must...resist...the urge..to start political topics

can't let my inner Gerbe rule my decisions
- feetontheair22

Gerbe's in you?


He'll never be ready

Let it out .. some men just want to watch the world burn
- GERBE!!!75PTS

Not a top pair defenseman
Cost a ton per year
Also be a long term deal
Not all that great in his own end
McCabe seemed more than capable on the 2nd pair, and you'd assume would only get better

Is he horrible?
Of course not
Do we NEED him?
I don't think so
McCabe is much cheaper & looks good

I'd rather spend that $$$ elsewhere...
Like for an actual partner for Risto
- jdfitz77

I like McCabe and Pysyk, and even Bogo looked good at the end of the year, but Yandle would be the teams 2nd best d man by a country mile. 47 point defensemen don't grow on trees

Gerbe's in you?


He'll never be ready
- CaptainRivet

We are trying to become firestorm

I disagree with the part where you say Connor mcDavid wouldn't sell out there stadiums a franchise player changes everything
- GERBE!!!75PTS

I'd love to see Matthews in Arizona. Plus he'd probably be the last chance the franchise has of staying there long-term.

We are trying to become captain planet
- GERBE!!!75PTS

*fixed

We just need heart and earth

I like McCabe and Pysyk, and even Bogo looked good at the end of the year, but Yandle would be the teams 2nd best d man by a country mile. 47 point defensemen don't grow on trees
- sbroads24

His defense is awful, though. You'd need to pair him with a guy you know is defensively responsible.

Edit: this is purely based on watching Yotes/Rangers games. I have no idea what advanced stats say.

*fixed

We just need heart and earth
- feetontheair22

oh my

I like McCabe and Pysyk, and even Bogo looked good at the end of the year, but Yandle would be the teams 2nd best d man by a country mile. 47 point defensemen don't grow on trees
- sbroads24

Agree with all this. I'd rather invest the $ in someone younger, though, and keep Gorges as the elder statesman/3rd pair character guy for the next maybe 3 years or so.

*fixed

We just need heart and earth
- feetontheair22

It just got kind of gay in here and I like it ..



Ps .. Nothing like making the thread totally awkward.. Goal accomplished

It just got kind of gay in here and I like it ..



Ps .. Nothing like making the thread totally awkward.. Goal accomplished
- GERBE!!!75PTS

Ya this place gets weird w/o hockey

Agree with all this. I'd rather invest the $ in someone younger, though, and keep Gorges as the elder statesman/3rd pair character guy for the next maybe 3 years or so.
- LandlordTom

3 or 4 more years of gorges

His defense is awful, though. You'd need to pair him with a guy you know is defensively responsible.
- CaptainRivet

Or just give him offensive zone starts, PP time etc.

Chicago mixes up the pairs, when they have an important D zone faceoff, Hjalmarsson is always out there, or Keith.

If we both know his defensive zone coverage is lacking, I'm sure other teams do too, so I don't expect this 7 year 42 million dollar deal others are expecting. I bet he gets 5-5.5 mil

Tomorrow's going to be a great day Then at night I will most likely be depressed

Lightning are not playing tonight that's kind of interesting ..

Lol nobody will? Predators guaranteed him a top 6 role not a month ago. Vessey was good enough to come to the NHL. He chose not to because he didn't want to sign with the Preds. You really got to keep up with the Vessey story bud. He was a Hobey Baker finalist last season and this year he won it.

Eichel wasn't guaranteed to make the team? Are you for real? He was a guarantee when Sabres lost the draft lottery. He was actually aloud to pick his number bud. It was Eichel's choice not to until he officially made his NHL debut. He wanted to "EARN IT" even though he was a given right off the bat.

Reinhart is a winger and center when he was drafted, so there's no surprise he moved over to wing. Reinhart was on the 4 line because he needed more experience and chance to develop. Once injuries took over he moved up. Then formed great chemistry with Eichel and he stayed.
- Jammerz04

He was not officially guaranteed, that's the difference. Sure everyone knew he was on the team, but Murray and Bylsma never said as much and said he needed to earn it. If something is guaranteed to you, you don't have to earn it, or it's not guaranteed. And no, he said that, but they (the Sabres) would not "allow" him to pick his own number until he officially made the team. Bylsma said he had to make the team first, and Rob Ray corroborated it. Eichel took the number he was given until he earned it, you said it yourself. Nobody is guaranteed anything.

Think they'll mulligan and give it to Patty Kane after the PC police took him off last year?
- feetontheair22

He's not a candidate. There's 8 guys I think.

I disagree with the part where you say Connor mcDavid wouldn't sell out there stadiums a franchise player changes everything
- GERBE!!!75PTS

Did Rick Nash sell out a bunch of games for Columbus? Did Kovalchuk bring hockey spirit to Atlanta? I'm just saying, if they don't help the team win, it doesn't matter if they are amazing...won't change your franchise. Ticket sales come down to wins and location. Winnipeg doesn't have to worry as much about wins to sell tickets as Carolina does. AZ is sunk without some playoff runs IMO..OEL or AM aside...

A franchise player changes the franchise. Unless AZ thinks that Matthews is a legit franchise player it is not worth the trade. OEL is very good if not franchise quality already...new name new toy is all they really need???

You have to win games to sell tickets. AZ has been so bad for so long...unless AM can help them win more than OEL I beg to differ. Matthews is very good, but OEL is a freak right now. If Arizona wants to sell tickets they need a playoff series or two for the fans to see. IMO without a winning, playoff record for a couple years even McD wouldn't sell out their stadium (they'd be losing anyways).
- RhinoFan

Yeah, but they sold out FNC for hockey in July last year after Eichel. Imagine if he was from here. There'd be a party out in the square. I know Buffalo and Glendale aren't exactly comparable hockey markets, but it would definitely give them a huge bump in sales, at least at the beginning. They'd have to win to sustain it, but getting people in the door initially is half the battle.

Did Rick Nash sell out a bunch of games for Columbus? Did Kovalchuk bring hockey spirit to Atlanta? I'm just saying, if they don't help the team win, it doesn't matter if they are amazing...won't change your franchise. Ticket sales come down to wins and location. Winnipeg doesn't have to worry as much about wins to sell tickets as Carolina does. AZ is sunk without some playoff runs IMO..OEL or AM aside...

A franchise player changes the franchise. Unless AZ thinks that Matthews is a legit franchise player it is not worth the trade. OEL is very good if not franchise quality already...new name new toy is all they really need???
- RhinoFan

I'm talking about Connor McDavid here you said he wouldn't sell out arenas which I think is totally not true

I like McCabe and Pysyk, and even Bogo looked good at the end of the year, but Yandle would be the teams 2nd best d man by a country mile. 47 point defensemen don't grow on trees
- sbroads24

But I'm not spending 6mil for 5+ years on a 2nd pair defenseman
Esp not if I'm bringing in Stamkos

What I'm doing on defense is trading for a partner for Risto...
Even if that means waiting till next offseason

Yeah, but they sold out FNC for hockey in July last year after Eichel. Imagine if he was from here. There'd be a party out in the square. I know Buffalo and Glendale aren't exactly comparable hockey markets, but it would definitely give them a huge bump in sales, at least at the beginning. They'd have to win to sustain it, but getting people in the door initially is half the battle.
- Wetbandit1

This

And that's in addition to Franchise center being the most important position IMO

He's not a candidate. There's 8 guys I think.
- Wetbandit1

Clutch Pavelski 7th round pick to franchise player and face of sharks
Truly incredible

This

And that's in addition to Franchise center being the most important position IMO
- jdfitz77

A franchise center is way more important than a franchise defenseman by miles

All I am saying is that poor teams have gotten great players in the past (Kovi in ATL, Nash in Columbus or Barkov/Ekblad in Florida) and it hasn't done anything for ticket sales. You can put the best player in the world on the ice for any organization, if they are repeatedly losing games and missing playoffs it doesn't matter what that player does, the fans will leave. AZ is not a place that has a big hockey following as it is. It is for this reason I still say that McD doesn't sell out stadiums in Arizona. He may get a few games, maybe even a bunch, but after the newness wares off, if the record ain't right the ticket sales won't be either.