Giants Defense

[dondo]

Original point was why fill spot with a 19 yr old that no other team wants when you can give that ice time to a younger player who has a chance to develop and be here for the next couple of years . Last game they filled that spot with Jones a 17 yr old who did fine and has a chance to develop for next yr if they keep him. A better option in my opinion than a recycled 19 yr old. Not a playoff team so it's time to get the younger players some experience

Jones has been playing since McKinstry went down and had an assist in Spokane. But as Lucic says we really need some veteran leadership on the back-end - I still shake my head that we didn't get an OA defenseman to help guide this young crew. I also agree that we need to consistently play our young guys, but they need guidance from experienced players and to get out from under this culture of losing we have coddled for several years now. It's disappointing because considering our draft positions and number of picks the past few seasons, we should have an elite young group right now - but due to poor/incapable management we have got players who are not able to even see their potential, let alone reach it. This makes me very sad as a fan and for the young players who are not being given the tools and the opportunity to rise above.

Imagine if we had gotten the Memorial Cup this year? I mean the moves we would have made in the off-season would have been different, but really what a huge embarrassment. This team should have all of the best advantages: large market, attractive city, lots of exposure to NHL scouts, etc. - Agents should be drooling at getting their kids to play here, but we have become a pariah in this league and players are leaving and elite players are not willing to roll the dice. It's not Hay's fault anymore, we can't blame him for the team's ills, we must look deeper. Sadly any player moves we make now really won't alter the culture. Veteran excited players who have just come here recently instead of pulling the team out of the doldrums have been sucked into the vortex.

Other than some wholesale changes behind the scenes I see no way for this team to grow, develop and advance in any way the coming years. If we continue to be in denial and ride this same path - we will be like the PG Cougars. Disinterested ownership doing the bare minimum to keep just enough bums in seats to avoid folding and being obscenely average year after year -- we are already that and it is only going to get worse. I hate being the doomsayer here, but after too many years of middling hockey, poor deals and just careless (nepotismic) management - unless something really big changes, we will never get out of this rut.

[Lucic]

Wheat Kings overage defenseman Colton Waltz has left the team and demanded a trade. I would imagine Bonner is calling McCrimmon about that. Waltz would be pretty good fit for the Giants right now. Left handed defensive defenseman with some size and grit. I have a feeling McCrimmon will want more than what the Giants are willing to give up but I'm sure the two teams will be talking. At this point I'm not sure there will be many better overage options available by the trade deadline (without giving up more than the Giants should, IMO).

[Priceisright]

Wonder why he left a memorial cup contender. Besides the obvious he's not happy for some reason.

[Lucic]

I don't think Brandon is a legit Memorial Cup contender but I understand what you are saying. It's a valid question. Brandon has had a few players quit this season. Coincidentally both defensemen.

[stinkman]

Giants had a veteran 20 d man in Atwal and let him go. As far as the Thrower for Brown trade if you set aside the draft picks it's a bad trade for the Giants. Brown is just not very good. While Thrower seems quite capable of handling top 4 minutes in Moose Jaw while the Giants keep rolling out Barbaris(possibly the softest player in the WHL) in their top 4. Seems to the Giants would be better off with Thrower in their top 4.

[dondo]

It feels to me like Barberis is starting to come into his own. I personally don't find him that soft, but he is definitely more offensively minded than defensively. Put him with a stalwart d-man willing to patrol his own zone and he is quite effective. 1G and 1A last night vs Portland

[Lucic]

Giants had a veteran 20 d man in Atwal and let him go. As far as the Thrower for Brown trade if you set aside the draft picks it's a bad trade for the Giants. Brown is just not very good. While Thrower seems quite capable of handling top 4 minutes in Moose Jaw while the Giants keep rolling out Barbaris(possibly the softest player in the WHL) in their top 4. Seems to the Giants would be better off with Thrower in their top 4.

Brown isn't very good but he isn't the real value in the trade. The 2nd round pick is. That and the fact Thrower wouldn't be back next season as an overager. Too many better 96 born players on this roster. Thrower was playing better the past few weeks prior to the trade (I think that made him more tradeable) but he was very inconsistent here. Most of the time he was indecisive, a turnover machine and he didn't play with enough edge consistently. When he did he was effective but he would go into hibernation mode for weeks at a time. I do miss having some more toughness though. We could have used it against PG.

[stinkman]

Menell quits team for the second time this season. This time walking off the bench as the team is getting whooped by Vic.How much is it gonna cost the team to get him back this time? Team should have sent him packing the first time. Once a quitter always a quitter.

[Priceisright]

Oh wow? Really? So sad.

Btw saw ronning last night, what happened? How long is he out?

[Priceisright]

I noticed he was a -4 tonight, yikes