Brisson confirms that EP40 dealt with injury which prevented him from Off-season Training.

[Canucker]

Okay. Let's play a little game. We trade Pettersson to Buffalo for Cozens, Kulich and a pick. Which isn't even a horrendous trade.

This now leaves us with 25M in the off season and no legitimate first line center. Now who do you purpose we sign with all that money? Rantanen and Marner aren't coming here. They'd want to be on contenders. Regardless, they would eat half that cap amount themselves chasing 13-14M deal contracts.

Our center options are as followed, since we'd absolutely need to sign one: Duchene, Granlund, Tavaras, Giroux, Marchand.

Noticing a trend here? They're all well into their 30s or mostly play wing nowadays. And we still haven't replaced Boeser. It's not like Ehlers will come any cheaper. Assuming he even leaves Winnipeg.

So do explain how this scenario convinces Hughes to stay when we'd have a forward corps not much better than the Habs.

Cap space is great... when there's actually players to spend it on that want to be here. Most of the good ones aren't going to be all that interesting playing for a team that just traded their two top six centers for pennies on the dollar.

For shits and grins, I'll play...

1) We keep EP and may still not have a "legitimate first line center"...at least based on his current level of play and over the past calendar year.
2) I believe Marner and Rantanen will go where the money is AND an opportunity to win...having QH and a great city always helps, along with a large amount of money to offer. There are some other UFAs of note that could be signed and also improve the team.
3) You've glossed over the fact that if we traded EP in your hypothetical scenario we would be getting 2 NHL centers back...it can be argued that they aren't #1 centers, and that's currently a fact, but they are good young players and could very well become legitimate top 1-2 centers, and a pick of some sort. And we have Chytil who has filled in pretty well as a 2nd line center so far. So I don't believe there would be any real issue at center...unless of course (heaven forbid) Chytil sustains another concussion, or Cozens/Kulich don't take a step forward.
4) Hughes is probably smart enough to know that IF management traded EP, there was probably a good reason for it...ultimately nobody has any idea what QH's motivation will be when the time comes for him to make a decision...I'm sure winning will play a factor, but it may not, he may have his heart set on playing with his brothers and know he can win with them...or he may not care and have developed relationships in Van and be happy with his life there. Who knows? The plan should be winning, regardless of QH.

I will qualify all this with, my preference is that EP were to rediscover his game and he didn't need to be traded at all, because he is an exceptional player when he's on his game...but like everyone (including those who think they know) else around here, I don't know what ails EP, if its permanent or temporary, if its injury related or a mental/happiness/confidence issue...what I do know is that there is a distinct possibility that WE may never see him regain his form in Vancouver and with his impending NMC there is risk associated with keeping him, just as there is with moving on from him. All I want is due diligence taken by Management and coaches when they ultimately make their decision to keep him or move him, because they would likely know better than any of us.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

For shits and grins, I'll play...

1) We keep EP and may still not have a "legitimate first line center"...at least based on his current level of play and over the past calendar year.
2) I believe Marner and Rantanen will go where the money is AND an opportunity to win...having QH and a great city always helps, along with a large amount of money to offer. There are some other UFAs of note that could be signed and also improve the team.
3) You've glossed over the fact that if we traded EP in your hypothetical scenario we would be getting 2 NHL centers back...it can be argued that they aren't #1 centers, and that's currently a fact, but they are good young players and could very well become legitimate top 1-2 centers, and a pick of some sort. And we have Chytil who has filled in pretty well as a 2nd line center so far. So I don't believe there would be any real issue at center...unless of course (heaven forbid) Chytil sustains another concussion, or Cozens/Kulich don't take a step forward.
4) Hughes is probably smart enough to know that IF management traded EP, there was probably a good reason for it...ultimately nobody has any idea what QH's motivation will be when the time comes for him to make a decision...I'm sure winning will play a factor, but it may not, he may have his heart set on playing with his brothers and know he can win with them...or he may not care and have developed relationships in Van and be happy with his life there. Who knows? The plan should be winning, regardless of QH.

I will qualify all this with, my preference is that EP were to rediscover his game and he didn't need to be traded at all, because he is an exceptional player when he's on his game...but like everyone (including those who think they know) else around here, I don't know what ails EP, if its permanent or temporary, if its injury related or a mental/happiness/confidence issue...what I do know is that there is a distinct possibility that WE may never see him regain his form in Vancouver and with his impending NMC there is risk associated with keeping him, just as there is with moving on from him. All I want is due diligence taken by Management and coaches when they ultimately make their decision to keep him or move him, because they would likely know better than any of us.

Is the reason that ~8 posters on HFboards hate Pettersson?

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

For shits and grins, I'll play...

1) We keep EP and may still not have a "legitimate first line center"...at least based on his current level of play and over the past calendar year.
2) I believe Marner and Rantanen will go where the money is AND an opportunity to win...having QH and a great city always helps, along with a large amount of money to offer. There are some other UFAs of note that could be signed and also improve the team.
3) You've glossed over the fact that if we traded EP in your hypothetical scenario we would be getting 2 NHL centers back...it can be argued that they aren't #1 centers, and that's currently a fact, but they are good young players and could very well become legitimate top 1-2 centers, and a pick of some sort. And we have Chytil who has filled in pretty well as a 2nd line center so far. So I don't believe there would be any real issue at center...unless of course (heaven forbid) Chytil sustains another concussion, or Cozens/Kulich don't take a step forward.
4) Hughes is probably smart enough to know that IF management traded EP, there was probably a good reason for it...ultimately nobody has any idea what QH's motivation will be when the time comes for him to make a decision...I'm sure winning will play a factor, but it may not, he may have his heart set on playing with his brothers and know he can win with them...or he may not care and have developed relationships in Van and be happy with his life there. Who knows? The plan should be winning, regardless of QH.

I will qualify all this with, my preference is that EP were to rediscover his game and he didn't need to be traded at all, because he is an exceptional player when he's on his game...but like everyone (including those who think they know) else around here, I don't know what ails EP, if its permanent or temporary, if its injury related or a mental/happiness/confidence issue...what I do know is that there is a distinct possibility that WE may never see him regain his form in Vancouver and with his impending NMC there is risk associated with keeping him, just as there is with moving on from him. All I want is due diligence taken by Management and coaches when they ultimately make their decision to keep him or move him, because they would likely know better than any of us.

While I don't deny we're gambling either way. The major difference here is only one of those players has actually put up 100 points before.

They will. Which isn't here if we're trading Pettersson and hoping prospects and several young players all take a significant step in the next few years. That isn't to say we couldn't be a winning team, eventually. But Colorado, Carolina and Toronto can all offer them the same money while being in a much better position to win. Not to mention, several other teams. Hughes is great, but any UFA also knows he could walk away and now the team is dead in the water.

I didn't gloss over it because like you said, none of them are first line centers. We're hoping Chytil or Cozen take pretty massive steps to become one. As for Kulich, he'd be quite a ways off--if we even acquired a prospect that good. I tossed him in for the hell of it despite the person I quoted saying "even for a shit return."

That's the key to it though. I'd feel a lot differently if Hughes was guaranteed to be here for the long haul. I'm not even necessarily against moving Pettersson. It just can't be simply to dump him and hope shopping in the off season fixes everything. Although, like you, my preference is to keep him.

 

[rypper]

So Dhaliwal went on radio Wednesday morning with Drance and was pretty emphatic about the injury not being an issue anymore.

He talked about the agent admitting the knee was a problem in the off-season when it came to training but it's not anymore.

Yet his skating still looks jank. So I don't really understand...

(I'm not an injury denier per se, I'm just really confused as to what's going on)

I listened as well and that was all Dhali's opinion, he wasn't giving information that he'd heard or anything. Just clearing that up.

 

[kanucks25]

I listened as well and that was all Dhali's opinion, he wasn't giving information that he'd heard or anything. Just clearing that up.

I just listened to it again and I don't really feel any differently about it.

Still sounds like to me that he was stating what he believes and typically what he believes is based on the information he is given.

"I do wanna say this: he is healthy now. Like, he wouldn't be at the 4 Nations if he wasn't healthy...

I wanna get that straight, I don't think he's injured right now...

But I wanna say he's healthy now and let's see where he goes from here."

 

[Bobby9]

Okay. Let's play a little game. We trade Pettersson to Buffalo for Cozens, Kulich and a pick. Which isn't even a horrendous trade.

This now leaves us with 25M in the off season and no legitimate first line center. Now who do you purpose we sign with all that money? Rantanen and Marner aren't coming here. They'd want to be on contenders. Regardless, they would eat half that cap amount themselves chasing 13-14M deal contracts.

Our center options are as followed, since we'd absolutely need to sign one: Duchene, Granlund, Tavaras, Giroux, Marchand.

Noticing a trend here? They're all well into their 30s or mostly play wing nowadays. And we still haven't replaced Boeser. It's not like Ehlers will come any cheaper. Assuming he even leaves Winnipeg.

So do explain how this scenario convinces Hughes to stay when we'd have a forward corps not much better than the Habs.

Cap space is great... when there's actually players to spend it on that want to be here. Most of the good ones aren't going to be all that interesting playing for a team that just traded their two top six centers for pennies on the dollar.

You are correct, but that does not mean we should keep a player who as an asset is depreciating.

His value could go up or it could get even worse. Just depends on what side of the bet you want to be on.