Situation matters a ton for defensemen - much more than for forwards, it seems. Who your partner is, quality of competition, situational utilization, and coach/systems, impact a defenseman's performance significantly. Sure, there are guys who can look great in any situation, but that is a reflection on their talent more so than it is the norm.
Let's hope they can find a partner and a role for Mackey, because so far, he is a fish out of water. Personally, I think it is because he just can't process the game fast enough to be efective at the NHL level, but I hope I am wrong and he can get it together.
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