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Zeke

Draper.....

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It seems that Draper has always been heralded as a great 'role' player on the team. Never scored a lot of goals,but chipped one or two in once in a while,and was a faceoff specialist,as well as an excellent penalty killer.

Is it just me,or:

He now rarely kills penalties...

He always gets booted from the faceoff circle...

When did he last score a relevant goal?

His only contribution is freezing the puck against the boards like its 1995?

I'm all for loyalty,and recognize his past achievements ,and I know there's another year on the old (gratuitous)contract,but what exactly does he bring to the table?

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Guest mindfly

He is nowdays Redundant on this team imo..

You're spot on about everything, I don't see why freezing the puck along the boards is a good thing, though...

Edited by mindfly

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Draper has been great this year for his age and ability. Helm and Eaves really re-energized him. He does kill penalties but probably not key penalties.

His forecheck is still great and he does a good job filling in a roster spot and making this team better.

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Draper has been great this year for his age and ability. Helm and Eaves really re-energized him. He does kill penalties but probably not key penalties.

His forecheck is still great and he does a good job filling in a roster spot and making this team better.

When Abelkader is ready (for the playoffs),is he the obvious choice to sit,or do we need his 'veteran'presense?

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When Abelkader is ready (for the playoffs),is he the obvious choice to sit,or do we need his 'veteran'presense?

I think he has played well enough to stay in the line up. I see Abs getting in more over Eaves because as much as I like Eaves, he's fragile and may not make the whole first round.

We will see I guess. I would like to see Abs in the line up but I don't know if I wanna scratch Draper to do it.

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I think he has played well enough to stay in the line up. I see Abs getting in more over Eaves because as much as I like Eaves, he's fragile and may not make the whole first round.

We will see I guess. I would like to see Abs in the line up but I don't know if I wanna scratch Draper to do it.

I'd prefer that they scratch Willy if they're going to bench someone, but that seems unlikely.

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I love him being around for two reasons:

1) He is one of the reasons, why when young grinders make it into the Detroit Red Wing's line-up, they are very good at face-offs and are excellent back checkers. I know that the Red Wing mantra has been to always be defensively responsible, but I undoubtedly believe Draper has a huge hand in a lot of the on-ice preparation of this defensive mentality for these young forwards in the Red Wing roster.

2) Every team needs someone who looks like Chuck Norris.

So.... bullet points:

1) Mentorship and leadership

2) Chuck Norris

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wiliiams.jpg

he's got an itch.. someone scratch him!

I'd prefer that they scratch Willy if they're going to bench someone, but that seems unlikely.

Good call. Completely forget that this guys even on the team.

Edited by zettie85

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Guest mindfly

Williams should and hopefully will be the one scratched, he has been slow and ineffective since his broken leg and Abdelkader brings everything he does and more.

That's so funny :D, first thing williams said in his first interview after signing here again "It will be nice to get back to the winning ways and hopefully win the cup" and then after played the regular season, although injured like 40games, he gets scratched right when the playoffs starts :sly::lol:

But he's useless... no physicality, no forecheck, slow legs, sucks on the point, no defensive skills at all.

Edited by mindfly

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draper deserves to be playing in the play-offs. why would babcock sit a guy through the playoffs who has played all year? only on LGW.

Happened last year to Draper. Played 79 games in the regular season and only saw 8 in the playoffs. Same thing with Kopecky. I don't remember if they were hurt or not, but if they weren't then it's not unprecedented.

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Happened last year to Draper. Played 79 games in the regular season and only saw 8 in the playoffs. Same thing with Kopecky. I don't remember if they were hurt or not, but if they weren't then it's not unprecedented.

I know Kopecky got his s*** pushed in by Beauchemin and was KO'd for the playoff year. Draper was injured at some point but he returned in the Finals (to replace none other than one Justin Abdelkader even after he scored those goals in the first two games) but I don't remember if he was scratched before then or not.

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I love Draper, but it's hard for me to refute anything the OP said.

He freezes the puck along the boards. :lol:

Hopefully he'll score some big playoff goals and show some usefulness, but yeah it's been a long time since he's done anything at all other than be a seat filler.

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two things draper promises in nearly every game he plays:

(1) he will almost certainly pin someone against the boards and

(2) if the opportunity rises, he will take a slapshot from a face off dot

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Williams hasn't done a damn thing for us this season. I understand the logic behind having a right handed shot on the point on the PP, but what good is it if that right handed shot is terrible?

As per the topic: I think the OP is right in a lot of ways, but I think he'll play most games. Might depend on the matchup. I wouldn't mind seeing even May get back in a game or two if the opponent is right.

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I love him being around for two reasons:

1) He is one of the reasons, why when young grinders make it into the Detroit Red Wing's line-up, they are very good at face-offs and are excellent back checkers. I know that the Red Wing mantra has been to always be defensively responsible, but I undoubtedly believe Draper has a huge hand in a lot of the on-ice preparation of this defensive mentality for these young forwards in the Red Wing roster.

2) Every team needs someone who looks like Chuck Norris.

So.... bullet points:

1) Mentorship and leadership

2) Chuck Norris

I think Scotty Bowman once said that good locker room players should remain in the locker room. :hehe:

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Draper adds experience and you do not see his line making nearly as many mistakes as the other lines, he always seems up on the forecheck and you can feel pretty good a safe when he is out there that there will not be mistakes, that is a great thing for a grind line. It would be nice to see his line score a bit more, but Draper is doing a good job, I will say the same about Malts, not many mistakes that cost at crucial times, although it is time for at 1 to move on and I think that is happening. Draper is an excellent leader and has an amazing conditioning routine which shows the young guys what it takes, they need to keep him in, next year as well and then take a good hard look at things then, if the kids are ready to play mistake free 90% of the time then it will be time for Drapes to hang them up, but not until then, we need mistake free players on this team, not fast mistake prone players.

I say sit Willimas when Abby can come up, then possibly Bert unless he starts to do something, Bert can be great but when he is cold, he is a big liability, does not score and cough's up the puck way to often.

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