GDT: 2017 NHL Trade Deadline Day

[Captain Holt]

Excellent, I was worried he would mess up the amazing winning culture and chemistry in the locker room.

This, more than anything.

I don't care that we missed out on 2nd and 3rd rounders in a "weak" draft.

I care that we've lost 4 "must win" games in a row, our team is clearly tuning out their coach, ROR and Risto look smoked, Jack Eichel is playing with Foligno and Gionta, and Fedun/Falk are solidly on the farm/bench the rest of the season while we suffer thru 19 more games of the traveling carnival known as Bogo/Franson/Georges/Kulikov. We're something like 13-7-2 with Fedun in the lineup and he's our highest Corsi guy. I'd have liked to see that materialize these last 20 games.

Make a change for the sake of making a change. However minor it would have been. We could have claimed Jokipakka and I'd be happy.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

Does nobody respect the job Gionta has done as captain through - for a professional athlete - some very difficult circumstances?

It's not even like his play has deteriorated to a terrible level either...

 

[Captain Holt]

Does nobody respect the job Gionta has done as captain through - for a professional athlete - some very difficult circumstances?

It's not even like his play has deteriorated to a terrible level either...

Respect it, sure.. but ultimately who cares? This team still stinks and is blowing leads like its their job. He is the King of Wimps, much like Pominville before him.

 

[Icicle]

well the team has some serious problems bending over and giving up leads and the GM seems to blame the players, not the coaches, stretch after stretch, and he has the inside look, so I think it's fair to say he isn't doing a winning team's performance at it

 

[old kummelweck]

Respect it, sure.. but ultimately who cares? This team still stinks and is blowing leads like its their job. He is the King of Wimps, much like Pominville before him.

The team has guys that should be playing in-your-face hockey right now and are not. I think that's a fair criticism of the team, but that has never been Gionta's game and it's not a fair criticism of him calling him a 'wimp'.

But if you think the C should be a guy like that, well, he's certainly not on this roster, unless you want to hand it to Foligno, Deslauries or Bogo.

 

[Ralonzo]

Cap doesn't matter next year.

Assuming it is a one year deal anything up to 2 is fine with me...

I wouldn't mind Gio coming back under those terms with the caveat that Bylsma is gone and isn't feeding him PP and PK minutes that he is not suited to any more. I have far less problem with the player than I do with how the coach is using said player.

 

[Captain Holt]

The team has guys that should be playing in-your-face hockey right now and are not. I think that's a fair criticism of the team, but that has never been Gionta's game and it's not a fair criticism of him calling him a 'wimp'.

But if you think the C should be a guy like that, well, he's certainly not on this roster, unless you want to hand it to Foligno, Deslauries or Bogo.

Mental wimp, not physical. Constantly crapping yourselves with a two goal lead is mentally wimpy.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

what a disaster. Much worse players than kulikov and franson went for 2nd round picks and murray couldn't move either of them. Wtf!?!?!?

wat?

 

[Sabretooth]

I really don't get all this gionta hate simply because he didn't want to be traded. Isn't a good thing to have players that want to be here? It's not loser mentality for not wanting to abandon ship right now. He could have signed with a contender instead of us 3 years ago if that's what he wanted. We don't even know if the trade offer was to a contender or just a middling team. Would a conditional 6th round pick ever be more valuable than whatever gionta brings in the rest of his time in buffalo anyways? Do we even know if they got to the offer stage? Maybe a team just asked if Gionta would be available, murray asked, and gionta said no? Maybe murray wasn't even all that interested in moving gionta but gave him the courtesy call to accept or decline anyways - like, "hey, we don't want to see you go, but someones interested and you've earned the right to decide if its something you want us to pursue, yada yada"

The NTC was negotiated for. He had 5 teams he could have been traded to no questions asked so obviously it wasn't one of those teams asking. It'd be a pretty dirtball move to give the guy a NTC and then expect to not have to honor it later on. He's far from this teams biggest issue this year, and I'm not concerned about him taking up a spot that could go to a rookie while moulson, ennis, and bad foligno are hanging around either. All this reactionary "loser/bad leader/mentally weak" character assassination crap is disgusting.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

I wouldn't mind Gio coming back under those terms with the caveat that Bylsma is gone and isn't feeding him PP and PK minutes that he is not suited to any more. I have far less problem with the player than I do with how the coach is using said player.

I agree but this is a coaching issue not a player issue.

Also well said sabretooth...

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Does nobody respect the job Gionta has done as captain through - for a professional athlete - some very difficult circumstances?

It's not even like his play has deteriorated to a terrible level either...

Respect him for what? Captaining a garbage team for 3 years? Oh yeah he played under such "difficult" circumstances

He didn't at all though. He played on a team that had no expectation of success whatsoever and his first year here he played on a team that purposely tried to fail. He made almost $13 mil in 3 years playing on a garbage team. He didn't lead them anywhere. Gionta being put on a pedestal around here is befuddling but not surprising. I'll respect him if he takes $1 mil next year if he really wants to come back.

That's not really how it went down though. When he found out Montreal wasn't going to re-sign him, Buffalo was the first team he contacted. He is from Rochester and grew up a Sabres fan. He said he wanted to come home and play for his hometown team. From what I read/heard, I don't believe he even attempted to negotiate with other teams. Buffalo was his first choice (outside of Montreal) and since Tim Murray was very interested, Gionta had no need to look elsewhere.

Also, the way a team treats their players is absolutely something that makes it way around the league, and it matters.

he had no need to look elsewhere because no team would have given him nearly as much as Buffalo did. He wasn't in high demand and there's a reason Montreal passed on re-signing him. Much like Gorges, they got rid of the older vets who regressed and weren't worth the money and kept the ones who were like Markov and Plekanec.

 

[old kummelweck]

I think it is totally reasonable to question Gionta's leadership. But I don't think it is the deciding factor in whether he should have been traded or offered another contract. If he's not the right guy for the C, getting him off the roster is only one way to deal with it.

 

[Dreakon13]

Respect him for what? Captaining a garbage team for 3 years? Oh yeah he played under such "difficult" circumstances

He didn't at all though. He played on a team that had no expectation of success whatsoever and his first year here he played on a team that purposely tried to fail. He made almost $13 mil in 3 years playing on a garbage team. He didn't lead them anywhere. Gionta being put on a pedestal around here is befuddling but not surprising. I'll respect him if he takes $1 mil next year if he really wants to come back.

I'd guess it's at least a little discouraging to captain a team with a revolving door of players and coaches, you're getting boo'd out of your own arena, actively rooted against by your own fans, badgered by the media having to answer for things you have little control over. With more younger guys (some with baggage like Kane) than most teams coming in that, by all accounts, should be leaning on leadership harder than a team of grizzled vets.

You probably aren't wrong that the millions of dollars makes this a bit easier for him to swallow, but I think most professional athletes (with an ounce of pride and a cup to their name) wouldn't have wanted to come here. No less put their pride/reputation on the line by signing up to captain the sinking ship.

 

[Jim Bob]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-trades-left-table-deadline-day/

11. Boston added Drew Stafford right at the deadline. They were in on Radim Vrbata, and, at one point, some of the other teams in that bidding thought the Bruins would get him. Sounds like they also took a look at Dmitry Kulikov, but could not work out something with Buffalo.

12. Speaking of Buffalo, I think Nashville was one of the clubs that took a look at Evander Kane. Don’t think it went very far.

13. Sabres GM Tim Murray quickly shot down any idea that Alexander Nylander would be available. The 2016 first-rounder has struggled at AHL Rochester. Word from a couple of team execs recently scouting in Sweden was that Nylander’s disappointment reached home. But it’s way too soon to give up on him and Murray knows that.

19. Toronto was not on Filppula’s list of approved teams to be moved to. He could block 13. So Tampa would have needed extra permission to send him there. Veterans see Colin Greening, Brooks Laich and Milan Michalek in the AHL, so they believe it could happen to them too. Going into the last year of his contract, Filppula had to be aware of that. Toronto was linked to another Tampa player — Jason Garrison — and Buffalo’s Cody Franson, but there was nothing at the end.

 

[The Blunder Years]

I think Gionta isn't the main leader in the room, obviously. Him wearing the C is simply because he's a vet that's been around for awhile, has playoff experience, and is a good example of what working hard does for a player

 

[Dreakon13]

I think Gionta isn't the main leader in the room, obviously.

Dunno how anything "in the room" would be obvious to people that aren't in the room.

 

[hizzoner]

Only thing out of the room are "rumours".

 

[Sabre Dance]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/30-thoughts-trades-left-table-deadline-day/

What does that mean that Nylander disappointment reached home?