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Jets Grades: Trouba and Stuart |
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Jets Defense Grades - Trouba and Stuart
For some Jets fans it’s a great pairing and for others it’s like dropping an anchor on your foot. That’s how polarizing the pairing of the two players is. Some see a veteran leader who can guide the future cornerstone defenseman into his prime while others see a raw skill and talent being dragged down by some one who cannot keep up.
Jacob Trouba undoubtedly had a disappointing season in terms of what he did and where expectations were. HIs possession numbers were still positive at 51.75% but down from last year at 54.72, nearly 3%! However that trend was for most Jets players, not Trouba alone. The trouble came elsewhere though, or at least concern if trouble is too tough a word.
In 2014-15 Trouba was seeing a net positive of Relative CF/60 of 8.47 but in 15-16 that had dropped to 2.65. That’s a massive change and that decrease likely has other circumstances affecting it but it should be concerning. As fans and media alike notice that Trouba seemed to be struggling, or at least not looking as good as in the past the notion that he was expendable became more widely talked about and accepted.
But what about his primary defence partner- the one he has spent the most time with since Jacob Trouba joined the league? Well when Trouba and Stuart were on the ice together for the past three seasons Trouba’s CF% was 51.8% and Stuart’s was 50.5% When away from each other Trouba jumped to 53.5% and Stuart dropped to 46%.
Now before you assume that Trouba and Stuart are inseparable they aren’t, in fact in that last 3 seasons Trouba has played 1004 minutes more than Stuart at even strength. In fact Trouba only played 86 minutes less than the Jets leading TOI player, Byfuglien. He’s being used and he’s being given the minutes and deservedly so.
In this past season the dynamic has been even more pronounced between the two players. This year Trouba led all Jets defence in High Danger Scoring Chances HDSC differential at 27. Mark Stuart, he was a -23. When looking at general Scoring Chances SC differential it gets even scarier.
Trouba leads the Jets at 107 with Buff behind at 88. Stuart, he’s dead last at -33. Remember though Stuart is often with some of the Jets best defence players like Trouba. Remember this to that when it comes to point production Stuart was at .07/60 minutes played and Trouba at .56/60 minutes played. Not only is Stu a liablity in his own end he does nothing at the other end. Both Stuart and Trouba dropped from last year, Trouba from .67/60 while Stuart fell off a cliff from .63/60.
Aside from numbers, the resulting mesasurement of on-ice action, the play from both was not what fans want or the team needs. The production could me symptomatic of other issues but in some ways two things stand out- Trouba needs a legit partner and Stuart needs less time on the ice. In fairness it’s not either player’s fault they are where they are, that’s coaching and tactics. Trouba can do more to raise his game and Stuart likely has no more upside.
Trouba B-
Stuart D
Winnipeg Jets Blogger •Winnipeg Jets Writer • 
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