Sunday, January 20, 2008

What does Nilsson have to do to earn more ice time?


ROBERT NILSSON

2.67 ESP/60 [4th highest goal differential]

0.55 PPG

3.35 PPP/60 [on 2nd unit]

Tied with Gilbert, 5th on the team in Plus/Minus rating (+2). Breakdown: Home (-1). Road (+3)

Yet, he sits at 18th on the Oilers at 13:05 TOI/game.

What explains this? What am I missing?

Is his hair too funky?

Or is his hockey style just not suited for a "Mac-T type" of hockey club?

2 comments:

Conrad Nobert said...

He's had 19 points in the last 25 games, too.

quain said...

Every time he seems on the rise he makes a stunningly bad defensive play, just absolutely atrocious.

However, MacT spreads playing time so evenly that 13 minutes doesn't seem particularly low to me, especially as he's not penalty killing and not about to usurp the top line from their double duty as top power play line.

There's also the difficulty of lining him up. He's mediocre to bad defensively so slotting him with Gagner and Cogliano is a risk defensively... but lining him up with Pisani and Reasoner gives him a lack of solid offensive weapons.

If the kid line can hold its own, he'll get more ice time. If not, he'll get bounced around and we'll see... he does deserve an extra minute or three though.