So I originally chirped on November 6 a suggestion to consider trading Gleason. (Blog HERE) At the time I was early and took some flak for considering trading a hard worker and fan favorite.
Then I wrote a couple blogs that indirectly tied Gleason to Liles in November and finally suggested they be traded for each other (slightly different terms) on December 2. (Blog HERE)
Then of course on January 1, 2014, Gleason was in fact traded for Liles.
So you would figure that I would be 100% against bringing Gleason back. Right? My opinion is actually more mixed.
First, let me start by saying that I like Tim Gleason. I think he is a good, honest player who plays the game the right way. And he spent enough time in Raleigh that he is officially 1 of "us." So in that respect I am happy to see him back.
On the positive side,: 1) $1.2M is not a complete bargain it is not completely outlandish either for a #6/#7 type of role. 2) At a known quantity and character level, Tim Gleason scores well. His trade had nothing to do with the quality of the person. It was just on-ice performance.
So that gets me to the negative side:
1) When he left Raleigh last year, he really was not even a serviceable 3rd pairing defenseman. He just wasn't. He did seem to rebound a bit in Toronto, but based on last season, it is not clear he can find a high enough level of play.
2) It irks me to see Ron Francis pick up too much where Rutherford left off. When was the last time we brought back a veteran defenseman and it worked? Uhhh...yeahhhhhh.
3) Finally, the biggest thing is what this could mean in terms of Ron Francis' identification of needs to fill out his roster. Adding another top 4 defenseman has NOT been on his list in interviews. It is very much on mine (see recent blogs if you care to read detailed analysis). So while it is not stated, it could be interpreted to mean that Ron Francis has moved on from Bellemore. This might be necessary, but I am still not happy about it. And it could also mean that the Canes are done on defense. I am even less happy with that.
Hopefully Ron Francis will surprise and pull off a trade or signing to get 1 deeper on the top half of the roster on the blue line.
In other news the Canes re-signed AHL depth which I am mostly pleased with:
--Zach Boychuk. He gets a fresh start and chance to finally move up. He made significant strides in camp last year and a great attitude (and performance too) in Charlotte. Just maybe it is finally time.
--Michal Jordan. He is a good depth signing for something like a #8/#9 spot. Playing deep into training camp before late roster cuts last fall, he did not look in over his head. That is exactly what you want for depth in case of multiple injuries.
--Jared Staal. Eh...I just still do not see him being an NHL player.
What say you Canes fans? Are you happy to see Tim Gleason back? If not thrilled, are you at least okay with lesser $ for lesser role? Or does it just feel too much like another ill-fated retread from the ghost of Canes past?
Twitter=@CarolinaMatt63
Go Canes! 1) I like Brett Bellemore's youth and superior skating much better, realizing of course that the prices are not the same and that Bellemore might not be an option.
2)