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2019 NHL Playoffs


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On 4/24/2019 at 2:26 AM, Neech said:

Gardiner with another performance that makes me leary about committing to him long term.  Then again, I once viewed Petry as the same kind of gaffe-prone puck-moving d-man and he's made huge strides since he was Gardiner's age.  The question is if there's room for two of those players on the same team.

I really do not want Gardiner. 

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45 minutes ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

I really do not want Gardiner. 

 

If not him, then who? This team seriously needs a top-4 LD - preferably a top-pairing guy. I suggested Karlsson even though he is RD as another possibility for enhancing the backend, but a lot of people don't want him either. I'd like to hear some realistic scenarios for solving the structural problem on D.

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2 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

If not him, then who? This team seriously needs a top-4 LD - preferably a top-pairing guy. I suggested Karlsson even though he is RD as another possibility for enhancing the backend, but a lot of people don't want him either. I'd like to hear some realistic scenarios for solving the structural problem on D.

 

If we're lucky enough to get Gardiner, we have to acknowledge that a) he'll be overpaid, and b) he won't be the perfect solution to our defense woes.  That being said, he'd absolutely improve our Top 4 and shore up the left side.  I can't see anyone else available in free agency that would do that, save Karlsson.

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3 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

If not him, then who? This team seriously needs a top-4 LD - preferably a top-pairing guy. I suggested Karlsson even though he is RD as another possibility for enhancing the backend, but a lot of people don't want him either. I'd like to hear some realistic scenarios for solving the structural problem on D.

I've heard about his strong analytics. I see that he has great offensive numbers. When I watch him play, however, I don't like his lack of speed. Hte's going to be another Alzner. Okay, I've lost all credibility with that comparison, but I mean it in that he will get overpaid and won't live up to expectations. I also have a hunch his offensive stats were inflated on the Leafs. This is my own opinion based on what I've seen from him as well as my gut telling me it's so. I would much prefer Karlsson who can skate like the wind, regardless of him being a right handed shot.

 

Admittedly when we compare someone like Mete and his 0 goals to what Gardiner would provide, it's a no brainer. I just see a defense pairing with Weber and Gardiner as its integral core getting ripped apart by speed come playoff time. Gardiner would improve our team but I don't see it placing us into the top tier category, (if that even exists right now). Rather, it might keep us stuck in the middle. 

 

In regards to your question, it's a good one. The pickings are slim and this is part of the reason I'm wary about signing Gardiner. He might be the best out of a small crop and that's not enough to convince me that it matches with some of the league's best at the position.  Gardiner is a better age than Edler or Kronwall, but I'd personally prefer Edler over Gardiner. If it has to be free agency, he'd be my pick. Otherwise let's make a trade. 

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5 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

If not him, then who? This team seriously needs a top-4 LD - preferably a top-pairing guy. I suggested Karlsson even though he is RD as another possibility for enhancing the backend, but a lot of people don't want him either. I'd like to hear some realistic scenarios for solving the structural problem on D.

 

 

Other options...

 

Edler, but you cant give him too much term.

 

Trade for cam fowler or Hampus Lindholm.(fowler is more likely)

 

We will have to wait for some more trade rumours to shake out.

 

At this point Gardiner and Karlsson (with someone on rd shifting to LD) are the two best options to get this done without a trade though.  Given our cap situation... id rather overpay a ufa than give up assets for a trade.

 

 

 

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If youre issue with Jake Gardiner is lack of speed... i dont know what to say... other than i strongly disagree.

 

Gardiner has his flaws... prone to giveaways.  Can be deked one-on-one... etc...

 

But his skating is very good.

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Given lack of UFA LH d-men to fill in top four, would it be better to simply look to sign a top six forward free agent instead and then look to add top 4 d-man next year?

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1 hour ago, DON said:

Given lack of UFA LH d-men to fill in top four, would it be better to simply look to sign a top six forward free agent instead and then look to add top 4 d-man next year?

 

Things typically dont get better when looking for top 4 dmen in free agency.  Most guys re sign before hitting july 1st.

 

We can see guys who could be available in 2020... but that list is going to dwindle once july 1st, 2019 hits and players can sign new extension deals.

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1 hour ago, Commandant said:

 

Things typically dont get better when looking for top 4 dmen in free agency.  Most guys re sign before hitting july 1st.

 

We can see guys who could be available in 2020... but that list is going to dwindle once july 1st, 2019 hits and players can sign new extension deals.

YOU also overpay for free agent..but Habs lack quality spare parts to deal away and if could get a d-man without dealing away a Gallagher or some other asset that will be painful to part with by waiting a year, maybe better way to go.

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For me personally, Gardner is not the solution, the solution has to be someone you can at least some what trust against the other team's big lines for 22+ min a night. I can't say based on what I see of Gardner all year that I would trust him out there night after night against the big lines any more than I trust Mete, so why overpay for the same risk? Edler I can live with, he is more steady and trustworthy and still carries a good transition game, but he won't be that good for much longer. Karlsson provides the most obvious upgrade, though he occasionally looks soft in his own zone, his pros far outweigh his cons, and he is used to the role we would require of him, big minutes against big lines.

 

The way I'm seeing this, the right player in UFA is a long shot, getting Karlsson to sign here would be a monumental task, but one we must try none the less. The consolation prize, and still not very ideal, but acceptable, would be Edler. But I think honestly if we can't land Karlsson, the ideal; solution would come from a trade, for a LD about to be commanding bigger money which we can handle but his current team might not be. Or a cap strapped team looking to shed some salary from the middle of their D core perhaps. Maybe even make the move at the draft depending on the situation and the asking price,

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2 hours ago, Commandant said:

Given habs cap space.  Im ok with an overpay for a ufa if its the right guy.

for a Duchene, Eberle, Skinner, Kevin Hayes (not knowing Jets cap, just a UFA rental i assume)?

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5 hours ago, Commandant said:

At this point Gardiner and Karlsson (with someone on rd shifting to LD) are the two best options to get this done without a trade though.  Given our cap situation... id rather overpay a ufa than give up assets for a trade.

 

Absolutely, yes.

 

Would Gardiner cost as much as Karlsson?

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24 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

 

Absolutely, yes.

 

Would Gardiner cost as much as Karlsson?

He will not.

 

Both of their values on the open market took a hit lately though. Gardiner had another iffy game 7, and Karlsson has looked pretty bad defensively (with valid questions about if his injuries have permanently affected his ability to pivot.)

 

I'd love Gardiner. I think he's another Petry, and will get better with a better defensive partner than the plugs he's been beside in Toronto. However he might have soured on major markets and bloodthirsty media, so Montreal is probably not top of list.

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5 hours ago, Trizzak said:

He will not.

 

Both of their values on the open market took a hit lately though. Gardiner had another iffy game 7, and Karlsson has looked pretty bad defensively (with valid questions about if his injuries have permanently affected his ability to pivot.)

 

I'd love Gardiner. I think he's another Petry, and will get better with a better defensive partner than the plugs he's been beside in Toronto. However he might have soured on major markets and bloodthirsty media, so Montreal is probably not top of list.

 

That's what i see too.  Where it becomes clear is that the Leafs D was even worse when he was injured at the end of the year.  Guy was propping up plugs. 

Yes he makes the odd high-profile mistake, but I can live with that cause he creates offence and makes many more good plays that lead to good results than those mistakes

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Our fanbase does not have the patience or rationale to deal with Gardiner's odd blunders, he will get paid good money and be micro scrutinized game after game. Quite frankly I think his treatment in Toronto will have him running from a similar market like our own on July 1st. The pieces just don't fit other than he drives offense and we lack that on the Left side, he will get torn to shreds here by media and fans, it is easy to predict.

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4 hours ago, Link67 said:

Our fanbase does not have the patience or rationale to deal with Gardiner's odd blunders, he will get paid good money and be micro scrutinized game after game. Quite frankly I think his treatment in Toronto will have him running from a similar market like our own on July 1st. The pieces just don't fit other than he drives offense and we lack that on the Left side, he will get torn to shreds here by media and fans, it is easy to predict.

 

I agree that his experience in toronto will see him run to a less demanding market.

 

That means the trade options will have to be explored.

 

Im  not sure hed be eviscerated here.  Petry isnt.  And i see them as similar.

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51 minutes ago, Commandant said:

Im  not sure hed be eviscerated here.  Petry isnt.  And i see them as similar.

 

I do, too.

 

Anyway, we'll need to see. It's highly unlikely that Toronto will try to sign him, so the question is really where he wants to play. Maybe it's not Montreal. But just maybe it could be. We'll know in a couple of months.

 

Karlsson, on the other hand, may not want to move at all. If he does, we might be in the running. But this, too, we don't know yet.

 

Maybe Edler, if he's willing to sign a reasonable-length contract. And if he's interested in leaving Vancouver, where he has played his entire career.

 

Try to pick up Lindell or Trouba pre-RFA deadline, to free up cap space for Dallas or Winnipeg?

 

Or trades ... where we are giving up some of our own talent.

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2 hours ago, tomh009 said:

Or trades ... where we are giving up some of our own talent.

 

Trading someone from the forward group for a top 4 defenseman is not a huge risk. More UFA forwards available than defensemen, plus Suzuki could make a case for a forward spot by mid-season.

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It's already 3 years ago that people were telling me Matt Duchene was over the hill when I was demanding we trade for him because of our (past) center woes. I never agreed, though I seemed to be on an island of my own, and still don't. 

 

:(

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27 minutes ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

It's already 3 years ago that people were telling me Matt Duchene was over the hill when I was demanding we trade for him because of our (past) center woes. I never agreed, though I seemed to be on an island of my own, and still don't. 

 

:(

No you are not alone. I keep hearing we need defense first. I believe this defense would look a lot better with a little more offense. Duchene works for me. I am good with anything that gets that putrid powerplay going.

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3 hours ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

It's already 3 years ago that people were telling me Matt Duchene was over the hill when I was demanding we trade for him because of our (past) center woes. I never agreed, though I seemed to be on an island of my own, and still don't. 

 

:(

Sens gave up;

The Senators sent goaltender Andrew Hammond, their first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, and forward Shane Bowers, their first-round pick (No. 28) in the 2017 NHL Draft, to Colorado. Nashville sent the Avalanche a second-round pick in 2018, 19-year-old defenseman Samuel Girard, a second-round selection (No. 46) in the 2016 NHL Draft, and forward Vladislav Kamenev, a second-round choice (No. 42) in 2014.

 

How are Aves doing vs how are Sens doing?

 

Then Columbus gives up 2 1st round picks for him, as a rental...you really wanted to make a bigger bid for him than either of those teams? And Sens wouldnt likely deal with Habs to begin with.

 

Would you be willing to overpay this off-season to outbid everyone for Duchene?

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