Postby mikey » Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:38 pm
You probably never see him play because he's hurt all the time...luckily, I'm here to help...
Calvin de Haan (LD) - Composed two-way defenseman. Battled injuries early in his career but has really come into his own. Not a flashy defenseman, but well positioned and smart. Reading the game through his eyes, it appears as if things are in slow motion. Very competent skater. Gets a lot out of short crossovers and lateral steps. Gets pretty good work out of his edges as well. Not particularly good with speed, as he has a long, exaggerated stride. His body motion doesn't serve him very well in this regard, as it's not in-sync with his stride. He gets to where he needs to go though and is typically first to pucks in his own end. Is really mindful of his gaps defensively in the NZ and DZ. Has shown some ability to carry the mail, but he doesn't have enough stickhandling ability or breakaway speed (for lack of a better term here) to be relied upon to get two lines. He is very composed with the puck and he doesn't rush his passes or throw many pucks away...almost to a fault, as sometimes he can be caught hanging on to it for too long and doesn't quite have the escapability to get away from all forecheckers. Smart, effective passer. Not a big threat to stretch the ice and not really much of a threat to score from well out. He is a better shot placer: he puts pucks on net that get through and can be tipped or generate rebounds. He is physical to separate players from the puck, but doesn't chase them way out of position to do so. He plays bigger than his vitals would indicate. Has a quality hip check to offer. Blocks a lot of shots willingly. Manages his shifts well and can log a lot of time in really tough situations without being uneven in his game play. Does he really have the offensive capability to get the label "two-way" or is he really better off being a defensive-minded guy who isn't a liability with the puck? Probably the latter.
Role: Second pairing, two-way/defensive-leaning defenseman, like a better version of Kevin Klein.