Grier A Cap

[Sarge18]

For a 2nd and a 3rd round pick

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=7469

[Z-Man]

Too bad the Devs didn't or couldn't make a pitch for this guy. Yeah he's another 3rd liner, but he's bigger and better than some of the guys already in the lineup. 6'1", 227.....27 years old....and has scored 20 goals a few times in his career. He'll help the Caps big time.

[Yeah, I suck]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Edmonton Oilers traded right wing Mike Grier to Washington on Monday for the Capitals' second-round and third-round picks in the 2003 NHL draft.

Grier, who signed a one-year deal in July, is a six-year veteran. He played in all 82 games with Edmonton last season but struggled with just eight goals and 17 assists. His best season was in 1998-99 when he scored 20 goals and had 44 points.

``We acquired an honest hockey player who will fit right into the heart of our lineup,'' Capitals general manager George McPhee said. ``He plays a solid two-way game and is capable of scoring 20 goals.''

Among Grier's new teammates in Washington is Chris Simon, who was suspended by the league for three games in 1997 for making a racial slur against Grier, who is black. Simon later apologized to Grier.

Oilers general manager Kevin Lowe doesn't anticipate problems between the two players.

``I think Washington is a good fit for Mike in a lot of ways,'' Lowe said. ``I think he will bring a lot to that team.''

In six seasons with the Oilers, Grier totaled 81 goals, 102 assists and 292 penalty minutes in 448 games. He was drafted 219th overall by St. Louis in 1993 and traded to Edmonton with Curtis Joseph for first-round draft picks in 1996 and 1997.

Lowe said he dealt Grier to create more ice time for forward Georges Laraque. He had five goals last season.

The Oilers scored a team-low 205 goals last season and Lowe hopes Laraque will become more of a threat. He showed up in training camp 20 pounds lighter than he was last year.

``A lot of people have called in to say, `Give Georges more ice time,''' Lowe said. ``We made a conscious decision to try to score more goals. ... We hope we don't take a step back defensively but it's maybe a step forward in offense.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news/ap/200210...ilerstrade.html

[Triumph]

Agree, Z-Man.. he doesn't really fit in our lineup or I think Lou would've made a big pitch for him..

If only he were a left wing...

I'd been lobbying for Grier for part of the summer, but he was forced into 2nd line duty in Edmonton and didn't really succeed there. He's a two-way bruising forward who can chip in 15.

[sundstrom]

he's a nice player. but i'd much rather have anson carter who is a solid center that would allow us to put madden back on the 4th line where he excels

[Jerrydevil]

Hell, yeah, I'd rather have Anson Carter because he's better than Grier. But I wish we had Grier......I would have traded Brylin to get him, if the Oilers were so inclined.

[Chort]

Hell, yeah, I'd rather have Anson Carter because he's better than Grier. But I wish we had Grier......I would have traded Brylin to get him, if the Oilers were so inclined.

you would trade Brylin for Grier?

No way.

Maybe Brylin for Carter.

[Jerrydevil]

Yes, I would trade Brylin for Grier, and it's not because I don't like Brylin. Grier is tough as nails, and has some scoring ability. We don't have many guys like that.

And it's an even trade. Our third-liner for theirs.

But the point is moot. The Caps already got him for picks, which is a good deal for Washington.

[Chort]

Yes, I would trade Brylin for Grier, and it's not because I don't like Brylin. Grier is tough as nails, and has some scoring ability. We don't have many guys like that.

And it's an even trade. Our third-liner for theirs.

But the point is moot. The Caps already got him for picks, which is a good deal for Washington.

We had a guy that was tough and could chip in 15-20....who was also a 3rd liner.

[Triumph]

Whoever you're referring to chort, he cost either 3 or 9 times as much as Grier.

I don't think Grier is 'tough as nails'.. he's a former college player. He'll hit a lot, but I don't think he gets involved in the rough stuff. Maybe I'm wrong, I haven't looked at his PIMs..

Edmonton traded him for picks because they probably needed to cut salary.. with the absurd deal they gave York and the arbitration settlement with Jason Smith, someone had to go.. but most thought it would be Todd Marchant.

[Jerrydevil]

Tri,

From what I've been reading, Marchant (another third liner) is out the door, too.

Grier's PIMs are pretty low. He's not a guy who plays on the edge (maybe he should be), but he's pretty tough along the boards and hard to move in front of the net.

.....and I just have to laugh at you people who call Bobby Holik a third-line player. What a joke.

[Triumph]

Holik at his best was a 3rd line player. The Devils never won anything with him in any other role.

Whenever Holik was asked to score as a Devil (i.e. on the '2nd line') the team never went anywhere, regardless of whether he scored.

If you characterize any line that does not have pure scorers and that matches against the other team's top line as the 3rd line, then Holik was the 3rd line center in 2000 and 2001.. and 1995.

I still call him the best 3rd line center in the league. By far. He just never fit in a 2nd line role with the Devils.

[#32]

I went to school with this guy. He's freaking huge. I think I was eye level with his knee-cap.

[MaddDog]

Holik at his best was a 3rd line player. The Devils never won anything with him in any other role.

Whenever Holik was asked to score as a Devil (i.e. on the '2nd line') the team never went anywhere, regardless of whether he scored.

I have to agree with Tri on this one - the years we've won the Cup Holik was basically on the designated third line doing more defensive duties and chipping in occasional goals or points.

The team failed to win it all when he was put into a role where more scoring was demanded of him.

[Jerrydevil]

Well, Tri, it's a stretch to call ANY 20-goal scorer a third-line player. And Bobby's consistently been a 20-goal guy for the past six years, except for 2001, when he scored 15 (he was +19 that year by the way).

But put any monniker on him you like. This ain't Bob Corkum or Andrei Nikolishin though.

[Jerrydevil]

MadDogg, you're right. The Devils were most successful when they let Holik play his game. Agitate. Hit. Check. Chip in some goals.

And since we had two centers piling up points in Gomez and Arnott, I can see why people would call Holik a "third line player."

But he's not your run-of-the-mill checking-line center. That doesn't do justice.

I get the feeling that some people equate Holik with Bobby Carpenter. Tell me if I'm wrong.

[Sarge18]

Woah there is a huge difference between Carps and Holik. Carpenter was a damn good scorer at one point in his career. He took a defensive role to keep playing after an injury. Carpenter was alot more skilled then Bobby ever could have been.

[Jerrydevil]

Come on, Sarge, you know what I mean.

Carpenter scored 50 goals a gazillion years before he was a Devil. I'm talking about Carpenter as a Devil.

[Triumph]

Well, I don't look at him like Carpenter because Carpenter was ineffective in 98 and 99.. Yashin and Straka/Jagr rolled over the Devils in those years. In fact, I suspected the Devils acquired Peter Zezel to try to replace Carpenter, but somehow he was worse than Bobby..

Replacing Carpenter with Holik was one of the Devils best moves.. and one that's basically forgotten, I think..that Pandolfo-Carpenter-Rolston became Brylin (Nemchinov, Kelly)-Holik-McKay (Lemieux)..