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Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube
O'Reilly makes Backlund expendable.
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Yikes.
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He's a couple million more for better offensive #'s
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You're comparing a guy who was the obvious LHS forward on a RHS stacked Buffalo PP with Eichel, Reinhart, Ristolainen etc to a guy who's not playing that role on such a team. I don't doubt Backlund could put up the same numbers feeding Eichel for one-timers and I don't think ROR is some elite PP wizard.
Back to 5 v 5 though
ROR as a Sabre: 26G 44A 70P in 3328 minutes
Backlund last 3 years: 33G 52A 85P in 3178 minutes
Yeah, I don't see the better offensive numbers outside of ROR being in a cushy situation. This is not unlike the same issues I identified with Brouwer BEFORE we ever signed him.
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and better defensive prowess
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Based on what exactly? Just your opinion? Or do you have supporting evidence of that claim?
Backlund highest Selke finish - 4th, one year ago
ROR highest Selke finish - 6th, five years ago
Please don't say faceoff sta-
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he's the best faceoff man in the league. Best defense is to not let the other team start with the puck to begin with.
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Faceoffs are nice, but league-best faceoff man has been on the ice for exactly one fewer PK goal against than Backlund
in ninety fewer minutes the last three years
. Faceoffs are nice, but what you do after them absolutely matters and a TON of the game is played on the fly without any faceoff. There's very limited if any correlation between faceoffs and winning. And while having a faceoff guy is nice, it's usually a 4C of the ilk of Malhotra, Yelle or Cullen who takes those draws, not the centerpiece of team construction.
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I see no reason why he wouldn't continue to see significant PP time in Calgary -- Buffalo also has another top center on their PP that he didn't take away from.
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Eichel is a RHS sniper who plays the left circle in an Ovechkin type role.
Monahan is a LHS sniper who plays the bumper.
Gaudreau is a LHS playmaker who likes to play the half walls.
ROR is a LHS forward who either plays the bumper or right half wall.
One of these things is not like the other.