The free agent class for defenders isn’t exactly great this year, so guys like Mark Fayne and today’s target, Brooks Orpik, are going to get more attention than in normal years. Orpik is a top-four defender at the NHL level, but is a hard-nosed veteran who is looking like the end of the line is near. He struggled in a big way at the Olympics this year, and was okay in the NHL. Could he be of use to the Oilers?
Why Is He Out There?:
Orpik is a free agent this summer, and will be commanding a decent pile of cash on the open market. The Penguins, after another early exit, are primed for changes, and with a new GM coming in and a number of players to re-sign with very little in the way of cap, Orpik could be the odd man out.
It doesn’t mean he’s a bad player, but Matt Niskanen is better and the Pens will likely have to hand him a blank check, add in that improvements must be made and it’s an acceptable loss for the Pens. It’s the business side of things.
What Does He Do Well?:
Brooks Orpik is a hard-nosed and physical defender who is going to make you pay when you go up against him. To compare him to an ex-Oiler, Steve Staios is the guy I’d look to. He’s a shut-down defender in every sense of the word, and does a good job against players like Claude Giroux, Alex Ovechkin and other beasts out in the Eastern Conference.
Orpik can handle about 20 minutes a night, as he has played about 22 minutes per game throughout his career. That being said, he saw his minutes fall to about 20 minutes a night this past season, and saw a bit of a decline in his Corsi For % to 46.2%, a pedestrian number that needs to be better for a top-pairing guy.
Keeping that in mind, Brooks Orpik was strong in the playoffs, going over 50%, 53.1% to be exact, and looking much more like his old self in the five games he played. His down number this year can be connected to an injury this year that limited him to 72 games.
Orpik, as mentioned, is a shut-down defender who likes to play a physical game. He’s not going to put up many points, he had 13 this year, and he isn’t going to be a puck-mover, but he brings value.
Brooks Orpik does a good job protecting his own zone and handling defensive assignments, and like Mark Fayne, is a guy that will make his money making smart plays that prevent scoring chances. It’s a small skill, but it’s one the Oilers need in a big way. He’s a smart, tough, physical defender that is responsible in his own zone and limits chances against.
Just keep in mind, while his skill-set is nice, he’s slowing down and is becoming more of a liability on the ice.
Where Will He Play, and Where Should He Play?:
If the Oilers signed Brooks Orpik this summer, he’d likely be on the top-pairing of this hockey club, and if I had to rank the best defenders on the team, I’d have him second behind Jeff Petry. That being said, Brooks Orpik is no longer a top-pairing defender at the NHL level, he simply is not good enough to handle that role anymore, especially on a playoff-bound hockey club if that’s the goal.
Orpik, at this stage of his career, is a number four defender at best, and should be on the second pairing if the Oilers signed him.
What Will He Cost?:
No assets, just cash, which is a major plus for the Oilers, a team with very few assets to trade this summer. The Oilers have the cap space to overpay too, which will likely have to be the case for a veteran defender like this.
I’ll go out on a limb here and say in order to snag Orpik, Edmonton would need to offer a three year deal that clocks in at about $4.5 M per season. Needless to say, that’s a major overpay and, in my mind, a stupid contract to even consider offering.
Closing Argument:
Brooks Orpik was a very good and useful defender for the Penguins at a point in time, but that time is coming to an end, and fast. Orpik’s minutes were cut down this year, and his performance fell. At this stage in a player’s career, once you begin to fall in production you don’t find your way back up north, it’s just proven fact in life, not just hockey.
Orpik is a guy who will bring tough, physical hockey to the table, and will make his money playing shut-down hockey and preventing chances against. That’s a great trait, and it’s needed in Edmonton. That said, Orpik is nothing more than a number four defender at this stage in his career. Those traits are nice, but they come with a minutes limit and even a competition limit to a degree.
Would he help Edmonton in the number four role? Yes, yes he would, but for the role Edmonton would need him to fill, it would be a disaster. Brooks Orpik is going to get paid this coming summer, and if I’m Craig MacTavish, I’m staying far away from that. These types of contracts are the ones that cost GM’s their jobs. Remember David Clarkson and learn from that near mistake.
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