Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper
Ok, so got around to finally watching Johnny Gaudreau play and boy was it an eye opener.
Gaudreau
So first of all, all the traits that make Johnny great, he still has them:
• Elite Acceleration
• Superb edgework
• Sharp lateral movement
• High end vision, instincts and anticipation
• Quick feet
• Deft hands
Everything is still there from what I can remember. He still has the ability to play and think the game at a high pace. He still executes nifty plays at high speeds (i.e. no look passes, passes through defender’s legs). He can still bend and manipulate the rush to his will and find open linemates joining the play. Still has a knack for gaining the offensive zone with possession and he still has the ability to attack defenders one on one, backing them up and making plays without breaking stride. There’s no doubt in my mind that the same Johnny exists.
Columbus
Secondly, even though my sole focus was on Gaudreau, I couldn’t help noticing the play of the Blue Jacket’s Dmen and centers, or the lack there of. If I was a consultant for Jarmo Kekalainen, I would use one word to describe his team’s play down low: DISASTER.
• Defensemen are soft, soft in front of the net, soft down low, are easily stripped of pucks and lose all kinds of one on one puck battles and 50/50s along the boards with ease
• They can’t kill plays, can’t stop the cycle, thus team is hemmed into their zone for entire shifts +
• They can’t execute basic passes to alleviate pressure
• Not enough poise, even from top guys like Werenski, Provorov, Severson
• So they struggle mightily to cleanly breakout of their own zone
• Their centers offer very little support down low and have trouble turning up ice, they also have trouble driving play, team plays like they have lots of young and/or inexperienced players
• They offer very little resistance in terms of transition defense
• Their most common play is try to flip pucks out of the zone, change lines, give up possession and restart the process of defending again
• If I’m the opposition coach, I’m telling my guys to put as much pressure on their defensemen as possible and crowd their crease, they’ll wilt, cough up pucks and give you all day in front of their net
Honestly, watching the Blue Jackets play has given me a new sense of appreciation for the Flames’ defensemen and centers, especially Backlund and Lindholm.
Even though the Flames don’t have a lot of high end game breaking skill per se, what they do have is a lot of guys who pull up their sleeves, work hard, play the right way, pay attention to details and do the little things well that win 50/50s, puck battles and forward play up ice.
It’s honestly very easy to take those little things for granted as if it’s just simple and expected which isn’t the case when you’re a fan of a bad team.
Verdict
In conclusion, I would absolutely take Gaudreau back 100%. He hasn’t lost a step or his abilities. He’s probably the least of the worries from what I saw. I’m not going to excuse his lack of passion and effort that his coach probably isn’t seeing, that’s on him to show up every game/shift, but I can see why he’s frustrated and becoming resigned watching the gongshow that is his team behind their net
Ultimately, I think Gaudreau would still do very well here because the team’s strengths would cater more to his strengths. Do i see it happening though? Probably never will. But all I know is if he ever goes to a different team that can defend/break out more efficiently and make more use of his elite skillset, then I think Gaudreau would be highly productive again.
That’s what he had here in 21-22, his line spent very little time defending which gave him plenty of opportunities to get on the rush and create whereas with Columbus, he barely had a handful from the game I watched.
Right now, I’d compare him to a Ferrari stuck in traffic everyday. If you can get him out in the open road, I still think there’s a lot there. So If I’m a GM of a good team, I’m actively pursuing him because he’s still a special player who can help transform your offense.
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