Pick 'Em: Belanger or Hendricks?

by Gould Old Days on Dec 18, 2010 12:26 PM EST

Perhaps I was not the only one mildly surprised when the Caps invited AHL and NHL journeyman Matt Hendricks to training camp right in the middle of the dramatic, public parting of ways with Eric Belanger. If there was not a roster spot for a proven forward the team clearly wanted to bring back (at least at some point), then how could there be any opening for Hendricks, a 31-year-old who had at that point played just 60 NHL games?

As it turns out, there was a roster spot available at the time to be claimed by Hendricks, but it hardly seems likely that there were two. If the Caps and Belanger's camp had patched things up in September, Hendricks might not have received that invite. The question is: would the Caps be better off with Belanger?

The stats certainly demonstrate what we already knew: Belanger is the better offensive player.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	F0%
Eric Belanger (PHX)	30	4	10	14	-2	8	1	0	1	43	54.8
Matt Hendricks (WAS)	31	4	5	9	-3	59	1	0	2	44	53.2

But Hendricks brings a certain style of energy that was missing from the Caps last year -- more of what the team was trying to add by trading for Scott Walker.

Belanger signed with Phoenix for $750,000 -- he probably wouldn't have taken that from Washington because of wounded pride. But if you could go back into September, and knowing what you know now you could either add a happy Eric Belanger at $750,000 or Matt Hendricks for $575,000, who would you take?

Poll

So who would it be?

Eric Belanger

40 votes

Matt Hendricks

215 votes

255 votes | Poll has closed

If this FanPost is written by someone other than one of the blog's editors, the opinions expressed in it do not necessarily reflect those of this blog or SB Nation.

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Comments

The stats certainly demonstrate what we already knew: Belanger is the better offensive player.

Might not be as stark a contrast as you might think.

At 5v5, Belanger (with a QualTeam of -0.212) is at 0.47 G/60 and 1.25 A/60. Hendricks (with a QualTeam of -0.487) is at 0.42 G/60 and 0.84 A/60.

Belanger has 11 ES points in 403:14. Hendricks has 9 in 297:36.

Obviously Belly is the better offensive player… but I’m not so sure how much this year’s stats actually do demonstrate that.

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by J.P. on Dec 18, 2010 12:52 PM EST reply actions

He’s not making a ton of friends out this way. Mainly, I believe, because he was oversold to the fans when he signed.

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by Carl Putnam on Dec 19, 2010 11:06 AM EST up reply actions

How much of that is his fault? I think he was oversold to us at the trade deadline as well.

Drunk Guy: "Alex Ovechkin is playing more like Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan this year."
Laichitor: "He has AIDS?"

by Rob Parker on Dec 19, 2010 3:48 PM EST up reply actions

How does a guy making a quarter mill get oversold?

No man is an Islander.

by Flash in the Pan on Dec 19, 2010 10:16 PM EST up reply actions

I picked Hendy because of that energy and his grit. He’s a type the Caps really needed and his playing style shows the Caps conversion to more of a balanced team.

Pretty good story too, a guy looking for a job anywhere lands a regular spot with one of the best teams in the league.

by hockeyman33 on Dec 18, 2010 12:58 PM EST reply actions

Hendricks is the type of player the Caps need on the 4th line – high energy, willing to go into the corners or in front of the net and do the dirty work, and willing to fight when necessary. Belanger just never seemed to fit into the system last season.

There is no problem a hammer cannot either fix or make irrelevant.

by timmyv38 on Dec 18, 2010 1:05 PM EST reply actions

What you and hm33 said. Hendricks is the kind of player that makes the dirty places hard to go to. I’ve said this many times before, the Caps have plenty of players with the physical tools to do that, but they aren’t tenacious enough down low. The Caps need to learn to get their lumber in the opponent’s teeth and let ‘em know they’re there.

The guy is Peter Schumpmaker. Lord knows what a schump is, but you can bet your bippy his ancestors made them. What he's doing is far worse than crafting fine schumps.

by Steckel Me Elmo on Dec 18, 2010 1:13 PM EST up reply actions

In an ideal world, I choose both and scratch/trade Steckel. But if I can only have one, I’d take Belanger, as much as I like Hendricks. He just has a little more offensive ability and, while not a fighter, is plenty tough as he proved in the playoffs last year.

by grapejoos on Dec 18, 2010 3:06 PM EST reply actions

I like Hendricks a lot, but I had to go with Belanger. He plays a position that we sorely need and can do it at a higher level than Hendricks. I know Hendricks can play some C, but he wouldn’t be a great 3C and I would be extremely scared to see him at 2C. Belanger isn’t the cure-all, but he’s the better player. At the PHX price he’s hard to turn down, though if you asked the poll with the quoted Caps price I’d probably take Hendricks.

Drunk Guy: "Alex Ovechkin is playing more like Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan this year."
Laichitor: "He has AIDS?"

by Rob Parker on Dec 18, 2010 6:09 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

I don’t think Belanger could fill the 3C hole any better than Mackan has – or any better than Gordon has when he was there. He couldn’t do it last season, I see no reason that would change.

There is no problem a hammer cannot either fix or make irrelevant.

by timmyv38 on Dec 18, 2010 7:35 PM EST up reply actions

I don’t think this is accurate. Belanger was fine in terms of a 3C last year, but our problem was 2C. He also didn’t have a ton of time to adjust. He’s better than Mackan is right now and he’s definitely better than Gordon.

Drunk Guy: "Alex Ovechkin is playing more like Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan this year."
Laichitor: "He has AIDS?"

by Rob Parker on Dec 18, 2010 7:54 PM EST up reply actions

It is accurate. Belanger was decent, at best. He was horrible offensively – he wasn’t even as productive as MP. He was virtually no help on the PK, which was supposed to be what he would help with the most. I agree that the 3C position wasn’t much of a problem last year, but Belanger did nothing to help fill it.

Right now, in Phoenix’s system, he is better than Mackan or Gordon is in Washington’s system – but that means nothing.

There is no problem a hammer cannot either fix or make irrelevant.

by timmyv38 on Dec 18, 2010 9:24 PM EST up reply actions

How much PHX do you watch? I just think your eye needs recalibrating. Comparing his production to MP’s is hilarious. You’re ignoring the adjustment. You’re ignoring lots of things. MP wasn’t very productive when it wasn’t the first game of his call up.

Drunk Guy: "Alex Ovechkin is playing more like Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan this year."
Laichitor: "He has AIDS?"

by Rob Parker on Dec 18, 2010 9:57 PM EST up reply actions

Hilarious? Have you tried checking the stats?

2009-10 – Belanger had 2G, 4A in 17 games, 249:17 TOI with the Caps. MP had 5G, 4A in 21 games, 238:22 TOI with the Caps. If you take out the 1st game of each callup, that gives him 3G, 3A in 19 games, 215:05 TOI. In other words, as I said before, MP was more productive than Belanger.

You might want to read this, btw. http://www.japersrink.com/2010/12/13/1873624/resurfacing-the-rink-bringing-respect-back

There is no problem a hammer cannot either fix or make irrelevant.

by timmyv38 on Dec 18, 2010 11:30 PM EST up reply actions

Pretty much, here’s why I wouldn’t want Belanger. Last season, after he was traded to the Caps, he wasn’t much good offensively; he wasn’t much good defensively; he wasn’t that good on faceoffs. He could probably do as good a job as Mackan, maybe better, but he’d be holding back the development of a player who has much more potential. He simply never showed enough upside to make it worth giving him the 3C slot instead of Mackan.

There is no problem a hammer cannot either fix or make irrelevant.

by timmyv38 on Dec 18, 2010 11:44 PM EST up reply actions

Belanger is also a better value per tooth

by Brainumbc on Dec 19, 2010 1:54 PM EST up reply actions

I pretty much agree with all of this. 3C (and 2C in a pinch) is a much harder spot to fill (as we’ve seen) than grinders. I’m very happy with the way Hendricks has played this year, but there are a lot of Hendrickses out there every summer. There are only a few Belanger types, which is why when we screwed it up with him there weren’t any left to sign.

"Hockey is my life, wine is my passion." -- Igor Larionov

by Scott in Shaw on Dec 20, 2010 2:26 PM EST up reply actions

Hendricks. He’s a super effective grinder who can throw down, and put up some points, and is also a pretty good center. He’s like a Swiss Bradley Knife.

Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."

Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.

by breaklance on Dec 19, 2010 10:54 AM EST reply actions

Based on the fact that I believe Mackan will be a legit 3C come playoff time, and what Hendricks has brought to the table, I would go with Hendricks.

In the summer, Belanger looked like a solid investment. We weren’t confident about Flash 1) being here and 2) working out as a center. We had an unproven Johansson, and only an injury-prone Gordon to be the Plan B center.

Now? Johansson looks to be a solid 3C, Flash is gone, and Perrault has been good in a short time at 2C. Not that Belanger would be viable in the 2C spot.

by Charlie Foxtrot on Dec 23, 2010 6:08 PM EST reply actions