Speculation: Josh Bailey: Could he move back to center?

[Fan101]

"Josh Bailey: Could he move back to center? "

.......In the Swiss League?

 

[seafoam]

When two guys only sign with you under the promise that they'll get to play together, you should at least try to do so. And I don't think Kulemin's ever played RW.

I'm pretty sure Kulie has played RW, and there weren't promised.

 

[Nelly]

Flame me if you must, but another option would be to deal Frans Nielsen, and either promote Bailey to Tavare's leftside and move Nelson to the third line, or the reverse.

 

[beach]

Flame me if you must, but another option would be to deal Frans Nielsen, and either promote Bailey to Tavare's leftside and move Nelson to the third line, or the reverse.

Yes, and guarantee we don't make the playoffs for the next 5 years....

 

[Seph]

I'm pretty sure Kulie has played RW, and there weren't promised.

Their agent says they were promised they'd be linemates, at least according to this article.

"In fact, the players enjoyed their best NHL season while playing on a line together with Clarke MacArthur in 2010-11 and were assured by Islanders coach Jack Capuano that they would be reunited on a unit in Long Island." http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/how-kulemin-and-grabovski-reunited-on-long-island/

Also he may have seen spot duty, but he has never spent extensive time at RW, and there are good reasons for that. One of his biggest strengths is fighting along the boards, and generally, a lefty will not be nearly as effective working the right side boards. Also, his strength on the puck can be a real boon for zone entries, and control down low, another reason you'd want him to stay on the left side.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

When two guys only sign with you under the promise that they'll get to play together, you should at least try to do so. And I don't think Kulemin's ever played RW.

Kulemin plays both wings... he was used as a RW mainly when he was with Lupul (LW) and Kadri (C), and that was when he played his best

 

[Darth Milbury]

Yes, and guarantee we don't make the playoffs for the next 5 years....

Yeah, because Nielsen has been the key to us making the playoffs in recent years.

 

[Seph]

Kulemin plays both wings... he was used as a RW mainly when he was with Lupul (LW) and Kadri (C), and that was when he played his best

Thanks for the correction. TIL.

I could Kulemin's goal scoring being better on the RW, but I feel like the rest of his game would suffer. What was your opinion on that?

But either way, I suppose strike what I said about Lee not being able to play with Grabovski. I do still think that the line will be Kulemin on Grabo's LW, though.

 

[StumpNYI]

Every time it's mentioned I have to say it. Trading Nielsen is simply a bad idea. I don't care if his value is at his highest. I don't think we will get back his value to this team in any realistic trade.

Who is the defensive equivalent to Nielsen if such a thing exist?

 

[Darth Milbury]

Every time it's mentioned I have to say it. Trading Nielsen is simply a bad idea. I don't care if his value is at his highest. I don't think we will get back his value to this team in any realistic trade.

Who is the defensive equivalent to Nielsen if such a thing exist?

Nelson and Kulemin are both excellent defensive forwards.


I'm not saying that trading Frans Nielsen wouldn't hurt - it would hurt like hell. But, if we aren't going to trade ANYONE - how does the team get better?

 

[beach]

Yeah, because Nielsen has been the key to us making the playoffs in recent years.

Nielsen's Corsi stats are amazing. He makes everyone he plays with better, and to trade him would be a huge mistake, unlike unloading Bailey.

 

[StumpNYI]

Nelson and Kulemin are both excellent defensive forwards.


I'm not saying that trading Frans Nielsen wouldn't hurt - it would hurt like hell. But, if we aren't going to trade ANYONE - how does the team get better?

I apologize, I meant is there a defenseman looked at in the same light on another team as Nielsen does for us at forward? Kind of an oddball question I know, but I was kind of thinking if Nielsen somehow magically overnight became a defensman he would no longer fly under the radar and his value would instantly skyrocket. Defensive forwards are criminally underrated across the league as opposed to defensemen who put up points who can be very overrated, which in turn completely skews their true value. It was a silly question and was only half-serious. Just a weird way for me to express the way I feel about Nielsen and what he means to the team.

And you're right. How do we get better? The problem is I feel the answer to our defense is already in the system. But how long will that take and what do we do in the meantime? These next two years are pretty damn important. Is trading Nielsen the only/best answer? I really hope not, but you might be right.

I think the best solution is to somehow figure out how to get Bailey's trade value to go up...lol

 

[Darth Milbury]

Nielsen's Corsi stats are amazing. He makes everyone he plays with better, and to trade him would be a huge mistake, unlike unloading Bailey.

Again, the question is how does the team get better? Trading Bailey doesn't make us better because he has no real market value.

Nielsen, on the other hand, is coming off a career year and could have value.

 

[LeapOnOver]

Nelson-Tavares-Okposo
Lee-Grabovski-Strome
Grabner-Nielsen-Kulemin
Cizikas/Martin-Bailey-Clutterbuck

I still dont think conacher was signed just to be waived

 

[rikker]

Nielsen's Corsi stats are amazing. He makes everyone he plays with better, and to trade him would be a huge mistake, unlike unloading Bailey.

this is the conclusion that i have come to, just from observing and hearing others talk. he is very valuable. not saying that anyone shouldn't be traded, but i think his value will be apparent in a few years, when he is a UFA.

i disagree that unloading Bailey would be smart, though. imagine how we would be crucifying Snow if he had traded KO two years ago? no need to hit the panic button. FWIW, Nielsen didn't have a good year until he was 26. good thing we didn't trade him either.

 

[seafoam]

I still dont think conacher was signed just to be waived

I think things would be different if we didn't sign Kulemin and Grabovski.

 

[original islander]

this is the conclusion that i have come to, just from observing and hearing others talk. he is very valuable. not saying that anyone shouldn't be traded, but i think his value will be apparent in a few years, when he is a UFA.

i disagree that unloading Bailey would be smart, though. imagine how we would be crucifying Snow if he had traded KO two years ago? no need to hit the panic button. FWIW, Nielsen didn't have a good year until he was 26. good thing we didn't trade him either.

Really good points about KO and Frans. For the record I was one of the advocates for trading Kyle two years ago and I was completely wrong.

 

[BroadwayJay*]

I think things would be different if we didn't sign Kulemin and Grabovski.

It is my opinion that Conacher will be on the club, Lee will be in BPT, and Boulton will be in BPT (with no claim).

 

[duster19]

Don't think he will. I honk he might get a look with kumelin and grabo

 

[A Pointed Stick]

Nelson and Kulemin are both excellent defensive forwards.


I'm not saying that trading Frans Nielsen wouldn't hurt - it would hurt like hell. But, if we aren't going to trade ANYONE - how does the team get better?

Drafting, apparently, because trading anyone for help even once is Milburyism, Nazi-ism, and German Shisse filmism all at the same time based on HF Boards logic.

I disagree with trading Nielsen at this point though. I don't know how you put the tradable pieces into the Islander filter and come out with him as the best choice. He is arguably our best defensive forward, and the team needs to clean up its heinous goals against number as the next step in getting better - you don't trade away his talents when that is your goal, or at least until some others step in to fill that hole. Maybe in two years with much progress from Nelson & Strome... I wouldn't consider it this year though.

 

[A Pointed Stick]

this is the conclusion that i have come to, just from observing and hearing others talk. he is very valuable. not saying that anyone shouldn't be traded, but i think his value will be apparent in a few years, when he is a UFA.

i disagree that unloading Bailey would be smart, though. imagine how we would be crucifying Snow if he had traded KO two years ago? no need to hit the panic button. FWIW, Nielsen didn't have a good year until he was 26. good thing we didn't trade him either.

Kyle had a reason for slumping like he did. Bailey doesn't. And according to the meager pickins from the wire we get now and then, he is on the trade plate.

 

[rikker]

Kyle had a reason for slumping like he did. Bailey doesn't. And according to the meager pickins from the wire we get now and then, he is on the trade plate.

Bailey was rushed, and bounced around a lot. certainly not ideal.

we have all seen the Bailey that we expected. the problem is not that he isn't talented or skilled enough, but moreso that he isn't consistent. the same could be said of Luongo, Bertuzzi, etc, in their short time here.

i ask again... what is the rush with Bailey? if he plays like crap, we have viable options (finally, after years of PMB and his ilk). if he plays great, then great.

 

[A Pointed Stick]

Bailey was rushed, and bounced around a lot. certainly not ideal.

we have all seen the Bailey that we expected. the problem is not that he isn't talented or skilled enough, but moreso that he isn't consistent. the same could be said of Luongo, Bertuzzi, etc, in their short time here.

i ask again... what is the rush with Bailey? if he plays like crap, we have viable options (finally, after years of PMB and his ilk). if he plays great, then great.

It isn't a rush to trade Bailey, more of a rush to trade to fill the hole on defense. Everyone wants to move pieces to make it happen, me included. Who would you move? This means, who has the most acceptable "we can afford to lose him" over "who has the best trade value" ratio. IMO, Nielsen falls off the radar because he is too valuable. Bailey... we have plenty of depth at this point and an abundance of centers in a league where centers are in demand at the moment.

 

[BroadwayJay*]

It isn't a rush to trade Bailey, more of a rush to trade to fill the hole on defense. Everyone wants to move pieces to make it happen, me included. Who would you move? This means, who has the most acceptable "we can afford to lose him" over "who has the best trade value" ratio. IMO, Nielsen falls off the radar because he is too valuable. Bailey... we have plenty of depth at this point and an abundance of centers in a league where centers are in demand at the moment.

Casey Cizikas.

However, I don't think we're desperate to acquire a defenseman; we have depth, options and opportunities.

As I've said before, I'm not really too worried about it.

But we DEFINITELY needs something to talk about for the next few weeks so I can play along.

 

[OlTimeHockey]

I wish we could package him for a Steve Thomas type that fit line 1......but we're not trading Brent Sutter with him.