Barring a setback in the next few days, we're guessing Sean Avery will return on Saturday after missing a month with a separated left shoulder.
So, on this catch-up day for me, no skate, but plenty of errands, phone calls and paperwork, questions and some stats:
Where should Avery play?
Jason Strudwick will likely return to the bench. Does Avery slide onto the third line with Prucha and Dubinsky, moving Hollweg back to the fourth, HBO line?
That's the obvious short-term move, not tinkering with the top two lines of Hossa-Gomez-Jagr and Shanahan-Drury-Dawes. Could spark some scoring from the third line (hello, Petr Prucha), and Avery will get minutes on the penalty-kill, which has been outstanding anyway, snuffing out 22 of the last 23. Nice to have some depth.
One more question: With Henrik Lundqvist's goal-against-average down to 1.82, he's in line for a huge contract come January. Actually, he was anyway, but...
That raises the Montoya issue. Once Lundqvist is locked in, wither Al? If he's not your No. 1, when to move him? Think the Lightning would be interested in him, perhaps Prucha and a pick for Dan Boyle, due to be an unrestricted free agent who will command more money ($5 million per) on the market than perhaps Tampa wants to pay? Otherwise, they face losing him for nothing in return...
Renney likes Boyle (who doesn't?), so shouldn't the Rangers at least make a run at him in a trade? He's a quality PP QB (10 goals, 27 assists with the man-advantage last season) who'll be 32 in July.
Thoughts?
Comments (32)
I would not trade Prucha away
the kid has awesome hands but just needs to play with a better linemate who could pass him the puck better.
Boyle is expensive and small and not great defensively. Also who knows how good his offense will be after cutting 3 tendons in his wrist. I pass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMD5Cs3Gag0
wait did this guy just suggest Montoya, Pruch an a pick for Boyle? Wow, now we know who is really an Islander troll...
I am not sure how much interest Tampa Bay would have in Al Montoya.
Their top two prospects are goalies, Karri Ramo & Riku Helenius and potentially either or both could end up being better than Montoya.
Johan Holmqvist has played pretty well for them too, I think that they're happy with letting him play until either of those two kids are ready.
I don't like that trade. Why give up two great young players for a thirty two year old who may not have long left in the NHL? As well there was Boyle's freak accident. I cot some tendons years ago and things have never been the same. I know Montoya is trade bait and I think Prucha is part of the clubs long term future but if they are going to be traded we can do better than that.
I think anyone who'd trade Prucha before trying to unload Callahan is a moron.
First off, we now have 3 players who all are the same type of player...Small, gritty, not offensive powerhouses, but can chip in goals. Of those 3, only Prucha is proven. Of those 3, only Dawes is a PK and a LW. Common sense says you make deals from a position of strength, not weakness. Look who we have on RW...Jagr, Shanahan, Prucha, Orr (we won't count him...)...Then into the depth chart we have Chrepanov, Bourret (another guy in the small, gritty, mold) Moore. What we don't don't have is good LW depth. Prucha can play either side. That gives us Straka, Hossa, Dawes, Hollweg, Byers, Korpikoski, and maybe Prucha.
So now that we've established that Dawes and Prucha are more valuable to us than Callahan, we can go into why trading for Boyle is a bad idea. #1, he's a UFA and there's no guarantee he'll resign. #2 Why trade for a PP point ma when Renney doesn't use the blueliners we already have to man the point? Tyutin and Girardi are more than capable of the task. Mara has a canon but his passing is AWFUL. Renney will always use Straka or Drury with Rozsival. #3 The guy will not be the same aafter that type of injury. The same injury ruined Donald Audette.
And finally, on a team starved for goals, why trade a player who averages 25 per year?
Better yet, fire the moron coach who keeps stripping Prucha of ice time so that Shanahan can have 75 shots and 2 goals. That's a whopper of a shooting percentage he's working on, let me tell you...
Point of rant, only an idiot trades Prucha and Montoya for Boyle.
I think Nigel Dawes and Ryan Callahan are better hockey players than Petr Prucha.
When you consider how many smallish wingers we should really have, doesn't that make Prucha expendable?
Peter,
I actually think Callahan is better than Prucha, obviously you disagree.
But, Prucha's trade value is absolutely higher than Callahan's, wouldnt you agree?
And I am not saying I want to trade anyone for Boyle, I really don't have any interest.
Congrats you beat a team 0-4 on the road. Look on the bright side: You lost to Atlanta....Oh wait, that is the dark side.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMD5Cs3Gag0
huh?
I do think that one of the 3 of Dawes, Prucha and Cally will eventually go either at the deadline or in the offseason. When you add those 3 to Gomez and Drury that is a pretty small lineup. Although some do play bigger than their size the small size would be a disadvantage in the playoffs. Boyle's injury and contract size does complicate things. I think we need to keep Montoya as insurance - even though he seems injury plagued he's the only true backup we have. After the season maybe they can explore some combo of him and one of the 3 forwards for a good young asset.
Yeah, I pretty much agree LI Joe.
I believe Prucha would have the most trade value of all three just because of the stats he has put already put up career wise.
Personally, just from watching every NHL game all three of them has ever played, I believe Dawes and Callahan are going to be better all around players than Prucha, that's just my opinion, no need for anyone to get defensive about it.
So wait...You're going to evaluate the play of 2 guys who don't even have 50 games of NHL experience or 10 NHL goals between them and say they're going to be better than a kid who's already scored 50? Seems like a super idea to me.
Wow, totally unexpected you would have a sarcastic response, very original of you!
Who has the most traqde value of all three of them? Meaning, who would bring back a better return?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMD5Cs3Gag0
huh?
dont worry Jimbo, Peter is just a moron.
Anyway, i dont think we should be trading Dawes, Prucha, or Callahan. I dont want boyle, i dont like him, hes not worth a pic, prucha, and montoya. Not even close.
Gomez has been playing great and should start scoring soon.
Great to see Drury put up some points but now i want goals.
Lundqvist has been great all year so well see how things go.
http://www.sportsline.com/nhl/gamecenter/live/NHL_20071027_CAR@NYI
Just because someone has trade value, that means you trade him?
Lundqvist has trade value, too.
Who says we need to trade anyone. Let the team gel, who knows where we'll be at the deadline. If anyone needs to go, it would be Mara or Malik, not Prucha.
Joe,
I think the belief that we have some of the same type of smallish forwards is a pretty legit concern.
If we can make a trade to acquire a player that strengthens a weakness, I think that it is something that should be considered.
Now, I do not want to trade for Dan Boyle, I am concerned about his injury.
I do think that Petr Prucha has the most trade value, I think if some type of trade were to happen, he is the best bargaining chip.
I don't think at this point, Callahan or Dawes have that much trade value.
Peter,
good god man, you just do not get it
Peter,
what do you think we could possibly get in return for Malik or Mara?
http://www.sportsline.com/nhl/gamecenter/live/NHL_20071018_NYR@ATL
damn we are bad
JIMBO ~
You are FIRED !!! You let the smoothy machine run all day. There is syrup all over the floor, ice is all melted, and the snickers bars have not been put on the shelf. Not to mention you never put away the milk and it spoiled. What have you been doing all day?? Why is my internet bill so high? I am taking it out of your final pay check!
why would we trade Callahan? that makes no sense. Straka is the one who's got to go.
you can't leave unless you are UFA. And if Lundqvist has an injury and we don't havce Montoya, we will lose the season or have to overpay for some mediocre goalie.
I do not think we should trade for Boyle because of his wrist. Severing 3 tendons can have a big effect on a d-man. Especially when it is his top hand. A dip in production could easily be mistakenly written off due to missing the beginning of the season, when in fact he may suffer from permanent damage.
Unless his production returns to his previous levels way before the deadline, I would avoid him.
why trade montoya, prucha and a pick...montoya and a pick is more than enough for boyle and if you are going to trade montoya and prucha you better get a beeter return than boyle.....redden or mccabe perhaps..but to give up that much for boyle...no way.
Anyone who wants to trade Straka must not have watched him play over the last 3 years. He is one of the leaders on this team, and he plays hard every night. I dont see Gomez dropping down to block shots from Z. Chara.
Effigy - good post re Straka. I totally agree.
Dan Boyle = damaged goods to old... no trading the kids... after 11 games. Worse then watching bad hockey is panicing and giving way the future for a 3 week high...Prucha is not good on the "3rd" line... he can breakout at anytime... if your frustrated with Prucha how do you feel about Shanny?