Rumor: Garrioch: Gonchar to Penguins

[General Granny*]

Umm so how are we going to reach the cap floor with Conch gone?

 

[McManked]

Umm so how are we going to reach the cap floor with Conch gone?

Because the new CBA could have a significant drop in salary cap, or at least the cap floor.

 

[Tuna99]

I think this might be Garrioch best article ever, actually funny and very readable, even with the thought of Alfie suiting up in a Bruins uniform this spring

http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/12/23/presents-for-nhl-owners-and-players

 

[koreaboy]

i could see this and be just fine with it if, and only if, we were absolutely, positively entirely sure that at least one and possibly two of borocop and wiercioch were locks to play and be ready for the NHL. if neither of those two are ready, then we can't trade gonchar.

 

[John Holmes*]

I have to laugh at us Ottawa fans sometimes.

Everybody and their dog wanted to get rid of Gonchar for most of the past two seasons...now it appears as though the possibility exists, and suddenly nobody wants to see him go.

Kuba...awful for 5 years or however long he was here, then plays with Karlsson one season, puts up respectable numbers and doesn't play like total **** finally...and people cry that we let him walk.

 

[Icelevel]

^kuba put up 40 pts in 70 games his first year. 30 pts in 50 games his second year. just had one bad yr the yr before last. coincidentally so did everyone else on the team.

just to get that part straight.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

I have to laugh at us Ottawa fans sometimes.

Everybody and their dog wanted to get rid of Gonchar for most of the past two seasons...now it appears as though the possibility exists, and suddenly nobody wants to see him go.

Kuba...awful for 5 years or however long he was here, then plays with Karlsson one season, puts up respectable numbers and doesn't play like total **** finally...and people cry that we let him walk.

I never wanted Gonchar gone. His play under McLean, as the entire team's, has been very good; it's no surprise that people value him now that the team is playing well...

 

[Sensbrah]

Gonchar has been great for our possession game. But, does anyone feel he is soooo slow to get a shot off? When he receives a puck, by the time he gets a shot prepared, a defender is on him. Karlsson never has this problem.

I find the opposite; his shot - unlike Cowen's - does not take ages to unload. And unlike options like Phillips' and Kuba's it actually has some zip to it.

EDIT - I may be in the minority but I have liked Gonchar for his entire time here. Yes, he is overpaid. But if you want to attract free agents to a small market that is going to be the reality. As long as you don't hand out contracts that are downright awful, I don't mind overpaying a little bit to fill a need that cannot be addressed from within. Because he isn't physical I feel he becomes underrated defensively, too, as many mistakenly equate physical play with good defense.

 

[Benjamin]

I find the opposite; his shot - unlike Cowen's - does not take ages to unload. And unlike options like Phillips' and Kuba's it actually has some zip to it.

EDIT - I may be in the minority but I have liked Gonchar for his entire time here. Yes, he is overpaid. But if you want to attract free agents to a small market that is going to be the reality. As long as you don't hand out contracts that are downright awful, I don't mind overpaying a little bit to fill a need that cannot be addressed from within. [Because he isn't physical I feel he becomes underrated defensively, too, as many mistakenly equate physical play with good defense.

>2012
>Sens fans thinking physical = defense

What?

 

[DJB]

We aren't winning the Cup next year, so of course I would deal Gonch if we can get something decent in return. But that's not really how most NHL GM's think. I can understand that BM would want to have some vet presence and not ice one of the worst defence corps in the league with Cowen injured and Gonch dealt. I get that.

 

[DylanSensFan]

I have to laugh at us Ottawa fans sometimes.

Everybody and their dog wanted to get rid of Gonchar for most of the past two seasons...now it appears as though the possibility exists, and suddenly nobody wants to see him go.

Kuba...awful for 5 years or however long he was here, then plays with Karlsson one season, puts up respectable numbers and doesn't play like total **** finally...and people cry that we let him walk.

Yeah, I don't recall ever being one of those fans. Gonchar plays a useful role as a veteran.

 

[Lazarrr]

I have to laugh at us Ottawa fans sometimes.

Everybody and their dog wanted to get rid of Gonchar for most of the past two seasons...now it appears as though the possibility exists, and suddenly nobody wants to see him go.

Kuba...awful for 5 years or however long he was here, then plays with Karlsson one season, puts up respectable numbers and doesn't play like total **** finally...and people cry that we let him walk.

I've wanted both of them gone since we got here. Kuba only did well playing with Karlsson. Also Gonchar was supposed to be what Karlsson is, which we clearly don't need anymore. We'll be more then happy when they're both gone.

 

[DylanSensFan]

Garrihack is suggesting that Gonchar will be a Penguin next year no matter what.

Might as well get something for him.

Plus, Wiercioch has been tearing in up in Bingo. Maybe he's ready for #2PP time.

He looked good in his brief stint a couple of years back. I don't think there is any doubt that he has an NHL future.

Even with Wiercioch in the lineup, who is going to fill in the first and or second line, second D position? Karlsson-???, Wiercioch-???...

 

[DylanSensFan]

I've wanted both of them gone since we got here. Kuba only did well playing with Karlsson. Also Gonchar was supposed to be what Karlsson is, which we clearly don't need anymore. We'll be more then happy when they're both gone.

No actually, Gonchar was brought here to help improve the rookies play and so far he has done exactly that and also played as an excellent stop gap while our team has developed players such as Wiercioch. People had Wiercioch on the bus for the rest of his life last season, funny the turn around now.

 

[John Holmes*]

No actually, Gonchar was brought here to help improve the rookies play and so far he has done exactly that and also played as an excellent stop gap while our team has developed players such as Wiercioch. People had Wiercioch on the bus for the rest of his life last season, funny the turn around now.

I've been a Wiercioch positive guy for a long time. Since I saw his original call up. I can't seem to find any posts beyond my last 300 to back that up though.

I disagree though...Gonchar was not brought in to mentor anybody. At the time BM the GM thought we were a fringe contender. We had just finished 5th in the East if my memory serves me here. The fact that he is / was a mentor of sorts to EK (his own words) is a pure bonus.

At the time Gonchar was "the best FA" of the offseason.

For the record, I've wanted him gone since about his 15th game in Ottawa. I never liked Kuba, I raged at his extension and I am happy as balls that he is gone. He will be exposed, you know...if the season ever starts.

 

[Tundraman]

We need Gonchar to mentor our Russian prospects

 

[Vaclav Varada]

The only people who wrote off Wiercioch last season were morons. Anyone who knows anything about hockey knows defenceman take longer to develop. Especially physically raw ones like Paddy Dub.

 

[koreaboy]

I have to laugh at us Ottawa fans sometimes.

Everybody and their dog wanted to get rid of Gonchar for most of the past two seasons...now it appears as though the possibility exists, and suddenly nobody wants to see him go.

dont put me in this bunch. i never called for gonch to be traded.

 

[General Granny*]

So PP1

Benoit- Karlsson

PP2
Philips- Weircioch

?????????????

 

[Icelevel]

So PP1

Benoit- Karlsson

PP2
Philips- Weircioch

?????????????

pretty confident in saying that will not be the case

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

^kuba put up 40 pts in 70 games his first year. 30 pts in 50 games his second year. just had one bad yr the yr before last. coincidentally so did everyone else on the team.

just to get that part straight.

Lol, no. Kuba was pure garbage for the past 2 years before last year and last year his play was actually a product of Karlsson. The points he got were because literally every forward were blocking Karlsson's path. Now, I'm not saying Kuba was dirt last year but he was good playing alongside the best defender in the league.

Kuba is no more than a 4th defender or pushing it as a 3rd defender at best playing top-pairing in Ottawa. Only way that worked was due to Karlsson's brilliant play to balance it out. Heck, Karlsson wouldn't receive the flack he does defensively if Kuba helped out more than he did.

Thank **** Kuba is gone. I ain't gonna miss him one bit. Although I shouldn't really blame him because he was forced to play a position he isn't supposed to play.

 

[Qward]

So PP1

Benoit- Karlsson

PP2
Philips- Weircioch

?????????????

Alfy - Karlsson

Phillips - Weircioch


Phillips did well on the PP last year.

 

[BonkTastic]

I've been a Wiercioch positive guy for a long time.

I just want to point out here that anyone here who has stuck with Weirchoch as a fan deserves a ton of credit.

I tried to watch as many Bingo games last year as fit into my schedule, and I have to say that the 2011-12 and 2012-13 versions of Weircioch are night-and-day different from eachother.

Whatever he did in the offseason clearly worked. He looked like a lost cause last year, and has been absolutely phenomenal this year. I don't even think management had an idea he could have flipped a swith and improved as much as he has in less than a calendar year.

I've been shocked with Weircioch this year, albeit a very good kind of shocked.

 

[BonkTastic]

The only people who wrote off Wiercioch last season were morons. Anyone who knows anything about hockey knows defenceman take longer to develop. Especially physically raw ones like Paddy Dub.

He looked lost last year. I know defencemen take longer to develop, but actually watching him, you could tell there was so much mentally going wrong that it might never click.

PLENTY of better defencemen than Weircioch have failed to pan out. To say anyone who thought he might not make it "were morons" is pretty ignorant, IMO.

I'm glad he's put it together, don't get me wrong, but to say he looked like he was going to become an NHL caliber defenceman last year is a hard, hard sell in my eyes.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

He looked lost last year. I know defencemen take longer to develop, but actually watching him, you could tell there was so much mentally going wrong that it might never click.

PLENTY of better defencemen than Weircioch have failed to pan out. To say anyone who thought he might not make it "were morons" is pretty ignorant, IMO.

I'm glad he's put it together, don't get me wrong, but to say he looked like he was going to become an NHL caliber defenceman last year is a hard, hard sell in my eyes.

I agree with this even as being a person whos been bashed for calling Weir a potential top-pairing defender past 2-3 years. Weircioch last year was blatantly horrific. He lost all offensive instincts that were once his forte in college and was miserable both ends of the ice. The coach would sometimes just throw him out there for ice-time cause he HAD to and we didn't have much in the help of support.

It's clear now that he was rushed because his body and physical maturity were not on par with his skills and even skating ability. With more development and maturity, he is putting everything together instead of pieces. Thank God. We are lucky to see him regain his original form this quickly after just one off-season and it goes to show how committed he has become and more importantly how his skills were never truly just a capable for lower tier of play.