2013 D-Core Overhaul

[echlfreak]

Keep:

Faulk
Gleason
Harrison

Get rid of:

Corvo
McBain
Pitkanen
Sanguinetti
MAB


Work around:

Faulk-Gleason
BLANK-BLANK
Harrison-BLANK





I wouldn't mind seeing a blockbuster trade with STL


Carolina trades:

5th Overall pick, McBain and Welsh to STL for two RFA's Berglund and Pietrangelo

Faulk-Gleason
Murray-Pietrangelo
Harrison-Babchuk or Ference


Top 6 FWD

Tlusty-Staal-Semin
Ruutuu-Staal-Berglund

Click to read more...

 

[the halleJOKEL]

In before ridiculously unrealistic suggestions and trade propos..

Nevermind.

 

[What the Faulk]

There is literally no reason to get rid of Pitkanen.

 

[DaveG]

There's also no legitimate return that could be had for Pitkanen at this point, with that injury his value is at an all time low. Keep him.

Realistically this is where I'd start:

Gleason - Faulk
Pitkanen - ?????
Harrison - ?????

bring back one of Sangs or MAB on the cheap. Bellemore is worth keeping around full time next season, though give him a two-way just in case it doesn't work out. Murphy will likely be a factor in there.

Gleason - Faulk
Pitkanen - Murphy
Harrison - Sangs/MAB/Bellemore

in other words, probably as ****** as this past year, just 4 million cheaper since we're dropping Corvo, McBain, and whoever else.

 

[SMLennon]

LOL. Yeah- let's move our Norris caliber defenseman who isn't even eligible to be a UFA for three more years and our second line center for an unproven d-man, a c-prospect and a lottery pick.

 

[Buenos Necas]

I wouldn't have wanted/expected this at all earlier, but I wouldn't be surprised to see MAB back on a cheap 1 year deal as our 7th defenseman. Keep Bellemore and Sangs on as first call-ups, and that'll provide some good depth for the inevitable injuries. I think most agree this is what we're looking at now:

Gleason-Faulk
Pitkanen-xxxx
Harrison-Murphy

If we can acquire a legitimate top-4 defender to eat up minutes next to Pitkanen, then I'll be happy.

 

[garnetpalmetto]

1) I think you mean corps, not core. A core is the nucleus of something that's built around. By keeping Gleason and Faulk you're keeping the core, not overhauling it. A corps is grouping of troops (ie the Marine Corps, or in II Corps). That's what you're wanting to overhaul.

2) It's more likely that I sprout wings and save on airfare by flying everywhere I go than it is for the Blues to give up Pietrangelo and Berglund. It may work in NHL '13, but not in the reality based universe that the rest of us live in. Beyond that, Pietrangelo isn't what we need on D. Rutherford basically insinuated we need the type of crease-clearing skullcracker that we've all wanted here. Pietrangelo ain't it. A Coburn/Alzner/Orpik type guy is who we need to lay our hands on.

3) As previously mentioned, why, for the love of all that's good and holy, would you discard Pitkanen, especially after we've seen how effective he is when healthy this season and when his value is so low coming off his heel injury? Corvo and MAB? Sure, knock yourself out. Sangs has come along a ways and at the end of the season I didn't instantly cringe every time he stepped on the ice.

 

[TheBigKahuna]

They need great matches for the ones they have to keep/can't unload. A great partner can make an average d-man seem great. See last several years of Bruins roster for examples, like Aaron Ward, etc.

 

[What the Faulk]

LOL. Yeah- let's move our Norris caliber defenseman who isn't even eligible to be a UFA for three more years and our second line center for an unproven d-man, a c-prospect and a lottery pick.

You waited 2 and a half years to make your first post on a board of an opposite-conference team about a trade proposal everyone pretty much shot down anyway?

I mean, you're not wrong, but it's just...why now?

 

[Buenos Necas]

You waited 2 and a half years to make your first post on a board of an opposite-conference team about a trade proposal everyone pretty much shot down anyway?

I mean, you're not wrong, but it's just...why now?

Anyone remember The Big Lebowski?

 

[Roboturner913]

Pitkanen's trade value is nil and even entertaining the thought of getting Pietrangelo is ridiculous. I bet we could get Jackman though - he is not quite what he used to be but he would still be the best stay-at-home guy on our roster. We don't need another player like Berglund, have plenty of those already. Trade McBain for whatever draft pick you can get. Joe Corvo gets the gas face, no need to even give him a lowball offer.

Once Joni gets back:

Faulk-Gleason
Pitkanen-Jackman
Harrison-Sanguinetti

Murphy or MAB as the 7th d-man to run the PP

That's not a bad lineup at all. Harrison and Sanguinetti have shown they can be serviceable as long as you managed their minutes and the first two pairings would chew up 50 minutes per game, if not more.

The only problem is we have no idea how long it will take Joni to get back, and even once he is back what lingering effects there are and god knows what other injuries he'll manage to get. But we're stuck with him for now. Until he gets back, you juggle things to keep a "good" player on each pair: Faulk and Harrison, Gleason and Murphy/MAB, Jackman and Sangs.

As much as I would love a major overhaul, we just ain't getting Girardi or Marc Staal, anybody like that. But a good second-pair guy could do a world of good.

 

[Ole Gil]

Bergeron as a #7 isn't bad. Until someone gets hurt, and he turns into a #6, and feeds the other teams wingers one-timers with his 'outlet' passes.

 

[Jussijuice]

Bergeron as a #7 isn't bad. Until someone gets hurt, and he turns into a #6, and feeds the other teams wingers one-timers with his 'outlet' passes.

If JR spends the Canes limited funds so MAB can sit in the press box for a year + (when he's not being a turnover machine) I might just cry.

I would trade McBain + picks for a young pure defensive D like Duncan Siemens and try like hell to sign Ron Hainsey. Trade Sanguinetti for whatever you can get.

Gleason - Faulk
Pitkanen - Hainsey
Murphy - Harrison
Siemens/Defensive D

 

[Roboturner913]

Scuderi would be another good option. He's 34....but a three year deal at 3.5 million would be reasonable.

 

[AD Skinner]

Anyone remember The Big Lebowski?

That's just, like, your opinion, man

 

[Unsustainable]

If we don't win the lotto, maybe JR will just take the GM with the first pick hostage, and trade McBain and the 5th pick for the 1st pick and take Nurse.

 

[Unsustainable]

That's just, like, your opinion, man

 

[McLirium]

Gleason - Faulk
Pitkanen - ???
Harrison - Murphy/Bergeron

With Murphy being 20, he'll finally be up one way or the other, right? I think him or MA Bergeron would round out the bottom pairing nicely. If we could sign Bergeron for $1m or below, we could start Murphy in Charlotte for a bit, then bring him up and carry 7 d-men as needed.

Just for the love of god, get rid of McBain and Sanguinetti. It should go without saying that Corvo won't be back. With those two, though, I can only hope JR has come to his senses.

 

[Jussijuice]

Gleason - Faulk
Pitkanen - ???
Harrison - Murphy/Bergeron

With Murphy being 20, he'll finally be up one way or the other, right? I think him or MA Bergeron would round out the bottom pairing nicely. If we could sign Bergeron for $1m or below, we could start Murphy in Charlotte for a bit, then bring him up and carry 7 d-men as needed.

Just for the love of god, get rid of McBain and Sanguinetti. It should go without saying that Corvo won't be back. With those two, though, I can only hope JR has come to his senses.

Murphy led the defense in TOI when he was up (iirc, he was at least top-3). For better or for worse, I don't see them starting him in the AHL.

Can you really complain about Corvo, McBain, and Sangs and then turn around and call MAB a nice bottom pairing D? That's insanity, or you just haven't see him play long enough.

There is a reason he has averaged about 30 games a season for the past 3 years. He is awful, his upside on the pp is immediately trumped by his guaranteed 1 goal against per game due to a stupid turnover.

 

[McLirium]

When Murphy came up, the D were:

Faulk
Corvo
Harrison
Jordan
Sanguinetti
Murphy

For a prospect as good as him, it's not mind blowing to think we put him out there for ~23 minutes for 2 games, particularly when the plan was to use him on the PP. His other two games, he played 16 and 19 minutes, and that's with guys like Gragnani out there. He led in TOI in his second game, but was outdone in the 1st by Faulk who had 29 minutes(!!!)...

My point with Bergeron was that he'd be an adequate 7th man to rotate in and out with Murphy early on, or someone else who might be slumping/injured. I feel fine with a guy like him on the third pairing for a million or less if we can move McBain ($1.8) and shed Corvo ($2) for a competent right-handed stay at home d-man to play with Pitkanen.

 

[Ole Gil]

Corvo was passable as a 2nd pairing guy with Harrison at the end of the year. And was an asset as a 3rd pairing guy with Harrison.

Bergeron is a liability as a 3rd pairing guy.

Will be interesting to see where JR goes with the pieces he has. It will definitely be tricky to navigate.

Faulk-Gleason
Pitkanen-???
Harrison-Murphy
Bellemore

But the ??? next to Pitkanen is the real issue. It has to be someone good enough to play with Harrison as a 2nd pair.

Maybe they could get by with Joni-Sanguinetti for example, but Harrison Sanguinetti wouldn't cut it in the event Faulk/Gleason/Pitkanen went down.

 

[poobags]

Washington is in cap trouble and we could really be a thorn in their side if we offer sheet Alzner if he makes it to RFA (which McPhee would be a fool to allow). I was hoping we would offersheet him the last time he was an RFA.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

The fact of the matter is, our PP has been somewhat competent since MAB arrived. It might just be a mental thing (ala the team apparently being more comfortable with Westgarth in the lineup, despite him not doing ****), but MAB has also contributed to the PP.

He's certainly worth considering for next year.

 

[Roboturner913]

The fact of the matter is, our PP has been somewhat competent since MAB arrived. It might just be a mental thing (ala the team apparently being more comfortable with Westgarth in the lineup, despite him not doing ****), but MAB has also contributed to the PP.

He's certainly worth considering for next year.

No, you're right. The thing MAB has is his unpredictability. He has a great shot and the great pass, and the willingness to use both in equal measure. It keeps the other PK off-balance.

Against Tampa (I think?) he showed shot, then pulled it back and did a quick no-look pass to the half wall. It was a slick-looking play, but more importantly it caught all four guys on the other team leaning the wrong way and opened up a whole bunch of space on that side of the ice.

If he is willing to take another two-way deal in the $1 million range it's a no-brainer to sign him. Murphy is too much of an unknown.

 

[Hornswaggle]

No, you're right. The thing MAB has is his unpredictability. He has a great shot and the great pass, and the willingness to use both in equal measure. It keeps the other PK off-balance.

Against Tampa (I think?) he showed shot, then pulled it back and did a quick no-look pass to the half wall. It was a slick-looking play, but more importantly it caught all four guys on the other team leaning the wrong way and opened up a whole bunch of space on that side of the ice.

If he is willing to take another two-way deal in the $1 million range it's a no-brainer to sign him. Murphy is too much of an unknown.

and if Ellis doesn't resign he can be our backup goalie