Anyone else tired of the Samuelson bashing?

[WingNutt 12]

I was just reading the forums as usual and in the past two weeks, I've seen more Samuelson bashing then ever before, so it seems he is the new Official LGW whipping boy. Just as Pavel Datsyuk and Robert Lang were before. and I wondered am I the only one bothered by him getting singled out all the time?

The fact is, yes he hasn't had as productive a season as he did before, but the guy is still playing alright, He has 23 pts, tied with Filppula. 7 goals, he could have more for the way he shoots the puck, 16 assist not bad for a guy that shoots as much as he does. He doesen't have a bad +/- at a +10. He seems flat at times yes, but thats just his style of play, The guy is not a defensive player, never was, never will be, He wasn't signed for his Defensive abilities, He is a good asset to have for a 2nd line powerplay guy I'd say.

Finally the Wings are playing outstanding hockey lately, and I don't think we can complain about too much as fans, Hasek had a few bad games and everyone was on him talking crap, now 2 shut-outs in a row and not a peep, true he is playing behind probably the best defensive guys in the league, but playing solid none the less. I understand the fair-weather fans which we have a lot of, but why so many negative things to say when the team is playing so well??

if things are not broke then don't fix them, Sammy could be playing better but he also could be playing a lot worse. Give the guy a break, besides its fun to watch him stir the s*** up with other teams forwards. A better instigator in the league you won't find many.

[uk_redwing 495]

im not getting tired of it

I think its quite entertaining

[Reds4Life 51]

I don't think hes bad player, just seeing him on 2nd line, (almost) always screwing scoring chance with his uber slapshot sucks

If he gets 3rd or preferably 4th line ice time I am OK with that.

and btw its fun to 'hate' him

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

I've been trying to hold off on the Samuelsson bashing because it's been such a popular sport here, but honestly the guy is such a disappointment this season.

As you point out, he's not a great defensive player, and furthermore that's not his role. He's not exactly a sniper, but he's here to score some goals while being defensively responsible.

in '06 he had 23 goals and 45 points, in '07 he scored 14 goals and had 34 points in 53 games. This season so far he has a whopping 7 goals, including empty netters.

Even for how cheap he is, that's a disappointment for a second liner who gets power play time and plays 16 minutes a game.

And as I've said before, when he gets the puck in the offensive zone, if he doesn't shoot it he tends to get flustered and make a somewhat panicked dump pass back to the defenseman, which drives me nuts.

Edited January 9, 2008 by haroldsnepsts

[wingnut40 176]

Everyone's bashing Sammy because he's not on the same level as Hank, Nick, Pavel, and even Cleary. We're spoiled. We're used to everybody playing epicly and when one guy dosen't play godly he "sucks".

He's a hard worker, always going after the puck, good shot, good +/-, and good assists. He could have more goals with his shooting percentage, and he does turnover the puck sometimes.

I just think it's ridiculous that someone HAS to be the goat. Can't they just be happy that their team is playing insanely well.

[barabbas16 499]

eh whatever...they did the same thing last year and probably every year. Everyone was bashing Lilja and then he got into a few fights and had a good playoffs and now you don't hear it NEARLY as much. If Samuelsson starts playing well, they'll just find someone else to single out and complain about him. Some people have to have something to complain about...and no one can make them eat crow if he has a killer second half either, so what do they have to lose? It really is fickle, but whatever. They still cheer when he scores. Personally, I like Samuelsson and don't think he should or will be traded.

[Reds4Life 51]

Yep. good shot. he shoots the puck right to goalie's chest. guaranteed.

[FedorovGurl 2]

Nope, not tired of it at all.

In fact whats that old saying : If it skates like a Suck, and shoots like a Suck .......?????

[Copenhagen848 58]

Not tired of it at all - he does not deserve to play on the 2nd line.....period.

[WingNutt 12]

Yep. good shot. he shoots the puck right to goalie's chest. guaranteed.

kinda like this right??

[Guest Jeremy88]

I love Sammy. I think he's got great shot power, but he needs to get better and getting it past the goalie.

He's good offensively, but not good enough to play on the same line as our best forward

[WingNutt 12]

Nope, not tired of it at all.

In fact whats that old saying : If it skates like a Suck, and shoots like a Suck .......?????

The guy might not have many traits to brag about, but have you ever seen him play? His shot is about the only thing noone can deny he has.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

yeah, for the record, I don't think sammy sucks or is without value. But he's having a bad season.

He needs to pick it up in the second half, or more importantly, in the playoffs.

[WingNutt 12]

yeah, for the record, I don't think sammy sucks or is without value. But he's having a bad season.

He needs to pick it up in the second half, or more importantly, in the playoffs.

In the past you and myself have had quite the bit of disagreements on things, although I couldn't agree more with your words and opinion on Samuelsson. this post wasn't meant to praise Sammy or claim he is the best, only that people are giving him a hard time because he isn't putting up the numbers Datsyuk and Zetterberg are.

I think He has talent and plays hard everygame. Not the best player and yes he is having a bad season but not that bad a season that he needs to be rediculed left and right when the Wings are doing pretty much everything right.

well said though harold for once we agree

[wingnut40 176]

I love Sammy. I think he's got great shot power, but he needs to get better and getting it past the goalie.

He's good offensively, but not good enough to play on the same line as our best forward

Yeah, exactly!! That doesn't mean he sucks though. Poor little thing would probably take a toaster bath if he saw what some of these guys say about him

[Reds4Life 51]

135 shots=7goals (few are empty netters) WOW

I don't think he sucks, but he has no place on two top lines, yet he gets there sometimes.

Edited January 9, 2008 by Reds4Life

[WingFanInOilCountry 0]

Until we trade to get Bob Lang back, Sammy is gonna be our whipping boy.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

As I've said before, if he was a left-handed shot, he probably wouldn't be bashed at all on these forums. He's the only right-handed shot we have at forward, who's expected to score. Personally, I don't mind the bashing, because it gives us something to talk about on LGW besides Osgood vs. Hasek.

[WingNutt 12]

135 shots=7goals (few are empty netters) WOW

I don't think he sucks, but he has no place on two top lines, yet he gets there sometimes.

valid point, but you can't just look at the stats, judging by your avatar you live in Europe and you don't get to see a whole lot of Wings games, Samuelsson shots constantly even when he doesen't intend on scoring, sometimes I think he winds up and shoots hoping a rebound will come to a nearby team mate.

He could pass more in my opinion but like I've said above doesen't deserve to be singled out like he has.

[Reds4Life 51]

Well, I watch about 80-90% Wings games thanks to sopcast. For me it's fun to 'bash' Sammy. He's decent player, but he shouldn't play on a scoring line or powerplay. Sometimes he's lucky, maybe he's saving some of his ubershots for playoffs

[irishtemper14+25 11]

my bashing has and will cease until babs plays him on the second line again...although i dont like him on the 2nd pp

[Lady in REd 0]

Eh, I don't hate him but I don't really like him. For me he's just kind of there.

But ever since I joined this forum I do notice it A LOT more when he makes misakes

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Yes I'm tired of it. It's become an absolute joke lately (and not in a good/funny way), and I don't like the scapegoat mentality. Being lovey dovey and talking about how great the Red Wings are all the time is predictable and boring as well, but much like Lang or Lilja last season, or Hasek early this year or Osgood in the past, it gets to be a little bit ridiculous and over the top when we hear it

Every.

5.

Minutes.

About.

How.

Bad.

He.

Is.

See how annoying that just was? That's how annoying the Samuelsson treatment is more often than not, much like the Lang and Lilja treatment of the past, and much like how some of the goalie talk can get. It's not funny nor entertaining. It's stupid.

And predictably, just like it was with Robert Lang and Andreas Lilja, Samuelsson's weaknesses are greatly overdramatized by many members in here.

Now I'm all for debate and talk pointing out the flaws of a player or team, and Samuelsson certainly has some. Not so much that he shoots too much, I really like that mentality, but take the flubbed backhander he recently took on a 3-on-2 at the Dallas game. Even if he didn't pass, he could have put a better shot on net I think. Catch-22 though, you never know when a play like that or a wrist shot or decent slapper will yield a juicy rebound and such.

Samuelsson seems to be in a tough spot for a fan as well because he's not really the hardest hitter though he has some physical game to him, so at first glance he doesn't look suited for a checking or fourth line role. And he's not your main scorer but has that capability, so when he's not scoring on a second line, people get upset. What type of line/role is he most effective in then?

And his game is boring overall. I know that sounds bad, but hear me out. When you shoot the puck more often than not and don't have the razzle-dazzle skills like Datsyuk or St. Louis or Crosby for instance, that can get a bit boring. Not good/bad, it just is what it is and that is how Samuelsson seems to play. Again, I like the shot first mentality. More often than not putting it on net is a good thing. Because he's not all that flashy like Datsyuk and because he isn't the most physical player out there though, it's hard to take a full liking to him.

I usually come to the aid of Samuelsson, and scapegoats overall, when people just won't let go and realize Samuelsson or scapegoat to be named isn't all that bad. If he was that bad, he wouldn't be playing in the NHL or with the Red Wings. And to people that might give me grief about defending him, I just pointed a fair amount of detail of what I think are weaknesses in his game, so I'm trying to appease posters of all sides and parties here.

However he has good qualities. Fairly solid defensively, likes to shoot, decent size which he could use some more but spreads it in game action every now and then, and he seems versatile enough that he could fit in on any line, though not being the main threat on any one of those lines.

For $1.2 million he could be producing more but I seriously do not understand what more people want out of the guy outside of netting a few more goals every now and then, asking for SO MUCH MORE ALL THE TIME. Sometimes our expectations for players are unrealistic and we have to lower them. Sorry, but we do at times.

So to close, I'm all up for talking about pros and cons of a player. But when people just blatantly go out and overreact with OMG SAMMY SUCKS ZOIKIES MOVE THAT GOOBER SOMEWHERE ELSE without suggesting who should replace him (no, a bag of pucks or your PlayStation2 trade on NHL 08 doesn't count as realistic alternatives). Without stating reasons why he stinks, or failing to even recognize some of his strengths overall or a good thing or two he's done in the current game for example, that's when I'm going to defend the guy. And it's especially stupid when people act like idiots and be stunned whenever he's scored or assisted on a goal like it's the first time he's ever done it since he was 3 years old. Guess what? It hasn't been his first time and he's capable of scoring/assisting. Don't act so over-the-top.

He's not my favorite guy and I'd be all for trading him if it's a realistic scenario and all franchises would benefit. But he's not just 100% awful like some make him out to be and he's far from an absolute liability to this team and he's not costing the team much with his price tag.

[FinRedWing 172]

Good post,SouthernWingsFan.

His case sure is a difficult one,I'm getting confused whenever there's a thread about him.

First he's a top 6-player in NHL's best team by far,but then doesn't have any trade value?

You'd certainly think that a player with zero trade value wouldn't play in our top two lines then?

All I know that he can't be both (being good & having no trade value) at the same time.

Edited January 10, 2008 by FinRedWing

[Echolalia 2,961]

He deserves what he gets.