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Calgary Flames: Don't Get Too Excited About Jokipakka |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
The Calgary Flames made a few noteworthy trades prior to Monday's trade deadline.
The biggest of which, obviously, was the deal that send pending unrestricted free agent Kris Russell to the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka, prospect Brett Pollock and a conditional 2nd round pick.
Flames GM Brad Treliving has garnered a lot of praise for this move - and rightfully so - but I do think some are overstating the value of Jyrki Jokipakka.
Yes, he's just 24-years-old and could still improve his game. Yes, he played more than 90 games over the last two seasons for one of the better teams in hockey. That doesn't mean he played overly well, though.
With Jokipakka on the ice at 5 v 5 the Stars were noticeably worse by all measurements.
View post on imgur.com
One might point out, despite worse numbers relative to the team, Jokipakka is still holding his head above water and coming in ~50% or better in each category.
That holds true, but it's a result of playing with good players as much as anything. To put the numbers in perspective Jokipakka ranks 5th among regular Stars blue liners in goals for% since 2014-15, 5th in scoring chance for%, and 6th in shot attempt for%.
The Stars aren't exactly known for a star studded blue line so it's not like there's a high mark to clear.
Again, Jokipakka is still young and is a serviceable defenseman on the bottom pairing, but if you're expecting a lot from the Finnish blue liner moving forward you'll probably be disappointed.
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Calgary Flames trade deadline review
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