Luke Gazdic

[Spawn]

He's pretty meh for me. Would rather have a guy that was a better skater/stick handler even if that meant sacrificing some of his toughness. Gazdic is a good enough fighter to hang with anyone. But he's not really a good enough fighter to beat anyone.

He's a gamer for sure and as pointed out, he's young so there is room for improvement. Just wish he was fast enough to consistently get in on the forecheck. He has the same problems all the big heavy weights have. If they catch you it will hurt. But so rarely do they catch you.

He's a marginally better skater than the MacIntrye's of the world, but he isn't an NHL caliber skater.

 

[AUAIOMRN]

Doo doo doo doo doo Inspector Gazdic

 

[sepHF]

He's better than all the other plugs we've used in the role over the past few years (Stortini, Hordichuk, MacIntyre etc) so I'd say the claim has been a success.

Too bad we have Mac's contract on the books though, I don't think he's ever gonna play unless Gazdic gets injured.

Who's the toughest fighter Gazdic has fought this year? I'd like to see how he does against a major heavyweight fighter like Parros.

Luke's fights just seem like they go on forever. He's got great endurance and I love how he just stretches out and throws haymakers.

McGratton is a monster, I'd say he's the best fighter after MacIntyre personally. He's definitely a tougher guy than Parros.

 

[Replacement*]

Still not a hockey player.

Oh my kingdom for a pugilist that can actually play the game.

Scoring on Dubnyk was of course misleading in this sense. When Dubs in a funk it don't take much.

 

[Replacement*]

He's better than all the other plugs we've used in the role over the past few years (Stortini, Hordichuk, MacIntyre etc) so I'd say the claim has been a success.

Too bad we have Mac's contract on the books though, I don't think he's ever gonna play unless Gazdic gets injured.



McGratton is a monster, I'd say he's the best fighter after MacIntyre personally. He's definitely a tougher guy than Parros.

Skilled as well. I was impressed with how strong and effectively used his jabs were. That fight skill wise wasn't even fair. McGratton was really getting the jab in there. Its all he had to do to control the fight.

 

[thadd]

I don't want Smack. Nobody wants to fight Smack and if Smack wants to force a guy into a fight he has to catch him first. That's impossible since Smack can't skate.

Gazdic is really tough. I'm really impressed by his toughness. He plays hockey way better than any other enforcer we've had over the past decade. If Pitlick's faceoff numbers were good, Gazdic, Pitlick and Jones would be a really good 4th line.

I'd be happy with offering Gazdic a 1.2M cap hit for 4-5 years. 1M guaranteed plus 200-300K in potential bonuses.

Stortini was a pretty useless player most of the time. Couldn't skate well enough and he dropped the gloves often, but he was always just hugging onto people for dear life.

Yeah. I'm very happy with Gazdic.

 

[oilinblood]

He skates well enough.

He shoots the puck decently.

He'll fight anyone.

His facial hair is commendable.

More guys will fight Gazdic. Gazdic as you say is a better player.

Unless Mac is willing to outright snap and take an instigator to strike fear in the opponents there just isn't room for him. Unfortunate as I really like him and he's a good person, but Gazdic brings more to this club.

I like Gazdic. He is a good complementary player in the fourth line. It would be better for him to have real fourth liners as line mates. Acton doesn't belong to NHL. I like to keep also MacIntyre they can rotate, 55-60 games to Lucky Luke and around 35 games to Big Mac.

Here are some discussion relating to Luke

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?p=71852935#post71852935

really good posts in this thread.

I would like to add that i have seen Horvat about a half dozen times with the flames and remember his junior days. I want Horvat called up to play on our 4th line. He is a guy that can pivot a bottom line and make it a threat. He will never be a top 6 pivot but he has the skills and IQ to play a solid, coach trusting, game yet hands and vision to use his wingers. with guys who can skate and make half decent decisions on his wing --like Gazdic... i think a centre like Horvat can make that line an effective line more than a secondary thought/time killing 4th line.

to me... MacI is a great guy and a pure fighter... but in the lines he just doesnt make sense as a guy who at THE VERY BEST he simply doesnt cost you...and for MacT thats not good enough.

We need a few more guys who drop mitts though. MacI is at best a 13th forward playing 3 shifts a night.l

 

[Shanahanigans]

I thought he was your average 4th line winger/fighter type. However, his fight vs McGrattan in Calgary REALLY impressed me. McGrattan has been a heavyweight in the league for a long time, and Gazdic is only 24. Gazdic went with him for almost a full minute if not more, and landed some solid ones. I don't know how many people recall seeing our entire bench standing during Gazdic's fight. This sounds like a Don Cherry rant, but that may have been the turning point of the game, and possibly our season if we can string together a decent stretch here.

Total respect to Gazdic for that fight.

 

[thadd]

I thought he was your average 4th line winger/fighter type. However, his fight vs McGrattan in Calgary REALLY impressed me. McGrattan has been a heavyweight in the league for a long time, and Gazdic is only 24. Gazdic went with him for almost a full minute if not more, and landed some solid ones. I don't know how many people recall seeing our entire bench standing during Gazdic's fight. This sounds like a Don Cherry rant, but that may have been the turning point of the game, and possibly our season if we can string together a decent stretch here.

Total respect to Gazdic for that fight.

And the very next game he gave Boll a good fight.

 

[McTedi]

I thought he was your average 4th line winger/fighter type. However, his fight vs McGrattan in Calgary REALLY impressed me. McGrattan has been a heavyweight in the league for a long time, and Gazdic is only 24. Gazdic went with him for almost a full minute if not more, and landed some solid ones. I don't know how many people recall seeing our entire bench standing during Gazdic's fight. This sounds like a Don Cherry rant, but that may have been the turning point of the game, and possibly our season if we can string together a decent stretch here.

Total respect to Gazdic for that fight.

Agreed, I really like Gazdic. He is young and can skate pretty good for a big dude. Worth locking up in my opinion. Waive big smac.

 

[Replacement*]

Anybody that thinks Gazdik is a good hockey player didn't see people like Dave Semenko, Clark Gillies, Bob Probert play the game. probably deserves to be said.

I don't know what ever happened, and maybe because people take harder punches than ever before but in general terms the skillsets of todays enforcers has taken a real backseat to that which came before it for decades.

Luke Gazdik, Mike Brown would never play a game in the NHL in previous decades.


There just seems to be so many of these junk players with fists will travel making the circuit in todays capped NHL. Teams used to have more skilled enforcers. Now you get excited if one somehow knocks in a goal in a year by accident.

 

[Vagabond]

Now if only the Oilers could snag McGratton from the Flames in some sort of minor trade. That'd be an insane fourth line for sure... soon as Acton is off the team that is..

oops!

..And to answer the OP's question; Yes, Gazdic is a perfect fit with this team. About time this organization had a very good 4th line player that knows his role and makes contributions on a game to game basis.

 

[Da McBomb]

Oilers have just waived Smac.. so looks like they're really happy with Gazdic going forward.

 

[Vagabond]

Anybody that thinks Gazdik is a good hockey player didn't see people like Dave Semenko, Clark Gillies, Bob Probert play the game. probably deserves to be said.

Those players were mainly 3rd line players. I'd throw Domi in there as well for obvious reasons. As Domi had a few good seasons with decent point totals.

 

[Still DRAI]

The thing about Gazdic that's really impressed me as a fighter is that even when he's clearly outmatched (McGrattan), he still hangs in there and lands some solid punches of his own, and doesn't just get the crap knocked out of him.

This is on top of the fact that he can actually play hockey, even if he isn't great at it. Much superior to the Hordichuks and MacIntryes of the world, at least.

 

[NAF]

I would like to add that i have seen Horvat about a half dozen times with the flames and remember his junior days. I want Horvat called up to play on our 4th line. He is a guy that can pivot a bottom line and make it a threat. He will never be a top 6 pivot but he has the skills and IQ to play a solid, coach trusting, game yet hands and vision to use his wingers. with guys who can skate and make half decent decisions on his wing --like Gazdic... i think a centre like Horvat can make that line an effective line more than a secondary thought/time killing 4th line.

Horak. You mean Horak.

 

[Mcnofool6110]

really good posts in this thread.

I would like to add that i have seen Horvat about a half dozen times with the flames and remember his junior days. I want Horvat called up to play on our 4th line. He is a guy that can pivot a bottom line and make it a threat. He will never be a top 6 pivot but he has the skills and IQ to play a solid, coach trusting, game yet hands and vision to use his wingers. with guys who can skate and make half decent decisions on his wing --like Gazdic... i think a centre like Horvat can make that line an effective line more than a secondary thought/time killing 4th line....

I'd love Horvat on my fourth line.

But yes, Horak (who I think you mean) would be a good addition; that being said, my current pecking order is
RNH>Gordon>Arco>Gagner>Horak>Acton. (Doesn't mean Gordon's on the second or Gagner's on the fourth. Just in terms of who should be playing in a game)

And I don't even think Acton's that bad.

EDIT: To keep this relevant, I would love to see Gazdic's game with a playmaking centre like Arco.

 

[McTedi]

Oilers have just waived Smac.. so looks like they're really happy with Gazdic going forward.

I wish it could have ended better for Steve, seems like a great guy.

 

[NAF]

As long as Gazdic doesn't make any more breakout passes to Joe Thornton and can manage to learn to take a pass inside his own zone without flubbing it or turning it over at the slightest pressure as I've seen him do countless times so far this season, I'm okay with keeping him. I'd rather see a 4th line of Lander-Arco-Joensuu, but I'm a realist enough to accept this club wants a designated face puncher, so they're going to have one.

 

[thinlizzy]

I predicted Smac was going to get waved when we signed Luke. The top six are a little bigger now with him when he is in the line up. It is a long time since we have had a guy that can play a bit and fight. Kid isn't scared of anyone. He held in with McGratton and had an awesome scrap with Boll, both were throwing bombs. Love the kid. Teams have been taking liberties and that has to stop to some extent. Kid has room to grow as well. Parros isn't at the top of the heap for fighters in this league. McGratton and Bordeleau I would say are in the top 4 for fighters.

 

[backhandsauce]

Props to this waiver claim.

A tough guy that fights all the big heavy weights who can actually play the game.

I remember a lot of Dallas fans upset about losing him on waivers. I now see why.

We better resign this guy.

 

[duul]

He is a perfect 4th liner. Imagine if we had a solid 4th line centre like Campbell and then put Pitlick on the RW? That would wreak havoc.

 

[s7ark]

Yeah, he's got a spot here going forward afaic. Guys that can fight heavyweights and play a semi regular shift are hard to come by.

 

[lakai17]

About time Edmonton acquired a legit enforcer that can actually play hockey. All about timing though.

 

[joestevens29]

I really think he told Hall that he was trying to prevent the hat-trick. He seemed to get in the way twice.