Happy Gilmore Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I've seen a lot of ragging on Zack Kassian on this forum which is unwarranted. Dealing Hodgson may seem questionable right now, and the two will be compared for the rest of their careers, but there are many reasons Mike Gillis pulled the trigger on this deal. First off, Kassian is only 21 years old with little experience in the American Hockey League. Hodgson spent most of the 2010-2011 season in the American Hockey League at the age of 20 and 21, and when he did play for the Canucks, he was not great. Next year I feel that Kassian needs to spend some time in the AHL getting 1st or 2nd line minutes to aid his development, and when he does come up to the NHL, he has the potential to be an impact player as soon as next season. Fans just need to be patient, as power forwards can take a few years to develop. Fans have been demanding a power forward since the departure of Todd Bertuzzi, and Gillis delivered by trading for one of the best young power forward prospects in hockey. Don't get me wrong, I liked Hodgson a lot as a Canuck and believe that he will be a great player, but I think that Kassian can also be a fantastic player for years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyfresh Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I've seen a lot of ragging on Zack Kassian on this forum which is unwarranted. Dealing Hodgson may seem questionable right now, and the two will be compared for the rest of their careers, but there are many reasons Mike Gillis pulled the trigger on this deal. First off, Kassian is only 21 years old with little experience in the American Hockey League. Hodgson spent most of the 2010-2011 season in the American Hockey League at the age of 20 and 21, and when he did play for the Canucks, he was not great. Next year I feel that Kassian needs to spend some time in the AHL getting 1st or 2nd line minutes to aid his development, and when he does come up to the NHL, he has the potential to be an impact player as soon as next season. Fans just need to be patient, as power forwards can take a few years to develop. Fans have been demanding a power forward since the departure of Todd Bertuzzi, and Gillis delivered by trading for one of the best young power forward prospects in hockey. Don't get me wrong, I liked Hodgson a lot as a Canuck and believe that he will be a great player, but I think that Kassian can also be a fantastic player for years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangler696969 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 You say we need to be patient. I say as fans we've all been patient enough. If this guy isn't going to help us win a cup NEXT YEAR, then we shouldn't have traded for him. The core of our teams window is closing as we speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easton76 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I didn't mind the trade, just the timing of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck_Whisperer Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Zack Failssian. (at least so far) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icycold Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Yes MG made a good move, Cody would have wanted more money for sure but in Zack it'll pay off too. Thing is people seem to think our core group is so close to the end and it's simply not the case but let them think it. Fact is, they still have time and MG will do whatever it takes w/o selling out our future and he has said that. It's NOT MG's fault he was asked to take the reigns for a team whose owners were a bunch of cheap skates (pun intended) Griffith's and never won a cup, no matter who came here to do it would have been the same story. I'm glad MG has that mindset because even if we do win a cup then there will be other years that people would cry about if we sold the farm for one cup and then had a crappy team after it. IMO there wasn't anything wrong with trading for a guy who does have the potential to become a power forward who you'd normally have to pay through the nose for in cap dollars and limiting other parts of the team that are needed too. There's no arguing we need a power forward developing in the stable that could be paying dividends in the next cpl of yrs in which the core will still be quite good and more experienced to help players like that mature for the future long after the core is replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crime911 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 You say we need to be patient. I say as fans we've all been patient enough. If this guy isn't going to help us win a cup NEXT YEAR, then we shouldn't have traded for him. The core of our teams window is closing as we speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joel Heyman Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Can not wait for the next couple of seasons so people can finally stop using these excuses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stark Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I didn't mind the trade, just the timing of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kj29 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 he doesn't have enough experience. period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyfresh Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 So you want our prospect that we traded Vancouver's golden boy for to fail and be unsuccessful just so you can gloat over people not being able to say it's because power forwards take longer to develop? Quite a fan I see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldnews Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Kassian advantages relative to Hodgson 1 - speed 2 - size (even as a 21 yr old, the difference in the play of Lapierre was notable - team-mates play bigger with him in lineup) 3- character/team-player 4- fits a more vital/needed role 5- will not need to be sheltered defensively - responsible and effective two-way player at a young age 6- can play up and down the lineup effectively 7- has an extra year on his RFA contract at just over half what Hodgson was making 8- does not have an annoying agent who creates ridiculous ice-time controversies and will demand a Stamkosesque contract 9- is not the most over-rated young player in Canucks history and has not already been projected the next captaincy. Hodgson's advantages 1- scored a nice goal in Boston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyfresh Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Power forwards do take longer to develop. It's not an excuse, it's a fact. Unless you're someone like Nash who had a 40-goal sophomore season, but he only scored 17 goals in his rookie season. That's a pretty big jump. Let's take a look at other power forwards in the league. Lucic didn't develop into the player he is today until 2010-11, in his first 3 season he had 8, 17, and 9 goals respectively. It took Iginla a couple of seasons to reach near-30 goal marks, and 4 to actually reach it. 5 season before he reached 50 goals. Bertuzzi erupted for 25 goals in his 5th season, after having scored 10 goals in a season only once in his previous 4. He scored 46 in his 8th season. I'm not saying Kassian will ever match any of those players in terms of offensive production (though I really hope he does), but it's a fact that power forwards take longer to fully develop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westcoasting Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 It's NOT MG's fault he was asked to take the reigns for a team whose owners were a bunch of cheap skates (pun intended) Griffith's and never won a cup, no matter who came here to do it would have been the same story. I'm glad MG has that mindset because even if we do win a cup then there will be other years that people would cry about if we sold the farm for one cup and then had a crappy team after it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 I will gladly eat my words but I just don't think he is or ever will be as good as people think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stark Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 IMO he's not good enough and will never reach his potential. He couldn't make it on a struggling buffalo team yet Gillis expected him to help the Canucks in the playoffs? Yes, he needs experience and time to develop but I do not think he'll ever be more than 3rd/4th line plug in the NHL. I hope I'm wrong but I truly doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaBestPlaceOnEarth Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 It's too early to make a judgment, I liked what I saw from Kassian but he didn't play much and he's still really young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorrcoq Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Can not wait for the next couple of seasons so people can finally stop using these excuses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canucks0123456789 Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Kassian advantages relative to Hodgson 1 - speed 2 - size (even as a 21 yr old, the difference in the play of Lapierre was notable - team-mates play bigger with him in lineup) 3- character/team-player 4- fits a more vital/needed role 5- will not need to be sheltered defensively - responsible and effective two-way player at a young age 6- can play up and down the lineup effectively 7- has an extra year on his RFA contract at just over half what Hodgson was making 8- does not have an annoying agent who creates ridiculous ice-time controversies and will demand a Stamkosesque contract 9- is not the most over-rated young player in Canucks history and has not already been projected the next captaincy. Hodgson's advantages 1- scored a nice goal in Boston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkyfresh Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Let me guess, you were one of the same "experts" calling Hodgson a bust only a season ago. People who don't understand how development of young players works should really just keep quiet. You just make yourself sound dumb. 21 years old is very young to be making an impact in the NHL. People already forget how Cody was a deer lost in the headlights last season, and then this season he was in the calder race. Kassian needs the same amount of time Cody got. This will be the biggest sumer of his career, and he knows it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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