Matt Carkner - Grade the Sens.

When I first heard about Carkner I literally thought he was a McGratton on Defense and that he'd only make the team because we needed an enforcer. Boy did he ever prove me wrong. Even the people that supported him and thought he was a solid player were impressed with just how well he fit in and how well he played. He played the 6th D man roll perfectly and even pitched in offensively. Of course lets not forget the biggest goal of his career in game 5, triple OT.

A+ for me but I'd give him another plus if I could.

I love Carkner, but A+? B- for me. He looked lost alot of the season, and very ineffective at times.

Tuk Tuk wrote:I love Carkner, but A+? B- for me. He looked lost alot of the season, and very ineffective at times.

Lost a lot of the time? Really? For his roll and his salary he is easily an A+ for what he brought.

Are you assessing him when compared with the other D men on the team? Are you assessing him simply as a D man not accounting for how well he played his specific roll?

Is there anything higher than A+? Seriously. This guy just does so much with what little he has. Tough, mean, good decisions with the puck... He just does so many things well.

I'd give him an A-, he went above what was expected and brings a good physical game with him. And thats great.

But he can improve, and I'd love to see what he can do next year.