What to expect from Versteeg

By on July 1st, 2010

So it seems that Leaf fans are extremely excited about the acquisition of Kris Versteeg from the Chicago Blackhawks and to some extent they should be excited.  He is a solid player that will help the Leafs.  But, I think Leaf fans need to keep their hopes for Versteeg in check.  He is a good all-round player, but he is not an significant offensive force or a first line player.

Let me do a quick comparison of Versteeg vs Ponikarovsky over the past two seasons.

Stat Ponikarovsky Versteeg
ES TOI 2078:01 1995:46
ES G 34 25
ES Pts 96 69
PP TOI 390:30 340:13
PP G 10 10
PP Pts 15 17
SH TOI 94:30 235:12
SH G 0 7
SH Pts 0 11

I am pretty sure that Versteeg played with a group of players that were at least as good as Ponikarovsky and probably significantly better though Versteeg did play in a more defensive minded conference.  That said, Leaf fans should not expect any more offensive production from Versteeg than they got from Ponikarovsky.  What Leaf fans can probably expect though is more energy and aggression and hopefully consistency from Versteeg than they got from Ponikarovsky and hopefully Versteeg can help the Leafs PK too which desperately needs help.  In short, Versteeg will look nice in a Leaf uniform, probably playing a second line role and with ample time on the PP and PK units.

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One Response to “What to expect from Versteeg”

  1. Chris says:
    August 22, 2010 at 7:43 pm

    Versteeg will take over Poni’s place easily, and provide better defense and leadership

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