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[The Province] David Booth seeks skating coach to get his game in order

-Vintage Canuck-

By -Vintage Canuck-
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-Vintage Canuck- Canucks Hall-of-Famer

-Vintage Canuck-

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Struggling Booth considers hiring skating coach. He thinks that’s tied to a lot of his problems:

David Booth got another chance on Monday night.

He was back in the Canucks lineup against the Los Angeles Kings, after being a healthy scratch the last three games.

It's a currency he's running out of with the Canucks, but they are desperately hoping he can finally get some traction toward salvaging a career that has so dramatically skidded off the road since coming to Vancouver just over two years ago.

Booth is a player who's lost his way - a former 31-goal scorer who has just one goal and two assists this season - but he also carries a cap hit of $4.25 million through next season. That contract makes him virtually untradeable and is eating up an inordinate portion of the team's cap hit. Even waiving him and burying his contract in the minors will only give the Canucks $925,000 of relief.

So Booth is looking at taking the rather unusual step of using a third-party skating coach to help him recover the step he says he feels he's lost. Booth says he's found this beneficial when he's at home in Michigan, but said he hasn't done this yet in Vancouver.

"I've worked with (a skating coach) in Michigan, but I couldn't do it (last summer, because of injury rehab)," said Booth 29. "I think I learn well. I haven't worked with anyone (locally) yet, we're still trying to figure that out."

Booth's size (6-feet, 215 pounds) is made for an opponent such as the big and aggressive Kings.

That's if he can get there, which has been a problem since Booth underwent ankle surgery last March and the rehab took up a large portion of the summer, denying him crucial training time. Groin issues that seem to surface with regularity flared up in September and caused him to miss all but the final pre-season game.

"You get an opportunity, you've got to do something with it," said Booth, who's also tried a conditioning stint in the minors but was scratched three games after his return.

"It's just my skating. I need to get back. I'd been off the ice for such a long time. It's feeling balanced and explosive on the ice.

"It takes a while to get comfortable out there. I'm working on that right now and I think it's coming around."

Booth was limited by injuries last season and played just 12 games.

A player who once scored 31 goals in a full season (2008-09), managed to scored just once - and that was into an empty net - while adding two assists.

The season before - his first in Vancouver - he scored 16 goals, but missed a month with a knee injury.

Booth said he's been skating on his own, trying to catch up.

"I played 12 games last year and 12 more this year (13 actually). You go out, you break your knee, your ankle, you tweak your groin.

"Those things are tough. All my injuries have been lower body.

"I don't want to make excuses, but that's the reality. It's not like I took the summer off and was sitting at a pool all day. I've worked as hard as I could but those things add up."

Head coach John Tortorella called Booth a "project."

"We have some projects," he said. "Getting David Booth on track is a project. It's an everyday thing with me and it's getting David back to having confidence in his game."

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/hockey/canucks-hockey/Vancouver+Canucks+David+Booth+seeks+skating/9213402/story.html

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elvis15 Canucks Hall-of-Famer

elvis15

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I don't think it's as much about his skating for me. Having the extra step could help him generate more chances, but I think he has to find a way to convert on the chances he does get if he hopes to be successful again. Perhaps feeling better about his skating is what his confidence needs to start converting, but I'd think it's more than that.

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Dr. Crossbar Canucks All-Star

Dr. Crossbar

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I don't think it's as much about his skating for me. Having the extra step could help him generate more chances, but I think he has to find a way to convert on the chances he does get if he hopes to be successful again. Perhaps feeling better about his skating is what his confidence needs to start converting, but I'd think it's more than that.

I agree. I think it's more about confidence. Too bad he didn't get that goal off his first rush last game. That would've really helped ... in more ways than one, that's for sure. He looked good last game.

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Blömqvist Canucks Regular

Blömqvist

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I don't think it's as much about his skating for me. Having the extra step could help him generate more chances, but I think he has to find a way to convert on the chances he does get if he hopes to be successful again. Perhaps feeling better about his skating is what his confidence needs to start converting, but I'd think it's more than that.

I think he just needs more tenacity and aggressiveness in his game, especially on the forecheck. He has the speed, size, and strength but lacks the consistent on-ice effort. If he can get his effort level to that of Higgins and Hansen then Booth will be a very useful player.

Heck, Dale Weise is a more useful player at the moment lol

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DIBdaQUIB Canucks Franchise Player

DIBdaQUIB

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I think he just needs more tenacity and aggressiveness in his game, especially on the forecheck. He has the speed, size, and strength but lacks the consistent on-ice effort. If he can get his effort level to that of Higgins and Hansen then Booth will be a very useful player.

Heck, Dale Weise is a more useful player at the moment lol

IN his defense, it's hard to be aggressive in your playing style if you don't have confidence on your skates. Speed, agility, balance are all affected. For a player who's value is in his speed and driving the net, it would be pretty difficult to be effective if not skating at 100%. I hope he can fix this and fast as the team really needs him or someone else to fill that role.
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literaphile Abbotsford Regular

literaphile

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I don't think it's as much about his skating for me. Having the extra step could help him generate more chances, but I think he has to find a way to convert on the chances he does get if he hopes to be successful again. Perhaps feeling better about his skating is what his confidence needs to start converting, but I'd think it's more than that.

Skating is the one skill that underlies all other hockey skills. If you don't have confidence in your skating ability, then you won't score or otherwise be effective.

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ccc44 Canucks Prospect

ccc44

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I don't think it's as much about his skating for me. Having the extra step could help him generate more chances, but I think he has to find a way to convert on the chances he does get if he hopes to be successful again. Perhaps feeling better about his skating is what his confidence needs to start converting, but I'd think it's more than that.

The extra step is what makes the difference
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Fred65 Canucks First-Line

Fred65

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At least he is trying to fix the problems. Everyone here acts like he doesn't care and flames him for it.

It's a bottom line business. If you're a salesman and don't sell, if you're a scaffolding guy that doesn't like heights...... generally you get canned. Sad but true.

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Dogbyte Canucks Star

Dogbyte

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I'm actually gaining some respect for Booth. It looks like he's taking some accountablility here and he actually looked very good last game. Our most dangerous player. He should get the same coach that Brian Boyle had. She was dynamite and has worked with a number of players, very technical and actually gives players an immediate and noticable jump in their games, I saw a couple specials on it.

http://online.wsj.co...625053051115476

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Fred65 Canucks First-Line

Fred65

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We can't really can him that's why he's still here. Might as well make the most out of the situation then.

It's not just about Booth....you realize that he's hurting some one elses career and he's certainly hurting Gillis ( self inflicted ) ability to move the team ahead. If he improves 10-20% it won't be enough to continue to hurt the team. You have to wonder how much the team looses if they don't make the play-offs and you can't lay it all at Booths feet but his contract to production ratio is way way out of wack.

Maybe Erat-Booth deal a possible improvement...can't be worse

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