Alexandre

Here is what I could find so far, JB quoted about Olli at the draft. “I don’t know if there’s a true No. 1 defenseman (in the draft),” Benning told TSN 1040 radio. “If you look through the league right now, there’s maybe eight or ten No. 1 defensemen in the whole league.” And so the Canucks may choose a winger like Matthew Tkachuk or, perhaps more likely, a center like Logan Brown. If Pierre-Luc Dubois doesn’t get picked at No. 4, he’d certainly be an option, too. https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2016/06/24/canucks-opt-to-bolster-blue-line-select-olli-juolevi-fifth-overall/ If I remember correctly, I have heard Benning say a number of times, that Olli, in his assesment, projects to be a number 2 dman.

I have never seen nor heard JB say Olli could become a number 1 dman. Link please.

Pettersson started slowly but has started to impress over the weekend. Sure he has a great shot etc., but what really impressed me was his back check on that two on one. Going full out for most of the length of the ice, he caught the Jet player and took him out right to the end boards. Pettersson will be a force in the NHL.

Then scares the bejesus out of them! I hope Tryamkin comes back with the attitude that he is here to stay. He would be an excellent complement to our young defensemen going forward.

I wholly agree.

If you listen at the 6:25 mark you will hear Walker ask Benning what if Zadina fell, would there have been any debate picking him (over Hughes). Benning says no, that they would have stayed with the guy they picked. Haven't heard Benning say otherwise anywhere else. Their final draft list is never revealed and they are reluctant to say too much about it including the order the picks are in. However, the final list is final and if he says they would have picked Hughes ahead of Zadina then Hughes would be rated ahead of Zadina and would not change in any subsequent interviews. Benning, of course, could have forgotten the order his top seven picks were and had to correct himself later but I doubt that. In another interview, I do remember Benning saying that he had the same top seven. He just did not reveal the order they were in other than that tidbit about picking Hughes over Zadina. So no Dobson in the top seven but Tkachuk instead. My guess for the Canucks top 7: Dahlin Svechnikov Hughes Tkachuk Kotkaniemi Zadina Hayton So the Coyotes and Canadiens reached a couple of spots each because of their need for centermen. Detroit is kind of a head-scratcher. I guess their list had Zadina ahead of Hughes.

I mentioned Brian Leetch earlier in terms of how he controlled parts of games in the '94 Stanley Cup finals. That he was one of the difference makers for the Rangers and that I could see Hughes doing something similar in the future. While I was going thru old Sportsnet 650 radio recordings, I came across an interview with Benning I had missed, stating Hughes reminded him of Brian Leetch. The interview was Friday, June 22/18 right after they had picked Hughes. Benning mentioned a few things about Hughes and the draft some of you may have missed. He said Hughes was the perfect fit and that he complimented the Canucks young group going forward. What separated him from the other Dmen after Dhalin was his dynamic skating. That if both Zedina and Hughes were available they would have still picked Hughes. That they never expected Hughes to be available at #7, although Benning did say they had two centermen rated in the top 7 (I am guessing they had the centerman Hayton at number 7 and Hughes at 3 or 4). That when it was time to pick at #7 there was no debate or hesitation picking Hughes (they had Hughes clearly rated as the best Dman after Dhalin). Lastly, he said he wasn't comparing him to any Dmen but Hughes reminded him of Brian Leetch. https://www.sportsnet.ca/650/vancouver-canucks-radio/jim-benning-didnt-expect-quinn-hughes-fall-think-hes-perfect-fit/

Ehh, I just like to GOOGLE. What stood out for you during the 94 Cup run? Is my memory playing tricks on me or did Leetch stand out in that series?

Yeah, I agree. More importantly, he is going to be an essential component of our future success. I remember the hard-fought 7 game Stanley Cup series between the Rangers and Canucks in 1994. A lot of the details and games have faded but one memory that will stay with me is Brian Leetch. The way he controlled the play, especially carrying the puck on his offensive forays into the Canuck's zone. He stood out. He was unstoppable. We had no answer. He was the difference maker in that series. I definitely see Hughes being a difference maker for us. Not only because he has amazing speed, skill, and hockey IQ but because his attitude is outstanding. Check this out. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-bookbinder/5-things-leaders-look-for-in-a-difference-maker_b_9541458.html So difference makers have the attitude that they are, in fact, difference makers. The results of a study of roughly 1.7 million people across all industries found that what sets these high performers apart isn’t a set of traits like intelligence or ambition. Difference makers, or ‘high performers,’ simply do things differently at work. How well do the above statements describe Hughes?

If you weigh the pros and cons, the risk vs reward, of having an 18-year-old, 5'10", 174 lb defenseman turning pro or not, I would lean towards going back to college. Remember this is the Canucks. Where players who are virtually injury free suddenly become injury prone once traded here. A team that has a history of being amongst the leaders in man games lost. I remember a physical player taking a run at Horvat during the preseason at the start of his pro career. Horvat saw him coming and was able to hold his ground. Horvat was 19 y. o. and physically ready (currently one of our biggest players at 223 lbs) and yet he still sustained a shoulder injury.

Even better is that GMJB has character high on his priorities of what to look for in any player they acquire whether thru the draft, free agency or trades. Helps to avoid problems down the road.

Yes, you are. I remember you worried with Demko, Boeser, and Gaudette as well. Do you remember my confidence that they would sign with us? My confidence stemmed from their character. They would sign with us because they all had good character and would be loyal to the team that drafted them. Gaudette even stated this a number of times. He was going to be loyal to the team that showed confidence in drafting him and sign with the Canucks. Which he did and not pull a Vesey on us (saying he would sign with the Predators then ended up becoming a UFA). Hughes has the same character as our former NCAA guys.

This is true of course. I only went with the option of the NHL or college because of what Hughes said. He said he wants a legitimate chance of making the Canucks if he turned pro otherwise it would be back to college. Something to that effect. I took that as not wanting to go to the minors.

Yup. Forgot about that.

Yes. This is all true. I'm a Benning believer and I understand why Virtanen was rushed into the NHL. What I don't understand is rushing McCann at the same time as well. Did he cave into the pressure of a rookie GM needing to make a splash like GMMG? Concerning Hughes, I feel the rewards of him playing this season with us is not worth the risks.

For an offensive defenseman like Hughes, more than ppg, not almost ppg. Pearson, his coach in Michigan says he is close to being physically ready for the NHL. I take his comment at face value. He coached Jack Johnson and Werenski and knows how much benefit a second year in college was for both of them. Why not give him another year in college. Ferraro says he has never seen a prospect ruined with extra development. We do, however, have many examples of prospects rushed too soon into the NHL. Put it this way, if I was to guess whether Hughes was ready for a full slate of 82 NHL games in his draft year, I would rather err on the side of caution. We have to get Hughes' development right. He is critical to our future if we want to contend for the big prize.

Hughes feels he is ready for the NHL. He is a very confident player and playing well at the Worlds only reinforced his belief that he is ready. For him, it will be the NHL or back to Michigan. The fans are excited, the owner is excited. I'm excited. Imagine Hughes and Pettersson on the ice together. There will be enormous pressure on Benning to sign Hughes to a contract next week. He of all GMs knows how it feels to be in Hughes' shoes. Benning was a smallish offensive defenseman drafted 6th overall in 1981 who played in the NHL as a 19-year-old for the Leafs. No pressure. Listen to Hughes coach at Michigan Mel Pearson below. He thinks Hughes is close to being physically ready. But is close to being physically ready good enough? He said that Jack Johnson and Zach Werenski benefited greatly with a second year in college. Both were able to get stronger. Both put up ppg or better their second years. Wasn't it Benning that said a prospect should dominate at their current level before being considered ready for the NHL? Boesser dominated in college. Pettersson dominated in the SHL. I'd like to see Hughes dominate in college. https://www.sportsnet.ca/650/sportsnets-starting-lineup/wolverines-coach-suggests-hughes-might-better-off-another-year-michigan/

When Lind was drafted I thought he had the makings of a power forward. I think Wayne Simmonds is a good comparable. A bigger better playmaking Simmonds with a touch of Burrows mixed in like a couple of posters mentioned earlier. Wow, what a handful if he hits his ceiling! With his commitment to playing each game like it is his last, I have no doubt he hits it.

I have a good feeling about this pick. We have had very good luck in the 5th round in the past (Bieksa, Corrado, Hutton, Gaudette, and Forsling). If I were Benning, I would stock up on 5th rounders. Here is a Canucksarmy article on Utanen. https://canucksarmy.com/2018/06/23/canucks-select-toni-utunen-at-no-130/ NHL.com The Finn has a very well-rounded game, doing everything that is asked of him proficiently. Utunen is known as a two-way rearguard, making a strong first pass out of the zone and working well in transition. He doesn’t panic under pressure, always looking poised no matter the situation. At 5-foot-11, he isn’t the biggest defender but compensates for that by playing with an edge.

I was listening to Bill Muckalt this morning. He is the associate coach at Michigan. The topic of the more physical NHL came up. He said that Hughes was only caught once this past season. He was slew-footed which resulted in a power-play for them. He is very agile, fast, elusive, aware, and smart. However, the NHL is the best league in the world. The league is full of fast, smart, experienced grown men. Can Hughes survive a full grueling NHL season injury free as a 170-pound rookie at 18? What about the cheap shot artists out there? Players that would like nothing better than to nail a super slick, slightly built youngster. I still have visions of Ekblad going back for the puck and Hendricks nailing him from behind into the boards and concussing him. What happens if we make the playoffs where almost anything goes? Can Hughes withstand a Wilson like blindside hit? Doesn't matter how elusive you are. How do you protect yourself from a cheap shot blindside hit? Hughes is an important core piece for this team. As fans, we are all excited at the thought of Hughes on the Canucks. Francesco is as excited as any fan. Fans as a whole, are an impatient bunch. I have confidence in Canuck management. I hope they don't give in to the pressure to rush Hughes.

#1 Dman! Never expected to get one. No wonder Benning was excited. Good things do come in small packages!

You are right, Pettersson does say 177. The last I posted was 172 lbs but that was from Botchford. I was even appreciative of the piece he wrote in the Province. Learned a lesson and will qualify my self when quoting Botchford like everybody else. ^ Wait. Is Botchford right then? 77 kg converts to just under 170 lbs.

Yup. Also the same fears of Demko not signing and becoming a UFA before Boeser/Gaudette.

No sarcasm just genuinely happy with your comment of a 21% increase in his body mass. Party on!

Haha ...How do you figure? Don't get me too excited.