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Old 03-19-2023, 08:41 PM   #38
gvitaly
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mindtravellee View Post
Didn't Zad - Weegar show chemistry?

I don't know what that would mean for the other pairing though
They did, and this season though in a small sample size Zadorov - Tanev was pretty good(the best defensively in fact).

Here are the analytics:


That said, they don't match my eye test. Here's the bad:
  • The way Z plays looks extremely lazy
  • The way he defends a 2 on 1 or an odd man rushes essentially make them a 2 on 0
  • He has a very slow first stride, despite having a good overall speed
  • He usually waits for his teammates, mostly D partner and center to retrieve pucks along the boards
  • He has a lot of trouble maintaining a good gap on players that can stop or change direction on a dime
  • He's not great at tying up sticks when boxing out the front of the net(like the Ben deflection goal).
  • He takes a lot of penalties, but he's doing better this year
  • He tries to act tough, but he's not a fighter - that's not really a bad thing, but he shouldn't be used as Lucic/Gudbranson etc.

The good:
  • One of the best open ice hitters in the game
  • He has a very good shot when he can sneak into the slot
  • He can lead the rush, and has a good top speed
  • He has a very good stick, and he's good at preventing zone entries
  • He seems to be a good teammate, and an awesome interview
  • He has an edge when it comes to protecting the goalie

That's why, for me, if he's in your top 4 D you're not a playoff team. He is too erratic to be relied on to shut down the best players on a continuous basis. He's still only 27, and can improve various aspects of his game, but I just don't see our team outscoring Zadorov in the top 4.
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