Luke Schenn Traded to Flyers for JVR!!!

[CarltonTheBear]

I don't know, unless we're getting a legitimate top centre back I'd still like to keep Bozak on that top-line. It worked last season for the most part, why break that up now for a completely unproven centre?

I also really liked that JVR trade because it addressed what I felt was one of the teams biggest weaknesses last season, scoring depth. We relied way too heavily on Kessel and Lupul to score goals. The Grabs line was too inconsistent and the 3rd line barely produced. Loading up the top-line like this isn't going to help solve that problem. You put JVR on the 2nd line with MacArthur on the other wing and slide Kulemin to the 3rd line and our depth at wing looks very strong.

I'd be willing to throw that up against the wall... But what of Grabo?

Centring the second line of course. JVR would be on the wing.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I'd be willing to throw that up against the wall... But what of Grabo?

I think he means JVR/ Grabo/ McArthur

EDIT: I think that was suggested by Mirtle today also.

 

[Frank E]

Anybody know what his face off percentage is, or whether he can actually take one well enough?

He's taken the grand total of 13 faceoffs in his NHL career and gone 3-10

Awesome. 

 

[maplesyrup]

Ah, okay.

 

[puckhog78]

I'd be willing to throw that up against the wall... But what of Grabo?

I think he means JVR/ Grabo/ McArthur

EDIT: I think that was suggested by Mirtle today also.

id much rather kulemin on the wing than MacArthur

 

[Brian Glennie]

I feel like this will be a short lived experiment. Although could it be an indicator that there isn't much available on the trade market in terms of centreman?

Yeah, Dreger was saying in his 6 O'clock update that Burke stated that trade talk for him has slow at the moment. Kind of conflicts with earlier reports in the past few days, that he thought he could upgrade at those specific positions.

Because there's a play stoppage looming the free agent market is humming. The trade market for sure slows down, though, because it creates extra uncertainty, especially around players on the last year of their deals which is what Burke is trying to sell right now.

 

[maplesyrup]

I'm looking for some perspective here and having trouble finding the stats but we know know JVR has taken 13 draws in his 1st 3 years as a LW in Philly. I'm trying to find out how many draws Sundin took in Quebec as a RW (though I believe he played 4 years there.) Either way, I'm not sure 13 draws is a large enough sample size to tell us anything about how he'd fair. There's no harm in at least trying this in camp. If it doesn't work out, so be it... Nothing lost. 

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

I'm looking for some perspective here and having trouble finding the stats but we know know JVR has taken 13 draws in his 1st 3 years as a LW in Philly. I'm trying to find out how many draws Sundin took in Quebec as a RW (though I believe he played 4 years there.) Either way, I'm not sure 13 draws is a large enough sample size to tell us anything about how he'd fair. There's no harm in at least trying this in camp. If it doesn't work out, so be it... Nothing lost.

I think that is a foregone conclusion that Carlyle is going to at least try him there. It's the percentage of potential success that is in question.

 

[Champ Kind]

I'm looking for some perspective here and having trouble finding the stats but we know know JVR has taken 13 draws in his 1st 3 years as a LW in Philly. I'm trying to find out how many draws Sundin took in Quebec as a RW (though I believe he played 4 years there.) Either way, I'm not sure 13 draws is a large enough sample size to tell us anything about how he'd fair. There's no harm in at least trying this in camp. If it doesn't work out, so be it... Nothing lost.

Finally some real perspective on this issue.  How can any conclusions be drawn on 13 draws?  Likely, most of these were the result of JVRs centre being tossed out of the circle and JVR jumping in to take the draw.  I think an appropriate analogy would be to compare this to a pinch hitter in baseball.  Not sure it's accurate to draw conclusions about a hitter's ability based on their pinch hitting stats.

 

[Frank E]

I'm looking for some perspective here and having trouble finding the stats but we know know JVR has taken 13 draws in his 1st 3 years as a LW in Philly. I'm trying to find out how many draws Sundin took in Quebec as a RW (though I believe he played 4 years there.) Either way, I'm not sure 13 draws is a large enough sample size to tell us anything about how he'd fair. There's no harm in at least trying this in camp. If it doesn't work out, so be it... Nothing lost.

There's no harm to trying Reimer on the PP at right wing either...it's just not that great of a plan if your plan is to put people in a position to be successful and win hockey games.

Trying JVR at centre would be something you could dabble with, as long as you had a solid plan A. 

JVR at #1 center should probably be plan C. 

 

[Zee]

I'm looking for some perspective here and having trouble finding the stats but we know know JVR has taken 13 draws in his 1st 3 years as a LW in Philly. I'm trying to find out how many draws Sundin took in Quebec as a RW (though I believe he played 4 years there.) Either way, I'm not sure 13 draws is a large enough sample size to tell us anything about how he'd fair. There's no harm in at least trying this in camp. If it doesn't work out, so be it... Nothing lost.

There's no harm to trying Reimer on the PP at right wing either...it's just not that great of a plan if your plan is to put people in a position to be successful and win hockey games.

Trying JVR at centre would be something you could dabble with, as long as you had a solid plan A. 

JVR at #1 center should probably be plan C.

JVR played center before he got to the NHL.  Your analogy of throwing Reimer on the point doesn't really hold water.

 

[armche123]

I'm looking for some perspective here and having trouble finding the stats but we know know JVR has taken 13 draws in his 1st 3 years as a LW in Philly. I'm trying to find out how many draws Sundin took in Quebec as a RW (though I believe he played 4 years there.) Either way, I'm not sure 13 draws is a large enough sample size to tell us anything about how he'd fair. There's no harm in at least trying this in camp. If it doesn't work out, so be it... Nothing lost.

There's no harm to trying Reimer on the PP at right wing either...it's just not that great of a plan if your plan is to put people in a position to be successful and win hockey games.

Trying JVR at centre would be something you could dabble with, as long as you had a solid plan A. 

JVR at #1 center should probably be plan C.

JVR played center before he got to the NHL.  Your analogy of throwing Reimer on the point doesn't really hold water.

Annnnnnnnnnd 1

I think it'll actually make for some good competitive action down the middle. He can always be used on the wing, and we know that.

 

[Omallley]

I'm looking for some perspective here and having trouble finding the stats but we know know JVR has taken 13 draws in his 1st 3 years as a LW in Philly. I'm trying to find out how many draws Sundin took in Quebec as a RW (though I believe he played 4 years there.) Either way, I'm not sure 13 draws is a large enough sample size to tell us anything about how he'd fair. There's no harm in at least trying this in camp. If it doesn't work out, so be it... Nothing lost.

There's no harm to trying Reimer on the PP at right wing either...it's just not that great of a plan if your plan is to put people in a position to be successful and win hockey games.

Trying JVR at centre would be something you could dabble with, as long as you had a solid plan A. 

JVR at #1 center should probably be plan C.

JVR played center before he got to the NHL.  Your analogy of throwing Reimer on the point doesn't really hold water.

It is certainly hyperbole, but realistically, there's got to be some concern about his defensive coverage, faceoff ability, etc moving into being a center for the first time in the NHL. I get wanting to have a big body down the middle, but there's likely a reason why he was moved to the wing in the first place.

But like others have pointed out, it will sort itself out during training camp. Either that or against all odds he's quite good - but I think that's a long shot.

 

[maplesyrup]

Might have been a long shot for Sundin too at the time... Worked out pretty good, I'd say.

 

[Zee]

I'm looking for some perspective here and having trouble finding the stats but we know know JVR has taken 13 draws in his 1st 3 years as a LW in Philly. I'm trying to find out how many draws Sundin took in Quebec as a RW (though I believe he played 4 years there.) Either way, I'm not sure 13 draws is a large enough sample size to tell us anything about how he'd fair. There's no harm in at least trying this in camp. If it doesn't work out, so be it... Nothing lost.

There's no harm to trying Reimer on the PP at right wing either...it's just not that great of a plan if your plan is to put people in a position to be successful and win hockey games.

Trying JVR at centre would be something you could dabble with, as long as you had a solid plan A. 

JVR at #1 center should probably be plan C.

JVR played center before he got to the NHL.  Your analogy of throwing Reimer on the point doesn't really hold water.

It is certainly hyperbole, but realistically, there's got to be some concern about his defensive coverage, faceoff ability, etc moving into being a center for the first time in the NHL. I get wanting to have a big body down the middle, but there's likely a reason why he was moved to the wing in the first place.

But like others have pointed out, it will sort itself out during training camp. Either that or against all odds he's quite good - but I think that's a long shot.

We'll see how it works out in training camp.

But really, what last year proved to me anyway, is that as long as you have 2 of the 3 guys on a line that are top 6 quality, the line can produce just fine.  Lupul and Kessel complimented each other very well and managed to be top 10 NHL scorers all season without that bona fide top center.  Had Lupul stayed healthy I'm sure he could have maintained his point production and been right there with Kessel.

So let's say Burke isn't able to land a true #1 center, but instead he manages to snag another top 6 winger.  Bobby Ryan's name is being floated about again in rumors, let's use him for sake of argument.

So JVR experiment at center doesn't go well, he's forced to stay on wing for 2nd line.  Bobby Ryan comes in as another winger.  Suddenly the Leafs have:

Lupul-whoever-Kessel
JVR-Grabovski-Ryan

as the top 2 lines.  Kessel and Lupul have shown they can put up points with each other, if the 2nd line gets the same sort of chemistry with JVR and Ryan (or whoever is the real top 6 winger) the Leafs production will be fine.  It's not the worst thing that could happen.

 

[maplesyrup]

I don't think we have the pieces for Ryan personally.

 

[Tigger]

I don't think we have the pieces for Ryan personally.

If the 2013 1st was included I think they do.

 

[bustaheims]

I don't think we have the pieces for Ryan personally.

The team absolutely does. The question is more whether or not holding onto those pieces represents better value that moving them for Ryan, and, for the Leafs, I'm not 100% sure it does now that they're moved Schenn for JvR.

 

[maplesyrup]

Well, yeah. That's what I was getting at.

 

[Tigger]

Well, yeah. That's what I was getting at.

It is?