Bruce: This was a great article and could have been written in any of the last several years. In Sam's defence, and it's unusual that I come to his defence (no pun intended), I feel he's played the last several years as best he can, just like most players will have done. We, myself included, really shouldn't crap all over the Mike Brown's of the league as for the most part they are playing to the best of their abilities. I put these shortfalls on management and coaches to some degree, although often the coaches choices are very limited. Sam has had significant and often costly defensive liabilities for ages and by rewarding his play with a new contract it screams of the inability of management to create a winning model. When they elected to make verbal and contractual no trade agreements with this player it feels like a tsunami of ineptitude. Eakins philosophy of getting the puck back as soon as it's lost is a good one, however, it would appear at the moment he has been saddled with a herd that does not have the ability to do so.
Bruce: This was a great article and could have been written in any of the last several years. In Sam's defence, and it's unusual that I come to his defence (no pun intended), I feel he's played the last several years as best he can, just like most players will have done. We, myself included, really shouldn't crap all over the Mike Brown's of the league as for the most part they are playing to the best of their abilities. I put these shortfalls on management and coaches to some degree, although often the coaches choices are very limited. Sam has had significant and often costly defensive liabilities for ages and by rewarding his play with a new contract it screams of the inability of management to create a winning model. When they elected to make verbal and contractual no trade agreements with this player it feels like a tsunami of ineptitude. Eakins philosophy of getting the puck back as soon as it's lost is a good one, however, it would appear at the moment he has been saddled with a herd that does not have the ability to do so.