Quote:
Originally Posted by kn
No scout can definitively say what Ekblad will be at 23. Where does Brodie slot on a team like Los Angeles?
Doughty
Greene
Martinez
Muzzin
Mitchell
Voynov
Regehr
He's probably a 4,5,6 and on the 2nd PP unit? No idea. Brodie's a #2 in Calgary but on a good team is he a top-pairing d-man? If the Flames see Ekblad as the best player in the draft who can anchor our top pairing for the next 10-15 years, then I think they're justified in going after him.
All of this has made for interesting discussion, if nothing else.
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TJ Brodie this year, compared to other defensemen.
Top 50 in scoring
Top 25 in ice time (big minutes while maintaining an even +/- on a team with a -32 goal differential)
Top 50 in blocked shots
Top 20 in unblocked shot attempts allowed per 60min (among defensemen with at least 500 minutes played)
Top 5 in possession (shot-attempt differential) relative to the team. The Flames were over 8% better with Brodie on the ice.
Top 50 in overall possession. 51.5% on a 46% team is miraculous.
Odd one, but 2nd in the league (behind Olympian Dan Hamhuis) in penalty differential ie. penalties drawn minus penalties taken, with +8. Only 20 d-men actually had a positive differential, and Dion Phaneuf was a league-worst -29.
Sure, he's not a top-pairing player on a lot of the league's top teams right now. But, there's nothing showing me that he isn't a legitimate top 40 or 50 defender in the league. And at age 23, I see no reason to believe he can't keep improving. Trading him to move up 3 slots, just to have first pick of a group of 4 reasonably evenly rated prospects? Ugh.