A Showing of Love for Anaheim Ducks Defenseman Kevin Bieksa
On June 30, 2015, Anaheim Ducks General Manager; Bob Murray executed a trade that brought Kevin Bieksa from Vancouver.
Now, in his 2nd year in Anaheim, Kevin Bieksa has been the bud of a lot of social media jokes and criticism. A lot of the criticism that is aimed at him does have merit. But I’m here to cast a little love and state my claim that Kevin Bieksa is in a way, one of the most important bluelliners on the team.
Looking at the statistics at face value:
6 goals, 14 assists = 20 points, -7 in +/- rating, 140 Penalty minutes in 120 games in Anaheim Ducks colors.
Yes, these statistics don’t really tell us a lot or make my claim valid. This is because we’re looking in the wrong places. For us to see his real value to the team you have to look and dig in certain spots.
Playing Style:
All the scouting reports on Kevin Bieksa throughout his now 12-year playing career in the NHL have said the following;
- Known as a two-way Defenseman, who plays a physical and instintive style.
- Overly Aggressive on defense causes him to be caught out of position easily in space.
That 2nd bullet point lies the root of the criticism that he gets often It’s deserved too.
How many times do we see him in Man-to-Man or Pressure Coverage get caught out of position or because of his over aggressiveness get caught to high and allow his man a direct line to net?
It happens more times than we can count. We all know if you’re too overly aggressive out in space, You get burned! THIS is where he gets into trouble! However, this is a problem that’s not without a fix.
The Fix:
The overly aggressive defense play does have its value if its applied using 1 very simple aspect: Pick and Choose! – It means realize when to implement aggressive defense play. The best place for this; plays along the boards in the defensive zone.
When he’s out in space, Kevin Bieksa needs to fine tune his defensive play in 2 areas.
On transition defense:
Taking away the middle of ice, forcing the player to the midpoint when the trapping happens or to stay along the boards.
When playing versus a set offense:
He ought to use a more zoned game; back off and play straight-up. When he’s playing back this’ll allow him to 3 things;
- Read the situation/play.
- Anticipate what your guy is gonna do.
- React to the play, not Read-and-React, once the player has already made his move.
In other words, use the instincts gained playing the 12 years and 717 games he has in the league, Read-Anticipate-React. These are very fundamental fixes that Joe Piscotty, Rich Preston and Trent Yawney can help not only him but the rest of the team work on.
It would also behoove Randy Carlyle to pair him with a defenseman that he not only has chemistry and rapport with, but can also back him up in area where he’s not good in or if he loses contain. Somebody like Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm and/or Cam Fowler will help him in those areas. Him playing with Korbinian Holzer or Josh Manson doesn’t help.
Where is he vital:
The term “most important” has a lot of different meaning. The meaning that I am focusing on is on the ice, but in a very particular manner.
He’s our most experienced blueliner:
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As we all know most of our defenseman are 25 and this is why you need a veteran like him to teach the little things like;
- Get enough sleep.
- To eat the right things.
- To prepare mentally and physically for the grinds of the season.
These things that don’t get talked about a lot but for young players having someone to show them those ropes, as well as the dos and do nots of being a professional in the NHL can’t be overlooked, in my opinion.
Big Game Experience;
Again, he’s our most experienced blueliner in big games, having played in 77 postseason games, a Stanley Cup Final and stretch runs for postseason positioning. Another thing that experience can go a long way in aiding a team.
Even Strength and the Power Play:
In Vancouver, He had a lot of offensive success both in the odd-man rush in Even strength and on the Power Play. Also Alain Vigneault (Then-Canucks Head Coach) had him paired with Dan Hamhuis most of the time both on the rush and on the power play.
He has 92 points (22 goals/70 assists) on the power play in his career. That’s 35% of his 261 career points. The other 63% of his career points are in even strength play. When it’s either in the set offense, or in transition on the rush. If the Ducks implemented some aspects in how Vancouver used him, this would also help too.
It’s in these area or aspects of a team, where Kevin Bieksa’s value really shine through. Players don’t always have to be filling up the boxscore to be an asset. There are other ways to impact the team. This is where his value shines through.
Next: Looking Back At The Andy McDonald Trade
I know this will fall on deaf ear for a lot within the fanbase, but for some Kevin Bieksa is a valuable asset to this team if looked at in the right way. His pros outweigh his cons, which come from playing over aggressively on defense. If Canucks fans could endure his shortcomings for 10 years then Ducks fans should ask for that page and laminate it, so that they can utilize it.