Resign Markov and Diaz bring up Tinordi,Pateryn, or Beaulieu. Let the rest walk.
Diaz??....nooooooooooo......
Resign Markov and Diaz bring up Tinordi,Pateryn, or Beaulieu. Let the rest walk.
Gionta on a two year deal worth $6M total ($3M cap hit).
Well, the poll says "at the same salary", which doesn't make much sense, except maybe for Markov.
Diaz would be a bargain at that price.
And yeah, Habsterix with Gionta for two more years. Let's extend Briere while we're at it...
Briere @ 5 more years @ 5M per....obviously. The guy did score 2 goals 2 games ago, so he's awesome right
Which players would you bring back at the same salary for one more season (see poll above):
Gionta, Brian $5,000,000
Parros, George $937,500
Markov, Andrei $5,750,000
Bouillon, Francis $1,500,000
Murray, Douglas $1,500,000
Diaz, Raphael $1,225,000
Maybe Markov, but honestly I don't think he has much left in the tank. If he is willing to take a 2 year deal then I might go for that.
The others are mediocre to terrible and it's time for the team to bring in a breath of fresh air.
Gionta - I love his hustle but he's nearing the end of the road. He's had a good career but he can finish it somewhere else.
Parros - Useless at hockey and a hit/check away from never playing again. Goons like him are a dying breed and I expect they will be gone from the league soon enough.
Markov - I think people are afraid to admit what is happening right before their eyes. He is nowhere near the same player he used to be. At the start of the year when he was fresh, he looked great but now...not so much. I cringe to think what he'll look like come playoff time. MB has a tough decision to make on him if Markov is looking for a long term (3+ year) deal.
Bouillon - Go away.
Murray - Decent enough for a bridge to Tinordi but Tinordi should be ready to go next season.
Diaz - I'll never understand the praise he gets. People call him a PP specialist, well for a specialist he isn't very special. He could easily be replaced by Beaulieu/Pateryn IMO next season.
I hope MB has a direction in mind and we don't see another Briere level signing.
For a guy with no much left in the tank Markov is having quite a season. He's playing better than last year. The goals are down but he is +7 while he was -9 last yaer with similar tough minutes.
Markov is a top 30 NHL defenseman right now, maybe top 20.
Not sure who called Diaz a PP specialist. He is a guy taht does everything well without being great at anything. He's a #4 on most NHL teams...at 1.225 that's a huge bargain. On most teams he'd play on the top PP and have a lot more points.
First part of the season I would agree, he was playing at an elite level. The last 15 games or so though it's been a different story. Just watch him play specifically, I'm not just talking about stats, and you will see what I'm talking about.
Again, I don't see it with Diaz. He doesn't make that good of a first pass and often times shys away from contact instead of making the play. Also he isn't very good on the PP anymore. I don't think he's been the same player since his concussion.
We have guys in the AHL, like Tinordi/Beaulieu/Pateryn, that have higher ceilings than Diaz/Murray/Bouillon. I'm tired of treading water with average players.
He hasn't played quite as well, but the team as a whole has struggled to maintain offensive posession, so all the d-men are spending time on defense instead of on offense. I think that's more a fuction of his environment than of him.
If you let Markov and Diaz walk then the defense will look like 11-12, a trainwreck, not a good envirinment to develop young players. Signing a UFA is a formula for overpaying.
The only way I move Markov is if A-his contract demands are out of whack(3-4 years at 7 mil) or B-the return for him is too good to pass up(1st and a stud prospect who can play now).
Diaz is good on the PP, he just doesn't have a shooter with him and the PP is structured for Subban to shoot(top PP) so the #2 PP has generally been dysfunctional.
I agree the AHL kids will need room...but if they are not well surrounded it's a plan that will fail and then we'll end up spending picks on a Wisniewski type filler. I agree at least one if not two of those guys need to be on the roster next year, but there are 8 spots, if you let Bouillon Murray Diaz and Markov walk, you can't fill those with 4 kids.
Did I say on the top 6? I see him as an excellent third line player... if the team gets a better RW for the Top 6.Another two years of Gio in the Top 6? God no.
Diaz??....nooooooooooo......
Again, I don't see it with Diaz. He doesn't make that good of a first pass and often times shys away from contact instead of making the play. Also he isn't very good on the PP anymore. I don't think he's been the same player since his concussion.
We have guys in the AHL, like Tinordi/Beaulieu/Pateryn, that have higher ceilings than Diaz/Murray/Bouillon. I'm tired of treading water with average players.
So, just to clarify, you'd be happy to start next season with the defensive depth as:
1. Subban
2. Gorges
3. Emelin
4. Tinordi
5. Beaulieu
6. Patryn
7. Drewiske
8. Ellis? Dietz?
I mean, even if you think pencilling all of Tinordi, Pateryn and Beaulieu in as top six starters is a good idea, surely you don't actually believe that Drewiske a better fall back option than Diaz would be at 1.2 million?