The Erik "Gudzilla" Gudbranson Thread

[Multigrain]

Can someone just put on here who the current defensive pairings are as of 2/27

 

[Riptide]

Hockey's Future - Erik Gudbranson

"Talent Analysis

Gudbranson is a skilled, punishing defender who worked diligently on his offensive skills during his 2010-11 season in Kingston. He is a natural, vocal leader both on and off the ice. He has a booming shot, and has built up his offensive effectiveness through intelligent decision-making with the puck, improved up-ice passing and a better sense of when to pinch up into the offensive zone. His play in his own end is top-level, and his physical presence means that opposing forwards must always be on their toes. He is a complete defensive package, with improving offensive abilities.

Read more at Hockey's Future - Erik Gudbranson"

Let's hope he gets back to some semblance of this scouting report. Also, after these last two JMFJ games, I think some of us are a bit more hopeful of Gudbranson not being a failure here.

You read this... then right behind you there's @Jesse posting to bring you back to reality.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Can someone just put on here who the current defensive pairings are as of 2/27

JJ-Schultz
MP-Guds
Riiko-Trotman

At this point in time, i believe Ruh and Trotman are better NHL D-Men than Guds.
So anything in the positive for him would be really nice.
Guess i'll just hope with the change of scenery and new coaches, something clicks.

 

[Empoleon8771]

.... that might be the single most depressing post I've read here this year.

And this is why, after everything's cooled off, I still think Rutherford and everyone around him should be sacked. I'm willing and ready to root for Gudbranson, to hope he's capable of going back to his Florida form and everything, but we shouldn't be taking these gambles. One is... I dunno, whatever, everyone has aberrations. Two should lose him his job.

I think the problem is a combination of the organization's arrogance to think that they can fix any defenseman and the organization wants toughness in their lineup, either to prevent their stars from being cheapshotted or preventing their stars from fighting after cheapshots. I don't think acquiring Gudbranson is much different than acquiring Schultz, Daley, Oleksiak or even Cole outside of the fighting thing.

 

[Multigrain]

JJ-Schultz
MP-Guds
Riiko-Trotman

At this point in time, i believe Ruh and Trotman are better NHL D-Men than Guds.
So anything in the positive for him would be really nice.
Guess i'll just hope with the change of scenery and new coaches, something clicks.

So who is the 7th D? anyone?

 

[WayneSid9987]

So who is the 7th D? anyone?

Uh right now with everyone hurt?

Wideman probably.
With Prow, Czucman, Summers in the mix.

 

[SouthGeorge]

he better be, he costs 5 times as much for a few more years now.

Ehh this isn't the NFL. I don't care about the cap. Players get moved all the time. If it doesn't work, package him with Kessel in the offseason and problem solved. This move had to be made to give them a chance now.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

There is no way that Maatta has that little of value. I think they'd sooner keep him than trade him for a 3rd.

I said 2nd or 3rd, there's very little value difference between the 45th and the 65th pick, and I can't imagine someone is giving us the 15th or 20th pick for a guy with his injury history, coming off a fresh shoulder injury.

I hope I'm wrong, I'd love to get a 1st for him in this year's draft. Otherwise, it's slightly different flavors of lottery ticket. And that's fine, we need more of those.

And whether they'd prefer to keep him or not, it's very hard to build a roster without trading out about 4m on D. It cuts it close enough with Maatta going out.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Found his comments here interesting(just the stark difference he stated between here and VAN):



Well big dude, let's see what ya got...

 

[Multigrain]

So this guy is a 3M or so a year player? Haven't seen his body of work lol but he is big is he along the lines of a Ben Harpur from Ottawa? Any scoring potential in him? How is he on the PK?

 

[AjaxTelamon]

Marshall: No matter how you measure it, Erik Gudbranson's...

The video examples are problematic. Many of these low hockey IQ issues and poor skating/agility issues turn completely benign situations into goals. It's not bad bounces or excessive pressure or something.

I can't imagine what would convince our management to get this guy.

The Hagelin deal to get Pearson hamstringing us into needing to get rid of Pearson in this deal must have played a part in this, as McQuaid looks like a much more sensible bandaid. And as often happens when you make poor decisions, it compounded when McQuaid hurt Rust.

 

[Peat]

I said 2nd or 3rd, there's very little value difference between the 45th and the 65th pick, and I can't imagine someone is giving us the 15th or 20th pick for a guy with his injury history, coming off a fresh shoulder injury.

I hope I'm wrong, I'd love to get a 1st for him in this year's draft. Otherwise, it's slightly different flavors of lottery ticket. And that's fine, we need more of those.

And whether they'd prefer to keep him or not, it's very hard to build a roster without trading out about 4m on D. It cuts it close enough with Maatta going out.

Beau Bennett got a third. A third is what you give for busting high end prospects.

The last middle pairing NHL dman to move for solely futures that I'm aware of is Hamonic, and he got a first and two seconds. Maybe you don't get as much because he's right handed and less injury prone, but the return should be closer to that end of the spectrum.

The video examples are problematic. Many of these low hockey IQ issues and poor skating/agility issues turn completely benign situations into goals. It's not bad bounces or excessive pressure or something.

I can't imagine what would convince our management to get this guy.

The Hagelin deal to get Pearson hamstringing us into needing to get rid of Pearson in this deal must have played a part in this, as McQuaid looks like a much more sensible bandaid. And as often happens when you make poor decisions, it compounded when McQuaid hurt Rust.

We didn't need to get rid of Pearson immediately to have the cap for this deal, nor was he likely to be difficult to move in the summer. Even allowing for a pinch of salt with their comments, Gudbranson was the guy they wanted regardless of Pearson's contract.

 

[Turin]

The video examples are problematic. Many of these low hockey IQ issues and poor skating/agility issues turn completely benign situations into goals. It's not bad bounces or excessive pressure or something.

I can't imagine what would convince our management to get this guy.

The Hagelin deal to get Pearson hamstringing us into needing to get rid of Pearson in this deal must have played a part in this, as McQuaid looks like a much more sensible bandaid. And as often happens when you make poor decisions, it compounded when McQuaid hurt Rust.

I’ll post it here again. Game 2 vs Washington 2016, Sullivan said the speed identity comes from the defense making quick decisions. I can’t imagine he’s asking for these guys..

 

[Gurglesons]

So this guy is a 3M or so a year player? Haven't seen his body of work lol but he is big is he along the lines of a Ben Harpur from Ottawa? Any scoring potential in him? How is he on the PK?

He’s basically Oleksiak with a little less offensive flair.

Honestly Gud isn’t as bad as Canucks fans have been saying, but that contract is one of the worst in the league for what he provides. Same thing as JJ. These guys are solid gambles on one or two year low value contracts. They’re albatrosses on the deals they have.

 

[EliteGoaltending]

I’ll post it here again. Game 2 vs Washington 2016, Sullivan said the speed identity comes from the defense making quick decisions. I can’t imagine he’s asking for these guys..

But he plays JJ like #3 or #4 every night. I would like someone to ask him what he thinks about JJ's desicion making and his ability to move the puck up ice or hold the offensive blue line.

I think sometimes Sullivan has problems with evaluating his own players and what they do bring on the ice every game, hence some bad/odd desicions or lack of desicions.

 

[Gurglesons]

But he plays JJ like #3 or #4 every night. I would like someone to ask him what he thinks about JJ's desicion making and his ability to move the puck up ice or hold the offensive blue line.

I think sometimes Sullivan has problems with evaluating his own players and what they do bring on the ice every game, hence some bad/odd desicions or lack of desicions.

Would you be playing over JJ when Maatta and Schultz have regularly been out?

 

[Jacob]

Is he at least decent on the PK? Hard to suck at that.

 

[EliteGoaltending]

Would you be playing over JJ when Maatta and Schultz have regularly been out?

He plays him more even with these guys in. I wouldn't even play Maatta more,cos he has his issues, but guys like Pets and even Ruh more at ES, who can move the puck and can have their heads above the water defensively. Because while JJ is average to below average defensively, he's killing an offensive potential of a team when he's on the ice.

 

[Elias GOATtersson]

The only way y'all can be happy with having Gudbranson on your team, is "hope". Hope that everything the stats and videos show and fans of the team he was just on say, is just an enigma. Don't let that hope blind you, or you might end up defending Gudbranson on here for the next 2 and a half years, saying "the real problem is our lack of grit!"...

 

[EightyOne]

I only hope this team doesn't become like VAN.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'm really not too sure because they are tough to read and a little coy on the subject but I believe what Vancouver fans are struggling to say here is that they didn't much care for this Gudbranson fellow.

 

[member 290103]

He’s basically Oleksiak with a little less offensive flair.

Honestly Gud isn’t as bad as Canucks fans have been saying, but that contract is one of the worst in the league for what he provides. Same thing as JJ. These guys are solid gambles on one or two year low value contracts. They’re albatrosses on the deals they have.

He really is as bad as we say. You’ll find many people saying he is the worst dman in the NHL. He’s horrible.

 

[53or8]

If he plays like he played during the start of the season your gonna have one of the best defenders in the league if not...well murray is gonna have a really heavy tan.

Knowing the canucks luck youll get the first

 

[Empoleon8771]

I do want to see how Gudbranson does here before I say how bad he is. He was fine overall for Florida, he wasn't anything great but he was a perfectly serviceable physical bottom pair defenseman. I want to see what he can do on a playoff team that properly utilizes him. I don't think his performance in Vancouver is indicative of the caliber of player he is, I just don't know how much better he actually is.

 

[Shady Machine]

He’s basically Oleksiak with a little less offensive flair.

Honestly Gud isn’t as bad as Canucks fans have been saying, but that contract is one of the worst in the league for what he provides. Same thing as JJ. These guys are solid gambles on one or two year low value contracts. They’re albatrosses on the deals they have.

Yup and no need for 2 of them. Personally I liked Big Rig and would have been totally pleased with him if JJ wasn't around. Then they dumped Big Rig and got a similar player back (with a worse shot) and a much worse contract. What the hell?