Confirmed with Link: Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kuapri, Gabe Vilardi + 2024 2nd round pick to Winnipeg for Pierre-Luc Dubois

bmr

Registered User
Jan 23, 2013
1,883
1,710
Yeah, same. I hate the trade less after a night, but I still don't like it. GV seemed like a great candidate to help establish a post 11 & 8 identity for the Kings. I get that C > Wingers and Gabe's inability to make it work at Center probably made him expendable in the eyes of management, but I just think it stinks. Hope PLD proves me wrong.
It would be good to know what the contract discussions were like with him and RB. I'm sure there was an injury concern but there may be other factors that contributed to the decision to not keep him. We just don't know. All that being said, I think we gave up too much.
 

johnjm22

Pseudo Intellectual
Aug 2, 2005
20,897
17,722
Lizotte and Grundstrom are the most likely to move.

An ideal 4th line would be an enforcer or gritty forward next to JAD and Fagemo.
Lizotte is a good 4th line center.

Just surround him with wingers that compliment his game.
 

kinghock

Registered User
Feb 1, 2011
3,445
2,763
Mahwah,NJ
Was just carousing the Montreal boards, and holy crap, the sense of entitlement and jealousy displayed by a bunch of their bitter fans is both comical and pathetic.
Winnipeg and Ottawa boards are much more reasonable.

Montreal and Vancouver are the worst.

Somehow Edmonton and Toronto are in the middle.

I reserve my judgment regarding Calgary for now.

P.S. The worst of Toronto fans are going to post directly on main HF board
 
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Telos

In Byfield We Must Trust
Aug 16, 2008
33,043
8,162
Reno, NV
View attachment 722733
the Jets somehow made a gamble to take Vilardi as the center piece of this deal. I really like Gabe but everytime he was hit hard everybody started worrying. Hope he is healthy and he thrives as he career goes on but people keep forgeting about this.
This is what makes me feel okay about the deal. Vilardi is the player that stings the most in losing, but he in himself is a gamble. I think his hands and hockey sense are better than PLD's but PLD has everything else on him and is a lot healthier. Vilardi is a player that I can see score at a high rate, but will always be at the 20-30g and 50-60 point range due to never playing near 82 games a year.

You look at Eichel and he is the same, he scores 20-some-odd goals and 60 some off points a year but only plays 60 games or so as well. He is capable of 30 goals and 80 points but he will never play that many games... PLD is someone that can guarantee that production but be there every night and impose his size a bit better and be a presence. I mean, if it was between Iafallo and Vilardi for $8M or PLD for $8.5M right now, in a vacuum, I would choose PLD. So, the team is better, the "prospects" are going to get a chance to play and move up, and I guess we will see what happens.
 

Kurrilino

Go Stoll Go
Aug 6, 2005
8,832
2,208
Calgary
No manager in the league would take Vilardi over PLD but it’s casually just thrown around here that “Vilardi is better than PLD” despite absolutely zero evidence to support it.

The points speak for themself.
If not injured, Vilardi would have cracked the 30+ goals easily.
Then there is also the eye test of Vilardi's elite playmaking and game reading abilities.

This is stuff PLD can only dream about
 

Kurrilino

Go Stoll Go
Aug 6, 2005
8,832
2,208
Calgary
Blame Kopitar for having a league wide recognized Hart trophy caliber 17-18 season. Blame Doughty for finishing 2nd in Norris voting. Blame hiring a coach that revitalized Brown. Blame Quick for playing well against Vegas. Blame the whole team that lacked depth for only being a few points away from a top 10 overall finish while missing Carter for 55 games.

This is exactly why we go nowhere. Excuses and pointless participation trophies.
The target is the Stanley Cup and nothing else

I blame Kopitar for not being able to force our game onto the opponent and i blame Doughty
for not being able to keep the opponent top players in check.

Those are the jobs of #1 center and #1 defender.
All this wouldn't be a big issue if both of them wouldn't have ask for the salary paid to people who can do their jobs.
 

Herby

Thank You, Team 144
Feb 27, 2002
26,735
16,819
Great Lakes Area
The points speak for themself.
If not injured, Vilardi would have cracked the 30+ goals easily.
Then there is also the eye test of Vilardi's elite playmaking and game reading abilities.

You mean PLD's career .7 PPG (playing in the NHL since age 19) vs Vilardi's .51 , yeah Kurri it really speaks for itself.
 

Kurrilino

Go Stoll Go
Aug 6, 2005
8,832
2,208
Calgary
You mean PLD's career .7 PPG (playing in the NHL since age 19) vs Vilardi's .51 , yeah Kurri it really speaks for itself.
PLD was not sidelined for 2 years with a back injury and the Jets have not an insane coach who put PLD on the 4th line with 3 minutes of game time
 

Telos

In Byfield We Must Trust
Aug 16, 2008
33,043
8,162
Reno, NV
Always will love Vilardi. Sounds like he wanted to play center in more of a top 6 role, but TMac didn't trust him defensively. But I am glad he is feeling better and hope he gets a good deal, stays healthy, and becomes the player his obvious skill would allow him to be...
 

jgs

Registered User
Oct 24, 2019
1,681
1,551
I wish Vilardi, Iaflao and Kupari the best. Now Hopefully PLD means what he said about being excited to be a King and he digs in and produces at the level he is capable of. Blake will left himself with only 4.5 mill in cp space with only 16 players signed. He has some other players to sign, mainly a goaltender. Will se how he gets that done. Cannot play and compete with only 16 players, including just one goaltender.
 
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King'sPawn

Enjoy the chaos
Jul 1, 2003
22,846
23,342
You mean PLD's career .7 PPG (playing in the NHL since age 19) vs Vilardi's .51 , yeah Kurri it really speaks for itself.
PLD's .7 points/game with his lowest average time on ice on par with Vilardi's highest average time on ice?

Vilardi has never exceeded an average of 16 minutes. PLD was around 14-15+ once, and not-so-coincidentally, it's when he scored 21 points in 46 games. Which is worse than Vilardi's points per game career pace.
 

Raccoon Jesus

We were right there
Oct 30, 2008
63,249
65,973
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I have zero problem with Vilardi mouthingoff, he's always had his heart on his sleeve and he's busted his absolute ass to make it back this far only to be unceremoniously dumped for a shiny new toy because he dared ask for a raise before age 26.

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the Jets somehow made a gamble to take Vilardi as the center piece of this deal. I really like Gabe but everytime he was hit hard everybody started worrying. Hope he is healthy and he thrives as he career goes on but people keep forgeting about this.


We're not 'forgetting' about this, it's actually part of the point--you have a guy you KNOW is successful in your system and has some concerns--but you're going to trade him and other significant assets for a guy with arguably MORE maybes.

That's why the trade makes sense for both parties to some degree--they're both assuming some risk around the centerpieces--but one got additional assurances, one didn't.

This is what makes me feel okay about the deal. Vilardi is the player that stings the most in losing, but he in himself is a gamble. I think his hands and hockey sense are better than PLD's but PLD has everything else on him and is a lot healthier. Vilardi is a player that I can see score at a high rate, but will always be at the 20-30g and 50-60 point range due to never playing near 82 games a year.

You look at Eichel and he is the same, he scores 20-some-odd goals and 60 some off points a year but only plays 60 games or so as well. He is capable of 30 goals and 80 points but he will never play that many games... PLD is someone that can guarantee that production but be there every night and impose his size a bit better and be a presence. I mean, if it was between Iafallo and Vilardi for $8M or PLD for $8.5M right now, in a vacuum, I would choose PLD. So, the team is better, the "prospects" are going to get a chance to play and move up, and I guess we will see what happens.

I want to believe but that's a HUGE 'if' given recent history
 

Catanddogguitarrr

Registered User
Jul 3, 2016
8,256
6,298
Nowhere land
Habs fan here again. Sorry to get here without invitation. First of all, PLD will not retired as an HOF. He's not quite "elite" but he's not a boring player without any drive and skills. He's not a savior and I hope none of you expect that. No way he equals Kopitar in his prime. But he makes your team better by making the center line stronger. Your team is still making sparks of life, unlike other depressing teams. Don't misunderstand what's happening, 3/4 of the league are jealous of you. Even the most vicious and mean comments from other teams posters are jealousy. Well, you know it, right?

My advice is don't get depress or influenced by the negative of the trade. Think about the combos of lines with PLD and figure what could happen. I think your team will be in the PO next spring, well, for sure. PLD is maybe what it takes to beat the Oilers, if you meet them again. Now, it doesn't solve your huge problem of Ds but it's something that can be adressed later in the next years. And what about your goalie situation? I can say you're not the only team with weakness in front of the net, if that's the case for you.
 

KingsFan7824

Registered User
Dec 4, 2003
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The 2017-2018 season was one of the worst in team history.

Not only did they miss out on a Top 10 pick in a draft with 5 clear hits of those 10 picks, but it validated these guys beliefs they could still win with 11 and 8.

11-12 was worse, as that's what started the frauds getting paid by both DL and Blake. Should've been no miracle 13-14 run to keep them from being a one hit wonder. 17-18 was but a symptom of a deeper problem. Pietrangelo was the man to take in 2008. DL messed up everywhere, and sold the farm before winning a round. He never let that rebuild finish. Plus his central player in it was an emotional child, even during the Cup wins. Lasting success is not built that way.

This is exactly why we go nowhere. Excuses and pointless participation trophies.
The target is the Stanley Cup and nothing else

I blame Kopitar for not being able to force our game onto the opponent and i blame Doughty
for not being able to keep the opponent top players in check.

Those are the jobs of #1 center and #1 defender.
All this wouldn't be a big issue if both of them wouldn't have ask for the salary paid to people who can do their jobs.

They were the faces of a 2 time winner, so they were going to get paid for that.
 

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