Your Friendly Friday Links Roundup: The Circus Trip Edition
by light_the_lamp on Feb 10, 2012 8:01 AM PST
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I used to think that the term 'circus trip' was a generic way of referring to a hockey team's long road trip. I have no idea why I believed that, because apparently, it's a Chicago-specific term (the Blackhawks and Bulls are forced to vacate the United Center when the circus/ice capades come to town).
Yet, the high-stakes nature of this road trip promises to turn it into a circus of sorts. We won by the skin of our teeth on Wednesday, and now, we can't afford to lose.
On to the links!
- How many points will the Ducks net on their 14 day road trip? It seems as though we'll have to get between 13 and 16 to remain in the playoff hunt. [OC Register]
- A closer look at the trip. [Anaheim Ducks]
- The other trip seen round the Pond, and the fortuitous overtime goal that followed. Was it the worst blown call of the season? [Puck Daddy]
- How the Ducks could lose Justin Schultz's rights. [Bucky's 5th Quarter]
- I don't know how this didn't make it into my Wednesday links, but Devante Smith-Pelly has been sent to the Syracuse Crunch on a conditioning loan. [Into The Boards]
- Emerson Etem is a goal per game player in the WHL. Impressive. [Calgary Sun]
- On Nick Bonino's unfortunate place in Beanpot (an annual college hockey tournament that involves all 4 Boston-area schools: Boston University, Boston College, Harvard, and Northeastern) history. [NESN.com]
- Bruce Boudreau on Francois Beauchemin: "There aren't too many guys I'd trade him for right now." [Canada.com]
- Could Lubomir Visnovsky potentially return to Edmonton? [Oilers Republic]
- Princeton doesn't matter, but it is an excellent source of NHL tough guys. [Fox Sports West]
- The Anaheim Ducks Towel invades the Rick Hansen statue at Rogers Arena. [Anaheim Ducks Towel Invasions]
- The trade deadline is approaching! (Everyone scream in unison). NHL.com discusses the needs and assets of every Pacific Division team. [NHL.com]
- Anaheim Arena Management and Mayor Tom Tait have officially broken ground on the Honda Center's Grand Terrace Project. The Terrace is the most extensive upgrade in the venue's history, and will include a new restaurant and an expanded team store. [Anaheim Ducks]
- Tim Thomas vs the media. Round 2? Or 3? I've really lost count. He has the right to not answer the media's questions, but he could also end the entire controversy that surrounds him by ceasing to post inflammatory comments on his public Facebook page. [ProHockeyTalk]
- Mile High Hockey discusses Paul Stastny's value. Should we be interested in him? Could we even afford him? [Mile High Hockey]
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If Murray can’t get Schultz under contract and he walks for nothing he should be gone immediately. Especially after giving Gardiner away as a throw in on an otherwise fair deal.
Sounds like that is a long way off and hopefully Murray has been aware of this and planning for it, but I agree. Pretty scary stuff.
by bhlloy on Feb 10, 2012 10:05 AM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
Agreed. Murray should be fired if he lets that happen.
I would love statsny as our number 2 center. Price hurts a bit though. But I could probably stomach a blue line with beauch/Fowler sbisa/lubo and Schultz/lydman. Assuming we don’t see any major moves.
by DavidBL on Feb 10, 2012 10:54 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I deleted the double comment, so that I could keep the responses linear. No offense.
I think the real question is how did Schultz play junior somewhere and keep his amateur status for the NCAA. After I figure that out, I want us to fire Murray. Not just for Schultz, but because I always want us to fire Murray.
That’s not a bad D, but I’d much rather move Lydman and Lubo at the trade deadline. There’s so little offense out there, and Chicago is desperate for a D upgrade. I wonder if we could get Saad and a first round pick for Lubo, maybe a depth forward too.
I think Lubo is probably still a better option then most guys that go FA this summer, with the exception on Suter. Id rather move Lydman and hold on to Lubo for the same price. If we did manage to land Suter this summer and held onto Lubo, we could move him for a top 6 winger that we’ll likely need or keep him if our budget allows, we could have pairings of Suter/Lubo, Fowler, Beauchemin, and Sbisa/Schultz. Or play Fowler with Schultz and leave Sbisa and Lubo together and put Beach with Suter.
I think the problem with that strategy is that trying to trade Lubo over the summer might drive his price down. Right now, we don’t have to sell. Getting a guy like Suter might force our hand. If everyone knows we want to move Lubo to afford a guy like Suter the price might go down, even if there are more teams in the race. I think we’ll get the best return on Lubo at the deadline because he’ll be able to help a team for what is, essentially, two years.
I wonder if the need to sign Schultz this year means we get more aggressive in trying to move Lubo before the deadline? Assuming we are out of the playoffs by then of course.
The more I think about this the more I am convinced Murray will f this up. Schultz won’t make the squad this year because there won’t be a spot for him and then he will take a year more of RFA to sign with the Red Wings. Shoot me now
by bhlloy on Feb 10, 2012 3:11 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
Considering his drop in cost I think we can afford Lubo still and give a competitive offer to Suter. Suter at 7 lubo at 3, Fowler at 1.4 sbisa at 2 and Schults at likely 1.4(with bonuses) and Beauch with 3.5. you,re looking at 18.5 or so. That’s very manageable especially with Lubos contract expiring.
I don’t think there’s enough room for Fowler, Lubo and Schultz on the same team as guys who are primarily offensive defensemen.
If Murray is serious about bringing up Schultz this year I think he’s shopping Lubo. In a way I think this development might force his hand that way.
by bhlloy on Feb 10, 2012 4:17 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
No way Shultz walks to another team and becomes RFA in 2015 when he can play for us and be RFA in 2014. But if he doesn’t get a cup of coffee with us this year then we could be in trouble.
I think everyone is forgetting that Beauch was the #1D (phenuf was terrible last year) in Toronto and Lupal at the time was a salary dump. Hindsight yeah we got screwed but no way we get Beauch for Lupal straight up back then. So did he waste Gardiner. Yes but it wasn’t a give away. And still fire him.
You never know. What if he looks at the Ducks and doesn’t see a contender? What if he just wants to play with a team closer to his home? A lot of things can happen for lots of different reasons. Murray has to get him here as soon as his season is over to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Lupul was not a salary dump. A couple of people around here, myself included, had been complaining that Lupul wasn’t being given a fair chance to help the team. Add in the fact that Beauchemin should have never been allowed to walk in the firs place, and it’s easy to see how that was a horrible trade. I agree Beauchemin was going to be a target for a lot of clubs and we had to pay to get him, but I expect me to overpay when I write a blogpost about a guy I think we should acquire. I don’t expect my GM to actually make that kind of an overpay.
I agree. The bit that scares me is that he sees an opportunity to play for a team closer to home and he’s willing to give up a year of RFA to get it.
As for the Beauch-Lupul trade we’ve argued it many times, but there were a lot of people at the time who didn’t like it, even without the benefit of hindsight. It was an overpay made a million times worse by the fact we never should have had to make the trade. Murray got taken and I thought it was obvious at the time, now it’s really really obvious
by bhlloy on Feb 10, 2012 3:04 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
Here’s the really awful part. Does Schultz hold out so that he can be a free agent and play with his old D partner in Toronto?
He would get an extra year of ELC pay with any other team. If he projects like we all hope he does that year could cost him a million or 2.
I don’t think Lupul was a salary dump, I think Murry thought it was a salary dump. Losing Gardnier is what convinced me that Murry needs to go. But I think too many people look at what Lupul and Gardnier are doing now and saying Murry is the worst. Murry is the worst, but the trade wasn’t as lopsided when it happened. Toronto traded Beach for Gardnier and took an under preforming Lupul off a budget teams salary.
Burke traded Lupul to Edmonton for Pronger. I think Burke knew exactly what he was getting in this deal. He pulled one over on Murray.
I’m the conductor on your FIRE BM train, but at the time I was ecstatic to get Beach back. And right now were playing Beach as our 1D. So for a 3d liner and a prospect we got our top defense men. Now Lupul clearly isn’t or wasn’t a 3d liner but he was on RC’s ducks. And a good GM would have forced another prospect on the Leafs so that the pair could play together. As a Galaxy fan I love me some Omar and DeLaGarza college to pros partnership on the back line.
See, I think this is exactly why Murray makes crappy moves. You have to get value for your players beyond how they fit into your organization. Gardiner might not have had a future here with Fowler and Schultz but he was still a top 5 organizational prospect and Lupul was still a top line talent. When you treat them like a third liner and a prospect you don’t need, that’s when you get fleeced. And credit to Burke, he knows Murray and knows Carlyle and used that to get a great deal for the Leafs.
by bhlloy on Feb 10, 2012 4:25 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
Being in Chicago, I was think the same thing. Although I was hoping for Saad, a second and a depth forward. You think we can get a first-rounder out of Lubo?
Kaberle netted a First, second and a prospect on a rental. We’re in a sellers market. both bring the price up. And currently Lubo does NOT have a no trade clause for this year.
If conversations about Lubo don’t start with a 1st rounder or a top prospect then thats where that proposal has to end. You get a PP QB and a top pairing guy for 3M real cash. He should be attractive to every team. Including us which is why the return has to be good or we might as well keep him until next trade deadline.
Most important link of the week: http://didgomezscore.com/
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