GDT: Game 68: Columbus vs. Carolina | 3/18 7PM EDT

[Robert]

A 4 game point streak that relied disproportionately on Bob. In 4 of the last 6 games the Jackets have scored only 1 goal.

I know what JK/JD were doing at the deadline, they were improving the chances that games like last night are going to happen, in which this lineup could put almost 50 shots on goal in a game and come away with one goal.





I'll just take a moment to point out that nobody knows what management sees. Nobody. So the rest of your "explanation" is the wishful thinking of a fan describing how he'd go about building the team those guys inherited. It's an after-the-fact defense of management's actions parading as "insightful".



Boilerplate. Thanks. And it's already been documented in this forum that a small handful of playmakers were had at a price that absolutely would not have sacrificed the future of this team. The Gaborik trade was not about not sacrificing the future, it was about enhancing the future- as in the future that starts after this year. It did nothing to help this team make the playoffs this year, in fact it could be argued that it hurt those chances.



Thank god for that. Not only do I hope they didn't want to absolutely take the team out of the race, I also hope that they didn't at all for any reason want to take the team out of the race. I even hope they wanted to help the team in this race, except to hope that is to conclude that they failed.



Aside from this being the worst kind of assumption, the idea that you think that's all the "current group" can do is the very reason management should have enhanced the current group.



We're sitting in the 2nd playoff spot now (thanks largely to Bob). We had the opportunity to reach out and grab one of a few cheap goal scorers at the deadline and passed. It sounds to me like you're already writing a defense for a pisspoor deadline day that could lead us to missing the playoffs. Again.

I know a lot of this has already come up, but it's games like last night's, when we again manage only 1 goal against a non-playoff team in Nationwide, that are the direct consequence of doing ****all at the deadline. We carried play last night against the Hurricanes and put 19 shots on goal in the 3rd alone; that just goes to show that this roster could have used a little help at the deadline.

I know there's a sense that this team is a good team sitting just outside of being a top-tier team. But combine missing the playoffs with our record against 85-win teams and we're nothing but pretenders.

Wow... where have you been Brook..... I will say, I can be quoted as saying the CBJ would not be hurt sitting pat at the deadline but I also said keep Gabby for the push, I'm still confused why JD/Kek moved Gabby's potential scoring and brought nothing back???

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I know there's a sense that this team is a good team sitting just outside of being a top-tier team. But combine missing the playoffs with our record against 85-win teams and we're nothing but pretenders.

I don't even need to reply to the rest of your post breaking down mine because this is exactly what I was saying, and exactly why management didn't swing for a home run deal at the deadline.

 

[db2011]

I don't even need to reply to the rest of your post breaking down mine because this is exactly what I was saying, and exactly why management didn't swing for a home run deal at the deadline.

If management believes we're pretenders, it's their jobs to change that, and Thomas Vanek for 2 second rounders is not a home run deal.

 

[pete goegan]

If management believes we're pretenders, it's their jobs to change that, and Thomas Vanek for 2 second rounders is not a home run deal.

Well, they did announce they would not look for a short term rental. Also, would the same deal have been offered to a competing Metro team? No question Vanek would help, though, even if it was just for the rest of this season. I thought the same about Gabby, so what do I know?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

If management believes we're pretenders, it's their jobs to change that, and Thomas Vanek for 2 second rounders is not a home run deal.

Yeah but it's another thing that hurts the future, which they wouldn't do. It's 100% clear he's hitting the market, and he's not exactly a fit.

 

[EspenK]

Yeah but it's another thing that hurts the future, which they wouldn't do. It's 100% clear he's hitting the market, and he's not exactly a fit.

See, there's that "a skill guy ain't a fit" thing again. Career stats-

Games-651
Goals 274
Assists 271
Points 545 (.837 ppg)
+/-33
Shooting % 14.83

Please explain why he's not a fit?

 

[Viqsi]

See, there's that "a skill guy ain't a fit" thing again. Career stats-

Games-651
Goals 274
Assists 271
Points 545 (.837 ppg)
+/-33
Shooting % 14.83

Please explain why he's not a fit?

Because he isn't exactly known for his skating ability, only uses his size Nash-style (he'll protect the puck but that's about it), and would cost a bloody fortune to retain even if he wasn't already evidently determined to test the market?

I wouldn't have minded going after him as a "test run" given the prices involved, but I can understand the hesitation to do so - would assume a mindset of something like "Gaborik didn't work out and we're about to take a net loss on that deal; do we really want to try something very much like that again right now?" I'm not sure if I'd stick with that reasoning personally, but I imagine it was something like that.

(And why did you opt to list his stats? I don't get it. Kind of a nonsequitur.)

 

[cslebn]

I know there's a sense that this team is a good team sitting just outside of being a top-tier team. But combine missing the playoffs with our record against 85-win teams and we're nothing but pretenders.

Cherry picking on this point.

As of right this moment against teams in the playoffs right now we are 15-15-4.

Strangely it sure looks like we've owned Toronto, NYR, LAK, Min, and the TBL. Meanwhile Bos and Pitt have won every meeting (yes I know the Boston games were close and so was the 5-3 xmas game vs. Pitt).

Not saying this makes us a contender but I don't think it makes us a pretender really either - going a bit too far there.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

See, there's that "a skill guy ain't a fit" thing again. Career stats-

Games-651
Goals 274
Assists 271
Points 545 (.837 ppg)
+/-33
Shooting % 14.83

Please explain why he's not a fit?

Should I bring up Marian Gaborik's career stats too? It has nothing to do with Vanek being a 'skill guy.'

 

[EspenK]

Should I bring up Marian Gaborik's career stats too? It has nothing to do with Vanek being a 'skill guy.'

No but please explain why Vanek wouldn't be a fit. Playing for relatively crappy teams for most of this season he has put up pretty good numbers.So far 57, which would put him, where, I don't know, first on the Jackets? Ah, maybe that's why he wouldn't fit. Too offensive minded.

 

[major major]

No but please explain why Vanek wouldn't be a fit. Playing for relatively crappy teams for most of this season he has put up pretty good numbers.So far 57, which would put him, where, I don't know, first on the Jackets? Ah, maybe that's why he wouldn't fit. Too offensive minded.

I suspect that Jarmo/JD didn't want Vanek at all because they didn't like his character. I don't know this, but I can imagine being in their position and prioritizing the maintenance of the workmanlike nature of the team. You've got 20 some guys who follow coach's orders and go all out on the ice. What happens when you add a guy who won't do that?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

No but please explain why Vanek wouldn't be a fit. Playing for relatively crappy teams for most of this season he has put up pretty good numbers.So far 57, which would put him, where, I don't know, first on the Jackets? Ah, maybe that's why he wouldn't fit. Too offensive minded.

One dimensional and not physical. Plus there have been commitment issue rumors and he is hot and cold a lot. His one dimension is very good, but I'm glad we didn't trade away futures for him just for a few weeks of him.

 

[Crede777]

We neeeeed a scoring winger like Vanek, though. Our GF was inflated by guys who were producing above their own heads. Need to ditch some grit for actual offense. I mean, we are putting 40 shots on goal and had 8 powerplays but only scored 3 times.

Stupid moving Gabby. He looked very good tonight for LA. Even if they weren't going to resign him, the peanuts we got just weren't worth it. That is a trade you do as a seller, not as a playoff team.

 

[punk_o_holic]

With Columbus eating up half of Gaborik's salary, would we have had enough cap space to even acquire Vanek? Rumors were that other teams(Leafs for one) had better offers for Vanek but the Islanders refused to take on salary or eat any of his cap hit.

 

[EspenK]

With Columbus eating up half of Gaborik's salary, would we have had enough cap space to even acquire Vanek? Rumors were that other teams(Leafs for one) had better offers for Vanek but the Islanders refused to take on salary or eat any of his cap hit.

I don't think we could have added his salary. I am not advocating that we should have acquired him at the deadline; I just don't get the dislike and saying "he won't fit" when any player with a rep as an offensive player is mentioned. I agree with Crede's comment above that we have enough guys who score by going to the dirty areas and getting hit in the head with juicy rebounds, puck luck goals. We need a guy or two who can create his own chances. Like Joey did last night or that guy for Montreal who buried that scorching wrister to tie the game. What was his name?