Speculation: Gustafsson

[ChiHawks10]

If you can't watch Gus and not see he's bad at defense I don't know what to tell you. His ideal role is 3rd pairing bum slayer that gets juicy zone starts. He's a winger playing defense which means he gets a lot of points so some people think he's good. He isn't and the fact he's in the Hawks top 4 is a big reason why their defense is the worst in the league. Somehow with Seabrook out, its got even worse.

Nice evidence to back up your argument.

 

[AmericanDream]

Nice evidence to back up your argument.

nah....he just sucks....

 

[BobbyJet]

I have been very very hard on Forsling, I just said he played good yesterday...some said I have been unfair to Forsling so me saying he played good yesterday is a step out of my comfort zone with him. I need to see a hell of a lot more to want him around, unfortunately he might only have 5 more days to show that here.

I doubt you need to worry about that - playoff bound teams are unlikely to want Forsling.
Unless a team offers a return that is too good to turn down he'll be here until at least this summer.

 

[clydesdale line]

On a bad defensive team, he's carrying around a 50.5% CF% and a 49% FF% with a 60/40 split of O starts vs D starts. He's also got an offensive points share of 3.7 and a defensive points share of 2.1. That's not bad.

You're better than this man. This is no different than when Jaeger was arguing about Rundblad years ago who also had a positive CF%, FF%, etc as well and it was obvious even to the eye test he was garbage defensively. I'm not saying Gus is god awful, but he definitely isn't good either.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Laz is decent enough of a sports reporter it’s just that he’s not a hockey guy. When he sticks to reporting facts he’s fine he just doesn’t understand the game very well and as a result his opinions aren’t very good.

 

[ChiHawks10]

You're better than this man. This is no different than when Jaeger was arguing about Rundblad years ago who also had a positive CF%, FF%, etc as well and it was obvious even to the eye test he was garbage defensively. I'm not saying Gus is god awful, but he definitely isn't good either.

Except I never thought rundblad was anything more than trash with my eye test. And I'm not arguing Gus is "good." I'm arguing he's average, and slightly below average most nights. My eye test, and the stats back that up.

 

[BobbyJet]

You're better than this man. This is no different than when Jaeger was arguing about Rundblad years ago who also had a positive CF%, FF%, etc as well and it was obvious even to the eye test he was garbage defensively. I'm not saying Gus is god awful, but he definitely isn't good either.

"Even to the eye test" LOL ... As if the eye test is the last thing you go by to evaluate a player.

 

[clydesdale line]

And I'm not arguing Gus is "good." I'm arguing he's average, and slightly below average most nights. My eye test, and the stats back that up.

In that case, I'll definitely agree.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Laz is decent enough of a sports reporter it’s just that he’s not a hockey guy. When he sticks to reporting facts he’s fine he just doesn’t understand the game very well and as a result his opinions aren’t very good.

I absolutely agree with this. His articles that aren't his own opinion pieces are actually pretty well written given what sports articles can sometimes look like. He just needs to try to stick to the facts when reporting instead of the rumor mill or his personal perspective on a situation.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

Laz is decent enough of a sports reporter it’s just that he’s not a hockey guy. When he sticks to reporting facts he’s fine he just doesn’t understand the game very well and as a result his opinions aren’t very good.

I agree with this, it’s his commentary and analysis that I really don’t like

 

[Marotte Marauder]

Or should it read:
The point being, the Hawks won’t be contenders until the forwards and defense learn to play defensive hockey as a team. If that involves a total makeover, so be it.

Agree and will add that a little rebound control from our netminders would cure a lot of ills.

 

[Kid A Plus]

Gus is terrible at D, Forsling is worse. Lol about Gus getting better with maturation. He's about to turn 27, he is what he is.

The guy has played 158 games in the NHL... he's played 35 and 41 games before this year... lets give him a full season or two with the big club before we deem him a finished product. he's a world class skater with absurd level of natural ability that on few on AHL ice could match so he could always get by on it and was never forced to get better at the things he needed to. Now, alot of that is on him not being driven enough to be the best he can be... but alot of it is the org and Q for not keeping him up years ago and recognizing this guy has all skills but he the only way he's gonna learn and harness that potential to be a real pro is at the pro level day after day where he can't skate by on talent. Now its annoying that a guy has all the tools to be really good and left to his own devices will waste them... but its also something that happens a lot and as an org you have to be able to recognize those guys and a sink or swim plan that they'll either rise to or won't...

He's not lacking anything physically that would limit him to be never being a 3rd pairing at best defenseman. He'll never be a one, but has the ability to be a 3 or 4 and when you pair that with an looks like elite PP QB skills... thats worth seeing it out for 15 months at 1.2.

 

[LDF]

The guy has played 158 games in the NHL... he's played 35 and 41 games before this year... lets give him a full season or two with the big club before we deem him a finished product. he's a world class skater with absurd level of natural ability that on few on AHL ice could match so he could always get by on it and was never forced to get better at the things he needed to. Now, alot of that is on him not being driven enough to be the best he can be... but alot of it is the org and Q for not keeping him up years ago and recognizing this guy has all skills but he the only way he's gonna learn and harness that potential to be a real pro is at the pro level day after day where he can't skate by on talent. Now its annoying that a guy has all the tools to be really good and left to his own devices will waste them... but its also something that happens a lot and as an org you have to be able to recognize those guys and a sink or swim plan that they'll either rise to or won't...

He's not lacking anything physically that would limit him to be never being a 3rd pairing at best defenseman. He'll never be a one, but has the ability to be a 3 or 4 and when you pair that with an looks like elite PP QB skills... thats worth seeing it out for 15 months at 1.2.

while i understand your frustration at the perceived attitude toward Gus but you are wrong.

nhl is a business as well as a game, it is an ugly double edge sword. what you saw is fans, yes fans of Gus not only recognizing his value but also see his negative. however the value of Gus will need to help fix this team.

again while the team perceive salary cap and holes in the team, Gus may be the victim to help fix those problem.

no matter what, i am letting it known that Gus, well i am a fan. his offense is exciting for me to the like i haven't seen since Doug Wilson.

 

[Hawkaholic]

For discussion purposes.

Gus asks for 6mil on a 5 year deal this off-season.

What do you do?

 

[ColdSteel2]

For discussion purposes.

Gus asks for 6mil on a 5 year deal this off-season.

What do you do?

Sign it. Shattenkirk got 6.65M x 4 years on a hometown discout and Gus is younger and better.

 

[Fortyfives]

For discussion purposes.

Gus asks for 6mil on a 5 year deal this off-season.

What do you do?

I’d see what the trade market was offering and if that wasn’t enough to trade him I would let this season play out. I’m certainly not signing him to a long term high AAV deal without more data. The hawks can trade him at the deadline as well next year.

 

[LordKOTL]

Gus is not good at defense. He's not Manning levels of bad, but neither is anyone else in this league.

But Gus doesn't have to be good defensively. EK has won multiple Norris trophies playing ****-tier defense; his offense won him the award for best defender in the league. Gus isn't near as good offensively as EK was (or is), but he is also a much cheaper player and an EK lite type is an asset to any team in the league. No one here would even be *****ing about him if the rest of our defense could actually defend (I can only imagine how much easier the 2015 cup run would've been with current day Gus behind Keith/Seabs/Hammer/Oduya).

I am one of those who does have interest in trading him away, but that's less to do with who he is, and more to do with what he'll cost after next season is done. We already have Strome and DeBrincat needing to be re-signed and I have to expect that Bowman signs some legit free agent this offseason (whether it's an elite star like Panarin or Stone, or just a really good player like Dzingel). I definitely think Gus could command over $6m, and if we're not competing this season or next, and if we can't afford to keep him around, then I'm personally on the trade him before we loss him for nothing state of mind. But with us being in a playoff spot, I'm okay with that happening in the offseason instead of sometime in the next few days.

Exactly. If the 'hawks had good, rather than porous D we could consider keeping Gus. The problem is that we don't, and we have a lot of money tied up in possibly immovable contracts that can't be used to help the Stay-at-home D situation.

That's not to say I don't like Gus, but he may be a luxury the 'hawks can't afford until they bolster the backend--especially with Must-signs like Debrincat coming up who in all likelihood will earn more than Crawford's 6M coming off the books. With Keith and Seabs tucked in expensively, The state of Anisimov in flux, Saad being what he is, and the amount of D-prospects we have who could have close to Gus' O and more D capabilities he might just be an odd-man out.

That being said, in my estimation we have until next year's TDL. We can flesh out our prospects and/or see if he turns the corner, defensively. There's no need to make a move now.

 

[Illinihockey]

For discussion purposes.

Gus asks for 6mil on a 5 year deal this off-season.

What do you do?

Trade him immediately.

 

[ColdSteel2]

I’d see what the trade market was offering and if that wasn’t enough to trade him I would let this season play out. I’m certainly not signing him to a long term high AAV deal without more data. The hawks can trade him at the deadline as well next year.

So what do you do if he duplicates this season or improves upon it and wants 7.5M to resign?

 

[b1e9a8r5s]

For discussion purposes.

Gus asks for 6mil on a 5 year deal this off-season.

What do you do?

I'm a Gus fan, but 6 mil would give me pause. I'm hoping for 4 to 5 mil, but I don't know if that's realistic.

 

[Fortyfives]

So what do you do if he duplicates this season or improves upon it and wants 7.5M to resign?

I would trade him before he hits free agency.

 

[ChiHawks10]

If you can extend Gus right now at like 4x4m you do it and don't even think twice about it. Even if you needed to move him next year, that contract would still have tremendous value.

On a 6x5m I'd have to give pause... and work out all the numbers to make sure I could retain all the players I need to - Cat, Strome, etc. first. I'd also probably wait until the middle of next season to offer an extension like that to make sure it's not a flash in the pan.

Gus's current comparables as far as points:

Krug, Ekholm, Barrie, Suter, Petry, Spurgeon, Hedman, Jones, Risto. These guys are all within 5 points of him... and all but Krug have less than him. Krug has one more point...

He has 4 less points than Yandle and EK for christ's sake.

And everyone here just wants to throw him away for "potential futures".

How much money do those guys make?

Krug: 5.25m
Ekholm: 3.75m
Barrie: 5.5m
Suter: 7.5m
Petry: 5.5m
Spurgeon: 5.1m
Hedman: 7.8m
Jones: 5.4m
Risto: 5.4m
Gus: 1.2m

I'd have no issue locking him up at 5x5m or 4x5m either.

 

[LDF]

if..... if Seabs were able to be traded, then i would love to sign Gus and then pair him him with a stay at home defensive d-man who can help Gus when Gus goes off on the offensive ....

 

[borednow]

Yeah seriously just extend Gus in the summer. You can then keep him or trade him in the future depending on how the kids turn out.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

In that case, I'll definitely agree.

Yeah, we're not arguing Gus is good, we're arguing that he's "fine" and when we mean fine we don't mean it in Q speak, we mean actually fine. He's not good, but he's not bad either. Just acceptable. When you can QB a PP and put up points like Gus does, that is all you can ask. If he was actually good on D he'd be a Norris contender.