Gonchar to Ottawa

hemlock wrote:Why? To get into Round 2 of the playoffs?

We are not a Stanley Cup contender and anyone who says that is kidding themselves. We don't even have a full top line for God sakes. We have two first line players: One is 37 and the other is the town whipping boy.

It's pretty obvious that we weren't going to rebuild, so this signing was IMO one of the best alternatives. If Gonchar was signed in Pittsburgh for this money and we had traded Karlsson/Regin+ for him, I'd be pissed. But I think the worst-case scenario is that our 1st round pick is not as good (not that it'd be great anyway, we weren't going to land in the top-14 IMO and 2011 is very shallow) and maybe we have to live with a bad contract for a year. But we survived with Redden's $6.5 million for two.

Our powerplay will get better, our forwards will have considerably more support from the back-end, and Karlsson and our other young PMDs will get better. There are positives here.

Love how Cussing dumb people are.

Martin St. Louis signs for nearly the same money and term given age and everyone says great Cussing signing.

Gonchar? People start pissing and moaning.

asq2 wrote:

hemlock wrote:Why? To get into Round 2 of the playoffs?

We are not a Stanley Cup contender and anyone who says that is kidding themselves. We don't even have a full top line for God sakes. We have two first line players: One is 37 and the other is the town whipping boy.

It's pretty obvious that we weren't going to rebuild, so this signing was IMO one of the best alternatives. If Gonchar was signed in Pittsburgh for this money and we had traded Karlsson/Regin+ for him, I'd be pissed. But I think the worst-case scenario is that our 1st round pick is not as good (not that it'd be great anyway, we weren't going to land in the top-14 IMO and 2011 is very shallow) and maybe we have to live with a bad contract for a year. But we survived with Redden's $6.5 million for two.

Our powerplay will get better, our forwards will have considerably more support from the back-end, and Karlsson and our other young PMDs will get better. There are positives here.

Again, I am not debating that. But there are negatives as well, and it seems that I'm the only one willing to talk about them.

I'm done. I'm just not interested in taking on a lynch mob for my opinion.

haha michalek has signed in Pittsburgh..
We'll see which move helps more

EDIT
4 million a year...way way too much..

Hemlock, you like him for that money now?

Michallica wrote:Oh yeah. This is also a sexier move and will drive up the season ticket sales. Again, the cap hit hurts and so does the NTC. But, its freakin' Gonchar. First time ever Ottawa has made such a significant move on Free agency day. Good job all around for Murray and staff.

Cap hit is perfect IMO.

Z. Michalek is signed in PIT

4 million for Michalek is NOT too much...you're just trying to start Dung with Hemlock, Devo. Great signing.

Big Ev wrote:4 million for Michalek is NOT too much.

Not at all. He's a premier shot blocker with offensive upside. He's entering his prime as well at 27 (or 28 I can't remember). Plus, he's a rightie.

If Volchenkov is worth 3.5 or so, Michalek is worth $4.

hemlock wrote:

Big Ev wrote:4 million for Michalek is NOT too much.

Not at all. He's a premier shot blocker with offensive upside. He's entering his prime as well at 27 (or 28 I can't remember). Plus, he's a rightie.

If Volchenkov is worth 3.5 or so, Michalek is worth $4.

Michalek is worth considerably more than Volchenkov. If anyone pays Volch more than $3.5 million per year, they should be fired on the spot.

hemlock wrote:Again, I am not debating that. But there are negatives as well, and it seems that I'm the only one willing to talk about them.

Part of it is the exhilaration of finally landing a big ticket after all the teasing with Boyle, Campbell, Bouwmeester etc. through the years.

We didn't land Lidstrom, Keith or Doughty. But we did land an elite offensive defenceman. I think the potential positives outweigh the potential negatives. What's your worst-case scenario?

Devo wrote:haha michalek has signed in Pittsburgh..
We'll see which move helps more

EDIT
4 million a year...way way too much..

Hemlock, you like him for that money now?

Enough with the antagonistic attitude. My opinion is my opinion and because it differs from yours doesn't make it wrong.

For the record, Michalek on the Pens where he'll have more of an offensive role, is a great signing.

Devo wrote:haha michalek has signed in Pittsburgh..
We'll see which move helps more

I don't think you want to continue that comparison. The Michalek signing will help Pittsburgh much more than the Gonchar signing will help Ottawa.

Michalek has so many more tools to draw from to accentuate his all around game. He can do no wrong on Pittsburgh, it is almost a perfect fit.

Gonchar, I love the signing, but as Hemlock says, he has his faults and they will get noticed by fans in Ottawa.

Yes it is.

EDIT: Referring to the Michalek signing being a good one.

hemlock wrote:

Devo wrote:haha michalek has signed in Pittsburgh..
We'll see which move helps more

EDIT
4 million a year...way way too much..

Hemlock, you like him for that money now?

Enough with the antagonistic attitude. My opinion is my opinion and because it differs from yours doesn't make it wrong.

For the record, Michalek on the Pens where he'll have more of an offensive role, is a great signing.

He will still be a shut-down guy primarily, with some time on the 2nd PP probably.

asq2 wrote:

hemlock wrote:Again, I am not debating that. But there are negatives as well, and it seems that I'm the only one willing to talk about them.

Part of it is the exhilaration of finally landing a big ticket after all the teasing with Boyle, Campbell, Bouwmeester etc. through the years.

We didn't land Lidstrom, Keith or Doughty. But we did land an elite offensive defenceman. I think the potential positives outweigh the potential negatives. What's your worst-case scenario?

That he declines, or gets lazier then he already is at times.
That he has a NTC and should worse come to worse, and we need to trade him, we can't.
That we overpaid him for his age.

It's laughable to suggest that he won't decline at all over the duration of this contract. Downright laughable. EVERYONE declines. Lidstrom has (although its just starting to show in the last year or so) and so does Alfie.

hemlock wrote:

Devo wrote:haha michalek has signed in Pittsburgh..
We'll see which move helps more

EDIT
4 million a year...way way too much..

Hemlock, you like him for that money now?

Enough with the antagonistic attitude. My opinion is my opinion and because it differs from yours doesn't make it wrong.

For the record, Michalek on the Pens where he'll have more of an offensive role, is a great signing.

Haha. We said the same thing.

I can't believe there's anyone in here not happy as pigs in Dung. I can't believe it.

Gonchar is amazing, to the extent that I think this contract, with the length in there is one of the best possible outcomes for us.

I had Gonchar pegged at 18 million over 3 years - and we got him for less.

I had Z.Michalek @ 3.75 and he got 4, so to pay effectively 1.5 million more and get Gonchar on a shorter term is ludicrous.

No matter of the age difference. Amazing move.

Pittsburgh didn't need Gonchar for 3 years, as they have a great PP QB in waiting in Goligoski and another in Letang. Gonchar is great on the PP, BUT he is also very good at taking the puck and entering the zone, which was sometimes VERY frustrating to watch during Sens games. We had 1 guy who could do it, and he is 19 or whatever.

Gonchar would have taken less to play in Pitt by the way.