Proposal: (CBJ/TOR) Gudbranson Danforth for Liljegren Kämpf

[Dead Coyote]

This is a legitimately insane thing to say. Gudbranson is a perfectly fine 3RD who can play up in the lineup in a pinch, but if you have to make that pinch you're a dreadful team. Did you perhaps confuse Erik Gudbranson, career third pair, with Zach Werenski, actual top-20 defenseman in the league?

You're not wrong that a team would probably prefer Gudbranson to Liljegren, but it's not because Guddy is "better." He's tougher.

Werenski is a LD and honestly it's pretty debatable but yeah I do think defensively Gudbranson could be more consistent than Werenski. Werenski is obviously by far the better player and I don't think it's a good thing that Gudbranson is like the only good stay at home D the Jackets have right now but that's where they're at. Gudbranson is their best PKer, plays tons of PK minutes, and is solid at 5v5 defensively. Last year he was even better but even he was relied on much more than he should have been in '22-'23 he was still very solid at 5v5 on an incredibly awful team. He isn't as good as a lot of other guys in the league sure, but he's the best CBJ currently has for sure.

 

[stevo61]

Werenski is a LD and honestly it's pretty debatable but yeah I do think defensively Gudbranson could be more consistent than Werenski. Werenski is obviously by far the better player and I don't think it's a good thing that Gudbranson is like the only good stay at home D the Jackets have right now but that's where they're at. Gudbranson is their best PKer, plays tons of PK minutes, and is solid at 5v5 defensively. Last year he was even better but even he was relied on much more than he should have been in '22-'23 he was still very solid at 5v5 on an incredibly awful team. He isn't as good as a lot of other guys in the league sure, but he's the best CBJ currently has for sure.

Man if only I had your confidence. To speak so strongly about something you have no idea about is... something

 

[Viqsi]

No. What? Who said that? I want receipts. No one said that. Peeke and Gudbranson are essentially the same player, Peeke is just younger and doesn't have the baggage of having been a top-10 pick or lengthy career of mostly sucking. And I say this as someone whose tagline on this website is literally "Gudbranson apologist."

Peeke also used to be seen as potentially having more upside a few years ago when Leafs fans were badgering us constantly about acquiring him, so I could easily see someone confusing themselves into thinking this was claimed.

 

[Viqsi]

Werenski is a LD and honestly it's pretty debatable but yeah I do think defensively Gudbranson could be more consistent than Werenski. Werenski is obviously by far the better player and I don't think it's a good thing that Gudbranson is like the only good stay at home D the Jackets have right now but that's where they're at. Gudbranson is their best PKer, plays tons of PK minutes, and is solid at 5v5 defensively. Last year he was even better but even he was relied on much more than he should have been in '22-'23 he was still very solid at 5v5 on an incredibly awful team. He isn't as good as a lot of other guys in the league sure, but he's the best CBJ currently has for sure.

There's a few of us Jackets fans who genuinely appreciate the guy and what he does and absolutely want to hold on to him, and you're managing to give him more credit than all of us put together would ever even consider. I'm legit impressed.

 

[Breakers]

How in the HELL are Columbus fans saying Gudbranson has been their most consistent defender

I hope you mean consistently garbage.

 

[zenator]

Gudbranson plays the role Tanev plays, except Tanev is much better at it.

The last few years in the playoffs, the Leafs played well defensively and were very hard to score against. They didn't go far because their offensive stars were shut down.

They badly need a top-end puck moving offensive defenseman to complement their scoring forwards, and to create 3 on 2s and 2 in 1s, and more high danger scoring chances, which they never seem to get enough of in the playoffs. I said top-end, not a 4-6 guy like Ekman-Larsson. They can be 2-way like Montour / Forsling, or Theodore / Pietrangelo, Hedman. Or offensive like Bouchard or Makar.

This holds them back more than anything. They don't need another defensive guy that can't move the puck. They already are very tight defensively in the playoffs.

 

[exporta]

to Toronto Maple Leafs
ERIK GUDBRANSON (2y @ $4.0m)
JUSTIN DANFORTH (1y @ $1.1m)

to Columbus Blue Jackets
TIMOTHY LILJEGREN (2y @ $3.0m)
DAVID KÄMPF (3y @ $2.4m)


Columbus moves on from Gudbranson, as it's probably time to do so. They get a younger D with some 2nd pairing potential who has more trade value than Guddy if you end up flipping him. They're probably reshaping their 4th line soon anyways, and Kämpf can be part of that for 2 or 3 years. They take on Kämpf's term in exchange for getting the younger more valuable D in the swap.

Toronto swaps out Kämpf's 3 year term for a 1 year contract guy and makes their 4th line / press box situation more flexible. They cash in on whatever potential Liljegren has left in him, who it's time to move on from. They don't take on any cap. Gudbranson and Timmins can compete to be the #6 D.

Selling Lilly when his value is this low, is moronic.

Buy low, sell high.

 

[Figgy44]

This is a legitimately insane thing to say. Gudbranson is a perfectly fine 3RD who can play up in the lineup in a pinch, but if you have to make that pinch you're a dreadful team. Did you perhaps confuse Erik Gudbranson, career third pair, with Zach Werenski, actual top-20 defenseman in the league?

You're not wrong that a team would probably prefer Gudbranson to Liljegren, but it's not because Guddy is "better." He's tougher.


No. What? Who said that? I want receipts. No one said that. Peeke and Gudbranson are essentially the same player, Peeke is just younger and doesn't have the baggage of having been a top-10 pick or lengthy career of mostly sucking. And I say this as someone whose tagline on this website is literally "Gudbranson apologist."

Gudbranson is also likely out for the season with a major shoulder injury, so this is all moot.

For a sec I thought you said Gudbranson was a #3 dman and my eyes bugged out.

My understanding was he was (after Calgary) a solid 4/5 (way overpaid though) who occasionally looks competent as a 3/4 dman. He's fine as the 4th best player in your top 4, but if he's top 3, you may have a concern. I don't recall seeing information that changed my idea on that.

But a strong addition to a 3rd pairing, he absolutely is that. I'd welcome a guy like Gudbranson on my team easily, just more like at half of that contract. Reminds me of a guy like Derek Engelland in the past. Flames loved picking up guys like that and they've often been criticized, but steady for the team.

 

[squashmaple]

For a sec I thought you said Gudbranson was a #3 dman and my eyes bugged out.

My understanding was he was (after Calgary) a solid 4/5 (way overpaid though) who occasionally looks competent as a 3/4 dman. He's fine as the 4th best player in your top 4, but if he's top 3, you may have a concern. I don't recall seeing information that changed my idea on that.

But a strong addition to a 3rd pairing, he absolutely is that. I'd welcome a guy like Gudbranson on my team easily, just more like at half of that contract. Reminds me of a guy like Derek Engelland in the past. Flames loved picking up guys like that and they've often been criticized, but steady for the team.

He had a career year last season because that's exactly how he was deployed, and it worked. And not much else did in Columbus last season, either. But that's what he is. He's certainly not one of Columbus' "top D." Integral part of the team that they'll miss very much while he's out hurt, sure. But I'll split the hair on this. None of us Jackets fans are claiming he's good. His "overpaid" salary also is completely meaningless to Columbus right now.

 

[CannonFire1]

How in the HELL are Columbus fans saying Gudbranson has been their most consistent defender

I hope you mean consistently garbage.

No Jackets fans are saying that.

 

[KevinRedkey]

Selling Lilly when his value is this low, is moronic.

Buy low, sell high.

How exactly do you expect his stock to rise when he's in the press box?

 

[Viqsi]

How in the HELL are Columbus fans saying Gudbranson has been their most consistent defender

The same way Canucks fans are saying that Quinn Hughes is trash and needs to be given away for future considerations.

 

[ViD]

How in the HELL are Columbus fans saying Gudbranson has been their most consistent defender

I hope you mean consistently garbage.

I don’t think any Jackets fan said that..ever ?

He’s a reliable third pair guy and a locker room leader.