Dude, my mother tongue isn't English and even I know that it's "salt in the WOUND!"
TSN's article on Clarkson.
- Thread starter Strat
- Start date
William Hylander
There can be only 1
- Aug 17, 2009
- 2,618
- 353
I think Jeff Finger is/was better value than Clarkson. At the time of the signing I was relieved that they didn't sign him to that rumoured 6mill per year deal. Nonis needs to retire.
Feed Me A Stray Cat
Registered User
I watched Clarkson play his first seven professional years of hockey. I know much more about his play in NJ than you do.
Much of his success with NJ came playing third line minutes with average to below average talent. His 22 ES goals in 11-12 were primarily with guys like Ponikarovsky / Tedenby / Josefson / Carter. Not exactly marquee talent.
Your example with goons is pretty funny because it relies on an extremely small sample of 300 ES minutes skewing results upwards for Orr. If you were to include any other year in the sample Orr's PTS/60 would plummet. Pretty strong selection bias there, huh?
Are you willing to acknowledge that Dubinsky, Stastny and Kesler are inferior to Clarkson and ECHL level players because their 11-13 PTS/60 were lower? Clarkson's 1.45 PTS/60 is pretty standard for a 2nd/3rd line tweener player.
Clarkson has two dimensions: physicality and a knack for putting the puck in the net. He doesn't do anything else well, and is a net negative in aspects such as creativity and passing. NJ fans knew this, Toronto fans are understandably upset that he doesn't bring more than that for the contract they gave him.
In the right system with the right coach, Clarkson is an effective player. He could score 25 goals for some teams in this league without being viewed as an anchor in other facets of the game. Toronto is just not the right fit.
I wonder how he would do in the Boston system, where he wouldn't really be hounded as much for his skating ability(or lack thererof) a long as he fought hard, and got close enough to fire off a few shots.
Makar Goes Fast
grocery stick
this just shows he is incapable of thinking long term. GM's cant only look short term.
Makar Goes Fast
grocery stick
Leafidelity
Existentially Drifting
He has maybe some of the worst basic skills (balance, passing, hockey IQ) of any player I've seen in over 20 years.
Purity*
Registered User
- Jan 29, 2010
- 8,446
- 1
I have a really hard time believing any of this. His "physical play" is largely a joke. He routinely loses battles to smaller players and always seems to get the worst out of contact. Also his "goal scoring knack" does not exist. A scrub can fluke 30 goals, it happens. Even our very own Nikolai Kulemin did it, and most of our fanbase knew he was never going to score 30 again.
I think a cycling/grinding system would MINIMALLY increase Clarkson's production. He might get 30 points in a system based on grinding and cycling. But that doesn't change the fact that this guy is a bottom-6 grinder and nothing more. I would bet money on the fact that he would never score 25 goals EVER on any team in this league. He already had his fluke year, no chance it happens again.
Clarkson was very good at grinding... When he wasn't falling down. He scored goals because he hung on to the puck and shot first all the time instead of passing, something NJ did too much of when he was there.
David Clarkson: The WORST contract in the NHL bar none. The best thing about it is that it's the gift that's guaranteed to keep on giving, whether that's by TML management trying to force him into points at the expense of the team's success, or by a hefty and damaging buy-out that will handicap the Leafs for years to come. Either way, the Clarkson contract is sure to create a pretty massive distraction for the foreseeable future, and I can't say I'm too sad for it.
Mickey Mouse
Registered User
Just because he says that doesn't mean he's not thinking long term, though I'm not sure anyone that gives out that kind of candy to a guy that's so fundamentally lacking is capable of thinking period.
redbull
Boss
- Mar 24, 2008
- 12,593
- 654
Good post. This is very common when a player is added to an organization, the optimists (and general media, especially in Toronto) start with the narrative of all the positives about the player, especially higher profile (or $) players. It happened with Komisarek in Toronto as well. With Vanek in Montreal and with the Islanders before that. It happened with Moulson & Andrew MacDonald when they left the Islanders.
We forget the team that "didn't want them anymore" often know more about the player/situation than those who are acquiring them.
I remember a lot of NJ posters, on their board, not being too fussed about the Clarkson loss, especially at that price tag. If you'd seen Komisarek play in MTL and removed the highlight reel big hits, you would have seen a player who had a hard time making a pass, who was out of position almost constantly, who had an underrated (at the time) and healthy Andrei Markov carrying that player - when they were together.
Moulson was one of the worst hockey players in the NHL unless he had the puck in the slot, on the PP. He had amazing stats, good plus/minus, looked like the "missing piece" to another team's needs. The Flyers are notorious for the Andrew MacDonald, Luke Schenn, Michael DelZotto "mistakes" - though Mark Streit has been good. Exactly as those who watched them closely would have expected.
Clarkson is no different, in a way. He's just much slower, has been injured, and hasn't meshed well with any linemates in Toronto. He's largely the same player as in Jersey, just a little bit worse in all areas - combined with much higher expectations.
Toronto is definitely not the right fit, not with that contract.
The Leafs have a lot of problems, but the biggest one is in the middle of the ice. A top centre can make wingers look better, something they've lacked since Sundin. That hole is an enormous one that they've been unable to address. It's not just Bozak, it's the other ones as well, though Kadri has looked very good this year under the circumstances.
Adding wingers without a centre is pretty pointless, imo. A bit like signing great receivers with no QB.
Reason Clarkson did so well in NJ because we had a lot of old slow skaters. He could keep up with them.
Quares27
Registered User
- Apr 3, 2013
- 6,981
- 162
Clarkson isnt scoring when his team is struggling to score and losing the game? unbelievable stuff there
Clarkson doesnt get many PP points when his sole job is to stand in front of the net and screen the goalie? once again, unbelievable stuff there
Clarkson doesnt get many PP points when his sole job is to stand in front of the net and screen the goalie? once again, unbelievable stuff there
Gormo
Holupchi
- Nov 12, 2010
- 1,709
- 452
But, but....
That child-like vacant facial expression combined with how easy it is to suck him into taking stupid undisciplined penalties would kill me.
Colin226
NJ Devils STH
If only Parise and Kovalchuk were putting up number like this after they left.... At least we get the last laugh with this one
not suprising that a classy, individual like Elias would clash with Clarkson. Clarkson looks likes a punk to me. Like Ribeiro sketchy.
This makes me think you don't know what you're talking about. Luke Schenn is worth his relatively marginal contract. He's a solid bottom three D. MDZ has very good puck skills and has been one of our two best D this year (though, that's not saying much) and entirely worth his entirely marginal contract. Streit is very good for us and has been, as you said. The only one not worth his contract in the slightest is MacDonald.
It's also pretty hypocritical and self-centered to think other fans can't have different views of the same player from different years, just because he played for your team prior.
