(What's with the shorts? Uh...anyway...)
Despite having no fixed address for the past couple of weeks, it surely must not suck to be Patrick Eaves right now. Traded from Carolina to Boston, only to be bought out by the Bruins for $933,000 (hardly a paltry sum when you're only 25). Then, free as the breeze, decides to sign in Detroit for a one-year-deal worth $500,000? Not too shabby.
Yes, it's not a great sum of money from the Wings in the grand scheme of things, but one must remember that Eaves is injury-prone and has a history of concussions. One false move and he could potentially end up sitting in his closet, talking to his mittens for a third of a season. However, Eaves is still an excellent skater with capabilities along the boards that can be appreciated. And it's safe to say that with a team like Detroit, his numbers are probably going to rebound, which only bodes well for him at this time, next year.
For $500,000, Bryan Murray must've squirmed just a tad, despite the potential injury gamble. He's been losing speed on this team left and right, and knows first-hand that Eaves has got it. But of course, who wants to freely go back to a team that traded you away? And besides, Ottawa has this guy, and he's better than Pat by leaps and bounds:
Right? Right? Wait -- why am I hearing crickets?
More later.
Posts
Winchester is yet another example of the phenomenon known as the college free agent. Of course, Jesse also had "local boy" syndrome as well, making him irresistable to both fans and media alike.
A relative of the undrafted European free agent, the late blooming college free agent is always hyped far out of proportion, and almost inevitably crashes and burns.
Winchester is a marginal fourth line NHLer, the likes of which there are dozens in the AHL. The swap of Eaves for Winchester, and Corvo for Jason Smith are but two examples of how the Senators went out of their way to become slower at a time when speed and youth were increasingly valued in the NHL.
To be fair, Ottawa isn't the only Canadian city where "local boy" syndrome exists. Vancouver arguably has it worse -- any marginal NHLer born in the province is a "BC boy", and the Canucks are pressured by fans and media to sign him. Local boys, of course, immediately become bigger, faster and more skilled when they pull on a home team uni as opposed to that of another team.
Dennis Prouse
1:38 p.m.
RTWAP
4:34 p.m.
This is the first time I have ever heard anyone praise Patrick Eaves skating ability. He's got a choppy stride, moderate acceleration and lacks any deceptive change of speed.
His attributes are heart, hockey intelligence, and a nose for the net, not speed.
Regarding the comparison to Winchester, Eaves is a tweener. He's got some Top 6 talent, but not enough speed or size to consistently use it effectively. And he hasn't established himself as a bottom 6 forward, mostly due to the aforementioned deficiencies in his skating.
Winchester has less top-end talent, but is a better fit as bottom six forward. And when he was signed, Eaves was making twice as much as Winchester.
HockeyBroads.com
4:36 p.m.
I agree with the above!
SBP Sec. 321
9:39 p.m.
"This is the first time I have ever heard anyone praise Patrick Eaves skating ability. He's got a choppy stride, moderate acceleration and lacks any deceptive change of speed."
According to whom? Frankly, this is the first time I've heard this.
The Universal Cynic
9:42 p.m.
"According to whom? Frankly, this is the first time I've heard this."
It's the prevailing view of the Sens forum at HockeyBroads.com, the fan forum for the smart hockey fan.
http://hockeybroads.com/showthread.php?p=378563#post378563
HockeyBroads.com
11:03 p.m.
Thanks very much for the clarification -- that seriously made my day.
The Universal Cynic
11:14 p.m.
"It's the prevailing view of the Sens forum at HockeyBroads.com, the fan forum for the smart hockey fan."
There's a quality endorsement if I ever read one. "Smart hockey fan"? Says who? I've never heard of that forum before today and I won't be going back. E, you should delete that link.
Adam
11:27 p.m.
"I've never heard of that forum before today and I won't be going back."
Well, it's certainly not for everyone.
HockeyBroads.com
1:48 a.m.
All right, that's about enough.
Eaves, to his credit, has regularly been touted for his skating ability by those in the business. I put more stock in what professionals say than fans' opinion. I don't think I have to explain why.
Furthermore, in the matter of Winchester: Same position, same age, and now due to injuries and a re-signing, making nearly the same amount. I know what Eaves made in the past -- and it's irrelevant in the case of this point. Eaves has more upside, despite his risks, than an overblown player like Jesse Winchester.
This conversation is officially closed.
The Universal Cynic
7:56 a.m.
I too was surprised to see Eaves's skating praised here and on the Sportsnet Web site. I've always liked the guy, but he's not a great skater. I'm a season ticket holder and have seen most every home game he played here. When skating, he always looks as though he just came from riding a horse for three days straight.
While his style makes him look worse than he is, I certainly wouldn't say he has great speed. Great shoe collection, yes, but not great speed.
Whatever's Cool With Me
11:03 a.m.
"Neither a big body presence nor a speedster, Eaves’ greatest attributes are his intangibles. With outstanding hockey sense and intelligence on the ice, Eaves has strong awareness both offensive and defensively. He also works incredibly hard on the ice, and fights for space in front of the net. At times he has been used on the first power-play unit in front of the net, and has had a few auditions on the top scoring lines. "
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/8488/senators_top20_prospects/
RTWAP
5:25 p.m.
Partick had no problem with his skating ability and velocity during his time here. Furthermore, it's difficult for me to take someone's assessment seriously when they list Brian Lee as No. 3 and Kaigorodov as No. 4.
Once again, this conversation is closed. Not because I have an issue discussing it -- although it is getting pretty tired. But I take issue with the same people posting under different names. It stops now, otherwise I'll be forced to switch the commentary off.
End scene.
The Universal Cynic
5:45 p.m.
This has become tiresome.
Just a point about etiquette though. If you want to end a debate, don't introduce new counterpoints in your closing comment. It makes you look petty, and that was certainly not my goal. I just wanted to disagree with something you wrote.
BTW, in March 2006, Lee and Kaigorodov as our #3 and #4 prospects is a perfectly reasonable ranking.
I'm not trying to prove you wrong. Just trying to avoid being summarily dismissed. I'm guessing I've probably failed at that.
Feel free to edit or delete as you wish. Really. And I don't mean that in a juvenile "go ahead make me an internet censorship martyr" way. This blog is yours. And I enjoy your blog.
RTWAP
12:09 a.m.
You are entitled to your opinion, and yes, it is my blog. To reiterate for the LAST TIME:
"This conversation is closed. Not because I have an issue discussing it -- although it is getting pretty tired. But I take issue with the same people posting under different names. It stops now, otherwise I'll be forced to switch the commentary off."
Petty? Please. It's called fairness. I don't appreciate lame attempts at being hoodwinked.
The Universal Cynic
12:47 p.m.