Iggy: Best To Move On?

[HumBucker]

Our whole thing started here because that guy has 0.0 reading comprehension when I said that Iginla's priority was money instead of the Cup, and he took that as me saying he doesn't want to win the Cup.

It's okay to name me. I don't mind being called out for not being able to comprehend your dubious reasoning or foggy syntax. It would appear I'm not alone.

 

[Kvartalnov_Fan]

I'm torn on this topic. He had a great regular season for us, but really didn't do much to help the team in the PO's.
I tend to lean more on the "move on" side of the argument based on his age only. I found that he looked old and slow during the post season. Especially during the second round...Then again, so did the entire team at times so...
Like I said, I'm torn.

 

[JRull86]

If Dom is to be believed, and there's no reason he shouldn't be, with his potential 2015-16 cap ceiling numbers, getting Iggy to sign a min contract with a bonus potential of whatever to carry over isn't the end of the world IMO. Again as I said earlier, is it ideal to have "dead money" on your salary cap? Obviously not. But if it's the difference of being a top 3 team with LEGIT SC potential, or a playoff team, it's worth it IMO.

 

[JRull86]

I'm torn on this topic. He had a great regular season for us, but really didn't do much to help the team in the PO's.
I tend to lean more on the "move on" side of the argument based on his age only. I found that he looked old and slow during the post season. Especially during the second round...Then again, so did the entire team at times so...
Like I said, I'm torn.

I fully believe that Iggy was injured in the PO's from the Rinaldo scrap. He's getting up there in age, but he just looked "off", like somethign wasn't right.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

I fully believe that Iggy was injured in the PO's from the Rinaldo scrap. He's getting up there in age, but he just looked "off", like somethign wasn't right.

I feel like this keeps getting overlooked. There's no real confirmation that he was hurt, but his game obviously dried up right after that Philly game. Do people really believe he went from being one of our best players all year to being "old and slow" overnight for no reason? The guy is in phenomenal shape. Most guys don't just lose a step mid-season purely because of age. I truly believe that if we keep Iggy and he enters the playoffs healthy then he will look much better than he did this year.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

to me the Iggy question comes down to this:
If he was willing to take a one year deal and the only thing we had to move was someone like Kelly to make it work, then what do we prefer?

At the trade deadline would we rather be shopping (and paying) for a bottom 6 PK and faceoff guy to replace Kelly or a 30 goal top line guy to replace Iginla? I know which one would be harder to come by and cost a lot more at the deadline so it's a no-brainer to me.

Sign Iggy now where the only thing it costs us is cap space rather than have to go out and find an Iggy at the deadline where it will cost us picks and prospects. Given Chia's deadline record I'd feel better if at the deadline all he had to do was find us a 3rd line grinder rather than a top scorer which every team will be looking for.

 

[Kvartalnov_Fan]

I fully believe that Iggy was injured in the PO's from the Rinaldo scrap. He's getting up there in age, but he just looked "off", like somethign wasn't right.

Very good point. I forgot about that.

 

[HumBucker]

Okay, so ODAAT and Russelmania and whoever else that keeps bringing up his playoff goal totals, all I need to know from you guys is this:

Were you content with how Iginla played in the playoffs, as your first line RW? Yes or no question.

Yes.

Here's a yes or no question for you: If an aging UFA chooses to sign with 2 recognized Cup contenders is consecutive years after leaving his long-time team, should he use his money to buy a plasma TV or LCD?

 

[Kvartalnov_Fan]

Yes.

Here's a yes or no question for you: If an aging UFA chooses to sign with 2 recognized Cup contenders is consecutive years after leaving his long-time team, should he use his money to buy a plasma TV or LCD?

Trick question...He should at least get an LED TV.

 

[JRull86]

Trick question...He should at least get an LED TV.

 

[David Krejci*]

It's okay to name me. I don't mind being called out for not being able to comprehend your dubious reasoning or foggy syntax. It would appear I'm not alone.

I was already on the reply page and didn't want to hit the back button to have to go back and find out your name, I figured they knew who I was talking about.

Yes.

Here's a yes or no question for you: If an aging UFA chooses to sign with 2 recognized Cup contenders is consecutive years after leaving his long-time team, should he use his money to buy a plasma TV or LCD?

Yes, so then you are a stat watcher whose opinions on evaluating actual play is irrelevant in every way. That's fine, I just want to know what we're working with here. This isn't baseball, numbers do not even begin to tell the whole story.

LCD is a much better investment but LED would be better than both, like those other guys said. And he'll be able to afford it too with the extra money he's getting as compensation for giving up his best chance at a Cup.

 

[BNHL]

Lucic's contract is hard to swallow on paper because he's not a guy who will score as much as most 6 million dollar players, but he gives you so much that you can't really quantify. The market for a player like him easily would have gone over 6 million.

Marchand's contract is extremely fair, especially considering what you see some guys getting around the league who are far less effective. How many guys as versatile as Marchand make under 5 million? 25-30 goals, speed, grit, chemistry, and one of the best PK guys in the league for only 4.5 million?

I still maintain that Seguin's deal was dictated by the market at the time (pretty much identical to Hall and Skinner's deals) and didn't hurt us in the long run because it made him much easier to trade.

I think they had decided they were signing a very soon 40 goal player at a bargain,giving him trade value or stay value.

 

[Absurdity]

You can potentially still keep Iginla by getting rid of 2 of 3: Kelly, Smith, Krug.

 

[ODAAT]

I feel like this keeps getting overlooked. There's no real confirmation that he was hurt, but his game obviously dried up right after that Philly game. Do people really believe he went from being one of our best players all year to being "old and slow" overnight for no reason? The guy is in phenomenal shape. Most guys don't just lose a step mid-season purely because of age. I truly believe that if we keep Iggy and he enters the playoffs healthy then he will look much better than he did this year.

Agreed, on this team, he was far from being the forward I had issues with. I didn`t expect Iggy to explode come playoff time but I also felt that Soderberg and Eriksson, Bergy up to game 5 of the Habs series were the only forwards better

Lucic was irrlevant too often, Marchand and Krejci invisible, Smitty played like a kid experiencing his first playoffs, some good, some not so good games

I`ve said it from the beginning of the thread, and I`ll stand by it, he (Iggy) was fine, not good enough but when the centerman who`s been the catalyst to get players going in years past with his playmaking is doing nothing, I was never expecting or thinking to myself "now`s the time Iggy will take this team on his back"

Players who are proven to be guys we`ve seen perform didn`t, and Iggy wasn`t close to being as bad as some of the aforementioned

 

[David Krejci*]

Agreed, on this team, he was far from being the forward I had issues with. I didn`t expect Iggy to explode come playoff time but I also felt that Soderberg and Eriksson, Bergy up to game 5 of the Habs series were the only forwards better

Lucic was irrlevant too often, Marchand and Krejci invisible, Smitty played like a kid experiencing his first playoffs, some good, some not so good games

I`ve said it from the beginning of the thread, and I`ll stand by it, he (Iggy) was fine, not good enough but when the centerman who`s been the catalyst to get players going in years past with his playmaking is doing nothing, I was never expecting or thinking to myself "now`s the time Iggy will take this team on his back"

Players who are proven to be guys we`ve seen perform didn`t, and Iggy wasn`t close to being as bad as some of the aforementioned

It's not like during the season he was fast or anything like that. We all know the playoffs are just a completely different game. The franticness and speed is ramped up a definitive level, and at his age, after a whole year, (and the Bruins not managing their top guys' time off properly, as usual) he looked out of gas. If it was the injury, then it is what it is. I still don't think that he's the right fit there and that it would warrant us handcuffing ourselves with the cap penalties next year, because I don't think that he puts us over the top.

The Rinaldo fight pissed me off as well, though. Same with Horton when he fought Iginla in 2013 right before the playoffs. I get that that is part of their makeup and is part of what their value is as players, that they can score and drop the gloves. But there is just absolutely nothing to be gained there, and everything to lose. Meaningless game, stupid decisions by both of those guys. I know Horton was back by the playoffs starting and was dominant until his shoulder thing was re-aggravated in Game 1 OT vs Chicago, but that injury that was re-aggravated in OT was initially because of the Iginla fight. Maybe if he didn't fight Iginla there, he doesn't have to deal with re-aggravating an injury that doesn't happen, and he is himself vs Chicago instead of playing with one arm, and we win the Cup.

 

[ODAAT]

It's not like during the season he was fast or anything like that. We all know the playoffs are just a completely different game. The franticness and speed is ramped up a definitive level, and at his age, after a whole year, (and the Bruins not managing their top guys' time off properly, as usual) he looked out of gas. If it was the injury, then it is what it is. I still don't think that he's the right fit there and that it would warrant us handcuffing ourselves with the cap penalties next year, because I don't think that he puts us over the top.

The Rinaldo fight pissed me off as well, though. Same with Horton when he fought Iginla in 2013 right before the playoffs. I get that that is part of their makeup and is part of what their value is as players, that they can score and drop the gloves. But there is just absolutely nothing to be gained there, and everything to lose. Meaningless game, stupid decisions by both of those guys. I know Horton was back by the playoffs starting and was dominant until his shoulder thing was re-aggravated in Game 1 OT vs Chicago, but that injury that was re-aggravated in OT was initially because of the Iginla fight. Maybe if he didn't fight Iginla there, he doesn't have to deal with re-aggravating an injury that doesn't happen, and he is himself vs Chicago instead of playing with one arm, and we win the Cup.

I would have liked Z to have some rest before the playoffs but I`m not at all on board with that being half the problem, this forward crew are about pretty well monitored for TOI

 

[HumBucker]

Yes, so then you are a stat watcher whose opinions on evaluating actual play is irrelevant in every way. That's fine, I just want to know what we're working with here. This isn't baseball, numbers do not even begin to tell the whole story.

Wrong conclusion, again. You asked for a non-nuanced yes-or-no answer - looking for a "gotcha" - and that's what I gave you. If you want an intelligent discussion, don't ask stupid questions.

I am not a "stat watcher." Of course stats are not the whole story, I never did I claim they were; nor are they completely irrelevant.

Overall, compared to the rest of the squad, and in relation to what he's paid to do, it's hard to complain about Iginla's performance. He's paid to score goals, and he led the team in that capacity. Krejci is paid to produce offence, and expected to do that, and whether or not he played well otherwise, he didn't do that. A mere 4 assists in 12 games.

This is where stats DO matter. In the measurement of results. DK may have backchecked well, he may have played physical, he may have played well away from the puck - all good and fine - but his primary job is to produce offence. Observing play is fine, but at the end of the day, in evaluating his effectiveness, one has to look at the scoresheet.

Considering Iggy may have had a high ankle sprain, I don't think he looked that bad. You disagree, fine.

But overall, I would rank his play in the playoffs as "good - not great". I don't think anyone played "great" and several players expected to be great (Bergeron, DK, Lucic, Chara, Marchand, Rask...) were often "less than good."

So if you want to rag on Iginla for his performance in the playoffs, yes, you'll always get an argument from me.

LCD is a much better investment but LED would be better than both, like those other guys said. And he'll be able to afford it too with the extra money he's getting as compensation for giving up his best chance at a Cup.

That's not a yes-or-no answer, you are hereby disqualified.

 

[David Krejci*]

Wrong conclusion, again. You asked for a non-nuanced yes-or-no answer - looking for a "gotcha" - and that's what I gave you. If you want an intelligent discussion, don't ask stupid questions.

I am not a "stat watcher." Of course stats are not the whole story, I never did I claim they were; nor are they completely irrelevant.

Overall, compared to the rest of the squad, and in relation to what he's paid to do, it's hard to complain about Iginla's performance. He's paid to score goals, and he led the team in that capacity. Krejci is paid to produce offence, and expected to do that, and whether or not he played well otherwise, he didn't do that. A mere 4 assists in 12 games.

This is where stats DO matter. In the measurement of results. DK may have backchecked well, he may have played physical, he may have played well away from the puck - all good and fine - but his primary job is to produce offence. Observing play is fine, but at the end of the day, in evaluating his effectiveness, one has to look at the scoresheet.

Considering Iggy may have had a high ankle sprain, I don't think he looked that bad. You disagree, fine.

But overall, I would rank his play in the playoffs as "good - not great". I don't think anyone played "great" and several players expected to be great (Bergeron, DK, Lucic, Chara, Marchand, Rask...) were often "less than good."

So if you want to rag on Iginla for his performance in the playoffs, yes, you'll always get an argument from me.




That's not a yes-or-no answer, you are hereby disqualified.

If you don't want to be labelled as a stat watcher, then provide me with some reasons to why you feel he played well other than his stats, that's all I'm saying. You keep saying wasn't bad but have not given any other reasons besides his stats.

The fact that everyone else sucked too, doesn't mean that you ignore how bad Iginla was. The fact is that all of the other players who underperformed are all still young and in their prime, and have always been great in the playoffs up until this year (other than Marchand, he's been terrible in the playoffs since 2011 other than last year in the ECF) and the specific reasons I've given to you about why I feel Iginla wasn't good, all seem to have to do with his age, and that's not going to get better, obviously, because he's human.

 

[David Krejci*]

I would have liked Z to have some rest before the playoffs but I`m not at all on board with that being half the problem, this forward crew are about pretty well monitored for TOI

Half the problem is definitely too much, but it's for sure a factor. They are way too concerned with home ice and their seeding. Rest is more important. We obviously run 4 lines with the best of them, but the system and blah blah blah that we play that emphasizes defensive responsibility and hard work in all 3 zones, guys will get worn down regardless. Once our spot is locked up, in the last couple of weeks we should be giving guys more time off, is all I'm saying. Reducing their ice time isn't enough, they need games off, and not just the last game of the year.

 

[RussellmaniaKW]

Iginla's average time on ice with the Bruins was down a minute from the year before and 2 minutes from 2012. He also missed 4 of the last 7 regular season games, at least 2 of which were classified as NOT healthy scratches for rest. This is a guy who never misses games. He played 82 games for 5 years in a row before the short season and Pittsburgh trade. So he played fewer minutes and had 4 games off before the playoffs. His problem wasn't rest. One of the best conditioned guys on the team and most recognized ironmen in the game didn't just suddenly run out of gas. He was hurt.

 

[HumBucker]

If you don't want to be labelled as a stat watcher, then provide me with some reasons to why you feel he played well other than his stats, that's all I'm saying. You keep saying wasn't bad but have not given any other reasons besides his stats.

The fact that everyone else sucked too, doesn't mean that you ignore how bad Iginla was. The fact is that all of the other players who underperformed are all still young and in their prime, and have always been great in the playoffs up until this year (other than Marchand, he's been terrible in the playoffs since 2011 other than last year in the ECF) and the specific reasons I've given to you about why I feel Iginla wasn't good, all seem to have to do with his age, and that's not going to get better, obviously, because he's human.

I wasn't always focussing on his play alone, but I thought, all things considered, he looked as engaged as anyone. Some games he seemed ineffective, a little slow at times. As others have pointed out, he wasn't a speedster in the reg season.

How do you feel his ankle sprain affected his play in the POs? I think it had more to do with his play than his age did.

If he scores 30 goals again, and stays healthy in the POs, I have no problem with him not being a speedster.

 

[SoldiersOfFilth]

Just tweeted that Iggy is going free agent. Saw that coming. Let's go after Vrbata

 

[Wiggleboom]

Rather than singing him to a 2-year deal in which deferred bonuses cannot be included (I think), why not sign him to 2 consecutive 1-year deals, one for 2014-15 and one for 2015-16?

Just like one can sign a player to an extension 1 year before they hit FA (like Bergeron last summer), they should be able to sign him to a deal for 2014-15 with small salary and easy bonuses that get deferred, and then immediately sign him to an "extension" deal for 2015-16 with a similar structure. That way the Bruins get the cost deferred to help with the cap for the next 2 years and Iginla gets the security of 2 years worth of deals.

 

[BigBadBruin8]

Just tweeted that Iggy is going free agent. Saw that coming. Let's go after Vrbata

Um, that's not exactly a revelation. He was always going to be a UFA this year.

Still think he stays here, 1-year deal. This is his best chance to win and his best fit.

 

[RaskIsABrickWall]

Sucks that he is 90% most likely gone...oh well