Trade Period on the Island (or anywhere else)

[rocketlauncher]

I hope you are right!

[ot]

IMO I see this trade period being nothing but a fire sale, what other choice do they have? As it stands now next year this team will lose at least nine players from its curent roaster, therefore, the biggest group to go will be the nineteen year olds. Sure a young D will go, good money says Malouin, but other then that the D, yes even Lassard unless some team really wants him, will stay in tact. In return the team will get one more D, preferrably an 18 year old, but the biggest change will come from up front and I will say it now, Kana is the only player that is not up for sale.
Watching the team over the last few weeks I have noticed, and I am going in the opposite direction of most, the D, the top four, have not been the problem, actually their game has improved overall. Breakout is much better, PP puck movement from the back end is fine, actually Southorn back there is fine, he passes for the zone or if there isn't any lanes open he has carried the puck in. The biggest problem has been turn overs in the neutral zone and no forecheck. Watching the game last night I don't think our forewards were first on the puck once. Even when we have control in the offensive zone it is not sustained. I don't know what the problem is, attitude, ego, chemistry, whatever it is, outside a few who will get their noses dirty, we do not grind, and this is where our core group of vets are.
Trading period should be interesting and will say alot about the future of this organization. Should be fun.

[wingman]

ot said:

IMO I see this trade period being nothing but a fire sale, what other choice do they have? As it stands now next year this team will lose at least nine players from its curent roaster, therefore, the biggest group to go will be the nineteen year olds. Sure a young D will go, good money says Malouin, but other then that the D, yes even Lassard unless some team really wants him, will stay in tact. In return the team will get one more D, preferrably an 18 year old, but the biggest change will come from up front and I will say it now, Kana is the only player that is not up for sale.
Watching the team over the last few weeks I have noticed, and I am going in the opposite direction of most, the D, the top four, have not been the problem, actually their game has improved overall. Breakout is much better, PP puck movement from the back end is fine, actually Southorn back there is fine, he passes for the zone or if there isn't any lanes open he has carried the puck in. The biggest problem has been turn overs in the neutral zone and no forecheck. Watching the game last night I don't think our forewards were first on the puck once. Even when we have control in the offensive zone it is not sustained. I don't know what the problem is, attitude, ego, chemistry, whatever it is, outside a few who will get their noses dirty, we do not grind, and this is where our core group of vets are.
Trading period should be interesting and will say alot about the future of this organization. Should be fun.

Good post. One thing that I think that the defense does have to improve on though is taking the man out of the play and clearing rebounds.

3 of the goals last night were because an opposing player was allowed to bang the puck in the net off a rebound without so much as a Rocket player making a move towards him. This has been a problem for them for awhile, but I find it is being exposed more lately by opposing teams.

I think they also have to be more physical and also take the opposing players off the puck more. Alot of times forwards are being allowed to cycle in the Rocket's zone without anybody being able to strip them of the puck and at times even skating around untouched. When the opposing team is breaking into the Rocket zone, it's not very often you see the Rocket defense put them into the boards with a good check.

I agree that Southorn is playing better as it seems like he is becoming more comfortable with moving the puck and joining/starting the rush, which is a new role for him this season. He still makes mistakes, but it is coming along and it's something that he will continue to work on.

[lalalaprise]

bois said:

lalalaprise said:

Any team would want Morrison...but Lafleur doesnt exactly make a contender warm and fuzzy knowing he would be their #1.

Not the way hes playing right now no.. but then again neither would Jhase Sniderman make me warm and fuzzy knowing he was my number 1 either

LaFleur is struggling no doubt.. but he is not near as bad as his stats are showing right now

Im sure Rouyn would trade Sniderman for Lafleur straight up...but PEI isnt going to give him away...therefore a lot of teams arent going to be willing to pay a lot for a guy who is marginally better.

[stang07]

I honestly feel the Rocket would not be the first team a guy would want to get traded too. They have a bad reputation around the league and it will be a hard sell to get anyone to come here. With the talent we have now, we still can't get this team moving in the right direction. I swear it is cursed or something. Most of the guys that have left the Rocket are doing well with their new teams and are happy that they are no longer a Rocket.

[countryboy]

As narrow focused as that remark might be.... there is much evidence to support it..... Dubuc, Boivin (though he disappeared for a long while), Hawes (though when decisions were being made, there was no room for him here as a 20), Haddad, Mior.... Levesque and Piche are being used more than we used them.

cb

stang07 said:

I honestly feel the Rocket would not be the first team a guy would want to get traded too. They have a bad reputation around the league and it will be a hard sell to get anyone to come here. With the talent we have now, we still can't get this team moving in the right direction. I swear it is cursed or something. Most of the guys that have left the Rocket are doing well with their new teams and are happy that they are no longer a Rocket.

[coreyapple]

countryboy said:

), Hawes (though when decisions were being made, there was no room for him here as a 20), .

]

How could there NOT have been room for Hawes when the decisions were made?

We knew we'd have Morrison and Walker back.....and who else, pray tell?

Hawes as a 20-year-old would have been a great addition to this year's Rocket team....and in his fifth year, he would have provided continuity.

Bad, bad move.

[queendee]

It's extremely disappointing to see that the same arguments and discussions are taking place as to what the Rocket will/should do this year at the trade. I agree with all that have said there hasn't been ONE YEAR, save the 03/04 season, where there has been a clear action plan from the beginning of the season until the end. There's been nothing done since they came to PEI to make them a SERIOUS contender for the title, when you see that it is all cyclical and our time has yet to come, based on poor decisions made by management. By now, the team should have made enough moves to be a top team in the league and making a run for the Pres Cup. But year after year, we seem to make some very poor trades that turn out very well for other teams, and while we have gotten some good players back in return, and have scouted some great players, it's always been at times when there's been little else to build a team around. And there's got to be a reason why the Rocket seem to have such trouble controlling their players attitudes.

[rockon]

Statistics show that to have a successful hockey team, you must have a successful management team. One can only hope that the recent management movement (Guy as GM) within the Rocket organization will result in some success in the office and on the ice.

[countryboy]

When Hawes was moved, it was pretty clear Morrison and Walker would be 20 y/o's, like you said.

At the time, in my opinion, the plan was to have a good 20 y/o d man. The bad, bad move was when we acquired Swit at the time to be the 20 y/o d man. He wasn't even good enough to be a band aid solution.

Now, as of right now, our problems are bigger than the fact we're missing a 20 y/o defenceman. But, last January, we wouldn't have been banking on having little help from 3rd and 4th line and having our goaltending being a serious, serious issue from the beginning of the 07-08 season.

But, in hindsight, would I take Hawes back over Swit and/or Gallant?

For sure.

cb

coreyapple said:

countryboy said:

), Hawes (though when decisions were being made, there was no room for him here as a 20), .

]

How could there NOT have been room for Hawes when the decisions were made?

We knew we'd have Morrison and Walker back.....and who else, pray tell?

Hawes as a 20-year-old would have been a great addition to this year's Rocket team....and in his fifth year, he would have provided continuity.

Bad, bad move.

[wingman]

countryboy said:

When Hawes was moved, it was pretty clear Morrison and Walker would be 20 y/o's, like you said.

At the time, in my opinion, the plan was to have a good 20 y/o d man. The bad, bad move was when we acquired Swit at the time to be the 20 y/o d man. He wasn't even good enough to be a band aid solution.

Now, as of right now, our problems are bigger than the fact we're missing a 20 y/o defenceman. But, last January, we wouldn't have been banking on having little help from 3rd and 4th line and having our goaltending being a serious, serious issue from the beginning of the 07-08 season.
But, in hindsight, would I take Hawes back over Swit and/or Gallant?

For sure.

cb

That may be true, but they had to have known that the scoring on the top two lines could have been an issue also, and that's without the benefit of hindsight. When Hawes was traded, the only roster players that could have been seriously considered as top 6 forwards for this season were Morrison, Walker, Doyle & Latal and at that point Latal wasn't a consistent point producer, Doyle also wasn't (which is normal for a 16 yr old) and Kana wasn't even drafted yet. Never mind banking on the 3rd & 4th lines at the time, we really couldn't bank on the top 2 lines either which makes even less sense when it came to trading Hawes. It could be argued whether he would have been a top 6 forward for us this season or not, but his 15 goals so far would be a big help to the Rocket right now.

[countryboy]

Hawes' stats over his 4 seasons in the Q were 17 points as a 16 y/o, 16 points as a 17 y/o , 31 points as an 18 year old and 42 points as a 19 y/o (though to his credit he had 29 in 35 games prior to the trade).

I guess my opinion is that he didn't have a ton of offensive upside other than the good start to last season. At the time if you asked would we rather have him as our 3rd best overage forward or use that spot for a top end d man, I'd definitely pick the d man.

Now, as stated, our mistake was when we acquired Swit as that d man.

But today, I'd take Hawes over Swit or Gallant.

cb

[bois]

Hawes still doesn't have a ton of offensive upside.. people are getting all wound up because he went on a mini goal scoring spree.. he still is on pace for like 50 points which is not really anything special for an overager

I wouldn't have had him on this years team anyhow.. but I would have kept him for last years playoff run where he would have been a great help, then deal him at the draft

but does anyone honestly believe he would have 15 goals right now playing for the PEI Rocket? I don't... the 5 assists I think he'd match tho

[wingman]

bois said:

Hawes still doesn't have a ton of offensive upside.. people are getting all wound up because he went on a mini goal scoring spree.. he still is on pace for like 50 points which is not really anything special for an overager

I wouldn't have had him on this years team anyhow.. but I would have kept him for last years playoff run where he would have been a great help, then deal him at the draft

but does anyone honestly believe he would have 15 goals right now playing for the PEI Rocket? I don't... the 5 assists I think he'd match tho

Good point about whether he would have 15 goals right now for the Rocket, but is that a reflection of the player or the organization/team? If it's a reflection of the organization, it makes me wonder how many other Rocket players on the current roster would be putting up better numbers/playing better if they were on another team. Hawes isn't the first player to leave the Rocket and wind up producing more/playing better with his new team, and whether the reason being they are getting more ice time, playing with better linemates on their new teams or whatever, it shows to me that the Rocket are not getting the best out of some of their players.

[Score]

Players I feel that are on the "bubble".

Cliche---cant see him staying
Malouin--^^^^^^^^^^^^
Locke- Could get offers, but I like him when he's "on".
Lafleur- The chance is getting greater that he wont be here, IMO.

Mo--Who knows. Has been playing better the last 2 games.
Latal--^^^^^^. Is currently struggling HUGE.

This trading period is gonna be interesting..