VIDEO: Erik Gudbranson will be a locker room leader and culture carrier

[IBatch]

2 hours ago, canucker1971 said:

Which is complete craziness to me because Benning came from the BIG bad Bruins. Just crazy soft here.

Personally I'm a fan of making it really difficult physically for other teams while rebuilding.  We aren't going to be very good for some time yet, why not draft some SOBs, or trade bubble super tough AHLers and ice a fourth line that hits everything that moves and fights well.  Waive or trade them later when a spot is needed.

[LegionOfDoom]

29 minutes ago, IBatch said:

Personally I'm a fan of making it really difficult physically for other teams while rebuilding.  We aren't going to be very good for some time yet, why not draft some SOBs, or trade bubble super tough AHLers and ice a fourth line that hits everything that moves and fights well.  Waive or trade them later when a spot is needed.

I don’t know if I agree with us not being very good for some time yet, I feel we are getting really close to being a playoff bubble team, this will be the last year we see a top 8 pick come our way I’m assuming, I don’t think we have an easy team to play against either, when healthy we got a hard working group our back end is my only concerns but the 2 way play we get out of our forwards is what makes me have high hopes..... an average D corps becomes a good D corps with great defensive support from your centres 

[IBatch]

2 hours ago, LegionOfDoom said:

I don’t know if I agree with us not being very good for some time yet, I feel we are getting really close to being a playoff bubble team, this will be the last year we see a top 8 pick come our way I’m assuming, I don’t think we have an easy team to play against either, when healthy we got a hard working group our back end is my only concerns but the 2 way play we get out of our forwards is what makes me have high hopes..... an average D corps becomes a good D corps with great defensive support from your centres 

Its possible, but there are too many ifs for me to think we are over the hump.  IF Juolevi makes the team and IF he keeps a spot.  Not as much a maybe with Pettersson, but it's an IF if he makes the team ( again small if, I think he will).  IF the Sedins come back and IF they don't regress, and IF they don't the replacements out produce them.  

 

Now goaltending is one position that can make all the difference in the world, we can ice a below or average roster and make the playoffs with elite goaltending.  So IF Demko is promoted and IF he bumps an even higher touted previous prospect in Markstrom, then maybe we make the playoffs.

 

Gaudette is a wild card too.  If both he and Pettersson are Calder candidates than maybe we make the playoffs too.

 

I think it's realistic that we pick top five both this year and the next and then we see the he twenty-thirty point jump in the standings.  I hope I'm wrong and most of the IFs pan out, but I'm pretty sure this team won't pull itself right out of the muck until 2020-21.    That's ok, if it's done thoughtfully and carefully, we will have the cap space for some real stars, and could even find ourselves a contender.

[canucksnihilist]

That’s about right for the Canucks.   A player who has done nothing since he got here is rewarded for it - cause we couldn’t get much more than a 3rd round pick for him if we traded him at the deadline.  So better to deny reality and pretend he is an all star.

 

rookie GMs always fall in love with the players they bring in.   The difference between a competent GM and an incompetent one is the ability to see reality.  Maybe JB will grow into competence but so far he is a scout in GMs clothing!

[canucker1971]

Oh the irony is killing me right now. as a salute to the LENNING for overpaying on his 3 year $12,000,000 third pairing dman mega deal, and ever so eager to prove the naysayers wrong, good old Gudbranson just happens to be on the ice for 4 out of the 5 goals. Way to go Guddy!