Damn You, Puck Daddy

by Jonathan Willis on Apr 23, 2009 12:32 PM MDT

It's one thing for the NHL to ignore Sheldon Souray when it names the three finalists for the Norris Trophy, but Greg Wyshynski goes one step further in his blog entry today.

He makes a list of the folks omitted from awards; presumably the list of the next-best defensemen in the league:

Andrei Markov
Brian Rafalski
Scott Niedermayer
Dan Boyle
Mark Streit
Shea Weber

Notice a name missing from that list? The name of that hard-shooting, Craig Wellar-destroying defenseman on the Edmonton Oilers, perhaps? I was fairly 'meh' on Souray in the summer, but his season was incredible. Consider:

Souray's 23 goals ranked 2nd among NHL defensemen
Souray's 53 points ranked 8th among NHL defensemen
Souray's 12 power-play goals was 2nd among NHL defensemen
Souray was one of only 21 NHL defensemen to score a short-handed goal this season
Souray's 5 game-winning goals was second among NHL defensemen (and yes I know that GW goals is a garbage stat, but I'm trying to make a point!)
Souray's 24:54 ranked 9th among NHL defensemen
Souray played in all situations, ranking in the top thirty in TOI on both the PK and PP
And, of course, Souray destroys people

None of this is to say that Souray's going to be worth his contract over its duration, or even be able to repeat this season, but he had an incredible year. Certainly better than Mark Streit's.

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I could have kick Weller’s ass if I had a wrist guard on, too.

by andy.swan on Apr 23, 2009 1:27 PM MDT reply actions

Ohlund’s too?

It's only my opinion, but it's right.

Writer for The Copper & Blue, OilersNation, and CanucksArmy.

by Jonathan Willis on Apr 23, 2009 1:29 PM MDT up reply actions

Oh right

Here’s the link.

It's only my opinion, but it's right.

Writer for The Copper & Blue, OilersNation, and CanucksArmy.

by Jonathan Willis on Apr 23, 2009 1:40 PM MDT up reply actions

I wasn’t referring to Ohlund, which was a severe trouncing. What is questionable is the fact that he illegally engaged in a fight because he was wearing a wrist guard.

by andy.swan on Apr 23, 2009 1:55 PM MDT reply actions

I didn’t like the wrist guard detail myself; I know that the Wild claimed to have found a new video angle a few weeks after the fight but I’ve never seen video evidence that Souray was hitting Wellar with the guard. Has a clip become public, or are we still in the he-said/she-said stage?

It's only my opinion, but it's right.

Writer for The Copper & Blue, OilersNation, and CanucksArmy.

by Jonathan Willis on Apr 23, 2009 2:06 PM MDT up reply actions

“I could have kick Weller’s ass if I had a wrist guard on, too.”

No you couldn’t.

“What is questionable is the fact that he illegally engaged in a fight because he was wearing a wrist guard.”

That’s not what you were saying.

The fact of the matter is the wrist guard had no bearing on the outcome of the fight whatsoever.

Souray has since been warned by the league about wearing one but not actually disciplined. The illegality of the fight is questionable.

by Jon Kerber on Apr 23, 2009 2:22 PM MDT up reply actions

Yeah, he was slamming him pretty good with it on another angle they showed a few days later. I’m not a Edmonton hater by any means (quite the contrary actually) I just don’t like seeing players get needlessly hurt. In this case it was a concussion, which can haunt a player his whole life and even end careers.

And Jon, don’t take my initial comment’s humor literally.

The guard moved up his forearm from where he inflicted most of the damage on Weller while in a headlock. It was not flesh on flesh.

by andy.swan on Apr 23, 2009 2:31 PM MDT reply actions

Notice a name missing from that list?

Yeah, Duncan Keith…

Second City Hockey

by Killion on Apr 23, 2009 11:00 PM MDT reply actions

Good call

Duncan Keith’s a heck of a player.

It's only my opinion, but it's right.

Writer for The Copper & Blue, OilersNation, and CanucksArmy.

by Jonathan Willis on Apr 23, 2009 11:04 PM MDT up reply actions

as is Souray… I know it was a pretty deep pool this year but I think Puck Daddy could have chosen better examples. Or I’m just a homer.. either way though

Second City Hockey

by Killion on Apr 23, 2009 11:15 PM MDT up reply actions

Mirtle agrees

And put him #4 on the ballot.

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Apr 24, 2009 8:17 AM MDT up reply actions

Chara , Lidstrom better Defensively.

Everyone say Chara and Lidstrom are superior Defensively to green.
Clearly they will have:
1. faced tougher comp
2. Generated superior EVGA/60
3. Shut down the other teams power play.

1. On the first Chara and Lidstrom face first line comp. While Green was given the softer 2nd line competition at even.

2. What is interesting is the EvenGA:
Lidstrom #46 best Dman 2.14EVGA/60
Chara #53 2.23 EVGA/60
Green #49 2.18 EVGA/60
Green was able to achieve Equal Ga by facing softer parade but he did not have to be hidden. From the looks of it could have taken on a tougher comp Role.

3. But wait Chara and Lidstrom will be way better at the pk were the true defensive dmen stand out.
Lidsrtrom #65 6.92GA/60
Chara #33 5.84PPGA/60
Green #3 2.60PPGA60
Greens results were so good he is better on the pk then half the dmen in the league are at even.
This is embarrasing :
Green gives up 11less goals than chara a year
Green gives up 15 less goals than Lidstrom a year
On the penalty kill.

Quit bying into the’ Yeah can he play the defensive Dman role like Chara or Lidstrom."

Ah the answer is, “he is Better.”

by rickithebear on Apr 24, 2009 11:43 AM MDT reply actions

A PPGA/60 rate that low seems unsustainable to be quite honest. Was it bounces or small statistical sample?

by R O on Apr 25, 2009 9:14 PM MDT up reply actions

I had the same question, but it appears that Green spent most of the year on the powerplay so we aren’t talking a tiny sample; still, the problem with special teams numbers is that even if he averages 3 minutes a night and plays all 82 games, we’re still talking about only 4 hours or so worth of data.

I think it probably is too good to continue.

It's only my opinion, but it's right.

Writer for The Copper & Blue, OilersNation, and CanucksArmy.

by Jonathan Willis on Apr 26, 2009 3:28 PM MDT up reply actions

And I don’t for a second buy the “Green could have taken on a tougher comp role”. Because he didn’t. He played the softs and did ok. Lidstrom played the toughest competition amongst all defencemen in the league (tied with Keith) and did better. You can make the argument that Lidstrom facing the comp that Green did would have blown him out of the water.

So yeah. Green did not (and judging by the numbers, cannot) play the defensive defenceman role like Lidstrom. Not even like Chara. Not even close.

by R O on Apr 25, 2009 9:18 PM MDT up reply actions

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