Results 201 to 210 of 218
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02-27-2012, 06:59 PM #201
Ummm... they did. Gragnani was voted most outstanding defenceman in the AHL last year and will be a first pairing defenceman eventually.
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02-27-2012, 07:00 PM #202
Thank you Expansion Cousins!
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02-27-2012, 07:00 PM #203
no way.... this is the 2nd coming of Marc-Andre Bergeron
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02-27-2012, 07:08 PM #204
Exactly
In the AHL
NHL is a different league
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02-27-2012, 07:10 PM #205
Gragnani will never be a top 2 defenseman. Scott's description of being the next coming of MA Bergeron is dead on. He'll show flashes of offensive brilliance, but is a liability in his own end and is soft. He was so maddening to watch this year after his "breakout" postseason and being such a let down this year. He'll be a 2nd unit PP guy, will chip in offensively, but will never be a top tier D-man.
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02-27-2012, 07:21 PM #206
Hodgson for Kassian looks like the Canucks lost. It will, however, take some time before it's really known for sure. What can be said is Kassian will likely step into a third or 4th line role that the Canucks desperately need some consistency on. Having Kassian will eliminate the need to decide between Weiss and Bitz every night. Hodgson is an amazing addition for Buffalo, but the Canucks seem to believe they can continue scoring without him and let's face it, they're moving for a Cup now and Hodgson was their future, not their now. I am sad to see him go, he could have been a great Canuck, but no way am I going to call this the worst trade ever or anything like that.
Sulzer for Gragnani is an all-out win for Vancouver. Sulzer was the 8th Dman in Vancouver at absolute best (9th depending on your thoughts of Tanev). Gragnani will step into a 4th or 5th role. One of Vancouver's major strengths last season was the fact they had 5 top 4 defensemen. Gragnani is a good puck mover, you'll see him on the powerplay and I think he's going to become a big part of the Canucks D-core.
This trade was made for right now but without completely mortgaging the future. Kassian still has loads of potential and I think the Canucks see him as a potential Todd Bertuzzi v2.0. I think Gillis explained himself well when he was questioned simply because he said what I was thinking of the deal. For Vancouver it's a more balanced line-up, it's a bigger and stronger line-up, it addresses needs for right now. I do think they probably could have got more in return if they had really pushed, but in the end, Gillis and the rest of the team didn't seem to think they needed to. If Kassian is a slight loss and Gragnani is a huge win, I don't see how that's a bad trade overall. I think a lot of Canucks fans need to calm down and realize this is Hodgson for Kassian, not Gretzky for Gelinas.
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02-27-2012, 08:27 PM #207
Not in Van
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02-27-2012, 08:28 PM #208
Good. Islanders needed to get rid of em.
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02-27-2012, 08:35 PM #209Hockey Advisor
IMO - Canucks did well today. Very well.
They add Phallson (spelling horrible, sorry!) as an upgrade for the 3C slot, right now. They add Kassian for more sandpaper, right now.... and he's only 21, so he'll be around for a while. They also upgraded their D with Gragnani.
Yes, they gave up a big prospect in Hodgeson - but they are much better to compete in the playoffs now than they were thismorning. That is the motivation for these deals.
If Vancouver wins a Cup, and Hodgeson becomes Captain in Buffalo while racking up 900 points over 14 seasons...... is this trade not still a win for Vancouver?
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02-27-2012, 08:38 PM #210
I'd guess that anyone raving about Gragnani has not watched the Sabres play many games this season. He has respectable numbers, but they mask some awful defensive-zone play and inconsistency.
I think Kassian will add some toughness on that fourth line, but expecting MAG to ever develop into a top-two d-man at this level is probably expecting way too much.
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Originally Posted by flopfish 
