ButcherG

Hoping for Vilardi or Makar today. I am not high on Glass, he is a wild card pick imo. Could be a number 1 center, and could just as easily bust.

Glad we got another Defensive prospect. Hopefully has a great season on Utica next year.

Burrows has more value playing on this team, then it is to trade him. So it makes sense to play him next year. He can play anywhere in the lineup so its not like he will hurt the team competitively. The only concern is taking a roster spot from someone who deserves it more. The thing is, this team is not competing for a cup. If it was, it would matter. Both McCann and Virtanen are now eligible for Utica next year, so I have no issues if either or both are getting some serious playing time there. Keeping Burrows makes sense. Unless there is some wild offer for him, which is unlikely.

Hate to say it, but its time for Burrows to try for a cup while he still can. Hopefully this management group figures it out sooner than later.

I loved the Horvat trade. I can see Goaltenders have very little value due to how UFA works, and getting a high first rounder for Schneider was decent return. We lost value on the pick because we had to take the time to develop Schneider, but at the very least we recovered value. I can't compare a prospect like Brisebois with a player like Horvat. Everything about Horvat seems to be projecting as a solid player for us for years. This pick is another Q dman, where we have had zero success in finding a number 1 or 2 dman, in 45 years of drafting. I hope Brisebois can buck the odds, and become that exception that we have always wanted. I just think the odds are very low.

I don't like the pick, but it is what it is. And I trust numbers more, than what people say, when it comes to making money. And the sheer amount of spin you hear about every prospect can be staggering.

I have watched him play. And spin is spin, numbers do not lie.

I sincerely hope he can become a NHL player. I just have very little hope for Qmjhl defenseman making our team, and having a positive impact. -40 is not a stat you ever want to see. If he was even, it would tell me he is a good defensive defenseman. If he was a plus, he would probably be a good two way Dman. He has a lot of work to do, lets hope he can get there.

Roy at 23 is brutal. The Q was terrible this year, imagine how he would have done if he was in the west or OHL. Every year people get seduced by all those stats in a non defensive league.

Again, another insightful and great write up. Thank you. I can agree on many of your scouting points, and views. I do hope we select the bpa though, and if its a forward, then its a forward. Drafting out of need, has burned our franchise many times. Can't wait for draft day!

Well just want to say thanks for all your effort and energy, accessing all these Dmen and the Canucks future. Cheers.

There usually seems to be decent Dmen on the UFA market. Rarely see top end scoring. I believe its best to try to draft what you can never get through UFA or trade. And a top end center or a franchise offensive Dman are those two things. We have never been able to successfully draft the Dman, but have gotten Linden and Henrik Sedin. Five of the top end Dmen this year are from the Q or the Dub. Risky business if you look at the history of our drafting there. I agree on adding another 2015 first round pick. However, I never feel scoring is redundant. If we get Tanev resigned, our D will look much better long term. We also need to develop Corrado. These two players are the future on the Canuck's blueline. We need to draft a future first line center to replace Henrik Sedin. We also need a Dman who can shoot like a Sami Salo. Not sure if any of these will be available when we draft. But I think that is what we need to gamble on.

I think the one Dman this year, who is a can't miss is Hanifin. Unless we trade up to third, we are gambling on a franchise Dman or a bust. I know I wanted Staal over Bourdon, and we still passed on Kopitar that year. Ultimately I want us to draft a player, who is passionate about winning and can put up points, regardless of his position.

Thanks again for the post about the Centers. I am not a fan of drafting Dmen in the first round, unless they are dynamic point producers. We obviously need two of them. You can get a good dman in any round, but a great scorer or setup man seems to be what everyone values the highest. Will be an interesting draft for sure.

This is a nice writeup thanks. Any chance you could do this for Centers?

Iggy, Boyle and Miller, would make us instant contenders again..

Miller is a great goalie. If the Canucks are serious about contending, Miller is the only answer atm imo. Anything else and queu the rebuild. I am fine with either way.

What a nail biter. Hope the Lanch end it tonight.

I am so pissed at ownership over this knee jerk move. Sometimes you are going to miss the playoffs to improve the team. Firing the GM every time, is not the answer to motivating a GM. Obviously its just about money and making the playoffs to them. Toronto west. 40 plus years of suckage mediocrity. Now we have to go through the learning curve of another GM. And another Cam Neely trade. Every Gm we have ever had has been bent over and screwed by someone in trades, and Gillis had learned from his Ballard trade. Who is there to hire? No one with a pedigree better then Gillis. Why fire unless you can improve? Pathetic is how I see this move, and it really irks me. I can only hope the Aqualini's will learn about hockey, and that it can take a step back, to take a step forward.

Weber had every opportunity to sign here once already. Why would he want to come here now?

http://www.vanhockey.com/2012/07/23/shea-webers-wish-list-didnt-include-playing-for-hometown-crowd-canucks-gm/ Not seeing Weber to Van as a viable rumour.

I like the fact Gillis sent out a letter. He wants to make sure that fans realize they have to be patient. Changes are coming, but they are not going to take any terrible offer that comes along. There might be some nasty blow outs in the next few games, and it is obvious to me, that the Canucks need to get a UFA tender in the offseason.

Sounds like an amazing dream. Saddly none of this generation of Sutters have it in them.

The reason the Pens are desperate is Sutter has sucked since he was traded to the Pens. The Pens got robbed in the Jordan Staal deal. Why should we help Pitt by letting them rob us with Carolina's castaways? Only players I would want off Pitts is Neil and Malkin. Would they take a package of Kesler and stuff for Malkin? Bet they won't.

Well at least the Pens put together an offer we can critisize. Have to respect the effort. I simply don't feel that the value is there to make that trade today. Kesler is at an all time high for his trade value, and it would really take a scoring winger like a Neal or Kunitz to get the ball rolling. Neal, Sutter, Pouliot, and a 1st. Gillis would have to pull the trigger then.