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Post by Boston_Habs on Nov 9, 2005 9:56:12 GMT -5
OK. The guy is out with a fractured rib right now so it's not an immediate possibility, but he is expected to return. Ozolinsh makes ~$2.75MM and will be a UFA at the end of the season.
Issues:
- The Habs really need a pure offensive dman and PP quarterback and Ozolinsh fits the bill perfectly. He also has good size at 6-3, 215 lbs. Still only 33 yrs old.
- The cost of acquiring a pending UFA is usually low but the Habs may need to overpay to address a clear weakness on the team. How much do you want to give up to acquire what could turn out to be a rental player?
- On the other hand, if Ozolinsh ends up making an impact and becomes a fan favorite perhpas the chances are good that we could sign him long term. This seemed to work for Kovalev.
- We have a lot of decent prospects that we could use to entice Anaheim - Perezhogin, Plekanec, Higgins, Kostitsyn. But in order to give up one of those guys I would want a conditional pick in return in case we don't sign Ozolinsh. Right now I would say the only untouchable prospect in the organization is Latendresse.
- Defense is the biggest weakness in the organization. It needs to be addressed. We will probably end up in the lower third of the first round of next year's draft - too low to pick a stud dman. If you want to trade for a young guy like Derek Morris then that will be costly. We could also wait to sign a guy like Ozolinsh once he goes UFA but you don't get the inside track to negotiate with him before the filing date.
So.....
To MTL: Ozolinsh plus a conditional 2nd rd pick
To ANA: Plekanec plus a 2nd rd pick
If we sign Ozolinsh the we don't get the pick, so it would end up being Ozolinsh for Plekanec and a 2nd.
Thoughts?
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Nov 9, 2005 11:17:47 GMT -5
The good news is that the silly rumor doesn't have Koivu included in the trade like a lot have this year.
Last time I looked we were doing pretty well with our young guys and didn't need many disruptions. Young players mature and improve. Old guys get older. This year is a record for big names retiring. We don't need to be the senior citizens retirement home for anybody else.
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Post by clear observer on Nov 9, 2005 11:44:39 GMT -5
With all due respect...I wouldn't touch that proposal (Habs perspective) with a 10-foot pole. Pleks has faaaar too much upside with a definite bright future...whereas Ozo is definitely on the decline. We need a 25 yr old Ozo, not a 33 yr old one. Just my unqualified opinion  |
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Post by BadCompany on Nov 9, 2005 12:00:04 GMT -5
I'll disagree with my esteemed collegues and say I like it. I don’t know about the actual trade idea, as I don’t know what Anaheim’s plans/needs are, but there is no denying Ozolinsh would look real good in Montreal right now.
I wouldn’t even play him a regular shift, to be honest with you. I’d dress 7 defensemen, as they have done in the past, and simply play Ozolinsh on the power-play. Heck, let him play the full two minutes, and rotate his partner. He’ll probably get 15-20 minutes of ice time just doing that.
Seeing as Julien doesn’t appear to be a four lines guy, I see no problems dressing an extra defenseman for speciality purposes. We’ve been trying it with Streit, so why not go for the massive upgrade?
Right now, Montreal is in first, despite the fact that their power play is middle of the pack. If they could score one more goal a game on the power-play…
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Post by clear observer on Nov 9, 2005 12:07:30 GMT -5
I'll disagree with my esteemed collegues and say I like it. I don’t know about the actual trade idea, as I don’t know what Anaheim’s plans/needs are, but there is no denying Ozolinsh would look real good in Montreal right now. I wouldn’t even play him a regular shift, to be honest with you. I’d dress 7 defensemen, as they have done in the past, and simply play Ozolinsh on the power-play. Heck, let him play the full two minutes, and rotate his partner. He’ll probably get 15-20 minutes of ice time just doing that. Seeing as Julien doesn’t appear to be a four lines guy, I see no problems dressing an extra defenseman for speciality purposes. We’ve been trying it with Streit, so why not go for the massive upgrade? Right now, Montreal is in first, despite the fact that their power play is middle of the pack. If they could score one more goal a game on the power-play… who you calling "esteemed"  pfffft CO |
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Post by Boston_Habs on Nov 9, 2005 12:21:12 GMT -5
I checked out HF and here's what they say about Anaheim:
Strengths: Anaheim has great depth both up front and on the blueline. Led by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, the forward corps features plenty of players capable of contributing on both ends of the ice. Getzlaf, Chris Kunitz and Mikael Holmqvist are among the forwards who could play in Anaheim when play resumes. On the blueline, Ladislav Smid, Mark Popovic and Kurtis Foster are three who could also play for the Ducks immediately. Behind them, there is depth in Jordan Smith, Shane O\'Brien and Kyle Klubertanz.
Weaknesses: Anaheim is desperately lean when it comes to goaltending. Ilya Bryzgalov is no longer eligible as a prospect and just getting to the NHL would be an accomplishment for either Gabriel Bouthillette or Eddie Ferhi. A power play quarterback needs to be found within the current pool or drafted.
Top Prospects: Ryan Getzlaf (C), Ladislav Smid (D), Corey Perry (RW), Chris Kunitz (LW) and Mark Popovic (D).
Anaheim may not be an ideal trading partner, but my trade is predicated on the assumption that Anaheim is either out of the playoff race and/or convinced Ozolinsh will not sign long term with the Ducks.
For what it's worth, Ozolinsh makes us a better team RIGHT NOW and addresses the biggest weakness on the team. There are far too many penalties being called for us not to have a real trigger man on the point. Maybe people don't like him or don't want to take the risk that he would walk at the end of the season, but the "new" NHL puts a premium on mobility and puck skills from the defense and other than Markov (who is not a pure offensive dman or puck carrier) we don't have anyone who fits the bill now or in the future.
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Post by clear observer on Nov 9, 2005 12:23:50 GMT -5
I checked out HF and here's what they say about Anaheim: Strengths: Anaheim has great depth both up front and on the blueline. Led by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, the forward corps features plenty of players capable of contributing on both ends of the ice. Getzlaf, Chris Kunitz and Mikael Holmqvist are among the forwards who could play in Anaheim when play resumes. On the blueline, Ladislav Smid, Mark Popovic and Kurtis Foster are three who could also play for the Ducks immediately. Behind them, there is depth in Jordan Smith, Shane O\'Brien and Kyle Klubertanz. Weaknesses: Anaheim is desperately lean when it comes to goaltending. Ilya Bryzgalov is no longer eligible as a prospect and just getting to the NHL would be an accomplishment for either Gabriel Bouthillette or Eddie Ferhi. A power play quarterback needs to be found within the current pool or drafted. Top Prospects: Ryan Getzlaf (C), Ladislav Smid (D), Corey Perry (RW), Chris Kunitz (LW) and Mark Popovic (D). Anaheim may not be an ideal trading partner, but my trade is predicated on the assumption that Anaheim is either out of the playoff race and/or convinced Ozolinsh will not sign long term with the Ducks. For what it's worth, Ozolinsh makes us a better team RIGHT NOW and addresses the biggest weakness on the team. There are far too many penalties being called for us not to have a real trigger man on the point. Maybe people don't like him or don't want to take the risk that he would walk at the end of the season, but the "new" NHL puts a premium on mobility and puck skills from the defense and other than Markov (who is not a pure offensive dman or puck carrier) we don't have anyone who fits the bill now or in the future. Agreed with EVERYTHING you posted...but the cost. |
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Post by Boston_Habs on Nov 9, 2005 12:37:18 GMT -5
With all due respect...I wouldn't touch that proposal (Habs perspective) with a 10-foot pole. Pleks has faaaar too much upside with a definite bright future...whereas Ozo is definitely on the decline. We need a 25 yr old Ozo, not a 33 yr old one. Just my unqualified opinion Just curious - how did you feel about trading Balej and a 2nd for Kovalev? I know it's a different deal but Alexei was 32 at the time with declining career numbers - and wasn't he set to go UFA at the end of the year? Gainey took a calculated gamble by trading one of our surplus prospects to add an elite level forward. It worked like a charm and Kovalev looks like he has plenty left in the tank. As for Ozolinsh being on the decline, I can't really say because I don't see him very often. But he was an All-Star as recently as 2003 and he was getting 17-18 minutes of ice and plenty of PP time before he was injured... |
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Post by clear observer on Nov 9, 2005 12:56:32 GMT -5
With all due respect...I wouldn't touch that proposal (Habs perspective) with a 10-foot pole. Pleks has faaaar too much upside with a definite bright future...whereas Ozo is definitely on the decline. We need a 25 yr old Ozo, not a 33 yr old one. Just my unqualified opinion Just curious - how did you feel about trading Balej and a 2nd for Kovalev? I know it's a different deal but Alexei was 32 at the time with declining career numbers - and wasn't he set to go UFA at the end of the year? Gainey took a calculated gamble by trading one of our surplus prospects to add an elite level forward. It worked like a charm and Kovalev looks like he has plenty left in the tank. As for Ozolinsh being on the decline, I can't really say because I don't see him very often. But he was an All-Star as recently as 2003 and he was getting 17-18 minutes of ice and plenty of PP time before he was injured... I loved it...the difference for me was my perception of Kovalev was not that of an elite forward, but that of a superstar...truly. I was a huge fan of his. Also, in terms of relative potential, I place Pleks higher than I did Balej. I may very-well be wrong about this trade proposal ...but I maintain that I wouldn't touch it. CO |
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Post by Polarice on Nov 9, 2005 13:29:05 GMT -5
Weaknesses: Anaheim is desperately lean when it comes to goaltending. Ilya Bryzgalov is no longer eligible as a prospect and just getting to the NHL would be an accomplishment for either Gabriel Bouthillette or Eddie Ferhi. A power play quarterback needs to be found within the current pool or drafted. It says Anaheim is weak when it comes to goaltending.....so why not trade Huet or Danis for Ozolinsh? Only makes sense, we have a extra tender or two, why not trade one? |
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Post by roke on Nov 9, 2005 16:21:38 GMT -5
Weaknesses: Anaheim is desperately lean when it comes to goaltending. Ilya Bryzgalov is no longer eligible as a prospect and just getting to the NHL would be an accomplishment for either Gabriel Bouthillette or Eddie Ferhi. A power play quarterback needs to be found within the current pool or drafted. It says Anaheim is weak when it comes to goaltending.....so why not trade Huet or Danis for Ozolinsh? Only makes sense, we have a extra tender or two, why not trade one? Since it's from HF I believe that's prospect-wise. They have both Giguere and Bryzgalov on the pro team and the former has been great. |
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Post by PTH on Nov 9, 2005 18:51:55 GMT -5
I like the idea of getting Ozolinsh as a rental.
I dislike trading Plekanec, and really wouldn't want to see us sign Ozo at anything like his current salary.
I'd get Ozo closer to the deadline for less than Plekanec, or I'd do without him.
And I disagree with the assertion that we have plenty of prospects. With Komi, Plek, Zhogin and Higgins as young NHLers (and no longer prospects IMO) and Hossa and Balej gone, and Hainsey a marginal prospect, our cupboard has thinned out quite a bit. The two Kots's, Price, Latendresse.... to me that's about it. We can't assume that we have a load of riches on the farm anymore.
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Post by seventeen on Nov 9, 2005 21:48:35 GMT -5
I'll disagree with my esteemed collegues.... who you calling "esteemed" pfffft CO Typo. He meant steemed. The problem I have is philosophical. Other than rare circumstances, I don't like trading youth for old crones like me. So you trade a Balej for Kovalev. Looks good now because Balej was much too balej-hood and Kovalev is a world class player. In Pleks, your're giving up more than Balej and getting less than Kovalev. Not that I wouldn't mind the wizard of Oz on the team, but I'd rather give up say, Garth Murray (cough), or Duncan Milroy. Sandy's contract is also a problem as is his UFO status for next year. PS. Forgot about that 2nd rounder, included. Changes it a bit. but Kovalev is really somethng and Ozolinsh not in that class. |
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Post by drkcloud on Nov 10, 2005 12:27:19 GMT -5
Has there been talk he is on the block?
Considering we would be taking on a big salary...... Hainsey and a second rounder, no more.
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Post by Boston_Habs on Nov 10, 2005 14:18:20 GMT -5
Has there been talk he is on the block? Considering we would be taking on a big salary...... Hainsey and a second rounder, no more. No trade rumor - just pure idle shop talk. I was just thinking what kind of trade (if any) Gainey would be inclined to make to add an impact blueliner to the team. With the team clicking well I can't see him shaking up the current roster to acquire another dman, but I can see him making another deal like the Kovalev trade - dealing a combination of prospect/picks to acquire a veteran dman who isn't locked into a long term deal. Ozolinsh would be that kind of player although there is considerable debate as to what he would be worth in a trade. |
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Post by Cranky on Nov 18, 2005 9:02:08 GMT -5
Plaks for Ozo? Not unless Gainey lost his mind. At BEST a third rounder for the rental and nothing more.
We are NOT cup contenders the way the Hen's are. Besides, if we need a one dimensional defenseman, Hollywood Hen is ready, willing and disabled..
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Post by Rimmer on Nov 24, 2005 12:28:07 GMT -5
I think Ozolinsh can be acquired for very little in return. I watched the game against the Stars last night and the commentators said that he was a healthy scratch for that game. and they had AHLers (DiPenta, Beauchemin,...) in the lineup... he is also reported to be shopped around by Burke and I think Burke would be glad if he could just shed his salary. the question is: do we want to take his salary?
R.
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Post by Doc Holliday on Nov 24, 2005 12:45:25 GMT -5
I think Ozolinsh can be acquired for very little in return. I watched the game against the Stars last night and the commentators said that he was a healthy scratch for that game. and they had AHLers (DiPenta, Beauchemin,...) in the lineup... he is also reported to be shopped around by Burke and I think Burke would be glad if he could just shed his salary. the question is: do we want to take his salary? R. Agreed. I don't believe we have to sacrifice an asset to get this guy. A pick, or an AHLer should suffice. ...if we dangle Pleks, I'd rather that we swing for the fence in a bigger trade for a younger top 3 guy. |
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Post by blny on Nov 24, 2005 14:22:45 GMT -5
It's an interesting attempt at a solution. If I'm going to give up Pleks, I'd like something more long term in return.
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Post by Skilly on Nov 25, 2005 7:07:41 GMT -5
I am not against trading youth for upgrading the team.
But looking at this proposal from a different angle ...... who replaces Plekanec on our roster? This guy is a regular, so without a replacement in sight that would mean we are immediately prepared to insert Dagenais full-time on the second or fourth lines.
Any trade involving a player on the current roster only makes sense when Kovalev returns .... and even though Julien seems to utilize a short bench I can't see him wanting only 11 skaters on his bench right now.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Nov 25, 2005 15:51:00 GMT -5
I am not against trading youth for upgrading the team. But looking at this proposal from a different angle ...... who replaces Plekanec on our roster? This guy is a regular, so without a replacement in sight that would mean we are immediately prepared to insert Dagenais full-time on the second or fourth lines. Any trade involving a player on the current roster only makes sense when Kovalev returns .... and even though Julien seems to utilize a short bench I can't see him wanting only 11 skaters on his bench right now. We could play 4 on 5 for the 2:08 minutes that Pleks would miss on our roster. I'd rather get Getzlaf or Perry from Anaheim than bring in a rental. |
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