Georges Laraque is heading home

External Since: Apr 17, 2004 Posts: 519

Chuck <barberphoto411 DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote in
news:32656e7e-e519-4d82-b2d4-a8af05ac3b96@d1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:

> It is too early to waste a roster spot on a pressbox commando. They
> have some depth with young defencemen. Give someone a chance to win
> the position during training camp. Rookie against rookie as Obryne and
> whoever fight it out for the 6th and 7th defence spots. Once a clear
> winner is found demote the loser for some playing time. Worry about
> carrying a 7th Dandy type vet later in the season, around the trade
> deadline. Never saw the sense in relying on a player who would be
> sitting in the pressbox for most of the last quarter of thew season vs
> a game ready callup from Hamilton.
>
> If Montreal does eventually sign Sundin, hopefully Dandy is the
> compensation.
>

You need to carry a 7th d-man. You need him to provide a little push, and
you need to have him on hand in case someone gets injured in a game, and
the team plays again soon, like the next night. You don't want to have to
be calling guys up and sending them halfway across the country, especially
if the injury is iffy (i.e. day-to-day), and you're not sure if you need
him or not. You want a spare at every position. That's why, if we can't get
rid of him, Dandy is a good spare, because he can double as our 2nd spare
forward and our spare d-man if they ever wanted to go with a 22 man roster
instead of 23. That would make his salary seem a little less overblown for
a spare part.

None of this is to say I wouldn't try and move him, but if I couldn't
without it costing us in some way, I'd be OK with them using him as a swing
man.

Marty

External Since: Apr 17, 2007 Posts: 174

On Jul 4, 8:29 pm, Marty <martytest2... DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote:
> Chuck <barberphoto... DeleteThis @gmail.com> wrote innews:32656e7e-e519-4d82-b2d4-a8af05ac3b96@d1g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:
>
> > It is too early to waste a roster spot on a pressbox commando. They
> > have some depth with young defencemen. Give someone a chance to win
> > the position during training camp. Rookie against rookie as Obryne and
> > whoever fight it out for the 6th and 7th defence spots. Once a clear
> > winner is found demote the loser for some playing time. Worry about
> > carrying a 7th Dandy type vet later in the season, around the trade
> > deadline. Never saw the sense in relying on a player who would be
> > sitting in the pressbox for most of the last quarter of thew season vs
> > a game ready callup from Hamilton.
>
> > If Montreal does eventually sign Sundin, hopefully Dandy is the
> > compensation.
>
> You need to carry a 7th d-man. You need him to provide a little push, and
> you need to have him on hand in case someone gets injured in a game, and
> the team plays again soon, like the next night. You don't want to have to
> be calling guys up and sending them halfway across the country, especially
> if the injury is iffy (i.e. day-to-day), and you're not sure if you need
> him or not. You want a spare at every position. That's why, if we can't get
> rid of him, Dandy is a good spare, because he can double as our 2nd spare
> forward and our spare d-man if they ever wanted to go with a 22 man roster
> instead of 23. That would make his salary seem a little less overblown for
> a spare part.
>
> None of this is to say I wouldn't try and move him, but if I couldn't
> without it costing us in some way, I'd be OK with them using him as a swing
> man.
>
> Marty

Not saying the team should not carry a 7th defenceman. Just think they
should carry a younger player who has the potential to step up and win
a long term regular position, something Dandy cannot do. As a spare
forward he is not that versatile to step into the lineup and help a
line remain productive. Gainey has done a great job of getting the
talent flowing up the development system. With the bidding wars, which
will take place every July 1st, it will be more important then ever to
know what young talent can step into the lineup to replace a lost UFA.
Knowing that players are ready can help decide where to invest cap
space. If Komisarek could not be signed, knowing that a player in the
system can replace him frees up money which could be used to sign a
forward instead. It reduces the need to invest in "filler" type
players.

Invest the early part of the season to give young players a chance to
win a position. If they really need a veteran 7th defenceman, pick one
up later in the season. Early season presence of Dandy as a 7th
defenceman will not make the difference between making and missing the
play-offs since he is not goning to be able to replace a top 4
defenceman, if the need occurs.