DownUndaCanuck Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 So Kesler and Booth look like they won't be ready to play the first odd month of the season and names like Kassian, Schroeder, Lapierre and Raymond are being tossed around for the vacant 2nd line position. TSN in particular have been riding these guys hard to step up and fill in this empty line. However, people are forgetting about one Jannik Hansen. Hansen has improved every single season he's been in the NHL with no signs of slowing down, unlike guys like Higgins, Raymond, Kassian and Ebbett who have all had dips and poor production seasons in the past. He is my #1 candidate for the 2nd line position, if not playing with the Sedins where he's had plenty of proven success as well. This kid was essentially a 40 point player last season, a sparkling +18 on our 3rd line and scored 16 goals with limited minutes, all of which were at even strength. People forget about this guy quite a bit but he will undoubtedly hit the 20 goal plateau next season, and deserves a chance to play some premium minutes, including powerplay time. Sedin - Sedin - Burrows Hansen - Lapierre - Higgins Raymond - Schroeder - Kassian Weise - Malhotra - Volpatti/Pinizotto/Ebbett PP1: Sedin - Sedin - Hansen/Kassian Edler - Garrison PP2: Burrows - Higgins - Kassian/Hansen Bieksa - Hamhuis Hansen is probably the most versatile player on our lineup right now, not only in terms of solid defensive play but offensively he can skate with the best of them, play a fast-tempo speedy transition game or can plant himself in front of the net and provide a great screen (he was the best Canuck at this all of last season, far better than Burrows - perfectly positioned at the edge of the crease every single time). Sure losing a third of our top-6 is a big opportunity for outsiders to step up, but Hansen should be given the first and most thorough look because he deserves it the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAMBUTANS Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hansen will be at the SEL this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaku Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hansen is a good player in his own right, playing on the third. He plays really well as a third liner, IMO he should never be on the top 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hansen will be at the SEL this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peace Bond Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hansen will be at the SEL this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownUndaCanuck Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hansen is a good player in his own right, playing on the third. He plays really well as a third liner, IMO he should never be on the top 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bookie Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 People have been writing Hansen off as long as he's been in Vancouver, but you're right, he has improved every single year. We've seen glimpses of a goal scorer's touch. I think he'll start in his usual 3rd line spot, but if Kassian or whoever starts on the 2nd fails to impress, he'll get a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enforcer22 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hanson is a machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBCanucks Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Higgins and Hansen are two players that are incredibly valuable to us. They are great two-way energy guys that could easily play in the top-6 on most other teams. That being said I absolutely love what they bring to our 3rd line. They are great two-way players that are really hard to play against. The fact that they both consistently produce with limited minutes just makes it that much sweeter. I fully expect these guys to step up and fill the void that Kesler's/Booth's injury has left in our lineup. I fully expect the Higgins-Lapierre-Hansen line to eat up a lot of minutes for us with Kesler out. Three players that have been absolutely clutch for us the past two seasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattJVD Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I love that goal, beat Phaneuf in the race for the puck, protected it all the way to the net, and makes a great power move to score. He deffinitely has some talent and I could see him in the top 6 while we have injuries (now), but with a healthy team I like him at 3rd line RW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derp... Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 He played some solid mins at Tappara and I think he will be our best player outside the top line for sure this year. Don't know if he's good on the second line because the guys he would play with don't have that edge he has on the third. He is a beast though. could put up numbers on the PP if we throw him in the mix. I like his decision making too. As I think about it more and more I do like the line combo's posted at the top of the thread. I'd rather give schoerder the chance to play and if it doesn't work throw in the vet who has some experience and grit. Would you rather have ebbett from day one and he gets injured after the deadline and we throw schroeder in, or have schroeder in and him get injured and replace him with ebbs? Rather have the young guy in and if it doesnt pan out throw the old guy in as opposed to throwing the young guy in mid season with no NHL experience if ebbs got hurt! Hansen for the win though can anyone say honey badger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Surfer Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 People say rookies have no chance with AV; but look at Hansen picked low in the draft or Burrows? AV rewards effort before talent. And funny thing, when you get (earn) ice time, your talent develops. So its not surprising he has improved. If he does not hit a saturation point where his talent can go no further, he at least deserves the chance on the 2knd line. So guys like Hansen, debatably have passed guys like Hodgson? AV loves these "glue" guys that bust their hump forechecking, digging, hitting and fly up and down the ice at full speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Why not? He's already out-producing all of our bottom-6 forwards including Raymond, Lapierre etc. and is only about 5 goals and 10 points off Higgins' pace. This guy to me is a future 20-25 goal scorer and staple in our top-6. The perfect combination of speed, grittiness and good defence that is so important in the playoffs especially. You win with guys like Hansen - Boston did it with essentially all of their forwards playing a similar style to Hansen, as did Los Angeles. Not over-the-top skill, but enough to score and score the dirty goals. Hansen is the prototypical playoff player which is why we should try and integrate him more into our top-6 now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mephnick Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Because Hansen forgot about Dre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bd71 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Has anyone not watched AV teams before? There is no way that a line of Raymond, Ebbet-Schroeder, Kassian gets second line minutes. The third line will be the second line. They may not call them the second line but Hansen, Higgins and Lapierre will get the second most minutes. And this sucks because as usual AV will ride the top 6 guys too hard and the chances for injuries will increase even more. The forward depth on this team is scary right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedMachine Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Because he played in Europe, he's also one of our few players who will actually be in game shape at the start of the season .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Optimist Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I don't think any fans have forgotten about Hansen. I don't think the team has either. He is a cap friendly 1.35m for this and next season, he is a bonafide middle 6 winger and at his best can play and contribute on the 2nd line, or fill in briefly on the top line. No one expects Hansen to be a missing Sedin, but it is clearly possible that he can contribute and likely will on the 2nd line. I prefer Hansen to Raymond for that job, hands down. He is reliable defensively, maybe one of the most defensively reliable on the team of forwards right now, and over the last three seasons went from 15 to 29 then to 39 points, while also massively improving his plus minus rating, from -5 to 13 and then to a whopping +18. Only 34 penalty minutes last year in 82 games. Only downside is what does the future hold for the 26 year old? Has he had his best season, or was that a stepping stone to better things? I personally think we will see another small step forward in Jannik's progression, but in case we don't: what he brought the last season and a half is fine by me. That is what makes him solid in the middle six. last year 16 goals...this year in a shortened season...11 goals would be an improvement, statistically..and I see that happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nino Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I'm not sure that we have a shot at a cup with him on our second line, we may need him as a fill in but we are in trouble if that's all we have. But your right he has improved every season so who knows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primal Optimist Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 having said all that: I don't know what I think of MayRay, Schroeder, Hansen for a second line. Unless Mason Raymond has a career start to the season, the line won't hold up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-DLC- Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Everything's already been said...I also believe that his physicality is one of the best things about his game and that's how he's most successful. I, too, like him on the third as the scoring responsibility does seem to change the focus a bit if he's bumped up, but he's also more experienced and may handle that role well. Really looking forward to seeing what this year brings for him as he quietly goes about his business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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