Roster Building (& Training Camp) XXIII: Re-signings, Re-considerations, Recriminations

Joe McGrath

Registered User
Oct 29, 2009
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He's not bad, his role is simply obsolete. Many teams have already figured out that, while having someone who drops the gloves is useful, having someone who can actually contribute offensively/defensively is better. If you can someone who can do that AND drop the gloves (or agitate to similar effect), that's who you make an effort to keep.

The game has simply passed Lemieux by. Not through any fault of his own, mind you, but the end result is the same.
I think it has more to do with the speed increasing in the league annually than his role. If he were faster he’d be a regular 4th liner anywhere. He’s not though, so to your point he is expendable unfortunately.
 
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bleedgreen

Registered User
Dec 8, 2003
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colorado
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Lemieux has been enough of a dirtbag in his career for me to not be upset about him being jettisoned if he was. He’s been a good solider here which I appreciate but we’ve got better choices. He’s good to have against someone who’s pushing us around of course, but that’s a team mentality issue more than anything else imo. We have guys who could shove back if they were so inclined, they just tend to not be. Carrier will likely be a bigger presence day to day that way as he’s got an every day job.
 

chaz4hockey

Old man but still a PP2 Candidate
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Jan 21, 2021
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Lemieux has been enough of a dirtbag in his career for me to not be upset about him being jettisoned if he was. He’s been a good solider here which I appreciate but we’ve got better choices. He’s good to have against someone who’s pushing us around of course, but that’s a team mentality issue more than anything else imo. We have guys who could shove back if they were so inclined, they just tend to not be. Carrier will likely be a bigger presence day to day that way as he’s got an every day job.
Carrier replaces Noesen.

But, Peppy may be needed as a 4th line guy in certain playoff series where Blake would be size vulnerable and/or guys like Necas, Aho are targeted & we don't have big D to utilize either (outside of Burns, and he is not a fighter at this stage of his career).

Metro is "normal" sized but Atlantic has some real big teams (I presume we will make playoffs and first opponent is a Metro team)
 

Boom Boom Apathy

I am the Professor. Deal with it!
Sep 6, 2006
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I don't know if the "game passed Lemieux by" as much as he's never been good enough to hold down a full time spot in the first place.

He's only played 50 games in a season twice in his career and never more than 59. He's pretty much always been a bottom line/13th forward type player. On a good team like Carolina, it's going to be even harder to grab a spot.

There's nothing wrong with and he has gone on record that he accepts that role, which is fine.
 

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