Good Meszaros laugh

504Heater wrote:I would agree for sure, but the way this thing seemed to go down, we're in a better position with Picard and the 1st (looking at Kuba strictly as a rental).

I think the possibility of Mez being really good for the Lightning exists, but at the same time, being 22 with a coach who doesn't really know what's going on and no vets on D to help you learn the craft is a recipe for disaster IMO.

I don't care for the guy, that's no secret now, but at the same time a few years under the tutelage of Jason Smith would've made a world of difference.

He had a vet here who taught him all kinds of stuff -- the poke check, the flamingo, how to hold up and avoid being first to the puck. Maybe now he will learn some other stuff.

asq2 wrote:

According to who? From reports I've read, I'm not even sure if he'll get to the level Meszaros is now.

Depends on where you go to. TB fans were really, really sorry to see him go (they wanted the package to be Kuba/O'Brien and a 1st), you have Hartsburg who is gushing, you have Dobber's projecting unreal numbers for him. His rookie year he gets 22 points in 60ish games, his second year he bounced from Philly, to the Phantoms to the Lightning and never really recovered. I think a full year where he starts getting 15-18 minutes - including PP 2 time will start to pay dividends for this franchise.

I was of the same opinion as you on this guy, but I'm really slowly starting to see that maybe we got something here.

Wanna hear a good Meszaros (related) laugh? Read Melrose's quote in here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/preview2008/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=3629979&campaign=rss&source=NHLHeadlines

...you get quotes like this on the topic of the Ottawa Senators, and possibly Meszaros, being party animals last season:

"Mez is a competitor and plays hard on the ice," Melrose told reporters last week in Prague. "I'd much rather have a guy like that who has a couple of beers than a guy who doesn't compete, who's home at 5 o'clock every night watching the 'Brady Bunch.' Same thing with guys who live in the weight room; give me a fat guy who hits anything that moves."

asq2 wrote:

Meszaros was a 35+ point d-man (without first-unit PP time) who could PP and PK who regularly put up 100+ hits and blocked shots a season. He's been playing on his wrong side with a poor partner and every time he's played with a solid partner, he's shone.

How can you say his market price is not $4 million when Mike Commodore makes what he makes, especially considering teams now pay for potential?

His offensive ability and size (6-2, 220lbs) are a great combination. He's definitely not lacking in the physical department.

Sure he's struggled for the past two years (understandably playing with Redden) but he's only 22 years old. What he did as a 19 year old on this team proves that to write him off as a career #3 at this point is ludicrous.

You know how I feel about this. I think he'll turn out to be a number 2 D-man, but more of a PP specialist than a shutdown guy. He's not going to have a partner who's as good as Redden (funnily enough) until Tampa makes a move (which they love doing, but I can't see them adding...say Jason Smith ), so who's going to be the 'good partner' for him? Carle? Ranger (okay maybe this guy)?

I used the 100 blocks/100 hit mantra until I was blue in the face with this kid when we were going through the tough times, but...I really think he may have made a choice here that will be detrimental to his development.

Still Asq, as in the past, talking hockey with you is very interesting because it tends to break down the homer-walls a little (we've always tried to be fairly honest) - and I think you're more right than we are. He's more likely to bud into a star than he is to flop.

wprager wrote:Wanna hear a good Meszaros (related) laugh? Read Melrose's quote in here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/preview2008/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=3629979&campaign=rss&source=NHLHeadlines

...you get quotes like this on the topic of the Ottawa Senators, and possibly Meszaros, being party animals last season:

"Mez is a competitor and plays hard on the ice," Melrose told reporters last week in Prague. "I'd much rather have a guy like that who has a couple of beers than a guy who doesn't compete, who's home at 5 o'clock every night watching the 'Brady Bunch.' Same thing with guys who live in the weight room; give me a fat guy who hits anything that moves."

I've seen (some of) the light. Schubert is next. We don't need this attitude anymore - we need intense focus.

PS, I also agree with Asq that is was a very nice package for TB - I won't lie. But if you were to ask me if I'd undo that trade - the answer is no.

Maybe that's the long and the short of it for me.

wprager wrote:Wanna hear a good Meszaros (related) laugh? Read Melrose's quote in here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/preview2008/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=3629979&campaign=rss&source=NHLHeadlines

...you get quotes like this on the topic of the Ottawa Senators, and possibly Meszaros, being party animals last season:

"Mez is a competitor and plays hard on the ice," Melrose told reporters last week in Prague. "I'd much rather have a guy like that who has a couple of beers than a guy who doesn't compete, who's home at 5 o'clock every night watching the 'Brady Bunch.' Same thing with guys who live in the weight room; give me a fat guy who hits anything that moves."

I've seen (some of) the light. Schubert is next. We don't need this attitude anymore - we need intense focus.

Whoa, what the heck happened there? I didn't write that part about Schubert, and there was no mention of Schubert in that article (so I couldn't have accidentally copy/pasted it).

Admins, you might want to check that out. The last sentence there (in bold) was not written by me, but it appears in my post.

Edit: Never mind, must have been a temporary glitch -- it's not there anymore.

Yeah Wprager, it was me, I hit the edit button instead of the quote button (I'm not real used to being able to do that - and haven't done it to my knowledge before ).

I tried to fix it before anyone noticed...but...yeah...apparently that didn't work.

Sorry man!

504Heater wrote:Yeah Wprager, it was me, I hit the edit button instead of the quote button (I'm not real used to being able to do that - and haven't done it to my knowledge before ).

I tried to fix it before anyone noticed...but...yeah...apparently that didn't work.

Sorry man!

No problem ... but I'm keeping score.

wprager wrote:

504Heater wrote:Yeah Wprager, it was me, I hit the edit button instead of the quote button (I'm not real used to being able to do that - and haven't done it to my knowledge before ).

I tried to fix it before anyone noticed...but...yeah...apparently that didn't work.

Sorry man!

No problem ... but I'm keeping score.

No comments on that quote? "Give me a fat guy who hits everything that moves" -- come on, that's gold!

Also a pretty good article. Kept me going for most of the 45 minute bus ride downtown.

wprager wrote:No comments on that quote? "Give me a fat guy who hits everything that moves" -- come on, that's gold!

Also a pretty good article. Kept me going for most of the 45 minute bus ride downtown.

I said that I'd seen the light and Schubert has to go to - because he was exactly like that too, but I haven't read the whole article yet (still at work). I'm looking forward to it actually.

Was it Melrose's intention to actually call him fat LOL?

504Heater wrote:
I said that I'd seen the light and Schubert has to go to - because he was exactly like that too, but I haven't read the whole article yet (still at work). I'm looking forward to it actually.

Was it Melrose's intention to actually call him fat LOL?

Nah, I don't think so. Although if he thinks that Mez is a competitor and plays hard, he may also think that he hits anything he sees.

Although according to some, that's a phrase that applies to him on at least one level.

wprager wrote:

504Heater wrote:
I said that I'd seen the light and Schubert has to go to - because he was exactly like that too, but I haven't read the whole article yet (still at work). I'm looking forward to it actually.

Was it Melrose's intention to actually call him fat LOL?

Nah, I don't think so. Although if he thinks that Mez is a competitor and plays hard, he may also think that he hits anything he sees.

Although according to some, that's a phrase that applies to him on at least one level.

Hiiii-ooooh!

504Heater wrote:PS, I also agree with Asq that is was a very nice package for TB - I won't lie. But if you were to ask me if I'd undo that trade - the answer is no.

Maybe that's the long and the short of it for me.

I think it's too early to make a comment on the trade (although admittedly I've already made several), and we likely won't know who won for quite a while.

However, I think all these attacks on Meszaros are a tad unfair. I can perhaps understand Redden-abuse since he refused to waive his NTC numerous times and did not look like he was trying out there on the ice, but Meszaros was just a young player who wanted a long-term deal.

asq2 wrote:

504Heater wrote:PS, I also agree with Asq that is was a very nice package for TB - I won't lie. But if you were to ask me if I'd undo that trade - the answer is no.

Maybe that's the long and the short of it for me.

I think it's too early to make a comment on the trade (although admittedly I've already made several), and we likely won't know who won for quite a while.

However, I think all these attacks on Meszaros are a tad unfair. I can perhaps understand Redden-abuse since he refused to waive his NTC numerous times and did not look like he was trying out there on the ice, but Meszaros was just a young player who wanted a long-term deal.

You are so wrong. MEszaros talks never got off the ground because of the money he wanted. He said before summer and I quote, I won't play for anything less than 3.5 at 3 years. If the deal is longer I want more. He never proved anything other than he could be respectable with a good parnter.

504Heater wrote:

Phoenix30 wrote:
Depending on how this team and Kuba does this season Kuba could become a commodity at the trade deadline. I suspect if any of our youngsters can step it up we could probably get a pick and prospect for Kuba. If that were the case we would become the winners in the Mez trade.

The rub there is, we probably will be in the hunt at the deadline and Kuba might be a might attractive rental, but Murray might not want to pull the trigger. Tough situation with Kuba, but at least we have him this year - and by all accounts Picard's gonna be a player for sure and the 1st round never hurts.

I think if the right deal came along I Murray isnt scared to pull the trigger to get something for Kuba that could help the team at the moment and in the future.

jamvan wrote:

asq2 wrote:

504Heater wrote:PS, I also agree with Asq that is was a very nice package for TB - I won't lie. But if you were to ask me if I'd undo that trade - the answer is no.

Maybe that's the long and the short of it for me.

I think it's too early to make a comment on the trade (although admittedly I've already made several), and we likely won't know who won for quite a while.

However, I think all these attacks on Meszaros are a tad unfair. I can perhaps understand Redden-abuse since he refused to waive his NTC numerous times and did not look like he was trying out there on the ice, but Meszaros was just a young player who wanted a long-term deal.

You are so wrong. MEszaros talks never got off the ground because of the money he wanted. He said before summer and I quote, I won't play for anything less than 3.5 at 3 years. If the deal is longer I want more. He never proved anything other than he could be respectable with a good parnter.

$3.5 in today's NHL is peanuts. You don't think he's worth as much as Jeff freakin' Finger?

He proved loads. Rookie season Meszaros would be our #1 d-man right now, and there's no reason to believe that with a more solid partner than Redden he couldn't get to or above that level.