Comments for Buying low: Gagne & Lecavalier at http://hockey.dobbersports.com , comment 1 to 9 out of 9 comments http://hockey.dobbersports.com Tue, 21 May 2013 14:06:23 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/russ-miller/3411-buying-low-gagne-a-lecavalier#comment-11440 Haha bball...no, actually it all started with me being a Flyers fan and Simon Gagne owner...I never really cared much to invest in Lecavalier, but knew the Vinny & Gagne story and was curious how it would play out at the beginning of the year. When Gagne was out for a month, I could see everyone souring on Gagne quickly...if they hadn't already. Then I read an article that opened my eyes to fantasy hockey strategy and I realized that I really wanted Lecavalier in my league. Angus stepped in and stole him (rat bastard!) but I was already putting all the pieces together in my head. I knew Dobber had done countless ramblings and threads on Vinny...but I wanted to do the combo. And yes, Lecavalier isn't the 90+ point player he was. He's a 2nd line center who gets PP1 ice time and will be in the 65-75 point range for the next couple years...unless he and Gagne get that chemistry thing nailed, in which case their performance will BOTH increase. All of that stuff aside, I'm very confident that these two will click right when you need them to THIS year. If you are looking to acquire assets for a playoff push, see if you can grab both of them. - duballstar014 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:05:12 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/russ-miller/3411-buying-low-gagne-a-lecavalier#comment-11439 Dub, another excellent article. I don't think I'm putting words in Angus's mouth when I say that we both read with particular interest and with Ultimate implications in mind. - Rhys Richards Wed, 26 Jan 2011 07:22:43 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/russ-miller/3411-buying-low-gagne-a-lecavalier#comment-11437 Early in the season Brett Clark manned the point. Currently it is Kubina. When he returns from his conditioning stint in the AHL it will be MA Bergeron. When they have a forward at the point it is St Louis or Lecavelier. - Rusty Pickles Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:55:10 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/russ-miller/3411-buying-low-gagne-a-lecavalier#comment-11431 Thanks guys. Appreciate the feedback. Pengwin, you've got some great questions. 1. The TB cap situation is great for this year. Not so great moving forward with Stamkos becoming the elite player that he is. Lecavalier is signed through eternity and with the bond that he and Gagne share, I'd think that Yzerman will do everything he can to keep Gagne there at least another 2-3 years. Knowing Gagne, he will take a pay cut. He should be fine making somewhere around the $3-$4M range, possibly going a bit higher for a shorter term contract. A 2 year $7.25M contract is a decent number for both sides. You're right about Stamkos. He deserves north of $8M and he will get it. With St. Louis already under contract for a few more years, Yzerman will make sure he has Stamkos first, then worry about Gagne. In terms of cap space he can free up, Ohlund has been a huge disappointment. If they need his cap space, they won't be afraid to Sheldon-Souray his ass and bury him in the farm. Ryan Malone, though carrying a $4.5M cap hit, is only due $11M over the next 3 seasons, making his contract appealing trade bait. Don't expect Yzerman to move him at the deadline because he'll want him in a playoff run, but in the offseason his hand might be forced. Getting rid of these two players alone frees up the cap space necessary for Stamkos and with Gagne taking a pay cut, they're in great shape. Clark, Hedman, and Kubina have all been playing well, but they'll need to add some depth on the blue line soon if they choose to depart from Ohlund. After watching success from other teams with young goalies, don't be surprised if they move Tokarski in with Ellis next season and hope for a Bobrovsky-type surprise to the NHL. If they choose to keep him in the farm, Yzerman should consider how saturated the goalie market is and be patient. Something good will present itself for him. 2. The TB power play is mostly forwards. You've got Kubina getting the bulk of time from the point, with Hedman next, and Clark last. That's pretty much it for the D. The main line usually features Gagne, Lecavalier, Malone, Stamkos, and St. Louis. I have to admit I'm not sure who is playing the point in this situation, but I'll do some HW after the All Star break and comment on my article in the forum section. Thanks again! - duballstar014 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:57:15 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/russ-miller/3411-buying-low-gagne-a-lecavalier#comment-11430 Fantastic piece, Dub. Great analysis. Won't go as far as to give you five compliments (don't want your head to swell, commish), but I enjoyed reading this one. :) - Jeff Angus Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:56:47 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/russ-miller/3411-buying-low-gagne-a-lecavalier#comment-11428 Did Dobber put you up to writing this article? LOL Seriously, awesome analysis. Thank you for really going in depth to dig behind the scenes and throw it out there. Too many times, we do not look at the larger picture, only what we want to see. - bball Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:42:16 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/russ-miller/3411-buying-low-gagne-a-lecavalier#comment-11426 Dub - man, you have a great writing style. You break paragraphs up so well. These are a joy to read. So much good, key background on the Gagne/Vinny pairing. I want to throw five compliments your way: Awesome, Informative, Clear, Valuable, Unbiased. I send the compliments so it doesn't get lost how much I enjoyed the article when I voice a couple counter-points: 1. I would have liked to see you address the TB cap situation. There is a lot of "going-forward together" analysis/prediction here. But... will Gagne return to TB next year? Stamkos (RFA) deserves $7-$8m/yr. TBy should also really sign a top-tier goalie for $3m-$4m (Bryz? Vokoun? re-sign Rolo for $2.5m?). With $38m currently committed to just 12 players - is it likely that Gagne will return at a "hometown discount"? Players still need to get paid to make a living. This would have been a nice item to discuss/forecast. 2. How does TB seem to be running their PP? Who is the odd-man out? Early in the season I know that Gagne was moved to the front of the net allowing the talent (Vinny, Stammer, MSL, D) around the perimeter. This didn't seem to help Gagne at all, he had very few PPP. Now, I believe, he is PP2 with Purcell. Sure, they got a couple points last game, but I don't think TB's PP2 is going to rack up the points. Addressing the PP strategy in TB is another item I would have liked to see addressed. Overall: Five Stars - great info! - Pengwin7 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:01:37 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/russ-miller/3411-buying-low-gagne-a-lecavalier#comment-11424 Nice analysis I traded Kunitz for Gagne just before Crosby went down and am happier with each passing day. I also grabbed Purcell off waivers and am also liking that one. Purcell - Vinny - Gagne a nice line for sure and starting to produce! - loco man Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:52:23 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/russ-miller/3411-buying-low-gagne-a-lecavalier#comment-11423 Lecavalier's 80+ pt days are over. 60-70 pts is the new range. - DuklaNation Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:36:14 +0100