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Tom Gilbert Isn't Getting the Job Done


Lovett's Magnatones

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I was lukewarm about Gilbert when he signed. I knew from watching him in Florida that he could be a useful, if totally unremarkable piece. At 2/5.6 million the price was right for Tom Gilbert to replace Josh Gorges and his bloated 3.9 million dollar deal in the top-4.

The fancy stats crowd went nuts over the signing, and they had their reasons. (Let's call them Corsi and Fenwick and watching less than five Panthers games). On the Panthers (a lottery team, mind you) Gilbert played on the top pairing with Brian Campbell and saw powerplay time. He ended the year with a respectable 3-25-28, and after signing on as a tryout, seemed to have his career back on track.

But Tom Gilbert has been anything but effective. He was signed primarily as a second option on the powerplay and the second pairing stunk. The entire powerplay struggled to the point of needing a trade to get the man-advantage off life support. No one ever confused Tom Gilbert for pre-Lucic Komisarek, but he is painfully soft. He loses puck battles to players as small as Carl Hagelin and turns the puck over at least once a game while avoiding a hit.

Most damning-he was brought in to be a top-4 dman and is languishing on the third pairing rotating in and out as a seventh man while posting a reprehensible stat line of 1-2-3 over 23 games.

Tom Gilbert is a disaster. With the market for defensemen being what it is, the Habs should take advantage and put him on waivers.

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I agree with you to a point, however, if Rene freakin Bourque can bring back a serviceable player MB must be able to get something for Gilbert. More importantly, who replaces him?

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If they want to move Gilbert, there will be a market for him. A lot of teams want defencemen and it's not as if Gilbert has a gigantic albatross contract. If he can play even 18 minutes a night for most teams, $2.8 M isn't that outlandish a price. The fact that he's a right hand shot would also help his value.

I'm not sure they want to move him though. Wait until there's an injury, then the 7 D platoon goes away and everyone has a defined role. He's also only one of four d-men signed through next year; if they move him and lose all their pending UFA's, the bottom half of the depth chart (4-5-6) is Beaulieu-Tinordi-Pateryn. I don't see management looking at that as a good thing.

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Guest Stogey24

I can't help but agree with this thread. I actually thought Gilbert would bring some offense to the table; not quite. I really don't see any bright side to his game besides the hand he shoots with. We're seeing the same Tom Gilbert that played for the Minnesota Wild.... Not a good thing

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I never really thought much about this signing and I think less of it now. He could stay he could go, who would really care?

More or less agree, but still think vet depth is good and important to have, team isn't doing so terrible is it, Gilbert isn't much different than was advertised, so not in favour of any trades at present.

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I have said it all along. Gibert stinks, its a shame that just about any body can and will play ahead of Tinordi and Beauliue.

Gilberts as soft a blue liner as I've seen put on a hab jersey.


I never really thought much about this signing and I think less of it now. He could stay he could go, who would really care?

nice. glad a guy like that dressed every single game.

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Gilbert is a huge disappointment. If he played like this last year he would be in the KHL with Ryan Whitney. He has three points and he's on the power play. That's shameful.

As much as I haven't been impressed by Gilbert and don't really want him, I don't think you can blame his PP production on his play. Our PP needs some serious structural changes. We have no net presence. The D are far to hesitant to shoot the puck. You'd think that Subban and Markov want to play keep away more than shoot, by the number of back and force passes they make to each other. The D as a unit can't seem to hit the net. We have no net presence outside of Gallaghar. We have no net presence, did i already say we have no net presence?

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I don't think he has been that bad, and I wasn't expecting him to be the savior on the PP, or an intimidating physical force.

With the arrival of Gonchar, Gilbert's perceived role has changed and we don't need him to save the 2nd line PP either.

No, I'm not saying he's great, but he is exactly as advertised, and isn't expensive, moves the puck out ok, and is a very tradable asset.

What exactly were you expecting LM?

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The main problem people have with Gilbert is they want us to get rid of all the actually competent defensemen so we're forced to play the unready kids in Hamilton. He is what we wanted from him when we signed him.

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What exactly were you expecting LM?

A top-4 defenseman.

The main problem people have with Gilbert is they want us to get rid of all the actually competent defensemen so we're forced to play the unready kids in Hamilton. He is what we wanted from him when we signed him.

How has Gilbert been competent?

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A top-4 defenseman.

How has Gilbert been competent?

he hasn't

23 games on the powerplay with top four minutes ... 1 goal 2 assists and plays an extremely soft game.

Heck, Beaulieu played half the games and matched Gilberts assists and has 1 less goal. He has been considered to have been playing poorly....and he is a rookie................but Gilbert is "competant"

i agree with original post...."waivers".........Bourke him

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The biggest benefit to Gilbert has been team balance. Emelin has logged big minutes this year. MT trusts him on the left side. At 2.8 I think Gilbert is a good 4 5 defenseman. He has helped team balance a lot.

in other words ...a good pilon?

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Guest Stogey24

The biggest benefit to Gilbert has been team balance. Emelin has logged big minutes this year. MT trusts him on the left side. At 2.8 I think Gilbert is a good 4 5 defenseman. He has helped team balance a lot.

Good is a stretch
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