Quote:
Originally Posted by Hackey
Neal is a sunk cost. No one is content with him but some realize there isn't a whole lot that can be done. Whining daily isn't exactly a solution. Is anyone going to take him in trade? Seems highly unlikely. So basically the only option you have is to hope he gets going. I think you confuse being content with not needing to beat a dead horse. EVERYONE knows Neal is playing like crap. Somehow you think whining about it daily on the internet is magically going to create a solution? Realistically there doesn't seem to be many options. It is what it is at this point so it seems more logical to enjoy all the success the team is having and spend less time focusing on really the only thing going wrong.
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I agree, the contract is what it is, the production clearly doesn't match the dough and it's highly likely it won't match no matter what else he does for the rest of the season.
The gripe for me isn't about the value of the contract right now. That Treliving will have to deal with in the offseason as the cap will be tight. But for me, the biggest thing was the usage. I dislike virtually every aspect about his game and I knew it would be better served going to other guys like Frolik or a Bennett or a Jankowski and etc.
That to me is the bigger issue because it affects the team. Useful players like Frolik are getting scratched, benched and underutilized because the team is still trying to get Neal going over 50% into the season. At some point, trying to get him going is a lost cause. His constant floating around, his lack of engagement to 1 on 1 battles, his lethargy to the defensive side of the puck, the turnovers, the footspeed, the value of his production per minute. None of these things will help the team win in the playoffs, so it's hard to ignore.
If Neal's minutes are pushed down and he's slotted closer to where he should be in the line up. Then that's really all that I can ask for right now. With the 3M line hopefully reunited for good, this gives this team 2 quality lines going forward which will help big time.and if Jankowski can continue his upward trend helping to push Bennett and Neal's game along, I can see traffic for this thread slowing down.