Comments for Hodgson and Sulzer for Kassian and Gragnani at http://hockey.dobbersports.com , comment 1 to 19 out of 19 comments http://hockey.dobbersports.com Fri, 24 May 2013 08:06:19 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19717 I'm fully in agreement over this. BUT, I don't think this necessarily hurts Hodgson. I've always said that prospects who have to EARN a roster spot will out-perform those who have one handed to them. I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg, in terms of what Hodgson's capable of. Having to beat our Adam and Ennis for that top-6 spot is going to force him to perform and, hopefully, it'll bring out the best in him. If Hodgson does manage to beat out 2 very capable young prospects in BUF to get that spot, I would guess he'll have a very Logan-Couturian sophomore campaign. On the other hand, if Ennis or Adam holds onto that #2C spot, that may very well be all-she-wrote for Hodgson in yet another market. - Jeff Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:29:38 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19702 While I disagree with Dobber's assessment on Hodgson, and believe his production will increase, he is not alone in his assessment that Vancouver benefits more from this deal over the short to medium term. Here is an example: [url]http://www.puckprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1262[/url] - Mabus Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:48:30 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19699 methinks Dobber is letting a little of his butt-hurt Maple Leaf fan do the talking there. C'mon - admit it - watching all the "local" teams (BUF, MON, OTT, NYR) have SOME success in the past half-decade while your home team keeps finishing a non-respectable OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS must sting a little. I live in Ontario too, I'm just happen to know its best out West. Thats why I stay up late to watch my hockey.... - Man not Puck Tue, 28 Feb 2012 05:50:21 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19695 http://www.dobberhockey.com/forums/showthread.php?p=913864&posted=1#post913864 - bomm Tue, 28 Feb 2012 04:45:26 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19691 Center is Buffalo's biggest organizational need and it is not even close. Adam has not been good at all after his first ~20 games and is now in the AHL. Ennis has been a winger in the AHL and NHL level until about 3 weeks ago. He has been great since moving to center 5-6 games ago but I'll need more than that before annointing him a bonafide NHL center. Hodgson will likely be the 1b behind Roy for now. I don't see how Hodgson is worse off from a fantasy perspective after the trade. As far as Buffalo being a "joke" organization and spending without having a plan and being a "circus", not sure where that all comes from. They were lacking a PP threat and a punishing dman from last years roster. Went out and signed the best defensive PP threat available on the market and traded for one of the better shutdown dmen available to them. The vision of Leino was for him to shift to center because they were (and still are) extremely thin there. They obviously overpaid for him and that plan did not come to fruition. If you're basing the "circus" and "spending without a plan" comments on just that contract then I can think of a number of other organizations who are beyond a circus. - Buffalo87 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:11:29 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19690 Living in Vancouver, and as a Canucks fan, I will state that Cody Hodgson will play in more than 1 All-Star game during his NHL career. He's going to be a star, as he's an elite playmaker with a great shot. Also wouldn't be at all surprised to see him captain of the Sabres one day down the road. That being said, it was a move the Canucks would have had to make eventually. Cody doesn't fit as a 3rd line center and his talent is wasted on the wing. Look for him to develop into an elite face-off man, playmaker, and goal scorer. If you saw Cody play a lot this year, you saw him devastate goaltenders with pin-point accurate shooting...a snapper that exploded off his stick. No-look passes that only the high-end players make. And the beginnings of being a player that could drive through defenses on end-to-end rushes. Cody Hodgson WILL be an NHL all-star and the Sabres did well here. He's a player to build around, IMO...and I've watched a lot of young players over a lot of years. Kassian and Gragnani fit into what Mike Gillis needed to do. While a guy like Brendan Morrow may have served the Canucks better today, the fact is that the Canucks want to be in Cup contention for the next 5 years, so salary certainty is so important to a club that has so many veterans locked up long term. All in all a great deal for the Sabres, as I fully believe they got (by far) the best player in the deal, but nice job by the Canucks to get 2 players who can help their NHL roster for several years to come. - Ray Irwin Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:25:41 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19688 P.S. The Sabres do not have a logjam at center. Roy-Hodgson-Ennis Adam was sent down a week ago after 17 games without a point. He has all he can handle in the AHL for now. - Robert Esquire Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:18:58 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19687 It is said that you can judge the winner of a trade by whomever received the best player. In this case the best player is Hodgson. He will be a great fit in Buffalo where he will not only have more ice time, but be flanked with much better wingers. He will fit in nicely as a nr. 2 center until he is ready to move up. Adam has shown that he's not ready for prime time and I predict he'll spend another year in the minors. Top centers are tougher to find than wingers, so when you have an opportunity to snag one, you pounce! Kassian was an immature kid in junior. He was lectured by Darcy before coming up to change his ways or forget about the NHL. However now when he plays he doesn't have that edge you look for in a tough young kid. He's reticent to fight and more content to shield opponents away with his body. Perhaps Darcy lectured him too hard and too long. In Vancouver I think he will be in the minors until at least next year. As he matures and develops I expect him to become a decent second line winger. But to expect him to eventually be another Lucic or Holmstrom might be a bit of a stretch. MAGS never cemented his role with the Sabres, despite his excellent playoff run last year. He was too erratic with too many turnovers and bad passes. He has a nice shot but needs a lot of development to bring him around into a reliable top 4 d-man. Overall the edge in this trade goes to the Sabres. Players like Hodgson are hard to find and his potential is that of a nr. 1 center. Kassian has yet to show he's ready for an 82 game grind and MAGS will take a bit of seasoning as well before he's ready for prime time. Sulzer is a throw-in. - Robert Esquire Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:16:07 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19686 I'll take your word on the calling it 2 years ago, but I think the trade had more to do with Hodgson being stuck behind Sedin/Kesler for the next 5+ years more than it did because he used his own doctors 2 years ago. As for his ice time in Buffalo, I'd be SHOCKED if it was below 15 minutes a game. I think 16-18 minutes a game is more likely. The difference between Hodgson and Ennis/Gerbe/Adam is that Hodgson can actually play defense, is smart with the puck, and despite being a rookie he rarely makes stupid mistakes. Hodgson plays like a veteran despite his young age. Ennis/Gerbe/Adam all have nice upside, but they play like their age and make rookie type mistakes. I don't think the Sabres organization is a joke either. They've done way too well drafting players for that to be the case imo. They finally got an owner who cares last year so they spent more money than they should, but I don't think they'll be down for long. - Craigington Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:08:58 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19684 Production=talent+opportunity+system. By "system" I mean coaching style and linemates. The system is a smaller determinant of production than talent or opportunity (according to my numbers anyway). Talent is the constant here, so I'm not going to speak about it anymore. Hodgson is currently getting 12:43 in icetime per game (slightly less than Malhotra or Hansen). Essentially, he's getting 3rd line minutes. Out of this time, 1:50 of it is powerplay time. This is exactly the same amount of time Burrows and Booth are getting - basically 2nd powerplay unit time. There is no way Buffalo is giving up Gragnani/Kassian if you aren't going to give Hodgson more than 12:45 in icetime and/or 1:50 in powerplay time. Gaustad was getting more than 15 minutes per game of even strength time. In short, I see this to be a better opportunity for Hodgson to produce. That will allow us to see what his talent level is. If he produces, he will continue to get opportunities. If he sucks, it will be back to the drawing board. Hodgson is averaging 0.52 points per game right now. I would guess that this number will increase during his time with Buffalo this year. Next year, who knows, but at least he should be given an opportunity. If he's successful, he no longer has Sedin and Kesler ahead of him on the depth chart. Sounds like a win to me. Mabus - Mabus Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:42:21 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19683 That Hodgson statement is not hindsight bias, you can go back two summers ago to where I said that very thing here in the ramblings. Or how about my Fantasy Prospects Report 2010, in which I gave caution about his health? This is not a hindsight statement, I preached it beforehand. I love it when newcomers assume they know everything that I said or didn't say over the last few years. (actually, I do - it means I'm still getting newcomers LOL) ;D - Dobber Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:06:14 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19682 How on earth do you think a young player can go to a circus team like Buffalo and GAIN from this? A team which gives Ennis 10 minutes one game, 17 the next, or Gerbe/Adam/insert name here? You really think Hodgson will waltz in and be an 18-minute player game in and game out? Kudos to you if you're right, but I wouldn't put more than a few coins on that bet. The organization became a joke when ownership took over and spent money just for the sake of spending money, with no plan in mind. - Dobber Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:01:40 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19681 I think the logjam will go away when Roy is sent packing in the offseason. He'll have 1 year left at 4M per year (thanks capgeek) which should be an easy salary for most teams now, especially with only 1 year. - Bender Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:26:21 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19680 How on earth is Hodgson hurt by this deal? He's averaging 12 minutes a game and has been playing with the likes of Janick Hansen and Maxim Lapierre. And not only that, but he had Kesler and Sedin blocking him off from future top line center minutes in the future. Everything points to Hodgson being helped by this trade as far as I'm concerned. And saying something like "I knew that he wouldn't be a career Canuck" sounds like hindsight bias to me. If that's what you thought, you should have flown over to Vegas and put some money on him getting dealt and walked out with thousands upon thousands. - Craigington Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:21:42 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19679 ...losing Gragnani (who has always been a Ruff's s***list) opens a spot next year for McNabb. Getting Sulzer allows the org to not rush McNabb into a role he may not yet be ready to accept. - bomm Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:07:52 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19678 This deal was done with a long term view in mind. Give Sabres some flexibility (finally) at center, if things don't work out with Roy. Plus gives them an option to move Ennis on Hodgson's wing....again, perhaps. Also no dearth of "tough" wingers in the pipeline so losing Kassian - who is questionable at this point - is really no loss at all. Good move. - bomm Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:03:19 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19676 Loved Hodgson,who although wasnt going to supplant either Henrik or Kesler, he didnt look out of place on the wing. Kassian maynot be a player type the Nucks have on their roster-but if he isnt ready this year- then why make the trade now? Canucks will miss the offense Hodgson provides now. Gragnani should be an upgrade over Sulzer, but Sulzer looked fine in the few games he did play, so the real question should be is Gragnani an upgrade over Alberts/Rome whom he is more likely to be battling for icetime. Look for Derek Roy to be dealt in the offseason. - Larry Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:35:23 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19675 As A Sabres fan I will echo your comments...would rather not have seen Kassian get dealt. - Miqualle Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:24:50 +0100 http://hockey.dobbersports.com/index.php/columnistsarticles-mainmenu-77/19-nhl-deals/4438-hodgson-and-sulzer-for-kassian-and-gragnani#comment-19674 Could not have said it better. As a diehard Canuck, sorry to see Hodgson go, but just love the move to acquire Kassian. He will be a fan favourite for years to come, and Gragnani has potential as well. Would love to see Kassian brought up for the playoffs! - TheCamelToews Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:19:09 +0100