Thursday, November 16, 2006
A Letter to Sens GM John Muckler
Dear John Muckler,
There has been a lot of recent teeth gnashing in the panicky Ottawa sports media and among the cranky fanbase over the performance of goaltender Martin Gerber, the player on which you pinned so many hopes. A 3-8-1 record with a 3.45GAA and a 89.0SV% puts him right in the lower echelon of the league's goaltenders.
Knowing you operate, you have no doubt tuned out the people in Ottawa and have completely ignored the firestorm of criticism that has been lobbed your way.
So, allow me to give you an outsider's perspective.
You should have seen it coming.
That's right. I'm telling you, flat out, that you should have seen Gerber's performance coming from a country mile away. You should have never expected him to be a great #1 goaltender and lead the Sens to the cup. You shouldn't be surprised that he hasn't turned into a Vezina winner.
Was it last season's awful playoff collapse? No, I'll let that slide. Gerber is not the first NHL goaltender to have an awful time in their playoff debuts.
What was it? How about his performance during the entire season? Did you ever consider that?
Now, at the time the Carolina Hurricanes signed Gerber, I gave them the thumbs up for the transaction. Gerber did very well for the Ducks as a backup, and had a great season during the lockout. Gerber cost only $1mil in salary and had a good pedigree. He deserved the change and he rewarded the Canes with solid goaltending and a franchise record 38 wins.
38 wins!! Yes, the shiny 38 wins that blinded you and caused you to blow your wad and sign Gerber to a $11mil/3 season deal that pretty much sets the guy up for life. I know it can be hard for an old school GM like you to look past his 38-14 record, but that's exactly what you SHOULD HAVE DONE!
Let's dig a little deeper, and see that his 90.6SV% and 2.78GAA were not all that impressive. Gerber ranked about average in his goaltending statistics behind a Stanley Cup winning team. Even the Blues' Curtis Sanford was better than Gerber.
The Canes won so many games thanks to their great offence as supposed to the goaltending of Martin Gerber.
Plus, signing a goaltender named after baby food is considered bad luck on Romulus.
So, the next time you go out into the free agent market to sign a goaltender (if you even get the chance), dig a little deeper and look past the W-L record to know what you are really getting. Would you buy a car simply on the brand name and paint job? Maybe you would, but you'd likely get burned.
Sincerely,
Jes
PS: Meszaros for Morrison?
There has been a lot of recent teeth gnashing in the panicky Ottawa sports media and among the cranky fanbase over the performance of goaltender Martin Gerber, the player on which you pinned so many hopes. A 3-8-1 record with a 3.45GAA and a 89.0SV% puts him right in the lower echelon of the league's goaltenders.
Knowing you operate, you have no doubt tuned out the people in Ottawa and have completely ignored the firestorm of criticism that has been lobbed your way.
So, allow me to give you an outsider's perspective.
You should have seen it coming.
That's right. I'm telling you, flat out, that you should have seen Gerber's performance coming from a country mile away. You should have never expected him to be a great #1 goaltender and lead the Sens to the cup. You shouldn't be surprised that he hasn't turned into a Vezina winner.
Was it last season's awful playoff collapse? No, I'll let that slide. Gerber is not the first NHL goaltender to have an awful time in their playoff debuts.
What was it? How about his performance during the entire season? Did you ever consider that?
Now, at the time the Carolina Hurricanes signed Gerber, I gave them the thumbs up for the transaction. Gerber did very well for the Ducks as a backup, and had a great season during the lockout. Gerber cost only $1mil in salary and had a good pedigree. He deserved the change and he rewarded the Canes with solid goaltending and a franchise record 38 wins.
38 wins!! Yes, the shiny 38 wins that blinded you and caused you to blow your wad and sign Gerber to a $11mil/3 season deal that pretty much sets the guy up for life. I know it can be hard for an old school GM like you to look past his 38-14 record, but that's exactly what you SHOULD HAVE DONE!
Let's dig a little deeper, and see that his 90.6SV% and 2.78GAA were not all that impressive. Gerber ranked about average in his goaltending statistics behind a Stanley Cup winning team. Even the Blues' Curtis Sanford was better than Gerber.
The Canes won so many games thanks to their great offence as supposed to the goaltending of Martin Gerber.
Plus, signing a goaltender named after baby food is considered bad luck on Romulus.
So, the next time you go out into the free agent market to sign a goaltender (if you even get the chance), dig a little deeper and look past the W-L record to know what you are really getting. Would you buy a car simply on the brand name and paint job? Maybe you would, but you'd likely get burned.
Sincerely,
Jes
PS: Meszaros for Morrison?
Labels: John Muckler, Martin Gerber, Ray Emery, senators
Comments:
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Aw, Gerber's value isn't so much his on-ice performance, but he's a hell of a good-luck-charm on your bench.
Remember, this is a guy who's within the past three postseasons won (a) a Western Conference finals, (b) an Eastern Conference finals, and (c) a Stanley Cup finals, all without having to get off the bench.
Kind of like a rabbit's foot or an Oleg Tverdovsky, lucky without being actually useful.
Remember, this is a guy who's within the past three postseasons won (a) a Western Conference finals, (b) an Eastern Conference finals, and (c) a Stanley Cup finals, all without having to get off the bench.
Kind of like a rabbit's foot or an Oleg Tverdovsky, lucky without being actually useful.
Gerber played solid for the Canes last year, even if his numbers don't necessarily show it. He has had a tendency to let in some soft goals with Ottawa so far, but I don't think he is a bad goaltender.
And as to the playoff performance from a season ago, I will forever feel sorry for Gerber on that one. Although Ward came in and played great, Gerber came down with a nasty illness a week before the start of the playoffs and lost 10 pounds on his way to losing the first few games of the Habs series. For a lot of people, this was the #1 exposure they had to Martin Gerber, and it was not indicative of his typical play.
And as to the playoff performance from a season ago, I will forever feel sorry for Gerber on that one. Although Ward came in and played great, Gerber came down with a nasty illness a week before the start of the playoffs and lost 10 pounds on his way to losing the first few games of the Habs series. For a lot of people, this was the #1 exposure they had to Martin Gerber, and it was not indicative of his typical play.
# posted by 
: 10:54 am
: 10:54 am
Gerber played solid for the Canes last year, even if his numbers don't necessarily show it. He has had a tendency to let in some soft goals with Ottawa so far, but I don't think he is a bad goaltender.
And as to the playoff performance from a season ago, I will forever feel sorry for Gerber on that one. Although Ward came in and played great, Gerber came down with a nasty illness a week before the start of the playoffs and lost 10 pounds on his way to losing the first few games of the Habs series. For a lot of people, this was the #1 exposure they had to Martin Gerber, and it was not indicative of his typical play.
And as to the playoff performance from a season ago, I will forever feel sorry for Gerber on that one. Although Ward came in and played great, Gerber came down with a nasty illness a week before the start of the playoffs and lost 10 pounds on his way to losing the first few games of the Habs series. For a lot of people, this was the #1 exposure they had to Martin Gerber, and it was not indicative of his typical play.
# posted by : 10:54 am
: 10:54 am
PS: Meszaros for Morrison?
No.
--Mucks
In all seriousness Ottawa needed a goaltender and rather than take a risk on Manny Legace's delicate psyche, he decided to take a risk on Gerber's delicate psyche. He was in the Luongo sweepstakes and was rejected [speaking of which, where did he end up going, anyways? :P] Ottawa never had any trouble scoring last year so he probably tohught that Gerber having a high GAA wouldn't have been a problem. Emery playing well cushions the blow a bit.
No.
--Mucks
In all seriousness Ottawa needed a goaltender and rather than take a risk on Manny Legace's delicate psyche, he decided to take a risk on Gerber's delicate psyche. He was in the Luongo sweepstakes and was rejected [speaking of which, where did he end up going, anyways? :P] Ottawa never had any trouble scoring last year so he probably tohught that Gerber having a high GAA wouldn't have been a problem. Emery playing well cushions the blow a bit.
i think luongo ended up 30th in save percentage. hmmm. jes when you busting out that only important thing is save percentage and luongo is the next ROY post? i miss them.
as for legace, talk about playing like a pile of donkey manure. he looses the job to sanford, and if he plays like he did last night he will lose the job again (sanford is injured) to 'cash who PASSED THROUGH WAIVERS this year, is about the 30th ranked goalie prospect in the nhl, and isnt even the best blues' goalie prospect.
ah the blues, is it where goalies come to die, or are they all already dead when tehy get here?
chicken and the egg...
as for legace, talk about playing like a pile of donkey manure. he looses the job to sanford, and if he plays like he did last night he will lose the job again (sanford is injured) to 'cash who PASSED THROUGH WAIVERS this year, is about the 30th ranked goalie prospect in the nhl, and isnt even the best blues' goalie prospect.
ah the blues, is it where goalies come to die, or are they all already dead when tehy get here?
chicken and the egg...
# posted by : 12:29 pm
: 12:29 pm
Meszaros for Morrison? If I were the Canucks, I'd make that deal in a hearbeat. To quote the immortal Burke: "I'll even drive him to the airport."
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# posted by : 12:44 am
: 12:44 am << Home
