Jay McClement

[Fanatic]

For most of the lockout I think I just forgot that the Leafs got this guy. This is a nice write up my Mirtle.

But when Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis, then acting as Brian Burke?s right-hand man, sat down with their pro scouts in the summer, the one player they kept coming back to was an unfamiliar one for most hockey fans.

They wanted Jay McClement.

And they wanted him to fill a void as what his former coach Andy Murray calls ?the stopper.?

?The more and more we went over our list, the more his name came up,? Nonis said.

After seven seasons and 553 NHL games, McClement?s name has hardly become a household one. The Kingston, Ont., native has only 63 goals, 114 assists and is a minus-76 over that span, with the latter statistic putting him second last out of every player since the 2004-05 lockout.


rest of the story

 

[Strangelove]

For most of the lockout I think I just forgot that the Leafs got this guy. This is a nice write up my Mirtle.

But when Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis, then acting as Brian Burke?s right-hand man, sat down with their pro scouts in the summer, the one player they kept coming back to was an unfamiliar one for most hockey fans.

They wanted Jay McClement.

And they wanted him to fill a void as what his former coach Andy Murray calls ?the stopper.?

?The more and more we went over our list, the more his name came up,? Nonis said.

After seven seasons and 553 NHL games, McClement?s name has hardly become a household one. The Kingston, Ont., native has only 63 goals, 114 assists and is a minus-76 over that span, with the latter statistic putting him second last out of every player since the 2004-05 lockout.


rest of the story

"The stopper" will fit right in.

I actually don't know anything about him.  I hope he's better than the guys he's succeeding in that role.

 

[Leafaholic99]

I'm confused, he is. PK specialist but a horrible +/- rating, am I missing something?

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Because plus/minus isn't a very accurate indicator of defensive ability, but more about quality of team.

 

[Leafaholic99]

Because plus/minus isn't a very accurate indicator of defensive ability, but more about quality of team.

True, and I have no clue which teams he has been on in his career, but isn't that low of a rating a bit alarming on him as a player?

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Because plus/minus isn't a very accurate indicator of defensive ability, but more about quality of team.

True, and I have no clue which teams he has been on in his career, but isn't that low of a rating a bit alarming on him as a player?

As they say in the article, he's played a lot of games where he's put on the ice in the defensive zone to start, or to play a very defensive game.  When you're doing that you're not scoring a ton of goals when your line is on, and the goals against will skew the number.  It shouldn't be any more alarming than Phil Kessel's wildly fluctuating +/- number from some seasons in Boston to other seasons - he didn't go from being a defensive stalwart or vice versa.

 

[Leafaholic99]

Ah ok, good points, makes sense. I only read what was posted from the article and didn't click the link.

 

[bustaheims]

As they say in the article, he's played a lot of games where he's put on the ice in the defensive zone to start, or to play a very defensive game.  When you're doing that you're not scoring a ton of goals when your line is on, and the goals against will skew the number.

Especially when you're often out there against the other teams' top lines.

 

[nutman]

If he makes the team this could be the start of a good pk. something we need.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Because plus/minus isn't a very accurate indicator of defensive ability, but more about quality of team.

True, and I have no clue which teams he has been on in his career, but isn't that low of a rating a bit alarming on him as a player?

As they say in the article, he's played a lot of games where he's put on the ice in the defensive zone to start, or to play a very defensive game.  When you're doing that you're not scoring a ton of goals when your line is on, and the goals against will skew the number.  It shouldn't be any more alarming than Phil Kessel's wildly fluctuating +/- number from some seasons in Boston to other seasons - he didn't go from being a defensive stalwart or vice versa.

Good overview Potvin, that stat is very misleading for very defensive players, but also for very offensive players. Seems a better measurement of 2nd and 4th liners.

 

[Tigger]

If he makes the team this could be the start of a good pk. something we need.

He'll make the team and not to toot my own horn too much but he's the guy I wanted of most ufa's out there, we'll see how it translates but I'm fairly confident he'll be a difference maker on the pk.

Now, if the Leafs had only listened to me and signed Talbot the year before...

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

Now, if the Leafs had only listened to me and signed Talbot the year before...

They tried, but in the end, I don't think Talbot wanted to play here.

 

[Tigger]

Now, if the Leafs had only listened to me and signed Talbot the year before...

They tried, but in the end, I don't think Talbot wanted to play here.

No, no ... they just didn't listen

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Yeah, when he plays on the PK it doesn't help your +\-

Then factor in he plays against most teams best players for up to 17 minutes a game and doesn't generate a lot of offence, it's quite remarkable that his plus minus isn't worse.

That's testament to how great he is defensively.

 

[Bender]

Now, if the Leafs had only listened to me and signed Talbot the year before...

They tried, but in the end, I don't think Talbot wanted to play here.

No, no ... they just didn't listen

Didn't Talbot get like $3m+?

 

[Erndog]

Now, if the Leafs had only listened to me and signed Talbot the year before...

They tried, but in the end, I don't think Talbot wanted to play here.

No, no ... they just didn't listen

Didn't Talbot get like $3m+?

$1.8M.  For 5 years.

 

[Tigger]

Now, if the Leafs had only listened to me and signed Talbot the year before...

They tried, but in the end, I don't think Talbot wanted to play here.

No, no ... they just didn't listen

Didn't Talbot get like $3m+?

1.75 hit and career numbers last year...

http://www.capgeek.com/player/486

 

[Deebo]

Yeah, when he plays on the PK it doesn't help your +-

it doesn't harm it either, PPGs don't effect +/-.

 

[Kin]

Yeah, when he plays on the PK it doesn't help your +-

it doesn't harm it either, PPGs don't effect +/-.

I think it actually does help it though as SHG count as a +

 

[Britishbulldog]

Now, if the Leafs had only listened to me and signed Talbot the year before...

They tried, but in the end, I don't think Talbot wanted to play here.

No, no ... they just didn't listen

Didn't Talbot get like $3m+?

$1.8M.  For 5 years.

I feel it was a shame that Pittsburgh couldn't keep him.