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Wouldn’t Trouba Just be Chiarot 2.0 For Red Wings?

Numbers posted by two defensemen are remarkably similar

Published

2 months ago

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Ben Chiarot, Red Wings
If the Red Wings were to acquire Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers, the numbers suggest he'd just be Ben Chiarot 2.0.

There’s a hue and cry of outrage today among a certain percentage of the Detroit Red Wings fanbase.

If the New York Rangers are getting rid of defenseman Jacob Trouba – which, evidently, they are – then the Red Wings had better be the team to get him.

Some are going as far as to add an “or else” to their diatribe.

There’s an old saying that suggests possession is nine-10ths of the law. We just came up with our own axiom and happen to think it applies nicely in this scenario.

Perception is nine-10ths of reality.

A lot of people appear to believe that Trouba will be proving to be a significant upgrade for the Detroit defense.

That’s the perception.

No, he won’t be.

That’s the reality.

The same fans who want to run Ben Chiarot out of town on a rail are ready to throw a welcoming parade upon Trouba’s arrival.

The thing is, were you to dive into the underlying numbers, as Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde likes to say, they don’t lie.

Trouba is nothing more than Chiarot 2.0.

Trouba Won’t Be A Difference Maker for Red Wings

Hockey people love them some comparables, so let’s get to it. Look at those numbers. Try and decipher one area of the game in which Trouba would provide a major uptick over Chiarot.

Neither has scored a goal this season. Chiarot has three assists, while Trouba shows six helpers. They both log about the same amount of ice time. Chiarot is playing 20:53 per game, while Trouba clocks in at exactly 20:00 per night.

Trouba is -3, while Chiarot is -11, but certainly toiling for a much poorer club. Trouba averages just under three giveaways per game (2.87), while Chiarot is just shy of four (3.75). Trouba has blocked 68 shots and Chiarot has got in the way of 58 shots. Chiarot’s SAT percentage is 41.4, while Trouba is at 45.9.

The physical element of the game is a factor the Trouba supporters are pushing as an upgrade. Well, he’s delivered 39 hits this season, three more than Chiarot. Let’s also remember that Trouba is skating in a third pairing for the Rangers, while Chiarot is logging top-four minutes for Detroit. Chiarot is playing against better opposition.

Money Matters In This Equation

Not we’re not trying to say that Chiarot’s game hasn’t gone off a cliff this season. It most certainly has taken a downturn. At the time, Trouba isn’t anywhere near the defender he once was.

At this juncture, we still haven’t even talked about the money factor. Chiarot has one more season after this one at $4.75 million. That pact is the cause of no end of anguish among the Detroit faithful, and we’re not saying you’re wrong on that account.

However, Trouba has another season at $8 million. Do you really think he’s worth $3.25 million more than Chiarot? Besides, how the Red Wings would fit that contract under their salary cap – and why they would even want to – are also significant issues in this equation.

Something definitely needs to change with this Detroit club. The Red Wings are a moribund bunch, second-last in the Eastern Conference in both wins and points. Acquiring Trouba, though, isn’t going to be the solution. In fact, it just might be creating even more problems for this team.

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