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The Myth That AV Hates Rookies


Kack Zassian

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Kassian was doing fine with the twins. He was our best forward. Then he got demoted because the twins were playing like crap. Even with Burrows back on the line, who's to say that they've even played that much better? They get points now, but what if they started to click with Kassian and they were that much better for it, considering Kassian was doing better with scoring than Burrows has been.

And then because Kassian got demoted, he gets put with a struggling line and gets further demoted. Basically because the twins weren't playing well he went from the first line to the fourth. Schroeder doesn't really make a mistake, but he bounces back between the third and fourth line. Burrows and Raymond both got the chance to play center, a position that they aren't even familiar with, over a prospect in Schroeder who was playing well and is USE to that position usually on a line above him.

Tanev is basically the only prospect that AV hasn't had bizarre treatment with, and even then, despite him playing the best defensively most nights, he was usually on the bottom pairing. Other defensemen above him play like crap and still get more opportunity than him. Everyone on the PP sucks, yet Ballard and Tanev, who deserve a shot over the broken ass people we use already, don't even get to try. Ballard isn't a rookie but AV dislikes him... and for the most bizarre thing?

Of all things, SCHROEDER gets put on the blue line on the PP.. despite being passed over offensively for normal play.. INSTEAD of Garrison, who now has our best shot on defense. AV just plays lines very strangely. Young players get the short end of the stick if veterans struggle, regardless if they play better or not.

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Absolutely. I totally agree. But read my other post and before you attack me over it realize that it is actually true as well.

Not very many things in life are as black and white as never or always........not when it comes to people anyway.

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Honestly, who is the best rookie AV has had to work with over the last 4-5 years? Tanev? Schneider?

If we had Galchenyuk or Huberdeau he'd probably get to play quite a bit under AV if the team was low on veterans as both of their respective teams are.

But all in all several rookies have played on the Canucks recently.

Schneider

Tanev

Hodgson

Schroeder

Kassian

Oreskovich

Weise

Bolduc

Hansen

Shannon

Rypien

The question in my mind is not whether he will play rookies but whether he will be able to develop them into better players consistently.

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Grabner - Wasn't in shape, was subsequently waived by the next team that acquired him

(Interesting fact, he has the same points/season avg as Raymond over the last 3 years... were not missing much..)

Shirokov - He wasn't given a chance in an 8 game sample? Hes certainly had a great career...

Hodgson - Had FIVE games last year under 10 minutes...just 5. Most games he was between 12-16 minutes and he was allowed to play soft competition... what more could you ask from for a coach as a rookie?

Schroeder - Is getting nearly 3 minutes/night on the PP (despite 1 assist in his last 11 games). How is that AV hating rookies??!

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Regarding the fact that AV does not run the PP......that is true but he is still the head coach and all decisions go through him. If he doesn't like someone or something to do with it he most definitely has the right and actually the ultimate responsibility to make sure it gets fixed.

Blaming the assistant coach for something while completely absolving the head coach of any responsibility is just not the way things work.

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it's not completely AVs fault, it's the fact that the sedins shouldn't (not can't) be split and burrows almost always ends up being their winger and how AV always starts the sedins when theres offensive zone starts . that leaves any chance at an offensive role would be playing with kesler and we all know about keslers 5on5 chemistry with his linemates.

detroit can put brunner up with datsyuk and zetterberg and help him out a bit by giving him some confidence then he has to work hard. Canucks don't have the luxury of doing that because when kassian was with the sedins it resulted from horrible play from the sedins.

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Not gonna weigh in too strongly on AV hating rookies but it seems like our young guys are benefiting from injury and lack of depth in the system. Would Schroeder still be here if we had another veteran centre? Kass if we were flush with RWs? It's true we haven't had much in the system to bring up these past few years and it's nice to see our rooks getting experience but honestly I don't think they'd be here unless we needed them to be here.

Also, not sure what the coaches are doing with the PP but it hasn't been good, rookies or no.

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I don't think he hates rookies, really the only case I have an issue with is Shirokov, as he played well, scored and AV benched him for no reason, he could have helped this team IMO.

To me it is simply him going with guys he is more familiar with, which would also explain the Ballard benching to some degree, it doesn't justify it, but atleast puts a reason behind it.

Also with regards to young players, here is the issue I have, they are young players, they are going to make mistakes. Its going to happen. But stick with them, don't park Zack Kassian on the 4th line. He has shown he can play and be a good player, give him the opportunity.

And with Schroeder, I think he has shown he is willing to play him, again predictably he fizzled out. Tonight he is finally giving him time with players he can play with and succeed with.

Basically for right now, I just want him to stick with them, Don't bench them after 1 bad game, or 2 bad games or whatever, they are young players learning the game, maybe bench them and cut there shifts in the games but give them that opportunity in the next game to go out there with linemates he can succeed with and play better with, cause these guys, Schroeder and Kassian both can really help this hockey team when they play well.

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