Quoting: GaryMcBettman
I totally agree with you about Shaw. But at the same time, I don't know what to do with him :
- It's not realistic to trade him considering the terms and injuries.
- I want to keep Drouin (if he's at C) with Byron and Gallagher because of the chemistry.
- Same with Galchenyuk and Lehkonen. I think Danault would be good with Galchy because he's north-south player.
- We don't have any other RW to play on top line in that case and Shaw played with Pacioretty this season showing some decent stats.
I wanna know what you think about this
I see your logic and thought process. I worked with Jonathan when he was in Halifax. He put way too much pressure on himself, being a local guy, donating money right out of the gate. He wanted to do so well but he is still only 22. Once he took the pressure off of himself and just played hockey he was much better. Not sure about last night's stats but the previous 10 games he was winning face offs at 62%, which is amazing. He should settle into a good 2nd line C.
As for A. Shaw, he is 175 soaking wet but plays the game as though he was 220. That works in Junior but not in NHL. Marchand had to change his game and as much as I dislike him, he has turned into a very good player. Shaw has had a plethora of injuries and his game is only going to go south. I would do everything in my power to move him. After this season, he has 3 more yrs at $3.9 M. You can move him on a package deal, add a player or two, or trade him for a 5th round. If MTL wants a higher draft pick like a 2nd, then it will need to eat some salary, say $1 M for next 3 yrs.
Also, Scherbak is not a 4th line player. He has the skill set of a 2nd line winger. Unfortunately his game is not consistent yet, once it is and he performs regularly he will force MTL's hand and have him move up. I hope he can turn into a consistent player because he does have some skills and from time to time, we see flashes of it.