As would I, although it would kill our cap situation. We're hardly going to be dealing Gaborik the way he has been playing.
I'd happily deal Wolski+Dubinsky for Staal, though.
That's the thing. I don't know if I want to deal Dubinsky. He is a heart and soul player that represents everything this organization has been about the past 5 years or so.
Well, I don't want to trade Dubinsky either. I'm just saying I would for a 26 year old star center or a legitimate star LW like Rick Nash.
Othersie i'd say keep him, especially when LW is still a weak position for this team.
Hypothetically you'd obviously have to move a C to LW. Stepan is currently playing the wing on the top line. Boyle has been moved to the wing at times. Not often though. I think for a player of Staal's caliber you make the moves positionally that you have to.
We could, but we would have to move somebody eventually for the cap space. Right now with Staal and Rupp in LTIR it could work temporarily but then you have a really tough decision to make. Right now Wolski is the only high salary guy on this team that doesn't play a huge role.
Of course, we would never be the highest bidder for Staal, and I seriously doubt they try to trade him. Although TB did try to trade Lecavalier way back.
It excites me to think that he's not even playing at his best, or that he's going to start racking up assists when Dubi reaches midseason form. He's also made a very noticeable difference on our PP.
We could, but we would have to move somebody eventually for the cap space. Right now with Staal and Rupp in LTIR it could work temporarily but then you have a really tough decision to make. Right now Wolski is the only high salary guy on this team that doesn't play a huge role.
Of course, we would never be the highest bidder for Staal, and I seriously doubt they try to trade him. Although TB did try to trade Lecavalier way back.
Hypothetically, we would make this move near the deadline so you'd have some wiggle room to take on salary for the rest of this season. Plus you deal Wolski to offset some of the salary. You cut salary of guys like Stralman, Christensen, Woywitka after the season. Probably Avery's salary as well. And then Drury's buyout cap comes off the books after next season I believe. But yeah you'd have to get creative.
That's the thing. I don't know if I want to deal Dubinsky. He is a heart and soul player that represents everything this organization has been about the past 5 years or so.
But what has the organization been about the past 5 years? It's been a pretty mediocre 5 years. I don't know if I want to deal him either but you gotta give to get.
Great signing, was always happy with it, I feel his impact will go way beyond the stat sheet. Also, God my stomach turns when i read about people wanting to trade Duby, I love him. Duby, Callahan, Stepan, McDonagh need to be apart of this team for next 6-10 yrs easy.
They will have to find somebody that clicks with him to really get our PP going and give us more chances because he looks like he is the only guy that actually does know what to do on the PP as the forwards usually out there just can't cut it . Imagine a Ryan Smyth type of player standing in front of the net during a Richard run PP...we need that type of player ASAP to really see what Brad is capable of doing !!!
You'd like his point total to be a little higher but im not worried.
He's still playing fantastic. On the PP he's helped a lot. The one thing that amazes me most about him, is his awareness. Some of the passes he makes are just crazy. He'll skating towards the boards and all of sudden just pass it behind him to someone. He's an incredible passer and im glad we got him.
He'll pick it up with the points. He's generating a lot of good chances. If Dubinsky, Boyle, Anisimov and a few others weren't off to slow starts in the goalscoring department, Richards would have a few more assist and be at a point per game. He's on pace for 31 goals, which would be GREAT (and a career high).
Awesome signing overall, I think he'll end up being worth every penny. He brings the extra star power and offensive force that can lead us towards a cup. Couldn't be more excited about this team.
Brad Richards friggin' rocks. End of story. No way this team is sitting at 10-3-3 without him.
True. He's done wonders for our PP even though it hasn't really shown on paper. I've noticed other players like Callahan and even Gaborik picking up little tricks and copying what he does. I've seen Gaborik on a couple of occasions do that thing where richards goes slow on the rush but moves his feet quick to throw off the D man.
Brad Richards is pretty much the perfect example of how smarts and hockey IQ can supercede even the most incredible physical attributes. Hes not the biggest, nor the strongest, nor the fastest, but he makes the right play in nearly every situation - especially in the offensive zone. Combine that with outstanding vision, and you have an elite level hockey player.
Derek Stepan should be following Richards around and soaking up whatever he can.
Brad Richards is pretty much the perfect example of how smarts and hockey IQ can supercede even the most incredible physical attributes. Hes not the biggest, nor the strongest, nor the fastest, but he makes the right play in nearly every situation - especially in the offensive zone. Combine that with outstanding vision, and you have an elite level hockey player.
Derek Stepan should be following Richards around and soaking up whatever he can.
This.
I think Stepan already has a great mold of what Richards is, and over the years Stepan could easily turn into a Richards. They are very identical players. Will Stepan have 90 points seasons? No, but he could put up a few nice 70 point seasons if he continues his development.
It's hard to compare centers. Center has always been a glamour position and almost all of the greats are centers. Crosby, Toews, Kane, Kesler, Sedin, Giroux, Ribiero [excruciatingly underrated], Kopitar, E.Staal, Getzlaf, Richie, Spezza, Thornton, Backstrom, Lecavalier, Stamkos, Datsyuk, Stastny. Look at these ****in names and I'm probably still forgetting some. Take the top 30 players in the league and at least half of them are centers if not more. My point being, it's very difficult to do Richie justice with a ranking considering how over-stacked his position is.
With that mouthful being said, he's in the discussion if you do choose to have it, and I pretty much agree with everything you said outside of actually ranking him.
I think Richards is tough to rank cuz he's not a very flashy player, he's not a stickhandler who's going to score highlight reel goals, or a sniper that's gonna score 40, or blaze past everyone to deke the goalie to their knees
He's just a smart and skilled player who produces, but you don't exactly watch him and think "wow look how awesomely skilled that guy is", you just have to notice all the smart plays he makes
I think Richards is tough to rank cuz he's not a very flashy player, he's not a stickhandler who's going to score highlight reel goals, or a sniper that's gonna score 40, or blaze past everyone to deke the goalie to their knees
He's just a smart and skilled player who produces, but you don't exactly watch him and think "wow look how awesomely skilled that guy is", you just have to notice all the smart plays he makes
his vision is unreal. its not his ability to make passes that impresses me, its his ability to see people when looking in totally different directions...they almost seem like area passes, except they hit the tape of the other player perfectly every time. i dont get how those guys do that.
Richard's value isn't in just the points he puts up but also what he teaches to our young team. You can already tell the effect Richard's influence has had on Stepan and his game.
