Ongoing NHL thread - Part III

[Bloody Brian Burke]

It's also not like signing Bolland to the deal that Nonis offered would have been a good deal anyway. So if Shanny approved it he was still on board with doing something incredibly stupid regarding Bolland.

Signing Bolland to any deal would've been dumb, so yeah, Shanny would be getting my scorn.

But, alas, I have few complaints about him other than Robidas whom he seems to have struck a deal with to pretend he has Lou Gherig's until his contract expires anyway.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Why would Toronto be willing to trade a goalie for a goalie? I could see them trading Bernier for a pick, but not an NHL goalie when they've got three of them. Arizona should be talking to Toronto about one of their goalies. They just lost Smith for 8 to 10 weeks.

If they can get an asset to come with Hiller, get Hiller to improve then flip him at the deadline for another asset, well, Shanaplan.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

If they can get an asset to come with Hiller, get Hiller to improve then flip him at the deadline for another asset, well, Shanaplan.

That's why I asked what else is coming with Hiller. A straight up deal doesn't make sense from Toronto's perspective.

 

[dash]

Why would Toronto be willing to trade a goalie for a goalie? I could see them trading Bernier for a pick, but not an NHL goalie when they've got three of them. Arizona should be talking to Toronto about one of their goalies. They just lost Smith for 8 to 10 weeks.

It's more dumping the Bernier contract than anything else.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

It's more dumping the Bernier contract than anything else.

? He's on a one-year deal I believe. RFA.

/NVM. 2 year deal.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Well, the chances they send a $4 million goalie to the A permanently is slim so I think he's going to get games so long as he's with the Leafs regardless.

But right now, if Reimer gets healthy and picks up where he left off why would you give Bernier anything other than the token start now and then?

EDIT: And in terms of right now, Sparks has performed pretty damn well so why not go with him over Bernier as well? If he starts slippin, okay, but until then...

While it's obviously not 100% clear I don't think that Steve is suggesting that he should start over Reimer when he's healthy.

I don't think that Bernier became useless all of a sudden. I think he can be an adequate NHL goalie again. Trying to bring that out (especially when Reimer is unsigned for next year) is not a bad goal at all.

I mean the guy certainly isn't playing well but for Christ's sake we're talking about what here, 10 games?

 

[dash]

? He's on a one-year deal I believe. RFA.

/NVM. 2 year deal.

Right you are. Okay, the Flames will toss in Bollig as well.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

It's more dumping the Bernier contract than anything else.

Toronto doesn't seem to be worried about the cap or money for that matter. If they were they wouldn't have acquired Grabner. Who's cap hit is something like 3M, but his take home is 5M. Calgary needs to find their Dubnyk. I'm not sure Bernier is it.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Why would Toronto be willing to trade a goalie for a goalie? I could see them trading Bernier for a pick, but not an NHL goalie when they've got three of them. Arizona should be talking to Toronto about one of their goalies. They just lost Smith for 8 to 10 weeks.

They can put a cactus in the net and it will stop as many pucks as Smith anyway. I have no idea how that guy has gotten so overrated.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

They can put a cactus in the net and it will stop as many pucks as Smith anyway. I have no idea how that guy has gotten so overrated.

They're obviously going to find out if Lindback can get it done. We'll see.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

While it's obviously not 100% clear I don't think that Steve is suggesting that he should start over Reimer when he's healthy.

I don't think that Bernier became useless all of a sudden. I think he can be an adequate NHL goalie again. Trying to bring that out (especially when Reimer is unsigned for next year) is not a bad goal at all.

I mean the guy certainly isn't playing well but for Christ's sake we're talking about what here, 10 games?

10 games this season, 30 games last season in 2015. He has an .899 sv% since January 1. You can say what you want about last season and how much of a nightmare it was team-wide after the new year, but his sv% was actually higher then than it's been since the start of the new season (.881 on the season).

He's a short guy playing a game that is increasingly dominated by the bigger fellas. He's playing behind a structured team that has a winning record when he's not in the net. There's something else at play here than bad luck.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Right you are. Okay, the Flames will toss in Bollig as well.

No problem, so long as a 1st or 2nd rounder is attached.

 

[dash]

No problem, so long as a 1st or 2nd rounder is attached.

Caman BBB, let the Flames win at least one trade with the Leafs.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Caman BBB, let the Flames win at least one trade with the Leafs.

Toronto Maple Leafs trade Joe Colborne to Calgary Flames for 2014 draft pick | NHL.com - News

 

[DragonfromTO]

10 games this season, 30 games last season in 2015. He has an .899 sv% since January 1. You can say what you want about last season and how much of a nightmare it was team-wide after the new year, but his sv% was actually higher then than it's been since the start of the new season (.881 on the season).

He's a short guy playing a game that is increasingly dominated by the bigger fellas. He's playing behind a structured team that has a winning record when he's not in the net. There's something else at play here than bad luck.

I didn't mention that it was only 10 games in an attempt to pass it off as being bad luck. I mentioned it to point out that he has a significantly longer history of being able to handle being an NHL goalie than not, and I don't think it's at all unreasonable to think that he can be that again.

What makes you believe so strongly that that this "something else" is unfixable?

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I didn't mention that it was only 10 games in an attempt to pass it off as being bad luck. I mentioned it to point out that he has a significantly longer history of being able to handle being an NHL goalie than not, and I don't think it's at all unreasonable to think that he can be that again.

What makes you believe so strongly that that this "something else" is unfixable?

We're not exactly talking SSS, though - this is a good third of his Maple Leafs career (which is the only part of his career where he's been anointed as a starter on a regular basis) where he's been downright awful, spanning 3 coaches who apparently couldn't help him turn things around.

I never said it was unfixable, just that something is clearly wrong and whatever it is, the coach who's being paid $8 million and getting some of the best hockey in years out of guys on this team doesn't think he's capable of turning it around at the moment. Maybe it's something that, like Dubnyk, would be more easily solved if he wasn't here anymore.

 

[DragonfromTO]

We're not exactly talking SSS, though - this is a good third of his Maple Leafs career (which is the only part of his career where he's been anointed as a starter on a regular basis) where he's been downright awful, spanning 3 coaches who apparently couldn't help him turn things around.

I never said it was unfixable, just that something is clearly wrong and whatever it is, the coach who's being paid $8 million and getting some of the best hockey in years out of guys on this team doesn't think he's capable of turning it around at the moment. Maybe it's something that, like Dubnyk, would be more easily solved if he wasn't here anymore.

If this stretch of ineptitude was as long and as major as you seem to be implying, the guy wouldn't still have a career SV% of .914.

I think that Dubnyk could have been "solved" in Edmonton too. I think it was a stupid move for them to give up on him. I don't want to see the Leafs make a similar move.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

Caman BBB, let the Flames win at least one trade with the Leafs.

It's funny how some teams own others in the multiple deals they've made. I guess that's why I want the Isles to make as many deals as possible with Edmonton. Garth seems to have a knack for getting what he wants from the Oilers without giving up much.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

If this stretch of ineptitude was as long and as major as you seem to be implying, the guy wouldn't still have a career SV% of .914.

I think that Dubnyk could have been "solved" in Edmonton too. I think it was a stupid move for them to give up on him. I don't want to see the Leafs make a similar move.

It's 41 games, which is 33% of his Leaf career. It's also an entire calendar year, spanning over two seasons and three coaches with a very long summer in between in which he was given $8 million over 2 years. I don't think it's unfair to ask questions after that amount of time.

He might be salvageable, but again it's always going to be tougher for him because of his height. Dubnyk is one of the tallest goalers in the league, which is a huge advantage. This is from last season, but the list of guys who are Bernier's height or smaller isn't very impressive:

6-foot-0 (6)
Jonathan Bernier, Toronto Maple Leafs
Viktor Fasth, Edmonton Oilers
Evgeni Nabokov, New York Islanders
Antti Raanta, Chicago Blackhawks
Alex Stalock, San Jose Sharks
Niklas Svedberg, Boston Bruins

5-foot-11 (3)
Jaroslav Halak, New York Islanders
Anton Khudobin, Carolina Hurricanes
Dustin Tokarski, Montreal Canadiens

5-foot-10 (1)
Jhonas Enroth, Buffalo Sabres

 

[dash]

When Bobby Mac is writing about it, you know there's considerable meat on the bone...

All signs point to Stamkos leaving Tampa