Confirmed with Link: [TOR/STL] Leafs (retain $200k ?) trade Carl Gunnarsson and 94th pick for Roman Polak

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Squiffy

Victims, rn't we all
Oct 21, 2006
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While this is all a good point, the question becomes who will take Gunnar's spot? Surely Polak won't be relied on for top pairing.

Some will agree with you and say Rielly and Gardiner, but I don't think either is ready for that....

I'm sensing another move coming. Boyle? Yandle maybe?

Seeing Gardiner. Best he's ever played was in the Boston series, this might just be a guy that thrives under pressure and minutes. Worth finding out. If that guy that played that series shows up *2 years experience we're good.
 

TimeZone

Make the pick
Sep 15, 2008
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Tom Gulitti @TGfireandice
Brendan Shanahan just confimed to me that Leafs have expressed interest in Martin Brodeur.



#FireShanahan

I feel they'd be bringing in guys like Boyle, Brodeur to help with some of our younger guys. Bernier, Gardiner, Rielly etc
 

BonMorrison

Registered User
Jun 17, 2011
33,609
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Toronto, ON
Whilst we all knew about Gunnarsson's hip injury, I've never seen it receive so much attention then it has now. Gunnar was our best D last year with the hip injury, one of our best D the previous season with the hip injury, and the season before that. We were all aware of it but pretty much nobody brought it up because he was playing just fine and now suddenly it's a HUGE deal again. Basically people need to stop crutching on this hip injury because even while injured he was still one of our better D, I think St. Louis is perfectly fine with this as if he's good when he's apparently SO injured, he'll be even better healthy.
 

Alerion

Registered User
Dec 24, 2012
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Halifax, NS
It's worrying that Blues fans are saying Polak really struggles breaking out of his own zone considering how ****ing bad we are for getting hemmed in for minutes at a time.
 

Commander Clueless

Hiya, hiya. Pleased to meetcha.
Sep 10, 2008
15,237
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It's worrying that Blues fans are saying Polak really struggles breaking out of his own zone considering how ****ing bad we are for getting hemmed in for minutes at a time.

Our issue has never really been skating the puck out or first passes, it's been getting the puck away from the bad guys and horribly botched clearing attempts. If he can help with that, it's a plus.
 

FerrisRox

"Wanna go, Prettyboy?"
Sep 17, 2003
20,265
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Toronto, Ontario
I am not saying he is/will be better than Gunnerson but at least he is not as bad as you are trying to make others believe he is. At least don't spoil someone if you don't like leafs or the player.

I didn't say you were saying he is/will be better than Gunnarson.

I was saying that *I* said that Polak is better than Gunnarson.

I also didn't "try to make others believe that Polak was bad." On that contrary, I said he was a better play than Gunnarson. All I said was that while he's a very good skater, and has good acceleration, he's not, by any stretch of the imagination a "very fast" skater as someone from the Blues board claimed.

There's also multiple posters in this thread that clearly haven't watched Polak play that think the Leafs have acquired a tough, physical punishing defenseman. (Someone even compared him to Robert Svehla without the offence!) That's not remotely the case. In terms of physicality, he's not much different than Gunnarson. He's stronger, but neither one of them hits much or pushes anybody around.
 

blueberrie

Registered User
Mar 23, 2010
2,733
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I don't see much upside in this move.

We gave up our 3rd highest pick this year, and retained salary for a guy who may or may not be an upgrade? Isn't the best case scenario that Dion and Polak find chemistry and form an adequate top pairing?

Gunnarsson's skillset is one we need more of on the back end and would have been fine paired with one of Gardiner or Rielly. He made Franson look like a competent defender in the games Dion was out. Far and away the best +/- (+12) of our D facing top competition. Polak with a low +3 (relative to St. Louis) getting third pairing minutes on a very talented team.

Nobody was worried about his hip before this deal was made.
 

thewave

Registered User
Jun 17, 2011
39,875
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There is no benefit. I think we just paid a pick and retained salary to get worse for some reason.
 

Hanta Yo

Bag it up
Jan 28, 2009
10,586
0
Toronto
There is no benefit. I think we just paid a pick and retained salary to get worse for some reason.

No guarantee if we get better or worse. Fact is, this team has been desperate for a natural RD for some time now. Not to mention this frees up room for both Gardiner and Reilly to move up into the top 4. It's not crazy to think that they can take a step forward with more ice time.

Like I said though, ideally we would have added someone like Polak, while keeping Gunnarsson.
 

YearsintheWilderness

Registered User
Jul 15, 2007
2,111
1,101
This deal reeks of shifting the blame.

As Homophobic Sluroof is on the hotseat, but also about to start sucking on one of the biggest contracts in Leafs history, the people who gave him that contract have far more than just icing the best team on their minds. Things like reputations, egos, saving their own skins.

As captain, Homophobic Sluroof no doubt has the ear of Nonis, Shanahan etc. So how difficult is it to play up to the storyline that they would love to see unfold (i.e. validating all their ****ed decisions to this point)?

Last season, the Leafs let a few strong puck-possession players walk. This season, they trade one of their stronger puck-possession players.

Get the gibbering "mind-boggling" "I can't figure it out," Carlyle up front driving the train, and the moron Nonis in the caboose.

This train-wreck is going to be one for the ages...

Hell, strap a tank to the top of the first car of the train, have the train go careening off the side of a cliff and you've got the tank, train-wreck, and off-the-side-of-the-cliff all in one perfect image.

Maybe someone can put the Leafs logo on some of these hats to kick off what is going to one truly ****ed season...

51abszuUyKL._SX342_.jpg
 

Squiffy

Victims, rn't we all
Oct 21, 2006
13,498
3,134
Toronto
Whilst we all knew about Gunnarsson's hip injury, I've never seen it receive so much attention then it has now. Gunnar was our best D last year with the hip injury, one of our best D the previous season with the hip injury, and the season before that. We were all aware of it but pretty much nobody brought it up because he was playing just fine and now suddenly it's a HUGE deal again. Basically people need to stop crutching on this hip injury because even while injured he was still one of our better D, I think St. Louis is perfectly fine with this as if he's good when he's apparently SO injured, he'll be even better healthy.

Gunnar is average at just about everything short of physical play. He can back down ok, he can maintain in zone ok, he can outlet ok, he can shoot ok, he can pk and pp ok. He's a utterly average dman. He belongs on a good third pair that can fill for a 2nd and sub on pk and pp. Dealing him is saying, quite rightly, this is not good enough for our top pairing, and it isn't. It addresses our lack of shut down on the 3rd with a bonus of a r shot. This is one if the most practicable, both sides are probably happy with it, trades I have ever seen. We are better.
 

WestCoastLeafs

I beleaf
Jun 10, 2013
2,667
876
I see this move primarily as an attempt to solve the "swarm" problem at its root. If you're defensemen aren't winning battles down low, your forwards are pretty much forced to drop back - you have to neutralize the most imminent threat first. So I expect the Leafs see Polak as someone who can do that.

i'm not sold on the deal yet - Gunnar and Phaneuf's abiliy to get fairly good results on a defensively weak team was impressive, and the "bad first pass" that some Blues' fans have warned about scares me a bit too. But I wouldn't at all be surprised to see a lot of opinions change once people have actually seen the guy play.
 

DoubleDouble*

Guest
Personally, I never thought Gunnarsson was all that good. I am not upset with this. Polak can fly, he's strong, he has a heavy shot, and he hits. I don't expect perfection from him but I prefer him to Gunnarsson. Plus, he's a righty. Now we need one more trade/signing so we can get Dion back on his natural side.
 

Moncherry

Registered User
Feb 5, 2010
5,845
1,055
I didn't particularly like Gunnarsson, considered him one of the most overrated players on the team, but this is just stupid. I don't get why we had to add to the deal to land a player like Polak.
 

HEAVY DUTY

Thanks to denial, I’m immortal.
Jul 10, 2010
6,920
1,690
Toronto, ON
I didn't particularly like Gunnarsson, considered him one of the most overrated players on the team, but this is just stupid. I don't get why we had to add to the deal to land a player like Polak.

i'm guessing cause nonis went asking for polak. i doubt armstrong was shopping him. so 4th rd pick was the price to pay.
 

cookie

Fresh From The Oven
Nov 24, 2009
6,922
1,425
Oven then stomach
What's the difference between Polak and Hamrlik? Could the Polak signing be a sign of Phaneuf's role returning back to being more offensive-minded?

I still think one of Gardiner or Franson may be moved.
 

ALEXJD93

LOL
Dec 12, 2013
478
0
Not clicking..

It's his twitter, hits mean nothing...

PS: I think he's a jackass too, but he has information that you and I will never be able to get.

"When the Leafs were dealing with the Kings for Jonathan Bernier, LA kept asking for Carl Gunnarrson. @carl_gun is well regarded around NHL" that's the tweet
 
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