Speculation: Pierre-Luc Dubois Mega thread. (LAK frontrunner, but Montreal has circled back)

[SherVaughn30]

Still think moving Vilardi is a huge mistake.

Seriously, why would you trade your best net front presence player on the team! Vilardi has some of the best hands around the net in tight spots!

 

[Guffman]

You don't usually get a lot of progression beyond age 24. Last season could be his peak in ppg.
The good thing about Vilardi is his defensive play. The bad thing is that he may not be a C.

Not sure I agree with you on progression, especially when a player makes a big jump in his last year.

Heck, look at Blake Wheeler.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

lol at the bitter Habs fans; maybe Gorton & Hughes should start being a little more proactive instead of expecting every francophone player to just sign with them

They were with Dach. No one wanted to over pay for PLD, and then give him a huge contract on top of that.

Team finished bottom 5 last 2 years because there isn't a lot of NHL depth on it. We're not in a position to give up what meagre assets we have.

We're at the beginning of a rebuild not the end.

 

[TS Quint]

Think we need to be careful with Pagnotta. After the Chychrun fiasco where the Kings needed to call their best prospect and reassure him he wasn’t going anywhere, you’d think the Kings would’ve had a conversation with everyone in their inner circle, to keep their mouth shut. While it was Kypreos who threw his name out there like he did, it’s this Fourth Period and Pagnotta who started the whole fiasco.

Sometimes it’s not the greatest thing to have a fan of a team being an “insider.” They love using the phrase “if it gets passed the finish line” and half the time it’s followed by “hit a snag.” Between the Kings and the Flyers, it’s hard to say who leaks more.

Poor Tory Krug is being vilified this morning for having a well earned NTC, and we know it wasn’t Armstrong leaking it. Now Gabe Vilardi is probably on the phone with his agent.

To be fair to both Briere and Blake, both teams have had this issue for awhile. Especially the Flyers. Look at JVR at the deadline. For all we know it’s some salary cap expert/nerd working for the teams, but it is the manager who has to put a stop to it. If this thing now doesn’t get across that “finish line” who knows how Gabe Vilardi takes having his name thrown out there like this. It’s not written as “speculation” but as the teams are “finalizing” things. Big difference. So if this doesn’t come to be, that will now have been twice in months it’s happened.

Players want to “feel wanted” more than anything. Especially after having a season like Vilardi had. Hopefully this does get done because if not, this is how players start being very unhappy with a team. All because some idiot can’t keep his mouth shut.

Yeah, we need more real insiders like Friedman who was 95% sure Dubois was going to the Habs so he can get in on the clicks from a fan base obsessed with Dubois.

 

[SCP Guy]

So much talk about cities I thought this was a hockey forum lol

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Yeah but i wouldn't call any area of Winnipeg a bad area compared to what you can find yourself in - in Montreal / Toronto or any major US city.

I like going to Jets games as its convenient. In and out quickly. Reasonably priced. Nice small arena - good visuals wherever you are. Panthers stadium and Dallas also are similar.

Bell Center is kind of scary given how steep the stairs are. If you are in the nose bleeds and trip down the stairs, you could roll all the way to rink level. Ottawa arena is just awful on every level. They need a new arena and in the city.

Like I said, it's not about the fan experience, but the NHL player one. It simply doesn't present well.

 

[SherVaughn30]

The only player the Kings should be looking to trade for, is Connor Hellebuyck! PLD does not make the Kings a better playoff team!

 

[SaltyElkHunter]

I would trade Arty before
Gabe

 

[Guffman]

Sheesh, what’s the hold up the trade announcement?

I wonder if Montreal is making a final pitch and finally including Dach…

 

[Taluss]

You haven't seen Ottawa's arena area...

That’s not downtown?

 

[Rob Sense]

Out of curiosity, who is the better player…

Vilardi or Dach?

Habs are not trading Dach

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Because the Kings are (apparently) about to acquire a #1 center for Vilardi and Iafallo and you don't seem to think this is a massive win for them.

As per the Johansen trade. Cap space is also very important. Not claiming PLD is the next Johansen but he will get paid a significant salary and you have to give up assets also.
For the Kings, it might help them beyond Kopitar but there is a risk that PLD dissapoint and now you are stuck with him. A bit like Calgary with Huberdeau.

 

[gojetsgo]

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

I wondered if the following scenario was even allowed: via his agent’s discussions with Wpg/LA brass, Dubois agrees to sign his qualifying offer, helping LA with this year’s cap. A trade with various pieces goes down. Dubois then immediately signs an 8x8 or whatever extension on july1.

He wouldn't be able to sign an extension until Jan 1st 2024 (assuming he signs his QO)

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Like I said, it's not about the fan experience, but the NHL player one. It simply doesn't present well.

Works the other way around as well though.

Galchenyuk and his cohorts partying the night before games. The distractions in more cosmopolitan cities will have impact on the less professional players.

The NHL player experience is specific to the player and can't be generalized. Some might prefer a small city like Winnipeg for family reasons. Others may prefer the glitz/glamor of NY. Some might have no ambition at all and want to live in Toronto. Its a personal choice.

 

[Rob Sense]

Don't Habs fans have anything better to do than shit on Winnipeg? The insecurity here...

again...the over-the-top generalization!!!

 

[Boner Champ]

Yeah, it's in boonsville, but Winnipeg's arena is actually in a bad section of town. It doesn't present well to NHL players, who come in & fly out. No one cares if it's easy for fans to get too.

This is totally overstated. True North has done a good job of redeveloping immediately around the arena. Further, they're investing hugely south of Portage Place which could completely makeover that part of downtown.

Now are there parts of Wpg downtown that have seen better days and are downright scary? Yup. And I fear that the city's plans will just concentrate our homeless further North around Main.

But if you're going to compare Ottawa (whose current situation is terrible and will need more than just an arena and some highrises to make Lebretton dynamic) than compare apples to apples.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

That’s not downtown?

God no. Its way out in the suburbs. In the middle of nowhere. And really poorly setup. There are only a few entry / exit points to the arena resulting in traffic both ways. Its abysmal.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

As a Jets fan I don't love the direction this team has taken - it would be a perfect time to cash in on our disgruntled vets and rebuild properly.

But

As far as returns go I don't hate it depending on other pieces. Seattle's proving you can win rolling 4 second lines - guess that's the blueprint.

I have no problem getting Vilardi back but the trade still depends on the other pieces. Vilardi is a long way short of value for PLD. He is not a big offensive producer, he is not a C and he has ongoing injury issues. Iafalo is mostly a cap dump. He is too old to figure in a rebuild and the 2 combined still don't make Jets as good as they were with Dubois, which was not good enough.

 

[MardyBum]

Edit : n/m @gojetsgo as always with the instant info

 

[Taluss]

So much talk about cities I thought this was a hockey forum lol

I blame Krug for this. The City talk started in that thread after he wouldn’t waive

 

[CorgisPer60]

Someone better show Dubois where all the Home Depots are so he can plan where to build his house.

 

[Hunter368]

Great news

 

[Junohockeyfan]

This is totally overstated. True North has done a good job of redeveloping immediately around the arena. Further, they're investing hugely south of Portage Place which could completely makeover that part of downtown.

Now are there parts of Wpg downtown that have seen better days and are downright scary? Yup. And I fear that the city's plans will just concentrate our homeless further North around Main.

But if you're going to compare Ottawa (whose current situation is terrible and will need more than just an arena and some highrises to make Lebretton dynamic) than compare apples to apples.

I agree - Ottawa is in a far worse situation. They made a brutal choice in their arena location. Winnipeg's only potential issue is the capacity of the arena. What is it? 16K? That's a significant loss of revenue.

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

To those wondering: Yes, Murat is a reliable source that's plugged in to the team. If he's saying it, it's happening.