"If I didn't know any better, I'd say this is a team with a plan now." General Manager Buckley presumptuously said about his own team. Though in context it seemed a lot less egotistical. He was answering a question during a presser with Patrick Marleau where a reporter asked, "How do you justify the massive turnover in the dressing room?"
The 'turnover' the reporter referred to, simply:
Out: 13 players
Lubomir Visnovsky > Released
Patrice Cormier > Released
Drew Shore > Released (signed in PHI)
Justin Williams > Released
Whoever the backup was > Released
Griffin Reinhart > Traded
Brock Nelson > Traded
Greg Nemisz > Bought out
Mike Ribiero > Bought out
Trevor Daley > Bought out
Brandon Archibald > Bought out
Maxim Berezin > Free Buy out
Galeyev > Minors
In: 12
Tim Bozon > Callup
Haydn Fleury > Callup
Michael Houser > Re-signed, callup
Alex Grant > Signed 4 years
Patrick Marleau > Signed 1 year
Brooks Laich > Signed 1 year
Jarret Stoll > Signed 1 year (with signing coke bonus)
Matt Smaby > Signed 1 year
Bickell > Signed 1 year
Marc Staal > Trade
Greg McKegg > Trade
Matthew Spencer > Trade (AHL)
+1 FA signing we cannot confirm at this time
Returning: 3
Ales Hemsky > 1 year
Nicholas Baptiste > 2 years
Colby Robak > 5 years (AHHH!)
That's a LOT of movement between the last game of the season and training camp. Of course Buckley shot the seemingly loaded question down with sarcastic self-evident answer. Or, responding to a logical fallacy with a logical fallacy to prove its absurdity. Which in and of itself is a logical fallacy... I guess not all battles are meant to be won, and this reporter may think twice about asking another clever question.
Snide aside, If there is one thing to say about Buckley's tenure thus-far, it's that the team has definitely improved on the blue-line. Going from a group of Granberg, Robak, Reinhart, McNally, Berezin, Daley and Vishnovsky
to Granberg, Robak, Marc Staal, Alex Grant, Matt Smaby, McNally, and Haydn Fleury. It will be comforting to know Gibson won't be left out to dry because our defense will actually be able to defense.
On forward it's not as clear as skeptics raise questions. Certainly, some of the changes can backfire. Like losing PK player-puck magnet Drew Shore for middling two-way forwards Stoll and Laich. Dropping +70-point producer Justin Williams for older Marleau, though a superstar, untested in this system. Swapping game-changing open-ice hitter Reinhart for Penalty-killing suave in Staal. But for a team that finished so low for so long, any change would be better than rehashing the same game plan.
Patrick Marleau was the most coveted quote of the new wave of Cats. The most interesting of which came from the question, "At your point in your career, why Florida? Why now?" In other words, you're old, this team is young. Why not sign with a contender? To which he responded, "Why not?" Seeming to buy himself some time to respond appropriately and followed with...
There really is a whole lot more to cover and we'll be getting to them in the coming months before the season starts up with this exciting turn of events in Florida.Florida has a talented mixed group in need of some experience and they believe I can give them some leadership and extra offense and I'm taking a chance on a generally young group of talented players I believe can do better than they've shown in the past. I've been around the league, sometimes to early to the party, sometimes too late. I think it's time to think ahead of the corner. Maybe we don't win it this year. But can't know 'til we try, right?