Tell me what defenseman we can acquire that might be available, and for what, that has no question marks to their games. And I'm all ears.
- MJL

*Sigh*

The answer is: none.

That's why I've been a big proponent of staying put, or at the most, sniffing around for an affordable reclamation project if there is one out there. In the meantime, put the focus on drafting/developing, maybe poach another Coburn, look into more JvR/Schenn kind of trades, and do this thing right without trying to take the easy shortcut.

was kinda hoping Nashville would lower the price due to his ridiculous contract
*shrug*
- FLYERSROCK!

By ridiculous contract, do you mean having the best overall defenseman guaranteed to play for your team for the next 14 years?

It's just that thinking that a guy is all he is ever going to be at age 21 is the kind of sense that led to trading Sharp, Williams and others over the years.
- Jsaquella

Go Go Stanley Cup feeder system!

*Sigh*

The answer is: none.

That's why I've been a big proponent of staying put, or at the most, sniffing around for an affordable reclamation project if there is one out there. In the meantime, put the focus on drafting/developing, maybe poach another Coburn, look into more JvR/Schenn kind of trades, and do this thing right without trying to take the easy shortcut.
- Tomahawk

Also a viable option. Depends on if you are willing to suffer for a year or two, or if you think this team can be a contender as is right now.

I'm all for patience with him because I don't see his value in a trade.

If I was expecting Richards out of him I'd be less disappointed. He was the number one prospect in the NHL so I was expecting more than Cody Hodgson out of him. He hasn't really even begun to carve out a niche for himself. Injuries haven't helped.

My expectations were higher. I'm self aware enough to know that it's my problem and not Brayden Schenn's.
- mayorofangrytown

The difference is, I'm for being patient because I still think Schenn will become a very good NHL player. He's played, what amounts to, two half seasons in the NHL. He's been bounced around the line-up a bit. He's been banged up here and there.

I'm all for patience with him because I don't see his value in a trade.

If I was expecting Richards out of him I'd be less disappointed. He was the number one prospect in the NHL so I was expecting more than Cody Hodgson out of him. He hasn't really even begun to carve out a niche for himself. Injuries haven't helped.

My expectations were higher. I'm self aware enough to know that it's my problem and not Brayden Schenn's.
- mayorofangrytown

Everyone was declaring Nazem Kadri and bust and 90% of Leaf Nation wanted him gone
he was their best player this year. Drafted same year. He got a chance to play with the big guns, Schenn hasnt

Hate people who jump on top prospects for not peaking at 21. jesus christ man give the kid a break.

He was great at the start of the year then got injured and he wasnt the same.
He likely will be a 60P career guy. Nothing wrong with that. He plays Flyers hockey and im sure he'll be fine
patience is a virtue. Alot of players from that draft not named Tavares peaked this past year... so what if hes 1 year late.

Injuries have been a problem with him. If he can stay healthy this 82 game season, trust me he will be just fine

Am I the only person that thinks realistically the only way to acquiring a top tier dman is to move Hartnell and or Read?

Cause no one wants to move Jake/Schenn/Simmer/Cooter/Laughton and moving any d only opens a hole to fill another. Now, moving Hartnell and/or Read certainly opens up holes also, but those are holes that are much easier to fill.

Some random thoughts:

While I would love to move up into the top 5 this year, I think it will cost too much. Instead I would offer Columbus the 11th pick and the 41st pick for their 14th pick and the Kings pick, which will most likely be 21 or 22. That way they still land an impact player at 14 and possibly another with the 2nd first rounder.

I wouldn't move Couturier or Schenn unless Weber or Pietrangelo is coming back and I really doubt that's gonna happen. I would consider building an offer around Matt Read to land Edler. With what Phoenix has been rumored to be asking, I don't see Yandle going anywhere.

I would buyout both Briere and Bryz. Briere is a no brainer at this point and Bryz will never play up to the value of his contract so just get it over with already and buy him out.

If they draft a defenseman in the 1st round, please don't rush him. Going with a D of Timonen/Schenn, Coburn/Grossmann and Gus/Mezaros to start the season is not the end of the world and if Edler is added it becomes a pretty solid group.

I would re-sign Jagr to play with Schenn. I would also carry Akeson as a spare forward to spell Jagr who I would limit to no more than 60 regular season games in order to keep him fresh for the playoffs. If Read is traded in a deal for Edler, I would also sign Gagne and go with the following lines:
Hartnell-Giroux-Jake
McGinn or Gagne-Schenn-Jagr/Akeson
Gagne or Talbot -Couturier-Simmonds
Talbot or Rosehill-Laughton-Rinaldo

If Edler is acquired I would go with:
Edler-Schenn
Coburn-Timonen
Grossmann-Mezaros
with Gus as the 7th to start the season, don't worry the odds of all the top 6 (especially Grossmann and Mez) staying healthy is pretty slim, so Gus will get a lot of work.

Finally I would go after Emery for my 2nd goalie. I like the attitude and work ethic he will bring and I think he will form a nice tandem with Mason

*Sigh*

The answer is: none.

That's why I've been a big proponent of staying put, or at the most, sniffing around for an affordable reclamation project if there is one out there. In the meantime, put the focus on drafting/developing, maybe poach another Coburn, look into more JvR/Schenn kind of trades, and do this thing right without trying to take the easy shortcut.
- Tomahawk

Exactly, none. So that's why it makes zeros sense for you to state part of the reason why you're against obtaining Edler is because he's not Chara or Weber. And that his some weaknesses to his game, that every defenseman has other then the Chara's and the Weber's.
And you keep equating trading for a player like Edler as an easy shortcut. It is not. It's a neccessary evil to build the blueline. That reclamation project, or waiting on drafting and developing is not the full solution. That could take years. And this team doesn't need another Coburn or Luke Schenn. And Luke Schenn cost JVR. A young player. Seems as though there's a contradiction there.

Am I the only person that thinks realistically the only way to acquiring a top tier dman is to move Hartnell and or Read?

Cause no one wants to move Jake/Schenn/Simmer/Cooter/Laughton and moving any d only opens a hole to fill another. Now, moving Hartnell and/or Read certainly opens up holes also, but those are holes that are much easier to fill.
- mochoson

But if you move a dman, you can fill that hole with the dman you just acquired, where as moving a forward opens a hole at forward...unless I'm missing something.

Zeus was god like yesterday
I hope you watched
- Marc D

I thought he was done, but he's been a great pickup for Chicago.

Exactly, none. So that's why it makes zeros sense for you to state part of the reason why you're against obtaining Edler is because he's not Chara or Weber. And that his some weaknesses to his game, that every defenseman has other then the Chara's and the Weber's.
And you keep equating trading for a player like Edler as an easy shortcut. It is not. It's a neccessary evil to build the blueline. That reclamation project, or waiting on drafting and developing is not the full solution. That could take years. And this team doesn't need another Coburn or Luke Schenn. And Luke Schenn cost JVR. A young player. Seems as though there's a contradiction there.
- MJL

I think he's saying he wants to stay put with the defense unless there's the option of acquiring that #1 stud defenseman...or, to use a cliche, "Go big or stay home."

Also, if ownership is willing to suffer a building year or two with the core and hope for some of the prospects to pan out, staying put with what we have is a viable option.

Also a viable option. Depends on if you are willing to suffer for a year or two, or if you think this team can be a contender as is right now.
- jmatchett383

I don't think taking a long-term approach necessarily means you have to give up on the present... there are a lot of good players they could bring in as stop-gaps that wouldn't cost them top picks/prospects.

Maybe they wouldn't be top contenders, but they'd be good enough to keep competitive, giving the core the time/experience it needs to take those next steps. Then, when that Hamilton or Voynov or Leddy is ready to step in full-time, you've got a great supportive environment to bring them along in.

But if you move a dman, you can fill that hole with the dman you just acquired, where as moving a forward opens a hole at forward...unless I'm missing something.
- jmatchett383

Yes, your operating under the assumption we have a #1 guy now.

Think of it as adding your sixth and final dman, except this guy is the best of the six. Trade a dman to get him and you still have a hole there

Now this isn't the end of the world, it just means Gus is a for sure starter and we have a competition for #7. But I like our D right now, they're just missing a key guy. Add that guy and our blue-line is very formidable.

To me, Edler depends on the cost.

He's not a guy you absolutely have to get. I'd be willing to move a Hartnell or Simmonds or Read to get him, but I wouldn't give much beyond one of those three(and I see zero need for Read in Vancouver).

I don't see Edler as a top tier defenseman. But he is certainly somebody that fills a need the team has. He's definitely more Kim Johnsson than Mark Howe or Chris Pronger.

I see the same kind of player in Keith Yandle, although I think Edler is a slightly better two way player. I'd also have interest in Erik Johnson.

But the key with all 3 of these guys is that none are top tier defensemen, so the cost becomes the vital question. Does Johnson cost less because he hasn't lived up to his number one overall hype? Does Edler come cheaper because of his back issues and the Canucks cap troubles? Can they get Yandle more easily because Phoenix needs cheaper offensive players, like Read?

The fact is, they're not going to replace Pronger this summer, unless they pay a massive price. So the trade options are going after a guy in the Edler/Yandle tier, a pricey reclamation project like Johnson, or a bargain basement reclamation project like a Jamie McBain or Rafe Diaz type.

Or, they could stand pat, maybe see who is a CBO FA and see if Gustafsson can play a bigger role.

I think he's saying he wants to stay put with the defense unless there's the option of acquiring that #1 stud defenseman...or, to use a cliche, "Go big or stay home."
- jmatchett383

Yeah, I'm not paying a Pronger-esque premium for Alex Edler... he's too far away from being a sure-thing at this point to do that, IMO.

If we can get him for what Toronto gave up for Phaneuf? Sign me up... 5-minutes ago.

To me, Edler depends on the cost.

He's not a guy you absolutely have to get. I'd be willing to move a Hartnell or Simmonds or Read to get him, but I wouldn't give much beyond one of those three(and I see zero need for Read in Vancouver).

I don't see Edler as a top tier defenseman. But he is certainly somebody that fills a need the team has. He's definitely more Kim Johnsson than Mark Howe or Chris Pronger.

I see the same kind of player in Keith Yandle, although I think Edler is a slightly better two way player. I'd also have interest in Erik Johnson.

But the key with all 3 of these guys is that none are top tier defensemen, so the cost becomes the vital question. Does Johnson cost less because he hasn't lived up to his number one overall hype? Does Edler come cheaper because of his back issues and the Canucks cap troubles? Can they get Yandle more easily because Phoenix needs cheaper offensive players, like Read?

The fact is, they're not going to replace Pronger this summer, unless they pay a massive price. So the trade options are going after a guy in the Edler/Yandle tier, a pricey reclamation project like Johnson, or a bargain basement reclamation project like a Jamie McBain or Rafe Diaz type.

Or, they could stand pat, maybe see who is a CBO FA and see if Gustafsson can play a bigger role.
- Jsaquella

Pretty much exactly what I was getting at, in a great big nutshell.

Some random thoughts:

While I would love to move up into the top 5 this year, I think it will cost too much. Instead I would offer Columbus the 11th pick and the 41st pick for their 14th pick and the Kings pick, which will most likely be 21 or 22. That way they still land an impact player at 14 and possibly another with the 2nd first rounder.

I wouldn't move Couturier or Schenn unless Weber or Pietrangelo is coming back and I really doubt that's gonna happen. I would consider building an offer around Matt Read to land Edler. With what Phoenix has been rumored to be asking, I don't see Yandle going anywhere.

I would buyout both Briere and Bryz. Briere is a no brainer at this point and Bryz will never play up to the value of his contract so just get it over with already and buy him out.

If they draft a defenseman in the 1st round, please don't rush him. Going with a D of Timonen/Schenn, Coburn/Grossmann and Gus/Mezaros to start the season is not the end of the world and if Edler is added it becomes a pretty solid group.

I would re-sign Jagr to play with Schenn. I would also carry Akeson as a spare forward to spell Jagr who I would limit to no more than 60 regular season games in order to keep him fresh for the playoffs. If Read is traded in a deal for Edler, I would also sign Gagne and go with the following lines:
Hartnell-Giroux-Jake
McGinn or Gagne-Schenn-Jagr/Akeson
Gagne or Talbot -Couturier-Simmonds
Talbot or Rosehill-Laughton-Rinaldo

If Edler is acquired I would go with:
Edler-Schenn
Coburn-Timonen
Grossmann-Mezaros
with Gus as the 7th to start the season, don't worry the odds of all the top 6 (especially Grossmann and Mez) staying healthy is pretty slim, so Gus will get a lot of work.

Finally I would go after Emery for my 2nd goalie. I like the attitude and work ethic he will bring and I think he will form a nice tandem with Mason
- BiggE

From my perspective, I fully endorse this post.

I don't love to death the idea of moving down, but I also think Max Domi or Anthony Mantha at 14 is not something you cry about, then at 22, if you're really, really, lucky, Robert Hagg might be the answer to every prayer you have.

please tell me that someone was dreaming the ambush
- mydoglicks

Nope, the Red Wedding is one of the pivotal events in the GOF world. Wait till you see what they do to the body.

Everyone was declaring Nazem Kadri and bust and 90% of Leaf Nation wanted him gone
he was their best player this year. Drafted same year. He got a chance to play with the big guns, Schenn hasnt

Hate people who jump on top prospects for not peaking at 21. jesus christ man give the kid a break.

He was great at the start of the year then got injured and he wasnt the same.
He likely will be a 60P career guy. Nothing wrong with that. He plays Flyers hockey and im sure he'll be fine
patience is a virtue. Alot of players from that draft not named Tavares peaked this past year... so what if hes 1 year late.

Injuries have been a problem with him. If he can stay healthy this 82 game season, trust me he will be just fine
- FLYERSROCK!

Hey "Man," Marc asked me if I was disappointed in him. It's not like I'm ripping the kid or that I'm up on a soap box trying to get him out of here because he's not what I expected.

In fact, I'm at the complete opposite end. I don't want him traded because:
1. I don't think you can get value for him because his value is currently low (which means I think he will be worth more later).
2. He hasn't found his niche in the league yet so there's no telling what type of player he'll be.
3. He's been injured and it's slowed his development.

I certainly wouldn't call that impatient. Would I trade him if I thought I was getting value maybe at another position of need? Sure, But I'd say that about just about everyone on the roster and in the minors or lower.

So re-evaluate your hate.

Pretty much exactly what I was getting at, in a great big nutshell.
- Tomahawk

It's a watermelon sized one.

As much as I'd like Edler, Yandle or Johnson, I can't advocate a massive payment for one of the three. The same goes for Shattenkirk, Bouwmeester or any of the other possibilities out there.

I'd even be open to a 2 or (at most 3) year deal for a guy like Mark Streit, to bridge the gap as a short term Timonen replacement

From my perspective, I fully endorse this post.

I don't love to death the idea of moving down, but I also think Max Domi or Anthony Mantha at 14 is not something you cry about, then at 22, if you're really, really, lucky, Robert Hagg might be the answer to every prayer you have.
- AllInForFlyers

If they could land at 14 & somewhere in the mid 20's, they'd be looking at a variety of good potentials.

Hagg, Josh Morrissey are in the wheelhouse, as are Mantha, Warren Rychel, Jason Dickinson, Zach Fucale, Frederick Gauthier, etc

The Boltons are just sort of looking out for their best interested. Can't really fault them for that.
- NickTheKid87

I don't watch the series, since I don't have HBO (I do have the first season on Blu-ray, but I'm trying to get into Doctor Who first.) I did, however, read the books, and without spoiling anything, I'll just say that while Roose Bolton has his moments, his son Ramsay is pure evil, full stop. From a temperament standpoint, he'd fit right in with Vargo Hoat's Bloody Mummers, if not simply take the group over himself.

I don't watch the series, since I don't have HBO (I do have the first season on Blu-ray, but I'm trying to get into Doctor Who first.) I did, however, read the books, and without spoiling anything, I'll just say that while Roose Bolton has his moments, his son Ramsay is pure evil, full stop. From a temperament standpoint, he'd fit right in with Vargo Hoat's Bloody Mummers, if not simply take the group over himself.
- dilbert719

We lost another Doctor today but he had a good run.

I don't watch the series, since I don't have HBO (I do have the first season on Blu-ray, but I'm trying to get into Doctor Who first.) I did, however, read the books, and without spoiling anything, I'll just say that while Roose Bolton has his moments, his son Ramsay is pure evil, full stop. From a temperament standpoint, he'd fit right in with Vargo Hoat's Bloody Mummers, if not simply take the group over himself.
- dilbert719

I'm just hoping that Jon Snow and Dani have a hot, weird 3-way with one of the dragons as the thrilling conclusion to the books while the throne is taken over by the "Others" (White Walkers) and mankind is left to suffer under their rule.