Steve Yzerman Will Never Be My Friend
Blades | August 4th, 2010 - 3:20 pm | Posted in: Serious Thoughts | Comments: 13Last night as I was falling asleep, a question popped into my head. In the summer time, is it easier to blog about a specific team or about the league as a whole?
I mean, think about it… blogging about the whole league means that you can only write about significant events; not the drab ones.
If I were, say, a Canucks blogger, I could write about the recent canning of assistant coach Ryan Walter (whoa!). If I were a Maple Leafs blogger, I could write my 18th article of the summer on potential Tomas Kaberle trade destinations (sweet!). And if were an Avs blogger, I could just keep posting pictures of paint drying every day (awesome!).
But that’s not my fate. My fate is to bore you to death with the significant events. So let me proceed…
He's so smart! *slurp*
–Okay, really, this has to stop. This Steve Yzerman lovefest has to stop. For the love of god, stop it!
I have read so many positive articles about Steve Yzerman that at this point I think writers are just drones under his spell (DTV was right).
It’s downright silly, people!
Let me play devil’s advocate on Yzerman’s roster moves…
Traded Andrej Meszaros
From the information I have gathered about him, Meszaros is a decent two-way defenseman who will do fine as long as he is not counted on to be a #1 defenseman. Thus, in Philly he should excel.
But wait a second. In the next year or two, Hedman will most likely become the franchise defenseman he is destined to be, which would have allowed Meszaros to slide into the background and no longer play #1 minutes — a scenario better suited to Meszaros’ skill set.
So, um, maybe this wasn’t the big coupe we all thought it was.
Drafted Brett Connolly
There are red flags surrounding Connolly which I pointed out in my post-draft article.
Only time will tell if this was the right choice or not, but for now most of us can agree that this wasn’t “the safe pick.”
Re-signed Martin St. Louis
Okay, let me get this straight. Yzerman signs a 35-year-old St. Louis to an extension that will take the player to age 40 at an annual cap hit of $5.625m. And this is something that is considered a “great deal” and a “shrewd signing” by the hockey media? WOW!
Signed Dan Ellis
Hey, he seems like a nice guy. A nice guy who posted a 2.82 GAA and .904 SV% over the last two years on a defensively solid Nashville team. Oh yeah, and in the process lost his starting job to Pekka Rinne. So, umm, two thumbs up?
Signed Pavel Kubina
He signed Pavel Kubina! Amazing! He can teach Hedman how to shoot the puck. Gosh, coupled with Ohlund, half the blueline is there just to tutor Hedman.
Look, it’s not a bad signing but it’s not an “oh my god, yzerman is the smartest man in hockey!” type deal either.
Traded For Simon Gagne
The trade was a steal; no doubt about it. But let’s be honest here, with Simon holding his NTC and Gagne’s agent looking for a deal, this one pretty much fell into Yzerman’s lap.
Signed Dominic Moore
Nothing is a bigger example of the fellatio given to Yzerman by hockey writers than the signing of Dominic Moore.
Frank over at The Rat Trick pointed out that when Moore signed with the Panthers last season, nobody gave two you-know-whats.
What’s changed? This is the same Dominic Moore that’s been traded two years in a row for 2nd round picks; not exactly Selke material, right?
In conclusion, Tampa won’t make the playoffs and hockey writers everywhere will turn on Yzerman when he refuses their advances. Book it!
Mr. Lonely with no defense.
–Next up: Marty Turco.
Look, I get it. You drafted him in your fantasy leagues the past two seasons and he totally let you down. It’s frustrating, I know, but you have to let it go. He’s better than you give him credit for.
Matt Reitz wrote a piece on Turco, which totally echos my feelings on the matter…
Considering the fact that he was behind one of the worst defenses in the league, his numbers look even more impressive. To say that Turco had NO help last year might be overstating the Dallas blueline. Aside from Stephane Robidas, not one of the Stars defensemen would play more than 13 minutes per game for the Blackhawks. Instead of depending on Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook to slow down the oppositions’ best, he would count on Robidas, Nik Grossman, and the like. It’s like comparing apples to foie gras.
But with Turco, it’s a two-way street. Not only will his defense help limit the shots on goal and scoring chances, but Turco and his stick-handling will help keep those valuable defensemen out of harms way. He’s like having a 3rd defenseman to help make sure the other defensemen don’t get killed. Just ask Brent Seabrook, Kim Johansson, and Brian Campbell how it feels to get destroyed and ask if they would like someone help with outlet passes.
When talking about Turco, I never read much about how the Stars defense is made up of Robidas and a bunch of misfits. That’s sort of a big deal when discussing a goalie’s performance, right?
So… dare I say he’s an upgrade over Niemi? I do dare. And at $1.3m, he’s a steal, too! Plus he’ll make the Hawks even more entertaining to watch due to his magical puck-handling.
–Speaking of goaltenders, let me vent…
The trendy thing these days is to talk about how you don’t need a good goalie to win. In this conversation, people always point to Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia.
That logic is MADDENING.
Those teams not only possess some of the best defensemen but they also possess the best defensive forwards in the game.
It’s all kosher when you’re putting a Mike Richards, a Datsyuk or a Toews up front and possess a back end that includes a Keith, a Pronger or a Lidstrom. But how many teams have such players? Exactly.
Give me Luongo, Lundqvist or Brodeur any day of the week. I’ll only settle for Niemi if I’m one of the handful of teams that already has a Keith, a Seabrook and a Toews type on my roster.
–I make fun of the signing quite a bit because it’s fun to pile on Darryl Sutter, but if I were to pick one guy for “comeback player of the year” next season, it’d be Jay Bouwmeester.
He’s a pretty good defenseman, even if he was never as good as the hype that surrounded him upon becoming a free agent (happens every year). Smooth skating, 26-minutes-per-game workhorse who will put up more points this year than last. Bank on it.
When Erik Johnson found out how much Gomez makes, he got really pissed.
–Let’s talk about Erik Johnson signing for 2 years at $2.6m per…
That seems kind of low to me. Granted, he’s still raw, but he does possess all the skills to be an upper-echelon blueliner. If he makes a big leap this year, he’ll be a huge bargain.
I guess you can make a case that it’s fair value, though, if you compare it to Jack Johnson’s 2-year contract at $1.425m per. However, in my opinion, Jack was a much bigger question mark heading into last season than Erik is right now.
Also, if you look at someone like Alex Edler in Vancouver who signed a 4 year/$3.25m-per deal in ’08, it makes the Erik’s deal seem like a complete steal. Edler is still raw and has nowhere near the upside of Erik.
So yeah, I guess I’ll stick with my original thought that Erik needs to get a new agent.
–Matt Greene is set to miss the start of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. This led to people to begin speculating about a Kaberle to LA trade.. Granted, the Kings kinda sorta could use a defenseman right about now but Greene is as defensive of a defenseman as one can be. On the flip side, Kaberle is as non-defensive of a defenseman as one can be. So, umm, not really sure how people equate Greene going down to Lombardi saying, “must get Kaberle now!” *shrug*
–A couple nights ago, I listened to a Montreal station and they were talking about Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak. The host said something that I never really hear much from the mainstream media but totally agree with.
What did he say, you ask?
He said…
I think Halak is overrated.
Preach on, brother!
–Have you seen this picture of a billboard in LeBron James’ hometown yet?
Funny stuff. Toronto needs to put one up for Chris Bosh but they won’t because, umm, he’s Chris Bosh. Ha.
–Last but not least, you need to follow me on Twitter because that’s where all the cool kids hang out and you don’t want to be a Twitterless loser right? Peer pressure!
13 Responses to “Steve Yzerman Will Never Be My Friend”
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Nice article. Ultimately I agree that at $1.3 million, Turco is an upgrade to $2.75 million. Here are some other things to consider. Niemi might have become complacent in Chicago if he were signed. Chicago can’t afford to do mediocre next year. Everyone points to Turco “disappearing” during the playoffs. The guy was part of some of the longest playoff games in the last 10 years. He doesn’t disappear, his team does. I suppose that’s what you get when you bank on Brad Richards as your star player. Seriously, consider how bad the Stars’ roster has been since the lockout and you’ll realize that Turco is an amazing goaltender. He will do well. I still place Chicago as the favourite to win the cup.
BoF – I agree that the Stevie Y media hand jobs have to stop but I want to look at your comments in another way:
Meszaros is making $4 million/year for the next 4 years. That is the same amount as Zbynek Michalek. If I had the choice, I’d take the later on my team. This is not to knock Meszaros because I don’t mind him as a player, but the amount of money he is being paid is not quite what he’s worth. If the AAV was $3 million then it may be a different story.
Connolly was slated to be in the top 3 for months. He has a hip injury, medical tests and exams show no major tearing/injuries, team doctors don’t get enough time to examine him, and everyone dumps on the kid. This is a ballsy pick, you’re right, but if it he becomes the player everyone expects he can be, the Lightning will be awesome.
Pekke Rinne had similar numbers to Luongo last year so “I lost my job to Luongo” isn’t such a bad statement. Nashville also has a history of devaluing their goaltenders in hopes of resigning them to below market value contracts. Then GM’s finally realize how good these guys are (Vokoun, Mason, Ellis, Rinne) and offer them amounts that Nashville cannot match. Ellis is a step up from Nittymaki IMHO, but you may be correct on this one.
Kubina – yeah, I agree. Essentially what Yzerman did was save $150,000 on the cap hit from Meszaros and reduced it by two years with this signing. Otherwise, I don’t know who is playing defense on this team.
St. Louis – normally I would agree with you on an older player getting anything more than 2 years. I just think its a silly move by GM’s. St. Louis started playing in the league late and I think he could actually go for 2 more years. What you fail to recognize is two-fold: 1) It is back endish loaded in terms of actual salary which gives St. Louis more incentive to stay longer. 2) He was 34 when he signed the deal so his contract comes off the books if he retires before the contract is over. 2 very important points. As for St. Louis the player: its like having a more dynamic, better quality leader to help with development of Stamkos than Marc Savard and less concussion trouble as well.
Dominic Moore is a puzzle. Plain and simple.
Gagne – this was a steal of a trade. They only have him on the books for a year so it is not a long-term investment. If he pans out, they will sign an extention, if not, they have some bait at the trade deadline that may fetch them a 2nd or 1st round pick if not a top prospect.
I think Stevie Y learned from the right guys. It’s not only about positioning yourself as a good hockey club, its making your team a desirable trading partner who can take on cap space at the deadlines.
Thanks for the love on the Turco article. What it comes down to for me is that he’s half the price, they dont have to trade anymore players if they pick Turco, AND chances are they’d be in the exact same scenario with Niemi after next season (he wants a raise, they cant afford it).
Time will tell… but it looks pretty good to me.
I’ll go back to slurping Yzerman and dreaming about Gagne actually waiving his NTC to go to my team.
Sandwiches1123 – oh, no question that you can paint Yzerman’s moves in a positive light like you did The thing is that nobody ever talks about the other side of it… or at least I haven’t seen it.
Re: Connolly. Yeah there’s upside there but he basically missed a year of development and Fowler\Gormley were still on the board for a team that could use defensemen. It may turn out great, it may also not but, again, it’s the fact that people are giving Yzerman a free pass that I find amusing.
Re: Pekka Rinne… I wasn’t trying to knock Rinne; I was just stating that Ellis lost his job to him. Luongo had an off year last season and I’m willing to bet if Luongo played behind the Nashville defense, he’d have better #’s than he did in Van.
Re: St. Louis signing and comparing it to Savard… I disagree.
Savard signed his contract this year when he was 32, its cap hit is $1.6m less than St. Louis’, and it’s front-loaded which drops off when Savard hits 37. Oh, and it was signed prior to Savard’s concussion.
I think the Savard contract looked much better when it was signed than the St. Louis one does. But Yzerman is getting treated like he got some big steal. He didn’t. At the very best, he paid fair value.
Matt – we’re totally on the same page regarding Turco.
And yeah, if Gagne went to LA, it would be a perfect fit for the Kings (better than Ilya, imo — the fit, not the player, ha).
BoF – I agree that Yzerman got fair value for St. Louis. I play devil’s advocate more often than not. I love that people anoint new coaches and GM’s as the next greatest of their well before they have proven themselves.
Dan Bylsma, Steve Yzerman, even Bruce Boudreau when he first started coaching, and the Leafs’ precious Brian Burke.
These guys all have the potential but until they are standing somewhere close to Scotty Bowman in either category, writers need to take it easy on the hand jobs.
Rinne is an awesome goaltender. Imagine what Nashville do if they weren’t trying to scrape the cap floor? A guy who should be given the proverbial hummer is Barry Trotz. This guy continuously makes a low budget team a playoff team.
As for the St. Louis contract: I think he is signed to be, first and foremost, a mentor to Stamkos. Yzerman gets off easy because he’s not getting burned if St. Louis retires. That’s the only reason its comparable to Savard’s contract, which is better dollar-wise but pretty much par for the course when it comes to value.
You are right, these things can be spun however we want. I like Simon Gagne so I will always support that trade. But that’s a trade that even Mike Milbury could have made…no wait, Milbury would have still screwed the pooch on that one.
Anywho, nice to see a blogger respond to the comments section. Keep up the good work.
Blades, terrific stuff as always. Only you can make random cool.
I totally agree with you and Matt RE: Turco.
I also really agree about Yzerman and the Connolly pick. If Sather made that pick everyone would be ripping him Redden-style. I give Yzerman some credit for being ballsy but none of us have even seen this kid play one single NHL game. How is it a great pick??? How??? Blades, how???
Sandwiches1123 – Milbury would have sent Stamkos the other way…hahaha.
Re: “nice to see a blogger respond to the comments section.”
I always like a good discussion, that’s why I blog… well, that and the 25-cents-a-day paycheck also plays a key role.
Kevin – “Blades!”
I love that. I think I’m going to ask my wife to call me “Blades” from now on.
And yeah, man, Yzerman can do no wrong. It’s really quite funny how every move he makes turns into gold. Ha.
And I agree with the general consensus that the team looks better today than it did in April but besides the Gagne freebie, nothing he has done so far has been earth-shattering.
Blades,
You should probably change your name to Blades to support that initiative. Like, I’m talking doing the legal paperwork, drivers license and everything.
To help with the cause, I’ll get your logo tattooed on my lower back.
RE: Your blog – Yes. I concur.
I shall officially be known as “Blades McLovin” from now on.
Look for my wife to file divorce papers early next week with my new moniker front and present. haha.
[...] about Steve Yzerman taking over as GM of the Tampa Bay Lightining. For some reasons my colleague Blades Of Funny doesn’t want to be friends with [...]
I really can’t agree with any of this stuff about Yzerman’s work down in Tampa. Sure, Stevie is getting mad press – probably too much, and probably most of it makes him sound like Jesus as a GM. But, you’re calling some pretty decent moves bad. Seems like you’re just bringing this up for the sake of argument. Which is cool and all, but I think he’s earning a lot of attention too. Sometimes good press exists for a reason. I guess we’ll soon find out who is right.
Hey DJB,
First up, thanks for the follow on Twitter and the comment.
I’m not really saying that the moves are bad, I’m just saying that they’re not amazing either, which is the impression I get from many of the media members who write about Steve.
But yeah, you’re pretty correct in the thought that I’m just trying to present a different side to his moves. Tampa is better positioned for this season than they were last, but that probably has more to do with Stamkos and Hedman coming into their own rather than any of these moves besides the Gagne one, imo.
[...] going to formally adapt the moniker “Blades” from now on. This nickname was given to me by Kevin, so according to Man Rule #127 (which states that a man’s nickname can only be given to him [...]