Mark Fayne takes a beating from Oilers fans, he’s not physical enough and doesn’t provide enough offense for the fanbase’s liking. At the start of this past season, that beating was deserved as Fayne played arguably the worst hockey of his NHL career. He was placed on waivers and eventually cleared. That resulted in him going to the AHL for a short stint, which had to be a wake-up call.
Since his return from Bakersfield, Fayne has been more like the defender that the Oilers expected when they signed him in the summer of 2014. He’ll likely never live up to his price tag of $3.625 million per season for the next two years, but he is an NHL’er and can provide value to the Edmonton Oilers.
He’s not going to help on a power play unit and he’s likely not going to ever produce more than 15 points in a season, but Fayne is a strong shut-down defender that can handle a penalty killing role and that help in a second or third pairing role.
Since teaming up with Andrej Sekera, Fayne has steadied his game quite a bit, to the point where he is one of Edmonton’s best defenders night in and night out. He makes the smart, low-event play that allows the Oilers to give up minimal offensive chances when he is on the ice.
The best part of the pairing is that he and Sekera compliment each other quite well. Fayne struggles to move the puck, but Sekera is strong in that regard and carries the load in terms of puck movement between the two. While Sekera is strong in his own end, he can’t do it on his own. Fayne is solid in regards to breaking up the cycle and stopping opposition entries at the blue line.
I’m not going to bore you with advanced stats, mainly because I’m not sure which ones to value and which ones to view as bogus or unhelpful. That said, Fayne’s best underlying numbers have come since his recall and have come with Sekera as his partner.
What Can We Realistically Expect?:
People look at Fayne and hear the word shut-down defender. To most Oilers fans, that means Jason Smith or Steve Staios, which is unfair to the player we are currently discussing. Staios and Smith had a snarl to their game, they played a hard and physical style. That is not the kind of hockey that Mark Fayne plays, plain and simple. Comparing the three players sets unrealistic expectations for Fayne.
What he is, at least to my eyes, is a solid defensive defender who plays more with smarts and his stick than with his body. He relies on positioning more than making the big hit, which can be equally as effective. Over the last two months, I’ve seen numerous rushes and zone entry attempts by opposing forwards thwarted by the stick of Fayne. It’s not sexy, but it is just as good as laying a big hit to break up a chance or rush.
We also need to stop expecting big offensive totals from this player. It’s a negative area to his game, no doubt about that. His puck movement is not crisp and he doesn’t possess much of a shot. That said, his bread and butter is his defensive game, something that has improved in a big way since being recalled from Bakersfield.
He’s overpaid and he is not a complete player, that is a fair statement to make. That said, Mark Fayne is a legit NHL defender who can play a role, and help, the Edmonton Oilers moving forward. As the number four/five/six defender next season, he could be a very valuable piece.
Players that are strong defensively and who help on the PK aren’t overly easy to find, Oilers fans should know this. There is no sense in rushing Fayne out the door because he isn’t Jason Smith or Steve Staios.
Will He Return In 2016-17:
I think it’s up for debate, and if I’m reading the tea leaves correctly then the Oilers may actually prefer moving this player to keeping him. Why? He doesn’t play that hard game, which Peter Chiarelli wants from his defenders, and he isn’t overly mobile, which Todd McLellan wants from his blue liners. He’s valuable, but his skill set appears almost under-appreciated in Edmonton.
That said, his contract and the uncertainty of the salary cap make a trade very unlikely. That means the odds are that Mark Fayne returns to the lineup next fall. In a number four or five role, I’d be very, very happy with that. He’s a solid shut-down defender who can help these Oilers.
Klefbom – Hamonic
Sekera – TBA (Demers, Hamilton, Shattenkirk, etc)
Davidson – Fayne
Boy, wouldn’t that be a nice defense next season?
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