Player Discussion: PLD

[Evil Little]

Interesting, I didn't hear anything in and around the draft but I did hear the deals being offered for Laine were underwhelming.

I gathered he meant the '16 draft, at which Kekalainen has recently discussed trying to trade up to get Laine. To use that as a evidence that Laine is still the more valuable player is folly.

 

[ffh]

There are multiple stories about Kekalainen's interest in Laine including a story about how he desperately tried to trade up with Chevy at draft day. In interviews with Chevy, he stated he had talks with Columbus for months.

I maintain that Laine is the more valuable player due to goal scoring and upside and that Chevy got out negotiated.

the fact remains the columbus gm knew a long time ago that laine wanted out way before he knew pld wanted out. so when pld asked for the trade on dec 31st all he had to do was call chevy and close the deal because as he says he likes laine more. but he didnt call chevy to get the ball rolling till dubois forced his hand 2 weeks later. i think he let torts go rogue to tell pld he cant trade him now because torts ruined his trade value but dubois got mad at them for not honoring their promise to keep it quiet and took matter into his own hands.

 

[ps241]

I gathered he meant the '16 draft, at which Kekalainen has recently discussed trying to trade up to get Laine. To use that as a evidence that Laine is still the more valuable player is folly.

That makes more sense as far as context and yea where any player is drafted is interesting historically but once they hit the NHL its more of a historical footnote.

 

[Jet]

There are multiple stories about Kekalainen's interest in Laine including a story about how he desperately tried to trade up with Chevy at draft day. In interviews with Chevy, he stated he had talks with Columbus for months.

I maintain that Laine is the more valuable player due to goal scoring and upside and that Chevy got out negotiated.

If PLD plateaus and Laine fulfils his true potential his worth will be greater, but I think that's an unlikely outcome. Laine right now is the riskier bet - I think Chevy got max value for him.

 

[Jet]

Can you imagine if Chevy traded Scheifele our #1 center for a winger today? People would freak-out on here and i would be one of them. Stastny would be our #1 center........ but we would have some great wingers .

And even with Scheifele, our problem was that our C/ W balance was off - which is exactly the problem CBJ have now.

Bottom line is, a C can easily be a W, but a W cannot easily become a C

 

[buggs]

If PLD plateaus and Laine fulfils his true potential his worth will be greater, but I think that's an unlikely outcome. Laine right now is the riskier bet - I think Chevy got max value for him.

I'm of the opinion that everything gets resolved once these two hit free agency or sign extensions with their respective teams. I see both as a risk for flight once they hit UFA. I hope neither does and they stick with their new teams. If that's the case, I call the trade a push in most respects, other than center>winger. Roslovic wasn't willing to settle for a low end role here so he gambled on holding out/not signing/whatever you want to call it. We got something, albeit less than we'd like, for him.

Make no mistake, I'm still sad and still see Laine as a top three wing in the league if he hits his stride in Columbus. Game 1 against Calgary was his ceiling and it's frightening if he hits that. He'd become a monster, play driving winger with phenomenal scoring touch. Essentially he would become Ovechkin. I wish him nothing but the best of outcomes (minus a cup at our expense).

That said, this is easily the best outcome of the trade possibilities we were facing for Laine. PLD gives us an effective 1-2 punch at center that is exceeded by relatively few teams (EDM, PIT, ?). If we can re-sign PLD we are set at center for the next decade arguably. That's without the possibility of Perfetti entering the conversation. PLD gives the Jets time to develop Perfetti at center without the stress of needing him to perform at center in short order. And if Perfetti fails to develop as an NHL caliber center, oh well, you have a play driving winger that should be the equivalent of an Ehlers. Tough concession that.

Perhaps the most important outcome of PLD coming to Winnipeg though is it should light a fire under Scheifele who has been the defacto 1C but hasn't necessarily been playing like one for some time. I'd contend that perhaps PLD should be the 1C going forward over Scheifele. It should certainly allow for some different line strategies and matchups, maybe moving Scheifele away from the other teams top line. To be fair to Scheifele I still think of him as a top center in the league, but unlike post 2017-18 I tend to rank him in the bottom ten rather than the top ten. I don't question his off-ice work ethic at all, but it hasn't been really translating like it had prior. Yeah, the D remains a contributing factor but suffice to say I'm very curious to see PLDs play in front of the D that offers so little support to Scheifele. It should help in a fair assessment of Scheifele's performance on D. For me if PLD struggles similarly to Scheifele then I'll be more sympathetic to the latter's play in the D zone.

 

[Whileee]

If PLD plateaus and Laine fulfils his true potential his worth will be greater, but I think that's an unlikely outcome. Laine right now is the riskier bet - I think Chevy got max value for him.

I'm not sure that Laine got maximum value for Laine, but I think he made the Jets better through this trade, both in the near term and the long term. Of course, that assessment could be wrong, but based on all of the evidence leading up to the trade I think it was the right decision.

 

[roccerfeller]

I miss laine
But oh man am I excited about PLD

every game since the trade I’ve been wondering how different each game could have been with him

he’s an absolute unit. We haven’t seen much of him in our jets bubble but he’s an exceptional player and will greatly enhance our team. We should be noticeably better after in terms of general play

 

[JetsJets]

"Culinary captain

The off-ice stuff, indoctrinating Dubois to his new city, is more challenging, if not next to impossible.
“I’ve just been trying to text him as much as I can,” captain Blake Wheeler said. “The monotony of a 14-day quarantine is pretty rough. But as far as where he should order delivery from, trying to give him some variety in terms of what he can eat – I’ve been here 10 years, so I kind of know my way around town and just trying to offer as much of those little nuances you don’t know when you move to a new city.
“Outside of that, it’s tough to build any traction with a guy you can’t see for 14 days.”
Dubois has his parents in Winnipeg to help out, too.
His father, Eric, is an assistant coach with the Manitoba Moose, the Jets’ AHL farm team."

SNAPSHOTS: Jets Dubois on fast-track for debut | Winnipeg Sun

 

[Evil Little]

I'm not sure that Laine got maximum value for Laine, but I think he made the Jets better through this trade, both in the near term and the long term. Of course, that assessment could be wrong, but based on all of the evidence leading up to the trade I think it was the right decision.

I just don't see a better scenario for trading Laine. In a trade, you want to receive the best player. If not, you want it to be one-for-one.

No one is trading anyone as young and good as Laine unless there are problems (trade requests). That there was a simultaneous rift between a similarly young and similarly important player on another team is just bloody kismet*.

*Or, you know, Laine wanted out years ago and it was just a matter of waiting until as valuable a player was available.

 

[Jetsfan79]

I heard something interesting from Murat Ates yesterday when he was interviewed on 1290. He said he researched the last 15-20 games that PLD played in CBJ and isolated his shifts. Made the following observation. He noticed that Columbus really liked to employ the stretch pass and utilize PLD’s speed. As a result he was often the first forward out the zone and often was the late player coming back. One of his wingers, would typically take on the traditional centre role (first man to the front of the net) When the play settled down a tad is when PLD would re-establish his natural centre position.

He was saying that he really doesn’t see PLD as that pure “Ryan O’reilly type 2 way defenseman" but rather a centre that was used in a particular fashion in Columbus.
It is based on this observation that he felt starting PLD at wing would be a good way to slow play him in the Jets system.

The interview is around the 2 hour and 3 minute mark

 

[Hunter368]

I heard something interesting from Murat Ates yesterday when he was interviewed on 1290. He said he researched the last 15-20 games that PLD played in CBJ and isolated his shifts. Made the following observation. He noticed that Columbus really liked to employ the stretch pass and utilize PLD’s speed. As a result he was often the first forward out the zone and often was the late player coming back. One of his wingers, would typically take on the traditional centre role (first man to the front of the net) When the play settled down a tad is when PLD would re-establish his natural centre position.

He was saying that he really doesn’t see PLD as that pure “Ryan O’reilly type 2 way defenseman" but rather a centre that was used in a particular fashion in Columbus.
It is based on this observation that he felt starting PLD at wing would be a good way to slow play him in the Jets system.

The interview is around the 2 hour and 3 minute mark

Correct, PLD wasn't a born defensive or two way centre, Torts converted him into one. At the draft PLD was known as more of a scorer, not surprising Torts wanted a big two way centre.

I suspect PLD role on the Jets will be a bit less two way then on the CBJ but still expected to be that responsible centre and at times asked to shut guys down depending on the score of the game.

 

[Jetsfan79]

Correct, PLD wasn't a born defensive or two way centre, Torts converted him into one. At the draft PLD was known as more of a scorer, not surprising Torts wanted a big two way centre.

I suspect PLD role on the Jets will be a bit less two way then on the CBJ but still expected to be that responsible centre and at times asked to shut guys down depending on the score of the game.

I admit my understanding hockey systems and schemes is not my forte'. But isn't the implication that PLD is not a two center even right now and Torts adapted by not changing PLD but by assigning one of his wingers to take on the defensive role for him?

Edit: Nevermind just re-read the 2nd paragraph of your post which basically covered my thoughts.

 

[Hunter368]

I admit my understanding hockey systems and schemes is not my forte'. But isn't the implication that PLD is not a two center even right now and Torts adapted by not changing PLD but by assigning one of his wingers to take on the defensive role for him?

They did that b/c of the stretch pass to PLD to try to score more goals which is a huge problem for them and why they have high hopes on Laine. They used that winger coverage to allow PLD using his speed to break out for the stretch pass and score more goals. The winger then covered for PLD, bc PLD was way up the ice.......that's a hockey play, not a player short coming.

 

[Gnova]

I think at the time of the draft Laine was indeed more valuable. But now likely not.

At draft time it was unclear who the #1 pick should be so the 2nd pick was super valuable. The ceiling on Laine was considered to be ridiculously high at the time.
I think Matthews is the consensus #1 now but I also don't think he has lived up to Leaf fan's hopes.
I don't think Laine is even #2 anymore.

 

[Howard Chuck]

Correct, PLD wasn't a born defensive or two way centre, Torts converted him into one. At the draft PLD was known as more of a scorer, not surprising Torts wanted a big two way centre.

I suspect PLD role on the Jets will be a bit less two way then on the CBJ but still expected to be that responsible centre and at times asked to shut guys down depending on the score of the game.

Combination of Schief and Lowry!

 

[Howard Chuck]

At draft time it was unclear who the #1 pick should be so the 2nd pick was super valuable. The ceiling on Laine was considered to be ridiculously high at the time.
I think Matthews is the consensus #1 now but I also don't think he has lived up to Leaf fan's hopes.
I don't think Laine is even #2 anymore.

Be nice to see PLD thrive here and take over that #1 in a redraft.

 

[Hunter368]

Combination of Schief and Lowry!

Kinda, albeit I think we're going to see PLD might be the better skater then Mark is, or at least was at the same age.

 

[DashingDane]

Not sure if anyone shared this yet.

 

[Aggie204]

Not sure if anyone shared this yet.

PLD with the wingtip moustache, just missing the red plaid long sleeve and toque to finish the québécois look.

 

[JetsUK]

PLD with the wingtip moustache, just missing the red plaid long sleeve and toque to finish the québécois look.

Hey -- watch what you say about my père-in-law!

And that's more a South Shore/rural townships/Trois-Pistoles/Rivières thing. For MTL and QC sub in Reiss denims, messenger bags, bespoke suits and handmade shoes...

 

[Turin]

Combination of Schief and Lowry!

Dubois isn’t much better defensively than Laine.

 

[Evil Little]

Dubois isn’t much better defensively than Laine.

I hope this isn't true. I'll watch with cautious optimism.

 

[jokesondee]

Dubois isn’t much better defensively than Laine.

Lol, yeah ok. Eye test, fancy stats, metrics, pretty much everything would seem to refute your claim.

 

[Turin]

Lol, yeah ok. Eye test, fancy stats, metrics, pretty much everything would seem to refute your claim.

I’m not saying he can’t get better but he’s not a two way C.