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Thomas Pock |
Games
|
Goals
|
Assists
|
Points
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+/-
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|
Regular Season
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44
|
4
|
4
|
8
|
-4
|
|
Playoffs
|
4
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
So here we have Thomas Pock. I’ll tell you what folks, I’ve been surprised many times as a fan of the New York Rangers, but what Thomas Pock did this year really did shock the hell out of me. So what exactly did he do?????
He signed a contract extension.
I know, you’re probably rolling your eyes saying, big freaking deal, a depth player signed a contract extension, whoop-dee-freaking-doo. Well this is actually a pretty big thing to me, and actually may be a sign of continued loyalty the Devils were once (and still are) notorious for instilling in their players.
Thomas Pock, had every single reason in the world to sign with another team. He could have got a job with a dozen teams and get regular minutes, and yet elected to sign an extension when he probably will be our 7th defenseman. Why did he do this? The honest to god answer here is…I don’t know. It could be loyalty, that we took a risk on him, and hes prospered in our system, it could be that Tom Renney has told him he has a legitimate future with this team, or it could be he feels he would have more to offer having learned to play here. Regardless he is back.
So, why did Mr. Pock have my blessing in leaving? Oh, believe me, it is not because I don’t feel he is an NHL defenseman, the reason is because I feel he has been GROSSLY mismanaged by Tom Renney and company.
It all started with the training camp. Not only did Pock impress the HECK outta me, but he made the club out the gate over veteran Darius Kasparaitis who clearly was a shell of his former self, and veteran Sandis Ozolinsch who was, apparently, suffering from an injury. Now here is where things get really bizarre. To start the year(5 games), it is my personal opinion that Pock was the best defenseman on the ice, except for his last game in Buffalo where he was a -3. In the previous 4 games Thomas had a goal and an assist and was a +1, and registered a hefty 5 shots on goal (7 through 5 games). Those are very impressive numbers for a (then) 24 year old. He showed poise with the puck, and a good recognition of when to jump in the play, and when to hold back. The he had that bad game against the Sabres where nobody looked good, and we lost 7-4. After that Pock was a healthy scratch for 24 of the next 25 games. What that does to a kids psyche is hard to imagine. How he stayed with it, after playing so well in the bulk of the games, is beyond me. Following that stretch Pock played the bulk of the rest of the year, with another 10 scratches mixed in. The vast majority of that playing time was thanks to key injuries to Fedor Tyutin and Karel Rachunek. Had these 2 not been hurt, it is highly doubtful Pock would have even played 1/2 as many games during that span. He played in every game during the first round of the playoffs and though he started off shaky, he clearly was playing better by the end of the series.
So all in all Pock actually had a fairly good year, particularly when you consider that he had to deal with some stuff that a more mentally tough player may not have been able to recover from.
Now the big question is placed before us. What happens next year? We can safely assume that, barring a trade, Girardi, Tyutin, Malik, Rozsival, and Mara will all be back. Rachunek is doubtful at best. So there definitely is a spot for grabs for Pock. With that said I find it nearly impossible to believe that Pock will get that spot over a far superior player in Marc Staal. Really all Staal has to do is show up and play a conservative game, and hes got the spot. Is Pock content with being a 7th defenseman? I find it very hard to believe. Will he become a problem in the clubhouse if he doesn’t get the playing time he expects? I doubt that as well, considering how professional he acted this year.
It will be an interesting year for sure, and if I had it my way, Malik would be gone, and Pock would have a roster spot waiting for him next year.
-Inferno