He hasn’t been the same physically since an injury, his confidence has wavered recently, and yet he’s still got plenty of upside as a hockey player. It could describe center Erik Christensen, whom the Ducks lost Wednesday via waivers to the New York Rangers.
When the Canadiens traded him yesterday, Chipchura had no points in 19 games and was minus-2. He was a healthy scratch eight times and his ice time dropped steadily as head coach Jacques Martin lost confidence in him.
Any chance Chipchura could salvage his career in Montreal ended on Tuesday night. He played only three shifts and the Toronto Maple Leafs scored on two of them. Chipchura lost the puck on the shift that produced the second Toronto goal and watched the remainder of the game from the bench.
Chipchura worked hard and had the good attitude you expect from a guy who has been a captain for most of his career. But his skills seemed to be just short of what’s required in the NHL.
His biggest drawback was a lack of confidence in himself. In a conversation this year, he said he had to overcome his nervousness when he was on the ice.