Learn2LuvIt 245 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 Not sure if anyone has been noticing, but E is a complete disaster and a liability. Last night's penalty in the 3rd to put the Avs on the PP was horrendous. I get it...it was just one bad penalty, but with E, he's just been really, really, really bad this whole year (and last year). I've seen him twice this year (and it's early yet) blindly pass off the boards with his back turned away from the play, from our own zone, 40 foot passes directly across the ice. Twice the passes have been picked off, and the other team ends up putting it in our net. Not only that, when the passes were picked off, he is so slow to transition back to covering the play. In one instance, it didn't even look like he was hustling to get back! Due to his speed and fact that he's mentally in "la la land", he's also a dumpster fire in front of our net. He has trouble working from top-slot to side/below the net. Which also on numerous occasions has left the his area of responsibility wide open and the other team passes from behind the net to wide open player who buries it in our net. He's not tough and often just arrives at the "scene" late after the Refs have already broken players apart, just to chirp at someone. Very similar to Franzen. IMO...I don't think many of these players are intimidated in the least by him even though he's often tons bigger. In 2015 he had 121 hits (stat wise his best year with the Wings), last year he had 86. So if he's focusing less on being physical...what's he focusing ON??? I'm just so frustrated with this guy. I can't figure out why he gets 19+ minutes of ice-time a night?? I remember a few years back when he got into the Babs dog-house big time..he actually responded for a few weeks and was good (not great). You could tell he was under heat and trying to get out of the Babs cross hairs. Besides this, doesn't seem like this guy can cut it anymore. I'd much rather give some of our younger D players with less experience and more speed/grit/heart an opportunity if this is what E HAS and IS bringing to the table. Venting...but I can't take it anymore. Would another team "bite" on him due to his size or something else??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NerveDamage 4,176 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 1 1 Hockeymom1960 and GMRwings1983 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DickieDunn 2,571 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 he's not great, but he hasn't been that bad either. He's just another overpaid player on ateam full of them 3 Hockeymom1960, F.Michael and ChristopherReevesLegs reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Learn2LuvIt 245 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 He has been flat out horrible!! Even our radio guy (Ken Kal) even alluded to this in their pregame before the Flames game last Wed. He flat out said that E needs to be much better in every category...said he is "struggling mightily". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Juklitz 85 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 Funny. I mean. Pointing out these obvious facts about Ericsson in 2017. After 2016,2015,2014,2013... I believe he´s not that bad this year, improved little bit with puck handling. Just remember the season he spent with Quincey in pairing. Also I think he improved positioning little bit. But still.. if there´s some stat indicating body/physical play/scrum management factor , he would be bottom 5 league player. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LeftWinger 4,914 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 I do know one person here that's been calling for his head for years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kickazz 5,459 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 He's actually been decent. 1 Jonas Mahonas reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Son of a Wing 1,644 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 He's actually been ok this year. Not near as bad as last year. He is what he is. An overpaid 5/6 defensive defenceman. 2 PavelValerievichDatsyuk and krsmith17 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BinMucker94 302 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 I think a lot of it has to do with when E makes a mistake it usually ends up in the back of our net because he can’t recover as quickly as some of the mor mobile guys on our team. Other players make the same amount of mistakes but are able to recover and break up the play. I still don’t think E brings anything of value to this team but I feel like he’s playing better than in previous seasons Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Son of a Wing 1,644 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 E is also our shutdown guy and gets the hardest matchups alot of the time. For that reason, his mistakes are usually amplified. Unfortunately we really do not have anyone else to play that role as well. 3 kliq, krsmith17 and PavelValerievichDatsyuk reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kjw25 104 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 E is an elite competitor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Learn2LuvIt 245 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 (edited) Good one kickazz. Ha ha ha. I'm assuming your joking or haven't been watching. Good one! Edited November 20, 2017 by Learn2LuvIt spelling Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kickazz 5,459 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Learn2LuvIt said: Good one kickazz. Ha ha ha. I'm assuming your joking or haven't been watching. Good one! I have been watching. Did you see the game yesterday? Ken and Mik spent a good 2 minutes talking about Ericsson's improvement. Talking about how he wasn't very good the last few seasons but has done better so far. That's why it's kind of ironic you posted this thread right after a game where they were praising Ericsson. Anyways he won't sit. The org sees him in a different light than we do. He's a big guy that plays tough minutes against opponents he shouldn't be playing. The org still believes in having big stay at home type players surrounded by mobile defensemen. His likelihood of getting benched is probably one in one thousand. Edited November 20, 2017 by kickazz 3 kliq, krsmith17 and Jonas Mahonas reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 2 minutes ago, kickazz said: I have been watching. Did you see the game yesterday? Ken and Mik spent a good 2 minutes talking about Ericsson's improvement. That's why it's kind of ironic you posted this thread right after a game where they were praising Ericsson. Yeah, Ericsson has been much better this season, the past few weeks in particular. I honestly thought this was a joke thread, in the same way someone just made a thread "3 goal Howard"... Ericsson isn't a "great" defenseman by any stretch, but he's far from this team's biggest issue right now. 2 kliq and puckbags reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kickazz 5,459 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 (edited) 10 minutes ago, krsmith17 said: Yeah, Ericsson has been much better this season, the past few weeks in particular. I honestly thought this was a joke thread, in the same way someone just made a thread "3 goal Howard"... Ericsson isn't a "great" defenseman by any stretch, but he's far from this team's biggest issue right now. That's what I thought so too at first but the OP wrote out like 3 paragraphs so it seems like he is serious. Edited November 20, 2017 by kickazz 1 Jonas Mahonas reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Learn2LuvIt 245 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 3 minutes ago, kickazz said: I have been watching. Did you see the game yesterday? Ken and Mik spent a good 2 minutes talking about Ericsson's improvement. Talking about how he wasn't very good the last few seasons but has done better so far. That's why it's kind of ironic you posted this thread right after a game where they were praising Ericsson. Anyways he won't sit. The org sees him in a different light than we do. His likelihood of getting benched is probably one in one thousand. ha ha...was that two minute soliloquy after the ridiculously stupid, unneeded, horrible timed penalty in the 3rd that lead to the Avs starting their comeback to win the game? Funny, cause our radio team just spent some time last Wed on pregame to the Flames game saying the exact opposite. Anyway, I Totally agree with you. Someone in this organization likes him to the point of being blind. Reminds me of the Jason Williams/Brett Lebda organizational love. Why I am bringing this up now as juklitz posed...good question. I just can't take it anymore!!! I swear under my breathe whenever I see him on the ice. But now, I think we now have some legitimate, viable, "net-net" gain options with some of our younger guys to sit him or trade him..something!! He's literally driving my insane with rage. 1 kickazz reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DickieDunn 2,571 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 3 minutes ago, Learn2LuvIt said: ha ha...was that two minute soliloquy after the ridiculously stupid, unneeded, horrible timed penalty in the 3rd that lead to the Avs starting their comeback to win the game? Funny, cause our radio team just spent some time last Wed on pregame to the Flames game saying the exact opposite. Anyway, I Totally agree with you. Someone in this organization likes him to the point of being blind. Reminds me of the Jason Williams/Brett Lebda organizational love. Why I am bringing this up now as juklitz posed...good question. I just can't take it anymore!!! I swear under my breathe whenever I see him on the ice. But now, I think we now have some legitimate, viable, "net-net" gain options with some of our younger guys to sit him or trade him..something!! He's literally driving my insane with rage. You're going to give yourself an ulcer. It seems like it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. "Ericsson is bad, therefore I only notice his mistakes." I've been as hard on him as anyone the last couple years, but he's been better. Note, much like the Lions following the Millen era, better does not mean good. 3 krsmith17, ChristopherReevesLegs and kliq reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kickazz 5,459 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 If you keep paying attention to the guy, you're not going to like it. Watch Z play. Dude keeps ******* up on every shift the last few weeks. No one seems to complain though because they aren't looking for issues in him. 2 Jonas Mahonas and kliq reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MileHighWingsGuy 178 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 I can't watch E. Its not that he's overpaid that bothers me, just that he is horrid. Wings are better off with anyone other than him at this point. 1 Rick D reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kliq 3,755 Report post Posted November 20, 2017 If E was 22 and was being paid league minimum, nobody would have a problem with him on our third pairing. Given he is 30+, being paid 4mil+, and is on our 1st pairing, he's under a microscope. 6 F.Michael, krsmith17, Rick D and 3 others reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022 Report post Posted November 21, 2017 Ericsson is frkin garbage. As a low paid 6th man he would be acceptable. But even then hed just be a placeholder until someone better comes along. He adds nothing to the team. Slow, unskilled, and non physical. My suspicion is hes kept around because hes literally the only big shutdown style Dman we have. Just like how the team wants an Abdelkader power forward type to compliment the top 6, they want a big net front shutdown type to compliment the D. Hes not sitting anytime soon and will probably play out the overpaid contract. Hes looked better this year, but not enough so to change my mind on him. Green and Daley being our best dmen speaks to how poor this team has become at drafting D. RIP Kronnwall. 1 NerveDamage reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted November 21, 2017 I said before that Marchenko reminded me a lot of Ericsson, and man did he ever. Both drafted in the last round of their draft. Both inexplicably overhyped by Wings fans when they first entered the league. Big, stay at home defensemen that weren't particularly good at anything, other than taking up space on the ice, aka, getting in the way. Imagine if Marchenko had the opportunity to play with Lidstrom... We'd have both Ericsson and Marchenko locked up long term at a combined $10M... I'd prefer to imagine if Ericsson never had the opportunity to play with Lidstrom... Big E would probably be over in Sweden for the past several years, the same way Marchenko left for Russia... 3 Juklitz, NerveDamage and Rick D reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022 Report post Posted November 21, 2017 4 hours ago, krsmith17 said: I said before that Marchenko reminded me a lot of Ericsson, and man did he ever. Both drafted in the last round of their draft. Both inexplicably overhyped by Wings fans when they first entered the league. Big, stay at home defensemen that weren't particularly good at anything, other than taking up space on the ice, aka, getting in the way. Imagine if Marchenko had the opportunity to play with Lidstrom... We'd have both Ericsson and Marchenko locked up long term at a combined $10M... I'd prefer to imagine if Ericsson never had the opportunity to play with Lidstrom... Big E would probably be over in Sweden for the past several years, the same way Marchenko left for Russia... Like Smith too 1 NerveDamage reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted November 21, 2017 52 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said: Like Smith too Except Smith didn't get to play with Lidstrom... Instead, he played with the juggernaut Doug Janik that season... Oh what could have been if he were given that opportunity to play with Lidstrom though... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DickieDunn 2,571 Report post Posted November 21, 2017 A lot of what makes a pro player go is confidence. When an offensive defenseman is given no PP time, plays on the PK, and is told to do the things he doesn't do well instead of what he does do well, that's going to hurt his confidence. Babcock was trying to prove what a great coach he was by molding Smith into an all around defenseman, and I think it destroyed any confidence he had in himself, and he started overthinking everything. When you have to think before you do it in pro sports, you're going to be behind the play every time. I don't think he was ever going to be a top pair D, but I think he could have been better had he been allowed to play his game the way he was used to and work on the defensive side also, instead of being forced to concentrate only on the defensive side. 1 krsmith17 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites