Healthy Wrap
Registered User
Been trying to read and watch as much as I can on Gusev. Not so sure he would be a sure thing at RW. Almost all his damage is done in and around the left circle. He is freaking wicked in and around the left circle -- holy crap. Seems like if the Bs traded for him then they would need to find a spot for him on the left, and the biggest team need is RW. Also, I'd be interested to know how well he plays outside of the Ozone. About everything I've been able to watch is of course showing his offensive highlights. And lastly, I am curious as to how he would play in a league where guys will be more routinely in his grill and hitting him. The videos I've seen have him making plays against not so stellar defense. It's neat that he did better than several awesome NHL talents who played in the KHL, but then again he is 27 years old. Some of those other guys who he outscored in the KHL were much younger when they played, excluding Radulov.
Not poopooing the idea of Gusev on the Bs. Just think there are some pretty big question marks for a team in the Bs situation. It might be worth a shot trying to make a deal for him. There are several teams in the NHL that have plenty of cap space that should be making a solid effort to work out a trade. The guy is clearly very skilled offensively, and could very well end up being an excellent NHL player. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has seen Gusev play full games, rather than just highlight reels.
To me, most logical solution would be to drop Debrusk (who struggled mightily during the playoffs) to the 3rd line. Wouldn’t be the worst thing for him to feast on lesser competition. Then roll with:
Marchand-Bergeron-Heinen
Gusev-Krejci-Pastrnak
Debrusk-Coyle-???