The Erik "Gudzilla" Gudbranson Thread

[MrBoxOffice]

I would've liked to have paid more for Adam McQuaid at sub 3milly.

 

[pistolpete11]

I think this is overly negative, especially with including Letang in it. There's no reason to think Letang is done for the year right now.

I do think Maatta may be out until April, so you could definitely see Letang, Dumoulin, Johnson, Schultz, Pettersson and Gudbranson as their regulars, but Maatta should be back by the time the playoffs roll around (if they make them).

As far as I've seen, Maatta is out indefinitely. So I think saying he will be back by playoffs is optimistic.

From past experience, when the Penguins tell everyone Letang is fine and then scramble to trade for 2 defensemen at the deadline, it means Letang is not fine. My take might be pessimistic, but there's not 'no reason'.

 

[Jacob]

My guess is Maatta is in one of those grey areas where they're not sure if he'll require surgery or not so they're trying the rehabilitation approach first.

 

[pistolpete11]

I would've liked to have paid more for Adam McQuaid at sub 3milly.

McQuaid would have been a better get simply because he's a UFA and they would have needed to clear Pearson's (or someone's) salary anyway. Now we just have to pray that someone will take Johnson or Gudbranson from us.

 

[Empoleon8771]

As far as I've seen, Maatta is out indefinitely. So I think saying he will be back by playoffs is optimistic.

From past experience, when the Penguins tell everyone Letang is fine and then scramble to trade for 2 defensemen at the deadline, it means Letang is not fine. My take might be pessimistic, but there's not 'no reason'.

I've seen anything from 4 weeks to a month to indefinitely. I think the easy answer is that no one has a clue. I think Jacob is completely spot on with what they think of Maatta.

I think people here are just really pessimistic and consider a bad situation as a realistic one. I'm not going to assume Letang is seriously injured until a press release comes out saying he's seriously injured.

 

[Woodrow]

My guess is Maatta is in one of those grey areas where they're not sure if he'll require surgery or not so they're trying the rehabilitation approach first.

1 week before next season they'll realize he needs surgery.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

The best case scenario is Dale Tallon trading actual value for Gudbranson, which is certainly a realistic scenario. The second best case scenario is that he returns to Florida form, which was a serviceable #4/5 according to Panthers fans, and the Penguins trade Johnson. I think you're way too low on the "best case" scenario here.

That's as realistic as Holland trading actual value for Jack Johnson this summer, or JJ rounding into form these playoffs after years of garbage play.

There's optimism and then there's pollyanna-ish detachment from reality.

 

[pistolpete11]

I've seen anything from 4 weeks to a month to indefinitely. I think the easy answer is that no one has a clue. I think Jacob is completely spot on with what they think of Maatta.

I think people here are just really pessimistic and consider a bad situation as a realistic one. I'm not going to assume Letang is seriously injured until a press release comes out saying he's seriously injured.

When has that ever turned into something positive for the Penguins?

 

[Empoleon8771]

That's as realistic as Holland trading actual value for Jack Johnson this summer, or JJ rounding into form these playoffs after years of garbage play.

There's optimism and then there's pollyanna-ish detachment from reality.

I think this just comes back to me thinking this site is crazy pessimistic. Me thinking Tallon loves Gudbranson and would love to acquire him isn't "detachment from reality". "Detachment from reality" is thinking that every team would want him to be a top-4 defenseman for them. Saying that GM who has tried for 2 years to reacquire a player would want that player this off-season isn't being overly optimistic.

I see an easy out for this contract if JR decides to go that route. That's what's important to me. My concern is that JR doesn't take that easy out because he doesn't want to, not that the easy out doesn't exist.

 

[Icarium]

If Tallon wants Gudbranson so much why didn't he get him now or last summer? Seems like the Canucks were desperate to get rid of him.

 

[Empoleon8771]

If Tallon wants Gudbranson so much why didn't he get him now or last summer? Seems like the Canucks were desperate to get rid of him.

JR said that Gudbranson wasn't available before trade deadline day, so this isn't true if you believe what JR said. Gudbranson does seem like the kind of player that Benning would be stupid over, so I don't doubt it.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I think this just comes back to me thinking this site is crazy pessimistic. Me thinking Tallon loves Gudbranson and would love to acquire him isn't "detachment from reality". "Detachment from reality" is thinking that every team would want him to be a top-4 defenseman for them. Saying that GM who has tried for 2 years to reacquire a player would want that player this off-season isn't being overly optimistic.

You're basing the idea that Tallon would pay value for Gudbranson on pure speculation. Just because a GM would take a player back under certain circumstances doesn't mean he's going to take him on without making the other team sweeten the deal or take something back.

Draw a distinction between possibility in a universe with endless possibilities and what's probable enough to be a reasonable bet. The latter is not the case with Gud.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

If Tallon wants Gudbranson so much why didn't he get him now or last summer? Seems like the Canucks were desperate to get rid of him.

Plus they've been going out of their way to clear cap space so they can make big acquisitions. If they are able to do what they want to do this summer, are they going to be able to make a $4 million speculative add? A speculative add that happens to be Gudbranson no less, and taking him free and clear with no strings.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Embrace it guys and girls. Have fun with it. Dis gun b gud!

 

[K Fleur]

This dude sucks.

 

[Pancakes]

Erik Badbranson.

Nick Hugebad.

 

[Icarium]

JR said that Gudbranson wasn't available before trade deadline day, so this isn't true if you believe what JR said.

What do you expect JR to say "They were desperate to get rid of the bum and I was dumb enough to help them"? Even if true he isn't going to come out and say it. And it doesn't explain why Tallon didn't outbid us yesterday, if he wants Gudbranson that much.

 

[Empoleon8771]

You're basing the idea that Tallon would pay value for Gudbranson on pure speculation. Just because a GM would take a player back under certain circumstances doesn't mean he's going to take him on without making the other team sweeten the deal or take something back.

Draw a distinction between possibility in a universe with endless possibilities and what's probable enough to be a reasonable bet. The latter is not the case with Gud.

And the idea that the Penguins would have to pay to take Gudbranson isn't pure speculation?

Again, it just has to do with this site being overly negative literally all of the time. You think the best case scenario is that he's a negative value asset, so I find it really easy to understand why you don't think that him having any sort of value is impossible.

 

[Fatty McLardy]

inb4 he turns into Prime Chara for us....calling it first

 

[Empoleon8771]

What do you expect JR to say "They were desperate to get rid of the bum and I was dumb enough to help them"? Even if true he isn't going to come out and say it.

Why do you have any reason to think JR was lying, outside of being negative about the acquisition? I have no reason to think that JR was lying about that, he wasn't prompted to say that. He just said it when talking about Gudbranson.

And it doesn't explain why Tallon didn't outbid us yesterday, if he wants Gudbranson that much.

It could have been that JR wanted him more. Or Tallon was more focused on sending out salary, because this season was a lost cause anyway. Or that Tallon didn't even know that Gudbranson was available. Or that Benning really liked Pearson, at least more than whatever asset the Panthers were offering.

There are a lot of possibilities that aren't "Tallon didn't want Gudbranson" here. Based on his past track record when it comes to him, I'm expecting Tallon to be an easy out on Gudbranson if the Penguins decide to do so.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

This dude sucks.

Rough plays and dirty plays are two different things.

 

[SaucyCelly]

One thing that I will say about GMJR is that at least when he knows something isn't working he will get rid of it. e.g. Brassard or Pearson. Honestly if I were GMJR, i'd do this trade. Pearson was nothing and even healthy scratched. Ideally this could have been done for a UFA, but obviously those cards weren't on the table. Still I take the chance at Gudbs and hope his play improves and if that doesn't hope he can hit the **** outta simmonds and wilson

 

[Icarium]

Why do you have any reason to think JR was lying, outside of being negative about the acquisition? I have no reason to think that JR was lying about that, he wasn't prompted to say that. He just said it when talking about Gudbranson.

I don't have any reason to think he was telling the truth either. Why on earth would the Canucks wait until the last day before making available a defenceman who was so clearly dragging their team down and was overpaid to boot? Why would they not bother informing Tallon if everyone with interest in the matter knows he is interested in Gudbranson? The whole thing sounds like an excuse mixed with wishful thinking.

Honestly if I were GMJR, i'd do this trade. Pearson was nothing and even healthy scratched.

Pearson had nine goals for us and is good defensively. I would take that any day instead of JJ 2.0.

 

[pistolpete11]

This dude sucks.

I don't think that was a dirty play, but at least it is unlikely he does that to Geno again.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I don't have any reason to think he was telling the truth either. Why on earth would the Canucks wait until the last day before making available a defenceman who was so clearly dragging their team down and was overpaid to boot? Why would they not bother informing Tallon if everyone with interest in the matter knows he is interested in Gudbranson? The whole thing sounds like an excuse mixed with wishful thinking.

I'm not going to assume anyone is lying just because I'm not confident they were telling the truth, though.

Why did the Canucks wait so long to make him available? Maybe they didn't think he was dragging them down? Gudbranson had just as bad of a year last year as he's having this year, but they still gave him a 3 year, $12 million deal last year. Why are you giving Benning the credit to see that Gudbranson was a massive problem for them? I think people grossly overestimate the competence of most GMs in the NHL. Benning really liking Gudbranson and only saying yes now because he was getting Pearson is a super believable thing to me, because Benning's track record paints him as a dunce when it comes to analytics.