Proposal: Malkin and Kessel for Bergeron and Marchand

[Alberta_OReilly_Fan]

I'd really like to see an argument for Marchand>Kessel. Not just directed at you, that's to anyone who thinks that. Marchand in his career year barely out-produced Kessel in his worst year. I'd love Marchand here, but I think Kessel is clearly ahead of him. That could change based on next year.

last year kessel was available for trade... it was agreed Toronto would have to eat contract to trade him and couldn't expect much in return

then he was traded and Toronto had to eat contract and didn't get much for him

whether kessel has a good playoff or not... he sucked half the season... I know cause I took him in around 17 pools I was in. he didn't fit with Crosby or malkin... they got their coach fired.

yes he eventually showed up... playing on a third line against inferior checking, he showed up for a 25 game stretch and lit it up...

historically, kessel shows up for at least 25 games every season... sometimes as much as 40-45 games. he always has a 25 game stretch where he will score around 40-45 points every season... its nothing new

its not the 25 game good stretches anyone worries about. we have seen those many times. hes a very gifted offensive player

its really the 40 stretch games where he scores around 25 points while getting all the pp time and letting his team finish out of the playoffs that most of us are concerned about. during this time he will often tell the media he isn't going to listen to the coaches... he will often say hes going fishing. his coach will say we cant let kessel play center because he doesn't want to play defense.

when kessel is engaged and scoring... hes a hell of a scorer... but when hes not engaged he is rather useless on the ice... and that's around 50% of his career

its ok on some teams... its not ok in boston. it wasn't ok when thornton did it. wasn't ok when wheeler did it... wasn't ok when seguin did it... its not ok when kessel does it...

boston isn't ok with this type of player

 

[BruinLVGA]

Yes Johnny Malkin is worse than Bergeron

Play Bergeron & Marchand against Malkin & Kessel and I bet 8 times out of 10 Bergeron & Marchand come out on top. Consider also that Malkin seems to have the same "reliability" as a 1970s Fiat car (= when was the last time he played close to a full season?) and there is no whatsoever reason why the Bruins would even remotely consider this.

 

[Nucklehead Supreme]

last year kessel was available for trade... it was agreed Toronto would have to eat contract to trade him and couldn't expect much in return

then he was traded and Toronto had to eat contract and didn't get much for him

whether kessel has a good playoff or not... he sucked half the season... I know cause I took him in around 17 pools I was in. he didn't fit with Crosby or malkin... they got their coach fired.

yes he eventually showed up... playing on a third line against inferior checking, he showed up for a 25 game stretch and lit it up...

historically, kessel shows up for at least 25 games every season... sometimes as much as 40-45 games. he always has a 25 game stretch where he will score around 40-45 points every season... its nothing new

its not the 25 game good stretches anyone worries about. we have seen those many times. hes a very gifted offensive player

its really the 40 stretch games where he scores around 25 points while getting all the pp time and letting his team finish out of the playoffs that most of us are concerned about. during this time he will often tell the media he isn't going to listen to the coaches... he will often say hes going fishing. his coach will say we cant let kessel play center because he doesn't want to play defense.

when kessel is engaged and scoring... hes a hell of a scorer... but when hes not engaged he is rather useless on the ice... and that's around 50% of his career

its ok on some teams... its not ok in boston. it wasn't ok when thornton did it. wasn't ok when wheeler did it... wasn't ok when seguin did it... its not ok when kessel does it...

boston isn't ok with this type of player

Do you have a link for any of this? Not saying your wrong, but I have never heard him say any of this, maybe I wasn't paying attention enough.

 

[jacks*]

Just brutal for the Pens.
Pens duel >> Bruins duel.
While in reality the Bruins would jump at that offer the Pens would easily decline.

 

[Mubiki]

Lol. It's a hypothetical that requires a huge hypothetical. It's pretty much impossible to be objective when you have to pretend the Penguins players are something they're not in order to even start the conversations.

 

[Nucklehead Supreme]

Just brutal for the Pens.
Pens duel >> Bruins duel.
While in reality the Bruins would jump at that offer the Pens would easily decline.

I despise the Bruins and I would take Marchand over Kessel and Bergeron and Malkin are closer than you think, due to Malkins health.

 

[WonderTwinsUnite]

What a terrible terrible terrible proposal

 

[Empoleon8771]

Brad Marchand wins more puck battles in a week than Kessel does in a season.

And that has to do with player styles, that's like saying Tanner Glass is better than Crosby because he throws more hits.

And ask any NHL coach of the PK is overrated, they work on it three-times as much as the PP.

You can teach any player how to block shots and kill penalties. You can't teach Kessel's offensive instincts. I'm not saying that Marchand has poor hockey instincts, just that you can't teach offensive talent like you can teach defensive talent.

If 'anyone' could learn to play defense, the Leafs wouldn't have had to eat 7 years of salary to dump Kessel.

What a hilariously stupid argument

Maybe if Kessel wouldn't have made his NTC so that literally only 1 team could trade for him, the Leafs wouldn't have had to eat any of his salary. But since he made it as difficult as it could be for the Leafs to trade him, they had to eat salary. To act like it had anything to do with Kessel's defensive game is just stupid.

last year kessel was available for trade... it was agreed Toronto would have to eat contract to trade him and couldn't expect much in return

then he was traded and Toronto had to eat contract and didn't get much for him

whether kessel has a good playoff or not... he sucked half the season... I know cause I took him in around 17 pools I was in. he didn't fit with Crosby or malkin... they got their coach fired.

yes he eventually showed up... playing on a third line against inferior checking, he showed up for a 25 game stretch and lit it up...

historically, kessel shows up for at least 25 games every season... sometimes as much as 40-45 games. he always has a 25 game stretch where he will score around 40-45 points every season... its nothing new

its not the 25 game good stretches anyone worries about. we have seen those many times. hes a very gifted offensive player

its really the 40 stretch games where he scores around 25 points while getting all the pp time and letting his team finish out of the playoffs that most of us are concerned about. during this time he will often tell the media he isn't going to listen to the coaches... he will often say hes going fishing. his coach will say we cant let kessel play center because he doesn't want to play defense.

when kessel is engaged and scoring... hes a hell of a scorer... but when hes not engaged he is rather useless on the ice... and that's around 50% of his career

its ok on some teams... its not ok in boston. it wasn't ok when thornton did it. wasn't ok when wheeler did it... wasn't ok when seguin did it... its not ok when kessel does it...

boston isn't ok with this type of player

This post sums up basically everything that is wrong with Bruins hockey. They value toughness over talent, which is why you see players like Kessel, Thornton and Seguin traded over the years. No wonder they haven't made the playoffs since 2014, they're too busy valuing truculence over talent.

That also doesn't show how Marchand is better than Kessel. Just because the Bruins are stupid with their player decisions doesn't make Marchand better htan Kessel.

 

[Penske]

I despise the Bruins and I would take Marchand over Kessel and Bergeron and Malkin are closer than you think, due to Malkins health.

If you swap the players around do we still win the cup. Maybe/maybe not. We definetly did with Kessel and Malkin though. That's all that matters really.

 

[Nucklehead Supreme]

And that has to do with player styles, that's like saying Tanner Glass is better than Crosby because he throws more hits.



You can teach any player how to block shots and kill penalties. You can't teach Kessel's offensive instincts. I'm not saying that Marchand has poor hockey instincts, just that you can't teach offensive talent like you can teach defensive talent.



What a hilariously stupid argument

Maybe if Kessel wouldn't have made his NTC so that literally only 1 team could trade for him, the Leafs wouldn't have had to eat any of his salary. But since he made it as difficult as it could be for the Leafs to trade him, they had to eat salary. To act like it had anything to do with Kessel's defensive game is just stupid.



This post sums up basically everything that is wrong with Bruins hockey. They value toughness over talent, which is why you see players like Kessel, Thornton and Seguin traded over the years. No wonder they haven't made the playoffs since 2014, they're too busy valuing truculence over talent.

That also doesn't show how Marchand is better than Kessel. Just because the Bruins are stupid with their player decisions doesn't make Marchand better htan Kessel.

Uhhhh weren't they a top 5 scoring team last year?

 

[Nucklehead Supreme]

If you swap the players around do we still win the cup. Maybe/maybe not. We definetly did with Kessel and Malkin though. That's all that matters really.

Still would rather have a two way player who can put up 30 goals than a defensive black hole who gives up half way through a season because his team sucks.

 

[Shrimper]

Pittsburgh says no.

Next.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Uhhhh weren't they a top 5 scoring team last year?

And they've missed the playoffs 2 years in a row and look like they'll miss it for a 3rd year in a row. They traded Dougie Hamilton for the same reasons they traded Thornton and Seguin, hence why they're not a playoff team anymore.

 

[DearDiary]

I despise the Bruins and I would take Marchand over Kessel and Bergeron and Malkin are closer than you think, due to Malkins health.

You would take 1 year of Marchand and likely lose him or pay ~6.5 million, rather than have Kessel for 6 years at 6.8 million?

Marchand is a 40-50 point who just had a career year. Marchands best season of his career is equal to the worst of Kessels career. Bring playoffs and international tournaments into it and it's not even remotely close who the bigger game player is

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

And they've missed the playoffs 2 years in a row and look like they'll miss it for a 3rd year in a row. They traded Dougie Hamilton for the same reasons they traded Thornton and Seguin, hence why they're not a playoff team anymore.

Yeah trading Thornton really set them back decades.

I wouldn't make the trade in the OP, but I think it's interesting. 2v2 the Bs duo would win IMO because of how fantastic both of them are defensively.

I think Marchy/Kessel at similar contracts is a toss up, but I wouldn't trade Bergy for Malkin. Can see why Pens fans wouldn't do it either, though. Why rock the boat when clearly they're doing something right.

 

[mpp9]

HF has a weird view of Malkin. One day he's every bit as talented as Sid, the next, he's not worth as much as a 60-70 pt two way center.

Malkin was carrying our scoring while Sid was garbage last season. He also finished just a couple points behind him injured and playing with Kunitz and Rust in the playoffs. Also wasn't far off Sid's ppg in the regular season.

Malkin definitely falls in between Sid and Bergeron. 60-70 games of him as your 1C does more for your playoff hopes than a full season of Bergeron.

 

[Penske]

Play Bergeron & Marchand against Malkin & Kessel and I bet 8 times out of 10 Bergeron & Marchand come out on top. Consider also that Malkin seems to have the same "reliability" as a 1970s Fiat car (= when was the last time he played close to a full season?) and there is no whatsoever reason why the Bruins would even remotely consider this.

Kessel and Malkin play on separate lines so that match up never happens. If a Bergeron line is up against Malkins line and a Marchand line is against a Kessel line, Crosby's line is going to go pretty well.

Kessel and Malkin can carry lines with less than Bergeron and Marchand could. That's why it doesn't work for Pittsburgh.

They are all great players and personally I think our duo is better but more importantly it works better and a big reason why we won the cup.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah trading Thornton really set them back decades.

I wouldn't make the trade in the OP, but I think it's interesting. 2v2 the Bs duo would win IMO because of how fantastic both of them are defensively.

I think Marchy/Kessel at similar contracts is a toss up, but I wouldn't trade Bergy for Malkin. Can see why Pens fans wouldn't do it either, though. Why rock the boat when clearly they're doing something right.

So do you not think the Thornton, Seguin and Hamilton trades hurt the Bruins?

 

[aufheben]

What does their Cup have to do with it lol

I think both teams say no but if I had to choose I think Pittsburgh wins, think it does more for them than Boston.

 

[The Greatest 101]

Bruins definitely would not trade for Kessel. Maybe Malkin + Letang would work though.

I approve this.Then I can become a Bruins fan.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Lol no chance. Pittsburgh is the defending champion, their current formula works just fine.

 

[Tim Vezina Thomas]

So do you not think the Thornton, Seguin and Hamilton trades hurt the Bruins?

How is this relevant to this thread? I'll answer this one time.

Thornton led to Chara and Savard, I'd do that trade again in a heartbeat, not to mention handing the reigns to Bergy. Seguin id take back in a heartbeat. Jury is still out on Hamilton trade, I like what we ended up with in return but obviously hurt us in the short term.

The above poster nailed it, why would Pitt mess with their current core that just won the cup?

 

[High five Tom]

Not a chance. Bruins pass. Malkin would be hurt half the time and Marchand is better then Kessel. Pass

 

[High five Tom]

Just brutal for the Pens.
Pens duel >> Bruins duel.
While in reality the Bruins would jump at that offer the Pens would easily decline.

So the pens will duel and then the Bruins will duel and the two winners meeting for the duelling championship of the world?

 

[Penske]

So the pens will duel and then the Bruins will duel and the two winners meeting for the duelling championship of the world?

and in the event of a tie, we'll have sack races on consecutive Sunday's until we find a winner.