Trade Rumors and Free Agent TalkTrade rumors, transactions, and free agent talk. Rumors must contain the word RUMOR in post title. Proposals must contain the word PROPOSAL in post title.
Apparently McKenzie said it on TSN 1050. Emphasized it was just a rumor though.
Goncharov was actually pretty highly touted at one point, has a HUGE shot from the point. Just having trouble adjusting to American/Canadian ice.
Some random blogger dude speculated it which for some crazy reason got traction on that stupid Twitter thing where McKenzie now lives so he noticed it. He felt the need to emphasize the rumor as just that because it has a sketchy source. He only mentioned it because it was big on Twitter.
Goncharov is a long shot at best. He's got tools but the tool box is highly questionable at this point. That said, you have to really respect this kid's character for sticking it out. He deserves a trade like this. He's paid his dues and done so with quiet professionalism. I'd like to see us reward him by moving him to a tram desperate enough to give him a shot. More likely than not he won't stick and will end up back in the KHL anyway, but at least he will have done his best and had every chance. He will likely do well there financially, too.
I don't know much about this dman but I say yes. I dont know how Leafs fans are saying no. Lombardi's value is almost negative with his cap hit and health.. I'd be estatic about moving him for nothing.
At this point I want to see Lombo succeed How about leafs retain salary and it is a 2nd 2013? Would rather get a pick personally.
I don't think there is a team in this league that'd give you a 2nd, even if Nonis found some magic CBA loophole that allowed him to retain 100% of the salary. He put up eighteen points last season. Eight. Teen. Nobody is just going to forget that because suddenly instead of being overpaid by three million he's only overpaid by one million. Either way, he's overpaid, an injury risk, and coming off of an eighteen point season. Either keep him, and see if he can turn it around, or ship him out for basically nothing just to turn the page on him. Those are really the only options.
Hanging onto him might not be the worst idea anyway. He's probably a better fit for a more structured coach like Carlyle than he was for Wilson, anyway. Afterall, his success has come with Sutter, Keenen, and especially Tippett. Carlyle is much more similar to those types than Wilson is. However, Carlyle strikes me as a guy who genarally wants a whole lot more grit in that bottom six than a guy like Lombardi is going to provide. It will he interesting to see what happens. Will Carlyle's system allow Lombardi to flourish or will Lombardi's less than physical style prevent him from ever really getting the chance?
If the Coyotes are on a budget, I prefer they spend it on someone else.
And Coyote fans are spoiled by their defensive core (some tend to undervalue the depth players). Some of the 'D' could easily play on some NHL teams, but with their depth, they won't get much, if any, ice time on the Coyotes.
Leafs need is a defenceman who can play in our top 4 in a shutdown role. We should be adding to make a deal work around those parameters.
I'm not seeing how turning down a deal like this involving Lombardi would further that goal. It's not as though you're going to be getting a top-4 defenseman in a deal that has him as the core piece or even really involves him at all. Folks generally don't want him except as a retread or a cap dump, and there's no top-4 blueliners out there with contracts folks are trying to get rid of such that including Lombardi would be justified.
If you're trying to find what you add to Lombardi to get a top-4 blueliner, give up now. Lombardi is not a reasonable basis on which to start. He's what you might conceivably add.
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