Since the question is just about getting Meszaros, that was a great idea.
Everything that swirled around the move in the past 30 days, that poll would have different results.
Getting a somewhat decent D is a good idea - but it was the execution. It cost us assets, messed the cap up, and while it seemed like it was all part of a plan to either trade Carle or not sign Coburn - we didn't make the follow up move. It feels like a panic move since we didn't get Hamhuis regardless that Coburn was going to be resigned or not.
So really only time will tell because it either has to (1) lead to something larger (ie large trade), (2) really make our D that much better even if we're paying most of cap in D, or (3) a terrible panic move banking on a change of scenery like Eminger.
Meszaros move was the best move of the offseason bar none.
Well...to be fair it had to either be Meszaros or Zherdev. I'm curious how he (Meszaros) will be used, but I really think getting him was big, especially as Pronger and Timonen get older.
Bad move, overpaid slightly, put us in a bad cap situation, guy is not good enough to be a top pairing guy but too good/expensive for the third pairing, he plays small/soft, etc.
Could turn out OK but as of now I don't see where anyone can defend it. We needed a third pairing? OK, that's O'Donnell and Bartulis. He is not a third pairing guy, overkill for that, yet not quite reliable enough for more regular duty. Did I mention his contract is terrible?
Well...to be fair it had to either be Meszaros or Zherdev. I'm curious how he (Meszaros) will be used, but I really think getting him was big, especially as Pronger and Timonen get older.
They both will disappoint us most likely but we have gotten steadier play out of Carle and Leino so maybe these reclamations projects will have similar success.
I'll reserve final judgement on this one until I see the opening night roster. Right now it looks like a pretty awful deal, though (considering it cost the team Gags and hasn't improved the situation between the pipes).
I still think that they'd decided to get rid of Gagne long before Meszaros was acquired (or Hamhuis signed, if that had worked out). They had to wait until they were over the cap to ditch Gagne, so they could play the 'well, we had to get under the cap' card. Nothing Homer did 'cost' him Gagne, he was already gone.
They both will disappoint us most likely but we have gotten steadier play out of Carle and Leino so maybe these reclamations projects will have similar success.
Disagree. I think we're going to love both Meszaros and Zherdev before the year is out. The 2003 draft was the strongest ever. Carter was 11. Richards 24th.
Zherdev was #4 for a reason. He has that level of talent, and it's not like he hasn't produced at all in the NHL, as others have pointed out.
Meszaros is a player I've always liked. Big, fast, strong, skilled, competitive.
Both guys are young and ready to blossom.
People on here complain about young D and their growing pains all the time, but Carle and Coburn proved they have it. Meszaros does too. Zherdev is going to be a star for us in a strong lineup.
Disagree. I think we're going to love both Meszaros and Zherdev before the year is out. The 2003 draft was the strongest ever. Carter was 11. Richards 24th.
Zherdev was #4 for a reason. He has that level of talent, and it's not like he hasn't produced at all in the NHL, as others have pointed out.
Meszaros is a player I've always liked. Big, fast, strong, skilled, competitive.
Both guys are young and ready to blossom.
People on here complain about young D and their growing pains all the time, but Carle and Coburn proved they have it. Meszaros does too. Zherdev is going to be a star for us in a strong lineup.
Both guys are young and have a ton of potential. If they both hit, our (skater) lineup looks fantastic.
Terrible. They only needed to upgrade the 3rd pairing. Spending $4M on another defenseman was ridiculous and it's even worse considering how bad he has been the last two years.
Grabbing Zherdev for nothing was pretty good since it doesn't hurt the team's financial future and he'll be playing to earn a big contract.
Zherdev and Leino will fight for a contract next year. So, that's more of a "no risk/high reward" move. It's definitely a wait and see type of situation.
I like Meszaros because this is a move that will bolster our young blueline for a long time.
Zherdev and Leino will fight for a contract next year. So, that's more of a "no risk/high reward" move. It's definitely a wait and see type of situation.
I like Meszaros because this is a move that will bolster our young blueline for a long time.
Walker was a salary dump by the Bolts (and, to be honest, so was Mesz.)
Walker is worthless (not Shelley worthless, but who is?) and a horrible contract.
I'm cautiously optimistic about Mesz regaining his form but the caution comes from the fact that Yzerman clearly thinks that Mesz isn't that good and is severely overpaid for a long, long time.
Yzerman might be wrong, but he opinion is a pretty valuable one.
I still think that they'd decided to get rid of Gagne long before Meszaros was acquired (or Hamhuis signed, if that had worked out). They had to wait until they were over the cap to ditch Gagne, so they could play the 'well, we had to get under the cap' card. Nothing Homer did 'cost' him Gagne, he was already gone.
I think you're right. I'm pretty sure Gagne said in an interview that they had approached him about a trade a month ago. The way all of it went down was really backwards, I'd say.
Walker was a salary dump by the Bolts (and, to be honest, so was Mesz.)
Walker is worthless (not Shelley worthless, but who is?) and a horrible contract.
I'm cautiously optimistic about Mesz regaining his form but the caution comes from the fact that Yzerman clearly thinks that Mesz isn't that good and is severely overpaid for a long, long time.
Yzerman might be wrong, but he opinion is a pretty valuable one.
Yea I've thought about that as well. Why would a team that is clearly rebuilding and has a decent amount of money to spend want to get rid of a defenseman who should be hitting his prime soon and is locked up for a few years?
Walker was a salary dump by the Bolts (and, to be honest, so was Mesz.)
Walker is worthless (not Shelley worthless, but who is?) and a horrible contract.
I'm cautiously optimistic about Mesz regaining his form but the caution comes from the fact that Yzerman clearly thinks that Mesz isn't that good and is severely overpaid for a long, long time.
Yzerman might be wrong, but he opinion is a pretty valuable one.
Yzerman is rebuilding the Bolts in his grand image. Meszaros doesn't fit in, and while you can say that a good player should always be able to find a place in the "house that Yzerman built," there is quite a bit more to it than that.
I think that there were a number of factors that went into Meszaros being moved, and I cannot possibly begin to speculate as to what they were. However, his recent play on a poor team was only one of those factors, and I can confidently say that it wasn't the most important factor.
Yzerman is rebuilding the Bolts in his grand image. Meszaros doesn't fit in, and while you can say that a good player should always be able to find a place in the "house that Yzerman built," there is quite a bit more to it than that.
I think that there were a number of factors that went into Meszaros being moved, and I cannot possibly begin to speculate as to what they were. However, his recent play on a poor team was only one of those factors.
You are right. If I was rebuilding a team I'd stay as far away from a young defender with tremendous upside and focus on acquiring a banged up winger on the wrong side of 30.
First, it's absurd to think that a young defenseman with top pairing potential (or even a solid #3) could be gotten for just a 2nd round pick. If the price is too good to be true... it probably is. Unlike our GM, Yzerman doesn't seem to be in the business of trading away talent and getting nothing in return.
Second, Tampa just dumped a ton of salary on the Flyers and took back none in return and turned a 4th round pick into a 2nd round pick.
Yea I've thought about that as well. Why would a team that is clearly rebuilding and has a decent amount of money to spend want to get rid of a defenseman who should be hitting his prime soon and is locked up for a few years?
Because he's an expensive, over-payed contract and he's been regressing for the last three or four years.
I'm a little conflicted on this one. I like Meszaros and I think he'll be a good dman for us despite regressing somewhat on the Lightning, but adding him made our defense very expensive. Might have been safer to just sign O'Donnell and play him with Bartulis as the 3rd pairing, at least to start the year. We could have made a move near the deadline if it wasn't working out, but if they did end up playing okay, we'd have been able to save a lot of money and would probably still have Gagne.
But I do like the way our defense looks now assuming Homer buries Walker's awful contract in the minors. If he does keep Walker around to eat up cap space, I'm going to be beyond pissed off, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Because he's an expensive, over-payed contract and he's been regressing for the last three or four years.
First, blame Tampa Bay for the contract.
Second, Meszaros hasn't regressed for the last three to four years. His first year in Tampa Bay, he hurt his shoulder. His second year, Tocchet admittedly used Meszaros in a role that he shouldn't have used him in. Meszaros was used as a shut down defender when he shouldn't have been. The thing was, he was the best defensemen of the bunch in Tampa Bay and Tocchet had no choice. He couldn't throw Hedman or Ohlund into that role and the guy he wanted to play the shut down role (Ranger), left the team. That left Tocchet in a bind and he was relegated to using Meszaros. If you want to liken it to anything, liken it to when Hitch used Nedved as his shut down center.
This is a 24 year old defenseman who has three seasons of scoring 30+ points in the league. Last season, Meszaros lead his team in blocked shots and was third in hits. Imagine him playing with Pronger. That's just going to be a nasty two some to play against. I'll say it right now - with this lineup and with how Meszaros is going to be used, there's no reason to believe he can't put up 45 to 50 points with this lineup. He's got one hell of a cannon from the point and you can bet that he's going to be asked to use that point shot regularly.
Second, Meszaros hasn't regressed for the last three to four years. His first year in Tampa Bay, he hurt his shoulder. His second year, Tocchet admittedly used Meszaros in a role that he shouldn't have used him in. Meszaros was used as a shut down defender when he shouldn't have been. The thing was, he was the best defensemen of the bunch in Tampa Bay and Tocchet had no choice. He couldn't throw Hedman or Ohlund into that role and the guy he wanted to play the shut down role (Ranger), left the team. That left Tocchet in a bind and he was relegated to using Meszaros. If you want to liken it to anything, liken it to when Hitch used Nedved as his shut down center.
This is a 24 year old defenseman who has three seasons of scoring 30+ points in the league. Last season, Meszaros lead his team in blocked shots and was third in hits. Imagine him playing with Pronger. That's just going to be a nasty two some to play against. I'll say it right now - with this lineup and with how Meszaros is going to be used, there's no reason to believe he can't put up 45 to 50 points with this lineup. He's got one hell of a cannon from the point and you can bet that he's going to be asked to use that point shot regularly.
No offense but Meszaros was hardly our best defenseman. From December on Lundin was the 2nd best player on the roster and Ohlund was consistently better than Meszaros, Hedman also had his moments too. At best I would call Meszaros our 3rd best defenseman. Check the Lightning gdts last year and you will find more negative Mez comments than anybody excluding maybe Tanguay. The shoulder excuse might fly but he injured it 52 games into the season and it's not like he was playing average hockey then.
And I haven't seen his comments but if he wanted to put Ranger who is/was great on offense but horrible in his own end as a shutdown defenseman then Tocchet is a worse HC than I thought.
__________________
"Embrace and savor the moment." -- WF
Last edited by Death Taxes Conacher: 07-22-2010 at 07:22 PM.
I think homer/scouts saw meszaros as one of the best young d-men in the league. They gave up little compared to what Tampa gave to get him. If he returns to Ottawa form with experience, then carlebecomes expendable for vokoun if need be. He coulld be groomedas kimos replacement?
I have to see him play 20 games before I can make a judgement.
