Thomas Vanek | #26 | RW

[TNucks1]

On 10/23/2017 at 6:09 AM, Boudrias said:

Vanek is not long term. I want him to have a good season so that Benning can move him at the TDL for a pick. Same for Gagner.

we signed gagner for 3 years, i doubt they shop him at TDL.

[Wilbur]

Vanek passed a lot of failed experiments into 338th with his assist tonight.

 

338.  Greg Adams	LW	12	4	2	6
338.  Thomas Vanek	RW	11	4	2	6
340.  Nicklas Jensen	RW	24	3	3	6
340.  Derek Roy	C	12	3	3	6
342.  Ron Ward	C	71	2	4	6
342.  Steve McCarthy	D	51	2	4	6
342.  Jim Mair	D	23	2	4	6
342.  Dan Kesa	RW	19	2	4	6
342.  Samuel Pahlsson	C	19	2	4	6
342.  Brandon Reid	C	13	2	4	6
348.  Brendan Gaunce	C	77	1	5	6
348.  Erik Gudbranson	D	40	1	5	6
348.  Dave Logan	D	40	1	5	6
348.  Tommi Santala	C	30	1	5	6
348.  Philip Larsen	D	26	1	5	6
348.  Dan Seguin	LW	26	1	5	6
354.  Cory Schneider	G	98	0	6	6

[Wilbur]

Vanek jumped a few with his assist tonight.  Vote for Rory Vanek!

 

330.  Mel Bridgman	C	15	4	3	7
330.  Thomas Vanek	RW	14	4	3	7
334.  Garth Rizzuto	C	37	3	4	7
335.  Don Kozak	RW	28	2	5	7
336.  Rory Fitzpatrick	D	58	1	6	7
336.  Jim Dowd	C	38	1	6	7
336.  Brandon Prust	LW	35	1	6	7

[Boudrias]

Liked Vanek's play to date but the beef on him has been his fading as the season goes on. 

[pluralsight]

15 points in 22 games so far for Vanek. Pretty good, under the radar signing especially at $2million. 

[Nuxfanabroad]

Vanek

Nilsson

MDZ

 

These signings have been golden..found $. Every good signing is basically like a reversal of past trades that have turned out badly. Gives an organization a chance to take some risks, accepting the odd mulligan.

 

So I'm wondering if last summer was a one-off?(so many signings)..or will they go back to this well?

[aGENT]

19 hours ago, Nuxfanabroad said:

Vanek

Nilsson

MDZ

 

These signings have been golden..found $. Every good signing is basically like a reversal of past trades that have turned out badly. Gives an organization a chance to take some risks, accepting the odd mulligan.

 

So I'm wondering if last summer was a one-off?(so many signings)..or will they go back to this well?

Hope we see a Kane signing this summer and maybe a depth guy or two. If we move an Edler and/or Gudbranson (if he doesn't re-sign by TDL) maybe a guy on D but we have a good few kids who should be pushing for spots next year so should have to rely less on short term vets to fill gaps and we'll still have Eriksson and Gagner in that capacity.

 

Subtract - Sedin, Sedin, Vanek, Burmistrov at F.

 

Add from a pool of Kane, Gaudette, Pettersson, Goldobin, Dahlen etc

 

Subtract - Hopefully Edler 

 

Add from Juolevi, McEneny, Holm

[gregthehockeynut]

 If Pettersson is on the roster next year he needs wingers with size. If none of the prospects pool big wingers can make the roster then resigning Vanek for a year or two makes sense. IF Guddy and Edler are both gone then our biggest D are Hutton and Pouliot at 208lbs. One or two big 2 way D required to complement the smallish speedy ones methinks...

[lethal_spaghetti]

56 minutes ago, gregthehockeynut said:

 If Pettersson is on the roster next year he needs wingers with size. If none of the prospects pool big wingers can make the roster then resigning Vanek for a year or two makes sense. IF Guddy and Edler are both gone then our biggest D are Hutton and Pouliot at 208lbs. One or two big 2 way D required to complement the smallish speedy ones methinks...

Jon Carlson  i can hope right?

[Gaudette Celly]

On 11/24/2017 at 10:09 AM, aGENT said:

Hope we see a Kane signing this summer and maybe a depth guy or two. If we move an Edler and/or Gudbranson (if he doesn't re-sign by TDL) maybe a guy on D but we have a good few kids who should be pushing for spots next year so should have to rely less on short term vets to fill gaps and we'll still have Eriksson and Gagner in that capacity.

 

Subtract - Sedin, Sedin, Vanek, Burmistrov at F.

 

Add from a pool of Kane, Gaudette, Pettersson, Goldobin, Dahlen etc

 

Subtract - Hopefully Edler 

 

Add from Juolevi, McEneny, Holm

How I see it as well.  Unless his ask is way out of line, I believe we see Gudbranson re-signed.  With Pouliot looking like an NHL player and Holm and McEneny not far off, I'm expecting a trade (or two?) on the back end -- if not Edler then maybe Hutton, but I don't think Edler makes it past next year's TDL.  Unless they are moved, Goldobin, Holm, and McEneny are all waivers-eligible next year too, so they almost certainly make the roster.

[Rob_Zepp]

Vanek Having Impact

 

Interesting article:

 

Vanek having bigger impact than expected for Canucks

NEW YORK – There is far more to Thomas Vanek than we expected.  Even his passport is more complex and impressive than we knew. 

 

Sure, Vanek was born in Vienna and is considered by far the greatest player in Austrian hockey history.

But his family and hockey roots are from the Czech Republic, where his father, Zdenek, played professionally. And Vanek’s most important minor hockey season was spent in Lacombe, Alta., outside of Red Deer, where a Canadian hockey friend of his dad knew a family that would take him at age 14 so he could learn the game in Canada.

At 15, Vanek moved to Sioux Falls, S.D., to play in the United States Hockey League, and three years later the winger became a fifth-overall draft pick out of the University of Minnesota by the Buffalo Sabres. And Minnesota is where Vanek, his wife Ashley and their three boys have a home.

 

"I wanted to play hockey in Canada," Vanek, 33, says. "My parents supported me and said: ‘Go try it, and if it doesn’t work out, you can come home in two days, two weeks, it doesn’t matter.’ The hardest part for me is I love to talk and joke around and, at 14, I really didn’t know any English. But the family I stayed with had a son my age and a younger daughter. He became my best friend, and his friends became my friends. I still keep in touch with them, see them when we play in Edmonton or Calgary.

"My dream coming from Austria was to play in the NHL and win a Stanley Cup, and I’m still chasing the Cup."

 

Oddly, Vanek figured he might yet achieve that by signing a free-agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Sept. 1.

The Canucks became Vanek’s seventh NHL team in less than four years, so the former 40-goal scorer seemed more red flag than red light when general manager Jim Benning tossed him a one-year, $2-million contract at the end of the summer.

Apart from the screeching it caused on social media that the Canucks were depriving a younger player of development time by adding a veteran near the end of his career, Vanek had disappointed some of the teams he’d played for.

 

The Minnesota Wild bought out the final season of a three-year, $19.5-million contract it gave Vanek in 2014, which allowed him to sign before last season with the Detroit Red Wings, who dealt him at the trade deadline to the Florida Panthers. He scored twice in 20 games in South Florida.

 

Vanek has played 908 games in the NHL and grossed $75 million, but has never been to a Stanley Cup Final.

So there was, naturally, a wariness regarding Vanek when the Canucks signed him. What could he really offer a rebuilding team during the downslope of his career?

 

Well, for starters, five goals and 15 points through 23 games. Only rookie Brock Boeser has been more productive for the Canucks in terms of points per minute. Playing on the third or fourth line, Vanek is averaging only 13:18 of ice time, which ranks 12th among Vancouver forwards who have played at least five games.

 

But beyond his scoring, Vanek has looked fully engaged, displaying guile and tradecraft, and leading by example by playing hard without complaint each night even when his low ice time makes little sense. (Checking forward Brendan Gaunce has gone 82 games without a goal, yet is getting 14:14 a night from coach Travis Green).

Vanek is strong on the puck, his playmaking is better than expected, and his robust work in front of the net has helped the power play.

 

"My game has grown into something a little bit different than it used to be," Vanek says. "I used to be more of a scorer that played with good players, who tried to set me up. But over the years, as teams kind of let the young guys go, you’ve got to become more of a secondary-scoring guy, which I’m completely fine with.

 

"Would I like to be playing at the 16-minute mark on average? Sure, but every player wants to play more. I think I’ve learned to not worry about it and the shifts I do get, be productive. Is it harder to score? For sure it is. The chances you get are less than when you’re playing 17 or 18 minutes, but you just have to make the most of it."

 

Vanek spoke with Green in July, weeks before he decided where to play, and says he knew the Canucks would be better than most people predicted.

 

He says bouncing between teams has been difficult on his family – his eldest child is 10 – and knows that he could be traded again if Benning decides to leverage moveable assets at the deadline.

 

But Vanek is having fun with the Canucks and still feels he can contribute, which he is proving.

 

"I don’t feel like I’m just hanging on to playing," he says. "At this point in my career, I’m not playing for money anymore. I want to win. I want to have success. As far as the future, I’m just really having fun with this year and trying to do my best. And whatever happens next summer, I’ll look into that."

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Odd.]

On 11/24/2017 at 10:09 AM, aGENT said:

Hope we see a Kane signing this summer and maybe a depth guy or two. If we move an Edler and/or Gudbranson (if he doesn't re-sign by TDL) maybe a guy on D but we have a good few kids who should be pushing for spots next year so should have to rely less on short term vets to fill gaps and we'll still have Eriksson and Gagner in that capacity.

 

Subtract - Sedin, Sedin, Vanek, Burmistrov at F.

 

Add from a pool of Kane, Gaudette, Pettersson, Goldobin, Dahlen etc

 

Subtract - Hopefully Edler 

 

Add from Juolevi, McEneny, Holm

Yeah we're definitely not icing 5 rookies in our line-up next year. Pettersson, Goldobin, and maybe, maybe, Gaudette make the team, but for me, he's a huge maybe.

 

I wouldn't be opposed to re-signing Vanek. He brings a lot of secondary scoring in our bottom 6 and would be great mentorship for potential guys like Goldobin and Pettersson, and even guys like Boeser, Virtanen, etc. Once the Sedins retire, we won't have any veterans that can bring the mentorship and leadership that's needed when icing a young team. Vanek's the only veteran despite the Sedins that knows what it's like to be a top line player and consistently put solid numbers over the years. He's also still really good at hockey and is one of our top scorers and he's in our bottom 6.

 

However, I do agree that we should try and trade Edler ASAP. And give that roster spot to Juolevi next year if he has a good camp. Also, I wouldn't be opposed to signing Kane (i've met the guy couple of years ago, he's such an awesome dude who's really really funny) and actually think it might be a perfect fit. 

 

Next year:

Baertschi/Horvat/Boeser

Kane/Pettersson/Vanek

Goldobin/Sutter/Virtanen

Gagner/Granlund/Eriksson

Dorsetto

 

Pouliot/Stecher

Juolevi/Tanev

MDZ/Gudbranson (assuming he re-signs with us which I really hope so. One of our priorities IMO is re-signing him ASAP).

?

[smokes]

Right now Vanek and Eriksson should have a contract switch.

[Canuck_In_Paradise]

2 hours ago, Rob_Zepp said:

Vanek Having Impact

 

Interesting article:

 

Vanek having bigger impact than expected for Canucks

NEW YORK – There is far more to Thomas Vanek than we expected.  Even his passport is more complex and impressive than we knew. 

 

Sure, Vanek was born in Vienna and is considered by far the greatest player in Austrian hockey history.

But his family and hockey roots are from the Czech Republic, where his father, Zdenek, played professionally. And Vanek’s most important minor hockey season was spent in Lacombe, Alta., outside of Red Deer, where a Canadian hockey friend of his dad knew a family that would take him at age 14 so he could learn the game in Canada.

At 15, Vanek moved to Sioux Falls, S.D., to play in the United States Hockey League, and three years later the winger became a fifth-overall draft pick out of the University of Minnesota by the Buffalo Sabres. And Minnesota is where Vanek, his wife Ashley and their three boys have a home.

 

"I wanted to play hockey in Canada," Vanek, 33, says. "My parents supported me and said: ‘Go try it, and if it doesn’t work out, you can come home in two days, two weeks, it doesn’t matter.’ The hardest part for me is I love to talk and joke around and, at 14, I really didn’t know any English. But the family I stayed with had a son my age and a younger daughter. He became my best friend, and his friends became my friends. I still keep in touch with them, see them when we play in Edmonton or Calgary.

"My dream coming from Austria was to play in the NHL and win a Stanley Cup, and I’m still chasing the Cup."

 

Oddly, Vanek figured he might yet achieve that by signing a free-agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Sept. 1.

The Canucks became Vanek’s seventh NHL team in less than four years, so the former 40-goal scorer seemed more red flag than red light when general manager Jim Benning tossed him a one-year, $2-million contract at the end of the summer.

Apart from the screeching it caused on social media that the Canucks were depriving a younger player of development time by adding a veteran near the end of his career, Vanek had disappointed some of the teams he’d played for.

 

The Minnesota Wild bought out the final season of a three-year, $19.5-million contract it gave Vanek in 2014, which allowed him to sign before last season with the Detroit Red Wings, who dealt him at the trade deadline to the Florida Panthers. He scored twice in 20 games in South Florida.

 

Vanek has played 908 games in the NHL and grossed $75 million, but has never been to a Stanley Cup Final.

So there was, naturally, a wariness regarding Vanek when the Canucks signed him. What could he really offer a rebuilding team during the downslope of his career?

 

Well, for starters, five goals and 15 points through 23 games. Only rookie Brock Boeser has been more productive for the Canucks in terms of points per minute. Playing on the third or fourth line, Vanek is averaging only 13:18 of ice time, which ranks 12th among Vancouver forwards who have played at least five games.

 

But beyond his scoring, Vanek has looked fully engaged, displaying guile and tradecraft, and leading by example by playing hard without complaint each night even when his low ice time makes little sense. (Checking forward Brendan Gaunce has gone 82 games without a goal, yet is getting 14:14 a night from coach Travis Green).

Vanek is strong on the puck, his playmaking is better than expected, and his robust work in front of the net has helped the power play.

 

"My game has grown into something a little bit different than it used to be," Vanek says. "I used to be more of a scorer that played with good players, who tried to set me up. But over the years, as teams kind of let the young guys go, you’ve got to become more of a secondary-scoring guy, which I’m completely fine with.

 

"Would I like to be playing at the 16-minute mark on average? Sure, but every player wants to play more. I think I’ve learned to not worry about it and the shifts I do get, be productive. Is it harder to score? For sure it is. The chances you get are less than when you’re playing 17 or 18 minutes, but you just have to make the most of it."

 

Vanek spoke with Green in July, weeks before he decided where to play, and says he knew the Canucks would be better than most people predicted.

 

He says bouncing between teams has been difficult on his family – his eldest child is 10 – and knows that he could be traded again if Benning decides to leverage moveable assets at the deadline.

 

But Vanek is having fun with the Canucks and still feels he can contribute, which he is proving.

 

"I don’t feel like I’m just hanging on to playing," he says. "At this point in my career, I’m not playing for money anymore. I want to win. I want to have success. As far as the future, I’m just really having fun with this year and trying to do my best. And whatever happens next summer, I’ll look into that."

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like how Vanek looks at the way the NHL is going (older players playing reduced roles, trades will happen for rentals like himself, etc.). He has definitely been a solid addition and I for one am quite pleased that he is with the canucks! 

[aGENT]

On 25/11/2017 at 3:17 PM, Hutton Wink said:

How I see it as well.  Unless his ask is way out of line, I believe we see Gudbranson re-signed.  With Pouliot looking like an NHL player and Holm and McEneny not far off, I'm expecting a trade (or two?) on the back end -- if not Edler then maybe Hutton, but I don't think Edler makes it past next year's TDL.  Unless they are moved, Goldobin, Holm, and McEneny are all waivers-eligible next year too, so they almost certainly make the roster.

Yeah Biega's contract is up this year as well. While I wouldn't be entirely opposed to re-signing him cheap for what he brings... Hopefully we start with something like:

 

Hutton, Tanev 

MDZ, Gudbranson 

Pouliot, Stecher 

 

Holm, McEneny

 

Juolevi can stay in Utica and get called up with injuries and when MDZ gets moved at the TDL.

 

And hopefully, Juolevi can play with someone like Cal Foote  (return for Edler at 50% retained) in Utica as well

[UFCanuck]

$2 Million for Vanek has to be one of the best contracts in the league right now. He's outscoring Drouin who's at $5.5.

[Rob_Zepp]

14 hours ago, playboi19 said:

$2 Million for Vanek has to be one of the best contracts in the league right now. He's outscoring Drouin who's at $5.5.

More points than the likes of Toews, Karlsson,  Lucic, Koivu, Pacioretty etc. etc. with a lot fewer minutes and several armoured trucks full of cash less CAP hit.

[Mackcanuck]

Ouch!!

 

[Boudrias]

6 hours ago, Mackcanuck said:

Ouch!!

 

Wow! Ilya sounds a little PO'ed. IMHO Canada should not even go to the Olympics. It is a cabel of Euros who take bribes and stay in $2000/night hotels. At least the pros are paid for their skills. The top 'amateurs' get paid as well but they exist on a pyramid of exploited wanabees. Totally agree with Bettman running a NHL sponsored  World Cup of hockey instead.  

[Zhukini]

7 hours ago, Mackcanuck said:

Ouch!!

 

Not really a surprise though I remember reading a stat where about 30% of players are big time users, and even that number seems low.