In response…

I started writing this as a response to Inside the Iggles’ comment on “Don’t Hate The Player…”, but it started running a little long. So, I decided to turn it into a blog as to why Knuble won’t really be missed by anyone but the fans. So here it is…

Here’s the kicker though, as much as I hate to say it, I think the only ones who will miss him are the fans. The scoring that was lost by the Knuble signing and trading away Lupul will be picked up by 3 players:

Daniel Briere – If he stays healthy, he’s easily a 25 – 30 goal scorer. He had 11 goals and 14 assists in 29 games last season and has shown he can bring that kind of production. He’s amped and ready to go for this season and I’m really looking forward to him coming out and silencing those who are so critical of his contract.

Claude Giroux – He had 9 goals and 18 assists in 42 games working from the third line. He’s young and he’s only going to get better, especially when he moves up to either the first or second line and gets more minutes. He’s quick, a great puck handler, can pass on a dime and can shoot the puck through a key hole. Whether they put him with Richards and Gagne or Carter and Hartnell, he’s gonna put up at least 20 goals and 60 points this season. And you can quote me on that.

Chris Pronger – First of all, take a look at who he’s replacing, Andrew Alberts. 1 goal, 12 assists in 79 games. Last season, Pronger had 11 goals and 37 assists in 82 games and hasn’t had less than 40 points in the last 5 seasons. Not to mention his veteran presence and the ability to hold players accountable for their actions. I was a little worried when I heard about Emery being signed. But when Pronger came along, I knew if he couldn’t keep himself straight, Pronger would take care of it. The man is a natural leader and if he has anything less than an “A” on his chest, i’m calling shenanigans.

The only thing we’re losing with Knuble are the bad penalties. he wasn’t near the team leader in minutes, but the ones he took were at the worst times. How many power plays turned into 4 on 4 situations because Knuble took a bad penalty? If your answer is 1 or more, that’s too many. Knuble had grit and was great in front of the net. His puck handling was better than average and he had a howitzer for a slapper.

BUT….

His passing is hit or miss, he’s definitely lost a step as far as speed goes and remember that howitzer I was talking about, the only problem there was his aim. And now he’s playing on a line with Ovechkin. He was following the play more often than not with Richards and Gagne. Ovechkin has some wheels. How long do you think he’s gonna be on that first line before he’s considered a liability?

My answer: Not long, but probably longer than most think.