Zack Stortini played a lot last season. In fact, his 691 minutes at even strength ranked him 10th overall among Oiler forwards. I suspect his playing time is heading north in 2010-11.
Edmonton has a few gritty forwards on the roster, but Stortini is one of the few who can actually play. JF Jacques looked overmatched until every whistle last season, and we may never see a healthy JFJ again. Steve MacIntyre was hired for a very specific role and Jason Strudwick isn't likely to spend a lot of time on the wing.
There's every chance Stortini will receive enough minutes at even strength to qualify for the Oilers top 9 in 10-11.
•Boxcars: 77gp, 4-9-13
•Shots: 46
•Plus Minus: +3
•Corsi (Rel): -6.7 (10th among F's)
•GF/GA ON: 27-24
•5x5/60: 1.04 (11th among F's)
•5x4/60: 3.75 (5th among F's)
•Quality of Competition: 14th toughest among F's
•Quality of Teammates: 12th best among F's
•FO %: 47.5% in 183 FO's
•Cap Hit: $700,000
- What do these numbers tell us? He was +3 on a team that was minus a zillion. Yes, he was facing the dregs but the entire team was completely addled and it wasn't like the Oilers were playing him with Dustin Penner all night. His Corsi was very reasonable all things considered and he did contribute a little bit offensively.
- How could these numbers be better? I don't think you can ask for much more from this player. We used to joke about his unwillingness to fight but the guy took on tall trees all year long and battled. He plays 9 minutes a night (all at EVs) and he earned his pay again this season.
- Can he expand his role? On this team? Probably. One thing is for sure--he's going to get a chance. Ahead of him on the RW depth chart are people like Hemsky and Brule, maybe someone like Eberle or Cogliano. A lot of youth and some potential injury and we don't see an obvious penalty killer either.
- Does MacIntyre's arrival impact Stortini? It shouldn't. One can play 4line minutes and the other can't play 4 minutes.
- What about Jacques? Stortini has been eating his lunch since they were kids. JFJ got the first NHL job out of training camp one fall but the team called up #46 soonafter and he's been an Oiler since. That question has long ago been asked and answered, the only reason it came up last year is that the new coaching staff saw Jacques skating fast (with all that size) and thought they saw a player.
- How important is Stortini to this team? He's valuable in that Stortini is one of a very few Oilers who does his job at a decent cap hit. He's also pretty healthy and seems to be content in his role. The Oilers have fires all over, there doesn't seem to be a huge need in this area (4line role player, middle heavyweight). Zack Stortini is NOT the problem.
By the Numbers
•07-08 5x5 per 60m: 1.24
•08-09 5x5 per 60m: 1.76
•09-10 5x5 per 60m: 1.04
Predictions Past 2009-10: 70gp, 6-10-16 (.229)
Performance in 2009-10: 77gp, 4-9-13 (.169)
Prediction for 2010-11: 66gp 4-7-11
Fills a role effectively
i like Zach's play. he'll still be here long after JFJ is gone! i just wish he'd take boxing lessons. he's an ok fighter now, but would be devastating if he took lessons and wouldn't have to hug so much!
ReplyDeleteI've always liked Stortini a lot. Fights, plays decently, and believe it or not was a feared OHL enforcer in his time.
ReplyDeleteHe can also be called "The Great Stortini", which sounds like a circus name.
A player who doesn't waste everyone's time on IR, comes at a cheap price, and still has potential to improve. What's not to like?
one of the pros in bringing in a "pro fighter" is that Zach will learn -- sort of a bringing in Oates to show Stoll how to faceoff, sort of mentorship.
ReplyDeletestorts is a smart kid and last time he was around big Mac, he absorbed a lot and lost of a lot of huggy mentality and to my mind, became a better enforcer.
if the oil are committed to having storts long term (maybe future captain a la bucky -- that's for bruce), giving him someone to learn from over a year or two might be a decent investment.
i know...i'm blue skying the situation.
Im a fan, but Stortini playing anything but 4th line minutes would look terrible on management. Pisani and another dreg free agent winger to play defensively would be the bare minimum in terms of addressing this need.
ReplyDeleteStortini as captain?
ReplyDeleteRetiring Moreau's number?
Anyone see any difference from these two situations? I don't.
Catch 06: If to resign Pisani i'd take my chance with a kid to be better 0_0.
ReplyDeletesafe to say, i doubt Pisani will be back.
ReplyDeleteDug,
ReplyDeleteYou may very well be right, but until he holds a retirement presser im holding out hope for a training camp invite. Even though hes probably not as fast or strong as he was in his prime he still has the smarts to be an asset on this team that will bleed goals. They never should have gotten rid of Pouliot.
Zorg is a player who I can appreciate because he understands his role and works at it very hard.
ReplyDeleteGive the man credit for taking on anyone when really, he's more of an agitator/middleweight than a true heavy weight.
That willingness to do what's necessary is important for others to see and could be a positive influence on a team that's going to have too many rookies this season.
At 6'3" and 230 lbs it's hard to believe he's considered a middleweight. He's bigger than Semenko was...
ReplyDeleteI guess it goes to show you just how big these kids are getting nowadays. Jeez SMac is 6'5" 250lbs that's just crazy.
People said I was nuts to be a goalie but I think you have to be off your rocker to want to skate with big boys like that.
Are the Oil planning on Giroux being the 3rd line, PK option we're waiting for?
ReplyDeleteZack playing a lot of minutes is not a recipe for success, if that is indeed the goal. He'll try his best, and I';; be cheering for him, but if that is all we can muster for the 3rd line, we's in deep deep trouble.
Agreed on the boxing lessons. Hitting with your wrists doesn't do much damage to your opponent. I wonder if he had some hand issues last year because he didn't land too many punches with his knuckles.
ReplyDeleteCan't complain too much about his game for the price, but I don't think he's scaring the opposition or pumping his team up any when he's hugging and slapping the other guy.
Zorg's a guy who's played a 4th line role the past couple of years and didn't get absolutely killed on Oiler squads that did get absolutely killed. He's watched guys who've done worse than him play on his line for a few games, do better, and get promoted while he sits on the 4th line. I can agree with the people who say "he's not the problem, but he's not the solution either", that's true, but at what point do you start looking at this guy to take on a bigger role? I'm not talking "top 6 scoring winger", I'm talking about 3rd line checking winger, the "you don't have to score, but don't get scored on" role. Does Zorg have the potential to be a defensive 3rd line winger or is he destined to be a career 4th "energy" liner?
ReplyDeleteAnon: He didn't explode anything out of the way. He done what he was asked to do nothing more. Neither does he have pedigree or backstory that would indicate he could take a bigger load. Now's probably not the moment.
ReplyDeleteCan any of the kids having occasional 4th line duty bring visions of the "Crosstiniaks?"
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeletethe usefulness, indeed the unique value of Zorg is the fact that he actually fits a role that the Oil need. And there are not enough of the necessary pieces who will perform adequately, let alone overperform, on the bottom half of the roster.
Good teams are balanced, as has been discussed here, with reliable players who know their roles. Zorg makes the bottom 9 work, with 8-10 reliable minutes a game, regardless of teammate. Imo, that makes him irreplaceable for this season at least.
I still think that Jacques is a better player than people give him credit. But at the same time, I'm not delusional, thinking he's a top line winger, like Quinn tried to make him. I just think he's a guy that can bring a lot of energy and constantly bang opponents... a quality 4th liner.
ReplyDeleteBut anyways, I also really like Zach Stortini. He's a guy that is very willing to work on his game to do what it takes to be a useful part of the lineup. If it were a choice between 22 and 46, I'd take 46, but Jacques is the better fighter and I love that he has a "take no prisoners" attitude. His +/- is atrocious, at best, but I think on a team filled with mostly minus players, I can understand that a bit.
I think most fans are extra critical on him because he never reached the expectations of what he was drafted for. But I believe if his role is redefined for him to be just a guy that focuses soley on the hitting / energy stuff, he can be a really good 1-2 punch with Stortini. The problem comes when the expectation of being a power forward is placed on him.
What was Stortini's On Ice Sv%? What's the stat that tracks that, is that Relative Corsi?
ReplyDelete