Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

Where does Kassian fit?


BlueLemming

Recommended Posts

The real question is: how much patience do the the Fans have for an experiment? The truth is we are still one 1st line right winger away from top tier status again. So we are really just plugging and playing with what we've got. That said, I think Torts should roll 3 scoring lines (SEDIN-SEDIN-HANSEN / KESLER-BOOTH-BURROWS / GAUNCE-KASSIAN-HIGGINS) and move these players around as needed to line match opponents. I really don't see Horvat, Shinkaruk or Jensen making the team this year...next year once the twins, Kassian and Hansen get pay raises then we'll need to inject some players on ELC's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You want to see him on the top 2 lines if you're optimistic. The best I saw him play (except when he was brutal enough to get deomted after scoring 6 goals in 5 games or whatever), was on the third line with Booth last year. Ideally he would be on the third line but genius GM MG already has 85 3rd liners so he can't develop properly except on the fourth line where he gets no minutes. Maybe Booth-Kes-Kass can work. Kassian will be a year older and I predict he will make some big strides this year. He's got some serious skills, people need to be patient.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

kassian will most likely start the season with the twins on the first line:

1) torts has said he wants to reunite burrows and kelser on the second line

2) kassian is one of the players that interest torts the most

3) torts said the young guys will get a chance to make a difference on this team

No, first line mintues will not be handed kassian. but he will get a real chance to prove that he can play with the twins

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd start Kas with the twins, and if things go wrong, reunite them with Burr.

1) Sedin - Sedin - Kassian

Booth - Kesler - Burrows

2) Sedins - Burr

Booth - Kes - Kassian - almost perfect power-forward line with Selke centerman.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think we should stop expecting Kassian to be an enforcer on the twins line. When the trade was made everyone was thinking Cody was gonna be a first line center and so Kassian had better be on the first line. BUT what we didn't think about was that we had a first line center and a 2nd line center already. Kassian is best suited to a middle six role, and as he earns it, maybe some time with the twins, and that is fine with me. I Don't expect anythign more out of a guy who is in his early 20's and highly talented at hockey. Just because he has some strength to him doesn't mean he needs to fist fight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Pinchin

Under a new coach there is no earned playing time. Everyone starts from scractch. If a new coach comes in with baggage left from the last one then it may as well be a country club. So, to answer all those people wondering how Kssiaan could possibly take Burr's spot? Because Torts is making the decision, not Vinny. The speculaiton is great, the absolute "my opinion is the only right one", is unusually annoying to me on this thread for some reason. Kassian will play wherever he slots in after Torts get a feel for how the chemistry works under his style. That's it, saying it is any other way is to defy logic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see him on the first or third personally. Ideally, if he can mesh with the twins, this:

Sedin, Sedin, Kassian

Booth, Schroeder, Kesler

Burrows, Guance/Richardson, Hansen

Higgins, Richardson/Lain/Santorelli, Weise

That gives us four deep lines we can roll. A big body to help protect the twins and go to the net/corners, a passer/set up guy for Kes/Booth, a third line that with Burrows would be a decent second line on lesser teams with great checking and decent offense and a fourth line with decent size, grit, speed and a modicum of skill (with Higgins).

If anyone hiccups, Kassian, Booth and Burrows can all shuffle up and down the top 3 lines and Higgins/Hansen the bottom three for flexibility with slumps/injuries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think we NEED him with the Sedins and you go through the growing pains during the season for the simple reason that you need those three to have chemistry in the playoffs.

He will be the guy  (in the playoffs) that deters people from taking runs at the twins and given he can plant his body in front of the net, he will give the twins room down low. If the d leaves him alone well those saying he can't play with the twins, he scored 5 goals in 7 games with them and then AV in his infinite wisdom demotes him.

I find it hilarious that people so quickly forget in the first 10 games last year, Kassian was our best player. He was fighting and lifting the team's energy when they needed it, hitting, scored 5 in 7 with the twins and was looking like Neely 2.0, then AV facks with his confidence ...

1st line..and you'll see him get 40 pts.

Burrows can play anywhere in the lineup, gives the second line another defensive 2-way player that makes that line tougher to play against and has chemistry with Kesler. Morover, his years with the twins have improved his offensive game, particularly his passing. He has become a pretty good set up man and will help offset Kesler's weakness there.

Sedin Sedin Kassian

Jensen or Booth Kesler Burrows

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...