Blog parameters:
Each person covered will be given a rating. Factoring into that rating will of course be his performance but another input is going to be performance versus expectation coming into the season. Much of the background I likely covered in my tear down blogs, so don't expect massive chapter and verse but possibly some quick hitting information if not already covered in those blogs. In addition, to create some parameters, a player will have had to play 20 games to get a grade. Anything less means there isn't a representative sample for which to make a decision, so Brady Skjei and Marek Hrivik, to name two, will not get grades.
Here is where it gets really funky and interactive. I want you the reader to comment on the blog as to the rating. But not just hey I think you are right on or you are crazy but to provide your own rating and rationale for it. So if you agree with what I wrote, great, say that. But if the belief is the rating should be higher or lower, then you have to provide the rationale accordingly. Plus and minus grades are allowed to enable a broader opinion. Before the next blog, we will see if the blog comments consensus rating mirrors mine.
In addition, to shake it up, I will jump around a bit, so not all the players of the same rating are listed in a row, same with positions. So in the immortal words of Forrest Gump, you never know what you're going to get.
Player covered in this blog:
Dan Girardi (was posted yesterday, then superseded by Pavel Buchnevich blog)
This is what I wrote in the tear down blog:
Girardi, coming off a sub-par season, is signed through 2020 with an annual salary-cap hit of $5.5 million. In addition, Girardi has a no-movement clause through 2017 and then a no-trade clause the final three years of his deal.
Girardi admitted that he played much of the season with the kneecap injury that probably should have landed him on the injury list and in the press box for a lot longer than the few games he missed. He also did suffer a concussion on Brian Boyle's boarding hit and had symptoms during Game 1 against Pittsburgh that sidelined him for Games 2-4. I would love to say that the sole cause of his regression was the knee injury but saying or believing that would be fools gold and a major mistake. Girardi's style of play has led to tremendous wear and tear on his body, resulting in the precipitous drop off in play.
A Girardi buyout https://www.capfriendly.c...ut_calculator/dan-girardi would create $3.75 million in cap space next year, as the cap hit would just be $1.75 million. But eventually you will have to pay the piper. After next year, the cap hit jumps to 3.75 million for a couple of years, then drops to 1.25 million for the rest of the eight years in the buyout. While there is a short term benefit next year and a mild break thereafter, the spike after 2016-17 and number of years for the buyout means that the team will be hamstrung for a while.
The problem though is he may be untradeable, unless the sweeter you add in or cap portion eaten to make a deal is somewhat draconian. The other option is to keep him as a sixth or seventh d-man. But that's an awful lot of money tied up for that type of player. Girardi has given his body and soul for the team but management's decision on how long and much to extend him and others requires tough decisions to be made with this one of them. If expansion does occur after near year and the NTC/NMC issue is ironed out allowing players with either to be available for selection, then keeping G one more year to see if he can rebound might be the wiser option and more palatable to take.
Grade:
D+ (I took another look at the grade and decided that a drop was warranted. Girardi's offseason training took a hit due to surgery following last year's ECF run. The combination of that surgery and wear and tear from his playing style combined to accelerate the decline we had seen the prior two years. In addition, rather than taking the time to heal, he sat only a few games with the fractured kneecap he suffered on December 9, which further restricted his movement, slowing him down even further. The grade might be harsh to some while others will say he deserves an F. I think the grade is representative of his performance this season, especially when factoring in expectations)
Players covered in prior blogs, My grade, Consensus Grade
Derick Brassard, B, not a lot of votes but A-/B+ seems to be the consensus. Will try and get these into a poll to make it easier.
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