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Will Bieksa make this team's defence better or worst?


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There is no question that Bieksa is the heart and soul of this team, he is not just a glue guy, he is a weld guy

Every player on the team will feel much more comfortable on the ice with Bieksa dressed

Bieksa as a #4 or #5 d man on this team right now makes us so much stronger

If Kevin ever became available, you better believe, there would be 29 teams clamoring to get him

Was it more important to get Edler back? yes

Was it more important to get Tanev back? probably

Is it important to get Bieksa back? Oh YA!!!

BjHOBwMCUAAvo8v.jpg

Hahahahah 10/10 photoshop

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Lots of Bieksa lovers in here. You seem to forget in the early part of the season he was a turnover machine and was costing this team goals.

But hey he's great in the dressing room let's keep him.

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I can only find examples of me saying he plays his best in contract years not that he ONLY plays well in contract years. Based on his overall game at both ends of the ice that is my opinion on when he has played his best.

My opinion is not incorrect. I simply have a different definition of what a player playing his best means.

Didn't you say that next year is a contract year, so you expect him to have a good offensive season? In your words, that would not be his "best".

Also, his previous contract was signed after a breakout 42 pt season, but he was only plus 1. So which year was he at his "best", 06/07, or 10/11?

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He has a lot of the character element I want in a defenseman. However, the nonchalant-too cool for school thing he does while moving the puck up ice, has to go. It just turns him into a turnover machine putting his teammates in awkward positions. When he plays with a sharp intent and focus, he's fine.

Doesn't playing with sharp intent and focus improve every player's game?

I agree though, Bieksa does have a nonchalant side of him when he carries the puck that can be very scary at times. It is times like that when the goalie should be all over a player for not playing with smarts.

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Didn't you say that next year is a contract year, so you expect him to have a good offensive season? In your words, that would not be his "best".

Also, his previous contract was signed after a breakout 42 pt season, but he was only plus 1. So which year was he at his "best", 06/07, or 10/11?

I expect him to - like his other contract years - play much better at both ends of the ice. He seems to always "find his overall game" much more consistently when a contract is on the line. And while you somehow consider that to be some sort of slag on him it is simply reality that some players (a lot more than you might think) play much better overall in contract years. Bieksa is one of them imo.

Again, +/- in my mind is a pretty useless stat that cannot be relied upon to determine any single player's defensive ability. It simply relies on far too many factors outside a player's control to be an individual indicator. That is my opinion of it anyway.

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I expect him to - like his other contract years - play much better at both ends of the ice. He seems to always "find his overall game" much more consistently when a contract is on the line. And while you somehow consider that to be some sort of slag on him it is simply reality that some players (a lot more than you might think) play much better overall in contract years. Bieksa is one of them imo.

Again, +/- in my mind is a pretty useless stat that cannot be relied upon to determine any single player's defensive ability. It simply relies on far too many factors outside a player's control to be an individual indicator. That is my opinion of it anyway.

Yes, much better to accept your opinion than a stat the NHL tracks.

Although I agree a player can get a plus or minus on a play that didn't involve them, this applies to every player every year and the variables tend to balance out over the course of a season. But just playing the odds, which is the better overall season...

81gp 41pts +1 or

66gp 22pts +32

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I expect him to - like his other contract years - play much better at both ends of the ice. He seems to always "find his overall game" much more consistently when a contract is on the line. And while you somehow consider that to be some sort of slag on him it is simply reality that some players (a lot more than you might think) play much better overall in contract years. Bieksa is one of them imo.

Again, +/- in my mind is a pretty useless stat that cannot be relied upon to determine any single player's defensive ability. It simply relies on far too many factors outside a player's control to be an individual indicator. That is my opinion of it anyway.

same here with +/- a player can step on the ice and a puck goes in either his goal or the other team's and that player gets a +/- or a team mate can giveaway the puck creating a breakaway goalie lets it in 4 other players get a minus because of 1 player's giveaway

they should honestly get rid of it

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same here with +/- a player can step on the ice and a puck goes in either his goal or the other team's and that player gets a +/- or a team mate can giveaway the puck creating a breakaway goalie lets it in 4 other players get a minus because of 1 player's giveaway

they should honestly get rid of it

As I said, the same anomalies apply to every player. They tend to balance out over the course of a season. Was Edlers heavy minus last year an indication of his play? It was in my book. Just as Bieksa's heavy plus in 10/11 was indicative of his play. The odds are heavily against the anomalies piling up that one sided over the course a season for one player.

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Gotta agree with wallstreeamigo for most of this, but in terms of +/- and defensive play, a far more reliable stat is a players Corsi or shots for and against ratio.

The Canucks have a pretty obvious split Corsi-wise, especially on defence. Edler and Tanev have been fantastic, with Hamhuis close behind our top-2. Then it gets dirty. Bieksa is a -48 (Hamhuis is in his +20s), Sbisa being -93 and Stanton a -130 Corsi (despite having the teams best plus minus).

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In a team game most stats we use are team related. They shouldn't be cherry picked or used too much in isolation. Even FO% can be skewed with winger wins and Save% can be influenced by shot difficulty. The only stat that really matters is WINS.

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Gotta agree with wallstreeamigo for most of this, but in terms of +/- and defensive play, a far more reliable stat is a players Corsi or shots for and against ratio.

The Canucks have a pretty obvious split Corsi-wise, especially on defence. Edler and Tanev have been fantastic, with Hamhuis close behind our top-2. Then it gets dirty. Bieksa is a -48 (Hamhuis is in his +20s), Sbisa being -93 and Stanton a -130 Corsi (despite having the teams best plus minus).

Even with corsi who else is on the ice has an effect. Shots against may have nothing to do that that players actual play. Just as plus/minus a player can step on/off the ice when a shot against occurs. It doesn't mean it's a useless stat but just as +/- what occurs may have nothing to do with the individual.

A more interesting use of corsi would be looking at ratings as a defensive pairing. Then at least you can compare Bieksa/Hamhuis to Hamhuis/Sbisa to Bieksa/Stanton to Sbisa/Stanton etc. That would tell more of a story.

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I expect him to - like his other contract years - play much better at both ends of the ice. He seems to always "find his overall game" much more consistently when a contract is on the line. And while you somehow consider that to be some sort of slag on him it is simply reality that some players (a lot more than you might think) play much better overall in contract years. Bieksa is one of them imo.

Again, +/- in my mind is a pretty useless stat that cannot be relied upon to determine any single player's defensive ability. It simply relies on far too many factors outside a player's control to be an individual indicator. That is my opinion of it anyway.

I didn't get to watch last night's game, but I gather from the crowds gathering on various bridges and tall buildings, that Bieksa (and the Canucks in general) had an off night yesterday.

What I find interesting about your post was that you chose make it when you did. The post of mine that you were responding to was made on March 16th, one day before Bieksa had an excellent game against Philly. Could it be that you are comfortable defending your argument only when it can be backed up by a poor game?

And you accuse Bieksa of picking his spots. :lol:

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Gotta agree with wallstreeamigo for most of this, but in terms of +/- and defensive play, a far more reliable stat is a players Corsi or shots for and against ratio.

The Canucks have a pretty obvious split Corsi-wise, especially on defence. Edler and Tanev have been fantastic, with Hamhuis close behind our top-2. Then it gets dirty. Bieksa is a -48 (Hamhuis is in his +20s), Sbisa being -93 and Stanton a -130 Corsi (despite having the teams best plus minus).

I'm guessing that corsi doesn't factor in quality shots vs. shots from a bad angle? Like +/-, none of these stats can be used on their own to make a conclusion.

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