Erik Gudbranson | #44 | D

[Tre Mac]

I have no doubts Guddy comes back next year and plays top 4 no problem.  He'll be a bargain and I love the signing.

[captainhorvat]

3 minutes ago, Tre Mac said:

I have no doubts Guddy comes back next year and plays top 4 no problem.  He'll be a bargain and I love the signing.

I agree, hes still young and i feel like his best years are still ahead of him.

[Boudrias]

1 hour ago, Tre Mac said:

I have no doubts Guddy comes back next year and plays top 4 no problem.  He'll be a bargain and I love the signing.

Guddy has to be able to play top 4 as I still hold out hope that Benning can trade Tanev for a package including a 1st Rdr. If that happens Guddy and Stecher hold down the right side. I guess it comes down to whether Green saw enough in them to fell comfortable in dealing Tanev versus what can be drafted. To me it is more about 3 - 5 years down the road than next season.

[komodo0921]

14 hours ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Gerard Gallant will be this year's coach of the year in a cake walk.   He hated seeing Erik Gudbranson being traded. He made it clear to management that losing Guddy changed the complexion of the blue line. Gallant valued Gudbranson’s game, how hard he could make it on opposing forwards. But Florida’s front office values a different kind of defender, and with one season remaining until his free agency, they weren’t going to ante up for Gudbranson’s skillset even though their coach, their coach that righted their franchise, was adamant they needed to retain that player.   This year Vegas is winning and doing with Guddy clone type Braden McNabb and you can bet Guddy was in Gallant's mind when he influenced management to draft Nicolas Hague.

 

A player like Guddy isn't always appreciated by those who watch at a certain level, but if you are a coach like Gallant you want his on your team.   Canucks are luck to have him on theirs.

It's not difficult to see why JB wanted him.

When he's on his game, he's a force. 

As I see it, he has two glaring issues.

Consistency and Injuries.

He needs to be a physical force every game, not just when he feels like it. He needs to lay the body and lay it hard. He doesn't have to fight every game, but he does need to know when it is necessary and be willing to answer the call every time.

One underestimated weapon he has is his shot. It is hard and accurate.  I don't know if he's unsure of whether or not he should shoot, or if he feels nervous to do so but he definitely needs to make it a more consistently used weapon in his repertoire. I think he's definitely capable of more offense than he's shown so far.

It is hard not to notice his absence due to injuries. Of 164 games played since his arrival in Vancouver, he's played. exactly half. Unfortunately, like Tanev, his style of play is the key factor in his injuries but is also the key factor that makes him an NHLer. It's unrealistic to expect any changes in how he plays, so all we can do is hope he can avoid injury.

He and Tanev do, however, demonstrate how important depth is to a team. A successful team will always have a player that steps up during the turbulent times and hold the fort.

We don't have that right now. When everyone was healthy, we had a great team that was competing for a playoff spot. Unfortunately, injuries and lack of depth put an end to our playoff hopes.

But the good news is we have an exciting group of prospects coming that will provide that depth.

[DrJockitch]

I have changed my mind on Guddy.  If he is going to be the modern equivalent of Gino to EPs Bure I guess he is worth what he is getting paid.  That kid is magic and is going to need protecting.  You can't really have an old fashioned goon anymore (I think that is a good thing) so he is the type of player best to do that.

 

To say he should be top pairing though is just not realistic.  He should play bottom pairing and step up when needed, and it is always needed.  I see that as a comfortable role for him.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

 

[Tre Mac]

Sounds upbeat.  Like I said before I love the resigning and that contract will be a bargain by the end of next season.

[AlwaysACanuckFan]

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Edited May 29, 2018 by AlwaysACanuckFan

[Darius]

Watching Vegas and Deryk Engelland.  Hes big, tough, fairly mobile...very effective when playing in a solid system like Gallant has implemented.  I see many similarities in Gudbranson.  Wont get a million points, but can be just as effective on a good team - and he can make the other team pay.  Gudbranson is 10 years younger and should still improve.

[Alflives]

Guddy will be in our top pair next season with Edler.  That will allow Tanev to play with Juiolevi.  That's a really good (and big, excepting Tanev, but he's awesome anyway) top four.  Our D is shaping up to be one of the best in the league.  Get Demko (a real goalie) in the net, and we are great on the whole back-end.  

[PhillipBlunt]

Gudbranson showing Kassian who's boss.

 

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, PhillipBlunt said:

Gudbranson showing Kassian who's boss.

 

Guddy is one tough dude.  I'm so glad he's on our team.

[SilentSam]

On 2018-05-29 at 9:05 AM, PhillipBlunt said:

Gudbranson showing Kassian who's boss.

 

Heard Gudbranson said in an interveiw recently that he is setting up to come back in the best shape he has ever been, and the lengthy injury setback, even though he played through a lot of it, is a motivating factor to show his best from the get go.

[PhillipBlunt]

9 minutes ago, SilentSam said:

Heard Gudbranson said in an interveiw recently that he is setting up to come back in the best shape he has ever been, and the lengthy injury setback, even though he played through a lot of it, is a motivating factor to show his best from the get go.

That was on 650. I have a feeling he's going to have the best season of his career so far, and be an absolute monster for the Canucks.

 

I do hope that Benning adds a couple of other stronger, more aggressive, pack mentality type players to guard the skilled youth coming in. It shouldn't all fall on Guddy's shoulders.

Edited May 31, 2018 by PhillipBlunt

[DeNiro]

Need to trade Hutton and Tanev and rebuild with some more grit on the back end.

 

The way our D is built now we're only going to continue to see the parade to the IR that we've seen over the years.

[PhillipBlunt]

3 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Need to trade Hutton and Tanev and rebuild with some more grit on the back end.

 

The way our D is built now we're only going to continue to see the parade to the IR that we've seen over the years.

As much as there is a need for a true puck moving offensive dynamo, the defense also needs more than just Gudbranson and Edler punishing opposing forwards.

[DeNiro]

1 hour ago, PhillipBlunt said:

As much as there is a need for a true puck moving offensive dynamo, the defense also needs more than just Gudbranson and Edler punishing opposing forwards.

I agree. Vegas is a good example of what our back-end could be if we have four balanced lines.

 

Yes it would be nice to have a number 1, but in the meantime we just need some guys who can skate, move the puck, and provide some intimidation and grit. They don't have to be 40-50 point guys.

[Fanuck]

5 hours ago, SilentSam said:

Heard Gudbranson said in an interveiw recently that he is setting up to come back in the best shape he has ever been.

Really want to believe this and I hope it happens and Quads returns with a vengeance.....but realistically - who tells media (or fans/coaches for that matter) that they intend on coming back in either the same shape as last season or worse - nobody does that.  They all claim they're training harder than ever and that the offseason will be their best ever.  I remember a couple years back CDC even had an off-season video feature on how Hutton was refocusing his training to get in the best shape he'd ever been in and look how that turned out......

[Angry Goose]

8 hours ago, PhillipBlunt said:

That was on 650. I have a feeling he's going to have the best season of his career so far, and be an absolute monster for the Canucks.

 

I do hope that Benning adds a couple of other stronger, more aggressive, pack mentality type players to guard the skilled youth coming in. It shouldn't all fall on Guddy's shoulders.

I miss Dorsett.  He was the perfect compliment with Sutter too

[Rob_Zepp]

On 5/29/2018 at 9:48 PM, Tre Mac said:

Sounds upbeat.  Like I said before I love the resigning and that contract will be a bargain by the end of next season.

I think people forget the dominant force this guy can be and how good he was as a Panther.   He was not drafted 3rd overall by accident.   He just turned 26.   He is a mountain of a man who is a really strong skater.   He works very hard and is responsible.   He has a great shot that simply hasn't manifested itself into a ton of points but he gets the shot through when he takes it.   He is also, by all accounts, massively great in the room.    

 

I have high hopes for Erik returning to the force he was in Florida.