Friedman: Florida Panthers a stealth option for Max Pacioretty

[Baksfamous112]

I've watched enough Florida games in the last few years, and Ekblad is the opposite to what you are saying with where he was drafted.
He has failed to step up as the #1D in this league, with not being able to work on his weaknesses so far in his career.

If Ekblad was what you think he is Florida wouldn't be where they are today.

Maybe you should watch them more carefully. He's not Doughty/prime Keith level D right now but he just turned 22 years old a week ago. He's ahead of Hedman at the same age development wise and I wouldn't be shocked if in two years he will already be better than prime Hedman (this year). He's the real deal. Big body, he can skate, pass, shoot, defend and join the rush. Right now, he's the only reason the Cats defense is holding up.

 

[Depch]

Delete

 

[Sota Popinski]

More than one season at $4.5M per. Not a lot for a guy who's a consistent 30-goal scorer. He can help you this year and give you a solid 50-60 pts next year.

Just look at what Minny paid for 25 games of Hanzal or what the Rags paid for Staal in february 2016. And they were rentals.

The price is steep for Patch, as it should be.

Those teams were in the playoff hunt, dingus. Florida is not. Pacioretty helping them this year only makes their draft pick worse. And Minnesota gave up a late first round pick in a weak draft and a 2nd round pick in the following draft. They also were trying to keep him away from the Blackhawks.

You say "look at" these other situations that have nothing to do with this one. Montreal may very well get a nice haul for Patches, but it isn't gonna be from Florida.

 

[FinlandPanther]

Maybe you should watch them more carefully. He's not Doughty/prime Keith level D right now but he just turned 22 years old a week ago. He's ahead of Hedman at the same age development wise and I wouldn't be shocked if in two years he will already be better than prime Hedman (this year). He's the real deal. Big body, he can skate, pass, shoot, defend and join the rush. Right now, he's the only reason the Cats defense is holding up.

This is just wrong. If Ekblad ever becomes as good as Hedman I will cry. Ekblad has been pretty poor to start the season. He’s looking better but he’s not even close to Hedman.

 

[Baksfamous112]

This is just wrong. If Ekblad ever becomes as good as Hedman I will cry. Ekblad has been pretty poor to start the season. He’s looking better but he’s not even close to Hedman.

Hedman’s breakout year was when he was 23, wasn’t he? That was my point.

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

Bjugstad for Pacioretty+

 

[schnapshot]

Those teams were in the playoff hunt, dingus. Florida is not. Pacioretty helping them this year only makes their draft pick worse. And Minnesota gave up a late first round pick in a weak draft and a 2nd round pick in the following draft. They also were trying to keep him away from the Blackhawks.

You say "look at" these other situations that have nothing to do with this one. Montreal may very well get a nice haul for Patches, but it isn't gonna be from Florida.

Dingus? Lol, are you still in elementary school? Your nickname does you well.

I was comparing the price to acquire a proven offensive player with more than a year left on his deal with players who were traded as rentals. Since you get more hockey from Pacio, the price is steeper than what was paid for these players. Hence my argument.

 

[Depch]

Delete

 

[schnapshot]

I get what you mean what the common sense market value is for the player, but it's more complex than that. The Panthers don't want short term help at that price. Panthers won't be in a bidding war for him.

A year and a half at $4.5M is not short term help. It's bargain help for this year (if they want to sneak in) and next year. I'm guessing the Panthers don't plan on tanking again this season or the next...

 

[FinlandPanther]

Hedman’s breakout year was when he was 23, wasn’t he? That was my point.

That’s fine but Ekblad lacks the dynamic skating Hedman has that can take his game to the next level.

 

[HOPE]

Bjugstad for Pacioretty+

You trollin right?

 

[Benstheman]

You trollin right?

He's negociating. At first it was Bjugstad for pacioretty straight up but clearly, we are taking too much time accepting is wonderful deal

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

You trollin right?

Doesn’t have to be a big plus.

 

[Doublechin]

I'm sure everyone here is a better source than Friedman, suddenly PAcioretty isn't worth a 7th pick to most armchair GM's

 

[HOPE]

Doesn’t have to be a big plus.

OR it can be BIGGER + from florida!

 

[Ryuji Yamazaki]

OR it can be BIGGER + from florida!

You mean like Bjugstad and Petrovic?

 

[Breaking Dadonov]

Cups are one thing, having a reserved spot at the bottom tier year after year is another.

On paper, Florida's immediate futur is brighter, I agree on that.[/QUOTE
I only care about the present and future and at both moments I'll take being a Panthers fan over Habs fan any day. Maybe you guys will finally start a real rebuild so you guys can actually be good in the future, but my guess is Bergevin keeps trying to apply band aids to the stab wounds.

 

[Breaking Dadonov]

Are you sure? Very good teams such as the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks only won three cups before expansion. Just because there were only six teams didn't guarantee an automatic cup win. You also say that your future is brighter than the Habs. Again, are you sure? After having multiple years with top ten picks what do you have to show for it? A deep prospect pool with very little on ice success in relation to draft positioning. As poorly run (and it's terrible right now) as the Habs have been throughout the years since their last cup win and only two top ten picks since 2006, I'd rather take the Habs future and the actual success they've had on the ice than a team that are a perennial bottom team no matter how often they draft in the top ten (7 times since 2006) and with little to show for it.

I'm sure we would have at least won a few cups. It doesn't take away from the fact that winning many cups in a league with only 6 teams is not nearly as impressive as winning a cup in a league of 30 teams. I'm positive our future is brighter. I'll take Barkov, Huberdeau, Trocheck, Ekblad, Matheson and Dadonov, with an incoming Tippet and Borgstrom over Drouin, Gallagher, Galchenyuck, a fatigued Carey Price, a broken Shea Weber, and your top prospects of Scherbak and Poehling. Again if you guys commit to a true rebuild this can change, but I don't see it happening.

 

[A Loyal Dog]

Bjugstad for Pacioretty+

I would only if Bjugstad was Québécois.

 

[loadie]

I'm sure we would have at least won a few cups. It doesn't take away from the fact that winning many cups in a league with only 6 teams is not nearly as impressive as winning a cup in a league of 30 teams. I'm positive our future is brighter. I'll take Barkov, Huberdeau, Trocheck, Ekblad, Matheson and Dadonov, with an incoming Tippet and Borgstrom over Drouin, Gallagher, Galchenyuck, a fatigued Carey Price, a broken Shea Weber, and your top prospects of Scherbak and Poehling. Again if you guys commit to a true rebuild this can change, but I don't see it happening.

I won’t argue with the number of cups in a six team league, that would be impossible to do and would only be arguing for the sake of arguing. I do agree that it is harder to win in a 31 team league.
Having all of these high picks would make a fan pretty happy about the future of their team, I can understand that, but there’s no evidence that all of these high picks are working for the Panthers. One year it looks like the Panthers are going to be an up and coming team and the next they’re a lottery team. You can have all of the high picks and the sexy prospects, but until you can consistently make the playoffs and show that those picks are helping, I’ll keep cheering for the fatigued and broken with the worst GM in hockey and see how it goes. I have a feeling the Habs will be back in playoffs within the next couple of years, but if they keep the current GM, we might have lots of sexy picks and no playoffs, just like the Panthers.

 

[Breaking Dadonov]

I won’t argue with the number of cups in a six team league, that would be impossible to do and would only be arguing for the sake of arguing. I do agree that it is harder to win in a 31 team league.
Having all of these high picks would make a fan pretty happy about the future of their team, I can understand that, but there’s no evidence that all of these high picks are working for the Panthers. One year it looks like the Panthers are going to be an up and coming team and the next they’re a lottery team. You can have all of the high picks and the sexy prospects, but until you can consistently make the playoffs and show that those picks are helping, I’ll keep cheering for the fatigued and broken with the worst GM in hockey and see how it goes. I have a feeling the Habs will be back in playoffs within the next couple of years, but if they keep the current GM, we might have lots of sexy picks and no playoffs, just like the Panthers.

But these aren’t sexy prospects anymore, besides Borgstrom and Tippet. Barkov, Huberdeau and Trocheck are having career years and only look to be getting better. The team has no forward depth behind them, that and a new coach made for a slow start. If this team adds a bit of depth to its forward lineup they’ll be a playoff team next year, hell they would be a playoff team this year, if they would have kept Marchessault and Smith, but Dale Tallon is a spiteful person. We both have terrible GMs I think we can agree on that.