Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Hudler is very good, but life goes on. We managed to get over losing Iginla, Cammalleri, Tanguay, and Bouwmeester. Did it take time, and some lucky plinko chips? Sure. But we're over it.
Guys will have to step up and the replacement maybe won't be a 1:1 seemless transition. But there's nothing stopping, maybe Granlund from developing into part of what Hudler is right now. Some other players in the organization who could offset the loss include Jankowski, Poirier, Agostino, Mangiapane, and Klimchuk. We've got Sam Bennett becoming better and better by the moment. Hunter Smith might be a one-trick-pony, but that one trick is deflections, which is a big part of what Hudler brings.
You won't have one player replacing everything he brings, but if different players can add the elements he brings in different ways, the organiation gets better.
Hudler is a valuable piece, and that's why we have to get value back for him at the deadline. This team is still years away and can't be half-assing its rebuild. If we really do like Hudler there's always a chance he returns in the offseason as Vermette and Michalek did in Arizona. And yet we'll have gotten a look at "life without Jiri" at the same time which is an important way of assessing his value from a cap hit perspective.
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But I think Treliving will be damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. I personally reckon we'll still have a shot at the play offs come the deadline. So what does Treliving do? Sure, he could trade Hudler, but that has 2 issues. First issue, if he's playing poorly, he'll likely get a low return and you'll question whether it was worth giving up a top 6 winger for very little. But if he's on a hot streak, then you again wonder whether it's worth punching a hole in your top 6 and damaging your hopes of a play off spot just for a possible 1st rounder in the 22-30 range in a weak draft.
I also don't think fans will take too kindly to trading Hudler if we are still in with a shot at the play offs if we only get a prospect/pick back in return. Best case scenario with Hudler is that we're out of contention but he has taken off again. We'll get a good return and it won't directly impact our season. But if either one or both of those things aren't there, I think trading him becomes very problematic.