2015/2016 Trade Speculation and Rumors

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by heep223

Colborne is better at faceoffs

Also when Colborne gets mad he's dominant. He's kind of like an Ent.

Don't be hasty.

[handgroen]

Originally Posted by heep223

Colborne is better at faceoffs

Also when Colborne gets mad he's dominant. He's kind of like an Ent.

A total Ent in the dot.

[Travis Munroe]

Colborne is a ideal 4th line C to replace Stajan imo.
All you can really ask of your 4th line is
O zone - kill time, cycle the puck and get the odd chance... he is great along the boards and has hustle
D zone - keep the puck to the outside, get possession and get it out....he is a smart defensive player with the long reach and big body. Again, he can come out of the scrums against the boards with the puck.

Asking him to do much more seems to take away from what he is good at.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Colborne stinks.

There is almost no objective measure by which he is better. Boxscore Stats? Backlund is better, Possession stats? Backlund is better. Hell, I'd argue that by purely subjective measures (eyeballs) Backlund is better in terms of zone/lane coverage, and puck pursuit.

A. Colborne doesn't stink. He is a pretty decent player

B. Boxscore stats: Colborne 4 games, 1 goal. -4; Backlund 9 games, 1 goal, -6. Almost identical shots per game but Colborne has double the percentage. Colborne is way better in the dot.

BTW, last year, they were almost tied in points, Colborne had a way better plus/minus, way better FO%,

C. Possession stats? Who knows, but I'd bet Backlund's are way off of his historical numbers. Colborne's only had 4 games so possession stats are almost meaningless.

ETA: upon review their iCorsi and iFenwick stats are not too far apart this year. But then in the top 4 with them are Bollig and Raymond.

D. Eyeballs: Colborne has been way better since his return than Backlund. More physical, more involved, better in the corners. I'd disagree strongly on puck pursuit. Backlund has been uninterested lately. Colborne has been moer active, has a better reach and can actually bump opponents off of a puck, which Backlund has trouble doing.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

A. Colborne doesn't stink. He is a pretty decent player

Relative to all players? Sure, Relative to NHL players? No he is not.

Originally Posted by GioforPM

B. Boxscore stats: Colborne 4 games, 1 goal. -4; Backlund 9 games, 1 goal, -6. Almost identical shots per game but Colborne has double the percentage. Colborne is way better in the dot.

So... your using a 4 and 9 game sample size to determine that... ohhhhh kay. Look at them over multiple seasons, Backlund clearly better.

Originally Posted by GioforPM

BTW, last year, they were almost tied in points, Colborne had a way better plus/minus, way better FO%,

Backlund did it in less games playing tougher minutes.

Originally Posted by GioforPM

C. Possession stats? Who knows, but I'd bet Backlund's are way off of his historical numbers.

You'd lose that bet. Best regular forward on the team.

http://www.behindthenet.ca/nhl_stati...34+45+46+63+67

Originally Posted by GioforPM

D. Eyeballs: Colborne has been way better since his return than Backlund.

I disagree, Colborne has been as mediocre as he's always been. But like I said that's all just subjective opinion.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Parallex

So... your using a 4 and 9 game sample size to determine that... ohhhhh kay. Look at them over multiple seasons, Backlund clearly better.

Re-read my original post. I said he's been better this year. I agree its a small sample size, but were we not talking about the performance of the team this year?

Colborne is at least an average player in the NHL IMO. However, he will not be a top 2 centre on this team and will have a tough time being a top 4 winger. But he has room for improvement in his game - he hasn't peaked.

Backlund, IMO is about as good as he will ever be. And I have always been a supporter of him.

[Vinny01]

Neither Backlund or Colborne are top 6 NHLers. This is why the Flsmes should trade one of their 7 NHL Dmen for a top 6 winger

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Colborne stinks.

There is almost no objective measure by which he is better. Boxscore Stats? Backlund is better, Possession stats? Backlund is better. Hell, I'd argue that by purely subjective measures (eyeballs) Backlund is better in terms of zone/lane coverage, and puck pursuit.

Colborne brings something Backlund can't and that is size coupled with some skill. The reality is both are bottom 6 forwards and will be for their careers.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Neither Backlund or Colborne are top 6 NHLers. This is why the Flsmes should trade one of their 7 NHL Dmen for a top 6 winger

Not in the sense they can carry a top line. I have always been of the view that most teams have a top 4 set of forwards (a centre and winger) and the other winger can be plugged in. I don't believe Clark Gillies was a top line winger in the NHL - but he played on a great top line. Of course, the HOF disagrees with me on that example.

Point being, you'd have a rough time pointing to any team where all 6 forwards are what you'd think of as "top 6". Andrew Cogliano plays top 6 minutes in Anaheim, a semifinalist last year. He's not a top 6 forward IMO.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Not in the sense they can carry a top line. I have always been of the view that most teams have a top 4 set of forwards (a centre and winger) and the other winger can be plugged in. I don't believe Clark Gillies was a top line winger in the NHL - but he played on a great top line. Of course, the HOF disagrees with me on that example.

Point being, you'd have a rough time pointing to any team where all 6 forwards are what you'd think of as "top 6". Andrew Cogliano plays top 6 minutes in Anaheim, a semifinalist last year. He's not a top 6 forward IMO.

Anaheim has tried throwing everything with Perry and Getzlaf though.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Neither Backlund or Colborne are top 6 NHLers.

Not on a Stanley Cup favorite I agree. Backlund is however good enough to be your 3C on a Stanley Cup contender whereas Colborne isn't strong enough offensively to be in the top 6 nor strong enough defensively to play a strong support role.

[ScorchyScorch]

Stop pulling stats from a less than 10 game samples and using that to make general statements/conclusions on players. It's ridiculous and dumb.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Not in the sense they can carry a top line. I have always been of the view that most teams have a top 4 set of forwards (a centre and winger) and the other winger can be plugged in. I don't believe Clark Gillies was a top line winger in the NHL - but he played on a great top line. Of course, the HOF disagrees with me on that example.

Point being, you'd have a rough time pointing to any team where all 6 forwards are what you'd think of as "top 6". Andrew Cogliano plays top 6 minutes in Anaheim, a semifinalist last year. He's not a top 6 forward IMO.

The thing is Calgary has 3 very legit top 6 forwards (the top line) Frolik is a top 6 and we think/hope/assume Bennett will be. It can be argued the flames only have 3-4 top 6. I think Frolik given a bigger role can be a 25-25 guy. Bennett has elite potential but that's where it ends.

Flames got by last year with Bouma scoring 17 and 34pts but that is not happening again this year. The team has 5 top 4 D and should be bolstering their forward group with that excess (especially considering that the 6/7 D make a combined $6.4M)

This forward-defense mix reminds me of 2010 where the Flames couldn't score the problem this year is we do not have elite goaltending like we did back then

[zimzimma]

I'm sure we all agree that neither Colborne or Backlund are top 6 worthy. In my opinion Backlund gives us the best return between him, Colborne, and Stajan. Therefore, I think Backlund is the one to be traded. Need to give something to get something in return. Although packaging Backlund with a Dman will take cap space for any team. For this to happen, I think we will have to take a salary dump back from which ever team we trade with. Possibly have to throw in a pick to get what we need (true top 6 player).

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Not on a Stanley Cup favorite I agree. Backlund is however good enough to be your 3C on a Stanley Cup contender whereas Colborne isn't strong enough offensively to be in the top 6 nor strong enough defensively to play a strong support role.

I dont think it is that cut and dried though.

Does Backlund score 25 points if given a 3rd line role on a cup contender?

He has been given solid Top 6 icetime for a couple of years now and cant produce any offence with it. With less icetime and potentially even worse linemates, does he look like the same player? I dont think so. He's not exactly sitting between two all-star linemates out there, but I can't imagine his 20-30 points per season would go up with a guy like Ryan Garbutt or Tanner Glass on his wing.

To me, Backlund looks like a less skilled but more conservative Stajan. I agree with another poster who said that if the two their positions reversed to start the year, it would be difficult to imagine Stajan would have less points than Backlund does.

I don't even feel like I have an irrational bias against the player. I don't get how he got the contract he is currently on unless the belief was "he's a younger matt Stajan, let's give him the Stajan contract." When I see him out there it is mostly just a big 'meh'.

[terminator]

I work with a good friend of Burke's; Colborne was brought here as a favor to his father.

IMO, Colborne is proving that favor was worth it,

[ScorchyScorch]

Originally Posted by sa226

I would attribute that to the stretch drive and playoffs affect.

I think during the day to day grind of an 82 game schedule a nagging injury has a mental and physical affect on a player.

Effect.

[handgroen]

Originally Posted by terminator

I work with a good friend of Burke's; Colborne was brought here as a favor to his father.

IMO, Colborne is proving that favor was worth it,

juicy

[N-E-B]

Backlund is one of the most overrated players on the team. I'm not trying to go Where r u Chris O'Sullivan or anything, but to me he's just painfully average at best. I would have no problems trading him.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I dont think it is that cut and dried though.

Does Backlund score 25 points if given a 3rd line role on a cup contender?

He has been given solid Top 6 icetime for a couple of years now and cant produce any offence with it. With less icetime and potentially even worse linemates, does he look like the same player? I dont think so. He's not exactly sitting between two all-star linemates out there, but I can't imagine his 20-30 points per season would go up with a guy like Ryan Garbutt or Tanner Glass on his wing.

To me, Backlund looks like a less skilled but more conservative Stajan. I agree with another poster who said that if the two their positions reversed to start the year, it would be difficult to imagine Stajan would have less points than Backlund does.

I don't even feel like I have an irrational bias against the player. I don't get how he got the contract he is currently on unless the belief was "he's a younger matt Stajan, let's give him the Stajan contract." When I see him out there it is mostly just a big 'meh'.

I think because he was one of the few 1st round picks from Darryl Sutter that actually made the team that some fans are attached to him. His skillset is so average and he can't distribute the puck as well as you would want out of an offensive center. I would feel 100% comfortable saying that if he got traded he would fade away into one of those guys that's just in the league but not noteworthy as every team has one or two guys just like him that were drafted high but didn't translate to an offensive player. It's not like he's a cancer or anything to this team but he isn't getting better and if you can include him in a trade to make your team better you have to do it. That said while I think he's more tradable than Stajan I'm not sure there are a lot of suitors for a $3 million 3rd liner. The fit would have to be a team that really likes him and thinks he just needs a change of scenery.