Speculation: 2014 Offseason - Roster Building / Trade Speculation Thread II ‎

[Gardner McKay]

i think he'd be a big upgrade too...but at worst i think he replaces richards and puts us back to the team that got to the finals.

A big time upgrade on Richards all but guarantees we win that series vs. LA. Im sure some will disagree with me but we were a bounce and a few bad calls away from going into game 5 with a 3-1 lead rather than being down 3-1. Im not advocating for him. Just pointing out how much of a hindrance Richards was vs. LA.

Can't believe I am going to say this but... gulp... I would have rather played JT Miller with the way Richards was playing.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Dave Nonis is a clown

he doesn't think puck possession is that important

I don't know how he was able to keep his job.

He's about to completely catapult Gardiner's value by moving him to forward.

 

[Gardner McKay]

I don't know how he was able to keep his job.

He's about to completely catapult Gardiner's value by moving him to forward.

Every time I read Gardiner, I think someone is referring to a post I made.

 

[AHB*]

Seriously this.

I really have no idea why their FO is so low on him.

The only thing that concerns me about him is he's garbage on faceoffs.

So he'll fit right in.

They're all due for raises.

I think Pouliot goes elsewhere. I can't see Zucc or Brass leaving. Which is just fine, considering they're the real bus drivers on that line.

Poo does a lot of the dirty work on that line.



I would love Kadri. Kadri-Step-Brass would be a great 1 to 3. I also think Kadri has the talent to be a full fledged #1 and from everything I've read/watched with him, he's an insanely hard worker who loves this sport.

 

[Gardner McKay]

They're all due for raises.

I think Pouliot goes elsewhere. I can't see Zucc or Brass leaving. Which is just fine, considering they're the real bus drivers on that line.

I disagree. The driver on that line IMO is Poo's size. Brassard isn't exactly a physical specimen. Zucc is Zucc. The reason they were able to dominate in terms of puck possession was Pouliot working in the corners with his size, being able to use his size to shield the puck, and using his size to not get hung up by defenders trying to slow him down.

Unless you replace Pouliot with someone of equal size, strength and talent (Pouliot actually has quite a bit), I think that line suffers greatly.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Got a feeling that Zuccarello, Brassard, and Kreider will get the screws put to them by Sather, just because he can.

 

[TheTakedown]

Don't discount AV's influence, either.

This. Pretty sure AV is much more knowledgable than Torts was, and I'm convinced he's giving glen LOTS of advice and input

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

I disagree. The driver on that line IMO is Poo's size. Brassard isn't exactly a physical specimen. Zucc is Zucc. The reason they were able to dominate in terms of puck possession was Pouliot working in the corners with his size, being able to use his size to shield the puck, and using his size to not get hung up by defenders trying to slow him down.

Unless you replace Pouliot with someone of equal size, strength and talent (Pouliot actually has quite a bit), I think that line suffers greatly.

Zucc was the bus driver.

He catalyzed every line that he was on - every player that was on his line suddenly found their game.

Poo was lucky he was put on the line with Zucc, he was playing horrendously and about 1-2 weeks away from being placed on waivers.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I disagree. The driver on that line IMO is Poo's size. Brassard isn't exactly a physical specimen. Zucc is Zucc. The reason they were able to dominate in terms of puck possession was Pouliot working in the corners with his size, being able to use his size to shield the puck, and using his size to not get hung up by defenders trying to slow him down.

Unless you replace Pouliot with someone of equal size, strength and talent (Pouliot actually has quite a bit), I think that line suffers greatly.

Ehh, I dunno. I think it was the puck movement and creativity of Brassard and Zuccarello that drove that line more than anything else.

Pouliot is a bit of a flake. I think he can be replaced quite easily. In fact, out of all the free agents, he's the one I'd be least worried about if he leaves.

 

[Fletch]

This. Pretty sure AV is much more knowledgable than Torts was, and I'm convinced he's giving glen LOTS of advice and input

wondering why one would think AV is much more knowledgeable than Torts; and when it comes to Richards, Torts did have the cojones to bench him when his play wasn't up to snuff in the playoffs.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

wondering why one would think AV is much more knowledgeable than Torts; and when it comes to Richards, Torts did have the cojones to bench him when his play wasn't up to snuff in the playoffs.

I don't know about more knowledgeable but AV is certainly more current than Torts. Torts style of hockey is outdated. Very old school hockey type stuff.

AV adapted to the way the NHL was trending. Torts did not.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Ehh, I dunno. I think it was the puck movement and creativity of Brassard and Zuccarello that drove that line more than anything else.

Pouliot is a bit of a flake. I think he can be replaced quite easily. In fact, out of all the free agents, he's the one I'd be least worried about if he leaves.

I agree. Losing Poo scares me the least.

Boyle and Stralman are the two i'm worried about.

 

[Gardner McKay]

So he'll fit right in.



Poo does a lot of the dirty work on that line.



I would love Kadri. Kadri-Step-Brass would be a great 1 to 3. I also think Kadri has the talent to be a full fledged #1 and from everything I've read/watched with him, he's an insanely hard worker who loves this sport.

Kadri is an interesting option. What do we give for him though? What do the leafs want? What can we afford to give so that the trade still tilts in our favor? Giving away an integral piece to shore up the C position is only worth it if that asset is more clearly defined. Kadri has put up 94 points in the last 126 games. Does he remain like Stepan who is a 1st/2nd line C tweener? Does he take that next step?

 

[Fletch]

I don't know about more knowledgeable but AV is certainly more current than Torts. Torts style of hockey is outdated. Very old school hockey type stuff.

AV adapted to the way the NHL was trending. Torts did not.

Well, Torts' style didn't fit everyone, and it seemed as though it didn't fit Richards, who was needed in a playoff push. Again, a productive Richards perhaps helps the Rangers push past Boston in the playoffs; maybe not. Having said that, his team did go to the conference finals a couple years, and that team may have been a bit inferior to this team and then his team in the following season doesn't get past a pretty darn good Boston team. So while out of touch, his teams did kind of well.

 

[Fugazy]

I don't know about more knowledgeable but AV is certainly more current than Torts. Torts style of hockey is outdated. Very old school hockey type stuff.

AV adapted to the way the NHL was trending. Torts did not.

This is definitely the biggest difference between the two of them. Torts was way too stubborn (not saying AV isn't at times) and believed in playing outdated hockey.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Well, Torts' style didn't fit everyone, and it seemed as though it didn't fit Richards, who was needed in a playoff push. Again, a productive Richards perhaps helps the Rangers push past Boston in the playoffs; maybe not. Having said that, his team did go to the conference finals a couple years, and that team may have been a bit inferior to this team and then his team in the following season doesn't get past a pretty darn good Boston team. So while out of touch, his teams did kind of well.

I think that his end result is a little bit misleading. We had a top 5 defense, top 3 goalie. We weren't playing hockey. What Torts' system was... it certainly did not highlight the fundamentals of hockey.

When your focal points of your system are to block the puck, grind the boards, and "hope for bounces" to score goals.... you know that it's not going to be an effective system.

I think we only got as far as we did because he was an excellent motivator and also had Hank to bail him out a bunch.

 

[gump116]

If that was the case, I'd leave Zucc with Brassard and keep Hags and MSL together. They played well with one another. Might not be a bad idea to move Nash or Kreider down to the 2nd line to better distribute some size. There's a few here who think Miller could play a Pouliot role with Brass and Zuccs.

Kreider - ROR - MSL
Hags - Stepan - Nash
Miller - Brass - Zuccs
Lindberg - Moore - Dorsett

Idea would be to start Lindberg on the wing with the intention to develop him as the fourth line center going forward, eventually moving up to the third down the line.

It keeps Brass and Zuccs together, who have been productive. It puts Kreider and ROR together to bang bodies and teams them with either Nash or MSL, who both have the ability to change the course of a game (if Nash feels so inclined...)

I'd like to leave Hags and MSL together if possible, but it may be necessary in some games to distribute size a little better.

McD - G --no-braine. Keep them together.

Moore - Stralman -- This is where I'm a little concerned. I'd much rather have Moore on the third pairing if possible, and it doesn't address the need of a real PMD. Moore has the potential to be an OFD, but he's not there yet. Stralman has a nice breakout pass and has a decent shot, so they could potentially work out with Stralman being a steadying presence.

Allen - Klein --- again, Klein would be the steadying D presence to help Allen learn the ropes. Allen looked okay in the few games he played, so it might be worth a shot.

I think there would be worse lineups--and there's always the option to try out Haggerty, McCarthy, and, of course, the promising trio in Lindberg, Miller, and Fast. We have options. Look at how teams like LA and the Ducks are able to work in their rookies. I think we can do it and avoid breaking the bank.

Perhaps I'm a bit optimistic, but this team now has a solid taste of playoff hockey . If Nash has a rebound season and most guys continue their development, this would be a fairly strong roster in my opinion. It hurts to lose Boyle, no question, but we'd have guys who can replace the PK minutes.

My only real concern on this roster is the lack of a true PMD and the introduction of so many young players, but a few have had a taste of NHL experience and played well in the A. It's the time to try it out.

I'm not a fan of this either. Moore just seems like a third pairing defenseman at best. If Del Zotto gets non-tendered, maybe bring him back as a #4 defenseman. Del Zotto was always fine when he played as a LD with a decent partner, and he and Stralman were a good pair in the past (probably more due to Stralman). It also allows Moore to stay on the third pair with Klein:

McD-Girardi
Del Zotto-Stralman
Moore-Klein

Not bad, probably slightly above average d-core.

 

[haohmaru]

I think Brassard and Zuccarello are going to be a lot more expensive than people think. I'm betting Brass gets north of 4 million (4.5 range) and Zuccs not far behind. This is going to be a challenging off season for Slats & Co. for sure.

 

[Fletch]

perhaps he had them doing what they were doing because he recognized that other teams were more talented and that's what needed to be done to be successful. AV had Lundqvist to back him up too, and if not for spectacular play, this team doesn't make it past PITT. Heck, Philly too was a tough series and I think this team was a bit better than the team a couple years ago.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Zucc was the bus driver.

He catalyzed every line that he was on - every player that was on his line suddenly found their game.

Poo was lucky he was put on the line with Zucc, he was playing horrendously and about 1-2 weeks away from being placed on waivers.

Ehh, I dunno. I think it was the puck movement and creativity of Brassard and Zuccarello that drove that line more than anything else.

Pouliot is a bit of a flake. I think he can be replaced quite easily. In fact, out of all the free agents, he's the one I'd be least worried about if he leaves.

For sure Zucc was the driver. I didn't mean to insinuate otherwise. I am just saying that I think the line suffers without Pouliots size.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

For sure Zucc was the driver. I didn't mean to insinuate otherwise. I am just saying that I think the line suffers without Pouliots size.

I don't know if i'm worried about losing Poo's size. But I loved the speed that he delivered. I think you can replicate his size/production and maybe even add someone who goes to the net more often/can work the boards better... but finding that with the set of wheels that Poo has would be really tough.

For example I'd think we could get Jamie McGinn relatively easily. 38 pts. Tough.

Would affect our speed game on that line, though.

 

[haohmaru]

I'm not going to miss Poo's 10 cent head. That much is certain.

 

[TeamStewie]

I bolded the important ones. Kadri. Leafs. Dumb. It is the leafs. They will do something stupid like trade him for a fraction of his value to the lowest bidder. That management team is one step away from turning into Garth Snow.

They're not going to be happy until they have a teams worth of 4th line goons.

 

[Thesensation19*]

Buy Out Richards.
Re Sign Zuccs
Re Sign Kreider
Re Sign Brassard
Re Sign Stralman

These are pretty much all high priority.

Re sign Dominic Moore but only if he comes in at around 1.5 MAX cap hit. Why pay a 4th, at best 3rd line center for most of the year. Something tells met though that Moore will get a much better contract elsewhere. If he goes, Idk who to go after. Any ideas.

Same with Boyle. except hes come out and said he wants a bigger role. How much more of a role do you want then what you were given in the playoffs? Not good for us. Same thing, how we do replace these guys if they leave? Sucks too cuz Boyle going for more time, hell likely end up with the Oilers or someone.


Other than that. I think we got to try and resign Diaz. Very cheap and solid top 6 defender who can be there for depth.

Does John Moore need a new contract. Also cheap and necessary


A lot of what ifs here...


Ultimately.
We need to replace Richards.
We can resign Pouliet but if he wants too much $ then let him walk. I think he can be replaced quite well too be honest.

Replacing Richards will be tough. Not many centers on the market. Only for trade. Do we go after Mike Richards if hes bought out? That be solid.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

I think Brassard and Zuccarello are going to be a lot more expensive than people think. I'm betting Brass gets north of 4 million (4.5 range) and Zuccs not far behind. This is going to be a challenging off season for Slats & Co. for sure.

How is that even possible?

Zucc produced 15 more points than Brassard did in the regular season.

There's absolutely no way I think Brassard is able to procure a contract similar to Zucc's.