Im really not all that "down" on Carlson or his contract.. He plays a ton of minutes. Sets up Ovie on the PP.. He "can" be physical when tested, though he didn't seem like being bothered this year. As longa s he has a solid wing man, he wasn't too bad on D.. But Kuznetsov has me scratching my head. He's like a more successful Semin. Just acts like he's content with the one Cup. He can be electric, but also look like a power outage, all in the same game. lol
I agree though, it'll take multi playoff misses or a loooooong losing streak that leads to a playoff miss, to get the coach fired.. Not sure what it'll take to remove GMBM, not that I'm for removing him at the moment, but just look at GMGM and Grunfeld.. Yikees..
Hey Mick!
It was a 3 to 4 season process for me, but finally, in the last half of the 2017-2018 regular season, just prior to our Stanley Cup playoff run, I evolved into sincerely ACCEPTING John Carlson, after years of mentally torturing myself, trying to understand the WHY, as to what the Carlson fans saw in him, that was so spectacular, The WHY, as to what interest the media had, in propping him up SO undeservedly often!
I think it was a combo of his career high, contract year, and that amazingly, he was extremely well liked in the locker room. Seeing his surprisingly good slap shot, sometimes rewarding us with a goal, and that TROTZ spoke well of the guy, also contributed to me making the effort to reconsider my thoughts concerning him! And, oh yeah, The Stanley Cup, and him being a part of that, also helped!
It is the whole package, on balance, that Carlson brings to the team, that deserved my honest consideration. For some not really understood reason, I sort of GOT IT, and it moved the needle for me into a place of cautious acceptance.
The HUGE long term contract he signed, cemented my reluctant resignation to the fact that, he’s not going anywhere, for a REALLY long time, so I yielded, for the peace of mind, and lined myself up in the “Carly Corner”!LOL At least the acceptance of the guy! I support him as a member of the Capitals.
It’s the singular focus on his defensive abilities, that I have a big problem with! And when his physical size is considered with it, his Defensive skills, generally, are very WEAK! His large, overall, offensive contributions, however, offset things, and help to reconcile those “whys”, that I used to ask myself, for years, concerning John Carlson!
On a quick, brighter note, he’s not our WORST starting Dman either. Just, not the best!
I liked the interesting choice of names you dropped, Mick, concerning who you could easily do without next year! Kuzy, Holtz, and Nisky. I’d fully agree with that. Nisky, hasn’t been brought up negatively, here on the boards, half as much as some other D guys, but MAN, has he gone SOUTH! That discussion is for another day, maybe during the summer board doldrums! LOL!
See ya!
Rush