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We're not dumping a veteran top four defender in time for the playoffs just to replace him with a kid in his first professional season (Despres).
I honestly wouldn't be that surprised if the Penguins do try to move Martin heading into the draft...but not before then.
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Last edited by Big McLargehuge: 02-01-2012 at 11:27 AM.
Reason: Comment about Frolik rescinded due to me not watching him enough in Chicago
Penguins say no, and I feel like we could acquire a #4 d-man without giving up Frolik. I wouldn't mind giving him up, but he's currently one of the few competent PK players we have.
Frolik seems like a perfect fit for the Pittsburgh system at least how he currently plays. He grinds very well and wins a ton of board battles every night...he just does not score for some reason. This guy gives it his all every night, but just does not score. He creates some chances and plays great D and can PK. If a team were looking to tap into his offensive potential then Pitt is probably a bad choice.
I'd love to move Martin and his salary... however like others have said, I don't see him moving before the draft unless another D is coming back (perhaps a UFA who won't resign who can play #5/6).
Frolik plays like a robot. You'll have to be more specific because I've heard people say the same thing about Frolik and it makes absolutely no sense.
Admittedly I've seen next to none of Frolik since he went to Chicago, so if he's changed then that's surprising. He seemed like the anti-Penguin in many ways in Florida. Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that, I just had trouble picturing him being a Shero/Bylsma style of player.
Now if Craig Patrick was still running things then oh hell yeah.
Admittedly I've seen next to none of Frolik since he went to Chicago, so if he's changed then that's surprising. He seemed like the anti-Penguin in many ways in Florida. Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with that, I just had trouble picturing him being a Shero/Bylsma style of player.
Now if Craig Patrick was still running things then oh hell yeah.
He's become the perfect Penguin. He just does his job, plays good D, fights for the puck and rarely turns it over. Also rarely scores, but you won't catch him cherry picking or anything like that, ever.
Penguins say no, and I feel like we could acquire a #4 d-man without giving up Frolik. I wouldn't mind giving him up, but he's currently one of the few competent PK players we have.
giving up Frolik? I would say getting rid of his contract
For Jordan Staal? I don't know, that's a tough one. As for Martin, it's cap dump for cap dump with the 1st being the sweetener to get it done. It was offered as a "you likely won't get an offer like this for Martin from another team" type of deal.
I don't have any interest in Martin. Everytime I watch Pittsburgh play (which granted, isn't that often) he turns the puck over too much.
He's not at all what Chicago's looking for.
Then you have selective viewing. Because most of the game Martin is good, its when he makes a mistake, it's usually a big one. It doesn't happen all that often, there are just some things coming up that make that might make that cap hit something that the team needs to move.
Something you guys are very familiar with the last 3 seasons.
Hawks fans complain about SOD/Scott/Lepisto. At least those guys contracts are cheap. No way I want Paul Martin coming this way with that contract. He's been atrocious since moving from NJ to Pitts. I'd probably take Ballard from Vancouver before him.
Pittsburgh
1st round pick 2012
Michael Frolik
Sami Lepisto (optional, he'd be traded or waived after this deal)
Two guys that need a change of scenery.
I thought Frolik just got a change of scenery? I don't really think it would make sense for the Penguins to do this deal, the first round pick is nice but they're giving up more than they're getting back. The Penguins will be an unreal team when Crosby comes back, and adding Frolik and a very late first plus an AHL defenceman doesn't = Paul Martin.
Is Paul Martin really that good? I don't think so.
Right, players never make mistakes. Paul Martin is a good defender and the Pens won't trade him during the season, not unless he asks for it. The problem might be that Martin & Michalek aren't a good pairing and should be split up to try and find him a partner that suits him better. I don't know if I am remembering this right but Martin was at his best when he had Oduya at his side, hell speaking of Oduya, I wouldn't mind picking him up as a rental from the Jets over all the other guys just because Martin might be familiar with him and it'd be in the Pens best interest to get Martin going again.
Hawks fans complain about SOD/Scott/Lepisto. At least those guys contracts are cheap. No way I want Paul Martin coming this way with that contract. He's been atrocious since moving from NJ to Pitts. I'd probably take Ballard from Vancouver before him.
Martin is only 'bad' in comparison to his contract. He's still a legitimate second pairing defender who has more good games than bad games...it's just everyone hates his contract so much that his bad games get underlined so much. Zbynek Michalek has been just as bad this year, but because his contract is more reasonable he seems to get no blame. Martin has been scapegoated way too much since he signed that deal, in my opinion. It's not even that his contract is that bad, it's just that the Penguins have so many bargain deals on it that anyone making market value is going to get some undeserved flack from the fan base. It's hard to get a UFA in high demand to take a hometown discount...
Mind you he deserves every bit of anger thrown his way for his performance yesterday. That was pathetic. Martin is a typical top four UFA defenseman in this league...he's overpaid because of the position he plays. When he plays up to his contract no one says anything good about him because it's what he's supposed to do. When he screws up everyone grabs pitchforks and wants the cap space back. He's playing like a $4 million defenseman this year that's getting paid $5 million. Trading him for cap space down the line at the deadline is not something that's even going to enter Shero's mind.
As I said earlier I can see it happening after the season is over...but not before then. Trading a vet top four guy in order to get a rookie coming off an MCL injury more playing time has never been a wise move when heading into the playoffs.
Last edited by Big McLargehuge: 02-01-2012 at 04:57 PM.
