The Erik "Gudzilla" Gudbranson Thread

[timbermen]

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



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

It will be interesting to see what he can do in the playoffs, especially when it gets chippy.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think this trade was extremely ill advised. I don't like the player... I don't like what it signals... I despise the contract. I don't have much hope overall for the situation. If I could I would snap my fingers and make it go away.

But I mean... under the right set of circumstances pretty much anything is possible. Especially if the right people get hot. If what is left of this team can start rolling downhill like I know many of them are still capable of then honestly a Gudbranson or even a Gudbranson + Jack Johnson won't much matter. You can call that insane homer talk but you'd be wrong for a variety of reasons. I've just doubted before... in the RECENT past... only to have Crosby and Malkin go absolutely nuclear and make us all look dumb. They really are that big a factor on this team. I mean shit... the one guy alone I've watched take over whole games and more or less win them single-handedly... for weeks at a time.

So... ya know... don't tell me the odds and all that.

 

[WayneSid9987]

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

All i've heard is that he's really good at icing the puck so he's...ok on the pk in that regard.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

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?

To be fair, I'm not sure Oleksiak has a game like last night in him. He's better offensively, but is a true bottom pair guy that is mediocre defensively and does little with his size. JJ has looked good on occasion with 2nd pairing defensive assignments, the last few games with JS and his good stint on with Pets earlier in the year for example, and does actually clear the crease and lay a hit now and again.

I completely agree on not needing two of these types of players though. I am not sure how losing Letang for a couple of games translates into trading for Gudbranson.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

It will be interesting to see what he can do in the playoffs, especially when it gets chippy.

Its good to hear that he can own up to his play in VAN. Now if he stays that bad, hopefully he can own up to that too

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I completely agree on not needing two of these types of players though. I am not sure how losing Letang for a couple of games translates into trading for Gudbranson.

Yeah this is the part that kinda confuses me.

If Letang comes back in a few games it's like... WTF?

I still really feel like they targeted and wanted this guy. It wasn't a "panic" trade. They really do think this makes them better.

 

[66-30-33]

I really hope they give him a bunch of practices before they trust him enough to play, even he knows he sucks so maybe try getting him to some of the habits over here first.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

Yeah this is the part that kinda confuses me.

If Letang comes back in a few games it's like... WTF?

I still really feel like they targeted and wanted this guy. It wasn't a "panic" trade. They really do think this makes them better.

JJ and Gub are our new bash brothers and we will see them matched up against Wilson when we play the caps next. Take THAT Texas Ted

Wilson will skate past them and feed Ovi for the goal

 

[WayneSid9987]

I really hope they give him a bunch of practices before they trust him enough to play, even he knows he sucks so maybe try getting him to some of the habits over here first.

Dat ain't happenin'.

Theres a smalllll chance that if everyone got healthy minus Olli that Riikko/Ruh or Trotman take the 3 RD spot if Sully detests what he sees from Guds but thats a long shot.

I take it Olli and Ruh will be out a long time here so:

Dumo-Tanger
JJ-Schultz
MP-Guds/Riiko/Trotman

is what we're lookin' at in a week or a bit more IF Dumo/Tanger indeed come back quick like.

 

[timbermen]

Its good to hear that he can own up to his play in VAN. Now if he stays that bad, hopefully he can own up to that too

He was struggling in Vancouver. He can play tough when that's needed though. He was criticized for not standing up for team mates but he had on numerous occasions. In his second to last game, he fought Getzlaf after the Virtanen blindside hit.

 

[madinsomniac]

This move has grown on me... i still hate the cap hit... and I hate getting slower, but coming up, he did have skills that didn’t totally translate yet including a hell of a shot he never really developed up here...

Meh they were going to have to healthy scratch Pearson eventually if he didn’t get it together so nothing really lost for this season at least, and again on the bottom pair you can hide some pretty brutal flaws if you must

 

[66-30-33]

I'm still livid about this bum, but whatever...my feelings wont stop him being on this team.

 

[WayneSid9987]

This move has grown on me... i still hate the cap hit... and I hate getting slower, but coming up, he did have skills that didn’t totally translate yet including a hell of a shot he never really developed up here...

Meh they were going to have to healthy scratch Pearson eventually if he didn’t get it together so nothing really lost for this season at least, and again on the bottom pair you can hide some pretty brutal flaws if you must

If JJ can somehow get it together on his natural side like he has the last 2 games, it'd go a lonnggggg way in mitigating a doomsday scenario where both JJ/Guds are bleeding shots and goals on a nightly basis.

Thing is tho, if the staff was smart with it, they wouldn't try and force things too heavily and simply dress who's playing well.
If Trotman outplays Guds, play him.
If JJ starts really sucking again, play MP and Riiko instead...

 

[Shady Machine]

The scary thing that makes me think this may be the case? I was overlooking JR saying "he wasn't available until now". That makes me think "JR must have been inquiring about him when he wasn't available".

Lol I told you that 10 times yesterday. You are a funny guy.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I think this trade was extremely ill advised. I don't like the player... I don't like what it signals... I despise the contract. I don't have much hope overall for the situation. If I could I would snap my fingers and make it go away.

But I mean... under the right set of circumstances pretty much anything is possible. Especially if the right people get hot. If what is left of this team can start rolling downhill like I know many of them are still capable of then honestly a Gudbranson or even a Gudbranson + Jack Johnson won't much matter. You can call that insane homer talk but you'd be wrong for a variety of reasons. I've just doubted before... in the RECENT past... only to have Crosby and Malkin go absolutely nuclear and make us all look dumb. They really are that big a factor on this team. I mean ****... the one guy alone I've watched take over whole games and more or less win them single-handedly... for weeks at a time.

So... ya know... don't tell me the odds and all that.

I said before I expect them to kind of come together with all this adversity and make a really nice push.

If Murray gets hot, that will make them really tough to beat. They are definitely not favorites this year though, obviously.

 

[Empoleon8771]

This move has grown on me... i still hate the cap hit... and I hate getting slower, but coming up, he did have skills that didn’t totally translate yet including a hell of a shot he never really developed up here...

Meh they were going to have to healthy scratch Pearson eventually if he didn’t get it together so nothing really lost for this season at least, and again on the bottom pair you can hide some pretty brutal flaws if you must

How much I hate the move depends on what they do in the off-season. Are they trading Maatta for a crappy return and sticking with JJ on the 2nd pair and Gudbranson on the 3rd pair? Okay, I'm mad about it. Are they trading Gudbranson after the year to recover draft picks? I'm fine with it then. Are they getting a good return for Maatta and keeping Gudbranson after he had a nice run for the Penguins? I'd be fine with that too.

 

[Fogel]

There are only so many sheltered zone start, teammate and opponent combinations and you have to spread them to both EG and JJ especially with the Dumo/Letang injuries. At their #3/#4 salaries, you'd want more than just hope that they could be better than everyone, but Schultz. Instead, we are hoping that others can carry them to not being a black hole.

Hope for the best, but after the Pens had to trade for a babysitter for JJ, I can't imagine experiment #2 of this sort is going to end much differently.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I said before I expect them to kind of come together with all this adversity and make a really nice push.

If Murray gets hot, that will make them really tough to beat. They are definitely not favorites this year though, obviously.

Excellent point re: Murz.

If THAT guy suddenly starts standing on his head (and I still maintain he hasn't been near as bad as some characterize... just... a weird year) on top of Malkin/Phil continuing to ratchet their game up. Well...

 

[Gurglesons]

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.

So was Schultz and Daley.

On that note we said the same stuff about Orpik.

Sometimes fit works.

You’re talking to someone that absolutely f***ing hates this deal and JJ too.

 

[DegenX]

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

Check the All-Purpose thread.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

Yeah this is the part that kinda confuses me.

If Letang comes back in a few games it's like... WTF?

I still really feel like they targeted and wanted this guy. It wasn't a "panic" trade. They really do think this makes them better.

Yeah, you're probably right. Which is why I keep going back to just keeping Reaves, if it was so darn important to the organization. That's the best guy in the league to have, if you want a nuclear option.

 

[mpp9]

Not to sound like a dick, but an added bonus if he doesn't fit is that he rarely stays healthy. Can always throw him on LTIR and use the cap space at some point more than likely.

 

[Fatty McLardy]

Vancouver still looks like greasy stinky shit without Gudbranson..it should easily be like 5-1 avs right now. Gudbranson was not the main problem there...

 

[StaalForOne]

I said before I expect them to kind of come together with all this adversity and make a really nice push.

If Murray gets hot, that will make them really tough to beat. They are definitely not favorites this year though, obviously.

That's plausible, and I agree. I think they're better off as underdogs anyway, always have been. Even in 16' when they were steam rolling teams in the playoffs the talking point was always "They don't have the defense to do it all". Then the next year, even as defending champs, still didn't get the benefit of the doubt, but in fairness all the '17 series were much closer than '16.

'09 was the same story. "The Red Wings are a well oiled machine, they have no chance." "The Caps are too good."

Back on topic to Gubrannson, the Canucks are getting worked by a somewhat slumping Avs team despite getting rid of the guy who was apparently holding them back. Col 5 v 5 CF% tonight half way through the game, 61.54% . There is a very good chance that Vancouver is just lousy defensively from top to bottom. I'm not saying Gudy is a good defenseman, but I think he can be better than his time in Van would indicate, and most of his metrics from Florida would suggest he was better there by a good bit.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

To be fair, I'm not sure Oleksiak has a game like last night in him. He's better offensively, but is a true bottom pair guy that is mediocre defensively and does little with his size. JJ has looked good on occasion with 2nd pairing defensive assignments, the last few games with JS and his good stint on with Pets earlier in the year for example, and does actually clear the crease and lay a hit now and again.

I completely agree on not needing two of these types of players though. I am not sure how losing Letang for a couple of games translates into trading for Gudbranson.

Not every defenseman needs to be a good offensive player. You can have a physical defensive defenseman on each pairing as long as his partner is a good transition guy like Letang and Schultz are. I don’t know if Pettersson is good enough offensively to work with Gudbranson but Letang and Schultz are good enough for that type of player and that is why Johnson has done well with Schultz. He actually was fairly decent with Pettersson also considering he was playing on his off side and still getting top 4 minutes. Since his first 25 games Johnson has been a +10 player while playing top 4 minutes or more so can’t complain much about that especially when most of that time he was playing on his off side.

Since Johnson did well with Pettersson hopefully Gudbranson can also. Will find out soon enough. I think the added toughness was needed because our players are dropping like flies lately. At 50% retained I would of liked it much more. I know we dealt with much less of this crap when we had Reeves. Until this garage league starts protecting its players this unfortunately is necessary.