[Discussion] Brett Connolly

[The_Rocket]

should the Canucks target Brett Connolly this summer as a UFA? 4th on the Caps in evenstrength points this season, plays a two way game, and has decent size. Still only 26 and was born in BC and played junior in in Prince George. I think he would look very good beside Bo and Pearson. 

 

Before his his breakout season this year, he still managed about a 30 point pace in each of his last two seasons. He mostly has been given 3rd line minutes with Eller and one of haglin or burakovsky. He averaged less than 14 minutes this year and I think he would flourish being put in a bigger role with the Canucks. 

 

Not it sure what it would take to get him, but Canucks would probably have to over pay, even considering the home town leverage. I would guess something like 5 years at 4-4.5 million per? Maybe with a modified NTC for some security

[Generational.EP40]

No thanks, at least imo.

 

We have enough tweeners as is and lots of money locked up in them. The team is at a point where we should be focusing from promoting from within now as prospects get ready to make the jump. Signing Connolly would suffocate ourselves in depth and leave little to no room in terms of roster room and cap space. And I’m really hopeful we’re not so shortsighted as to give a 26 year old $4m-$5m after coming off his first ever 40pt campaign and being shocked/disappointed when he likely doesn’t hit that mark again.

[Borvat]

No more middle of the pack UFA's please.  Go big or stay away.  1 "legit" top six winger.  1 "legit" top pairing defender - preferably RHD.  The rest need to be drafted, developed and/or traded for.

[xereau]

This guy has winner written all over him.

He won't command big bucks.

BC boy.

Only 26.

Put up lots of 5 on 5 points from the bottom 6 his whole career.

Played with Beagle in Washington.

 

The biggest reason to sign him, is that it puts the current tweeners on this team on notice.

Take note, he is NO tweener.  He is a bonafide bottom 6 producer.  Something this team lacks.

His addition says to the actual tweeners: Perform on the top 6, or you are OUT. 

No more sliding back to the bottom 6 when you decide to slack.

 

This guy is a ultra high quality depth player.  A total no brainer.

[Pears]

Connolly is an easy one imo. And since Washington won’t be able to re-sign him I’d say we’ll be near the top of his preferred destinations. He’d be a good fit on the 2nd line. 

[Seannnp]

I say go for it and sign him to a 4 year deal. We can then trade Motte and put Connoly on a line with Beagle and Roussel. Roll 3 scoring lines and 1 checking line

 

 

??? - Petterson - Boeser

Virtanen - Horvat - ???

Pearson - Gaudette -  Leivo

Roussel - Beagle - Connoly

 

[-AJ-]

He'll be another 6th overall pick for people to complain about.

[theo5789]

Just depends on his price tag for me. Plus depends if we move on from Eriksson IMO.

[The_Rocket]

12 minutes ago, -AJ- said:

He'll be another 6th overall pick for people to complain about.

He’s a great example of why you don’t give up on a guy to early. He just came off an AHL season where he scored 57 points in 66 games and Tampa traded him for  2 second round picks. Then Boston let him walk after only 1 and a half seasons. Great signing by the caps but now they’re going to have to let him go as he’s going to need a serious raise

[coastal.view]

1 hour ago, Pears said:

Connolly is an easy one imo. And since Washington won’t be able to re-sign him I’d say we’ll be near the top of his preferred destinations. He’d be a good fit on the 2nd line. 

so can we all reach a consensus here ?

cuz i'm still not clear

though i assumed that silently everyone viewed ep40 as running the 1st line

no one ever has really said that bo was no longer the first line centre

bo clearly was running the 1st line when the season started

and continued to get 1st line minutes throughout the season

 

so bo now centers the 2nd line?

do we all agree with that ?

(will make future discussions easier to post about)

 

[The_Rocket]

14 minutes ago, coastal.view said:

so can we all reach a consensus here ?

cuz i'm still not clear

though i assumed that silently everyone viewed ep40 as running the 1st line

no one ever has really said that bo was no longer the first line centre

bo clearly was running the 1st line when the season started

and continued to get 1st line minutes throughout the season

 

so bo now centers the 2nd line?

do we all agree with that ?

(will make future discussions easier to post about)

 

Yes. Bo is the 2nd highest scoring centreman and generally lines are sorted by points scored, not so much based on minutes or level of competition or even importance to the team. Just points. 

 

The line with te two highest scoring players (petey and brock) is the number one line 

[hammertime]

Yes please I would rather have Connolly and Neslon for the money it would take to land Panarin. 

[Kobayashi Maru]

If Washington won’t sign him as top contenders, why would we want to?  We have plenty of similar players already.  Use the money towards difference makers like Panarin.

[kenhodgejr]

I would do it. I think you need guys like Connoly to battle in the playoffs. This team needs some bigger bodies on it. 

 

Adding a Connoly and a Ferland could really help us if we make the playoffs. 

 

Move Baertchi and Granlund 

 

Ferland Pettersson Boeser

Pearsons Horvat Connoly

Leivo Gaudette Virtanen 

Roussel Beagle Motte 

MacEwen 

[MeanSeanBean]

53 minutes ago, Kobayashi Maru said:

If Washington won’t sign him as top contenders, why would we want to?  We have plenty of similar players already.  Use the money towards difference makers like Panarin.

Not won't. They can't  He's a good player and they won't be able to afford him with his upcoming raise.

 

I'd say yes. Middle 6 RW with some size. If this season is not a flash in the pan then he could be a great player for us.

[Kobayashi Maru]

8 hours ago, shayster007 said:

Not won't. They can't  He's a good player and they won't be able to afford him with his upcoming raise.

 

I'd say yes. Middle 6 RW with some size. If this season is not a flash in the pan then he could be a great player for us.

While I agree he can certainly provide some value, my point is more that if he was key for Washington at 4-4.5 they would move things around to make room.  If a team at the top won't make the room for him as a key for playoff success, then why would we.  Obviously they are feeling that their skilled players are more valuable to them.  If we swap him in for Leivo for example then I see the fit, but the cost is much higher when I feel we need added skill in the top 6.

[The_Rocket]

1 hour ago, Kobayashi Maru said:

While I agree he can certainly provide some value, my point is more that if he was key for Washington at 4-4.5 they would move things around to make room.  If a team at the top won't make the room for him as a key for playoff success, then why would we.  Obviously they are feeling that their skilled players are more valuable to them.  If we swap him in for Leivo for example then I see the fit, but the cost is much higher when I feel we need added skill in the top 6.

Washington already has Wilson and oshie on rw making over 5 million. Backstrom at 6.7, kuznetsov at 7.8, ovi at 9.5. They have to re-up vrana this year who has more upside and is younger than connolly. They have 3 defensemen making 5 million or more (Carlson makes 8 million). The only way the can make room is by getting rid of a different member of their core. They don’t rely on Connolly or use him to his full potential because they have better (though more expensive) assets instead. 

 

Just because a player goes UFA doesn’t mean the team doesn’t want him. Connolly is just too good for the role the caps need him to play and they can’t afdord him

[MeanSeanBean]

1 hour ago, Kobayashi Maru said:

While I agree he can certainly provide some value, my point is more that if he was key for Washington at 4-4.5 they would move things around to make room.  If a team at the top won't make the room for him as a key for playoff success, then why would we.  Obviously they are feeling that their skilled players are more valuable to them.  If we swap him in for Leivo for example then I see the fit, but the cost is much higher when I feel we need added skill in the top 6.

You are comparing apples and oranges. Washington is a Stanley cup winning team who is paying the greatest goal scorer in the history of hockey, among others, top dollars. They would have no way to pay their complimentary players top dollars. Letting Connolly walk is the exact same idea as them having to let Beagle walk. These players make your team better, and in the case of Beagle, help win championships. But if it comes down to letting your top line go or your bottom line go, the choice is obvious. You can replace your bottom 6 players with more cost efficient options much easier then your top 6. They may not be as good of players, but that's the price of having superstars on your team.

 

Canucks do not currently have to pay any superstars and are not a Stanley cup winning, cap strapped team. If Connolly was a high end draft pick, who had a great year of hockey. If he is a 50 point player like he showed this year, no can provide size to our middle 6 this should be a no brainer.

 

I see what your saying about needing high end skill, and I agree. But there is no guarantee that we have the opportunity to sign a high end player this off season. I would be willing to gamble on a home town guy who seems to be progressing into the player he was drafted to be with cash that if it is not spent, just sits. He would make our team better short term, and if he continues to develop his offense could be a great long term signing.

[The Lock]

9 hours ago, Kobayashi Maru said:

While I agree he can certainly provide some value, my point is more that if he was key for Washington at 4-4.5 they would move things around to make room.  If a team at the top won't make the room for him as a key for playoff success, then why would we.  Obviously they are feeling that their skilled players are more valuable to them.  If we swap him in for Leivo for example then I see the fit, but the cost is much higher when I feel we need added skill in the top 6.

This isn't really the case. Trotz was key for Washington and he's gone because they didn't feel he was worth his value. Beagle was also a fairly significant player for Washington in their cup run and he's gone.

 

If they can't afford a player, Washington's shown they will part ways.

[Kobayashi Maru]

3 hours ago, The Lock said:

This isn't really the case. Trotz was key for Washington and he's gone because they didn't feel he was worth his value. Beagle was also a fairly significant player for Washington in their cup run and he's gone.

 

If they can't afford a player, Washington's shown they will part ways.

You guys might be right but my concern is paying for his peak.  I just envision a scenario where we pay him 4.5 over 4 years and he gets 35 points a year.  Just feels like we have a few of those guys already in Pearson, Leivo, Spooner etc.  I would rather target a buy low type guy with a higher ceiling like Puljujarvi/Burakovsky and then sign Panarin.  Gives you a safe top talent and a player than could surprise.