Confirmed with Link: Brett Kulak traded for Taormina and Valiev

[ColinO]

I think Beaulieu still has top 4D potential if he matures and has shown he can this season so far. Benn is who he is at this stage. If you ask me who I had to force into a top 4D role with Petry, I pick Beaulieu

Kulak / Weber
Beaulieu / Petry
Reilly / Juulsen

Looks much better with Beaulieu vs Benn IMO. I value Beaulieu's skating, vision, size, and potential. He's 26 and I think there is value from him from age 26-30. I expect maturity

Maybe. Maybe it's a bit of "the grass is always greener". I actually think Benn has played pretty well this year and has certainly been asked to eat bigger minutes than is appropriate for him. Maybe Beaulieu improves at age 26 but more likely he is as we have seen him at this point.
But I generally am agreeing with you. Beaulieu is better. I just don't think that the difference is that meaningful.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Maybe. Maybe it's a bit of "the grass is always greener". I actually think Benn has played pretty well this year and has certainly been asked to eat bigger minutes than is appropriate for him. Maybe Beaulieu improves at age 26 but more likely he is as we have seen him at this point.
But I generally am agreeing with you. Beaulieu is better. I just don't think that the difference is that meaningful.

I agree Benn has been much better this year (contract year). Beaulieu is also in a contract year. Both have been better this season. Were talking about a 5 year age gap between the two. I expect Beaulieu to become a more trusted option on D than he was before. Age 26-30 has value to me. Same goes with Galchenyuk and Armia. There are many examples of players who have stalled development in their early 20's but put it together from age 25-30. I think Beaulieu fits in this category. He can be a cheap cap hit option too.

Fringe top 4D and can step in when there are injuries and a solid bottom pairing guy. Benn to me is a bottom pairing guy or depth guy.

It's possible Beaulieu is who he is at age 26 but there are many players who mature in their late 20's. Byron and Petry are two another examples.

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

Benn did have a good season for us when we acquired him. But Beaulieu was the better D man IMO. Better vision, better skating, and just as physical... and younger

My biggest problem with Beaulieu was his ridiculous turnovers... so many turn overs in crucial moments.

 

[Habs Halifax]

My biggest problem with Beaulieu was his ridiculous turnovers... so many turn overs in crucial moments.

True, this happened. To what extent? I'm not 100% sure. My focus with Beaulieu is I believe he will be a much better hockey player in his later 20's vs his early 20's. A lot of players struggle with maturity in their early to mid 20's.

Benn also makes some bone head passes as well and he is suppose to be the much more matured player right? 5 years older?

 

[HockeyDBspecialist]

True, this happened. To what extent? I'm not 100% sure. My focus with Beaulieu is I believe he will be a much better hockey player in his later 20's vs his early 20's. A lot of players struggle with maturity in their early to mid 20's.

Benn also makes some bone head passes as well and he is suppose to be the much more matured player right? 5 years older?

Benn does make more turn overs now, but I remember at the time, mostly at the end of the year, he started to make turn overs over turn overs.

I will try to find some stats if it's possible over that period

 

[Adriatic]

Benn is great when he is used accordingly. On the bottom pair at 8-10 minutes he's great to have. Beaulieu is too inconsistent to deal with, I hate having a guy like that in the lineup.

 

[FloJack]

I keep coming back to this thread, “oh what are people saying about Kulak” I think.

Turns out, nothing.

Me too I guess.

 

[MXD]

Benn is great when he is used accordingly. On the bottom pair at 8-10 minutes he's great to have. Beaulieu is too inconsistent to deal with, I hate having a guy like that in the lineup.

8 minutes for a bottom-pair?!?!
If a guy is good for 8 minutes on a bottom-pair, that's just another way to call him "useless".

 

[1909]

True, this happened. To what extent? I'm not 100% sure. My focus with Beaulieu is I believe he will be a much better hockey player in his later 20's vs his early 20's. A lot of players struggle with maturity in their early to mid 20's.

Benn also makes some bone head passes as well and he is suppose to be the much more matured player right? 5 years older?

Housley was a great d-men coach in Nashville, and is now the best coach Beaulieu could have to teach him. He might even become the next Hainsey, who had questionable off ice issues in his early 20's. and who is still (surprise) a sound NHL d-man.

 

[Kriss E]

The Benn trade was not a bad one. He is a good 5-6th defence man. The problem is they have played him as a 2-3rd.

That wasn't the point.
Point is Benn looked great early on but he sucks balls.

 

[Kriss E]

We gave up Pateryn+4th for Benn, we gave up 2 AHLers for Kulak. I also don't get why people **** on Bergevin for protecting Benn. Who would you have protected instead?

Anybody else really.

 

[The Great Weal]

Anybody else really.

Like who? Has do be a dman.

 

[Kriss E]

Like who? Has do be a dman.

I don't know...maybe Markov?..That I would have obviously re-signed.
I'd have kept Emelin over him too, or not trade Beaulieu given our immense need for puck movers too, Benn sucks.

 

[The Great Weal]

I don't know...maybe Markov?..That I would have obviously re-signed.

Markov was a ufa and didnt even get picked. We could have still kept him, it had nothing to do with protecting him.

 

[Kriss E]

Markov was a ufa and didnt even get picked. We could have still kept him, it had nothing to do with protecting him.

Was I supposed to guess this back then? You asked who I would have protected.
Markov would have been extended mid-year already, if you're saying I'm the GM and what would I do. Well that's it. Markov extended, protected.

But even if you want to sweep Markov under a rug for the purpose of an argument, I would have even kept Bo given our extremely inept puck moving semblance of a D.
Heck, even Emelin...at least he can throw a nasty hit once in a while.
Jordie Benn...who you kidding lol

 

[The Great Weal]

Was I supposed to guess this back then? You asked who I would have protected.
Markov would have been extended mid-year already, if you're saying I'm the GM and what would I do.

But as I said, I would have even kept Bo given our extremely inept puck moving semblance of a D.
Jordie Benn...who you kidding lol

Who protects a UFA during an expansion draft?

Beaulieu is absolutely awful. Just a horrible hockey player. I like Benn better. Also Beaulieu was going to get a more expensive contact and at that time, we wanted to save money so we can sign Radulov and Markov. What followed the expansion draft is a different story. But we are talking about the specific time of the expansion draft.