UFA of The Day: Ben Eager
by Mr. Plank on Jun 21, 2011 3:00 AM PDT
in Armchair GM
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PrintThe first thing we think of when Ben Eager comes to mind is unpredictability.
In game two against the Vancouver Canucks that idea was on full display-- the first period bore witness to the upside of Eager. He was a one man wrecking crew on the forecheck, took part in a pair of excellent scoring chances, and rang a dangerous wrist shot off the post that nearly put San Jose up 2-0. It looked as if he was on his way to an effective game that would result in his name showing up consistently on the scoresheet.
Which is what happened of course, although not in the way many would have liked it to. After yelling at the Vancouver bench following Patrick Marleau's fight with Kevin Bieksa, Eager proceeded to a) earn a boarding penalty by running Daniel Sedin 90 seconds after yelling at the bench b) trip Mason Raymond in the neutral zone, leading to a Canucks power play goal that put the score to 4-2 c) score a goal with 2:33 left in the game to "cut" the lead to 7-3, which ended with him d) raising his hands in celebration, letting out an audible whoop that was picked up by NBC's microphones, and standing over the prone Roberto Luongo and trash talking him while Joe Pavelski and Ian White tentatively tried to pull him off.
At the end of the game he finished with one goal, twenty penalty minutes, four shots on net, and a game misconduct.
Therein lies the essence of Ben Eager. Drafted in the first round by the Phoenix Coyotes for his imposing raw talent, Eager is a player who elicits no confidence in those predicting what he will bring to the table on any given night. For games (and now that you mention it, shifts) at a time Eager will be an immensely positive force on the ice. His bulldog mentality, strength, size, and excellent hands indicate a road to sustainable success can come at some time throughout in his career. Unfortunately, at the age of 27, that road has led him down the path of sucker punches to Colby Armstrong and trash talking opposing goaltenders with games well out of hand. Moments where he loses his composure-- moments where he probably deserves no such euphemisms.
Ben Eager is a loaded gun on the hockey battlefield, able to begin a revolution and end it with accidental fratricide only moments later. Ben Eager is a banker who promises gold, renegs to silver, and eventually delivers fiat currency to your door. He is a temptress that sings so sweetly at times it nearly makes you forget the long list of scorned lovers left behind, forgotten in the sands of time.
In terms of advanced metrics at 5v5, Eager's results are across the board and tell the story of a player who is deserving of his third/fourth line enforcer role. His quality of competition numbers were 14th on the team at a -0.078, right in line with what you would expect from an enforcer who plays on the fourth line. He was 11th in points per 60 minutes (1.36), but did pot four goals in 34 games with San Jose. He managed to break even and end up with a plus/minus of zero with San Jose, and during the course of the season was a positive at 5v5 with a +/- per 60 minutes of 0.25. He was 11th on the team in shots for versus shots against, finishing in the black at a +2 per 60 minutes. Defensive zone starts were a pleasant surprise, with Eager facing the sixth toughest situations on the team in this regard.
However, the most relevant statistic in my opinion is that of his penalty taken differential. Eager was second worst on the team with 1.5 penalties taken per 60 minutes of ice, trailing only Jamal Mayers and Scott Nichol (both will not return next season). That metric is inexcusable for fourth line players on an NHL roster. Coupled with his non-inclusion on special teams, Eager's body of work this season is not exactly one that screams for a contract offer.
That being said, NHL teams always do find a way to give themselves a safety blanket and ice a tough-guy of Eager's ilk. With the NHL roster devoid of such players, and only Frazer McLaren having experience in San Jose serving such a role, there may be a desire to keep him around in order to serve up a special brand of vigilante justice.
The merits of such an idea should be questioned due to the above statistics however.
Final Words: There is no doubt in my mind that Eager can be an extremely effective player in the NHL. His raw talent combined with his devil may care physical play has a place in this League, and for that reason alone, San Jose will remain interested in his services this offseason. There is a lot here to like, but as we've pointed out in our analysis, there is a lot here that should be a concern for the organization as well.
Eager is a player who would do well to play under a very strict disciplinarian, an old-school fire and brimstone coach like Mike Keenan. A full year under that type of discipline would likely result in a more fortuitous approach to his role of fourth line agitator. With those types of coaches leaving the NHL however, Eager's ability to find a way to curb his needless penalties will have to come from within.
In conjunction with Eager the player, his future with San Jose is unpredictable. Doug Wilson clearly saw a talented forward when he acquired Eager from the Atlanta Thrashers midway through the season, and even though I tend to fall on the "nay" side of the ledger when it comes to re-signing his services, there is an appeal here. Ultimately I think that upside has greater application in theory rather than practice and would not offer him a contract.
If Eager does re-sign however, expect the contract to come in the one-year $0.900 MM range.
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I pretty much agree here.
If he is let go, I won’t be too concerned. We’ve got McGinn and maybe Mashinter. If he’s re-signed, I won’t mind. (As long as it is for under $1 mil.) The Sharks may need a pest.
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Vancouver hates Eager...sign him NOW!
Yeah he took some dumb penalties, but they were not of the variety of a Thronton on Franzen unsportsmanlike. I would like to see the NHL vet, Eager the enforcer back, if only so Clowe can keep his skill set on the ice…
Hating the Canucks since 2011
by sharkblood99 on Jun 21, 2011 4:06 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
No, Vancouver LOVES Eager..
For taking moronic penalties and making their lives easier. You DON’T take penalties against the Canucks, and especially not obvious ones like he committed repeatedly. Like taking candy from a baby..
by SanFranciscoKnights on Jun 21, 2011 9:56 AM PDT up reply actions
Unless your like Boston and your PK scores as many goals as their PP.
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I rec’d that shit.
by Steven Hida on Jun 21, 2011 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions
I am eager to see what they do with this UFA.
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by Evil Stanchion on Jun 21, 2011 5:39 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
This sounds familiar
The problem is the lack of PK time in my mind. Otherwise this is just Scott Nichol from 2 years ago. Nichol was also the kind of guy that use to do really dome things like sucker punch people in the back of the head. Maybe he was a bit older and was finally growing up.
The thing about Eager is he has the size that would have made Nichol a 3rd line player in the NHL and actually has a really good set of hands on him. I’m willing to take another flyer on a year of fun with Eager, if for nothing else to see him with a playoff beard and crazy eyes. The guy looks terrifying.
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agree
minus the one terrible game in vancouver i think he could be a good guy to have lurking in the depths of the lineup.
Ah Eager...
The guy has a good amount of speed, grit, and can score a couple pretty goals. The playoffs made me not so happy with Eager but if he stays… I don’t even want to see a $1M salary.
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I dont want to see Eager back.
He provides nothing on special teams and is a ticking time bomb which happen to explode in game 2 of the western conference finals where he constantly dug holes for the team.
He seems to be a very selfish player, I wouldn’t be surprised if he chases the money and goes to a team like Florida, one with ample cap space, and a thin depth chart. They can offer Eager $2.5-3 million over a couple years and tell him he can be a third line. He’s dumb enough to take it.
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Yep
For a high first round pick, he’s been a total bust. You can see glimpses of that talent, but it’s overshadowed by his complete lack of control and cement headed play. There is no reason that I can see why we’d want him back. Since DW has said he won’t re-sign Nichol or Mayers, I’m guessing the same fate will be suffered by Eager (and it’s his own fault). For $900 K, I’d rather have Ethan Moreau. He’s tough, adds leadership and experience. In addition to him, I’m guessing DW will sign some good two way players and try to increase the overall speed of this team. Part of me still wants to believe that a big move is in the works: Perhaps a sign & trade of Seto or a package deal with Mitchell and Nitty? I don’t think we need a back up goalie who makes $2 million next season, and Seto has not proven to me that he’s worth the high first round pick we spent on him. With our ample cap room, we do have options and I’d like to see DW shake things up among the bottom 6 players and on our Defense by signing an impact scorer/puck mover.
Good write up
I really like the player profile write ups. Pretty helpful in getting to know the guys on our team, their talents, strengths, and weaknesses, and what they could potentially be worth come contract/RFA/UFA time. Great job as always Plank!
I think the reason this guy gets so much flack (now) is largely based on the Game 2 incident because that colossal meltdown made for an embarrassing loss. However, no one considers that it seemed like everything went lights out for the Sharks after that Bieksa goal. The Marleau fight sealed the deal, and suddenly the rest of the team looked like they were ready to throw in the towel.
I really want to see this guy get more ice time. I think he’s got a lot to offer and if they can crack that discipline issue he’ll be truly dangerous. It’s possible, I’ve seen him get challenged to fight late in the regular season by opposing players and he walked away. . I think it was that last game vs. Dallas Randy and Drew even commented on it, actually.
As much as i’m a fan of this guy, i definitely wouldn’t give him over $900,000. Tell him to spend less time in the box and more time on the forecheck, then we’ll see. If he does well this season maybe he gets a raise next season.
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"You do that, you go to the box, you know. Two minutes, by yourself, you know and you feel shame, you know. And then you get free. "-Denis Lemieux
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Also
If Eager gets re-signed, I will probably be the only one to buy his sweater.
Bleeding teal and black all the way from NY since '91.
"You do that, you go to the box, you know. Two minutes, by yourself, you know and you feel shame, you know. And then you get free. "-Denis Lemieux
4/19/11, a day that will live in infamy... for Kings fans.
Eager serves a purpose
Think about the teams in the Pacific; They all have a physical agitator or an enforcer. Without Eager, the Sharks have neither. He’s no enforcer, but he can handle himself capably. Is Frazer McLaren a guy who will be a deterrent? No. Should Brandon Mashinter (who has the tools to develop into a decent power forward) be dropping his gloves to take on the George Parros’s of the NHL? No. Should Ryane Clowe have to defend his teammates?? Hell no. That is exactly what Ben Eager’s role on this team is.
Oh, and everybody thought he was great at this job. That’s until Game 2 in Vancouver…
"All that means is that I'll be 783 years old when I catch Scotty Bowman." - Kevin Constantine
A tough choice
Shawn Thornton on the Bruins is probably the worst thing that happened to Ben this year – proving that you can be an effective enforcer/tough guy, take minimal penalties, and have huge positive impact.
Eager doesn’t need a coach – he needs a psychiatrist. The questions the Sharks need to ask are (a) do I want to spend the kind of time needed to tame such a guy on him, and (b) can we risk playing him in big moments/big games.
I’m leaning to the “no” side, but without knowing him, and more importantly, knowing what has been tried previously in his career, it’s tough to tell.
THIS
Is why I like Ben Eager.
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20102011,2,769&event=ANA84
misleading
considering that’s when Hiller’s “vertigo” was in full affect. I think he let 3 softies in that game. I wont argue Eager has a wicked wrist shot.
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by SharksFanTillDeath on Jun 21, 2011 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions
You're right..
Most of the goals in that game were softies, but he DOES have a wicked wrist shot.
by ImRudyUrNot on Jun 21, 2011 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions
No thank you to Ben Eager...
He serves no purpose for us. We really don’t need a guy who plays 4 minutes a game, can’t score and can’t PK, and takes dumb penalties. Let him go single handedly cost some other team playoff games.
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by ZeroIndulgence on Jun 21, 2011 10:06 AM PDT reply actions 3 recs
Dunno, mate..
I think Eager could serve the same purpose as Marchand did for the B’s.
We need a rat. Eager can score, and he plays on the edge. If you don’t go over the edge occasionally, you lose the respect that a caged carnivore gets…
I think if he can be tamed a little, he could be very effective in this role. B’s wore Vancouver down with physicality. I’m OK with having a bit of that in the line.
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I think if he can be tamed a little, he could be very effective in this role.
No one has EVER been able to tame him. Not even our coaches. Why would it magically change this season?
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by ZeroIndulgence on Jun 21, 2011 9:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Well Quenneville’s kind of a hard-ass isn’t he? And Eager seemed to thrive in that situation during the Hawks’ Cup run.
But with a player’s coach like TMac who can’t even tell Nabby or Niemi to sit a game or two, I’m less inclined to believe that Eager can be reined in as a Shark.
I do think the Sharks need a pest, especially now that we know Nichol won’t be returning. Marchand’s a veritable dick, but he’s never broached the point of being an unpredictable wild card. I wouldn’t mind keeping him around for another year, but I wouldn’t exactly expect him to blossom into much more than we’ve seen already.
"Bobby Orr was available, but we couldn’t fit him in under the cap." - Todd McLellan
"BEAT DAT BEAT!!!"
Eager rode pine in the Cup run
There’s literally no evidence to support his ever becoming a true scoring pest.
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He played in 18 of 22 games with Chicago last postseason. He wasn’t necessarily playing heavy minutes, but he was definitely in the mix. But with Quenneville, you get a stronger disciplinarian, and McLellan… well, I don’t need to preach to the choir. 09-10 Postseason: 18 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 20 PIM vs. 10-11 Postseason: 10 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 41 PIM. I think that’s where you see Quenneville’s influence. That’s averaging a minor in every other game. Whereas here it was like getting 2 minors every night.
As for Marchand, he’s effectively taken on that scoring pest role with the Bruins. He’ll get under your skin, play dirty, talk sh*t, and score a goal or two on you while he’s at it. Essentially he’s a younger east coast version of Alex Burrows. Could the Sharks use this type of player? Hell yeah. Do I think Eager can be molded into a Marchand/Burrows type? Nope, at least not by our coach.
I think the difference with these guys and Eager is that they know how to get away with their infractions (bite people much Alexandre?). I’m generalizing, but Eager’s penalties tend fall somewhere between “totally obvious” and “omg-the-ref-has-to-call-that!” But with losing Nichol, I’d still consider keeping him around McGinn and Desjardins to chip in 15-17 points on the 4th line, which is what he’s done the last three seasons. I’m only crossing my fingers he doesn’t commit a non-fighting major penalty in the process.
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What the Sharks need
But with Quenneville, you get a stronger disciplinarian,
If you mention ending your life, or show signs of self-harm, I will take you seriously!
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I know he's a great disciplinarian
But it’s pretty heavy consensus that the Hawks won the Cup IN SPITE of the Q-stache. The fact that he can keep players in line is not in question. Whether he can then effectively manage his lineup is another.
I concur that the Sharks need a disciplinarian in general, not just because of Ben Eager. And I’m no TMac apologist, I’m the proud leader of the Fire Todd McLellan bandwagon. But there are precious few disciplinarians left who are also good coaches.
For what it’s worth, Ron Wilson was a pretty stern taskmaster, and I’m probably in a dwindling minority who preferred him. Yeah, our Power Play was crap under him, but it’s not like it looked a whole lot better this post-season, or last post-season, without him.
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They're not getting this kind of coverage at "Hockey Night In Canada" folks! - Randy Hahn
Changing signatures is for suckers.
What Jay Leach is to the San Jose Shark's Defense, I am to Fear The Fin's Mod Squad.
not necessarily Quen, but
I should’ve been more specific. The Sharks need a disciplinarian coach and staff, including the players who wear a C or an A, who can get the players to consistantly play to their full potential, who can motivate the team to become the team that everyone fears to play, who can lead the team to victory.
If you mention ending your life, or show signs of self-harm, I will take you seriously!
"Take a deep breath sometimes, a break, and play some hockey. Hockey is a great way to take a pause from day-to-day hard work." -- Lt Gen. D.H. Huntoon Jr. (paraphrased)
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Eager vs Shelly
As far as an enforcer; Ben is a better hockey player but Jody had better patience knowing when to throw down and when to just agitate. I think the dude has a screw loose and that usually is more detrimental than a constructive to a team. I think if Jody had better hockey skills they might have kept him, now a choice has to be made about a guy who has better hockey skills but has trouble keeping his cool and playing smart. I don’t think they’ll keep him.
holding my breath
I do think he has a screw loose, however I think he’s probably a bit more constructive than detrimental over the course of his body of work in SJ. It’s just that when he becomes a detriment, he’s balls-to-the-wall with it.
"Bobby Orr was available, but we couldn’t fit him in under the cap." - Todd McLellan
"BEAT DAT BEAT!!!"
How do you neutralize an enforcer?
You say “No.”
Ben Eager is a fourth liner who doesn’t play special teams and probably isn’t to be trusted in his own zone.
He’s 27. The same age Brad Staubitz was when he was traded. Staubitz had pretty decent hands too. We spent an entire season trying to overcome having him on the roster. His contract kept Logan Couture in the minors for an extra season, which may have been a blessing in disguise, but it was also pretty terrible. $900K for Eager, or anyone like him, is a waste of a roster spot. The team is better served by having room for guys from Worcester to get a REAL look.
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They're not getting this kind of coverage at "Hockey Night In Canada" folks! - Randy Hahn
Changing signatures is for suckers.
What Jay Leach is to the San Jose Shark's Defense, I am to Fear The Fin's Mod Squad.
I'm not ready to give up on Eager
I was really disappointed with his meltdown in Game 2, but I still think he’s worth taking a chance on. His combination of size and speed make him a valuable asset. The Sharks can’t afford to get any slower as a team and come playoff time I think they need to be dealing out a lot more punishment. Ben Eager can provide those things if he can learn to how to control himself. I agree we shouldn’t over pay him, but I definitely would like to see him back in teal.
I agree
If not Eager, then whom? McGinn (who took more bad/borderline penalties than Eager)? Mashinter (who has shown flashes of OK, followed by flashes of WTF)? McLaren?
I think they’re hoping that Eager will evolve into a pesky Avery-type player that can score a few goals while pissing off the other team. His only problem is that HE DOESN’T KNOW WHEN TO QUIT. That can be coached… hopefully.
For $900K or so, he’s a reasonably skilled 4th liner with 3rd-line scoring potential with a nasty streak that needs to be controlled. With NO blueliners that can reasonably called “enforcers” [at least in terms of fighting], he is a useful commodity as a pot-stirrer that will take some of the heat off of Ryane Clowe. He’s Scotty Nichol with better scoring and without faceoffs.
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means" - Inigo Montoya
by ToddCommish on Jun 21, 2011 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions
We weren't missing an enforcer prior to his arrival
Last season, we didn’t have a dedicated enforcer, just enough guys who could throw when the situation required.
Eager may be many things that can be debated, but the one thing that CAN’T be debated is his inconsistency. Do we really need to overpay for MORE inconsistency ($900K is an overpayment for what he brings).
GO SHARKS!
They're not getting this kind of coverage at "Hockey Night In Canada" folks! - Randy Hahn
Changing signatures is for suckers.
What Jay Leach is to the San Jose Shark's Defense, I am to Fear The Fin's Mod Squad.
Last year, we had Scott Nichol
I’m not saying he’s a VITAL part of this team, but for less than a $1M, he’d enable DW to check off one box on his off-season checklist in order to focus on the BIGGER needs of this team (defensemen, anyone?) without depending entirely on completely unproven rookies.
Worst case, he ends up in a rotation for the 4th line with the McGinns/Mashinters/Desjardins of the world, essentially replacing Nichols/Mayers. Experienced 4th line depth isn’t a horrible thing. Now, if they sign Eager and don’t sign Ian White because he’s $1M too expensive, I’ll be pissed.
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means" - Inigo Montoya
Scratching $900K a night is not a good cap strategy in my opinion
Eager is HIGHLY replaceable from within the organization. He doesn’t fill either of the three most pressing needs on the team (defense, penalty kill, true checking center), and if $900K is his price, he’s overpaid. He can be replaced by someone for $500K. I know in the big picture, that doesn’t sound like much, but it can be the difference between only rolling with the 12 forwards on the roster, or having the luxury of calling up guys from Worcester.
Eager is not worth the cost. ALL of the costs.
GO SHARKS!
They're not getting this kind of coverage at "Hockey Night In Canada" folks! - Randy Hahn
Changing signatures is for suckers.
What Jay Leach is to the San Jose Shark's Defense, I am to Fear The Fin's Mod Squad.
I don’t see anybody in our organization that has a combination of that much talent and the skin crawling irritation that he brings in a package.
Why is his 1 bad game in the playoffs this big of a deal? There is plenty he brings to the table that I think you’re severely underrating. Why was Nichol so loved while he was here? He had the exact same reputation as Eager coming in. Somehow the coaching staff fixed him, or at least I don’t recall any of this nonsense:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-mOptLjElc
900k is waivable if it doesn’t work out.
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+1
I agree.
Before the game 2 WCF meltdown, everyone was okay with Eager. We all knew he was a ticking time bomb but for a majority of the time, he did his part and didn’t cost us games. I know we were all jumping for joy when he fought Clifford the shift immediately after Stoll injured White, and that’s the kind of edge and grit this team historically lacks.
I know we have Clowe, but he’s too damn valuable to be getting involved in stuff like that, and that’s where Eager comes in. And no one can deny he’s shown flashes of offensive pop.
I like what Eager brings to the table, and I would prefer that he stays. I’m on board with some other people here, get the coaching staff to discipline the sh*t out of him and hopefully he tones it down, or at least smartens up. If he doesn’t stay, I won’t be disappointed, but I think retaining him (for the right price) is the right decision.
It's not just 1 bad game
It’s a history of always being this player, and having him be that player when we needed him to be something else.
I concur that he’s got a unique skill-set that the organization could use. However, I think the negatives far outweigh the positives.
Nichol got a pass because he was able to reign in those tendancies. His penalties drawn vs. penalties taken were not out of whack, and he suffered no post-season brainfarts. Nichol kills penalties and wins faceoffs. Eager does neither of those things.
$900K is waivable, but honestly, we KNOW Eager isn’t an 82 game player. We KNOW Eager isn’t a special teams player or a defensive player. So why are we considering putting $900K in him?
I’ll make the point again. Eager is INCONSISTENT. The last thing this team needs is another player who isn’t consistent.
GO SHARKS!
They're not getting this kind of coverage at "Hockey Night In Canada" folks! - Randy Hahn
Changing signatures is for suckers.
What Jay Leach is to the San Jose Shark's Defense, I am to Fear The Fin's Mod Squad.
No post season brainfarts?
Did you see Nichol on the ice during the Kings series? They did all their scoring against his line. Nichol and Eager had the exact same reputation coming into this team. Nichol being older and injury prone. Eager seems like he’s more likely to dish out the injury.
Why don’t we give Eager a shot before we decide he can’t reign in those tendencies. Nichol certainly didn’t manage it at his age.
"Douglas Murray is a humongous human being." – Drew Remenda
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I'll concede the 4th line was no good
But again, Eager doesn’t kill penalties and you can’t put him on a checking line. He’s 27. He’s not really a guy who’s going to change. He is what he is, and the team has far more pressing needs.
Vancouver made him toxic. We don’t exactly have to bid high for his services. $900K is too high.
GO SHARKS!
They're not getting this kind of coverage at "Hockey Night In Canada" folks! - Randy Hahn
Changing signatures is for suckers.
What Jay Leach is to the San Jose Shark's Defense, I am to Fear The Fin's Mod Squad.
If they can get him to start doing yoga,
Or in some anger management therapy I wouldn’t mind seeing him back.
Yes Sign Eager
If the price is right, sign him. He is a very solid player, but has brain farts on the ice. I believe Todd can develop him into a solid 3rd liner, and possibly on the PK. The west is going to be tough, and bigger and faster players are the way of the future.
Go Big or Go Home
by ChangoT on Jun 21, 2011 12:52 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Frankly, I liked to see him talking shit at Luongo. Everybody knows (or at least knows by now) that you can get in Lu’s head and I, for one, would have liked to see the Sharks try to do it a little more. Game 5 vs. the Sharks was the first game I’ve ever really seen him steal.
Agreed!
I figured he was telling Luongo to quit flopping around since Bobby Lou could have been called for Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Diving after he flopped into the net. Eager stopped up short of the blue paint but Luongo flipped himself backwards as if Ben had hit him with a Zamboni.
"All that means is that I'll be 783 years old when I catch Scotty Bowman." - Kevin Constantine
by DumbPuck on Jun 21, 2011 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think most of us wouldn't be as upset about it
save for the fact that he took so many unnecessary and costly penalties before scoring that goal. Luongo’s a diva and I don’t doubt that he tried to embellish to possibly nullify Eager’s goal, but the game was already decided, so it just made him look stupid. Like when someone scores a TD and does a dance when they’re still down by three scores with 90 seconds to go. If Eager had scored that goal (then taunted) during a tight game, we’d probably look back at that moment more fondly.
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I think if Eager cost us something close league minimum I’d be interested in retaining him and trying to mold him into the ideal 4th line player, but at the 1 mill he’s probably going to cost, forget it. He’s not worth it.
What’s up with Brandon Mashinter? Many might have been hoping for him to be the next Ryane Clowe, but at least for now I think he could work on our 4th line. He has all the tools to be a big physical 4th liner with some offensive ability.
Mash deserves a look again
If Eager is signed for $900K, then it’s not going to happen. It’s Jody Shelley and Brad Staubitz all over again. They were just too pricey to scratch both and give anyone worth a damn on the ice a look.
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I don’t think Mash is ready for 82 games. But I think he’s ready for 60 or so (Eager played 68 last year and 60 two years ago) and it’d be easy enough to fill his slot with someone from Worcester temporarily.
Eager’s 17 total points last season aren’t exactly an unattainable goal to set for Mashinter. Eager averaged about a penalty every other game last season and Mash had 4 total in 13 games. Eager had more average TOI, but neither broke much more than 10 minutes a game max.
Is Mashinter an upgrade? Maybe, maybe not, his sample size is way too small to determine that. Is he a significant downgrade? Nothing screams that to me, but again, small sample size. Difference is that we know what we’re getting with Eager barring a huge and sudden change. With Mashinter, we have a player who is still developing and can fill a roster spot for cheaper with no readily apparent drop off.
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Eager’s 17 total points last season aren’t exactly an unattainable goal to set for Mashinter.
I think 4th line points are harder to come by than you’d think. Remember how we all thought McGinn was going to be ready to score 10-15 goals this season? That didn’t quite work out.
That’s why I was so heart broken when Jed left. He was surprisingly effective out there on the 4th line.
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But 10-15 goals is very different than 10-15 points and McGinn was in Worcester for almost half the season. His production was almost the same as Eager’s in Teal (1 point less). If he had a whole season at the pace he was on, he’d have only been behind Eager by three or four points tops.
That’s why I said it’s not an unattainable goal. I’m not guaranteeing Mashinter will get there, but it’s not impossible, especially when we look at what was a disappointment for McGinn almost being the same as Eager’s production that is being talked up right now.
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I wouldn't mind seeing a fresh guy in his spot
We know what we’re getting with Eager. And while those almost-20 points are nice, it’s a number that a replacement should be able to attain.
I wouldn’t mind seeing a guy like Mashinter coming up from Worcester and playing a nearly full season. He may be “developing”, but it’s not like development stops once a player moves into the NHL. It could actually be beneficial to his game. And he doesn’t seem to have a history of being an idiot on the ice, like Eager does.
Eager may have the aggression this team supposedly lacks, but there are plenty of other guys out there who can do it without boneheaded decisions. And if you’re going to spend ~$1mil on a guy at this position, I’m sure there are better options available.
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I'm an Eager supporter
Man is a beast. Given 4th line line-mates with actual skill (McGinn) I think Eager can be very effective.
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my ENTHUSIASM!!! is not piqued by this UFA
that moment when he scored that one answering goal in that ridiculous loss looked like something out of a sitcom. Eager is a loose cannon
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by YeahTommyB4ZGermansGetThere on Jun 22, 2011 9:42 AM PDT reply actions
I think folks are overstating Eager’s ‘meltdown’ in game 2 of the conference finals. The coincidental roughing with Torres was a good trade. The tripping penalty was dumb, but frankly you’re going to get a dumb penalty here and there, it just happened to be Eager this time. If it hadn’t been Sedin, that hit might not have been called at all, which makes the call feel like bullshit even though it was legit. The roughing penalty against Luongo was bullshit, and the taunt was just hilarious. So basically you have a good penalty, a dumb penalty, a marginal penalty, a phantom penalty, and a who-cares-they’re-in-the-hole-that-far head-games penalty.
I could go either way on retaining Eager. Recklessness isn’t something the Sharks need in a Cup run, but it’s entertaining, and really that’s what hockey’s supposed to be.
keep Eager
if you can sign him for less than 0.9 mm. He can be a good player if he riegns in his behavior… let it start with the paycheck. He probably won’t sign for much less than a million, but he probably won’t reform unless he’s pressured… so, keep him for a bargain, or, I guess, don’t resign.
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