On today's episode of Locked on Wild, we evaluate the 2022-23 season for Jon Merrill. We look at a dip in his offensive numbers across the board, a rise in penalties, and defensive play that seemed to favor him being out of position more than he was in it. We discussed him finally being replaced in the lineup by Brock Faber, and how the issues Merrill was responsible for seemed to disappear almost entirely. We look at why he was not nearly as much of a problem last year. We hand out letter grades in the following categories:
Offense: D-
Defense: D
Special Teams: D-
Postseason: F
Overall: D-
We finish by comparing Merrill's situation to the one Dmitry Kulikov faced after his lackluster end to the season and wonder if Merrill is destined for the same fate. We discuss other 3rd line options if Merrill is dealt, and why it may not be a bad idea to go younger at that spot.
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