Okay, here we go with my take on the latest defensive wunderkind being raised for the Rangers in the Wolf*Pack nursery. Mike Mottau certainly didn’t do much to prepare a cozy berth for him with the fans in Hartford when he failed to sign with the Rangers last spring as expected, thus missing out on the post season (oops! One of those rings would have been nice, wouldn’t it, Mike?) in which his help on the blue line was anticipated and certainly would have been appreciated. Still holding out this fall, Mike reported to training camp late; when the media reported that he had appraised the competition and declared himself unconcerned about missing camp and that he felt he was ready to skate ‘with the big dogs’ in New York, hackles went up in Hartford.
To be fair, he has since said that it was a huge mistake to not have signed and gone to Hartford last spring, and that he missed out on a great opportunity by failing to do so. He may have been too easily led by his agent (I seem to remember him saying late this fall that he should have just gone to training camp regardless) and he seems to be learning quickly how to behave with the media. As an example, witness his interview just recently in between periods of a Ranger game for which he was called up but not played. When asked about his experience thus far in the Ranger system, Mike made sure to say how much he is enjoying Hartford, even as he is eager for a chance on Broadway. Much, much better, Mike. You’re learning.
Okay, so let’s talk about his hockey. Mike Mottau is, in fact, everything you have heard he is. He is a solid offensive D-man, and shows the potential to grow into even more than he is now. He puts the puck into the net with such regularity that he is on our first powerplay line, and his effectiveness can be seen in that he is second on the team as a +15. Mike has 9 goals this year in 56 games (fourth on the team) and is currently ranked third on the team overall with 39 points. So, everything that has been said about this kid being able to score is true. If given the puck he will take a good shot at it (his scoring percentage is 7%, the highest of any defenseman on the team) and he actually has other options in his arsenal besides the standard slapslot from the blue line. At the AHL All-Star game in January, Mike participated in the breakaway competition and dazzled everyone with his stickwork, including a smart pass through his own legs which completely baffled the netminder. Mike's speed and agility go together with his intelligence and good hands to give him a fair chance to put the puck on net even with traffic.
So what’s not to like? Well, there’s just one problem – he is supposed to be a defenseman. Now, I guess that’s not as big deal if you have a stay at home D-man paired with him, but that isn’t something we are blessed with in the Pack right now. He does occasionally get caught up ice in his enthusiasm to shoot the puck, but so far this hasn’t resulted in too many disastrous breakaways – at least, not as many as caused by Burke Henry, for instance. In general, Mike is fairly alert when he has ventured far from home, and will hustle back to do what he can if caught short. A rookie mistake, and one that really only time and practice will serve to improve his judgment. He is currently partnered with Terry Virtue, another smart defensemen who has a lot to offer this rookie and whose influence can already been seen in Mike's recent improvement in play. But Mike is clearly a goal scorer, and I can see how any coach would be reluctant to tether him too tightly to his own end. One positive note is that if there is a breakaway and Mike is back on defense, the play is not going to get past him. He is the master of the poke check, and if he is between the player and the goalie, he simply steps up and knocks the puck away while preventing the player from chasing it down himself. In this manner, he reminds me of Tomas Kloucek – like Tomas, Mike just does what needs to be done without a lot of dramatics. One caveat though – Mike is NOT a physical player. He certainly does not shy away from contact, but he would far prefer to outmaneuver his man and avoid the check if possible. In terms of smart, consistent play, though, Mike Mottau has the potential to anchor a blue line in the NHL in the not-terribly-distant future. His ability to put the puck into the net in addition to breaking up plays in the defensive end makes me wonder…with seasoning, are you looking at the next Brian Leetch?
Update ! 3-3-01
We saw a new Mike Mottau tonight in Hartford. This Mike must had read my comments here, because the main thing he did tonight was to crash around the ice, delivering crushing checks and dropping players into boards, benches, and even upending a few at center ice. Mike was the man tonight when it came to physical play. He may have picked this up from Terry, or it could have been a rap on the nose with a rolled up newspaper from John Paddock after a pathetic showing in St Johns Friday night. If it was Terry, then the other side, the dark side of Mike's transformation, would perhaps also make sense. Terry, who normally is solid in his stickwork, recently bounced a lame clearing attempt off of an incoming opponent and right into his goal. Captain Ken Gernander, who was also on the ice, tore into him from where he was and followed him all the way to the bench, and then ONTO the bench, letting Terry know exactly how stupid his play was. Well, Mike had some stupid plays tonight too. He was caught up ice as much as normal (scoring a goal in the process as well as racking up two assists, so we have to give him credit there) but his play in his own end was...horrible. One goal was directly due to him failing to pick up his man, and another was a botched poke check that faked out his own goalie. Maybe he was channeling Dale tonight, I don't know. But just thought I would let you know that - if you are the optimistic type - Mike Mottau has demonstrated that he is capable of physical play.
Heather
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