Curtis Valk | C/LW

[alfstonker]

4 hours ago, Crabcakes said:

Like Valkie but your vid is from Feb 2013

I know, it's ridiculous. But then he has had a lot of injuries. Still you would have thought there might be a video of recent games somewhere nut I could't find it.

[Sedinery33]

On ‎3‎/‎27‎/‎2016 at 1:52 AM, wshdrvvn said:

Valk got his first AHL Goal and an assist in yesterday's win.  I'm hoping he can finally get his feet under him in the AHL

Fixed for you... It is good to see him finally getting a chance in the A. Too bad it is because of injuries/call ups and not his ability. Hopefully he proves people wrong and his size is not an issue

[wshdrvvn]

1 hour ago, Sedinery33 said:

Fixed for you... It is good to see him finally getting a chance in the A. Too bad it is because of injuries/call ups and not his ability. Hopefully he proves people wrong and his size is not an issue

what did you change?

[Sedinery33]

38 minutes ago, wshdrvvn said:

what did you change?

Your original post says Valk got his first AHL and assist

[wshdrvvn]

14 minutes ago, Sedinery33 said:

Your original post says Valk got his first AHL and assist

it looks like your quote says the same thing

[Chronic.Canuck]

2 hours ago, wshdrvvn said:

it looks like your quote says the same thing

He added the essential word, "goal". He got his first AHL goal and assist.

[wshdrvvn]

15 minutes ago, Chronic.Canucks.Fan said:

He added the essential word, "goal". He got his first AHL goal and assist.

Ahh! now I see it haha I compared the two posts for a minute and couldn't see it for whatever reason.

[Chronic.Canuck]

2 hours ago, wshdrvvn said:

Ahh! now I see it haha I compared the two posts for a minute and couldn't see it for whatever reason.

All good. I blame Trump.

[Where'd Luongo?]

Nobody ever talks about this kid, even though he's the Comet's leading scorer and has had an incredible year considering his setbacks years past. I'm pumped for this kid and I hope he gets a chance to play on the big club someday, even if it's only for one game.

[Quantum]

I suspect he'll get an entry level deal this summer from the Canucks. He's earned it and has been around the franchise for quite awhile now. He does have a scoring touch and may be worth giving a legit shot next season. He may not be one of the "young guns" but he's still young enough and worth the gamble.

[Sedinyoureyesontheprize]

5 hours ago, Quantum said:

I suspect he'll get an entry level deal this summer from the Canucks. He's earned it and has been around the franchise for quite awhile now. He does have a scoring touch and may be worth giving a legit shot next season. He may not be one of the "young guns" but he's still young enough and worth the gamble.

Megnatron says hi

[stonecoldstevebernier]

I find it hard to project Valk at the NHL level. He's a small guy with skill but obviously not at the level of Gaudreau, Johnson, etc. However, there's no question he's come a long way this season and he's one of the few players on the Comets' roster with offensive creativity and he's a real crafty/shifty kind of forward. I think he could be capable as a call-up who can fill in occasionally but don't know if he can cut in the NHL long term since he's not well suited to playing in your bottom six... he might be like a Ryan Shannon type player.

 

That being said, this is his first full year in the AHL and he's had his development derailed by a couple of serious injuries so I'm definitely in favour of giving him a two-way deal to stick with the Comets next year and see if he can elevate his game again. He's gotten to the point where he could probably garner some attention from another team for a two-way deal so a purely AHL offer may or may not get it done, but the Canucks have shown good faith in him keeping him within the organization for the past three years despite his bad fortune.

[Quantum]

1 hour ago, stonecoldstevebernier said:

I find it hard to project Valk at the NHL level. He's a small guy with skill but obviously not at the level of Gaudreau, Johnson, etc. However, there's no question he's come a long way this season and he's one of the few players on the Comets' roster with offensive creativity and he's a real crafty/shifty kind of forward. I think he could be capable as a call-up who can fill in occasionally but don't know if he can cut in the NHL long term since he's not well suited to playing in your bottom six... he might be like a Ryan Shannon type player.

 

That being said, this is his first full year in the AHL and he's had his development derailed by a couple of serious injuries so I'm definitely in favour of giving him a two-way deal to stick with the Comets next year and see if he can elevate his game again. He's gotten to the point where he could probably garner some attention from another team for a two-way deal so a purely AHL offer may or may not get it done, but the Canucks have shown good faith in him keeping him within the organization for the past three years despite his bad fortune.

Yeah, well, I wouldn't compare him to a Gaudreau, Johnson, etc. He's just not there and probably will never be there. However, that said, I've been very impressed with him for quite awhile and he's handled the jump from the ECHL to the AHL very well. He essentially went from first line ECHL player to first line AHL player in one season despite having several seasons of injuries (and if I'm not mistaken, this is his first non-injury season in quite awhile).

 

My comparable for Curtis Valk is Yanni Gourde (who briefly played for Kalamazoo Wings before being signed by the Lightning). Gourde thrived at the QMJHL leader (was scoring champ one year), ECHL (put up lots of points), AHL (where he was a consistent producer with the Crunch) before becoming the go to call up for the Lightning (and has stuck with Tampa Bay since the trading of Filppula and the injuries to Stamkos and Johnson. He hasn't set the world on fire but has been a consistent performer. 

 

But basically, what I'm saying is, Valk could be a viable signing over a guy like Chaput and probably deserves to be rewarded by the Canucks. I suspect that if the Canucks don't sign him by July 1st, that he'll end up signing a two way deal with some other team. Possibly by Vegas (as AHL depth) or another team looking for some centre depth. I feel like the Canucks are in a good position to at least give him a shot.

[UticaHockey]

3 hours ago, Quantum said:

Yeah, well, I wouldn't compare him to a Gaudreau, Johnson, etc. He's just not there and probably will never be there. However, that said, I've been very impressed with him for quite awhile and he's handled the jump from the ECHL to the AHL very well. He essentially went from first line ECHL player to first line AHL player in one season despite having several seasons of injuries (and if I'm not mistaken, this is his first non-injury season in quite awhile).

 

My comparable for Curtis Valk is Yanni Gourde (who briefly played for Kalamazoo Wings before being signed by the Lightning). Gourde thrived at the QMJHL leader (was scoring champ one year), ECHL (put up lots of points), AHL (where he was a consistent producer with the Crunch) before becoming the go to call up for the Lightning (and has stuck with Tampa Bay since the trading of Filppula and the injuries to Stamkos and Johnson. He hasn't set the world on fire but has been a consistent performer. 

 

But basically, what I'm saying is, Valk could be a viable signing over a guy like Chaput and probably deserves to be rewarded by the Canucks. I suspect that if the Canucks don't sign him by July 1st, that he'll end up signing a two way deal with some other team. Possibly by Vegas (as AHL depth) or another team looking for some centre depth. I feel like the Canucks are in a good position to at least give him a shot.

That is the exact comparison that I make for Curtis Valk.  They are very similar players on similar tracks except Curtis was slowed by a major knee injury. Gourde was originally on an AHL deal in Syracuse and then rewarded with a NHL contract.  Yanni Gourde was in the Comets training camp during our first season but he was cut by Green and signed an ECHL contract in KZoo so we didn't retain his rights.

[Boudrias]

I am surprised that the CDC whine core have not realized that Valk was a Medicine Hat Tiger and a line mate with Vey. That should mean automatic TOI in Vancouver. Just the way it is, NO?

[Where'd Luongo?]

53 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

I am surprised that the CDC whine core have not realized that Valk was a Medicine Hat Tiger and a line mate with Vey. That should mean automatic TOI in Vancouver. Just the way it is, NO?

He also outscored Shink at that lvl.

[WeneedLumme]

1 hour ago, Boudrias said:

I am surprised that the CDC whine core have not realized that Valk was a Medicine Hat Tiger and a line mate with Vey. That should mean automatic TOI in Vancouver. Just the way it is, NO?

If he does get a shot with the Canucks and doesn't look like an instant superstar, the whining certainly will start. No sense waiting until the last minute. Me first: Damn you Willie, give the ice time to someone who deserves it, instead of that aging midget. Lol.

[BabychStache]

Way better for Valk to continue flying under the CDC radar. He can develop his game and and earn a call up as a middle six player. 

[stonecoldstevebernier]

Valk cooled off down the stretch but still wound up with 46 points which puts him 11th in AHL rookie scoring. No goals in his last 12 games and just 2 in his last 27 though; he did sprinkle in some assists here and there as he was being given continual first line usage that may have been slightly above his current abilities. Still, he acquitted himself very well in his first full year and showed that he has what it takes to be a top six player in the AHL and there's still room for him to improve given the amount of development time he lost out on the previous two seasons. For me, its between him and McEneny for the most improved player on the Comets this season as both came out of the ECHL to become critical parts of the Comets and log big minutes.

 

He has a craftiness and creative awareness to him that stood out on an offensively challenged team and I think the Canucks would be wise to offer him a two-way contract for next season to keep him in the fold and allow him to be a leading member of the team in Utica next season. Its possible he could still sign an AHL only deal but I wouldn't be surprised if he could garner interest from other teams looking to stock their AHL clubs with two-way contracts. He could be an interesting call-up as well if injuries strike and there's an opening in the top nine.

[73 Percent]

8 hours ago, stonecoldstevebernier said:

Valk cooled off down the stretch but still wound up with 46 points which puts him 11th in AHL rookie scoring. No goals in his last 12 games and just 2 in his last 27 though; he did sprinkle in some assists here and there as he was being given continual first line usage that may have been slightly above his current abilities. Still, he acquitted himself very well in his first full year and showed that he has what it takes to be a top six player in the AHL and there's still room for him to improve given the amount of development time he lost out on the previous two seasons. For me, its between him and McEneny for the most improved player on the Comets this season as both came out of the ECHL to become critical parts of the Comets and log big minutes.

 

He has a craftiness and creative awareness to him that stood out on an offensively challenged team and I think the Canucks would be wise to offer him a two-way contract for next season to keep him in the fold and allow him to be a leading member of the team in Utica next season. Its possible he could still sign an AHL only deal but I wouldn't be surprised if he could garner interest from other teams looking to stock their AHL clubs with two-way contracts. He could be an interesting call-up as well if injuries strike and there's an opening in the top nine.

How well does he elude getting hit?