Stastny and Roy are very different players. I am also not a fan of Vanek for Stastny. Stastny is not what we need. We need a winger to help are young centers, and a third line vet who has some size and can shut down other teams.
Stastny really isn't that good though. If Darcy's looking for that 1C, he waits for a better option to become available. They're not the same player at all, but Stastny wouldn't be that much of an upgrade over Roy.
I think Darcy is looking for a 2/3 center with size, a good defensive game and some edge. Stastny does not fit that.
I'm of the mindset that Darcy is already in negotiations with a team for that exact player. I feel that he wouldn't have moved Roy if he didn't have his replacement in mind.
Particularly when we have the centers we do in the system. If folks can be patient for 1-2 years. Some of these issues will be addressed in house.
Vanek will be gone in 2 years
Id rather watch a harder working, more competitive team, while the new core develops (with the added bonus that the hard work rubs off on the new core as it works its way up)
Lol dude please stop calling Stastny, Roy 2.0... You have no clue what your talking about if you really think he is just Roy with an extra 2 inches... Stastny bring so much more to the game then Roy ever did...
Am I exaggerating slightly? Maybe. I still think Vanek is better than Statsny...Hodgson and Ennis aren't 18. They're 22-3. Moving Roy gives them an opportunity to step up and prove they can handle more responsibility. It has to happen some time. And Vanek gives them a tried and trusted scoring winger to generate offense with. Do you really like Hodgson's chances of developing better if you stick him behind Statsny with guys like Ott and Tropp as his wingers? I don't.
I think Darcy is looking for a 2/3 center with size, a good defensive game and some edge. Stastny does not fit that.
Why not sign Arnott? 1 yr at $3M. Not really a shutdown guy, but if you put him in between Ott and Leino you've got a line that's defensively responsible (for the most part) and will put some pucks in the net. Also could play in the top-6 if Hodgson or Ennis gets hurt.
The Matt Cullen suggestion was a good one, I'd like to see a center with some offensive upside play that 3rd line center.
If our top 6 fills out like this:
Vanek-Hodgson-Pominville
Foligno-Ennis-Stafford
The third line would probably be right now:
Ott-XXX-Leino
I wanted to make the point that Leino enjoyed much success playing on a line with Hartnell and Briere, Ott can be the Hartnell but who would be the Briere? Maybe a veteran center with speed and skill would be a good fit(just not D. Roy). I love the Cullen suggestion, some other names I would toss out: Dubinsky, M Fisher, A Macdonald, Grigorenko, Lombardi(meh), Filppula...
Also a future possibility, maybe Hodgson is that guy to try and create some magic with Ott and Leino while Grigorenko centers Van and Poms.
I understand you may like Dubinsky and Boyle as players more than Vanek, but making that trade would be like trading a million dollar house for a 80k house because you'd prefer a cozier place. If you want to trade Vanek, you just have to get more than that back.
The main reason I'm ok with the Vanek for Stastny trade, is Ruff.
There are too many "smoke/fire" quotes over the years for Ruff and Vanek to be "right." I've said for years on these boards that "if you have a Stallion, you ride him." Ruff does not game plan for Vanek, and he is our Stallion. If Ruff has a problem with him, please trade him.
I'll bring it up again, Vanek started the season PK'ing with Paille, they scored a couple shorties, and Vanek has never been PKing again. Why does Vanek only sit in front of the net on the PP? Why do I watch plays designed for other top players with an awesome shot such as Vanek? Why isn't he set up for a one-timer at the top of the circle? Why not feed him the puck at the blueline? Too many options that are not utilized or tried for Vanek specifically over the years. (and yes, I know putting him at the blueline that he's a touch slow..just an example of cycling him to the top for a set up shot.)
I feel Vanek could be best served as trade right now, for the future for us.
I also think a decent sized, two way center is what we need but I wouldn't be opposed to Stastny at all, as I think he would do great with Pomms.
Am I exaggerating slightly? Maybe. I still think Vanek is better than Statsny...Hodgson and Ennis aren't 18. They're 22-3. Moving Roy gives them an opportunity to step up and prove they can handle more responsibility. It has to happen some time. And Vanek gives them a tried and trusted scoring winger to generate offense with. Do you really like Hodgson's chances of developing better if you stick him behind Statsny with guys like Ott and Tropp as his wingers? I don't.
Im not trying to say go get Stastny he will win us a cup or he is even what this team needs right now. Im just saying he is a more complete player then Roy and I would take him 100 times out of 100 over Roy.
on a side note:
Why not just stack up our wingers with grit and veteran leadership and let Ennis, Hodgson and Grigorenko play the 123 down the middle?
I know we want a more veteran savy Center to mentor our young guys but then your taking on the job expierence from them.
I would love to see them go hard after Iginla. Not sure what it would take tho. Surround youth with Veteran Leaders.
That 3rd line would be hell to play against, then drop the 4th line of Gerbe - ? - Kaleta on them and Sabres games every night would get down right twilight zonish.
Protects them from what exactly? With Stastny we have 3 centers and and only two wingers in Pominville and Stafford to score. I think their development would be better playing with some amazing talent rather than miss out on opportunities because they are being given to a 26 yo.
Stastny, playing with Pominville, draws the tough matchups. Hodgson, Ennis, maybe even Grigorenko, face easier competition.
Does anyone else believe that Regier doesn't foresee Grigorenko making the team this season?
If he does, I feel like a few players we haven't talked much about may be on the way out (especially if they do add a big-bodied center).
At some point, there just won't be room for Mikhail, no?
I'm sure they'll wait until training camp to be certain, but Regier's comments regarding what he still wants to do strike me as though they don't see Grigorenko making the team come October.
Does anyone else believe that Regier doesn't foresee Grigorenko making the team this season?
If he does, I feel like a few players we haven't talked much about may be on the way out (especially if they do add a big-bodied center).
At some point, there just won't be room for Mikhail, no?
I'm sure they'll wait until training camp to be certain, but Regier's comments regarding what he still wants to do strike me as though they don't see Grigorenko making the team come October.
My guess is that the team might be in a holding pattern until after Dev camp to get a better feel from the coaches on whether they'd be comfortable with Grigs in a full time role.
