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.
Even if Edmonton fans don't want to call Hemsky injury prone, only the most stubborn of all homers would say Whitney isn't injury prone (averages 54 GP over the last four seasons). And, even if he was healthy, the difference between him and Zidlicky is negligible at best. Their career stats are pretty much identical (Whitney .56 PPG, Zidlicky .53 PPG). Even their contracts are identical in both term and salary. If you somehow managed to convince me that Whitney was the better player it would be by the slimmest of margins, so slim that you could not in good faith call it an "upgrade".
The only thing Whitney has is youth, which means nothing in an abbreviated season. And as I mentioned, both are impending UFA's so it's not as if this move would be for the Devil's future. They could just as easily let Zids walk in June and pick up Whitney for free, or just for ***** and giggles, sign both at the same time.
As for Zajac, he's clearly the best asset in the deal. Seven players currently in the league have both 25 goal and 65 seasons under their belt AND have been top-10 in Selke voting multiple times AND are under 30 years old. Can you name them?
That's the company Zajac keeps, that's the value you must appraise him at. Call him a fluke, bring up injuries, say he's a product of his linemates, say whatever you want to discredit him (you'd be wrong on all accounts). Travis Zajac is one of the league's finest two-way centerman and you must value him the same way you value the other players I've listed above. Zajac will command $5.5-6.5 million on the open market and he deserves every penny of it.
Even if the Devils lost Zajac, Gagner would STILL be 3rd on our center depth chart behind Elias and Henrique. So yeah, that accomplishes nothing. We're just replacing Zajac with a generic dime-a-dozen 40-45 point forward (In before "but he's only 23, he can still get better!!!' Players don't suddenly figure it out when they enter their 6th season, he's a veteran now, you need to accept that Edmonton permanently stunted his development when they threw him into the fire as an 18 year old).
On top of ALL that, I'm not even going to attempt to understand the logic of why New Jersey, a team that just lost an All-Star forward to free agency and was top-10 defensively despite mediocre goaltending, is trading offense for defense. Basically New Jersey gives you a premier two-way center in exchange for a completely unspectacular and developmentally stagnant career underachiever. Which means we make our biggest weakness even weaker and gain nothing in return.
Even if Edmonton fans don't want to call Hemsky injury prone, only the most stubborn of all homers would say Whitney isn't injury prone (averages 54 GP over the last four seasons). And, even if he was healthy, the difference between him and Zidlicky is negligible at best. Their career stats are pretty much identical (Whitney .56 PPG, Zidlicky .53 PPG). Even their contracts are identical in both term and salary. If you somehow managed to convince me that Whitney was the better player it would be by the slimmest of margins, so slim that you could not in good faith call it an "upgrade".
The only thing Whitney has is youth, which means nothing in an abbreviated season. And as I mentioned, both are impending UFA's so it's not as if this move would be for the Devil's future. They could just as easily let Zids walk in June and pick up Whitney for free, or just for ***** and giggles, sign both at the same time.
As for Zajac, he's clearly the best asset in the deal. Seven players currently in the league have both 25 goal and 65 seasons under their belt AND have been top-10 in Selke voting multiple times AND are under 30 years old. Can you name them?
That's the company Zajac keeps, that's the value you must appraise him at. Call him a fluke, bring up injuries, say he's a product of his linemates, say whatever you want to discredit him (you'd be wrong on all accounts). Travis Zajac is one of the league's finest two-way centerman and you must value him the same way you value the other players I've listed above. Zajac will command $5.5-6.5 million on the open market and he deserves every penny of it.
Even if the Devils lost Zajac, Gagner would STILL be 3rd on our center depth chart behind Elias and Henrique. So yeah, that accomplishes nothing. We're just replacing Zajac with a generic dime-a-dozen 40-45 point forward (In before "but he's only 23, he can still get better!!!' Players don't suddenly figure it out when they enter their 6th season, he's a veteran now, you need to accept that Edmonton permanently stunted his development when they threw him into the fire as an 18 year old).
On top of ALL that, I'm not even going to attempt to understand the logic of why New Jersey, a team that just lost an All-Star forward to free agency and was top-10 defensively despite mediocre goaltending, is trading offense for defense. Basically New Jersey gives you a premier two-way center in exchange for a completely unspectacular and developmentally stagnant career underachiever. Which means we make our biggest weakness even weaker and gain nothing in return.
So yes, that proposal is, in fact, atrocious.
A young player does not figure it out ? Lots have . Take a look at the Sedins . Here is one a little closer to home . Dave Gagner , Sam,s father . Here a link . Check it out http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/p...y.php?pid=1811
Gagner would be a third liner only if Elias and Henrique play centre, but Elias is a winger who was moved and I still see Henrique as Parise's replacement on wing. Gagner's not as good as Zajac, but I don't think he's a thirdliner on many if any NHL teams.
But seriously, I wouldn't trade the top offensive D and the top centre on my team for another team's second line centre and a defender who's name is only known because it looks so close to Ray's.
