Rumor Squashing: Simon Gagne Wants a Trade

by BReynolds on Jul 14, 2010 3:41 PM CDT Comment 15 comments

This afternoon, Puck Daddy linked to a story from ESPN saying that Simon Gagne wants a trade out of Philadelphia. I am not doubting the veracity of that report. If you are following along with the post season, you have no doubt read that both sides appear to be done with each other, and rumors have been floated about Gagne going everywhere.

The dumbest of those rumors has him coming to Minnesota for a package of Josh Harding and James Sheppard. Thank you for that, Brad Ratgen. It makes my head hurt just thinking about it. After the Justin Bourne detested jump, we'll discuss why I don't think the Wild are in on this. At all.

Does anyone remember when I tried to teach you all how to quash a rumor? If not, go back and study. This one is easy.

The break down:

Simon Gagne

#12 / Left Wing / Philadelphia Flyers

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Feb 29, 1980

Some stats:

Last season he missed 24 games due to injury. Two seasons before that, he played just 25 games. He has shown some real talent in scoring, topping 30 goals four times, and pushing fifty goals in 2005-06. His point totals approach point-per-game levels, which would also be a welcome addition to the roster.

Then, you look a little closer. There have been three (or more) injury plagued seasons. There is the 2003-04 season when he put up just 45 points in 80 games. Injuries coupled with inconsistency, married to flashes of brilliance. All of this could be stomached; if he was 23 and had a $3 million cap hit. As it sits, he is 30, headed into the most injury prone time in a professional athlete's career, and has a $5.25 million cap hit.

The cherry on top? He's a UFA at the end of the season. Bonus.

Next question. Where does he fit on the line-up? Surely trading for a player making over $5 million a season, you have to assume he is playing on the top line, right? Or, at least the top two lines. To do so, he either replaces Andrew Brunette or Guillaume Latendresse. Bruno had 61 points and 25 goals last season. Look up above and see how many Gagne had.

Bruno costs $3 million less,give or take a couple hundred grand. Lats is going to make $2.5 million for the next two years while proving if he is the real deal or not.

Health: Strike one.

Production: Inconsistent, so, strike two.

Cost: Much too high for his production, strike three.

Ball game.

For good measure:

Roster fit: Tough to justify him replacing either of the top two LWs. Strike four.

Contract Status: UFA after this season - strike five.

How do they land him: Despite what the windbag says, the Flyers are not giving up Gagne for Harding and Sheppard. It's going to cost players like Brent Burns, and picks or prospects. Maybe Harding helps the deal along, but he is not the crown jewel of it. ---- Strike Six.

Not only is there enough against this to strike out once, but twice. Given another 500 words or so, I likely could have a Snapper "Mow 'em Down Inning" with this one. I have no inside information. I am not an inside source, nor do I have them. Chuck Fletcher does not have me on speed dial, and I am not the personal confidant of any NHL level executives, employees, nor PR people.

I could certainly be wrong on this. The Wild could trade for him in the next five minutes, and I would be perfectly happy to admit I was wrong. Odds are in my favor here, people. Six strikes. Six.

This isn't happening. Next, please.

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Comments

Completely agree.

It would be a very high risk, which the Wild simply can’t afford right now. We don’t have the luxury of getting a big name and giving up so much to have him probably leave the next season or spend most of the year nursing his injuries.

Call me crazy, but I think we should wait for PMB. We nearly made the post-season despite being Bouchard-less, 2nd line center-less and Gaborik-less. Now, we have a legit 2nd line center, some teammates for Havlat meaning he probably won’t have a horrible start to the season, some HOCKEY players to play on the 4th line, meaning we won’t just be rolling 3 lines every night, and perhaps more importantly, a year of experience playing a brand new system. If we had Lats’ production the whole year, we could’ve made the playoffs as well. Seriously, I don’t see why we wouldn’t make the playoffs this year except for some bad luck on the injury front.

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

twitter: BubbleWild48

by BubbleWild48 on Jul 14, 2010 7:11 PM CDT reply actions

Playoffs

Playoffs is definately in our reach, but I wouldn’t count on it. But its not as much a dream as some claim it to be…

Front page writer for Hockey Wilderness!

by circulartheory on Jul 14, 2010 8:34 PM CDT up reply actions

Wouldn't count on it? I'm not saying contender, but 8th spot at the very least.

Don’t forget the Sharks, Flames and Preds have become way less threatful, so we should get some extra points there (SHOULD).

Also, no matter how good the Nucks get, the Wild are Loooooouuuu’s kryptonite.

The Wild have improved a whole lot more than people think, especially if guys like Wellman and Prosser can step up immediately and play at least as well as they have during their short stints.

This time around, I will view not making the playoffs as a failure, unlike last season where it was rather expected.

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

twitter: BubbleWild48

by BubbleWild48 on Jul 14, 2010 9:26 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree

We have improved a lot more than people think. Biggest struggle was against the Pacific last year (5-14-1), did a little better against the Central (8-11-1), and did the best within own our division (15-7-2). An improved record against the Pacific and the conference as a whole (28-32-4 last year against the West) thrown in with the success against the East (I want to start a petition to move us to the East haha) will get us in the playoffs. Easier said than done though, but I think the playoffs are a possibility next year with the moves we’ve made. Agree with Bubble that teams like the Sharks, Flames and Preds have become a little less of a threat. Still waiting for a sniper to play alongside Mikko… patiently waiting. :)

by Call of the Wild on Jul 14, 2010 9:46 PM CDT up reply actions

Is “threatful” a word? ;-)

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by BReynolds on Jul 14, 2010 9:52 PM CDT up reply actions

I don’t think it is… but we have the technology to make it one haha.

by Call of the Wild on Jul 14, 2010 9:58 PM CDT up reply actions

Hahaha :P I was looking for the right word! I should.ve said threatning perhaps?

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

twitter: BubbleWild48

by BubbleWild48 on Jul 15, 2010 8:47 AM CDT up reply actions

Expectations = low

I guess I feel playoffs shouldn’t be in our cards atm because of all the sudden changes and attempts to repair an obviously broken team…

So like, if we miss the playoffs, I won’t go saying we disappointed, because in my mind, we didn’t.

But if we did make it, I wouldn’t be going crazy, throwing stuff around my room, either.

Lets just say, I’m expecting a 10th-8th finish in the Western Conference.

Front page writer for Hockey Wilderness!

by circulartheory on Jul 15, 2010 1:22 AM CDT up reply actions

This is exactly what I thought of last season

But this year, as I said, they’ve got a year of experience on their belt and guys like Cullen, Nystrom, Wellman should be able to contribute immediately and more so than whoever they replace. I also think we’re going to see some much better numbers from our goalies, who didn’t do that bad of a job to begin with, but they’re likely to receive much more help now that they’re going to be used to the system.

One other major thing is this year, instead of trying out guys who have absolutely no chance of making the team during the pre-season like they did last time, they’re going to prepare those who DO have a chance and also get the system straight so we don’t suffer a horrible start like last season which may be entirely the reason we didn’t make the playoffs.

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

twitter: BubbleWild48

by BubbleWild48 on Jul 15, 2010 8:52 AM CDT up reply actions

I tend to agree. Without significant injuries the Hawks, Canucks, Sharks, Kings(with Kovalchuk) and Wings are all locks in making the playoffs in my opinion. So that leaves 3 spots and it will be a battle between the Ducks, Coyotes, Preds, Avalanche, Blues, Flames and of course the Wild. Those are some tough teams and IMO we would be lucky to sneak into the 8th seed, but I hope we do!

Still plenty of time left for trades and additions.

by Kingpin45 on Jul 15, 2010 1:51 AM CDT up reply actions

Can he play RW?

Cause if he can, he can replace Miettinen.

But still, agreed. No way we should give up good assets for a guy that is going to be a UFA

Front page writer for Hockey Wilderness!

by circulartheory on Jul 14, 2010 7:27 PM CDT reply actions

A 30 year old injury prone one at that!

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

twitter: BubbleWild48

by BubbleWild48 on Jul 14, 2010 7:52 PM CDT up reply actions

Love Gagne. One of the best two way players in the game. Way to much of a risk though. We can’t have two of our biggest players being constant injury concerns in Gagne and Havlat. I think we would fit that top line well but at what cost? Not a huge upgrade over Brunette but easily IMO an upgrade. I’d offer Bruno and Harding but not much more…

by Kingpin45 on Jul 14, 2010 8:39 PM CDT reply actions