Erik Karlsson+Getzlaf for Crosby

[The Hockey Hitman]

Same GM just offered me Datsyuk/Hartnell and a 2015 1st to give back Karlsson back?!!

[ross10019]

Agree that Karlsson is the real deal but not ready to say he is the Crosby of his position... Too early.

To me consolidating means keeping all the best players available and not weakening an area to do it.. Addressing a need in another area is not consolidating.. It's more a lateral move. In this case he had depth at C, so it is a slight upward move. But make no mistake, he lost the best player in the deal, still.

Look, I know it's getting damn near impossible to acquire the Karlssons of this World. Then again, isn't it impossible (and shouldn't it be) to acquire the Crosbys? I take your point that Karlsson is the best player at his position right now. I'm just not ready to say he is a once in 20 years type of player. Crosby is. I don't care what the naysayers say. He is the best and it ain't even close. The skill, drive, physical tools and mind for the game are, as a package, above everyone else.


That said, good trade and better to get a solid W instead of another C. You got stronger in weaker areas by far. Well done. I might use the pick to land another strong winger.

They are all fair points. I agree, Crosby is Crosby, a generational talent, and despite what Karlsson's done you can't put him in that category, yet. But many who know a hell of a lot more about hockey than I do already consider that Karlsson is close to becoming the best player in the world right now (generational or not). I don't think they're far off, he's a very special player and watching him live is something to see.

It will be fascinating to see how things develop with him over the next few years, particularly after that nasty achilles injury. On that note, it was a very positive sign that he was able to come back from that in a ridiculously short time frame (even though I was nervous about it being ill-advised at the time) - sure he was not the Karlsson pre-injury but that was to be expected, it still shows great healing power and that bodes really well for him in terms of being durable, something that we haven't been able to say about Crosby (although what can you do about concussions).

[ross10019]

Same GM just offered me Datsyuk/Hartnell and a 2015 1st to give back Karlsson back?!!

That's probably because he saw this thread!

[fungchen3]

Crosby is. I don't care what the naysayers say. He is the best and it ain't even close. The skill, drive, physical tools and mind for the game are, as a package, above everyone else.

Well, in real life, I agree. On top of the elite skill level, Crosby has tremendous drive, tenacity and work ethic. He is the single best player in the NHL today, I'll give you that.

But, in fantasy, it IS close. Malkin, Stamkos, Ovechkin, Kane and Tavares can all come "close" to Crosby considering his constant trend of facing injury. With Sid, it comes with the territory.

He plays the game fast, hard and gets dirty. He has a history of concussions (and other injuries) and he's such a prized asset that the Penguins will ALWAYS be extra cautious if/when he gets hurt - he will NEVER be rushed back from injury the same way another player might.

When it comes to fantasy, Crosby is the TOP dog, granted, but his production will range anywhere from 74-120 points. Guys like Malkin and Stamkos are in the 85-110 range, Tavares and Ovechkin in the 85-100 range and so forth.

And, for the record, I think Karlsson breaks 80 soon (as a D-Man). As great as Sid is, due to his style of play and injury history, the point separation between him and the next tier will never be Gretz or Mario like (165 vs. 110, etc.)

In most formats (outside of Keep-6), I am a firm believer that many GMs WILL overpay for Crosby and savvy owners will capitalize on this. Just my opinion. That said, I see nothing wrong with a Crosby fan rendering him untouchable in their league if they own him - nothing beats cheering for your favorite player on your fantasy squad.

[fungchen3]

Same GM just offered me Datsyuk/Hartnell and a 2015 1st to give back Karlsson back?!!

Absolutely not. Wow.

[ross10019]

Absolutely not. Wow.

As happy as that GM is going to be to have Crosby, he will long regret having had to let Karlsson go to get the deal done. This is just the first sign of that "buyer's/seller's remorse"!

[agentzero]

As happy as that GM is going to be to have Crosby, he will long regret having had to let Karlsson go to get the deal done. This is just the first sign of that "buyer's/seller's remorse"!

Seriously!


I definitely think that if this deal helps win a title it is worth it. Fantasy players come and go (yes, even Crosby) but titles live forever and that is why we play the game.

In fantasy I agree that the production can be close, definitely. The scoring races are getting tighter, scoring is down as a whole and it is increasingly difficult for even the best player by a fair margin to separate himself from the competition. So if the balance of the parts (especially that draft pick) can make up for that small difference and guarantee serious contention (if not victory) for the next few years, it is definitely worth pulling the trigger and he did. I would look to trade that pick for another W though. That would make this roster unreal, even in such a small league.

A win is always worth it. Here's to hoping Karlsson is the next Lidstrom+! Next Paul Coffey! That would be so awesome. The game needs it.

Great discussion guys/gals.