the net more, he was throwing the body more, he was looking like he was fighting for the puck more than he had in the other series. Again; didn't get it done and that's all that matters - but he wasn't looking like, for instance, Brad Richards did. Not even close. So I'm willing to see how it goes next season.
Again Datsyuk's first playoff games were even worse than Nash's have been:
Rick Nash's first 41 playoff games over 3 playoffs: 41 GP, 5 goals, 13 assists, 18 points. 0.12 goals per game. 0.439 points per game.
Pavel Datsyuk's first 42 playoff games over 4 playoffs: 42 GP, 3 goals, 12 assists, 15 points. 0.07 goals per game. 0.357 points per game.
Datsyuk's next 103 PO games over 8 playoffs: 103 GP, 36 goals, 57 assists, 93 points. 0.35 goals per game, 0.903 points per game.
And disclaimer: Not trying to say Nash is, or will be, anywhere near Datsyuk's level. But if he can find his way in the playoffs and improve upon his scoring there, this team is a very different animal in the postseason. Sometimes it takes a little bit of patience and some time. He is quickly running out of time to prove himself though.
