Michael Del Zotto, The Flyers Most Underrated Defenseman
In the summer of 2014, it was announced Kimmo Timonen would be out indefinitely with blood clots. Newly promoted General Manager Ron Hextall was tasked with replacing the left-handed puck moving defenseman in an already flawed defensemen corps. This task also came with the challenge of finding Kimmo’s replacement with little salary cap room.
The solution to this problem was the bright, but so far disappointing Michael Del Zotto. After a rather poor 2013-2104 season with the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers, Del Zotto only had one more shot to prove he could be a solid everyday NHL defenseman. He was given this chance with the Flyers and after a tough start to the 13-14 season, MDZ started to find his swagger in late January 2015, a swagger that made him a sensation when he entered the league with the Rangers.
This season he has been given an even bigger role rather than just being a powerplay specialist: he was tasked with elevating his defensive game to an even higher level under new coach Dave Hakstol. He has done that and more as you can see by the chart below.
As the chart shows, so far this season MDZ has increased his Corsi For % by an impressive 4 points from 48.7% (14-15) to 52.7% (15-16). He has also improved his Corsi Against Per 60 minutes Relative stat, meaning when he’s on the ice the Flyers are allowing the opponent less shot attempts on Mason/Neuvirth.
It is also important to note that this increased defensive play hasn’t cut into his offensive contribution as his Corsi For Per 60 minutes Relative stat is also up, meaning there are more shot attempts for the Flyers when he’s on the ice.
Overall, although Del Zotto’s goals and assists aren’t on pace to be what they were last year, he is still playing at a high level and part of the lack of points can be attributed to his more complete play and commitment to a 200-foot game. This value is also known by General Managers around the league, and if the Flyers fall out of playoff contention it will be interesting to see if Del Zotto falls into trade talks as the Flyers have a surplus of defensive prospects on the way.
With a cap friendly deal and one year remaining on his contract, Del Zotto may bring back a package of assets Hextall can’t deny for him. This is something to keep a close eye on as the deadline looms and an important stretch of games unfolds.
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Categorized:Flyers