from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,
One key component for the Red Wings was again missing in action as far as putting the puck in the next was concerned. Alex DeBrincat failed to score. His account is showing one tally over 18 games since Feb. 29.
“I’ve definitely got to bear down more and put some pucks in the net and work on that,” DeBrincat was acknowledging.
He’s certainly right about that. When the Red Wings were trading a first-round pick, prospect Donovan Sebrango and 20-goal scorer Dominik Kubalik to the Ottawa Senators for DeBrincat last summer, they were doing so with the expectation that he’d be filling the opposition net with pucks.
It’s also why they were inking the native Michigander to a four-year, $31.5 million contract. The Red Wings aren’t paying DeBrincat nearly $8 million per season to create chances. A provision of that stipend is that he be finishing chances.
At the start of the season, he was doing exactly that. Through his first nine games with Detroit, DeBrincat was good for eight goals.
Now, no one was expecting him to maintain a 73-goal pace. Then again, nobody was thinking he’d be falling off to a Michael Rasmussen scoring pace.
When the Red Wings were trading a first-round pick, prospect Donovan Sebrango and 20-goal scorer Dominik Kubalik to the Ottawa Senators for DeBrincat last summer, they were doing so with the expectation that hed be filling the opposition net with pucks.
Duff's general premise is correct, but Kubalik isn't a 20-goal scorer this year. He has 11 goals and just four assists in 72 games with Ottawa while Sebrango hasn't even gotten a sniff of the NHL with a team that ranks 26th in the league. And that 1st-round pick (from Boston in the Bertuzzi trade) will probably be somewhere between #25 and #32. So let's not get too bent out of shape over what the Wings gave up in the trade.
Now, no one was expecting him to maintain a 73-goal pace. Then again, nobody was thinking hed be falling off to a Michael Rasmussen scoring pace.
Wow, now that's just crazy talk. Rasmussen has 13 goals and 33 points. DeBrincat has 24 goals and 60 points. Would we like more goals from Alex? Absolutely. But he's nowhere near scoring at a "Rasmussen pace."
And let's not forget that Alex has been 100% committed to playing a full 200-foot game. He back checks. He's aggressive both with the puck and when going after the puck. And I haven't seen him "float" for even part of one shift this year.
More importantly, the guy really wants to be a Red Wing. Maybe he's trying too hard because of that. All I know is I like the guy a lot, and I'm betting on him finding his "groove" long before Rasmussen ever becomes a 20-goal scorer (which is what you should expect from a 6'6", 220-lb guy taken at #9 in the draft).
No issues with Debrincat effort and defensive game, but he is a goal scorer paid to score. I have been saying this for a couple of months now so I agree with this article. And we take away PP goals, his 5 on 5 production in the past 65 games or so it brutal.
There are a lot of guys on the Wings roster, VP, who are being paid to do one thing or another -- and they aren't doing it. That includes everyone from Copp to Veleno to Petry to Holl to Rasmussen to Husso. If DeBrincat only had 13 goals (to use Duff's comparison to Rasmussen) or he wasn't busting his ass on every shift, I'd be a lot more upset.
For now, I'm willing to give the guy a chance to find his rhythm.
Did he not have a new born this season? That may figure into his problems as other players have had the same issues. He should come out of his funk.
My two Cents on Cat:
Hes gotten puck-shy. On Sundays game had two opportunities shoot and he passed instead. Hes been eager to get rid of the puck when he can, especially when hes out with Kane. It makes me think hes hurt.
The Ras comparison is ridiculous.
Also, lets talk about second and third layers to this onion. Larkin could get close to forty goals before this is over in part because DeBrincat has unlocked him. I bet Kane would tell you the same thing too.
Overall, the guy gets a B+/A from me.
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