Luongo/Hodgson/Raymond for Lecavlier/Hedman/Downie theory

[Farhan Lalji]

in fact I think they are worse then the team we beat in the first round last year.

What, in your opinion, is accounting for their current success this season?

Do you feel that it will last, or that it's most likely just an extended hot streak? (possibly like Minnesota's).

[Madcombinepilot]

Farhan,

you never cease to amaze me.

I sometimes get a chuckle out of reading these fairy tale trades, but really???

as entertaining as it was to scan ALL 4 PAGES of this, and watch you backpedal from the pit, Luongo has a no trade clause, so this is NEVER gonna happen.

lets keep the rampant speculation to a deal that has a 1% chance or higher of actually happening, shall we?

[ESQ]

My thoughts exactly.

If a proposed Luongo/Lecavlier deal would be deemed to favorable for Tampa, then I'd love to have Downie coming back our way to "even out the odds" so to speak.

I would think the far more likely scenario for getting Downie out of TB would be trading Schneider, both in terms of cap-hit and not trying to break 2 NMCs.

Are you saying your preference is to go with Schneider over Luongo? I'm firmly in the Luongo camp, as I've said in other threads, he is literally the best goalie since the lockout, including in key post-season categories like series wins.

Crawford isn't too bad when it matters most.....as he proved last year. Crawford has shown an ability to play very consistently in the clutch. Perhaps this is how him and Luongo tend to differ unfortunately.

I'll agree to disagree on the differences between Crawford and Luongo 3 wins in 7 games doesn't make someone consistent in the clutch, IMO. Oh yeah, and lets not forget he lost the last game of the regular season to secure a playoff spot.

In terms of Hedman and the elite shutdown pair, the problem is the asking price is just way too high for young stud Dmen. Everybody wants them.

[Todd Bersnoozi]

I think I'd do Lou straight up for Lecavalier, but not sure I'd do this package deal. I just do not want to give up CoHo at this point. He looks like he's going to become like the Sedins/Kesler/Hansen and become one of those guys that keep getting better every year. I would of prefered to start CoHo in the minors at the beginning of the season to give him a lot of ice/ development time, but he has not looked out of place here, is contributing and seems to be getting better every game. MayRay had a bad year last season, but it looks like he got his game back; I'm sure contract year for him helps. As much as I have my doubts about Lou, he seems to be coming around again and his game has been looking really solid. Boy, he looked great vs Wings. If he can play like that in the playoffs, it'd be seeing the same Lou that first came to us in 07. Having Schneids pushing him seems to really bring the best out of him too.

Hedmen looks like he will become a stud D-man and I'm sure he'd be an awesome 1-2 punch with Edler someday, but I'm just not comfortable giving up on CoHo/MayRay (especially CoHo). I also don't know what to think of Downie. And Lecavalier? I did like him before, but with that fat contract and some injuries seems to make him the type of guy who plays it safe, a perimeter player, avoids the dirty areas, floats a bit and only plays hard when he feels like it.

[Chef Boi RD]

You guys are clowns for considering some ideas that would be breaking up the line-up of quite possibly the best team in the league. It's quite comical. Am I the only one who remembers the dark days of bad goaltending in Canuck History. Finally, we have not just one grade A goaltender but 2. But we are considering trading him for the overpriced, aging, and fastly fading Lecavalier. Holy fuck, I thought I'd seen it all. Not too mention, we are trying to get rid of Cody Hodgson. People we are a team that has a similar system to the Red Wings, patient and loyal to their core players. They rarely trade players and picks and are extremely patient with their kids.

What is best though, we gave up Grabner and a first (Quinton Howden) for the inconsistent Ballard. Grabner has 10 goals so far this season and Howden is one of the leaders relied upon on this years junior team, now we want to trade more young players in Raymond and Hodgson. Fuckin hell. You guys are hilarious.

[tantalum]

I understand your concern RD and I agree.

Except on the Grabner point. 10 goals yes but he has not been good this year at all. Play is very similar to his first half last year except this year he has been given the benefit of the doubt and still gets the icetime (and the Isles are shit). At this point, last year was a 35 game anomally for him. Grabner would have no hope of getting a regular top 9 shift the way the canucks are playing and the way he is playing to start the season (yet again...what is it with this kid and the first half of a season?). He seems like he will be a 20/20 type guy and not a 40/20 guy. I may very well be wrong of course if he gets his head on straight and shows up the first half of a season.

Until Howden does something in the NHL it's not a worry at this time.

Back to the topic at hand....I don't think Gillis moves a goaltender until draft day. What goaltender he moves depends a lot on what happens this year. I also don't see him moving Raymond or Hodgson. Raymond fits the mold of the team perfectly and can play in any situation. Unless Raymond wants a big raise, I can't see how he isn't a canuck for another few years. When you consider all he can do he is good value for the money.

And I quite simply don't see how you trade a rookie on pace for what is essentially a 20/20 season from the third line and second PP unit. Especially one that has passed LaPierre and Malhotra on the depth chart to be that third line center and has improved his defensive play by leaps and bounds through 35 games. Hodgson is gaining the trust of the coaching staff. It's a slow process but I think it's fair to say they like him. I have a sneaking suspicion that many many teams in the league would love a Higgins-Hodgson-Hansen SECOND line next season let alone having that on the third line. There may come a time to move Hodgson but this year or next isn't that time.

The exceptions of course are if the canucks are getting a Lucic or something back in return.

[Madcombinepilot]

looking at this team 5 years down the road.. Twins are still with us (accroding to the media, no other team would take them) and are as good of shut down pair on the third line as you can find in the league.. they might even be a seconfd line pairing.

Who is our #1 center?

5 years from now, Kesler looks like todays Bertuzzi - no longer a powerforward, just a great third liner with a mean streak.

so..... Cody Hodgson continues to develop, and learn from some of the best players in the league to become one of the best players in the future.

Yeah, I want to win now, but I will not trade away the future of the organization for a chance to win a cup. especially, when you look at how this team is designed and maintained, we have a chance EVREY year for the next bunch of years. Farhan, if we would have knee-jerked half of your trades, can you imagine what we would look like??

The New York Islanders.

[ESQ]

Higgins-Hodgson-Hansen SECOND line

Greatest Line Name Ever.

[Potatoe1]

in fact I think they are worse then the team we beat in the first round last year.

What, in your opinion, is accounting for their current success this season?

Do you feel that it will last, or that it's most likely just an extended hot streak? (possibly like Minnesota's).

I think the Hawks are a very good team and that their record in the regular season last year was an anomaly.

They are still an elite club and will always do well, but In my mind they are still only the 3rd or 4th best team in the west.

I also think they downgraded their team this summer by moving out quality players like Campbell and Brower and bringing in mediocre players and scrubs this summer.

[Chef Boi RD]

Except on the Grabner point. 10 goals yes but he has not been good this year at all. Play is very similar to his first half last year except this year he has been given the benefit of the doubt and still gets the icetime (and the Isles are shit). At this point, last year was a 35 game anomally for him. Grabner would have no hope of getting a regular top 9 shift the way the canucks are playing and the way he is playing to start the season (yet again...what is it with this kid and the first half of a season?). He seems like he will be a 20/20 type guy and not a 40/20 guy. I may very well be wrong of course if he gets his head on straight and shows up the first half of a season.

This paragraph is just plain false, and simply the opinion of someone still trying to defend the Ballard trade by throwing said player - Grabner under the bus with mis-information to help deflect criticism away from Keith Ballards inconsistency in play. Pure propaganda. Outrageous and preposterous your views on Grabners current state of game. 10 goals is quality especially for a player historically known as a slow starter. If you don't know the meaning of slow starter, see Roberto Luongo. Machine Gun Grabner is just warming up. He is about to turn into Michael Gatling Gun Grabner. Goals galore, keep your head down, watch out, the twine will be bulging, the mesh rippling for Gatling Gun Grabner (sometimes known as Triple G or G Spot) on Long Isle there. GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGoooooooooooooaaaaaaaaalssss Galore Grabner.

[tantalum]

This paragraph is just plain false, and simply the opinion of someone still trying to defend the Ballard trade by throwing said player - Grabner under the bus with mis-information to help deflect criticism away from Keith Ballards inconsistency in play. Pure propaganda. Outrageous and preposterous your views on Grabners current state of game. 10 goals is quality especially for a player historically known as a slow starter. If you don't know the meaning of slow starter, see Roberto Luongo. Machine Gun Grabner is just warming up. He is about to turn into Michael Gatling Gun Grabner. Goals galore, keep your head down, watch out, the twine will be bulging, the mesh rippling for Gatling Gun Grabner on Long Isle there.

No it is not plain false. He has played quite poorly this year. Completely on the perimeter. Been removed from the first PP unit.

-3 tonight with Islander fans calling for him to be benched next game btw. A complete non-factor in the two periods I watched of that game (I watch many Islander games...for some reason I have a soft spot for them from when I lived a stones throw from the Island for a couple years).

He's on pace for under 40 points. That isn't a great deal of quality. Yes slow starter every single year. Except when it's nearly game 40 it is no longer a slow start is it? Hey maybe he'll warm up when the Isles are completely out of it like last year.

I will not go into the reasoning for the Ballard trade you know darn well why it was made and why Grabner was included....Sedin, Burrows, Higgins, Booth, Raymond and Hansen are all at a minimum equal players than Grabner (I think they are superior players when all is considered). He was expendable then (without Booth and Higgins) and is even more so now.

[okcanuck]

We dont have to trade anybody for christs sake. We have one of the top teams of the league. We have arguably the best combination of 3 lines in the league why change anything?

This is going to be our year believe me.

[tantalum]

We dont have to trade anybody for christs sake. We have one of the top teams of the league. We have arguably the best combination of 3 lines in the league why change anything?

This is going to be our year believe me.

Miught not be the canucks year because that does take some luck (who you play, injuries etc), but I agree that I don't see Gillis really moving any bodies out except for Ballard (and only if he improve that third pairing in doing so).

[dhabums]

Higgins-Hodgson-Hansen SECOND line

Greatest Line Name Ever.

I like Hummer better.

[Strangelove]

This paragraph is just plain false

mis-information

Pure propaganda.

Outrageous and preposterous

You forgot egregious!

C'mon Dude, do you really love waiver-wire Grabner this much??