They're going to have to take a big contract back regardless of who they trade with. There's only a few teams in the league that can afford to pay Lecavaliers actual salary and we happen to be one of them.
Drury is the ideal player to send the other way. Moving Rozsival, as great as it would be in my eyes, is going to create a hole in the lineup that will be difficult to fill. Unless of course we get a d-man back in the trade.
Then youre talking about really sweetening the pot.
Everything about getting Vinny is a good thing. He's a top 1st line center, we can pencil him in on the second line and give this team 2 legit top lines. Or put him with Gaborik and Prospal and potentially have one of, if not the best 1st line in the NHL.
Drury and Rozi are dead weight, imagine putting a player in that is actually worth 7 million a year, no one as good as Lecavlier is going to hit free agency. If Vinny is actually available we should jump on it, the chances of AA, Dubinsky, or Stepan ever being as good as Lecavlier is now and will be for the next 5 years is so slim.
Everything about getting Vinny is a good thing. He's a top 1st line center, we can pencil him in on the second line and give this team 2 legit top lines.
Drury and Rozi are dead weight, imagine putting a player in that is actually worth 7 million a year, no one as good as Lecavlier is going to hit free agency. If Vinny is actually available we should jump on it.
I agree with everything. Ola, you ARE a great poster, but Richards is >>>>>> Gomez. And no point in even comparing him to Drury, IMO. They're nothing alike. Drury (and I'm a fan of his) should not be in the conversation of top offensive minded centers. He's a great defensive center with speed and a solid shot. He doesn't have hands or moves.
And I would rather take on Richards than be locked into Lecavalier for as long as he's under contract. Don't get me wrong, if we can get Vinny for a reasonable price, I wouldn't be opposed to it, but I'd rather just get rid of Rozsival any way and take on Richards for a less risky contract.
Intriguing. Rozsival wouldnt be close to enough capwise, however. Potentiall guys like Higgins, Callahan, would have to go. He has a cap hti almost identical to Drury;s at 7.1 mil. so - Rozys 5 and Higgins's 2.25 would do it, then we're talking about including Sanguinetti, Kreider, a ******** of kids and picks anyways.
I can see Tampa having interest in sme of our young defensive prospects.
I dont usually give Sather the green light on high priced centers but... go get him Slats.
Ok if we could move one of Drury, Redden, or Rosival and get LeCav and a defensemen back (if we trade Redden or Rosival)then I can get behind this.
I must admit, Ola's post about LeCav in the offensive zone really changed how i view him and I trust Ola's opinion regarding his offense a lot more than mine.
Hey, if Sather can pull off that Gomez trade with Montreal's management, guess what he could do with Tampa Bay's Management? (Unless personnel changes have already been made that I don't know about...)
The thing with Richards is that he probably have a superb attitude, concentration level, "nose for the net", a de facto good shot and vision -- et c. But, just like Chris Drury, on a off night you wonder how on earth he can get paid what he gets paid. And, in order for players like Drury or Richards to produce well -- they basically must capatilize on others hard work. Richards isn't a player who gets the puck up ice by himself. He doesn't cover much ice.
Richards is the type who is money when others screw up.
We don't need that. Washington would need a player like that. Pittsburgh. Detroit. Chicago.
But for example, and I think this is what it comes down to -- we are playing like Washington/Pittsburgh/NJD/Philly and they put Malkin/Crosby/AO/Parise/Richards/Carter on the ice and we counter with Brad Richards -- from the get go we will have a disadvantage. Of 40 shifts, on 35 of them Richards probably would struggle. We just don't need that. We need someone who can really help to match those players.
No he wouldn't! I can almost guarantee it.
What he does well, he does so well that I wonder if there is more then a couple in this league who can match it. He is fantastic in the attacking zone with the puck. Definitely on par with a Malkin.
His problem is that he can't carry a team. He is in Tampa in the same position as Jagr was his last 2 years in NY. All teams know him really well. The first guy you talk about when you talk about Tampa is VL. You know that if you don't give him any room there is a good chance that you will dominate the entire team. So a lot of focus is put on that.
Still he is able to produce. I think he would produce more in a smaller role in NY. Gabby would still get the main attention. LeCav could focus on being solid 5 on 5 and being a key member of one of the best PP's in the league.
I've seen a lot of Tampa this season watching out Hedman. Lecavalier is expected to do sooo much. And he just isn't designed to be able to do that. He can not fill the role of a player who is both suppoesd to check one of the best in the league, while scoring a ton of pts, while also being the guy who is supposed to always carry the play. Get the puck up ice and into the attacking zone. Zetterberg can do that. Crosby. Malkin. Thornton? Sometimes, sometimes not.
So yeah, Lecavalier isn't top 5 in the game.
But with the puck in the attacking zone -- he is top 5. He is the best we could do.
With Lecavalier on board I think we could get the key strengths that we could build our game around. Gabby's constant goal-scoring-threat. And Lecavaliers strengths in the attacking zone. Lundqvists goaltending. Aspects that are simple to use. And build towards.
The game plan would be simple:
1. Do not give away anything defensively. That apply's for all teams. But if we are half thight defensively we won't give up a ton with Hank in the net.
2. Get Gabby on the ice and let him work his magic. He is always a threat.
3. Get Lecavalier the puck in the attacking zone.
Thats 3 simple keys to our game. And we have the ingridiences to support those keys. We have the Callahan's, Avery's, Dubinsky's and co.
Puck possesion is our best defense. That's what we're looking at here.
Still would rather wait for Richards or Marleau on the open-market. I see no reason to give up so many young players for an overpaid horrible contract.
That is the base of my proposal and more would be added. However...I don't know if I would want to trade for Vinny considering the length of his contract. Sure he may be worth it now but what about 5 or 6 years? I think it would have to be a trade that Sather could not say no to. Probably would end up being
Rozsival
Callahan
Grachev
Sanguinetti
1st in 2010
2nd in 2011
That is a tad harsh, no? 24 pts in 29 games this year is hardly lack of production.
In what people around here considered a "down year" he had 67 points in 77 games last year, which would have lead our team.
The salary cap will only go up in the future (based on this past year no way the NHL allows it to go down), he may be a relatively cheap player in 4-5 years. If we can get him for the right price (ie Dubi, Sangs, Prospect/Picks), why not?
24 points for a player who has an eleven year contract and is making $10 million in salary is production. He has 6 goals this season in nearly 30 games. What is he on pace for? A 20 goal season for $10 million. He is the highest paid player in the sport.
Vinny's contract would be the death nail for this franchise.
Take away the two seasons prior to last season,Vinny is not even a point a game player in his career. A better version of Scott Gomez and Chris Drury.
This is not fantasy hockey. The same formula has really worked. It works for the Yankees because they spend $50 million more than the 2nd highest payroll team in MLB.
Vinny has played like crap this season. Why is that? He has had wrist and shoulder injuries.
That is the base of my proposal and more would be added. However...I don't know if I would want to trade for Vinny considering the length of his contract. Sure he may be worth it now but what about 5 or 6 years? I think it would have to be a trade that Sather could not say no to. Probably would end up being
Rozsival
Callahan
Grachev
Sanguinetti
1st in 2010
2nd in 2011
Looking at those packages wouldnt it make more sense to go after someone younger? With a package like that the Rangers could go out and get a couple of very good young players like Pavelski and Hemsky and solve the same scoring woes by spreading out the offense and not end up with a horrible contract.
Then youre talking about really sweetening the pot.
Like Drury/Grachev territory.
I didn't say it was the most likely scenario, or the cheapest, just that exchanging Drury for Lecavalier is a win for the Rangers.
Personally, I'm not a fan of trading for Vinny unless he comes cheap. I'm talking Rozy + Higgins + 1st rounder kind of cheap.
The contract is just so massive that it's going to be a huge burden to the organization for many years. Yeah, he and Gabby would probably be pretty potent, but at what cost? How many kids will we lose because we have 5 players on the roster making +/- $7M a piece? (Drury, Gabby, Redden, Drury, Lundqvist)
I'm all for getting a 1st line center, but people forget that adding up players to equal Vinny's cap hit just isn't going to do it. Sure, Rozy + Higgins is close in terms of cap hit, but then you have to add prospects to make the value worth TB's while. Start with Sanguinetti, and there goes your probable Rozsival replacement. Can't afford to resign Girardi thanks to Vinny's contract, so we lose him too. Now we're stuck with finding two more players for the blueline next year. It's a mess.
Hence the reason I feel that Drury is the only logical choice for the Rangers, but there's no way he's waiving his NMC to go to Tampa.
I'll go on record: I want no part of Vincent Lecavalier on this team.
Not with that contract.
Id say that, and with what we would have to give up. I'm not opposed to trading talent for talent, I just feel as if we would have to trade a crap-load of talent for talent :/
Only way I would do it is if they take Drury, a 1st and a mid level prospect. IF we are going to take his ridiculous contract, I'm sure TB can live with Drury for two years, a 1st and a mid level prospect.
Id say that, and with what we would have to give up. I'm not opposed to trading talent for talent, I just feel as if we would have to trade a crap-load of talent for talent :/
I cant see Tampa expecting alot for him...that contract is insane 11 more years at 7.8 mil he will be what 40 at the end of it? I mena they cant expect a load of top picks or prospects....right now its more of getting rid of a huge contract...me personally i would only deal for him if they took either drury redden or rozy if not no thanks
too.. 
