2019/20 Roster Thread XXXIV

[DancingPanther]

More evidence backing up the fact that Grant f***ing sucks

 

[Appleyard]

More evidence backing up the fact that Grant f***ing sucks

Grant is a very strange player.

Quite highly skilled.
Okay/middling defensively.
But does not really contribute to transition and hardly shoots.

Yet has always managed to score at a pretty good rate for his role. I guess a combo of not being a high IQ player, having a good shot, and having a propensity to get near the net.

He is a below average NHLer for sure though... his production is the redeeming factor alongside okay defence. But effectively he is a complimentary bottom six winger who could make sense for a team, IF they have a bottom 6 C who is good in transition but not that "skilled"

 

[tymed]

Some of Grant's more specific strengths include his work in the dots, strength and poise in the defensive corners to dig out pucks and make clean first passes, and an interesting knack for being opportunistic with production via turnovers, simple execution, and being good at reading goalies in tight.

I don't mind him at all as a 4C but his speed is a turnoff, even if he's already molded an effective game without it. Buddy has some really wide shoulders and stance, so it makes him look even slower ontop of that.

Definitely happy with the pickup considering it's been one of the cheapest and also most effective deadline moves in the league. I wouldn't extend him because I'd prefer to get younger guys experience in the league early in the season and grab cheap proven depth like this at the deadline again if we're not making the big one.

 

[Adtar02]

Definitely happy with the pickup considering it's been one of the cheapest and also most effective deadline moves in the league. I wouldn't extend him because I'd prefer to get younger guys experience in the league early in the season and grab cheap proven depth like this at the deadline again if we're not making the big one.

This on point. Really feel like this is the next few years. I think the cheaper deadline moves are the best. Means your team is deep and skilled. And you are not messing with the chemistry of the team much at all.

 

[Rebels57]

Some of Grant's more specific strengths include his work in the dots, strength and poise in the defensive corners to dig out pucks and make clean first passes, and an interesting knack for being opportunistic with production via turnovers, simple execution, and being good at reading goalies in tight.

I don't mind him at all as a 4C but his speed is a turnoff, even if he's already molded an effective game without it. Buddy has some really wide shoulders and stance, so it makes him look even slower ontop of that.

Definitely happy with the pickup considering it's been one of the cheapest and also most effective deadline moves in the league. I wouldn't extend him because I'd prefer to get younger guys experience in the league early in the season and grab cheap proven depth like this at the deadline again if we're not making the big one.

I agree with most of this. As I, and many others said at the deadline, Grant as 4C is a really great addition. Grant at 3C and Thompson at 4C does not do it for me. Hopefully Patty is good to go when the season resumes and bumps Thompson out, and maybe even supplants Grant at 3C.

 

[TCTC]

I think Grant is meant to be a short term stop gap for Patrick and they don't really plan to bring him back unless Patrick still needs more time.
That said, having Couturier, Hayes, Patrick and Grant as our 4 centers would be pretty nice.

 

[Curufinwe]

Don't even worry about next season's roster till we know when it will start and what the cap ceiling will be.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Much more faith in Frost than Patrick at this point. No more hiding behind the development angle. If he’s one of the best 12 forwards (which he is) then he should be playing.

 

[KrazyKat]

Grant is a stop Gap for Bunnaman.
Patrick and Frost will battle for 3C.
Which is Patrick’s job to loose so far.

I hated the Thompson + Grant trades at the time. I thought Raffl-Bunnaman-Aube Kubel or Pitlick was a great 4th line.

 

[Striiker]

Frost > Grant

Giving up picks for a worse player was a bad idea.

Giving up picks for Thompson was completely braindead.

 

[tymed]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone post in positive favor of acquiring Thompson. At least, he's taken some punches in the head for us so far. Maybe he'll manage to prove something in the playoffs of he gets a chance. Probably not.

More than the need to be signing any aging bottom 6'ers, we need to prioritize some money to upgrade the backup for Hart.

 

[Striiker]

Plenty of people defended it

Confirmed with Link: - Nate Thompson obtained from Montreal for ‘21 5th

 

[Curufinwe]

You'd need more from a 4C in the playoffs than a 22 year old kid who can't PK, can't win draws, and can't score.

Not to mention what happens when there are injuries.

 

[BritainStix]

Grant is a very strange player.

Quite highly skilled.
Okay/middling defensively.
But does not really contribute to transition and hardly shoots.

Yet has always managed to score at a pretty good rate for his role. I guess a combo of not being a high IQ player, having a good shot, and having a propensity to get near the net.

He is a below average NHLer for sure though... his production is the redeeming factor alongside okay defence. But effectively he is a complimentary bottom six winger who could make sense for a team, IF they have a bottom 6 C who is good in transition but not that "skilled"

Is this not a bad take. He's a below average NHL player but had solid production and isn't a liabilty defensively? I'm not sure how one equals the other.

Also seems like a solid PKer. What more do you want from a fourth line player?

 

[tymed]

Ya fair, I didn't mean to imply that it never happened, only that I don't remember any real stands to defend Thompson. There's a crowd that will always defend every last move management makes, just like the sky is blue and there's a crowd that will attack every single move management makes. Yada yada yada.

If Grant can continue to keep up the insta-chemistry with the club, then he cancels out the 5th for Thompson. That's not to say it justifies it.

Grant has been great so far though, but he should be on the 4th line.

 

[TB87]

- Grant's short area acceleration is poor. Wanting more than poor short area burst from your 4C isn't asking for the moon. Even wanting average short area speed isn't asking much either.

- Grant has an extensive history of getting hemmed-in to the defensive zone for long stretches of time. And no, zone starts are not the culprit here. He's not helpful whatsover on the breakout, that coupled with his poor short area skating, lends itself to him spending way too much time playing defense. The game is the puck. If you have a center who rarely has the puck, rarely maintains possession of the puck for very long, and is a net negative in transitioning the puck from defense-to-offense...that's problematic.

- That he can score in limited minutes is nice. That one positive does not in any way minimize the impact of his numerous negatives.

- I don't ask for much from my 4C. He's just gotta be able to skate at an average rate in short areas, help on the breakout & in transition in general, show they aren't at least average defensively, & chip in offense from time to time. Again, this isn't asking for much. That's the bare minimum for what any team, fan, etc. should want from their 4C. Just because they play at the bottom of the lineup doesn't mean team's, fans, etc. should be happy with the absolute bare minimum level of competency.

 

[Striiker]

Ya fair, I didn't mean to imply that it never happened, only that I don't remember any real stands to defend Thompson. There's a crowd that will always defend every last move management makes, just like the sky is blue and there's a crowd that will attack every single move management makes. Yada yada yada.

If Grant can continue to keep up the insta-chemistry with the club, then he cancels out the 5th for Thompson. That's not to say it justifies it.

Grant has been great so far though, but he should be on the 4th line.

Yeah, there were certainly a lot of people who defended these moves simply to defend the staff.

The way I see it:

Adding only Grant? Unnecessary but fine.
Adding both Grant and Thompson? Bad.

But they're both here and we can't undo that, so now what should we do with them?

Having Grant is 4C? Perfectly fine.
Having Grant as 3C? Not fine.
Having Thompson as a healthy scratch in case of injury problems? Fine.
Having Thompson as the regular 4C? Not fine.

It just looks like we spent assets and then took those additions and weakened the lineup because of how they were used. Using these guys to upgrade/solidify the 4th line would have been fine... blocking guys like Frost/Farabee was not. Hopefully the coaches realized their mistakes over this break and when things start back up again we'll see the more logical lineup.

 

[Curufinwe]

Is this not a bad take. He's a below average NHL player but had solid production and isn't a liabilty defensively? I'm not sure how one equals the other.

Also seems like a solid PKer. What more do you want from a fourth line player?

I was hoping the league would cancel the season just so we'd never have to see Grant disgrace the orange & black again.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Boys. Boys. Boys. We've probably got about 2 months until playoffs start. Let's not waste all of the playoff narratives about 4th line centers now.

 

[Starat327]

Boys. Boys. Boys. We've probably got about 2 months until playoffs start. Let's not waste all of the playoff narratives about 4th line centers now.

These guys suddenly have a huge impact for guys who "only play 8 mins a night, so it doesn't matter".

 

[Striiker]

These guys suddenly have a huge impact for guys who "only play 8 mins a night, so it doesn't matter".

 

[Adtar02]

I do think grant and Thompson saw more time to get them playing with in the system then they would have down the stretch or in the playoffs. I think they were more depth trades in case of injury.

And yes I know they played. They needed to to get use to the team.

Shame the season stop cause the team was rolling.

 

[Striiker]

I do think grant and Thompson saw more time to get them playing with in the system then they would have down the stretch or in the playoffs. I think they were more depth trades in case of injury.

And yes I know they played. They needed to to get use to the team.

Shame the season stop cause the team was rolling.

I don't know about that. Earlier this year, certain posters on here swore that players had to learn the system in practice before being able to play in games.

That was the excuse used to defend the staff when they didn't play young/skilled players.

 

[Adtar02]

I don't know about that. Earlier this year, certain posters on here swore that players had to learn the system in practice before being able to play in games.

That was the excuse used to defend the staff when they didn't play young/skilled players.

Reasonable posters know people need to play to improve even just with system play. Not saying grant and co would improve as players just in knowing where and when to be with respect to teammates

 

[Deadpool8812]

Boys. Boys. Boys. We've probably got about 2 months until playoffs start. Let's not waste all of the playoff narratives about 4th line centers now.

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