So, watching the playoffs this season has just confirmed for me something I’ve felt for a few years now. Yes, we are more than razor thin at center, but I think we have just as big, if not a bigger problem, at defense. We are too small, and overall not tough enough, along our D-corp. Every year we seem to get exposed back there during the playoffs. This won’t be popular, but I really wish this team would move Jared Spurgeon. I love him, on and off the ice. He seems to be a great guy, but his career playoff stats are so totally opposite what he does in the regular season that it’s staggering. And the sample size is large enough in my opinion, that it isn’t an anomaly. He’s so poor in the playoff environment that he’s a third pair defensemen at best come playoff time. I think it boils down to the fact that physically, he can’t function as well in the playoff meat grinder. At least that’s how I see it.
He’s 34 years old so he’ll be 36 by the time we clear cap hell. He’s certainly not going to be a better player 3 years from now. We could do a lot with almost $7.6M off our books if he would waive the no-move clause. I don’t care if we “lose the trade” and don’t get a great return, the goal should be to clear cap space. We could sign a defenseman with more size. We could also possibly sign a center to lengthen our depth there and hopefully improve our face offs at the same time.
I just think this team needs to toughen up a little, and I don’t mean at forward by signing Reaves. We need some nasty at defense. Not dirty, but some nasty and some size.
Just my thoughts tonight as I sit here waiting for next season.