NHL Transactions, Injuries & Rumours

[armandtanzarian]

Chia looking to fix Defense..

''I may not be done fixing the defense, first and foremost,'' said Chiarelli, responding during a conference call today to a question about the overall composition of Boston's defense now with Wideman gone.

Crediting goaltending and overall team defense for the club's solid goals-agaisnt record the last two seasons, Chiarelli added that it can be difficult to find a ''perfect fit'' for a puck-moving defenseman (one of Wideman's roles, which he filled inconsistently).

''If we add something, it might not be purely a puck-mover,'' said the GM. ''I thought Matt Hunwick turned the corner at the end. Andrew Ference moves the puck well. Dennis Seidenberg moves it well...and we are well coached.''

The trade with Florida sent Boston's other first-round pick, No. 15 overall, to Florida. That's one more chip Chiarelli cannot play if he hopes to swing a deal for another high draft pick, possibly in the 3-7 range, to acquire one of the prized 18-year-old defensemen in Friday's first round. One of the prospects, Cam Fowler, is considered a potential franchise defensemen.

''I am not ruling it out,'' said Chiarelli, asked about a move to acquire another high pick to pluck a blueliner. ''But right now it's not a pressing urgency.''

[Nick]

& lets be serious... pronger and keith were still kicking ass and taking names... no one in the world played more hockey then those 2... i think it was like 112/116 games @ ~30min per game ... tough minutes too... hard working minutes for keith and physical minutes for Poppa...


Toews & Richards too... so... 5.75M for Mikey, 6.3M(?) for Johnny ... I see notably more then a ~1M gap to pleks.


& FML if somehow the bruins shuffle & select Hall & Fowler.. I'll snap... if i suddenly have 4 bruins ... from NONE at the start of yesterday.

[armandtanzarian]

& lets be serious... pronger and keith were still kicking ass and taking names... no one in the world played more hockey then those 2... i think it was like 112/116 games @ ~30min per game ... tough minutes too... hard working minutes for keith and physical minutes for Poppa...


Toews & Richards too... so... 5.75M for Mikey, 6.3M(?) for Johnny ... I see notably more then a ~1M gap to pleks.


& FML if somehow the bruins shuffle & select Hall & Fowler.. I'll snap... if i suddenly have 4 bruins ... from NONE at the start of yesterday.

If this happens i will blow my load at least 5 times a day for the next 6 weeks. If it doesnt.....






It will only be 3 times a day.

[MSP4LYFE]

Among Centres:
14th in PTS
7th in FOW, however brutal FO% (49).
not in the top 30 for take-aways bs or hits
11th in shtoi
15th in assists
not in the top 30 for pp goals
19th for PP points
60th for SH points



so to be clear Kareem... he was top-10 in 1 stat (FOW) and thats because of a lack of decent centres on the Habs (as shown by 49%).

My mistake, I assume he maintained all those cats from midseason, stupid assumption in hindsight. Nonetheless those are still fantastic numbers...top 15 in 4 cats (PTS, FOW, SHTOI, A) and 5 in the top 20 (PTS, FOW, SHTOI, PPPTS). So I stand by my argument, top 15-20 centerman make 5 mill easy.

[KapG]

Among Centres:
14th in PTS
7th in FOW, however brutal FO% (49).
not in the top 30 for take-aways bs or hits
11th in shtoi
15th in assists
not in the top 30 for pp goals
19th for PP points
60th for SH points



so to be clear Kareem... he was top-10 in 1 stat (FOW) and thats because of a lack of decent centres on the Habs (as shown by 49%).

My mistake, I assume he maintained all those cats from midseason, stupid assumption in hindsight. Nonetheless those are still fantastic numbers...top 15 in 4 cats (PTS, FOW, SHTOI, A) and 5 in the top 20 (PTS, FOW, SHTOI, PPPTS). So I stand by my argument, top 15-20 centerman make 5 mill easy.

and it was all done in a contract year!!! We haven't seen that happen before, players putting up career numbers across the boards while playing not only for their teams success but their own personal financial security for the future.

I think you need to take that into consideration too!

[Nick]

i dunno Kareem. You objectively judge guys like Stajan (who falls into top 30 stats for C's ... across the board, saying this like " He's the best on a brutal team").. and then defend Pleks... who happens to be the best C on a team thats brutal down the middle...

both are better suited as #2's IMO... and one makes 3.5M the other 5M


(ps i know Pleks >> Stajan)

[MSP4LYFE]

Among Centres:
14th in PTS
7th in FOW, however brutal FO% (49).
not in the top 30 for take-aways bs or hits
11th in shtoi
15th in assists
not in the top 30 for pp goals
19th for PP points
60th for SH points



so to be clear Kareem... he was top-10 in 1 stat (FOW) and thats because of a lack of decent centres on the Habs (as shown by 49%).

My mistake, I assume he maintained all those cats from midseason, stupid assumption in hindsight. Nonetheless those are still fantastic numbers...top 15 in 4 cats (PTS, FOW, SHTOI, A) and 5 in the top 20 (PTS, FOW, SHTOI, PPPTS). So I stand by my argument, top 15-20 centerman make 5 mill easy.

and it was all done in a contract year!!! We haven't seen that happen before, players putting up career numbers across the boards while playing not only for their teams success but their own personal financial security for the future.

I think you need to take that into consideration too!

Plekanec defensive prowess has been consistent throughout his career, and this past season wasn't his first breakout season offensively, if you recall he scored 69 points a year ago.

[KapG]

My mistake, I assume he maintained all those cats from midseason, stupid assumption in hindsight. Nonetheless those are still fantastic numbers...top 15 in 4 cats (PTS, FOW, SHTOI, A) and 5 in the top 20 (PTS, FOW, SHTOI, PPPTS). So I stand by my argument, top 15-20 centerman make 5 mill easy.

and it was all done in a contract year!!! We haven't seen that happen before, players putting up career numbers across the boards while playing not only for their teams success but their own personal financial security for the future.

I think you need to take that into consideration too!

Plekanec defensive prowess has been consistent throughout his career, and this past season wasn't his first breakout season offensively, if you recall he scored 69 points a year ago.

this was by far and away his most impressive season ever as a Hab. No surprise it happened in a contract year.

[Mike]

Chicago to send Byfuglien, Sopel, Eager and Akim Aliu to Atl for 24th overall pick, 54th overall pick, Marty Reasoner and Jeremy Morin.

- Bobby Mac

[Shep]

Byfuuuuuuuuglien.

[Scott]

Chicago to send Byfuglien, Sopel, Eager and Akim Aliu to Atl for 24th overall pick, 54th overall pick, Marty Reasoner and Jeremy Morin.

- Bobby Mac

Great trade for Atlanta

[Shoalzie]

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=325488

It doesn't entirely solve their cap problems but it helps...that and with the cap going up to $59.4 million.

[bills09]

not bad

imo
Morin>Aliu
Sopel=Reasoner value wise
Buff+Eager>24+54 (New Jerseys picks?)

So Basically they got Bergfors, Oduya, Cormier, Byfuglien, Sopel, and Eager for Kovalchuk who was likely heading to ufa, decent.

[Shep]

It's alright.

[Nick]

kinda amazed at how much Buffy fetched... he is a good playoff performer... but you need to get there for that to matter.

[MSP4LYFE]

i dunno Kareem. You objectively judge guys like Stajan (who falls into top 30 stats for C's ... across the board, saying this like " He's the best on a brutal team").. and then defend Pleks... who happens to be the best C on a team thats brutal down the middle...

both are better suited as #2's IMO... and one makes 3.5M the other 5M


(ps i know Pleks >> Stajan)

If you know Pleks>>>Stajan then why compare the two situations...The two are very different players. Stajan is great at nothing, but average to above average in everything, and not worthy of even a top 6 role on contending teams. Conversely Plekanec is a #2 center on just about every team in the NHL, save for a select few, and very easily the #1 option on a few teams.

FTR Gomez - Plekanec is far from brutal down the middle, I would argue that is about average, if not slightly better...Stajan-Grabovksy on the other hand...

[MSP4LYFE]

Love that Chicago got Jeremy Morin, kid is going to look damn good alongside Toews and Kane...This gives Atlanta a boost as well, but I truly believe that Byfuglien is the most overrated player in the game today, for Atlanta's sake I hope I'm wrong.

[Nick]

My point was that 5M is quiet a bit for a #2 centre that doesn't bring a bunch of intangibles with him.

[MSP4LYFE]

this was by far and away his most impressive season ever as a Hab. No surprise it happened in a contract year.

No it isnt...He had an almost indentical season a year ago when the Habs finished with the best record in the East. Plekanec is not a one hit wonder, your argument is wrong.

[MSP4LYFE]

My point was that 5M is quiet a bit for a #2 centre that doesn't bring a bunch of intangibles with him.

Then say that, don't bring Stajan in as a comparable...You are also pushing it with your intangibles comment, Plekanec brings strong two way play, is elite on the dot (if you debate this bc Gomez is the #2 center I will online slap you...), and has a ton of creativity. The reason 5 million may be alot is because Plekanec has not proven he can play at a high level year in and year out, if he does this contract will look like a steal in a few seasons.