WE need a center and here is what i propose....tell me what you think.

[StayOnBoard]

I would have tolerated a year of Kadri and Colborne's growing pains over watching Tim Connoly that's for sure

Same here - gladly.... I really hate the fact we're determined to put high priced vets out there with really very little impact when we could at least SEE what the young kids have in them. Maybe one of them breaks through and becomes a very good player for us. Sadly, we'll never know because we keep paying guys like Connolly 4.5 million a year.

[Lavy16]

Does anyone else think Burke is setting up JVR to fail by moving him to center? It's one thing to have to adjust to playing with new players and building chemistry, but to come in and learn a new position on top of that. Looks like it's another year without a proven 1st line center and a tandem of young unproven goalies.

[Lavy16]

Same here - gladly.... I really hate the fact we're determined to put high priced vets out there with really very little impact when we could at least SEE what the young kids have in them. Maybe one of them breaks through and becomes a very good player for us. Sadly, we'll never know because we keep paying guys like Connolly 4.5 million a year.

To me the Connolly signing was Burke spending cap space because he could and not because he had to. Don't throw money around just because you can. No ore dead weight contracts

[Tito Santana]

Does anyone else think Burke is setting up JVR to fail by moving him to center? It's one thing to have to adjust to playing with new players and building chemistry, but to come in and learn a new position on top of that. Looks like it's another year without a proven 1st line center and a tandem of young unproven goalies.

I wouldn't call it learning a new position as much as it is getting reacquainted with one he has played before. There will be quite the learning curve to get back up to speed but the kid has a lot of talent. I'm not expecting a ton right off the hop, but it could be much worse.

[KingerSox]

I honestly don't expect the "JVR to centre" experiment to last that long. Who knows tho.

[2bleedB&G]

I honestly don't expect the "JVR to centre" experiment to last that long. Who knows tho.

Ok so when did Burke completely lose his mind?

The guy isn't a center you have rookie centermen that have some great potential why not play them

[ktownguy31]

So kadri is working out with gary roberts this summer...good on him !!

[KingerSox]

Ok so when did Burke completely lose his mind?

The guy isn't a center you have rookie centermen that have some great potential why not play them

I don't understand what you're saying here. Bottom line is JVR has played centre barely at all in this league and he admitted as much yesterday in the media scrum if you watched that. Kadri's a long shot to play centre and not even a lock on this team next year. Colborne just doesn't seem ready. The most likely scenerio unless Burke makes a trade for a #1 centre is another year of Bozak centering the top line. And that's just not good enough. I like Tyler Bozak but you're going nowhere with him lining up as your #1 centre for the second year in a row. Almost 3rd.

[2bleedB&G]

I don't understand what you're saying here. Bottom line is JVR has played centre barely at all in this league and he admitted as much yesterday in the media scrum if you watched that. Kadri's a long shot to play centre and not even a lock on this team next year. Colborne just doesn't seem ready. The most likely scenerio unless Burke makes a trade for a #1 centre is another year of Bozak centering the top line. And that's just not good enough. I like Tyler Bozak but you're going nowhere with him lining up as your #1 centre for the second year in a row. Almost 3rd.

Sorry was trying to do 2 things at once

Like you JVR is a winger likes the wing is used to playing the wing

Again like you said your centers suck. You have to rookies with some pretty good potential. Its time to play them. Whats the worst thing that happens T.o sucks again? At least people will be interested in the kids and they get expierence in the NHL. AHL is just to teach positioning and let kids grow

Will they struggle yeah but they have to learn and if Burke say something in him to pick him 8th overal PLAY HIM!

[GoLeafsGo]

I honestly don't expect the "JVR to centre" experiment to last that long. Who knows tho.

That's what I was thinking. I understand his logic in trying to do so though. I say it's worth the risk, he very well could excel at this position you never know.

[LeafsFan16]

Might also be one of his weird tactics to show other GMs he's not desperate for a #1 center? Who knows what these units are up too

[bigmack115]

Might also be one of his weird tactics to show other GMs he's not desperate for a #1 center? Who knows what these units are up too

thats funny, thats exactly what i was just thinking. Same reason he keeps saying he loives reimer and would be fine starting the season with him.

[2bleedB&G]

Might also be one of his weird tactics to show other GMs he's not desperate for a #1 center? Who knows what these units are up too

The problem with that thinking is as soon as he calls a gm and asks about one well they see his roster and realize that he is desperate for one

He's going to offer a **** load of money to Getzlaf next year

[McJoe]

Does anyone else think Burke is setting up JVR to fail by moving him to center? It's one thing to have to adjust to playing with new players and building chemistry, but to come in and learn a new position on top of that. Looks like it's another year without a proven 1st line center and a tandem of young unproven goalies.

I'm honestly fine with that. See what you have, let some of those bums get closer to expiring, and give some of these guys another year to gel, most notably JVR...

To me the Connolly signing was Burke spending cap space because he could and not because he had to. Don't throw money around just because you can. No ore dead weight contracts

I actually thought that the Connolly signing could work. I still think there is a chance that it could. At 3.75 or 4, its not a terrible signing I don't think but you probably have to give him 4 years for him to take that which would make it not a good signing.

Connolly has top 6 offensive skill, and he's a playmaker. In theory, it should have worked. I feel like its a decent plan B move that I would have considered with a player similar to Connolly but less injury prone.

And we act like he was some complete loser last season but he really wasn't. 36 points in 70 games is a 42 ish pace, its like 0.5 PPG. He only scored slightly less points than Mac and Bozak. The difference is that Connolly had NO talent to play with. The guys he played with did nothing. He spent a lot of the time Armstrong was in the lineup playing with him and Army had 3 points in 30 games. He played a lot with Lombardi who had 18 points, he played a lot of time with Crabb who had 26 points. Had he been actually given a shot with Kessel and Lupul where he should probably have been by default to start the season, he would have had a shot at 60...Bozak put up 47 in 73 for a 52 point pace, Connolly was only 10 points off him playing with our rejects and garbage.

He was better than he's getting credit. There is slightly more talent on the team this year and I wouldn't be surprised if he scored 45+ points from the 3rd line, (and that's only because I don't think he'd get a shot on the top line) which as a 3rd liner is fantastic.

I'm just kind of confused as to what they plan to do with JVR, Lupul, Bozak, Connolly, and Kadri who will all likely warrant important spots but not many of those spots available. You look at the lineup, and I think the only locked in spots are Grabo as the 2nd line center and Kessel on the first line RW...anyone else could end up anywhere...

[TRIUMPHATOR]

Cant help to agree with you about Connolly. Also cant help my desire to connect some dots and point out that TC's contract ends at the end of this year just when Getzlaf is UFA. Pls,pls,pls.

And if the CBA limits the contract length to 5-6 years, and Burke is abke to sign Getzlaf to that type of contract does he go from Goat to GOAT(greatest of all time)?