Michael Pachla: Call of the desert wild. Two centers for a Yotes team that's weak at center With Jack Eichel coming, Cody Hodgson and Mikhail Grigorenko will end up further down the depth chart with no where to go

Good Blog.

But I really hope the Yotes keep the pick and take Strome.

SECOND

Good Blog.

But I really hope the Yotes keep the pick and take Strome.
- Byfuglien Ate Me

hanifin for the leafs?

Michael Pachla: Call of the desert wild. Two centers for a Yotes team that's weak at center
With Jack Eichel coming, Cody Hodgson and Mikhail Grigorenko will end up further down the depth chart with no where to go
- Michael Pachla

Carry over question from last blog:

"Do you believe Jack Eichel will ever don the "C" as a Buffalo Sabre? Odds? When?

great blog as usual. Have been off the site for a while, but glad to see the great work is still there

Carry over question from last blog:

"Do you believe Jack Eichel will ever don the "C" as a Buffalo Sabre? Odds? When?

He will never be captain until Zemgus Girgensons is traded.

Carry over question from last blog:

"Do you believe Jack Eichel will ever don the "C" as a Buffalo Sabre? Odds? When?
- MEBSabresFAN

Girgensons is getting the C when Gionta retires/leaves. No doubt in my mind.

Michael,

Excellent blog as per usual. If TM could dump Hodson on his old boss Regier for anything more than that stick-in-the-eye that you mentioned, then he should do it in a Texas minute. Regarding Grigorenko, I would like to see him packaged up with other assets for ROR. With Patrick Roy having a positive history with Grigorenko in Quebec City, maybe the change of scenery to Colorado would help get Grigorenko's career going?

Carry over question from last blog:

"Do you believe Jack Eichel will ever don the "C" as a Buffalo Sabre? Odds? When?
- MEBSabresFAN

kinda think Girgensons will be that guy...and like the idea of him carrying the weight of the captaincy over eichel

great blog as usual. Have been off the site for a while, but glad to see the great work is still there
- markyjoe

welcome back, marky

Michael,

Excellent blog as per usual. If TM could dump Hodson on his old boss Regier for anything more than that stick-in-the-eye that you mentioned, then he should do it in a Texas minute. Regarding Grigorenko, I would like to see him packaged up with other assets for ROR. With Patrick Roy having a positive history with Grigorenko in Quebec City, maybe the change of scenery to Colorado would help get Grigorenko's career going?


- SabreWest

the avs are another team that's strong down the middle...but if they wanted Grigorenko in a ror trade?...i'm in

Girgensons is getting the C when Gionta retires/leaves. No doubt in my mind.
- CaptainRivet

That's my thought as well. That locker room gravitates to him already, even though he's only 21.

kinda think Girgensons will be that guy...and like the idea of him carrying the weight of the captaincy over eichel
- Michael Pachla

People are going to be shocked at Z's ceiling.

It is amazing that it was exactly two years ago that we were in deep despair. We did not have a top 6 center, we had a schmuck as a coach and we hadn't even started the dark period.

People are going to be shocked at Z's ceiling.

It is amazing that it was exactly two years ago that we were in deep despair. We did not have a top 6 center, we had a schmuck as a coach and we hadn't even started the dark period.
- Slump Buster

good points all around there, buster

People are going to be shocked at Z's ceiling.

It is amazing that it was exactly two years ago that we were in deep despair. We did not have a top 6 center, we had a schmuck as a coach and we hadn't even started the dark period.
- Slump Buster

We have a bunch of youngins that are playing decent . 2-3 yrs more experience should/could prove the critics that call them busts,wrong.

We have a bunch of youngins that are playing decent . 2-3 yrs more experience should/could prove the critics that call them busts,wrong.
- cabin

I don't know anybody, save a few trolls with the intention of getting a rise out of people, that called Girgensons, or anybody else for that matter, a bust. That is, except maybe Grigorenko.

im not sure that grigorenko to the avs works. cant see how they would have room for a young center that really only projects as a top 6 who has lost his waivers exemption. arizona makes more sense. guess the market will determine where he goes. if the return is seriously underwhelming id rather keep him. see what he can do this year- maybe he pops, maybe he doesnt. can we marginally overpay him to discourage teams from claiming him if he gets sent down?

im not sure that grigorenko to the avs works. cant see how they would have room for a young center that really only projects as a top 6 who has lost his waivers exemption. arizona makes more sense. guess the market will determine where he goes. if the return is seriously underwhelming id rather keep him. see what he can do this year- maybe he pops, maybe he doesnt. can we marginally overpay him to discourage teams from claiming him if he gets sent down?
- rover16

I still think he would get claimed regardless

Michael,

Excellent blog as per usual. If TM could dump Hodson on his old boss Regier for anything more than that stick-in-the-eye that you mentioned, then he should do it in a Texas minute. Regarding Grigorenko, I would like to see him packaged up with other assets for ROR. With Patrick Roy having a positive history with Grigorenko in Quebec City, maybe the change of scenery to Colorado would help get Grigorenko's career going?


- SabreWest

Where have I seen this offer before.

im not sure that grigorenko to the avs works. cant see how they would have room for a young center that really only projects as a top 6 who has lost his waivers exemption. arizona makes more sense. guess the market will determine where he goes. if the return is seriously underwhelming id rather keep him. see what he can do this year- maybe he pops, maybe he doesnt. can we marginally overpay him to discourage teams from claiming him if he gets sent down?
- rover16

I'd be shocked if Colardo wanted him in a package for ROR (not that I am crazy about paying ROR 7 mill a year, but we've beaten that horse to death). I think if we kept him it would be in the hopes of trying to pick up his value to move him. We have 3 better centers and I don't know if his skill translates to the wing.

Where have I seen this offer before.
- TheSabresTaco

Everywhere...

ROR for Grigorenk....oh wait.

After reading this a trade with Zona seems to make sense. We seem to have quite a log jam of centers that chart out somewhere between 2nd and 3rd line between Girgensons, Grigorenko, Larsson, Hodgson and Reinhart. Reinhart is untouchable and will likely start in ROCH so he's really not part of the equation right now.

Girgensons and Larsson seem to be more valuable because they have shown an ability to play up and down the lineup and with a team in so much transition, having players that can move around is useful.

Hodgson's value is that he's right handed and therefore convert to RW, which is a position of weakness for the next few years till we see what we have in the likes of Baptiste, Bailey, Compher. The problem with Hodgson is his defense. With such a young team full of offensive talent, more than anything, we need vets that can help shelter the kids and make up for bad defense that inevitably happens with youth. Hodgson can't shelter anyone; in fact, he's probably more of a liability than these kids are.

And Grigorenko seems to slot in as a 2nd line center/LW or nothing (some say RW but that completely ignores his poor skating IMO and you generally have to be a tremendous skater to play off hand RW ala Ennis or Pat Kane). His lack of versatility coupled with the center depth makes, IMO, he and hodgson the most expendable. I think the only way Grigo stays is if we find some way of moving moulson, who has, IMO, just as bad a contract as hodgson.

I'd be very happy to move one or both (plus) for either a young top 6 rw who is a current roster player or a top 6 lw or top 4lhd prospect who projects out in 2-3 yrs.

hanifin for the leafs?
- Michael Pachla

I`d prefer Marner to be honest.