There are two new articles up at Matchsticks & Gasoline.
The first, is my analysis of Mark Giordano’s new contract with the Flames. Definitely go read and comment if you get the chance. In the meantime, here is an excerpt of the article.
“Potential. It’s the buzz-word that gets every fan pumped about their favorite player and gives GMs nightmares. The problem is, how do we value potential? Every sport is littered with players who vastly outperform their contracts and those who signed mega-deals and didn’t live up to them.
Mark Giordano has loads of potential. He’s an upside supernova. Putting together a highlight package of hits, pinpoint passes and jaw-dropping goals from his last 2 seasons is a piece of cake. Just watching a video like that would make most fans think he’ll be battling Drew Doughty for the Norris over the next 5 years.
The problem, however, is that Giordano is 27 years old and is likely very close to his peak as an NHL defenseman. So that potential we all see may be more due to some flashes of brilliance, but not something he can sustain through 82 games a season. On the bright side, at age 27, he can probably play at his current level of performance for the entire life of his brand new 5-year contract. Giordano is easily a Top-4 defenseman on any team in the NHL, and likely top pairing for at least half the teams in the league.”
Also, my weekly Combustions & Calculators column is up, exploring the Flames’ late game collapses, the top line’s performance and who the Flames worst penalty taker is.
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