Waived: Brian Strait (Claimed by NY Islanders)

[froods]

It is irrelevant. Dumoulin is close. Morrow will he ready at some point here as well. Harrington, Maata, and Pouliot will be pushing for spots at some point. Also, lets not forget about D'Agostino. He will be here soon as well.

My point is, when would Strait ever be a part of the plans moving forward? I have a hard time figuring out where all these blue chippers fit in let alone Brian Strait.

 

[KIRK]

It is irrelevant. Dumoulin is close. Morrow will he ready at some point here as well. Harrington, Maata, and Pouliot will be pushing for spots at some point. Also, lets not forget about D'Agostino. He will be here soon as well.

My point is, when would Strait ever be a part of the plans moving forward? I have a hard time figuring out where all these blue chippers fit in let alone Brian Strait.

Some of them will fit quite well as trade bait.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

It is irrelevant. Dumoulin is close. Morrow will he ready at some point here as well. Harrington, Maata, and Pouliot will be pushing for spots at some point. Also, lets not forget about D'Agostino. He will be here soon as well.

My point is, when would Strait ever be a part of the plans moving forward? I have a hard time figuring out where all these blue chippers fit in let alone Brian Strait.

Wait and see if our blueline sustains an injury or two this year.

Are the injuries on our defense last year so easily forgotten?

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

I wonder what will have to happen before certain people stop assuming that EVERY D prospect we have will pan out.

 

[JTG]

Strait is obviously panning out if he's playing 17 mins a game in New York. From what I've been reading on the Isles board, he'll probably stick there. They seem to like him and feel he's playing well.

 

[KIRK]

Strait is obviously panning out if he's playing 17 mins a game in New York. From what I've been reading on the Isles board, he'll probably stick there. They seem to like him and feel he's playing well.

Good for him.

 

[The Underboss]

Strait is obviously panning out if he's playing 17 mins a game in New York. From what I've been reading on the Isles board, he'll probably stick there. They seem to like him and feel he's playing well.

He's been good, steady with no glaring mistakes.

 

[OnMyOwn]

It was a numbers game. They weren't going to keep him and waive lovejoy. Lovejoy is on a one way and neither would play much.

The brass probably didnt want a one way contract sitting in the minors, so they risked losing a run of the mill brian strait.

Get over it, haha.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

Strait is obviously panning out if he's playing 17 mins a game in New York. From what I've been reading on the Isles board, he'll probably stick there. They seem to like him and feel he's playing well.

No not Strait, I was just calling out the people you see every once in awhile that say something to the effect of "Well come on, we couldn't keep Strait when Morrow, Harrington, Bortuzzo, Maata, and Pouliot are all going to be exerting their will on the roster soon."

 

[Captain Hook]

It was a numbers game. They weren't going to keep him and waive lovejoy. Lovejoy is on a one way and neither would play much.

The brass probably didnt want a one way contract sitting in the minors, so they risked losing a run of the mill brian strait.

Get over it, haha.

I think that's an underrated part of it. There would have to be a huge difference between Lovejoy and Strait to waive Lovejoy and risk having to pay him NHL salary ($525,000) at the AHL level as opposed to the $62,500 they would have paid Strait in the AHL if he would have cleared waivers. Clearly the Pens didn't think the difference was that big.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

I think that's an underrated part of it. There would have to be a huge difference between Lovejoy and Strait to waive Lovejoy and risk having to pay him NHL salary ($525,000) at the AHL level as opposed to the $62,500 they would have paid Strait in the AHL if he would have cleared waivers. Clearly the Pens didn't think the difference was that big.

Yep, good post. It's certainly possible the Penguin were wrong and Strait becomes and every day top 4 guy. More possible he becomes less than that based on what's transpired, though I still stay they could've kept him and cut Lovejoy. You already know what Lovejoy is for sure, not the case with Strait.

 

[NorthCraigStreet]

While Strait has been a nice addition so far for the Isles, I wouldn't be losing sleep over waiving him. If anything I'd be pleased the Pens do a great job developing players. Your system probably has a ton of Straits you just don't know about yet. Whenever your team loses a Dman to injury you guys just bring up another quality solid defensman to kill time. Then when you get a surplus of these guys you'll waive them and give my team more guys to plug into the top 4. Then everyone's happy.

Thanks. We seem to do ok with developing defensemen. Now if we can just produce more homegrown forwards that contribute, I would be thrilled (not counting Crosby and Malkin). Other than Jordan Staal, Tyler Kennedy appears to be the only success story of the Sidney Crosby era (success being a relative term, as he is no all-star).

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Strait is obviously panning out if he's playing 17 mins a game in New York. From what I've been reading on the Isles board, he'll probably stick there. They seem to like him and feel he's playing well.

Really like him, played 21 minutes last night.

 

[JTG]

That's crazy that he's playing 21 mins. Really happy he's working out though. I thought he'd be a pretty good NHL pro. Not sure I thought he'd be logging 21 mins so soon though.

 

[MrBurghundy]

While Lovejoy can only manage 13:20 in a game where the team was running 5 d-men for 40 minutes of hockey.

I'm so glad Shero and Bylsma wanted to keep him. Clearly the superior defender with still so much more room to grow.

 

[PROMputt]

Strait is averaging almost 18 mins a night playing top pair minutes with Streit. He is a minus 1 with no points in 5 games played. His play has been steady and conservative. He is a nice compliment to an offensive guy like Streit. Islanders coach Capuano seems to have alot of confidence in him right from the first game (must have seen him in the AHL?). Nothing spectacular and is probably a decent second pairing, very good 3rd pairing defensemen on a better team.

 

[Captain Hook]

A lot of things go into that decision. There's money since they would have had to pay Lovejoy his NHL salary to play in the AHL if he cleared waivers. Strait had a two-way deal.

We're also talking about the Isles. I'm not so sure Lovejoy wouldn't be playing 21 minutes for them for better or worse.

 

[The Old Master]

i'm just sad we could not trade any of our extra demen. isn't that the plan?

 

[Captain Hook]

i'm just sad we could not trade any of our extra demen. isn't that the plan?

It should be the plan. I just don't think any of the waiver eligible guys had a high enough ceiling or enough track record at the NHL level to draw any interest on the trade market.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

We're also talking about the Isles. I'm not so sure Lovejoy wouldn't be playing 21 minutes for them for better or worse.

Maybe, but would he be playing well for them? It's not like Strait's just playing, but costing them. He's actually holding his own in those minutes. Meanwhile, Lovejoy's looked like ass for the majority of the two games he's been playing in sheltered minutes.

You're probably right that it came down to financial stuff (Lovejoy's 1-way contract versus Strait's 2-way contract), but in terms of their actual performance, let's not pretend Lovejoy's been better.

 

[Captain Hook]

Maybe, but would he be playing well for them? It's not like Strait's just playing, but costing them. He's actually holding his own in those minutes. Meanwhile, Lovejoy's looked like ass for the majority of the two games he's been playing in sheltered minutes.

You're probably right that it came down to financial stuff (Lovejoy's 1-way contract versus Strait's 2-way contract), but in terms of their actual performance, let's not pretend Lovejoy's been better.

Mostly agree. I do give Strait credit for playing well. I don't think Lovejoy has played as bad as our fans say though. He's made a mistake here and there but no more than Engelland, Despres or anybody else. Lovejoy just happens to be the current whipping boy. The fans have already decided he's a minus every game even before any of the games start. They wait to nitpick every little thing he does wrong but that can be done with any player.

 

[eXile59]

i'm just sad we could not trade any of our extra demen. isn't that the plan?

I'm starting to think there was no plan or it went like this...

Step 1. Get as many defensemen as possible
Step 2. ??????
Step 3. Profit

 

[The Old Master]

I'm starting to think there was no plan or it went like this...

Step 1. Get as many defensemen as possible
Step 2. ??????
Step 3. Profit

ahhh ya,now i understand. how could i have been so wrong. thanks!

 

[Big McLargehuge]

It should be the plan. I just don't think any of the waiver eligible guys had a high enough ceiling or enough track record at the NHL level to draw any interest on the trade market.

That and the lockout killed the trade market for fringe players. I was expecting a ton of #7 defenders and #13 forwards to be moved for picks before games started...but teams generally just went with their own guys rather than trying to bring someone in without having any knowledge of their system.

Except for the Islanders who claimed every defender that went on waivers.


I still think the time to move one of them was at the draft.

 

[Brooklanders*]

I like Strait alot and he has been very solid doing all the little things