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.
He is a solid defenseman, i think he'll make a run for a spot on the roster. I would have rather seen Lovejoy waived and Strait given the spot on Pittsburgh but i guess Shero/Bylsma had other ideas.
Well if that were to happen who would the pens fans new whipping boy be?? can TK handle it all?
Strait is beyond expendable, he's been a solid AHL dman, but lovejoy is bigger, better skater, and has NHL experience. Lovejoy is not as bad as advertised. And lets face it they both would have been gone after this year anyway, with Depres, Dumoulin, and Morrow close.
Well if that were to happen who would the pens fans new whipping boy be?? can TK handle it all?
Strait is beyond expendable, he's been a solid AHL dman, but lovejoy is bigger, better skater, and has NHL experience. Lovejoy is not as bad as advertised. And lets face it they both would have been gone after this year anyway, with Depres, Dumoulin, and Morrow close.
They are pretty similar players if you've ever watched Strait play though and Scuderi was not some hyped up prospect either. His path was similar to the one Strait is on now. Pens just were a much weaker team back then which allowed a seemingly ordinary prospect like Scuderi to crack the lineup and eventually develop into a heck of a player.
Well if that were to happen who would the pens fans new whipping boy be?? can TK handle it all?
Strait is beyond expendable, he's been a solid AHL dman, but lovejoy is bigger, better skater, and has NHL experience. Lovejoy is not as bad as advertised. And lets face it they both would have been gone after this year anyway, with Depres, Dumoulin, and Morrow close.
Pretty spot-on post here.
I wish that Shero had tried harder to move one of the trio closer to the draft...but at this point of time none of them had any trade value because everyone a.) knew at least one of them was going to be exposed to waivers and b.) they're all free agents at the end of the year and probably don't have a role with the team moving forward (I expect Bortuzzo to be re-signed because he does have some upside, but Strait would have left looking for a better opportunity and Lovejoy is nothing more than the 8th guy on the depth chart right now). Strait and Bortuzzo are going to be RFAs, but still...with Morrow and Dumoulin likely ready for the NHL next season and the guys already ahead of him on the depth chart it was getting harder and harder to see him carve his niche on the roster.
This just worries me about the whole 'draft every defenseman and trade the excess' strategy that's going on...for every Alex Goligoski we get there's going to be 5 Brian Straits.
Now that's just from a Pens POV...for the Islanders...I have far more faith in Strait being a NHLer than Hickey. He's a poor man's Mark Eaton-type defensive defenseman with absolutely no offensive game, but he's solid positionally. That sort of defender is something we want in Pittsburgh, but clearly doesn't work too well in Bylsma's system (see the abject failure that was Zbynek Michalek last season). On Long Island he should be able to carve his niche and I wouldn't be surprised if he winds up spending a good while on their third pairing.
As much as I want to be upset about this it's really hard to shed tears over losing Brian Strait...the only thing I'm really sad about is that we lost a guy who came out of the womb with a full beard.
That was when he was 21.
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“The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile, but that it is indifferent. If we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death, our existence as a species can have genuine meaning and fulfillment. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.” - Stanley Kubrick
New York Islanders are the Pittsburgh Pirates of the NHL. With players like Strait and a move to Brooklyn looks like the Isles will easily take over the Dodgers old nickname of "Dem Bums".
Good depth stay at home defenseman who just got caught in the numbers game on the Pens blueline. Not an exciting player, but could turn out to be a nice pick-up.
He's a bottom pairing defensive defenseman. Snow thinks he can play in the NHL then there's nothing wrong with the move, Islanders need depth defensemen.
Newsday reported that Aucoin practiced today on the 4th line. That Bailey and JJ are out another 1-3 weeks. Fans act as if Aucoin is on Tavares wing.
None of Hickey/Strait/Finley is being put in the top 5. Isles still expect Vis to join them in 2-3 weeks, meaning 2 of Hickey/Strait/Finley will be back on waivers.
