- Oct 26, 2006
- 18,595
- 11,543
I'm not ready to move on from Hanzal yet. Even at 60 games a year, he's a very difficult guy to replace.
The unfortunate thing is that we've had to replace him for most of the past three or four seasons.
I'm not ready to move on from Hanzal yet. Even at 60 games a year, he's a very difficult guy to replace.
I'm not ready to move on from Hanzal yet. Even at 60 games a year, he's a very difficult guy to replace. I'd like to keep him around in the top six for at least another year or two to shelter Strome et al, and then transition to a more conventional third down center sort of role.
I lean more toward XX's point of view in this, I didn't realize there were that many quality 3Cs that are ufas this off season as well. Hanzal when healthy is better than all of them, but that's when healthy.Well, if he doesn't have 100% availability and they intend to keep him, they may as well shoot for moving him to the depth role next year. Or just trade him and sign someone like Gaustad.
The immediate future is Strome-Dvorak down the center, and you have Richardson and Vermette both under contract, with Tik possibly coming back, and MacInnis perhaps making an unexpected push next year.
Gaustad, Riley Nash, Darren Helm, Shawn Matthias, Frans Nielsen, Kyle Brodziak, Santorelli etc... are all scheduled to be UFAs. I'm more comfortable with a projected 100% availability of them + the large return from Hanzal than I am leaning on Hanzal to be important next year.
Trading Yandle and then setting up the Coyotes to potentially lure him back was a shrewd move by Maloney. Maybe he didn't get max value (esp. considering the retention) but Hanzal could bring another key piece or some trade ammo. For the right price, he should be had.
The unfortunate thing is that we've had to replace him for most of the past three or four seasons.
Strome and Dvorak are, with some luck, the future, but they are not the immediate future. You can't expect them to come in and light it up like Domi has, or even Duclair, especially without Hanzal in the lineup to bolster them. And you certainly can't expect them to have the defensive impact that Hanzal has. Thrusting a rookie into that role too early would expose them, and replacing Hanzal with a defensive specialist means the opposition can deploy their best defensive players against someone else.
Domi - Strome - Duclair
Perlini - Dvorak - Rieder
Martinook - Nielsen - Boedker
Richardson - Vermette - Doan
The key is the return. If we get a top end and ready in a year D prospect (D version of duke) it would be damn hard to turn down, throw in a 1st and we'd basically have to take it.
So, what is everyone's belief on Hanzal? Was on pace for career high in points this year. Then the injury bug hit again. Although not his back, it is still disappointing to see someone injured constantly.
With the number of centers coming up, as well as Tik starting to play well in some limited time at C, do we move on from Hanzal at the trade deadline? Assuming that we do not resign Gordon and Chip next year and move on from Hanzal, our C depth (in no particular order) is:
Vermette
Richardson
Tikhonov
Strome
Dvorak
I think that we could get a cap dump at C (possibly signed through next year) and a similar return as what we got for Vermette player/pick wise.
Anyone else reaching this thought process as well? The talent has always been there, but the health has not...
I lean more toward XX's point of view in this, I didn't realize there were that many quality 3Cs that are ufas this off season as well. Hanzal when healthy is better than all of them, but that's when healthy.
If this isn't a back injury though I'd stay in the middle a bit and say explore what we can get for him but he's not a must trade, if it is the back yet again I'd say get what you can for him.
Strome and Dvorak are every bit the finished products Domi and Duclair were coming out of junior. I see no reason to not expect them to take to the NHL well. Strome almost made it last camp and was basically cut due to skating and strength. Dvorak was said to be physically ready, but lost a bit of a numbers game. Perlini and MacInnis are wildcards at this point.
Nobody will ever really replace Hanzal defensively, but there are still good players out there that can help lessen the blow. Having more than one line that is a threat to score is also going to help the situation.
I don't buy that the injuries are endemic to his role. It's a function of his size and the stress that puts on things. Every indication from management is that it's chronic and something that needs to be managed. That lessens his value long term but to a playoff team, he's a golden ticket of sorts. Teams pay for that sort of thing. If a team sees him as an answer and puts a top tier prospect on the table, I don't know how you say no.
A projected hypothetical lineup of:
... isn't the end of the world. Certainly not in front of a D that I suspect will be heavily improved.
The organization was always going to rise and fall based on the integration of the youth this year and next. Neither year should playoffs be expected. Hanzal is only under contract for one more year. Yandling him should be considered.
Domi Duclair are wingers, which is the easiest position to break into the NHL. Strome and Dvorak at the same level, will have a much harder time breaking in as centers. They would have way more responsibility on D and on the dot.
Because of his injury history, especially his back, it will hurt his trade value. 1c/2c's like Hanzal are just too hard to find and replace. We can't rely on Strome or any other young guy to replace him. We have to hope his injury is not back related. If we could trade him for RJ fine, but CBJ would be afraid of his injuries, same with RNH or Matt Duchene. The bottom line is that we would get discounted value for him, so I had rather keep him a few more years for the transition to Strome and others. If Hanzal beats the injury bug, great, if not he helps the transition. And, I would sign Gordon, we are as a team, 1st on the dot this year.
I'm not ready to move on from Hanzal yet. Even at 60 games a year, he's a very difficult guy to replace. I'd like to keep him around in the top six for at least another year or two to shelter Strome et al, and then transition to a more conventional third down center sort of role.
Dallas: Honka
Washington: Bowey
Rangers: McIlrath
Islanders: Pulock, Vande Sompel
Montreal: Juulsen
Boston: Zboril
Ottawa: Chabot
Philly: Sanheim
Tampa: DeAngelo, Koekkoek
San Jose: Mueller
Anaheim: Theodore, Montour
Lots of options out there just in terms of prospects. Of course, some may not be ready next year and some are more valuable than others. Then you have RFAs that are too expensive for cap teams or players that may want out like Trouba. But those players, along with good roster D, aren't likely to be moved for a playoff piece, and that's when Hanzal's value will be at its peak. I wouldn't trade him at the draft because I'd expect much lower offers.
I might be in favour of trading Hanzal 14 months from now, depending on how things play out. However, I am strongly against trading him any time sooner than that.
I might be in favour of trading Hanzal 14 months from now, depending on how things play out. However, I am strongly against trading him any time sooner than that.
I have wondered for a long time, why OEL get so few assists?
I have wondered for a long time, why OEL get so few assists?
He's the only one who can score lol. He's also a better finisher than passer, but he still is a very good passer.
Same difference between someone like Vrbata and someone like Domi
OEL is more Vrbata, Yandle was a defensemen who will be more of a playmaker.
I have wondered for a long time, why OEL get so few assists?