Toggle sidebar

Player Discussion Sens sign free wallet defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo

  • Work is still on-going to rebuild the site styling and features. Please report any issues you may experience so we can look into it. Click Here for Updates
I would keep him as the number 6 D. He obvi has experience. Hamonic can be the extra and JBD no idea. Maybe trade him for some help upfront. Or keep two extra D
 
Micklebot said:
If you're going to compare defensive metrics, you need to control for variables. Hamonic played a lot slotted too high, in much tougher deployment than JBD or Matinpalo, he also played a lot of that when the goaltending was not doing well, unlike Matinpalo who's come in with Levi playing great.

If you want to try and control for that, one way to go might be looking at how each of them played while paired with Kleven,



[td]
With Kleven

[/td]
[td]
TOI With

[/td]
[td]
xGF/60

[/td]
[td]
xGA/60

[/td]
[td]
xGF% With

[/td]
[td]
Travis Hamonic

[/td]​
[td]
124.10

[/td]
[td]
1.49

[/td]
[td]
1.90

[/td]
[td]
43.93

[/td]​
[td]
Nikolas Matinpalo

[/td]​
[td]
85.75

[/td]
[td]
1.71

[/td]
[td]
2.26

[/td]
[td]
43.08

[/td]​
[td]
Jacob Bernard-Docker

[/td]​
[td]
259.28

[/td]
[td]
1.70

[/td]
[td]
2.37

[/td]
[td]
41.75

[/td]​


Kleven has also grown as a player over the year, so there's probably a bit of that impacting the numbers, no comparison is going to control for all the variables, but I do think we you apply a bit of control to the analysis, there's a strong argument to be made that Hamonic has been better than JBD.

Matinpalo has looked solid so far, small sample though, so tough to judge, I don't think our depth on D is actually all that bad, we have 4 guys in Hamonic, Sebrango, JBD and Matinpalo that can all play at this level. The issue imo is only Kleven is at a level where I'm comfortable with him moving up the lineup into the top 4.
Click to expand...

The numbers are still hard to read. I'm comfortable with the Top-6 as it is right now. JBD, Sebrango and Hamonic as replacements, all good for me.
 
Xspyrit said:
The numbers are still hard to read. I'm comfortable with the Top-6 as it is right now. JBD, Sebrango and Hamonic as replacements, all good for me.
Click to expand...
I fixed the table (sort of). It seems the update killed copying tables in from spreadsheets...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Xspyrit
Joeyjoejoe said:
My man all over the offensive zone recently trying to get his fist goal or point.

No way in hell should he be sitting out when Jensen comes back.
Click to expand...

Agree. As much as Hamonic has been serviceable lately, Matinpalo has shown he's much better and deserves to stay in the lineup over him.

And is there any doubt left over who is better between him and JBD at this point?
 
He flashed some nice wheels a couple of times last night. Definitely our 3rd best RD when Jensen is back. I would not put this guy on waivers.
 
Alf Silfversson said:
He flashed some nice wheels a couple of times last night. Definitely our 3rd best RD when Jensen is back. I would not put this guy on waivers.
Click to expand...
I hadn't even considered that he was waiver eligible, yeah, idk if you can waive this guy and have any hope of him passing through.

I'd have him ahead of JBD for sure, and even if you do like the way Hamonic is currently playing over him (I don't but Green might, it's hard to compare given Hamonic has been used in tougher deployment), Hammer is likely gone after this year, while Matinpalo has a decent future ahead of him.

We probably don't need to make a decision any time soon with Norris, Gregor, JBD and Cousins out
 
  • Like
Reactions: bicboi64
BondraTime said:
Can't take him out and leave Hamonic in.

3rd pairing has been doing its job well.

Hamonic nukes every pair he's on. He's a wiley vet, but he isn't good anymore, hasn't been in 3+ years.
Click to expand...

I think he (Hamonic) has been pretty good relative to expectations. He's got the best GA/60 of all D on the team (sorry. 2nd best slightly behind Kleven), compared to the absolute worst last year. That's while clearly playing above where he should be (over 500 of his 628 5v5 mins in the top 4...) for most of the year.

He absolutely kills any offense though...

I do agree that you can't break up Kleven and Matinpalo the way they are playing, so he should come out, but he deserves some credit for a much better season. I think this has been his best season as a sen. Low bar but I don't hate his game this year, just his penchant for needlessly icing the puck...
 
He's been very solid and you can tell he has a history of playing with Kleven. Those two have good chemistry together.

I suspect he'll leave the lineup once Jensen is back, but he absolutely deserves to be playing every night over Hamonic.

I think he's earned a 1-way extension for next season.
 
He has been so solid and does everything better than JBD or Hamonic.

Skates better, handles the puck better, more physical, better shot (although he keeps going for top cheese) and he has a very calm presence.

He probably comes out of the line-up just because vet stuff, but with what he has shown, I think he gets picked off the waiver wire if we try to send him down.

It doesn't seem we have had nice surprises like him in a LONG time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom