We need a Top 4
 

After watching this camp and compressing it with last year, there is a definite need for an other top 4. Spacek should have been that guy and he is not. Looking around the league and these type just don't pope up often.
What we need is a TOP SHUTDOWN DMAN
What we have is tones of puck moving Dman but no punishing Dman.
We need someone to play right to Markov with grit and size.

We miss the boat on some UFA so who is avaible via trade?

Markov and Hamrlik are both injured, when they get back we'll have a good mix of speed, leadership, veterans and rookies. I'd like to get rid of one of Hamrlik or Spacek but for one more season we can manage.

We didn't really miss the boat on UFA,we didn't have any money to spend.Hamrlik should be gone next year,I doubt he leaves Ottawa but Chris Phillips would be a nice signing next summer

How about waiting to see how our full roster performs before claiming to know our needs.

Although I agree give the team time to perform as a group, I really have not been impressed with Spacek's performance. Expecting anything other than bottom pairing minutes from Gill and Gorges is asking too much. I would argue that when Hammer and Markov come back a lineup of

Markov Spacek
Hammer Subban
Gill Gorges

will be very good.

One name!

Kevin Bieksa

Trade Spacek or put him on waivers and go with:

Markov - Bieksa
Hamrlik - Subban
Gill - Gorges
O'Byrne

What do you give to the Canucks to get him ?
Do they want to get rid of him ?

my choice via trade would be Matt Greene in Los Angeles. He might not be a top 2 pairing, but could definately fit in our top 4, adding some muscle on the blue line. He's not afraid to hit and use his size

What do you give to the Canucks to get him ?
O'Byrne, Maxwell, Carle, Spacek, Weber, draft picks etc.

Do they want to get rid of him ?
Yes, this has been known since the late summer and especially after the signed Hamhuis

I think that "big punishing shutdown D-men" are thoroughly overrated. A good defense is one that gets the play happening at the other end; that's still the best kind of defense there is (even though the Habs sometimes don't seem to agree ;) ). Now some "big punishing D-men" can do that (Chara immediately comes to mind) but the size and physicality are bonuses then, not central skills.

I think the defense is fine. Hamrlik and Spacek are being underrated by Hab fans, IMO. The team's biggest need is a tough-minutes top-6 winger, preferably a natural RW. Playing Kostitsyn on his off-wing with Plekanec and a rookie or Pouliot on the Gomez line is less than ideal.

Pre-season is serious business!

Bieksa sucks and would be the next scapegoat on defense.

Next off-season I'd like to get a younger guy to replace Hamrlik and we'll have some money to do it but until then once we get Markov and Hamrlik back our D is actually pretty solid as we'll have two excellent puckmovers in Markov and Subban, a very good shutdown pairing (Gill and Gorges) and Hamrlik and Spacek despite being overpaid and getting older are still solid defenseman who can also add offense.

Usually when 2 of your top 3 defensemen are hurt your defense looks a little weaker...

Wrong. They WANTED to get rid of him, but Salo is down indefinitely. I believe Bieska remains in their plans now.

Chara will be re-signed in Boston before the playoffs starts, he is the Pronger and Lidstrom in Boston and they will NOT let him walk.

Hamrlik yes but Spacek......no.

That's the problem in this D.....We need someone better to play with MArkov

I like Bieska but he has been so badlucky in terms of injuries. He plays a solid brand of hockey with some good grit. I'm thinking that with those freak injuries, he has lost that step and his nowhere close to what he was 3-4 years ago.

Lets hope that next spring Emelin finally comes over to add to our weak D. He could start at 6/7 D I just imagine a combo of Emelin and PK in a few years could be terrorizing for the other team with PK's offense and Emelin with his open ice hits.

Would you give a few examples of players you would like to see line up beside Markov (even if you think they're unlikely trade candidates)? I think this thread would benefit if we knew what caliber of defender you were talking about to help guide the discussion a little bit.

Still a very inexperience guy and to top it off, a guy who has never played in N-A

Pitkanen, Coburn, Edler, S.Weber, Seabrooks, Tyutin just to name a few.
The bold is one of my fav.

It would help but there's no place for a new top 4 defenseman. We'll have to make do with what we currently have. With a bit of luck, maybe a guy like Weber will be able to play a more important role next year.

True but with Hammer coming off a contract we will have space for some new D. He needs to get over here soon though. We also gave up two D in McDo and Valentenko that might be in NY's lineup. It wasn't a bad deal, we got Gomez(attracted other UFAs) and Pyatt but our D was thinned out including the flop of Fisher.

I think Gaithier will need to get a D next spring with both Gill and Hammer UFAs. Hopefully they draft some talent on D and a big tough winger if possible. They are set at center for awhile time to take chances in the draft and try to find a home run.

Alright and I want to see Nash,Parise, Gaborik next to Plekanec

Why go for scrubs? I'd rather have Doughty. :help:

Play four forwards and no goalie:yo: They can't boo Price if he's on the bench and Gorges and Gill play goalie:sarcasm:

True but will leave a big hole. If anything, we should try to sign him and rid of Spacek.....man I dislike that guy. Has for our depth on D, I don't like it at all. Weber is a decent prospect but is a wild card. Carle I'm not sure about......does nothing great and is not overly physical so AHL he goes. O'Byrne has it all but one key ingredient....hockey sense? Something is missing there. Henry is lke 30 AHLer. Tinordi is Jr bound and 2-3 years project. Nash was interesting but got cut. Aside from Subban, no other D stood out and made a case for themselves.