There are a few reasons I SLIGHTLY dislike this trade:
1) I actually think enforcers are great to have, and make players (especially younger players) feel 'bigger' out there, and teams end up playing with more swagger. However, a good enforcer doesn't take bad penalties (which Westgarth doesn't, so great), bring a lot of leadership (judging by his involvement in the CBA, also check, which is great), are not a liability out there (unsure right now), and hopefully can skate (some Carolina fans feel he is the NHL's absolute worst skater).
2) Nemisz - although not a scoring machine, and essentially a piece that will probably never affect the future - did bring a lot to the Heat. He was one of the leaders, and it is difficult to fill those shoes. How valuable is that? Well, I think Bancks and a few other guys will fill in just fine really, but to say he brought 'nothing' is wrong. There will be a bit of a loss felt.
3) Make the lineups. Right now the centers are Stajan, Backlund, Colborne, Monahan. You are NOT going to bench any of these. They will play on lines 1-4, with the poorest performer at the time playing on the 4th. What does this mean? Bouma is PROBABLY the odd man out from that line. Bouma can skate, plays with truculence, and is a pretty good player now as a 4th liner. So you essentially remove him out of the lineup for a guy that is slower and more one-dimensional, but way tougher.
I don't get the 'if we don't do this we become like Edmonton'. Edmonton brought in Steve McIntyre, Hordichuck, Eager, etc. While Westgarth is probably tougher than Hordi and Eager, his skating is probably below all 3 of those.
Start making your lineups with Westgarth in the picture. That is why I slightly dislike this trade. Maybe Bouma gets bumped up to the third, in which case Blair Jones (who also brings a bit of a physical game now) gets sent down. The only way you are adding a physical presence without removing a physical presence from the lineup would be if Byron gets sent down (and he does play physical, but he is tiny).
Now whomever is playing on the 4th line is playing with two guys who can't really contribute in terms of making plays. Not so important if that guy is Bouma, but Colborne/Monahan/Backlund - they are going to be very 'safe', but their time is not going to be very productive.
Edmonton's problem wasn't that they didn't bring enough tough guys to protect their kids. It was that their toughness was mostly (or all) on the 4th line. I love enforcers - and I don't necessarily think that having 2 dressing is a detriment, especially while running 3 scoring lines. I would like this trade more if it was a guy that could at least skate and play like McGrattan somewhat - an Orr, McLaren, Carkner, etc (if they were going the heavyweight direction).
I am not sure how Hartley is going to manage the lines. Unless it is Byron being sent down (who I don't think deserves it), it is probably going to be Jones, and Bouma is going to sit. I am not sure I like that.
However, I am anticipating Burke opening up a spot further up the lineup - Stajan? The centers all move up a spot, and Bouma dresses as the 4th line center. Great move then! This is hardly the impetus for a Stajan move, however, but that move is probably coming at some point. So I 'slightly dislike' this trade until then. After that, I don't have a problem at all with this trade.
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