Subj : Senators: Colin White's NHL Outlook
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers
Date : Fri Jul 17 2020 04:40 am
Colin White';s time with the Ottawa Senators has been interesting, to say the
least. Let';s take a look at the White years.
The Beginning
White was selected 21st overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. There was nothing
strange about him being chosen in that range, but unfortunately, Ottawa 67';s
star Travis Konecny was still available, leaving many fans disappointed with
the pick. White went on to two solid, at times fantastic, seasons at Boston
College where he scored 35 goals and 76 points in 72 games. He added 10 goals
and 15 points in 14 World Junior Championship games.
White produced big numbers during his two seasons at Boston College. (Photo:
Boston College Athletics)
When he signed with the Senators at the end of the 2017 season, many wanted him
to be included on the playoff roster. That wish was granted in Game 6 of the
Eastern Conference Final. In the big win, White played a grand total of 2
minutes and 39 seconds. All right, so head coach Guy Boucher didn';t trust him
(he even turned to Chris Kelly instead for Game 7), but still, the White hype
was growing.
The Scouting Report
It';s important to note what was expected of White. He was not considered the
next big offensive star. He was a hard-working, two-way centre who was supposed
to be annoying to play against, all while having enough offensive talent to
contribute offensively as well. Looking back at his draft profile, a lot of the
scouts made positive comments about his work ethic, defensive play,
willingness to battle, as well as being disciplined and responsible.
With the USNTDP, White showed a high compete level and good two-way play.
[Photo: Tom Sorensen]
While Sens fans likely wince at that scouting report which looks a lot like
Curtis Lazar';s, the hope was for White to be a poor man';s Patrice Bergeron,
or perhaps a rich man';s Brandon Sutter. Despite the hype, he was not seen as
the next Jason Spezza by any means.
The First Pro Season
Heading into the 2017-18 season, there was hope that White could make the NHL
out of camp. Unfortunately, an injury got in the way:
Pierre Dorion tells the media this morning that Colin White has suffered a
broken left wrist. Out 6-8 weeks.- Ottawa Senators (@Senators) September 19,
2017
Upon his return, he headed to the AHL and a bad Belleville team. White also
started from behind because of his wrist injury. These were legitimate excuses
for a subpar season, but there were still reasons to be concerned. Here';s
White';s season compared to 2015 2nd round pick, Filip Chlapik';s:
PlayerAHL gamesAHL pointsNHL gamesNHL pointsWhite4727216Chlapik5232204
It';s not as if Chlapik was a no-name prospect, but expectations for White were
certainly much higher.
The Breakout Season
There was some debate at the start of 2018-19 if White had earned his roster
spot or was handed it, but he did exactly what he needed to do early on to
prove his worth: he scored a goal and added an assist in the first game of the
season. In his first 25 games, he scored 16 points, showing that he belonged in
the NHL. The concern, though, was that most viewed White as the third-best
player on his line with Mark Stone and Brady Tkachuk.
White was his at his best when playing with Mark Stone. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose
Sanchez)
Stone';s last game with the Sens was Feb. 18. To that point, White had scored
13 goals and 32 points in 53 games (0.25 goals per game, 0.6 points per game).
After Stone left, despite an increase in ice time from 15:47 per game to 17:26,
White scored just 1 goal and 9 points in 18 games (0.06 goals per game, 0.5
points per game). Tkachuk, by comparison, went from 0.63 points per game with
Stone to 0.65 without. Nonetheless, a rookie season that produced 41 points in
71 games was a step in the right direction.
The Contract
Last summer, the Senators locked up White long term:
Colin White signed a six-year, $28.5 million contract with the Senators on
Wednesday. It has an average annual value of $4.75 million.
The 22-year-old forward had 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 71 games as a
rookie last season
https://t.co/3D95UCfriL- NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) August 21,
2019
There was some relief that the Senators had signed a player to a long term
contract after the team had traded so many players away. Having said that,
there were obvious risks to this deal. White had one good season under his belt
when he was a support player on his line.
The Sophomore Slump
In October, White was given close to 18 minutes of ice time per game. Over the
next three months, his ice time dropped to just under 16 minutes per game, then
under 14 minutes in February, before a jump back up for the five games in
March to over 17 minutes per game (after JG Pageau was traded). The decrease
was justifiable. White produced just 7 goals and 23 points in 61 games last
season. His early-season injury played a factor, but at this point, his injury
history is something worth monitoring.
While Tkachuk enjoyed a strong sophomore season, White struggled. (THE CANADIAN
PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
White was also not the defensively strong, two-way player fans were expecting.
He did not kill penalties, won less than 48% of his faceoffs, and ranked just
8th on the team in takeaways. He was also given offensive zone starts close to
57% of the time, and his Corsi For Percentage (CF%, which takes into account
shots + blocks + misses for and against at even strength) was under 50% which
means the opposition controlled the puck more than the Sens when White was on
the ice. To be fair, most Senators had a poor CF% as the team was simply not
very good.
The Look Ahead
One question I have about White: what is his defining quality? He';s okay at
most things, but not great at anything. He';ll never be Patrice Bergeron, but
in order for him to reach even close to that level, he has to become much
stronger. His willingness to go to the dirty areas is there, but his ability to
stay on his feet and to win those battles is lacking.
Related: A Brief History of NHL Uniforms
Adding strength to his game will make his compete level stand out more. He';ll
need to stay healthy, but perhaps a stronger White will lead to a more
confident White, which will lead to more of this:
The Bottom Line
I';ve been hard on him, but as the Senators'; second-highest-paid forward, and
signed to a long-term deal where he';s expected to be part of the young core
moving forward, I believe the criticism is justified. One poor season will not
define him, but with Joshua Norris, Shane Pinto and potentially a big-time
centre prospect being selected in the top-five of this year';s draft,
competition for ice time is coming White';s way. Hopefully, a healthy, stronger
White shows up next season and proves his worth.
The post Senators: Colin White';s NHL Outlook appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.
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