Quoting: TML2000
Hainsey didn’t fail! We didn’t have anyone else to run the PK so he was on the ice for way to much time. Should he be a top pair guy? No, but we also don’t have any other defenceman to help him on the PK. If Marincin can help out on the PK that would be amazing for Hainsey.
Zaitsev is a very good defenceman who just needs a bigger role like he played in Russia and I think he could run the PK in the future. I hear what ur saying, we could use another guy or two on the backend but the future is also bright with Rielly, Dermot, Liljegren and Sandin.
Hainsey's gonna be playing a crapload of PK anyway, since Zaitsev really isn't that great at it. Hockeyvis's shotmaps for Gardiner-Zaitsev consistently showed the majority of dangerous chances coming from the right side. Zaitsev's an OFD. He's a pretty decent OFD, but Zaitsev on PK is a bad idea.
Hainsey down the stretch each of the past two years was really ineffective. His body just can't handle playing 1RD and PK1 over the course of a season. He can't really be moved off of PK1, so he has to be moved off of 1RD.
Quoting: palhal
Again this inaccurate fascination with the term 1 RHD. Like all teams the best players will generally get the most Ice time. So if it means Zaitsev, plays 22 minutes, Hainsey 20 minutes Marner playing 6 minutes at right side point one the PP that leaves 12 minutes for Carrick/Marincin/Holl or Ozhignikov Hard to fathom that Marincin will suddenly be capable of big minutes at at the NHL level. But if whoever plays the best will get the most minutes, despite any numbering system.
You're correct that Marincin playing big minutes at the NHL level will probably not work. Hainsey and Zaitsev playing massive minutes are options that have already not worked. Might as well gamble on the thing that is a longshot to work over the thing that has already failed to work.
There are 3 pairings at 5v5, each playing a different amount of 5v5 minutes. The RD on the pair that plays the most 5v5 minutes is the 1RD. Babcock has shown 3 things as an NHL coach. 1. He hates playing guys that are under 25 unless they are legitimate stars. 2. He keeps his lines and pairings together over long periods of time. 3. He likes to have a line and a pairing he can hard-match against other teams' top lines.
Babs needs a shutdown pair with a strong defensive 1RD in order for his system to work. You're correct that teams don't necessarily need a true top-pairing guy at 1RD if they have really good LD, Tampa proved that. But Babcock needs a good defensive 1RD for his system to work, and Marincin is the best shot at that working.
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