Brooks Laich

[dillyboy93]

He hasn't been good at all this year and it's no surprise the team has been way better with him out of the lineup, even Erat at 3C has been better than him, that line has played pretty well and I was wondering, does anyone think anyone in the org is noticing this? In my opinion I doubt that they are cuz they love Brooks for some reason, but this team is better without him, I'd like to see them get Erat to stay and then somehow move him(pipedream) but there's no doubt this team is better with Laich out of the lineup

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[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

There's not 'no doubt' that the team is better without Brooks Laich in the lineup. Are they better without an unhealthy/not fully recovered from a major injury Brooks Laich in the lineup? Sure. But the same could be said for just about every player on the team.

I thought the first 15-20 games of the season, he looked lethargic and slow. But he really seemed to amp up his game in his last 5-10. His skating took a major jump, as did the quality of his overall play.

The approach they should take with him is to LTIR him until he's truly fully healed. Treat him with kid gloves and hold him out a bit longer when he says he's ready. If he's not fully healthy, you get a player that brings the quality of a $4.5M scratch. If he's fully healthy, then either you've got a good player, or you actually create the option of a trade if you want to create Cap space.

And the notion that the team should convince an older player who's publicly disparaged the team and asked for a trade over Laich is nonsense. **** Erat. That guy's been the biggest disaster for this team since Nylander.

 

[trick9]

I would be very surprised if he would bring back anything other cap dump. His level of play and injury history would scare off most teams, not to mention that contract. GMGM holds him in way too high regard to move him without something good coming back, and if they were to ask around the league now the offers would include players like Booth, Havlat or Heatley at best.

He really needs to go if he doesn't pick it up soon. If they keep playing him this whole season and he keeps struggling it's compliance buyout next summer without a doubt. Nobody wants struggling third-liner who is paid 4.5m for 3 more years.

 

[Hivemind]

Everyone has looked good between Chimera and Ward. I wouldn't read much into Erat "looking good" there. Laich looked good there, too.

Laich is still a useful defensive player and PKer on this team. He may be massively overpaid for that role, but if we play him accordingly, we can get utility out of him. Erat has voiced his displeasure with the team and organization. He's the one that should go, and will go.

 

[Capathetic]

I'd test the trade waters but honestly it looks best to keep him on ltir until he can be fully ready. If the team doesn't get any good offers he will still be valuable depth should a player go down.

 

[artilector]

What a waste.. chronologically:

- converts leeching off good players into terrible (for Caps) contract
- said contract hampers Caps from retaining/signing useful players like MP, Ribs (*), maybe even Semin (*).
- gets injured leading to a panic trade that sends away a top prospect in Forsberg
- comes back on strength of reputation, plays like crap, unfairly displacing others and leading to a trade request from the very guy that was so painfully acquired to replace him
- gets reinjured, meaning that if Caps oblige Erat's trade request, they are more likely to hold on to Laich even if he continues to underperform.

So far you could say Laich has cost the Caps Forsberg, MP, god knows who else, and about 1.5-2m in extra money for a 3rd line player. And now his injury is gonna make it even harder to cut losses.

The thing is, especially after reading the WaPo article I do feel kind of sad for the guy. As much as we make fun of him and Brouwer, I don't think the guy is phony -- maybe just a tad confused about his own abilities & responsibilities, which is understandable given the press's insane affection for him and the no less insane contract the Caps gave him. But I can believe the article's portrayal of him as a guy who is too obsessed with his work to enjoy it, life, everything. Where am I going with this? On balance, I'll root for the guy to have success, but dear almighty, can it please be on some other team?

 

[txpd]

Everyone has looked good between Chimera and Ward. I wouldn't read much into Erat "looking good" there. Laich looked good there, too..

give it time. preseason the concensus on the forum was to ditch both Chimera and Ward for whatever could be gotten in return. Need to make room for Perreault and Fehr.

edit: last i looked perreault had turned back into a pumpkin. his last 10 he had one assist. Forsberg.....i am still not worried about Forsberg. whats up with him, btw? concussion? sent to ahl and only played 5 or 6 games and then out again?

 

[Liberati0n*]

The thing is, especially after reading the WaPo article I do feel kind of sad for the guy. As much as we make fun of him and Brouwer, I don't think the guy is phony -- maybe just a tad confused about his own abilities & responsibilities, which is understandable given the press's insane affection for him and the no less insane contract the Caps gave him. But I can believe the article's portrayal of him as a guy who is too obsessed with his work to enjoy it, life, everything. Where am I going with this? On balance, I'll root for the guy to have success, but dear almighty, can it please be on some other team?

I haven't seen the article in question, but if that's what it depicts it's exactly in line with the image Laich tries to cultivate of himself. "Phony" may not be the right word, but he's all about his "personal brand" (**** anyone who uses this term with a straight face).

 

[artilector]

I haven't seen the article in question, but if that's what it depicts it's exactly in line with the image Laich tries to cultivate of himself. "Phony" may not be the right word, but he's all about his "personal brand" (**** anyone who uses this term with a straight face).

Well, innocent until proven guilty, IMO

See, it does make me cringe when a guy Laich like, like Laich, will call out a skilled player (Semin comes to mind) for making a mistake, even though said player brings far more to the table overall, not to mention helps Laich win the fat contract. But I think that's kind of a league-wide mentality -- that working hard, meaning well, being serious, and knowing people in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan somehow automatically makes you an effective player, a winner, a leader, etc. Lots of people buy it, and I think Laich is just one of them.. I mean, even our GM apparently buys it, so what can one expect?

I don't see it as being his fault that the media goes to him.

 

[Raikkonen]

Well, innocent until proven guilty, IMO

See, it does make me cringe when a guy Laich like, like Laich, will call out a skilled player (Semin comes to mind) for making a mistake, even though said player brings far more to the table overall, not to mention helps Laich win the fat contract. But I think that's kind of a league-wide mentality -- that working hard, meaning well, being serious, and knowing people in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan somehow automatically makes you an effective player, a winner, a leader, etc. Lots of people buy it, and I think Laich is just one of them.. I mean, even our GM apparently buys it, so what can one expect?

I don't see it as being his fault that the media goes to him.

Russian bias is strong with you!

PS: Good opinions on the matter besides that.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

edit: last i looked perreault had turned back into a pumpkin. his last 10 he had one assist. Forsberg.....i am still not worried about Forsberg. whats up with him, btw? concussion? sent to ahl and only played 5 or 6 games and then out again?

Perreault is a pumpkin who has more even strength points than every single Capital except for Grabovski and Chimera. He also plays center, which would be helpful here.

Yes Forsberg is injured. In the meantime, Erat is goalless, he's signed for a $4.5 million cap hit this year and next and he publicly asked for a trade to a team that can compete for a cup. And the roster here is so poorly constructed that we don't even have the flexibility to get his malcontent ass off of the roster. As far as I can remember, the last time a player badmouthed his team in public, it took the Montreal Canadiens 1 day to trade him the hell away.

Yup, you're being vindicated left and right!

 

[Grudy0]

As to MP85, the same crap that was being done here is now being done to him in Anaheim under Boudreau. Plays games, does well, gets demoted to third or fourth line, where his ice time is cut and then set on a line that doesn't suit his abilities. MP85 was helping make Teemu look like he's 23, not 43.

It's exactly like what's going on here with Erat; there's no assigned place or line for him.