Solinar

@AlflivesWhat did you think of Lafreniere? Got some slick hands on the kid, and only gonna get better.....

Just remember, this is the 2nd of a back to back for NYR. They showed some decent legs, and got back into it in the 3rd. Good on the Canucks for stepping up, shutting it down, and delivering the kill shot. Lafreniere and Schneider looked good, Miller looked great, our 4th line is really kicking it up a notch, and wow, Demko for Vezina and Hart anyone? That was a good game, and can't wait for tomorrow. By the way, viewing NJ is also a must see, as they are apparently in on Boesser and/or Garland. Will get to see Smith, Zacha, and others.

That doesn't even begin to make it a deal I'd seriously consider considering the assets involved from our end, and especially as we'd have to retain salary to make it work realistically so that the penguins could afford to do a little bit more off to the side of that. Kapanen is a salary piece, who is also a complimentary player. He comes back because you need someone ready to play now, but also mainly for the salary component. I'd rather see Marino in that place, as, well, he fits a need, his salary is comparable, and it works for both teams. That's the 'hockey trade' part out of the way. From the quality of the other pieces, you better start jacking up those picks, and adding to the pile. The media for all of Pittsburgh, NYR, and Boston have us jumping at packages that leave me a little insulted, and possibly a bit angry. I mean, I get it. I'd trade the least amount possible to get the player I want too. But they're starting to fall into the realm of raymond, ballard and a first territory.

Alf, I think you're focusing on the wrong piece in this trade, where you consider Chytil to be a piece that is the jewel. In my mind, Chytil is the piece to make salary work, that could work, but if he doesn't necessarily lift off, I don't mind, because, well, he's the piece you move to make the salary work. Your opinion on Kravtsov, Lafreniere, I think is a little short sighted and blinded by where they were drafted, as opposed to the actual player they could be. There have been some very good players that didn't live up to the hype of their draft year, but you'd still want on your team. There are also a lot of players that have knocked thru the ceiling of their draft drawbacks to become superstars. Lafreniere was rushed, Kravtsov has ego problems. But, if you believe in your development system, they are both easy wins. Schneider fills an organizational need, AND, he's a great player. Lundquist, is what I'd lead with too, because I don't want to trade Schneider, at all!. In fact, if I was NYR, I'd rather walk away from Kaako, Lafreniere, or Kravtsov than trade Schnieder. So at that point, which one would you be going after? The defenseman is the most valued piece in the trade proposal, so you go to hit, and then you correctly, and surgically analyze the rest of the pieces. Once again, if the Rangers offer Schneider, a first, and a combination of any of the 3 players you seem to hate, you take that and you run away giggling.

LA is another dark horse in this race. The way I see it, there are a number of teams, NYR, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Nashville, LA and Florida that could see themselves in a place where they could actively compete with packages for Miller. Of the lot, I'd say Toronto and Pittsburgh would be at the lower end of the teams I'd want to deal with, simply because of the salary coming back to make it worthwhile, but they're also the ones who are in a win now scenario that would probably be able to add the picks we need.

There is another team that we could trade with, and I bet you Nashville is going to get into the picture. And they have some interesting pieces to look at and salivate over as well.

If NYR offers up Lafreniere, Schneider and a first, you run with it. Lafreniere is going to be a force at some point, and Schneider is too. The first, will probably end up being a player of some import, but will be a few years off. The two players here, more than make up for the value of losing Miller, and the fact that NYR could even remotely lose 2 players of that calibre, and a first, for Miller, should be a point of contention with how you rebuild, as to how Benning did it.

This has the feeling of media interference that we had when Toronto was interested in Luongo, and then shelled him in the media to try get a lowball offer across the table.

I saw the media proposed packages from NYR, Boston, and Pittsburgh. Not only would I hang up the phone, I'd consider mailing the pieces of the remains of it to those clubs. And if our team takes any of those 3 proposed packages, I'm thinking I'm going to have to seriously rethink my opinions on front office.

For those who are against trading Miller, you have to ask yourself, is the team better with Miller on it? Yes. But, are we going to win anything substantial while he's here with no changes? No. So, at that point, you have to look at it this way, can I draft/sign UFA's to make up for that while Miller is still here, and keep him relatively cost controlled? Probably not. So, at that point, you have to really look at whom you're willing to let go, and who you deem necessary for the next iteration of this team. Miller, Horvat, Garland, Boesser, Myers, OEL, the plethora of 7th d that we have, Hamonic, Pearson all have to be up in the air, don't they? Petterson, Hughes, Demko are the backbone of what you want to have of the team going forward. Now, identify the intriguing pieces you have in your stable, which is Rathbone, Hoglander, and Podkohlzin. Pods might move the needle, and Hoglander looks like a middle six winger. Rathbone could possibly be a top 4 defenseman, but he's not going to be top pairing. So, we need for sure going forward, some top 6 wingers, a top 6 center, 3rd line centre, two top 4 defensemen, and a backup goalie. Soon as you can fix all of that, you're in the running for contending. Now, if you can trade Miller for a package like Schneider/Lafreniere, a first, and another player and a prospect, you have 4 assets for 1, 2 of those pieces could definitely impact for a longer time period than Miller, and possibly for a better interim price tag. Then you move down the line, and you recognize who you can trade for futures, who can go on a 1 for 1 trade, and whom you're going to have on hand to just let walk at a future date. I personally think we have the basis for the notion of a 'retool', as long as we make sure we are also supplementing our draft picks, choosing wisely, and developing way better than we ever have. But you flub this, you're in for pain.....so much pain.

Corner the market on all fringe NHL defensemen and then ring the dinner bell at Trade Deadline for a vast collection of 7th round picks!

These guys have been with the team for a long time, longer than the GM that was just canned, and operated thru regimes. One has been there for 20 years or so. That is a long time to keep a track record of good and bad and.....mediocre. Sometimes its the head guy that's the problem, sometimes it is the inter regime change guys behind the scenes that have been there too long, giving the same wrong advice, giving the yes's when there should have been no's, and there is something to be said about the culture of the management group, that wouldn't even reach out to guys like Toffoli during their tenure. As far as I'm concerned, there should be a scalpel out, and quick and bloody change is desperately needed. From the guy who cleans the towels, to the guy at the top, everyone is under the microscope, and they better adapt quick, or get the hell out of the way!

Well, at least the tire fire looks like it has some kind of date where it'll be out. The firing of JB and TG should have happened after the Anaheim game on that road trip with the massive losses to Colorado and Las Vegas. The 5-1 loss to Anaheim was all you needed to know afterwards. You could have surgically cut out the rot right there, as it is obviously two things wrong with the team. 1, is that we have no identity, we are a collection of parts, but nothing cohesive in the way we play or what we're trying to do on the ice. 2, we are lost in a system that our players aren't meant to play, obviously. Watching them collapse to the slot, and then let every player and pass go thru the protect the slot system, is just f&cking painful to watch, day in, day out. The fact you can't pk, with a group of players that ideally could read the play better on their own, then the system they're playing allows them to systematically, is beyond tragedy. There is absolutely no way we can get worse than we are already, which is damn near historically bad. I wish the best to JB and TG for their accomplishments while here that were positive, but they have to own the negative too, and hopefully there is some learning here before either gets a sniff at the league again.

Completely agree!! When is enough, enough? Either come out and say, we're using this season as a development season, which is a complete lie as we waived Macewan and Gadjovich, traded away futures, and basically approached this season like we were going to do the do, or fire the whole lot of them, and try salvage what you can with a new coach, and a GM that has a plan that isn't just saying yes to the owner.

If we make it thru the season with no change, sorry, a lot of people are going to be out. And I don't know if they'll get back on the train easily. This week has been tone deaf to the extreme, and I could understand it if there was light at the end of the tunnel, but frankly, the team is so fragile, and so terrible, that you could put Cooper in charge and I think it would be 20 games before the shaky hands start easing up, let alone the ptsd. We need a coaching change, and you have candidates nearby to do it. But nope, continue the process. Here's hoping that either we do actually turn the corner, because now I just feel sorry for the on ice personnel, or we get absolutely shelacked next game.

There seems to be this vision, that fans of the canucks could never tolerate the time it would take to do a proper rebuild. So what we got, in reaction to that premise, was this. Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm getting tired of whatever the hell this is. I'm tired of the the GM, the Coach, and hell, even the players at this point. You have to do a lot of things wrong, to be this bad, and have it happen naturally, and not on purpose. There is a team just down the road, and maybe it is time, instead of bitching or pleading with a management group that just can't seem to get its poop in a group, to just stop this. I said I'd give them one more year, but hell, that was when I couldn't believe we could just stink this bad on the ice. There are all the excuses, and yet, flaming dumpster fire. God, this team hurts my soul.

I've been watching this team for decades. I turn on every game I can, and hell, I'm going to go see them live on the 19th vs Winny. I don't know if I can watch the game tonight, and hope we see a new coach/GM for the game I am there for. I bought my tickets right at the beginning of the season, when I had hope, but little by little, I've been turning off the games earlier and earlier. They're playing like they don't know what to do, they're going thru the motions of a system that is built for players that we don't have, and instead of changing that up to make the game play to their strengths, we're seeing a doubling down and then of course, a tuning out. They say the words, but their actions tell a tale, and one that is as old as time. They don't show up in the first, they suddenly care when its too late in the 3rd, and go thru the motions like players who know they'll get paid regardless.

4-2 win for the Canucks. Hoglander breaks thru and scores after his tremendous effort in the game vs the Oilers. Pettersson shakes the rust off and snipes one top corner, and Horvat is sprung for a breakaway and scores. The last is an empty netter by....hell, why not, Poolman playing in the last minute of the game, because, He looked damned good last night and could use a little currency the rest of the fanbase can get behind.

Vegas, Oilers, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle, LA, SJ, Anaheim. Think we'll be on the outside looking in after challenging to the end for a wildcard spot. We'll look back on this season and realize we need net front presence, and a better defense, but we'll be happy with progression and point totals from some of our key players, as well as the development of Podkolzin. Savvy trade deadline deals will yield future rewards for the club, as we look to advance into the playoffs and beyond for next season.

Everyone is busting Travis Green on Gadjovich being out, but remember, the GM puts the personnel on the roster. Yes, the coach plays who he thinks can win the game, but at the end of the day, the GM can say hey, use this guy and develop him. It becomes about what your focus is for the season. For many of the fans, we don't expect a stanley cup this season, but we do expect progression. But many of us are also willing to have some development time and woes, along with pluses to it going into this season. I for one, wanted a younger 4th line, that had scoring punch, youth, energy and physicality. I also look at this team and see a decisive lack of net front presence, which Gadjovich would have served. I would have made room for him on the roster, and would have had the young guys working overtime learning the other systems. I may not have the best win/loss ration 'this' season, but in the long term, I might have turned over our assets better come the TDL, and also would have had fan engagement as well as lack of backlash. Yes, we want to make the playoffs, but not at the expense of throwing away our prospect pool to do it. I don't know, maybe that's just my opinion. I would have loved to see Gadjovich, Lind *claimed* and Lockwood.

I wanted to see a line of Gadjovich Petan and Lockwood with highmore as the 13th forward. They've all shown they actually have something to bring to the table, and thru the games I've seen them, have been noticeable for the right reasons. All of this for...we need guys who can pk, when we need to train guys to pk...and sacrificing our own picks and talent for a skill that is largely playing a system and reading off of players, which players with high hockey iq generally do anyways... I mean, do you really want to see the slop they're going to put in place instead?

This is some definite bullsh#t when the team, who needs bottom six scoring, waives an option that legitimately makes a line a scoring threat. Gadjovich has shown well in every game that he's played in, and if you can't figure out your pk/pp units because you have a stupid dinosaur notion that bottom six plays pk, and top six plays pp, and your coaches can't figure it out, what the hell is going on? Our bottom six has been a blackhole for scoring the last few years, it is costing us games, and costing us progress. And if you think I'm mad now, just wait till you see me if he gets claimed. Waive freaking Macewan!! I watched him last game, and nothing he gave makes up for what we lose in Gadjovich. We need a guy who knows his role of getting in front of the net!! Deflect the puck and block vision. Oh wait, we lost last night, because we don't have anyone who goes and stands in front of the net who can actually do something while there other than stand slightly to one side so the goalie can make the save....

VPN time for those who are getting blacked out

Now, as for their contracts, that's something we'll have to wait and see on, but I'm pretty sure they're being held away from the rabid fans while it sorts itself out. And for all we know, they are waiting for that moment before the season starts where all the money can be put on LTIR so that they can maximize the term, money, etc that comes with the club being able to do that. This could all be part of the process, and I'm sure that we're going to hit the ground running come the start of the season, and the energy put into this will hopefully transfer to a good season overall with a team that looks and will play, far better than last years debacle.

These young players, are a business. The business they are selling is their skills. These guys work hard, practice their craft, and the very best of them rise to a level of stardom seldom attained by many. They put their bodies on the line, face incredible physical duress, and sometimes leave the game in a far worse physical condition than many of us would want to contemplate suffering from our own day jobs. Yes, they get paid, and some get paid incredibly well, but there is a caveat, that if things go horribly wrong that's all they'll probably be good for making in a career that can span 4-10 years. While outside the rink, they are people. They don't deserve the trash talk and other things that come in the sport. Leave them alone, and let them do them, and let the business sort itself out. Keep it to the forums, and your friends, and the rink.