Realistic trade options to fix our glaring weakness at the center position

[Maylo]

So Motte was indeed injured after that slash or we're just assuming this?

 

[EspenK]

If not, then trade Cam too! Trade em all, let god sort em out.

Then we can also trade JJ and Savard for other defensemen. And Calvert, because he doesn't score regularly either. Gotta trade them all! Nobody with more than 3 years experience on this team allowed! (Except maybe Bob. Maybe.)

Ah, I see the we're so good we never have to trade anyone crowd is out in full force. I'm not going to do a blah analysis of Foligno's or Jenner's last umpteen games but I guessing that they're not very good. JJ is as good as gone after this year anyway and Savard hasn't been as good as last year. Dubi's numbers suck (I'm talking g's & a's, the kind that are reflected on the scoreboard) and if they don't improve soon he will become Umbie 2.0. Cam can't be traded for two years but he hasn't exactly been building confidence in the deal he just signed. He does have offensive upside so I'm not too worried about him and in fact other than DSL's sarcasm wouldn't be in this conversation at all.

My point was we have a bunch of guys who are not producing and getting rid of them,if possible, wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[Viqsi]

Ah, I see the we're so good we never have to trade anyone crowd is out in full force.

It's less that and more "don't sell low on the guys who are slumping". Yonder perspective seems just a little too quick to assume that current performances are the new normal.

 

[Jackets16]

Ah, I see the we're so good we never have to trade anyone crowd is out in full force. I'm not going to do a blah analysis of Foligno's or Jenner's last umpteen games but I guessing that they're not very good. JJ is as good as gone after this year anyway and Savard hasn't been as good as last year. Dubi's numbers suck (I'm talking g's & a's, the kind that are reflected on the scoreboard) and if they don't improve soon he will become Umbie 2.0. Cam can't be traded for two years but he hasn't exactly been building confidence in the deal he just signed. He does have offensive upside so I'm not too worried about him and in fact other than DSL's sarcasm wouldn't be in this conversation at all.

My point was we have a bunch of guys who are not producing and getting rid of them,if possible, wouldn't be a bad idea.

We are also in first place with so many payers not producing. Why sell low when we don't have to? We don't have to trade anyone or trade for anyone right now. I'm not against trading some players on this team, but I'm not going to give anyone away and I don't think we have to add anyone. Especially not right now.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

My point was we have a bunch of guys who are not producing and getting rid of them,if possible, wouldn't be a bad idea.

Trade them for what? If they're no good (i.e. this is the player they will now be forever and ever), who would wan them, or what would you get in return? Or if you think someone would give you something based on some other value, why not base your own opinion on that player's future based on that value?

 

[thebus88]

Ah, I see the we're so good we never have to trade anyone crowd is out in full force. I'm not going to do a blah analysis of Foligno's or Jenner's last umpteen games but I guessing that they're not very good. JJ is as good as gone after this year anyway and Savard hasn't been as good as last year. Dubi's numbers suck (I'm talking g's & a's, the kind that are reflected on the scoreboard) and if they don't improve soon he will become Umbie 2.0. Cam can't be traded for two years but he hasn't exactly been building confidence in the deal he just signed. He does have offensive upside so I'm not too worried about him and in fact other than DSL's sarcasm wouldn't be in this conversation at all.

My point was we have a bunch of guys who are not producing and getting rid of them,if possible, wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[CharlotteJacket]

When I read other teams boards, their fanbases are just like ours. They think all the other GM's are stupid and will trade their best players to you for a heap of dung. Every blue moon you can trade and end up with a Bobrovski, but 99% of the time, if you trade an average player off your team, your going to get an average player back.

 

[EspenK]

Trade them for what? If they're no good (i.e. this is the player they will now be forever and ever), who would wan them, or what would you get in return? Or if you think someone would give you something based on some other value, why not base your own opinion on that player's future based on that value?

How other GM's see our guys differ from team to team depending on their specific needs. Maybe its positional, maybe its a need for grit, veteran leadership, face off wins, who knows what?

As a matter of fact I didn't advocate trading them now. I said : "I'm beginning to think we need to replace Foligno, Jenner and Dubisky with a decent C and two left wings with some offensive talent." You may have inferred the trading them now point and if the opportunity arose I wouldn't object. My point was and still is that somehow, someway we need to do what I suggested. Now, at the end of the year, next year, whenever, I just don't see the great value in those guys that others do. A lot of their positive attributes are redundant and none of them have been putting up goals & assists like they either have or their contracts suggest they should.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

How other GM's see our guys differ from team to team depending on their specific needs. Maybe its positional, maybe its a need for grit, veteran leadership, face off wins, who knows what?

As a matter of fact I didn't advocate trading them now. I said : "I'm beginning to think we need to replace Foligno, Jenner and Dubisky with a decent C and two left wings with some offensive talent." You may have inferred the trading them now point and if the opportunity arose I wouldn't object. My point was and still is that somehow, someway we need to do what I suggested. Now, at the end of the year, next year, whenever, I just don't see the great value in those guys that others do. A lot of their positive attributes are redundant and none of them have been putting up goals & assists like they either have or their contracts suggest they should.

I never said "now."

 

[Nanabijou]

Ah, I see the we're so good we never have to trade anyone crowd is out in full force.

I'm not against trading some of these players, but you just have to be damn careful to not be doing it just for the sake of change. Look at the tire fire going on in Ottawa right now. Since the Duchene trade, the bottom has totally caved in on that team. Not saying that it's Duchene's fault, but now you have a situation where Ottawa gave up significant futures for a guy who was supposed to get them to the next level. If it doesn't turn around soon, that's the type of trade that can set a franchise back big-time and cost the front office their jobs.

Even though I think the CBJ could fine-tune with some trades, especially at the deadline, I don't want to disrupt the chemistry too much at this point.

 

[thebus88]

How other GM's see our guys differ from team to team depending on their specific needs. Maybe its positional, maybe its a need for grit, veteran leadership, face off wins, who knows what?

As a matter of fact I didn't advocate trading them now. I said : "I'm beginning to think we need to replace Foligno, Jenner and Dubisky with a decent C and two left wings with some offensive talent." You may have inferred the trading them now point and if the opportunity arose I wouldn't object. My point was and still is that somehow, someway we need to do what I suggested. Now, at the end of the year, next year, whenever, I just don't see the great value in those guys that others do. A lot of their positive attributes are redundant and none of them have been putting up goals & assists like they either have or their contracts suggest they should.

This is not fantasy hockey.

Why not give these "redundant" players a chance to prove that what they've done the last 2 years is somehow an anomaly. I mean they just broke an all-time league wide 'wins in a row' record last year and are currently 1st place in 1 of the 2 hardest divisions in the league 1/3 way into the year. At what point is it NOT luck? At what point do you admit you are wrong, and this is a good team with many good players, who do many different things well?

Serious question, other than be top-5 league wide in all of GF, GA, PP% and PK%....what does the team have to do to prove to you people that they are "the real deal", "good", "a contender", or that the "window is open"?

And I'll need you to elaborate more than, "more skill" or "a true 1C"....

 

[thebus88]

However, I will admit, if we go far in the playoffs or win the cup, the trade value of the RedundanteersTM will most certainly go up.

So that's a plus.

 

[We Want Ten]

If Ottawa continues to sink, how do we feel about possibly adding old friend (and my former username) Derick Brassard?

I always liked Brass. I'd be interested in hearing a proposal of this trade.

 

[CharlotteJacket]

I always liked Brass. I'd be interested in hearing a proposal of this trade.

Ottawa has nine players with some sort of NMC/NTC including Brassard. It's rumored that many of these players were asked before the season for a list of teams they would consider being traded too. The question really isn't do we want Brassard, the question is does he want us?

 

[Crede777]

The question is how we would fit his $5 million cap hit this year and next given he's a 40-50 point guy.

 

[Viqsi]

The question is how we would fit his $5 million cap hit this year and next given he's a 40-50 point guy.

It's the year after next and the year after that when cap issues get really strained, so I wouldn't be too concerned.

 

[MoeBartoli]

Help me understand how Brass helps this team and where he plays. Are you moving a current C to make room? Dropping 10 or 17 to 4th line?

 

[Viqsi]

Help me understand how Brass helps this team and where he plays. Are you moving a current C to make room? Dropping 10 or 17 to 4th line?

High-quality contingency depth, basically. With everyone healthy and performing, we'd be looking at a Dubois-Wennberg-Brassard-Dubinsky lineup. But if Wennberg continues to have a hard time, or Dubois suddenly comes back down to earth, Brass can move up the lineup effectively, and we'd still have three potential scoring lines with Dubi.

It's not something I'd spend a lot on, but it's something to think about.

 

[MoeBartoli]

High-quality contingency depth, basically. With everyone healthy and performing, we'd be looking at a Dubois-Wennberg-Brassard-Dubinsky lineup. But if Wennberg continues to have a hard time, or Dubois suddenly comes back down to earth, Brass can move up the lineup effectively, and we'd still have three potential scoring lines with Dubi.

It's not something I'd spend a lot on, but it's something to think about.

I'll grant you that Wennberg complicates things because he's a 2C playing like an middling, overmatched 4c. But a $5M back-up plan that starts with over $10M manning the bottom 6 C spots....well, it just seems like there should be better options out there.

Everything about Wennberg right now rests in between his ears - or maybe his heart. To me the question is does he have the mental toughness to get back on track? The team needs to figure that out soon.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Insurance for Wennberg or Dubois, I'd guess. If this were going to happen (more on that later) it'd be at the deadline, and we'll have a better feel for those two by then.

I see Brassard as the kind of player who'd be the ideal add, but I don't think it's in the cards. I'm not sure the org. wants to go back there (although most everyone has flipped over) and I'm not sure Brass himself would want to, either.

 

[EspenK]

Dubinsky for Brass even up. I'd do it in a heartbeat. Solves the excess C problem in a flash. Dubi will become Umberger 2.0. Already showing signs.

Although I think the odds on it happening are about 1 in a bazillion.

 

[Crede777]

It's the year after next and the year after that when cap issues get really strained, so I wouldn't be too concerned.

I'm concerned because if the plan is to only acquire and keep Brassard for this year and next, then what the CBJ would give for him is a bit less than what I'm assuming Ottawa thinks he's worth.

"We gave up Zibanejad for him..." etc. etc.

 

[Viqsi]

I'm concerned because if the plan is to only acquire and keep Brassard for this year and next, then what the CBJ would give for him is a bit less than what I'm assuming Ottawa thinks he's worth.

"We gave up Zibanejad for him..." etc. etc.

In that case, we don't trade for him.

 

[We Want Ten]

The question is how we would fit his $5 million cap hit this year and next given he's a 40-50 point guy.

5Mill for a 50 pt. guy sounds exactly right IMO.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

If Dubi is out for a significant amount of time after the injury he suffered tonight, you've gotta think a trade will be happening soon. Can't get by with only PLD-Wennberg-Sedlak down the middle