Dane-O-mite!
Not sure if anyone has been paying attention to the way Lars Eller has been playing this season, but if you have then you will likely agree with me when I say, more Lars Eller please.
The Habs young Dane, acquired in the trade that sent beloved stop-sign Jaroslav Halak to the Blues, has been hidden amidst a team in constant struggle this season, yet after having missed the opening 2 games of the season has since shown flashes of brilliance that make you realize he's got more to offer.
Behind the numbers, you note that Eller has only 9 points in 29 games. Certainly not jaw-dropping stats, but when you realize that Jacques Martin has managed to keep his average ice-time to 14:48 a game, his impact becomes a little more noteworthy.
Lately, fans have witnessed Eller's confidence grow - as evidenced by the amount of risks he is taking in the offensive zone, but it's not costing him a thing on the back-end.
Which is the most important part.
Leading the Canadiens with 17 takeaways in 29 games played, while only giving away the puck 10 times, Eller's averaging nearly a hit per game with 20 blocked shots on the season. Though his faceoff% sits below 50% at 47.9, it remains one of the few elements of his game he's yet to improve on.
With 41 shots and only 2 goals to show for it, you could criticize the sophomore for not driving to the net, yet with 33 missed shots, his 74 total attempts to put the puck on net tell you he's becoming a more dangerous threat than the coaching staff believes.
With the Flyers on tap tonight and Scott Gomez nowhere in sight, Eller has not been porous in shoring up Plekanec and Desharnais. Add to that his chemistry with Kostitsyn and there's no reason he shouldn't have his 14:48 worth of ice-time increase.
Safely insulated, he's had time to develop. Courtesy of that benefit, the young 1st round pick is now beginning to show signs that he's ready to take the next step, and though the Canadiens are struggling to remain consistent, a solution to that problem may lie in slightly loosening the leash on Eller to see if he can't find more time and use for his toe-drag in the offensive zone.
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