Game Day Thread - Dallas at Blues

[seattleblue]

I guess I disagree with the majority. I thought Dvorsky had a very solid game. Yeah he ended up a -1, but he was on the ice when the empty netter was scored. Analytics back up that he had a good game as well. Only Holloway, Kyrou, and Broberg had better game scores. I'd like to see him with 2 NHL guys. He has gotten games with 1 NHL guy and 1 AHL guy and 2 AHL guys but never 2 NHL guys, like he would if he made the team. Put him between Neighbours and Schenn and see how it looks; that could be a place he would end up if he makes the team.

I'm not trying to continually harp on the kid, but from what I've seen and what I would guess from the constant line pairings with Dvo, is that management is trying to see if he's capable of being the driver on a line (make his line mates better) at the NHL level.

You've heard them praise Stennberg for that specific attribute, but nothing about Dvorsky and you continue to see him on lines where he should be the best and most visible player, but - in my opinion - he's playing like a player dependent on line mates to drive the play. It absolutely is his lack of foot speed. I think he could get away with it at every other level, but he just doesn't seem to make plays through the neutral or over the blue line when he has the puck.

Or.... he's concentrating on doing the things that a center in the NHL has to do defensively since he has mainly been lined up with AHL wingers who don't play very much defense.

He's been pretty good in the faceoff dot, back pretty consistently and has interrupted quite a lot of offensive chances, led breakouts and his passing has been really, really good.

He's not quite as fast as he could be due to the fact of potentially concentrating on those things and not concentrating strictly on driving offense.

I've said this before, but I see him as an ROR style center. He's been responsible in his own end and defensively, his transition passing game is decent to good, he's ok on the dot, his shot is quick and hard, and he knows how to use space in the o-zone. Big enough, not a bruiser but he doesn't shy away. He's ROR, style-wise. RT he is not. Whether he can become an elite shutdown center with decent production remains to be seen.

Dvorsky and ROR share the same approach to the game of developing every possible facet that helps you in competition. ROR would not let himself be out focused or out determined by any player, that is how Dvorsky understands his own impact.

Soon, people are going to feel real comfy with this player out there.