Brodie's good games are now an aberration. He gets walked once a game and constantly loses his assignment or just makes a terrible read and gets stuck in no mans land. His defense has been beyond terrible this year and he's incredibly careless with the puck. I really am shocked his point totals are as high as they are, he hasn't even looked good on the PP. Him and Hamonic couldn't have less chemistry, both have no idea what the other guy is going to do, like watching the Wideman-Brodie pairing all over again. Least Wideman would score from time to time.
But if he's been playing his entire life on one side and better at it, why would you not leave him where he plays best. Only because he shoots a specific way? There are lots of wingers that are more comfortable on their off side and are 'high level pros' too.
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Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus
If a high level pro can't adjust to playing the opposite side then he isn't that good to begin with. I don't buy that excuse at all.
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If a high level pro can't adjust to playing the opposite side then he isn't that good to begin with. I don't buy that excuse at all.
Whether or not a pro should be able to adjust, the coach should be adjusting well before the player adjusts. I just don’t buy that all of these d men have proven to be #1 quality players in their career but all decide to look like 3rd pairing guys at the same time. It’s not the player when every player struggles imo.
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Whether or not a pro should be able to adjust, the coach should be adjusting well before the player adjusts. I just don’t buy that all of these d men have proven to be #1 quality players in their career but all decide to look like 3rd pairing guys at the same time. It’s not the player when every player struggles imo.
Your post holds too much logic and sums things up in a reasonable manner.
But if he's been playing his entire life on one side and better at it, why would you not leave him where he plays best. Only because he shoots a specific way? There are lots of wingers that are more comfortable on their off side and are 'high level pros' too.
I think his success on that side was due to Gio, more than comfort. And he was moved off the first pair because Hamilton is younger, better and has more upside.
But, not, to move him to his "comfortable" side, you have to move someone off of theirs. And at the same time, consensus coaching strategies tell you that his current side is optimal for breakouts, defending, etc.
IMO his main errors never come as a result of what side he is playing. They are bad pinches, getting walked, having the puck simply roll off his stick, or being weak in the corners and in front of the net.
Brodie definitely isn´t right, and with a few marvellous exceptions, hasn´t been for a while. Guys like him and Damilton are under-stated introverts. They are not extroverted, heart-on-their-sleeves types like a Messier. I am sure they care as much about winning as a Gio does but they show it differently. You cannot get blood from a stone and you won´t give many visible reactions from a person like Damilton or Brodie.
This also really underscores the importance of drafting and developing. We really need to hit on Valamaki, Kylington, Andersen and Fox to ensure we have a good d-core moving forward. Plus, we can retool and rebuild if they establish themselves with the picks and prospects we get from trading guys like Hamonic, Stone and Brodie.
I think his success on that side was due to Gio, more than comfort. And he was moved off the first pair because Hamilton is younger, better and has more upside.
But, not, to move him to his "comfortable" side, you have to move someone off of theirs. And at the same time, consensus coaching strategies tell you that his current side is optimal for breakouts, defending, etc.
IMO his main errors never come as a result of what side he is playing. They are bad pinches, getting walked, having the puck simply roll off his stick, or being weak in the corners and in front of the net.
And that is a big problem. When Gulutzan committed to moving Brodie (and the team) to their 'proper' side, Treliving went out and got more RH Ds. Now there is no room for Brodie there.
And while 'consensus coaching' says that it is optimal, that does not mean that it applies 100% to everyone. There are always exceptions. And if the coach is too rigid to accept that, then I have a problem with him.
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And that is a big problem. When Gulutzan committed to moving Brodie (and the team) to their 'proper' side, Treliving went out and got more RH Ds. Now there is no room for Brodie there.
And while 'consensus coaching' says that it is optimal, that does not mean that it applies 100% to everyone. There are always exceptions. And if the coach is too rigid to accept that, then I have a problem with him.
I can't think of another player that GG has "forced" off of their preferred side. His wingers play off wing all the time.
Of course there are exceptions. I still think, however, that Brodie is a smart enough hockey player to adjust. He or the fans or both are using this as a crutch to explain why he isn't playing well IMO. I still think the biggest change for him is that he's not playing with a Norris calibre defenceman.
I can't think of another player that GG has "forced" off of their preferred side. His wingers play off wing all the time.
Of course there are exceptions. I still think, however, that Brodie is a smart enough hockey player to adjust. He or the fans or both are using this as a crutch to explain why he isn't playing well IMO. I still think the biggest change for him is that he's not playing with a Norris calibre defenceman.
First of all, I absolutely agree that not playing with Giordano is a huge factor - Giordano is possibly the most under-rated player on the team. He consistently carries, or at least improves, whoever plays with him.
And I don't think Brodie has ever used it as a crutch. However, the side does matter for some players more than others. And who your partner is matters. And the style of play that the coach wants from you matters.
I think all of these things are factors that are influencing his play.
As for the forwards playing wrong side, I think it is partially a function of the available players, and partially a function of the fact that it doesn't matter as much for wingers.
The only thing we can do right now with Brodie is let himself try and figure it out. He has done multiple times before, and he is actually the best defenseman we have when it comes to the playoffs, which I hope we make.
He actually doesn't make many mistakes, the only problem is when he does make those few mistakes, those few mistakes were really bad/badly timed, and are the ones that get buried in the net.
Last game against Edmonton was inexcusable though. That to me was by far his worst game.
First of all, I absolutely agree that not playing with Giordano is a huge factor - Giordano is possibly the most under-rated player on the team. He consistently carries, or at least improves, whoever plays with him.
And I don't think Brodie has ever used it as a crutch. However, the side does matter for some players more than others. And who your partner is matters. And the style of play that the coach wants from you matters.
I think all of these things are factors that are influencing his play.
As for the forwards playing wrong side, I think it is partially a function of the available players, and partially a function of the fact that it doesn't matter as much for wingers.
In at least one interview he mentioned it.
The reason I mentioned forwards was because you said GG was forcing "the team" to move to traditional sides. I don't see it, aside from Brodie.
If Brodie can't manage the switch, I'd rather trade him, Especially as I think the Gio factor is much bigger.
I don't think that this is as much about the side, as the partner. He plays well with Stone. A month of that pairing and I think that there will be no discussion of Brodie.
That puts Hamonic on the third pairing, where he is perhaps not well utilized. Although I also think that Hamonic has suffered through bad chemistry with Brodie. It doesn't make any of them bad players.
With Andersson in the wings, when do we start talking about trading Hamilton for a King's Ransom, and put Hamonic on the top pairing?
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If a high level pro can't adjust to playing the opposite side then he isn't that good to begin with. I don't buy that excuse at all.
I have posted the Jim Rutherford article that goes into exactly this about Trevor Daley - a guy that looked great in Dallas playing on his off-side, then goes to Chicago to play on his 'strong' side but looked weak, and who Rutherford properly identified as a target to acquire and utilize on his off-side. It does happen, and it is a 'thing'.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GioforPM
I can't think of another player that GG has "forced" off of their preferred side. His wingers play off wing all the time.
Of course there are exceptions. I still think, however, that Brodie is a smart enough hockey player to adjust. He or the fans or both are using this as a crutch to explain why he isn't playing well IMO. I still think the biggest change for him is that he's not playing with a Norris calibre defenceman.
As noted above in my first reply in this post, but you also have wingers that are better on their strong sides, or better on their off-sides. Again, a good example is from another Player's Tribune article with James Neal, and how the Pens (Bylsma) made him play his off-side which at first he hated, and then became a much better and effective goal scorer with time, and is now his preferred side.
Some players are just better on their off-side. Also, confidence is such a huge part of the game. Just making Brodie more comfortable out there can get him on a bit of a roll. You can get the snowball effect either way - little things that snowball into huge mistakes and tendencies, but things can also snowball into great play. Just look at Justin Shultz in Edmonton vs Justin Shultz in Pittsburgh.
As for not having any room for Brodie on the right side any longer, I ask you this: Is Brodie a more important defencemen to this team now and in the future than Hamonic and Stone?
Your core needs to be slotted correctly in the lineup, and supporting pieces added to enhance them. If Hamonic or Stone are unable to play the left side while Brodie is playing the right, then you make a move with one of them, not Brodie. Getting Brodie playing the way he was two years ago is the critical piece of this discussion, not so much Hamonic and/or Stone.
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For anyone who thinks Left/Right side shouldn't be a factor, I advise you to read this article by Penguins GM Rutherford from soon after they won the Stanley Cup:
