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Kunitz is considered a good locker room guy, I know he was made an alternate captain while in Anaheim a few years back.
 
Burke give him the extension......good call.
Then there ya go. Other than serious injury concerns, I don't see why Burke wouldn't take on one of his own contracts with the addition of a 1st.

I'm not sure if Kunitz would be a good fit in Toronto, though. I think he needs top-talent to get him going.

Alot like Mike Fisher. He's always been a good 20/50 point player, but once he lined up with Kovalev/Alfie his totals went to 30/65.

Kunitz is much the same I bet, and for a similar contract.
 
Poni is that old eh? Geez I always thought of him as 27 or 28 ... but guess not anymore.

I like the part about how Kunitz seems like a total team guy, and he stands up for his line mates, which is important knowing most of our top 6 forwards aren't exactly big or physical.

I guess I'm sold. Do it Burkie.
 
well, Burke did sign him to that deal as he was coming off his career best 25gl/60pt cup-winning year, and the lustre has worn off a bit I think, as he's shown that 25gl/60pts is more of his ceiling than his minimum, or even his usual.
 
Then there ya go. Other than serious injury concerns, I don't see why Burke wouldn't take on one of his own contracts with the addition of a 1st.

I'm not sure if Kunitz would be a good fit in Toronto, though. I think he needs top-talent to get him going.

Alot like Mike Fisher. He's always been a good 20/50 point player, but once he lined up with Kovalev/Alfie his totals went to 30/65.

Kunitz is much the same I bet, and for a similar contract.

that's a decent comparable.
 
Don't really like taking on that salary, but I guess picking up a first would make it worthwhile.

And its better than signing Poni to a similar deal for longer.
 
Those numbers look bad but you can also swing it this way

Kunitz: 32gp 71 hits (82gp 182 hits)

Ponikarovsky: 60gp 113 hits (82gp 154 hits)

this was 3.75 million cap space> 30 more hits
 
That's a big chunk of change to swallow for the next two years on a player like Kunitz.

Throw in Grabs, Mitchell and Gunnar to extract Staal, let them keep their 1st, and it's a deal.

Staal, Kunitz
for
Poni, Grabs, Mitchell, Gunnar
 
Not even close.

Last two years

Kunitz: 114 gms, 278 hits (82 gms, 200 hits)
Poni: 142 gms, 217 hits (82 gms, 125 hits)

physical presence isn't just "hits", imo.

kunitz is like 6'0" 190lbs. he's admittedly grittier and more tenacious than Poni, but he still doesn't bring as much physical present to a line as Poni does, imo.
 
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physical presence isn't just "hits", imo.

kunitz is like 6'0" 190lbs. he's admittedly grittier and more tenacious than Poni, but he still doesn't bring as much physical present to a line as Poni does, imo.


Kunitz is "physical" in a similar way as Lee Stempniak is "physical".

No. Kunitz is a more physical presence than Poni.

Stemp belongs more in a comparison with Poni than he does with Kunitz in terms of physical presence.
 
Those numbers look bad but you can also swing it this way

Kunitz: 32gp 71 hits (82gp 182 hits)

Ponikarovsky: 60gp 113 hits (82gp 154 hits)

this was 3.75 million cap space> 30 more hits

I'm just saying Poni isn't a more physical presence.
 
yeah, I take back the Stemp comparison.

but, again, hits is not the measure of a physical presence.

Poni creates and holds space like few players can - especially 6'0"/190lbs players. That's why Poni's linemates always do so well with him on their line.
 
But Poni provides a big body infront of the net for Malkin.

The biggest guys compared to Poni on their team are Rupp and Goddard.
 
The Sedins have a combined 14 hits this season........but they both use their size and physicality to an extent that they're two of the best players in the league down low cycling the puck.


Hits aren't the be all and end all of a players physicality, and a player like Malkin would benefit far more from playing along side a guy like Poni, than he would Kunitz, because of the type of physical presence Poni brings.
 
I'm not attacking Poni, or saying that his size isn't a physical presence, I'm just saying Kunitz is a pretty big physical presence which is being underrated here. I'd say thats the best aspect to his game.

He's a mental midget who tries to run everyone over. Kind of like a less crazy Tucker.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_2Fb2V8EfU"]YouTube- Chris Kunitz Vicious Crosscheck on Simeon Varlamov (Game 2 Playoffs 2009)[/ame]
 
Hits aren't the be all and end all of a players physicality.
Plus it can be difficult to make accurate comparisons as there really is no consistancy in the way each team gives "credit" for that stat.
 
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