[News] Shane O'Brien assigned to Heat. Breen recalled.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Hartley makes those decisions and now that everyone is healthy which regular is going to sit so Breen can come in and play <10 minutes?

Not sure, however before Breen was recalled they had 6 healthy regular defenseman (Shane O'Brien was waived).

Why recall him to have him in the press box for 2 weeks?

[Alberta_Beef]

I think Breen and Ortio get sent down before the roster freeze today

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by flambers

Not sure, however before Breen was recalled they had 6 healthy regular defenseman (Shane O'Brien was waived).

Why recall him to have him in the press box for 2 weeks?

Maybe Burke moves a defenseman at the deadline which frees up a position. If he doesn't plan on re-signing Butler may as well move him as he's been playing better of late and could be useful depth for a contending team in the playoffs.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Maybe Burke moves a defenseman at the deadline which frees up a position. If he doesn't plan on re-signing Butler may as well move him as he's been playing better of late and could be useful depth for a contending team in the playoffs.

the blind Butler hate around here will lead to alot of shocked people when he gets a decent return. A smooth skating defenseman that can log big minutes when needed without being a significant liability could be pretty valuable to playoff teams looking for depth.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

I think Breen and Ortio get sent down before the roster freeze today

Think I read somewhere it's not a full roster freeze, they can still get sent down after the game tomorrow or even early next week

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

the blind Butler hate around here will lead to alot of shocked people when he gets a decent return. A smooth skating defenseman that can log big minutes when needed without being a significant liability could be pretty valuable to playoff teams looking for depth.

Should be able to fetch a 2nd round pick at the least I would guess. He's amongst the league leaders in shots blocked and as you said can skate well. He would be a top pairing defenseman in Edmonton.

[neo45]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Should be able to fetch a 2nd round pick at the least I would guess. He's amongst the league leaders in shots blocked and as you said can skate well. He would be a top pairing defenseman in Edmonton.

At the least? I would say that's the optimist return

[thymebalm]

Not sure anyone cares but O'Brien has been a great addition to the Heat. Good mentor, awesome attitude, and moves the puck very well.

I feel bad for the guy that he didn't get claimed on waivers, and I know his NHL game was struggling, but the Heat are 4-0 since he laced 'em up and he's been on the ice for a lot of those games.

If Burke can't find a way to move him before the deadline (he might not with his play/cap hit) he will add exactly the kind of vet leadership that the Heat will need for a big playoff push.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

the blind Butler hate around here will lead to alot of shocked people when he gets a decent return. A smooth skating defenseman that can log big minutes when needed without being a significant liability could be pretty valuable to playoff teams looking for depth.

WHAT?

[Gaskal]

I will be pleasantly surprised if we fetch anything above a 4th for Butler.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

WHAT?

Did I stutter?

[strombad]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Did I stutter?

No.

You said Butler wasn't a liability. Outside of bottom pairing minutes he has proven to be a complete and often times painful liability. That has nothing to do with personal feelings towards Butler, it is simply fact.

If traded, he will get the return that anyone should expect a solid third pairing defenceman to get, and I don't know who amongst us would be surprised at his value being just that.

[Mister Yamoto]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

the blind Butler hate around here will lead to alot of shocked people when he gets a decent return. A smooth skating defenseman that can log big minutes when needed without being a significant liability could be pretty valuable to playoff teams looking for depth.

I'll believe it when I see it.

[BlackWallStreet]

Butlers a boss I don't even wanna trade him

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Did I stutter?

no, but I wonder if your hair plugs are in too tight. (line stolen from Dennis Miller describing Joe Biden)

Butler has the 5th worst +/- of any dman in the NHL. If he isn't playing sheltered minutes, he is definitely a liability out there.

It is a gross exaggeration to state that he can play big minutes without being a significant liability when the facts are clear he cannot.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

no, but I wonder if your hair plugs are in too tight. (line stolen from Dennis Miller describing Joe Biden)

Butler has the 5th worst +/- of any dman in the NHL. If he isn't playing sheltered minutes, he is definitely a liability out there.

It is a gross exaggeration to state that he can play big minutes without being a significant liability when the facts are clear he cannot.

So you say Butler is a - player on a team that is -41 in goal differential? Say it isn't so.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Should be able to fetch a 2nd round pick at the least I would guess. He's amongst the league leaders in shots blocked and as you said can skate well. He would be a top pairing defenseman in Edmonton.

I do think the Butler hate here is over the top but how you or anyone can think a guy like Butler can fetch a 2nd round pick or better in any non-delusional universe is beyond me.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

A third pairing defenseman who is amongst the leaders in shot blocks is NOT a good thing, but given the way Butler plays it's not surprising. If under the slightest bit of pressure he just backhands it out of the zone and right back into the oppositions hands. He has to block the shots to cover up from his constant mistakes. The fact he blocks that many shots and still has a really bad +/- can easily identify that he's terrible defensively to go along with his non existent offensive game.

I was happy for about 10 games earlier in the year when Butler was playing with a bit of confidence and starting to actually make plays, but he's back to his old **** self. We'll be lucky to get even a 4th rounder for this guy, it's delusional to think we can land a 2nd round pick.

[FlameZilla]

I don't hate Chris Butler; I just think he's a bad defenceman.

It honestly seems to me that every time Butler is on the ice he gifts the puck to the nearest opposition forward. I know that cannot possibly be true, but it sure seems like he coughs the puck up more than anyone else. He averages a healthy 2.63 giveaways per 60 mins (by comparison Brodie averages 2.11, but since he plays an offence-first game it's excusable). He goes for the 'smart' play when he has possession, often attempting to bank it off the boards to a teammate in the neutral zone, but the pass almost exclusively gets intercepted.

He's a liability around the crease, consistently outmuscled and left on his rear end by players of any size or skill level. Albeit I think he has slightly improved in this aspect, there is still an unacceptable amount of slow-motion replay footage in existence of Butler on his @r$€ in the defensive zone.

The only Flames defenceman who has historically been a greater liability is Anders Eriksson. Eriksson universally made Flames fans groan when he was on the ice. Butler is the same. On paper they should have both been good 2nd pairing players because of their athletic abilities, but in the NHL they are(were) just cannon fodder.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Karl

I do think the Butler hate here is over the top but how you or anyone can think a guy like Butler can fetch a 2nd round pick or better in any non-delusional universe is beyond me.

look at past trade deadlines and see the quality of players that have returned 2nd round picks. Fact of the matter is 2nd round picks are traded more than any other pick.

And in a year that is believed to be a weak draft a 2nd is worth even less.

In the last few years we have seen 2nd round picks dealt for guys like Sekera (2nd plus), Kennedy, Murray (for 2 second rounders), Arnott (2nd plus.... Twice), White, Liles, Kobasew (2nd plus), Primeau (salary dump), Boyes, Moore, Carcillo (2nd plus), Corvo (2nd plus), Sanguinetti, Jimmy Hayes, Cullen, Riley Nash, Grebeshkov

I'm sorry but if some of those player have returned a 2nd round pick, ruling out the potential of Butler returning one too is ridiculous. I'm not saying he will or should, just saying its stupid to dismiss it.