Sharp at Center

[bookjones]

What about Cammalleri?



I HATE the 6mil hit...so I'd make CAL keep some of the cap hit for sure....at least 1.5mil.



But he's a center -

FO% - .535% career..... .538% this year



He may not be bad between Kane/Sharp...pretty good goal scorer...good playoff perfomer...

He's one of only a few things that I would entertain from CGY this season. . .but that really isn't saying much. Not on eof my top choices I ain't gonna lie. I DO NOT like that contract amount. The .538 is impressive but that's his best FO stat in several seasons. I am a little concerned because they weren't better during the Brent Sutter coaching years where he tried to get the team to be very defensively responsible and play a two-way possession game and he didn't really help them to possess the puck. I guess I'd do it for $3-3.5 mil if everyone else turned us down I guess but then why wouldn't you want Vermette who's bigger, faster, and consistently far better at FOs for 3.75 mil?

 

[Ton]

I wouldn't mind seeing Pirri brought up to play on the 2nd line. I can't find any info on his FO% in the AHL, but why not give the kid a shot? He's done well in Rockford.



To be honest, I wouldn't mind seeing Morin called up with Sharp and Hossa out. We lost 2 skilled forwards to injuries and we brought up Hayes, who while maybe deserving, doesn't necessarily fill the "skill" void we lost on the other two players.

I literally wrote an article about this a week ago or so.

 

[Ton]

Is Derek Roy going to be the talk now? If the 2nd line center topic is going to be the issue then I suspect rumours are going to heat up now that Iginla is done.



I know Ribeiro is still in rumours but if the Caps have any chance of making the playoffs they can't go dealing him no matter if he is UFA and probably won't be re-signed anyways. Caps are in that tight spot where they shouldn't be sellers but passing up on some sort of return for Ribeiro while his stock is high is a questionable thought. I don't think they deal him myself as the playoff push is probably more important. Who knows. Check what Lebrun and the twittertards have to say. Im sure he has already been traded to Vancouver anyways.

I think a lot depends on if the Caps are confident that they can re-sign Ribeiro. If not, I think he's gone.

 

[PatrickSharpRules]

I feel like 300 of those points came against the Hawks.

 

[bookjones]

I feel like 300 of those points came against the Hawks.

Heh heh. . . IKR? He's a fucking Hawk killer. Same with Gagner.

 

[PatrickSharpRules]

Heh heh. . . IKR? He's a fucking Hawk killer. Same with Gagner.

Add Daymond Langkow and Mikael Samuelson to that list.

 

[PatrickShart]

I would rather have a 2nd line center that could score (Ribeiro, Cammaleri, Gagner, Roy)....than can simply win faceoffs. I'll leave the faceoff winning and nothing else to the 3rd liners. While I know Shaw doesn't win draws better than Bolland, he's physical, plays well with Stalberg/Bickell...goes to the net, wins board battles...



So if they were to get Vermette - he'd be fine - on the 3rd line. Goc, Hect, Hendricks.... Same with Laich (who I doubt will go)...or Ott (again, he'll be BUFF's Captain soon)



But in putting someone between Kane and Sharp - put someone there that can 1. Create space and 2. Put up numbers.



Vermette (and Bolland - as now everyone finally realizes) doesn't create match up problems for anyone. It will be the same thing on the second line...roll coverage to Kane and Sharp will be ineffective. Now get one of those point producers/creative players - and when they pin the coverage (1 D and the F backchecking) to Kane...he can dish to said center that can create....and now Sharp remains dangerous.

 

[the canadian dream]

kane creates his own space and space for his line. he doesnt need a scoring center he needs sharp to hit the back of the net when he gets back. all bolland really has to do is look for rebounds and get his fat ass to the net.



stans not going to do a thing.

 

[PatrickShart]

Yes he does...it's what PHX did to him in the playoffs last year...and when Sharp couldn't do shit...it made it harder for him.



You need to have 2 guys that can create time/space on a line to be dangerous and take away the option of a team to roll coverage.



While Kane is ridiculous at creating room for himself...watch what happens when he gets someone that can play to his skills. It's why he and Hossa were as good as they were last year..even while he was playing out of position. And why he and Toews instantly click. Sharp is a guy that relies on others to create his room...Bolland...well...

 

[bookjones]

I would rather have a 2nd line center that could score (Ribeiro, Cammaleri, Gagner, Roy)....than can simply win faceoffs. I'll leave the faceoff winning and nothing else to the 3rd liners. While I know Shaw doesn't win draws better than Bolland, he's physical, plays well with Stalberg/Bickell...goes to the net, wins board battles...



So if they were to get Vermette - he'd be fine - on the 3rd line. Goc, Hect, Hendricks.... Same with Laich (who I doubt will go)...or Ott (again, he'll be BUFF's Captain soon)



But in putting someone between Kane and Sharp - put someone there that can 1. Create space and 2. Put up numbers.



Vermette (and Bolland - as now everyone finally realizes) doesn't create match up problems for anyone. It will be the same thing on the second line...roll coverage to Kane and Sharp will be ineffective. Now get one of those point producers/creative players - and when they pin the coverage (1 D and the F backchecking) to Kane...he can dish to said center that can create....and now Sharp remains dangerous.

Well as long as you're willing to pay for the scoring then because a 2C who scores for you is gonna cost. I maintain that just like last season this team does not have a problem scoring and picking up excellent GF stats. That's why we have an expensive core. But a team's whole Top 6 can't be core---I personally think we're very fortunate to have 4 out of 6 be star players. It's just not practical in a hard cap age. Talk to me again when I expect the cap to go back up after the mandatory lowering next season and depending on the increase I would possibly weigh turbo-charging the Top 6 even more. For me, I am looking for something more practical and then have it taken care of for a while so then I can move on as Armchair GM to the next deficiency that needs addressing like LW.



Anyhoo, of the names you mentioned I don't have a problem with Gagner as I mentioned before. I also don't have a problem with Roy. But I still don't love their FO percentages and they're gonna cost you for wanting to pad the team scoring stats.





Cammalleri is at $7 mil/$6 mil cap hit this season and next season. He is not worth $7 mil/$6 mil next season. He'll be 31 when he becomes UFA after next season and while he might not expect to re-sign at $7 mil per if you like him he isn't going to take less than $5.5 mil per I'd wager



Gagner's already at $3.2 mil/$3.2 mil cap hit this season and is RFA this year. He's gonna get an increase. It's reasonable because I like Gagner and if I wanted scoring he hits the sweet spot but his never being above like 45% at the dots would be the tradeoff. I still don't think we need more O.



Ribeiro's already at $5 mil/$5 mil cap hit and is UFA this year. He's 33 but I don't expect him to sign somewhere for less than the $5 mil he's been earning the past 5 years.



Roy's at $5.5 mil/$4 mil cap hit this season and is UFA this year. His expiring contract overall hit is fine but he's going to get an increase with whoever he signs with next.

 

[bookjones]

Okay folks. If not Vermette (or Pavelski!, heh) then what about Val Filppula?



He's at $3.5 mil/$3 mil cap hit this season and is UFA this season. He's gonna get a raise but I personally don't think it will be ginormous. FO stats are good. Wings are old but it would be better if they weren't doing well. I wonder if he could be lured from that broke down excuse of a city? Probably not---Holland gets people to stay forever. I wonder if he's gonna go to UFA and then let a bidding war market dictate the raise. I just can't put a finger on his value.

 

[roshinaya]

If it's true that Dats is going to bolt to Russia once his contract ends, I would think that the Wangs would make it a priority to sign up Filppula. But I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him test free agency. He could easily demand $5M/year. Hawks should at least kick the tires if he's available and especially if they've jettisoned Bolland.

 

[bookjones]

Also, Pez or Ton? I think you should modify this thread title to "Sharp At Center / 2C Speculation" IMO so that maybe more people will chirp in with some options instead of thinking it's only about Sharpie?

 

[bookjones]

If it's true that Dats is going to bolt to Russia once his contract ends, I would think that the Wangs would make it a priority to sign up Filppula. But I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him test free agency. He could easily demand $5M/year. Hawks should at least kick the tires if he's available and especially if they've jettisoned Bolland.

If the Hawks have done something by the deadline and gotten a 2C and if that person is just a rental until the end of the playoffs and they don't really want them back long term then they should def see what it would take to woo Val.

 

[the canadian dream]

Bollands going to make someone eat crow in the playoffs. It's either going to be me or everyone else. Im willing to stand a lone here and say Bolland will be fine in the playoffs.



Im being serious.



i have already heard people say Ott or Goc would be a better option than Bolland on the 2nd line. This is getting way out of hand now. Simmer down kids.

 

[bookjones]

Bollands going to make someone eat crow in the playoffs. It's either going to be me or everyone else. Im willing to stand a lone here and say Bolland will be fine in the playoffs.



Im being serious.



i have already heard people say Ott or Goc would be a better option than Bolland on the 2nd line. This is getting way out of hand now. Simmer down kids.

So you think you're telling someone something new or going out on a ledge when you say Bolland performs in the playoffs and you'll show us! D'uh. That's something everyone already knows and it's precisely what has allowed him to cost $3+ mil per as a 3C without people losing their everlasting minds---on the 3rd he shuts other lines down and he plays invaluably in the playoffs. The organization and the fans are well aware of this. What does that have to do with his latest experiment at 2C being #FAIL once again? When Sharp was still playing, the 2nd line looking at the stats show that they tended to get the toughest competition but they also show they get their holes sodomized on the regular too. Kane being so excellent that he can do everything for himself and others by himself and even Sharp helping is what slaps some cosmetics voodoo on that otherwise clusterfuck experiment.



Even taking the whole 2C thing out of the conversation I'd still contend that on the whole and in general Bolland just is not looking good this season period IMO. Don't know what the problem is but he's looked out of sorts.

 

[bookjones]

I want a goddamn 2C peoples!

 

[the canadian dream]

Yes he does...it's what PHX did to him in the playoffs last year...and when Sharp couldn't do shit...it made it harder for him.



You need to have 2 guys that can create time/space on a line to be dangerous and take away the option of a team to roll coverage.



While Kane is ridiculous at creating room for himself...watch what happens when he gets someone that can play to his skills. It's why he and Hossa were as good as they were last year..even while he was playing out of position. And why he and Toews instantly click. Sharp is a guy that relies on others to create his room...Bolland...well...

I actually don't agree with that. Sharp can carry the play off the left side as good as anyone else in the league on lw and he creates a lot of space by doing so..he can also be one of the better battlers along the boards on this team and forechecker. He is also great at getting into open space himself. He's a smarter player than he is given credit for he just needs to start hitting the net again when he receives the puck. Had Sharp buried even 15% of his chances in that Yotes series the Hawks get out of that round. He had a hell of a lot of chances out there. Kane also played really well. Yotes really didn't beat that line last year Sharps collapse at accuracy and Mike Smith at times beat that line.

 

[the canadian dream]

So you think you're telling someone something new or going out on a ledge when you say Bolland performs in the playoffs and you'll show us! D'uh. That's something everyone already knows and it's precisely what has allowed him to cost $3+ mil per as a 3C without people losing their everlasting minds---on the 3rd he shuts other lines down and he plays invaluably in the playoffs. The organization and the fans are well aware of this. What does that have to do with his latest experiment at 2C being #FAIL once again? When Sharp was still playing, the 2nd line looking at the stats show that they tended to get the toughest competition but they also show they get their holes sodomized on the regular too. Kane being so excellent that he can do everything for himself and others by himself and even Sharp helping is what slaps some cosmetics voodoo on that otherwise clusterfuck experiment.



Even taking the whole 2C thing out of the conversation I'd still contend that on the whole and in general Bolland just is not looking good this season period IMO. Don't know what the problem is but he's looked out of sorts.

He does you are right. But my gutt tells me he is going to show up in the playoffs even at #2 center. Just my gutt speaking. Im trying to be the positive fan for once here. Im not throwing this team out the window because the #2 center isn't up to standard. I still look around this team and its a great team when healthy from the goalie out. I really don't see this with other teams..I really don't. Even the Pens I don't care how stacked they are up front their holes on their blueline is larger than ours at center. I just don't know why people are pointing out the Hawks holes as if they are the only team in the league with them. Every team has them and ours in comparison aren't that big. I like Bolland and always will but that has nothing to do with me thinking come playoffs that second line will be fine with him on it. Realistically I would love a better second line center but I don't want the 3rd line as is right now being fucked around with and I don't think there is anything wrong with letting Sharp take some faceoffs instead of Bolland if that is the really big deal. Im sure Q will do that. I know Sharps not a faceoff master either but he is better than Bolland. Im just not as concerned as other people are..I don't know why.



Last year my negative ass would be all over throwing Bolland to the wolves. I just don't care though for some reason right now. I have enough faith with the other 2 talented guys on that line to carry it. Bolland simply doesn't concern me.

 

[PatrickShart]

I actually don't agree with that. Sharp can carry the play off the left side as good as anyone else in the league on lw and he creates a lot of space by doing so..he can also be one of the better battlers along the boards on this team and forechecker. He is also great at getting into open space himself. He's a smarter player than he is given credit for he just needs to start hitting the net again when he receives the puck. Had Sharp buried even 15% of his chances in that Yotes series the Hawks get out of that round. He had a hell of a lot of chances out there. Kane also played really well. Yotes really didn't beat that line last year Sharps collapse at accuracy and Mike Smith at times beat that line.

Getting into open space is one thing. Creating open space...time and room WITH the puck, is another. He doesn't do that...watch him.