Jyrki21 wrote:
I haven't crunched the numbers, but I'd be floored if Gillis has actually made fewer trades than anyone else. The Canucks have been perfectly active each year he's been around. I don't buy, and have never bought, the idea that he's somehow "blackballed". All GMs have a prior history in hockey.
I'm not quite sure what "perfectly active" means, how would you qualify perfection in activity? (seems like you've been reading to much of my writing and absorbing bad lessons
) Anyways it's not so much his activity level (quantity) that concerns me as that the significant trades of his tenure are all Florida (Booth, Ballard, Lui) Unless I'm forgetting someone. I get that GM's seem to have favorites but it's perplexing there are not a few that come to my mind with other GM's.
Jyrki21 wrote:
I think asking for a roster player was a little bit pointless if other offerings were good -- you don't be a seller at the deadline because you're trying to stay competitive for the season in question (Bosc explored this logic earlier -- why would the Wings or Flyers, say, trade a currently competent center for a slightly better but older one? It's not really worth their while).
Oh fully agree, the rumours about Nyquist and Coutuier were non-starters. Those players are just too far along and too certain to be moved. Especially for their respective teams as they are not in the running for SC this year (different story for teams that are close, the window of opportunity is only open so long, you risk more to capitalize on that opportunity). On the other hand a 3rd line center like Sutter, a grade A prospect and a pick are not unreasonable imo. Sutter doesn't have much upside and even grade A prospects blowup and well picks are a crap shoot especially in the 25-30 range.
Jyrki21 wrote:
I don't know if Kesler's value will be any higher in the offseason -- the market conditions at the deadline are pretty optimal for a seller -- but apart from the roster player issue, I don't think it's Gillis' "fault" that Kesler couldn't be moved when there wasn't actually that much on the table. We don't even know that Kesler would have allowed a trade to Anaheim.
Anaheim, Chicago, Penn state times 2, Detroit and I forget the 6th Botchford came up with were the options Kesler gave. So coming back full circle, why was there so little interest in Kesler? Teams like Pittsburg and Anaheim that are so close and have cap space I would expect to pony up more than a 3rd line center and a couple picks. I may be grossly over estimating Kesler's value or is there something to the conspiracy rumours, or is there some other reason else I'm completely overlooking why Gillis has trouble getting value for trades. I mean I hate conspiracy theories, I'd like to think reason wins out but the reality is biases do happen (Ted Nolan) and people get blackballed. Not saying you're wrong to Jyrki but until there is another plausible reason to explain why there are so few significant trades to places other than Florida and why the offerings for Kesler were so low I'll have to say the blackballed option still gets consideration, at least from me anyways.