Pajuniemi and Reunanen are two very recent examples of guys who played in Europe and have/will spend multiple seasons in Hartford.
Kravtsov was playing well in the KHL. He didn't want to play in the AHL. It didn't matter that it was Hartford--he wanted to play on the NHL and thought he deserved to be there. Andersson also thought he deserved a bigger role, in the NHL. We heard that repeatedly. That's not about Hartford. That's about two guys who think they should have a spot that the team doesn't think they've earned.
Lundkvist is on the same boat. The difference with him is that he's completely blocked. Or, he's blocked enough that he doesn't want to have to put in the effort to break through. That's fine, I understand he wants an easier road. That, also, is not Hartford.
Just blaming it on Hartford sucking is an easy excuse, but it's not a valid one, IMO. As I said in the other thread, the team has no problem getting veteran AHL players who know all about Hartford to sign there. If you think Hartford sucks, you might not be familiar the many other AHL cities.
If what Brooks is saying is true about him not even reporting to camp, toll his f***ing contract if you can't get a decent player back. So sick of this shit.
Yeah that would be the part that bothers me. I don't care if he wants a trade, I get that. But you still need to show up and play. If you want the team to act in good faith by exploring a trade, you need to act in good faith by showing up and helping maintain your value.