Your view of Keith Primeau?

[Kyle McMahon]

Always wondered why Primeau, Recchi, Stevens weren't a candidate for 02 Olympics.

After the Nagano disaster, the idea was that Canada needed more speed and finesse to compete on the big ice. Ryan Smyth was the only guy they selected in 2002 that fit the "skilled grinder" description that you could have applied to several players on the 1998 team. The omissions of Primeau and Recchi were not at all surprising as I recall.

Stevens being left off raised a few eyebrows, but still wasn't considered controversial. Jovanovski was at the peak of his career and seen as a more mobile version of Stevens. In reality Jovo could hit like Stevens, but had nowhere near the defensive ability. Brewer was a rising star who brought some youth and quickness to the lineup. Adam Foote was on the team as the physical shutdown guy already, so I think the thought process was that Stevens was a little redundant if they were taking Foote, hence they elected to go with Brewer and Jovo. Looks odd in retrospect but made sense at the time, and of course the team won. C'est la vie.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

some more coal for the primeau-bashing fire, from when primeau held out and forced the eventual trade to philadelphia.--

What worries some NHL executives about Primeau is this is his second major dispute with his team. The Wings flirted with making Primeau an offer, leaking their interest to the media as a way to tweak Carolina management that made an offer to Fedorov. But according to a source in Detroit, before Wings management got serious about it, they polled players and found little interest in having Primeau back as a teammate.

Truth be told, Primeau will never win a popularity contest when he returns to Carolina, either.

"He's a spoiled brat," one team executive said.

"A very selfish guy who thinks only of himself," said another.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/primeau-canes-stay-stubborn/

 

[Sentinel]

For that matter, Mike Ricci (the guy who went after Primeau) would have been a solid pick for the Wings, in terms of what they actually needed 5 years later.

Er, no. Ricci was from the same mold as the Grind Line boys, and how many of those do you need on your team? The Wings had four (five with Holmstrom). And there is no way in hell the Wings flip Ricci + Coffey for Shanahan. So Primeau served his purposed: gave us Shanny.

 

[GlitchMarner]

lmao... I had no idea other hockey fans disliked this guy so much before seeing this thread.

 

[GlitchMarner]

Er, no. Ricci was from the same mold as the Grind Line boys, and how many of those do you need on your team? The Wings had four (five with Holmstrom). And there is no way in hell the Wings flip Ricci + Coffey for Shanahan. So Primeau served his purposed: gave us Shanny.

That's true, but if I had to take one of these guys, I'd be quite tempted to take Mike Ricci to be honest.

He declined offensively after his first few seasons, but he was a solid depth guy that could help his teams win.

While he was better offensively later on, did d-bag Keith really bring the same intangibles or defensive ability on a regular basis?

Maybe I'm being unreasonable... I don't know. I've always liked Ricci a lot as a player and couldn't GAF about Primeau personally.

 

[Sadekuuro]

lmao... I had no idea other hockey fans disliked this guy so much before seeing this thread.

Flyers fans love him, but it is kinda gratifying to see that just about everyone else recognizes what Wings fans have long known

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Er, no. Ricci was from the same mold as the Grind Line boys, and how many of those do you need on your team? The Wings had four (five with Holmstrom). And there is no way in hell the Wings flip Ricci + Coffey for Shanahan. So Primeau served his purposed: gave us Shanny.

well, primeau (+ coffey) was traded for shanahan in 1996. at that time, primeau, though a toolsy and promising player, had a career high of 73 points, which he would in fact never top. mike ricci's career high in points was 78, recorded in 1993, the same year primeau hit his high water mark of 73.

their career stats as of 1996:

primeau: 363 games, 97 goals, 133 assists, 230 points
ricci: 416 games, 119 goals, 170 assists, 289 points

you really don't think hartford would have wanted '96 ricci (17 points in 22 playoff games, en route to the cup) at least as much as they wanted '96 primeau (20 career playoff points in 64 games)?

 

[Regal]

well, primeau (+ coffey) was traded for shanahan in 1996. at that time, primeau, though a toolsy and promising player, had a career high of 73 points, which he would in fact never top. mike ricci's career high in points was 78, recorded in 1993, the same year primeau hit his high water mark of 73.

their career stats as of 1996:

primeau: 363 games, 97 goals, 133 assists, 230 points
ricci: 416 games, 119 goals, 170 assists, 289 points

you really don't think hartford would have wanted '96 ricci (17 points in 22 playoff games, en route to the cup) at least as much as they wanted '96 primeau (20 career playoff points in 64 games)?

I think pretty much everyone thought Primeau had far more upside though if he put it together. Carolina likely wanted the potential of a monster franchise center. Ricci was also coming off a pretty low scoring regular season with 27 points

 

[Sanf]

you really don't think hartford would have wanted '96 ricci (17 points in 22 playoff games, en route to the cup) at least as much as they wanted '96 primeau (20 career playoff points in 64 games)?

Hard to say. Did they really see that kind of potential in Ricci at that point anymore.

I went to refresh my memory and I remembered correct. Brind´Amour was the man that Whalers really wanted. Flyers eventually backed down from that deal. Kind of funny that Brind´Amour was the man that they eventually got.

Closest deal was with Capitals which I had no recollection. There were talk about bunch of draft picks or Konowalchuk,Gonchar and 2nd round pick.

 

[Sanf]

Even if it is kind of OT (though interesting because Flyers eventually traded him) to this here is about the Shanahan Brind´Amour trade possibility from 1996


September 15, 1996
Asbury Park Press

...Clarke said. "We haven't offered anyone and they haven't told us who they want." NHL sources say that Whalers GM Jim Rutherford told Clarke any deal for Shanahan must include center Rod Brind'Amour. Hartford also would like another forward and one defenseman. Names being kicked around are winger Trent Klatt and defenseman Chris Therien....

Sources inside the Flyers organization say Clarke is unwilling to part with Brind'Amour for the very reason that Rutherford wants him because of the character he brings to a team. - "We've made trades in the past where we got a player who gave us more offense but took something very important out of the locker room, and we don't want to see that mistake repeated again," said one Flyers source familiar with the Shanahan discussions.

...Rutherford wants to rebuild with character players who go all-out every night on the ice and who add chemistry in the dressing room. That's Brind'Amour's biggest value, the Flyers say. "That's what Rod has always brought to us," said Clarke, without acknowledging that Brind'Amour was on the trading block. "He brings a lot of character to our club." ....

 

[overg]

Gotta hand it to Rutherford for getting Brind'Amour in exchange for him. Wow does that ever look like a steal in hindsight.

It looked like a steal in foresight, too.

 

[billybudd]

Would you say he was a less productive Eric Lindros?

More like meaner Jordan Staal.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Er, no. Ricci was from the same mold as the Grind Line boys, and how many of those do you need on your team? The Wings had four (five with Holmstrom). And there is no way in hell the Wings flip Ricci + Coffey for Shanahan. So Primeau served his purposed: gave us Shanny.

IMO, with Ricci instead of Primeau there's a decent chance the Wings never need to make that trade because they've already won a Cup and are cruising into dynasty mode by '97.

 

[Theokritos]

some more coal for the primeau-bashing fire, from when primeau held out and forced the eventual trade to philadelphia.--



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/primeau-canes-stay-stubborn/

Ironically, the article states:

Primeau (...) declined salary arbitration as a way to resolve his contract dispute and decided to withhold his services in Carolina -- forevermore, he says. "He has that option, I guess, if he's not going to play in the NHL any more," Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford said. "But we're not going to trade him. And if an offer sheet comes in from another team, we're going to match it. He really doesn't have a choice. If he's going to play in the NHL the next four years, then he's going to play here." (...) It's painfully obvious that after a series of ill-advised decisions, he'll play again only on someone else's terms. Keith Primeau has no leverage.

Five months later Primeau was traded to Philadelphia. So much for that.

 

[Hobnobs]

Ironically, the article states:



Five months later Primeau was traded to Philadelphia. So much for that.

Well, he has to say that so that other GMs doesnt lowball or offersheet.

 

[Theokritos]

Well, he has to say that so that other GMs doesnt lowball or offersheet.

That makes sense. But the CBS writer did a poor job there in adding his personal verdict and disguising it as a statement of facts when in reality it was unsubstantiated.

But it's painfully obvious that after a series of ill-advised decisions, he'll play again only on someone else's terms. Keith Primeau has no leverage.

 

[Mayor Bee]

[deleted]

 

[overpass]

"We've made trades in the past where we got a player who gave us more offense but took something very important out of the locker room, and we don't want to see that mistake repeated again," said one Flyers source familiar with the Shanahan discussions.

For some reason this quote posted above caught my attention. Which trades is the source referencing here that didn't work out for them? I thought of Tocchet for Recchi, but surely they wouldn't be going back almost a decade. Kevin Haller for Paul Coffey? Craig MacTavish for Dale Hawerchuk?

 

[Hobnobs]

For some reason this quote posted above caught my attention. Which trades is the source referencing here that didn't work out for them? I thought of Tocchet for Recchi, but surely they wouldn't be going back almost a decade. Kevin Haller for Paul Coffey? Craig MacTavish for Dale Hawerchuk?

Tocchet for Recchi would be my guess. He was a heart and soul guy for that team. Could also be talking about Kevin Dineen from the season before that. He was a well liked guy.


Saw now that he said traded for offense so it must be Mactavish for Hawerchuk.

 

[Datsyukian Deke]

Very glad to have seen him as a youngster with the team, but was even more happy he was able to be part of the deal that brought Shanahan to the Wings. Sucked to lose him at that time, but what we got in return more than made up for it.

 

[Sentinel]

Primeau's career does have a huge "what-if" that nobody seems to bring up. He was coming off his best and gutsiest performance ever, when a concussion ended his career. Could he have repeated?

 

[GlitchMarner]

Primeau's career does have a huge "what-if" that nobody seems to bring up. He was coming off his best and gutsiest performance ever, when a concussion ended his career. Could he have repeated?

Doubtful.

He was in his mid 30s.

That 2004 playoff run was probably going to be his career defining moment.


If there had been no lockout, I think he could have had a nice season, but it wouldn't have been anything too special, and I doubt he would have owned in the playoffs again.

When a guy struggles in the post-season for that long, there's probably a reason for it. But good on him for overcoming the mental block or whatever was hindering him and having one dominant playoffs.

 

[GMR]

Primeau's career does have a huge "what-if" that nobody seems to bring up. He was coming off his best and gutsiest performance ever, when a concussion ended his career. Could he have repeated?

His lack of speed would likely have been a problem after the lockout.

 

[Pantokrator]

overrated primadonna who had one great playoff run in the twilight of his career after years of disappointment and for some reason is remembered for it.

Pretty good penalty killer and would have been a great 3rd line center with size if his ego would have allowed it.

Yes, I agree. I never liked the trade that brought him to the Flyers. Maybe like a lesser Eric Staal, or like Jordan Staal.

 

[VanIslander]

His lack of speed would likely have been a problem after the lockout.

Heck, it was a problem on the 1998 Olympic team.