Kassian Or Jensen

[DownUndaCanuck]

Higgins.

Not sure why people think he belongs on our 3rd line. This guy out-played Kesler and Booth all season long consistently and he's getting less important minutes than both of them.

Our 2nd line needs Higgins in the worst way - they were useless without him when AV took him off that line and long-story-short, we need a good 2nd line, not a good 3rd line.

Sedin - Sedin - Burrows

Booth - Kesler - Higgins

Jensen - Pahlsson - Hansen

Kassian - Malhotra - Lapierre

Bitz

And if need be, considering Kassian can get his crap together, I'd like to see this tried out mid-season considering Burrows may have peaked and will be on the decline and Hansen is getting better each season:

Sedin - Sedin - Kassian (skill and finally grit on the top line)

Booth - Kesler - Higgins (solid, physical scoring line)

Jensen - Lapierre - Hansen (speedy forechecking line)

Burrows - Malhotra - Pahlsson (best shutdown line in the NHL)

Top line gets 17 minutes a game, 2nd line gets 17 minutes a game, 3rd line gets 14 minutes and 4th line gets 12 minutes.

Obviously Burrows will rack up heaps of 2nd PP and 1st PK unit time so should end up around playing 15 minutes, Kesler will end up around the 20 minute mark per game and so in terms of individuals they're each getting around the same responsibilities, its just that the lines need a bit of shifting.

[Canuck Surfer]

I'm hoping beyond hope your on good grog?

Burrows was our ultimate competitor this year. The guy who brought the most "compete" of anyone on the team, and for years has surprised with how much skill he has to offer. Hank, after Danny got king punched, also came up to a level that inspired. But he does not have Burrows nose for the physical stuff.

I do hope he drops to the second or 3rd line. But only because at 185 lbs he's been the one riding shotgun for the Twins, not a guy like Kassian who could do some damage. But that will happen when a guy like Kassian, or Jensen, proves they can play to a level necessary.

Not because Burrows is on the decline!

Higgins.

Not sure why people think he belongs on our 3rd line. This guy out-played Kesler and Booth all season long consistently and he's getting less important minutes than both of them.

Our 2nd line needs Higgins in the worst way - they were useless without him when AV took him off that line and long-story-short, we need a good 2nd line, not a good 3rd line.

Sedin - Sedin - Burrows

Booth - Kesler - Higgins

Jensen - Pahlsson - Hansen

Kassian - Malhotra - Lapierre

Bitz

And if need be, considering Kassian can get his crap together, I'd like to see this tried out mid-season considering Burrows may have peaked and will be on the decline and Hansen is getting better each season:

Sedin - Sedin - Kassian (skill and finally grit on the top line)

Booth - Kesler - Higgins (solid, physical scoring line)

Jensen - Lapierre - Hansen (speedy forechecking line)

Burrows - Malhotra - Pahlsson (best shutdown line in the NHL)

Top line gets 17 minutes a game, 2nd line gets 17 minutes a game, 3rd line gets 14 minutes and 4th line gets 12 minutes.

Obviously Burrows will rack up heaps of 2nd PP and 1st PK unit time so should end up around playing 15 minutes, Kesler will end up around the 20 minute mark per game and so in terms of individuals they're each getting around the same responsibilities, its just that the lines need a bit of shifting.

[buddhai]

Jensen will go back to Juniors, despite a decent season, I think people want to see him dominate in the OHL.

Kassian needs AHL ice time, to gain confidents.

[The Ram]

i think they will both have a good shot at making the line up this season and will fill the holes for this team, i also feel both are as close to ready as they are going to be at this point in there young careers. im looking for both to make a big splash for training camp and pre season

[Gollumpus]

yes let Kassian play to his strengths, his aggression and physicality, the rest of his offensive game will develop over time, once he shows he brings energy and effort that is what MG traded coho for

[Tangelos]

Well in their draft year (despite being picked 21 spots ahead of Jensen) Couturier was putting up a 1.7 PPG pace, whereas Jensen played a PPG pace.

Couturier is just all around the better prospect, theres no denying it.

Also from that draft only picks 1,2,4 and 8 saw regular NHL time last year.

Jensen will be a good player in all likelihood...but you don't exactly see Buffalo fans clamoring for Joel Armia to make the big squad next year...

[Kack Zassian]

Draft position means nothing. Look at thomas hickey. Drafted 4th overall in 2007 and has yet to play a game in the nhl and Ryan o'reilly drafted in the 2nd round in 2009 has already 3 seasons under his belt.

[Kack Zassian]

Draft position means nothing. Look at thomas hickey. Drafted 4th overall in 2007 and has yet to play a game in the nhl and Ryan o'reilly drafted in the 2nd round in 2009 has already 3 seasons under his belt.

[70seven]

I think that Schroeder has a better shot at the top 6 than either of Jensen or Kassian. He's had some time to adapt to the pro game now, and will make for smoother transition. He also owns more of a playmaking side to his game, which should be of benefit to David Booth.

Given the fact that Vancouver has the right side taken on the 1st and 3rd lines, with the option of moving both Booth and Raymond to their off-wing, I dont see either of Jensen or Kassian making the top 6, unless they take over the pre-season.

And yes, for some reason I do believe Raymond will have a solid shot at it after a whole off-season of training, something he didnt have the benefit of last year. He'll be coming to camp MUCH stronger, and may also be playing to save his NHL career. If he can stregnthen his core, he should be able to get his shot back the way it was a couple seasons back, aswell as being stronger and quicker on his skates.

As the roster is now, with keslers injury, I forsee:

sedin - sedin - burrows

booth - schroeder - raymond

higgins - lapierre - hansen

? - malhotra - kassian

Again, It all depends on what transactions occur between now and training camp. And there are bound to be a few, some of which could be core changing.

[Newsflash]

There are little intricacies that Kassian can learn from playing a bottom six role. Little intricacies that will improve his physical game (yes, there is still room for a lot of improvement- he may have the size, but being physically dominant at the NHL level can be an art form). He already dominated the AHL in the 30 games he spent there, and I suspect if he were to go back, he would continue to dominate the AHL with a style of play that works there and not here.

How do I know that? Whether he was scoring here or not, he was not showing the physicality a power forward should have. I suspect he either dominated the AHL using size and talent, and not so much the sheer reckless abandon and determination we want from a power forward. Either that, or he was able to push around guys at the AHL level, but not the NHL. I didn't watch a lot of Wolves games.

Either way, his best option to develop physically would be in a bottom six role (instead of the AHL). Buffalo realized this last season, and I suspect Vancouver will too.

[crazyforhockey]

would not surprise me to see both playing big minutes next year for the canucks

[Guest Dasein]

if couturier can play, I see no reason why Jensen can't.

[WHL rocks]

Some posters here believe Kassian is a top six on the Canucks or he plays in the AHL. I disagree with this. Kassian will get some shifts on the top 2 lines but majority of his shifts will be on the 3rd or 4th lines. He will be developed properly and learn to play defensive hockey on the bottom 2 lines before being given top 6 role.

Bertuzzi, Kesler and Lucic were developed this way, Kassian will go thru a similar process. Unless you have a top pick like Crosby or OV who is ready to be top 6 right away most players play a bottom 6 role before graduating to a bigger role.

If the 3rd line is good enough for Sean Couturier its good enough for Zach Kassian. Jensen will go thru a similar process when he makes the big club. Only way raw rookies get a top 6 role is if they play for a rebuilding team or the rookie has exceptional skill.

This will not happen on a team that's won back to back Presidents Trophies and went to game 7 of SCF just a year ago.

[Nicklasjensen46]

The second line needs a centermen. So a better question would who is in while kesler is gone? Schrads? But for the second winger jensen has a better offensive upside. But two rookies in your top 6 sounds scary.

[Kack Zassian]

would not surprise me to see both playing big minutes next year for the canucks

[Tangelos]

You really do not have any idea how things work do you?

First of all, you are comparing players from two different draft years - each draft year is different, and some draft years are much deeper than others. For example, Corey Perry was drafted 28th overall in 2003 - He could have easily gone in the top 10 in any other draft years - it's just that 2003 was ridiculously deep, so he dropped to 28.

So comparing Hickey (4th overall in 2007) and O'Reilly (33rd overall in 2009) is useless and does not prove anything.

Second of all, Thomas Hickey was picked off the board by LA. Look at http://cdn.nhl.com/f...skaters_num.pdf - Hickey was ranked the 26th NA skater by Central Scouting - he was supposed to go in the 2nd or 3rd round. O'Rielly was the 39th NA skater http://www.nhl.com/i...ge.htm?id=31411 - so really, if you take into consideration the first point I made about your inadequate comparison of two different draft years, no one should really be surprised that O'Reilly is outperforming Hickey.

[Kack Zassian]

There are little intricacies that Kassian can learn from playing a bottom six role. Little intricacies that will improve his physical game (yes, there is still room for a lot of improvement- he may have the size, but being physically dominant at the NHL level can be an art form). He already dominated the AHL in the 30 games he spent there, and I suspect if he were to go back, he would continue to dominate the AHL with a style of play that works there and not here.

How do I know that? Whether he was scoring here or not, he was not showing the physicality a power forward should have. I suspect he either dominated the AHL using size and talent, and not so much the sheer reckless abandon and determination we want from a power forward. Either that, or he was able to push around guys at the AHL level, but not the NHL. I didn't watch a lot of Wolves games.

Either way, his best option to develop physically would be in a bottom six role (instead of the AHL). Buffalo realized this last season, and I suspect Vancouver will too.

[Tangelos]

Also why are we comparing players like Couturier, and Seguin to Jensen (I think it was someone else who compared him to Seguin)

Its like comparing Tuomo Ruutu to Anze Kopitar....

Why don't we compare him to players he projects similarly to?

[Kack Zassian]

Okay so you want an example from the same draft year? Here ya go son: Hugh Jessiman drafted 12th overall and Shea Weber drafted 49th overall. Never heard of Jessiman? Well I don't blame you.

All I'm saying is draft position means NOTHING! Remember the 1st overall pick in 1999 Patrik Stefan? Scouts were drooling over this guy and he ended up being a bust. He had about the same pts/game in his first season as Couturier so for all you know, Couturier could very well be a bust.

Who cares if Couturier was better than Jensen in the minors. We're in the big leagues now so past accomplishments mean nothing. Get over yourself. So to say couturier is better than Jensen when he hasn't been given the opportunity to prove himself his all bullsh*t. If Jensen makes the team, I guarantee you he gets more than 27 pts in his first year.

[ice orca]

Jensen, kid actually has hands