Farhan's $0.02: Dustin Byfuglien and the Vancouver Canucks

[Mondi]

Next person (reporter or fan) that suggests X star player for a combination that includes Ballard, Raymond and blank should be fired, banned or smacked.

No NHL GM is going to give up a Cory Perry or Dustin Byfuglien for our spare parts.

With that being said, Byfuggly is the EXACT kind of player that would not be a fit on the Canucks.

(1) A big slow, offensive defenseman, or
(2) A big slow-ish, third line forward that can hit, but doesn't

[ukcanuck]

Next person (reporter or fan) that suggests X star player for a combination that includes Ballard, Raymond and blank should be fired, banned or smacked.

No NHL is going to give up a Cory Perry or Dustin Byfuglien for our spare parts.

With that being said, Byfuggly is the EXACT kind of player that would not be a fit on the Canucks.

(1) A big slow, offensive defenseman, or
(2) A big slow-ish, third line forward that can hit, but doesn't

How is the view from up there on that horse Mond? if we cant make silly predictions and stoopid trade suggestions here where are you going to go to feel better about yourself? hehe
Seriously whats wrong with our spareparts? Schneids is much more than spare he's a quality piece of the puzzle, same with Raymond although not so much with Ballard...
If its me as GMMG i wouldnt be making any excuses for those three.

[Jovocop]

Next person (reporter or fan) that suggests X star player for a combination that includes Ballard, Raymond and blank should be fired, banned or smacked.

No NHL is going to give up a Cory Perry or Dustin Byfuglien for our spare parts.

With that being said, Byfuggly is the EXACT kind of player that would not be a fit on the Canucks.

(1) A big slow, offensive defenseman, or
(2) A big slow-ish, third line forward that can hit, but doesn't

Raymond is a spare part?? He is no Kesler but I don't think he is a spare part at all. As for Ballard, if his contract is $2.5-$3m, no one would be talking about a trade right now.

[Diehard1]

For me it's a no to Byfuglien as well. I'm not really that worried about his driving a boat while intoxicated bust, or the fact that he and the Canucks have a bit of a history.

I'm more concerned with the fact that he can barely skate backwards, that he's a liability defensively and that his cap hit is huge for what he brings.

Don't get me wrong, I like his size, toughness (when he uses it) and alot of the major parts of his game - I don't like the fact that he's constantly out of shape, that he's lazy, and that he's just not good enough defensively.

I would like to see a more responsible guy to anchor the 3rd pairing - I'm in the minority I know but I generally like Rome's game, the odd brain cramp aside, so he's a solid #6. A solid #5 is needed, nothing more, nothing less. The team really doesn't need another 'top 4' guy as they already have their top 4, wasting cap space and assets on another guy who won't play top 4 minutes doesn't make sense. They also have Tanev in the minors to bring up if need be, to be honest I'd be fine if Gillis did nothing but bring him up and make him Rome's partner.

I'd rather see a little bit of depth added up front - Weise is a decent player but he needs some competition in that spot, and that's a pretty easy spot to add some grit. I'm also concerned if a couple of forwards get injured as there isn't a ready made replacement - I don't want to see Mancari up here in the playoffs. Raymond is expendable in the right deal, but if he's still here after the deadline I'm absolutely fine with it.

I want this team to win now, this year and the next couple of years. If they pick up a guy with that in mind, who can play for a few years with this team, I don't really mind who they move as we all know none of the core players are going anywhere.

[Blob Mckenzie]

how is the view from up there on that horse Mond? if we cant make silly predictions and stoopid trade suggestions here where are you going to go to feel better about yourself? hehe

Wake up uk.... Mondi rides elephants and camels.

[Blob Mckenzie]

I would like to see a more responsible guy to anchor the 3rd pairing - I'm in the minority I know but I generally like Rome's game, the odd brain cramp aside, so he's a solid #6. A solid #5 is needed, nothing more, nothing less. The team really doesn't need another 'top 4' guy as they already have their top 4, wasting cap space and assets on another guy who won't play top 4 minutes doesn't make sense. They also have Tanev in the minors to bring up if need be, to be honest I'd be fine if Gillis did nothing but bring him up and make him Rome's partner.

I'd rather see a little bit of depth added up front - Weise is a decent player but he needs some competition in that spot, and that's a pretty easy spot to add some grit. I'm also concerned if a couple of forwards get injured as there isn't a ready made replacement -
.

DH I think you and most of us are on the same page... the ? is when Salo gets hurt, who steps up to play 20 minutes and can either play tough minutes on the PK or chip in on the PP. Aaron Vigneault is not the answer. He is a #6 at best.

[Vpete]

Johnny Oduya could be had, he can log minutes but holy smokes the turnovers are ugly.... um never mind then.

[Diehard1]

I agree Blob - the question is how much cap space and how many assets do you commit to an insurance policy? Whichever player you pick up to play on the 3rd pairing likely won't play enough minutes to justify his salary unless Salo goes down.

I still think the team would be better served to either pick up a guy who is better than Sami, and there aren't many out there who are, or to pick up a guy who can play in the top 12 forwards. At least then he'll be contributing regularly as opposed to playing less than he should.

All this said - I have no idea what Gillis is thinking. I'd like to see a bigger forward brought in with a scoring touch, but those guys are the most difficult asset to find in hockey. I'd also like to see a more mobile and less mistake prone version of Alberts brought in, but those guys are probably the second most difficult asset to find. I really think we're all nitpicking a bit here - this team, as is, is very good and has a chance to go a long way.

[Farhan Lalji]

I don't like the fact that he's constantly out of shape, that he's lazy, and that he's just not good enough defensively.

Good points, but let me ask you this:

Does Byfuglien fit the above description during the playoffs?

For years - Canuck fans have been clamoring for a guy that can elevate his game when the chips are down.

Maybe it's just me but I don't think May/June 2010 was really that long ago.....and we know how damn good Byfuglien was that year. A hattrick in one of the games against San Jose in the conference finals, combined with making Chris Pronger his girlfriend during the finals.

Given Byfuglien's age, I don't think ANYONE could use the whole, "the game has passed Byfuglien by and he's washed up now."

Buy low, sell high. Isn't that the mantra? Look at what Gillis has done with the likes of David Booth, Maxime Lapierre, and Chris Higgins.

Maybe I'm crazy for suggesting this, but I'd even go as far as suggesting

-Cody Hodgson
-Keith Ballard

for Byfuglien. I love Hodgson as much as the next guy but lets face it........with Sedin and Kesler here, Hodgson won't be getting top 6 minutes for atleast another 3 years.....unless he learns to play wing. Winnipeg would get a player that will most likely be a star player in the not-so-distant future........but the "price" for doing so would involve taking on Ballard's contract.

Maybe I'm overrating Byfuglien way too much here but I truly see a guy that would be a perfect fit for the Canucks. He's a

1) Right handed shot
2) Is a super tough guy that can play the game of hockey well......when it matters most
3) Can be used on BOTH offense and defense

And again - so what if the guy sucks balls on a lackluster Winnipeg team? Yes - for 5 million a year, you'd expect him to be a catalyst rather than a 'complementary piece' (i.e. a player that makes a good team great).......but hey.....Alexander Mogilny was the exact same way. Big deal.

The bottom line is that Byfuglien, when motivated, and surrounded by a strong cup contending team in the post-season, is a force to be reckoned with. All of the 'liabilities' that people have brought up in this thread, simply was not a factor during the 2010 playoffs.

2010 wasn't too long ago. Byfuglien is 26 years of age, and is signed long term.

[Jovocop]

I don't like the fact that he's constantly out of shape, that he's lazy, and that he's just not good enough defensively.

Maybe I'm overrating Byfuglien way too much here but I truly see a guy that would be a perfect fit for the Canucks. He's a

1) Right handed shot

Unless he is used as a defenseman, right handed shot or not does not matter. He was mainly used a forward when the Hawks won the cup.

2) Is a super tough guy that can play the game of hockey well......when it matters most

Super tough or not, I am not so sure. When he decides to throw his weight around, he is pretty hard to stop. However, more often than not, he just likes to float. I would definitely say that he would "supersize" the Canucks.

3) Can be used on BOTH offense and defense

Again, he just cannot play defense. In comparison, he makes Jovo, Ballard, and Bieksa look like defensive defensemen.

[Diehard1]

I agree that Byfuglien was very good in the 2010 playoffs, I'm not taking anything away from him there. He's a dman now though, as Jovocop said, so it's tough to compare. He was also part of the super-team that was Chicago that year - they smoked everyone that playoffs.

The problem with 'buy low, sell high' here is that Byfuglien's contact is huge, so I don't think that applies here. Trading Hodgson and Ballard for him is definitely not part of that philosophy either, that's huge value for Byfuglien.

I'm also not saying he can't improve, but at 26 he should be in his prime. From his play in Winnipeg I just don't see that he'll get it - and I fully admit I could be wrong. Let me put it this way, he'd take over for Bieksa, Rome and Ballard as the whipping boy on D almost from the moment he arrived, he's that bad back there.

If he was moved to forward? Sure, I might be up for that, but again I'm not willing to take that chance with a $5.2 million cap hit. I'm just not sure he's the guy for this team - though I like your thinking in that he's big and tough, I'd like to see at least one player like that added to the lineup, hopefully at a lesser cost than Buff.

[Mondi]

How is the view from up there on that horse Mond? if we cant make silly predictions and stoopid trade suggestions here where are you going to go to feel better about yourself? hehe
Seriously whats wrong with our spareparts? Schneids is much more than spare he's a quality piece of the puzzle, same with Raymond although not so much with Ballard...
If its me as GMMG i wouldnt be making any excuses for those three.

Okay, here's a question. Let's say the Canucks were still struggling and in 9th or 10th place.

Would you take Cam Fowler, Andrew Cogliano and Nik Hagman for Ryan Kesler or Henrik Sedin.

Mason Raymond has 22 goals over his last 114 games. You tell me what you think of that.

[Jovocop]

How is the view from up there on that horse Mond? if we cant make silly predictions and stoopid trade suggestions here where are you going to go to feel better about yourself? hehe
Seriously whats wrong with our spareparts? Schneids is much more than spare he's a quality piece of the puzzle, same with Raymond although not so much with Ballard...
If its me as GMMG i wouldnt be making any excuses for those three.

Okay, here's a question. Let's say the Canucks will still struggling and in 9th or 10th place.

Would you take Cam Fowler, Andrew Cogliano and Nik Hagman for Ryan Kesler or Henrik Sedin.

Mason Raymond has 22 goals over his last 114 games. You tell me what you think of that.

Buttugly is no Henrik nor Kesler. Henrik was the league MVP just two seasons ago and Kesler won the Selke for a reason. Buttugly won the cup with a stacked Hawks team but achieved nothing individually. For crying out loud, his cap hit is even higher than Kesler's. If you build a team, would you build around players like Henrik, Kesler, or Buttugly?

[Mondi]

I was thinking of the piss-pour Cory Perry rumour.

But...Byfuglien for Raymond and Ballard is not much of a deal for Winnipeg.

[Farhan Lalji]

Okay, here's a question. Let's say the Canucks will still struggling and in 9th or 10th place.

Would you take Cam Fowler, Andrew Cogliano and Nik Hagman for Ryan Kesler or Henrik Sedin.

Mason Raymond has 22 goals over his last 114 games. You tell me what you think of that.

Excellent analogy and I definitely see what you're saying:

This is exactly why I feel that there's NO WAY that a team like Anaheim or Columbus would ever give up someone like Corey Perry or Rick Nash........for the package that we all want to offer. In Nashville's case, it becomes even more ridiculous for a guy like Weber or Suter since they are currently a playoff contending team.

However - while it's true that a comparison can be made between Perry/Nash/Weber to Sedins' and Kesler, the same can NOT be said about Byfuglien. Byfuglien is more than a couple of notches down from that elite group.

Hence - I DON'T think it's farfetched to propose a decent package to the Winnipeg Jets for the services of Dustin Byfuglien.

Drawing a comparison analogy between Byfuglien and the Sedin's/Kesler is simply not valid.