[PGT] Anaheim Ducks vs. Vancouver Canucks

[Jester13]

The Elephant in the room is goaltending. Anyone who has ever played on a team with a goalie (or goalies) who let in softies all the time - and early - know how deflating it is to a team. And everyone should know how hard it is to come back all the time in the NHL.

 

Our team up front has battled hard the vast majority of games this year, but man oh man is it frustrating to watch those early goals go in time after time. All you need to do is look at Green's face after each softie. Those goals just can't happen in this league.

 

Were it not for Miller Time last night, we definitely would have scored some goals - that's what good goaltending does for a team. 

[smithers joe]

if we get rid of all these players, people want moved, what does our line up look like next year?

[johngould21]

3 minutes ago, Jester13 said:

The Elephant in the room is goaltending. Anyone who has ever played on a team with a goalie (or goalies) who let in softies all the time - and early - know how deflating it is to a team. And everyone should know how hard it is to come back all the time in the NHL.

 

Our team up front has battled hard the vast majority of games this year, but man oh man is it frustrating to watch those early goals go in time after time. All you need to do is look at Green's face after each softie. Those goals just can't happen in this league.

 

Were it not for Miller Time last night, we definitely would have scored some goals - that's what good goaltending does for a team. 

I was pretty excited to see the Canucks sign Nillsson, but watching the game for about 5 minutes and his play on Vermette's goal, made me cringe. What was he doing on that play? Smother the puck Anders, that is downright scary at this level.

[smithers joe]

according to cdc, they want benning to get rid of, vanek,the sedins,gagner,ericksson, edler, tanev, hutton, gudbranson,gaunce, dowd, boucher, sutter and our 2 goaltenders. who takes their place on the roster?

[PhillipBlunt]

42 minutes ago, smithers joe said:

ericksson's nmc, ends after this season. then his ntc kicks in. i believe he can choose teams he won't go to.

Eriksson has proven to be a streaky, unreliable player for his paygrade. It would be great to see him gone in a trade.

42 minutes ago, smithers joe said:

 i believe we owe the sedins the right to go out on their own terms.

I thought the same of Bieksa and Burrows, who worked their way through the farm system. I don't personally feel that they have earned any more of a right than the aforementioned players to decide their own trajectory with the Canucks.

 

That being said, I see what Linden is doing here. He knows that outside of himself and Smyl, there are very few Canucks players who could be considered legacy type players; the kind of player whose history is intrinsically attached to the team. Kesler, Bieksa, Burrows, and Hansen were those types of players, but management and ownership couldn't see the writing on the wall in 2012, and tried to get blood from a stone.

 

They are keeping the Sedins around purely as legacy markers for the team to look towards.

42 minutes ago, smithers joe said:

 jim has to keep some older players around until the kids are ready for the nhl.  i think jim knows what he is doing. 

Jim does know what he's doing, for sure. There hasn't been a better drafter of talent in the history of the organization. Sadly Jim also seems to have a soft spot in the last two years for signing free agents who are streaky types who tend to take whole swathes of games off.

 

Dorsett was the last really great acquisition that Benning made from a trade or FA signing. Dorsett not only brought some tangible pride in his team, but he showed a fire that influenced important young players like Horvat.

 

Horvat, Boeser, Stecher, Pouliot, and Gaunce are ready for the NHL. They don't need anymore guidance, and I don't think that Vanek, Gagner, or Eriksson are the type of players you want cornerstones of the team to pattern their game after, unless you want to breed a new generation of streaky players.

 

[Jester13]

2 minutes ago, johngould21 said:

I was pretty excited to see the Canucks sign Nillsson, but watching the game for about 5 minutes and his play on Vermette's goal, made me cringe. What was he doing on that play? Smother the puck Anders, that is downright scary at this level.

The other thing is that both goalies are doing it this year, which I'd bet just adds to their issue of soft, early goals - it's like a scorer squeezing his stick too tight. They both have too much pressure now on themselves when they start, essentially exacerbating the issue. 

 

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Demko steals the net next year. In fact, I'd love to see him play some games this year, even.

[PhillipBlunt]

9 minutes ago, smithers joe said:

if we get rid of all these players, people want moved, what does our line up look like next year?

That of a rebuilding team, which the Canucks very much are. Benning has let go or traded players who have put in upwards to a decade of dedication to the blue and green in Kesler, Juice, Burrows, Hansen, and Hamhuis.

 

Eventually a fanbase has to accept reality and let go of the previous core.

[steviewonder20]

10 hours ago, TheGuardian_ said:

It's only one game.

Actually, it’s 9 losses in the last 12 games.

[TheGuardian_]

I am lazy, why didn't Virtanen play? Especially against a bigger team?

 

A healthy scratch? I wonder if he is having those "off ice" issues.

[mll]

1 hour ago, smithers joe said:

ericksson's nmc, ends after this season. then his ntc kicks in. i believe he can choose teams he won't go to.  i believe we owe the sedins the right to go out on their own terms. 

jim has to keep some older players around until the kids are ready for the nhl.  i think jim knows what he is doing. 

It's a full NTC - he cannot be traded without his consent.  A NMC protects from expansion and demotion to the AHL while a NTC doesn't.  It's only as from 2020/21 where it becomes a modified NTC where he can name 15 teams he does not want to be traded to.  

[AlwaysACanuckFan]

4 minutes ago, TheGuardian_ said:

I am lazy, why didn't Virtanen play? Especially against a bigger team?

 

A healthy scratch? I wonder if he is having those "off ice" issues.

 

[I.Am.Ironman]

5 minutes ago, TheGuardian_ said:

I am lazy, why didn't Virtanen play? Especially against a bigger team?

 

A healthy scratch? I wonder if he is having those "off ice" issues.

He was sick

[AlwaysACanuckFan]

15 minutes ago, smithers joe said:

according to cdc, they want benning to get rid of, vanek,the sedins,gagner,ericksson, edler, tanev, hutton, gudbranson,gaunce, dowd, boucher, sutter and our 2 goaltenders. who takes their place on the roster?

When the team is losing everyone except for Bo and Boeser are on the trading block. 

[Nucker 67]

Nilsson is done after this year, with his terrible 0.789 save percentage, and I can see Demko making the jump next season. They really could've used Virtanen and Biega in this game (physicality/grit). Gudbranson played, right? Just checking, never really noticed him much. I think the sad fact may be that the Canucks just aren't going to be a very good team until the prospects have developed and replaced the aging vets. Hoping we get another really good top draft pick (or 2). This team needs a #1.

[tbone909]

9 hours ago, PhillipBlunt said:

So.........

 

• Eriksson needs to be approached regarding a trade, as he's a pathetic floater

 

This x 10000. This guy is making 8 million dollars this year. He's not going to get any better. 

[smithers joe]

13 minutes ago, mll said:

It's a full NTC - he cannot be traded without his consent.  A NMC protects from expansion and demotion to the AHL while a NTC doesn't.  It's only as from 2020/21 where it becomes a modified NTC where he can name 15 teams he does not want to be traded to.  

right, but he can be traded. perhaps if a team wanted him, he'ld agree to be moved. i can handle him for 2 more years. his contract was front loaded, so the last 2 years wouldn't prohibit teams from taking him on. 

[AlwaysACanuckFan]

6 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

Nilsson is done after this year, with his terrible 0.789 save percentage, and I can see Demko making the jump next season. They really could've used Virtanen and Biega in this game (physicality/grit). Gudbranson played, right? Just checking, never really noticed him much. I think the sad fact may be that the Canucks just aren't going to be a very good team until the prospects have developed and replaced the aging vets. Hoping we get another really good top draft pick (or 2). This team needs a #1.

Top pick and a few more Boesers.

[Scottish⑦Canuck]

In all honesty nobody is going to touch that Eriksson contract and rightfully so. We just have to hope he ups his game.

 

Last night was as brutal a performance as I've seen in a long time.

[Rob_Zepp]

34 minutes ago, Jester13 said:

The Elephant in the room is goaltending. Anyone who has ever played on a team with a goalie (or goalies) who let in softies all the time - and early - know how deflating it is to a team. And everyone should know how hard it is to come back all the time in the NHL.

 

Our team up front has battled hard the vast majority of games this year, but man oh man is it frustrating to watch those early goals go in time after time. All you need to do is look at Green's face after each softie. Those goals just can't happen in this league.

 

Were it not for Miller Time last night, we definitely would have scored some goals - that's what good goaltending does for a team. 

There is no elephant in the room.   This is what a rebuild looks like.   EVERY position is under scrutiny and what the Canucks are seeing is they seem to have two goalies that are not ready to be a number one and given their ages, they may never be.   To that end, it may change their development schedule for their goalie prospect line (in this case, really only one near-term option) but it isn't a fatal flaw to identify what you need.    However, to be fair even Carey Price would struggle behind the mix/match of team that the Canucks have put in front of them the past 6 weeks or so.   It is not an excuse, it is a reality.   The quality of chances are very high and believe it or not, that is when you make a bunch of spectacular saves but let "easy" ones in as you get mentally fatigued.   It shouldn't happen but does.    

 

I think keeping Miller here (or similar proven starter) would not have allowed the evaluation that has happened so as painful as it can be, and last few games have been very painful, it is part of the process.   IF they have their team where it appears it might be 18-24 months from now and there are similar concerns in the net...THAT would be not only an elephant, it would be a an entire herd of them.

[PhillipBlunt]

4 minutes ago, smithers joe said:

according to cdc, they want benning to get rid of, vanek,the sedins,gagner,ericksson, edler, tanev, hutton, gudbranson,gaunce, dowd, boucher, sutter and our 2 goaltenders. who takes their place on the roster?

Vanek: Is on a one year deal, and was realistically signed to provide scoring. He's done so, and now would be beneficial to bring back a pick which would be put towards the future.

 

The Sedins: They aren't going anywhere as Linden is painfully aware of the lack of legacy players in the team's history. That being said, I believe Bieksa and Burrows were legacy type players for the Canucks, yet they were traded. This idea that the Sedins are "owed" the right to decide their trajectory with the organization, when no other player from that core has been is strange. They're play is dwindling, and it's time for reality to settle in, and for the organization to move into the next chapter.

 

Gagner: The definition of a streaky player that tends to take a series of games off and coast. Look at his career trajectory and tell me that he's a valuable veteran presence.

 

Eriksson: Another streaky player who took advantage of a somewhat desperate GM (at the time) and got a huge payday.

 

Edler: He's run his course with this team similarly to how the Sedins have. He doesn't provide anything that can't be found elsewhere.

 

Tanev: Trading him would be unwise. He possesses too much talent. He needs to be paired with a more overtly physical defenseman who will protect him and allow him to work his defensive magic.

 

Hutton: He doesn't stand out to me as a player that possesses anything that can't be found in Utica.

 

Gudbranson: I've been an avid supporter of his for some time, but he hasn't brought his unique skillset to the game anywhere near enough this season, injuries withstanding. If he brought the menace he did in Florida, this would be a non-issue, but he hasn't. Will probably be looking at a UFA payday.

 

Gaunce: Needs to stay and show what he can do. He's made great progress.

 

Dowd: He's a decent player, nothing remarkable, but at least plays with some purpose and is a team first player. Keep and see what he does with an increased role.

 

Boucher: Has a reputation as a streaky player who bounced around between NHL teams, much like Gagner.

 

Sutter: He needs to stay. His defensive acumen and capability are sorely missed. Benning was right when he labeled Brandon a foundational player. Put him with the right players and you have a solid line.

 

Markstrom/Nilsson: Neither goaltender has shown the capability to string together a series of solid starts. Not sure what the issue is, but it might just be as simple as the fact that neither is a bonafide NHL starter.

 

Who replaces these players? Other players that have or will be drafted, players that could be acquired in a trade or through free agency. There needs to be a clear cut determination as to what type of hockey the Canucks want to play, and the type of players the team needs to target. Going after 30+ year old players is the wrong idea for long term signings. The Vanek signing is perfect. Not too much invested, but you get to gauge a player's worth before committing.