Speculation: Trade Ideas and Free Agency XXII

[NHL1674]

Why bring back Cullen? We have enough centers, unless Fletch is looking to move one. We're getting older and slower by the minute. And I know we want to move some guys to wing, but come on. Bringing Cullen back would feel like them trying to bring Bruno back. It's done. Let it go. Feels like we're really trying to make up for not having a true #1 center by just loading up on #2-4 centermen. The contracts today we're fine. Leave it as is and see how the season shakes out.

 

[TaLoN]

Why bring back Cullen? We have enough centers, unless Fletch is looking to move one. We're getting older and slower by the minute. Bringing Cullen back would feel like them trying to bring Bruno back. It's done. Let it go. Feels like we're really trying to make up for not having a true #1 center by just loading up on #2-4 centermen. The cotracts today we're fine. Leave it as is and see how the season shakes out.

Cullen isn't slow, and he'd be the best option for 4th line center we could possibly have.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

Also our PK was real bad last year, Cullen could help that not suck.

 

[Kenny G]

Cullen also looked fantastic in the playoffs

 

[Spurgeon]

Why bring back Cullen? We have enough centers, unless Fletch is looking to move one. We're getting older and slower by the minute. And I know we want to move some guys to wing, but come on. Bringing Cullen back would feel like them trying to bring Bruno back. It's done. Let it go. Feels like we're really trying to make up for not having a true #1 center by just loading up on #2-4 centermen. The contracts today we're fine. Leave it as is and see how the season shakes out.

Because Cullen is miles better than Graovac or Carter at near the same AAV (~$1 million).

I'd love to go into next season with a lineup like this:

Granlund - Koivu - Zucker

Parise - Staal - Coyle

Nino - Haula - Pominville

Carter/Porter - Cullen - Stewart

 

[Bookman]

Stall + Stewart + Vanek's buyout caphit is about what Vanek's caphit would have been this year.

I think the Wild are better for this.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Cullen isn't slow, and he'd be the best option for 4th line center we could possibly have.

Graovac probably isn't going to clear waivers, I'd rather give him a shot with two vets (Carter/Stewart) on his wings.

 

[Minnesota]

Can never have enough centers. Can always move them to wing. Wish we'd have kept Brodziak for that reason.

 

[TaLoN]

Graovac probably isn't going to clear waivers, I'd rather give him a shot with two vets (Carter/Stewart) on his wings.

We've heard many times how players won't clear waivers, yet when the time came, they clear waivers.

Graovac hasn't really done anything to reach that point yet IMO. There's a reason his first year is still a 2 way deal, he hasn't proven he'll be anything more than an AHL journeyman yet at this point.

His chance was last season, but then he got injured 1 game in and looked like crap the rest of the year.

 

[TwiztedHeat]

Because Cullen is miles better than Graovac or Carter at near the same AAV (~$1 million).

I'd love to go into next season with a lineup like this:

Granlund - Koivu - Zucker

Parise - Staal - Coyle

Nino - Haula - Pominville

Carter/Porter - Cullen - Stewart

Oh my god, my poor little heart can only take so much. This lineup with this:

Suter-Spurgeon
Scandella-Dumba
Reilly-Brodin

is very good. That's a team that play with anyone if Staal can even remotely play average.

 

[tomgilbertfan]

That Pominville-Haula dynamic better carry over, and Zucker better bounce back or our RWs are not good.

 

[TaLoN]

That Pominville-Haula dynamic better carry over, and Zucker better bounce back or our RWs are not good.

Unless Tuch impresses in camp and is ready sooner than we expect.

 

[TwiztedHeat]

That Pominville-Haula dynamic better carry over, and Zucker better bounce back or our RWs are not good.

You also have the ability to flop Nino and Zucker or Granlund and Zucker.

 

[123TripleDoge]

Man I really hope we can get Cullen back. Load up with centers and depth. Plus, It'd be nice for Grao to start out in the AHL and succeed again there, then be the first injury call up for a Center

 

[TaLoN]

 

[keppel146]

Because Cullen is miles better than Graovac or Carter at near the same AAV (~$1 million).

I'd love to go into next season with a lineup like this:

Granlund - Koivu - Zucker

Parise - Staal - Coyle

Nino - Haula - Pominville

Carter/Porter - Cullen - Stewart

Yup! That's what I'm talking about.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Graovac probably isn't going to clear waivers, I'd rather give him a shot with two vets (Carter/Stewart) on his wings.

every team has a graovac level could be 4th line quality center. No team is going to force themselves to keep him on the roster for 30 days, and guarantee a 1 way deal the following season with his 2 nhl games or whatever.

Also, we could just break Graovac in on Wing

 

[123TripleDoge]

every team has a graovac level could be 4th line quality center. No team is going to force themselves to keep him on the roster for 30 days, and guarantee a 1 way deal the following season with his 2 nhl games or whatever.

Also, we could just break Graovac in on Wing

Grao - Cullen - Stewart would be fun

 

[Lennu32]

That Pominville-Haula dynamic better carry over, and Zucker better bounce back or our RWs are not good.

Well, this way it's better:

Parise - Staal - Coyle
Zucker - Koivu - Granlund
Nino - Haula - Pominville
Carter/Porter - Cullen - Stewart

Zucker is a LW and Granlund RW

 

[Lennu32]

Cullen isn't slow, and he'd be the best option for 4th line center we could possibly have.

Cullen was pretty good on FO's, wasn't he?

 

[Jesus comma Brodin]

Cullen was pretty good on FO's, wasn't he?

Hasn't been under 50% since 2009.

 

[TaLoN]

Cullen was pretty good on FO's, wasn't he?

Cullen was 15th in the NHL last season in the faceoff circle at 55.7%.

 

[gwh]

Cullen 56%, Koivu 55%, Haula 53% and Staal 53%.

All 4 centers in top30 faceoff winners in the league.

Granlund to Staal switch leaves us with 48 more puck possessions per season.

Pommer took 82 faceoffs last season at 45%. Upgrading Pommer to Granlund leaves the team with 2 more pucks per season, which is insignificant. Vanek took 38 at 31%. Vanek to Granlund means 6 more possessions per season.

 

[TaLoN]

Koivu was actually 11th in the league at 56.1%
Cullen 15th with 55.7%
Haula 30th at 53.3%
Staal 31st at 53%.

http://puckbase.com/stats/faceoff-percentage

 

[BusQuets]

Scared but a little optimistic about Staal. Rangers and Carolina fans are talking about him the way we talked about Heatley.. Would make the team better if he could be ~50 point center. Cullen would be very nice addition. Liked what i saw from him in the playoffs.