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[PGT] Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks | Feb. 07, 2019


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7 hours ago, Quantum said:

The problem is getting those guys to Vancouver. Several players will need to hit waivers.

 

Goldobin won't hit waivers, it's clear management hasn't given up on him. And he's better than several players currently on the roster.

 

What really sucks, and this is Benning's fault, is that Schaller clearly shouldn't be on the roster. He just hasn't been the player he was last year in Boston. Apparently ownership isn't interested in seeing Schaller and Gagner buried in the minors. The team picked one to send to the AHL. They picked Gagner. Schaller will probably get the Gagner treatment next year if he isn't dealt at the deadline or in the summer.

 

I think there's a genuine case to be made that Granlund should be waived. He's never going to hit that 19 goal season and is a shell of his potential. The trade that got him was a big win for the Canucks but he's not very productive anymore. MacEwen would be better in the bottom six. He's got size, a shot, and uses his body. He's also the ultimate underdog in this organization. Undrafted QMJHL player who wasn't even in the Q during his draft year. He's clawed his way up at every level. There was a hit piece article written about him at CanucksArmy calling his signing "a waste of a contract space" and "pour asset management" that caused the writer of the article to write an apology article a year later about how WRONG he was to write that article in the first place. MacEwen has the intangibles of compete and character, exactly what the Canucks like. He should see some time with the Canucks before the season ends. Ideally before the deadline.

 

Pouliot needs to go. He's just bad. He plays that sloppy style of hockey that is AHL hockey. He's probably the Reid Boucher of defensemen in this organization. He's not good enough and should not be a regular NHLer but will probably be a perennial AHL all-star. He'd be great in Utica if he clears. And I think he'd clear. He, like Del Zotto, probably spends September on a PTO elsewhere. That's why waiving won't be a waste. The Canucks got him by trading a 4th and a KHLer for him. Losing the 4th sucks but he did play a season and a half for us. The player selected in the 4th round probably never plays an NHL game. It's time to take your losses. It's sort of a "meh" deal. Canucks win it, but it doesn't feel like a win. I'd replace Pouliot with Brisebois, Sautner, McEneny, or Chatfield. Preferably Sautner first since he showed well at the end of last season. Then, Brisebois. Then McEneny. And then Chatfield.  That's just my opinion.

 

Gaudette is a unique case. He should be in the NHL. He's better than Sutter. He's a point per game at the AHL level. He's the future 3rd line C of this team. He should be centering our third scoring line. Problem is, Sutter is in the way. And Sutter needs to get moved. Sutter probably doesn't get moved this season. And that sucks. Sutter's been a good stopgap between generations of Canucks. But Sutter's deal is one year too long and it's costing the Canucks now. The Canucks would be in a better position with Gaudette in the lineup. He's faster and more skilled than Sutter. Only downside is that Sutter is a better "defensive" player. I don't hate Gaudette playing in the AHL for the back half of the season. It'll be good to give him 1C time and confidence and it's good to have him develop some chemistry with Zack MacEwen because, in the future, I could see a Leivo/Gaudette/MacEwen line really taking off as our 3rd line when the Canucks hit there prime. The real question for the Canucks is do they trust Gaudette enough to move Sutter in the summer. I'm sure if they deal Sutter in the offseason and don't take a significant body back -- especially on draft day -- there'd probably be cheers at Rogers Arena. Big question will be if management has the balls to pull the trigger. Because Horvat/Pettersson/Gaudette/Beagle down the middle is pretty damn solid. Add in a Tyler Madden in March 2020 (that's when I expect he'll go pro), things are going to get interesting.

 

I think it's best for the Canucks to let Dahlen play the entire year in Utica. He's still adjusting. And there isn't a spot in the Top 6 for him at the moment. My worry is that he'll become a "Goldobin" type of player without the right kind of development. I don't expect Dahlen to get NHL games this year but should get some next season.

 

The player I'd absolutely love to see get some games at the tail end of this season is Lukas Jasek. He's such a fun player to watch in Utica. He's all over the ice, creates plays, and never seems discouraged by lack of playing time. I think he's going to be a Canucks for awhile. He's from the same draft class as Boeser, Gaudette, and Brisebois (2015), so he should be close to getting some NHL time. Honestly, Schaller's probably the reason Jasek won't get NHL time this season AND THAT BLOWS. Because I think if you have Motte, Jasek, and Roussel buzzing around your bottom six, you're going to create a lot of fast havoc for the opposition and it would just make for some VERY fun hockey to watch. 

 

The other anchor on this Canucks team is Eriksson. There's rumors he may retire after July 1 as that's the last year of his HUGE bonuses. As the rest of the contract mellows out. His NMC becomes a NTC. If Eriksson doesn't retire (as I suspect, he's still young-ish), there's definitely a market for him. Probably a cap floor team will take him on. Ottawa comes to mind. Maybe Carolina. Or Arizona. He's solid defensively but he's a shell of his former self. I suspect if he gets injured near the end of season, much like last season, the Canucks will just "shut him down" for the year and let a young guy play. MacEwen/Jasek probably come in to replace him. That's the best hope.

 

Outside of trading him, I legitimately don't know what to make of Gudbranson being on this roster. I like his size? He seems like a really nice guy? But that's about it... UGH, why did the Canucks re-sign him last year?!?!?!?

 

But I'm with you. Wish the Canucks would get the young guys in. I just don't know HOW they get the young guys in.

 

 

Great analysis. I love posts like these. 

 

I agree about Goldy. He's been playing pretty well since his healthy scratches, and it's pretty clear that he's one of our only pure skill wingers. 

 

I'm not going to pin all of the blame on Benning for the Schaller signing. With free agency, it's always going to be a gamble. Roussel and Beagle have panned out. Schaller hasn't. With that said, I'm very much on the fence with Schaller's usage. On one hand, I like him as the constant 13th-14th forward so then we don't end up having Gaunce or Dahlen sitting out waiting for a chance to play; would much rather those two continue to rack them up in the AHL. Flip side of the coin is what's the point in having a player waiting in the pressbox if they're only going to be on the ice for 5 minutes in a game? Not saying that Schaller deserves more time, but rather an indication of coaching's lack of faith in giving him trustworthy minutes. I'd almost rather have Gagner in his stead. At least he can produce some points (Emphasis on some), a powerplay option that ISN'T Sutter, which may not be a bad plan at this point. That said, if Gagner is going to stay buried, trade him. 6th or 7th rounder, future considerations, Callahan and a pick... something. 

 

I've actually liked Granny at points this year. Wasn't a fan of his bumbling of the puck/failed clear that lead to Chicago's 3rd goal, though. Frustrating because it's not the first time it's happened. I think he could be a good trade candidate for a mid to low pick (Anywhere in the 3rd to 5th round) as he can play all the forward positions, and he's a cost controlled RFA. Something to think about so they can bring up MacEwan or Gaunce, who're both playing very well in Utica.

 

I like your Pouliot/Boucher comparison. Like Pouliot, Boucher had been frustrating to watch in the past year or so at the NHL level, and yet is an AHL All-Star. Pouliot has glimmers of awesomeness (A couple of really awesome stretch passes that have lead to goals, and a deceptively powerful slapper if he ever gets it off) but he's prone to panicking in his own zone, especially behind the net. It's safe to say he doesn't get qualified at season's end, provided management get an extension done for Edler and sign Hughes to his ELC. Considering what was given up in the trade (Pedan + 4th), I'd call it a successful deal, even if the painful moments outshine the brilliance. 

 

Personally, I don't feel Gaudette is quite ready for full-time 3C time with the Canucks, but he's close. I'd like him to keep excelling in Utica (If I'm not mistaken, he's maintaining a point per game pace), where he's getting plenty of ice time. I'm definitely on board with full-time 3rd line minutes next season in order to either move Sutter to the wing (I still think Sutter has more to offer) or, depending roster issues, move him in the off-season for picks/prospects (maybe a 2nd/3rd and/or RHD prospect). A 3rd line of Leivo-Gaudette-MacEwan/Sutter has the potential to be scary, though it puts three right-handed forwards on the same line. Maybe switch Leivo out with Baertschi (pending injury status), Roussel (For extra grit), or Erikkson (Defensive responsibility).

 

 Dahlen is good in Utica for now. I think next year we see Dahlen get an opportunity in training camp to reestablish chemistry with Pettersson, though I wouldn't be mad if he stays in the AHL for another year with period call-ups to cover inevitable injuries on the left side.

 

Jasek has been a delight in Utica, though I put him in the same boat as Dahlen. Let him develop with top 9 time and use him as a call-up option for the bottom 6. Further testament to how well JB did in the 2015 draft. Plus he's got a great name. Always a plus in this community.

 

I'm with the small group of people who don't view Erikkson as an anchor, per say, but I definitely agree that his signing has proven underwhelming. His contract isn't crippling like Lucic (yet) and he still has a lot to offer in a top 9/bottom 6 role, though I don't think he will EVER live up to it. Will be interesting to see what happens to him and his contract over the next few years. We're not really going to be cap strapped until the 2021-2022 season, but he is taking up a roster spot for an upcoming prospect like MacEwan/Jasek/Dahlen. On one hand, it would be nice to see him scratched once in a while when he's cold to get him back into the game. With that said, the day he's scratched will be the day CDC demands is immediate trade for the ever so popular bag of pucks.

 

With respect to Gudbranson, I'd like to see him in a playoff series before I completely right him off. He's not being put in a position to succeed right now (Playing with Tanev) but that doesn't excuse his mediocre to poor play over the past couple of months. I was briefly chatting with someone about Guddy (Can't remember his handle) but he needs the right partner. So far, Hutton and Pouliot haven't worked. Clearly Tanev has been a disaster with him. Edler works if it's predominantly in a shutdown role, but that brings Edler down more than brings Guddy up. So who do you put? Hughes? Brisebois? Sautner? Hopefully we find out before the end of the season. With the lack of RHD depth in our system (Chatfield) our options are pretty much non-existant for this season. This will make free agency interesting with Karlsson, Stralman, and Myers potentially available. Fingers crossed management doesn't mess up and give out a Garrison-esque type contract (Unless it's Karlsson. It's hard to find a number that will irk the fanbase).

 

This has been an adventurous season to say the least. Infused some young blood into fold while getting some vets in support roles. Some players are panning out, others have been disastrous, and there are a couple of question marks. This is also the first season without the Sedins, and most people wrote the Canucks off as a lottery team due to lack of scoring. Obviously, there's still time for the Canucks to plummet in the standings, and there are still some decisions being made by coaching/management that confuse me (3rd string goaltending as an example). I was listening to the Sportsnet Podcast with Auld and Co, and special guest Brendan Morrison dove in to the leadership transition between the Messier era and the WCE era. At the end of the day, there's a shift in process, method, mentality, and identity, and I think we're really going to notice the big changes that everyone is looking for within the next season or so. I have cautious optimism that this will be an era to remember, and we WILL see the kids contribute on a regular basis when the time is right. Playoffs or not, I'm proud of the boys this season.

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6 minutes ago, shad0w4life said:

Did you watch the game?

 

Hutton threw the puck to Chicago players wide open in the slot, 3 times, he was really really bad.

31:18 TOI

Next closest was Stetcher with 22:49

Tanev had under 21 mins. 

 

5 SOG 2 blocks 1 assist.

 

Had a hell of a game. 

Every player makes mistakes every game.

 

You can say what you did about every player in the ice. No player is perfect. Besides from a goalie getting a shutout no skater ever had a perfect game where they didn't lose a puck or didn't make a perfect pass or didn't throw it into a corner where an opposing player is.  

 

Such is hockey. 

 

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18 minutes ago, shad0w4life said:

Did you watch the game?

 

Hutton threw the puck to Chicago players wide open in the slot, 3 times, he was really really bad.

He gets a little cheeky once in a while, pinching and jumping into the play, and it costs them at times. I know the panel (was it McLean?) was raving about how good he is this year, and I think he's improved, but geez they miss Edler. You can tell Hutton has more confidence this year, but he needs to keep it simple and do his job, instead of trying to be fancy. 

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14 minutes ago, WHL rocks said:

31:18 TOI

It's nice that Hutton is being given a lot of minutes but that's only because he's the best they've got to fill in for Edler. That says more about the Canucks poor D depth. Someone has to take on those minutes, and it wasn't going to be Pouliot.

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We probably wouldn't be talking about all these defensive faults if our forwards could bury at least one of their opportunities a game.  Every game on this trip could have been won had our players scored when they had clear cut opportunities, including the penalty shot miss by Horvat and Petey's break away last night.  I know that players don't score on every opportunity but with any luck these games would have had different results.  Could just be the lack of confidence or the Canuck's bad luck to which the officials contribute.  

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So....as I was saying in my comments prior to the game TG line deployments are something he has had a hard time with all year. What is obvious is that Bo is getting shafted with every throwaway player we have on the team being promoted to his line while JV remains tacked to Sutter's line. Why are these two being suppressed? 

The same with the d core. Pouliot continues to play while players such as Biega or pretty much any dman in the minors is told to sit and being told "when you earn a spot you will play". Yeah OK, Pouliot has definitely "Earned" a spot. :lol:

Then our top dman is being asked to play in another position he never plays? OK that's going to help the team.

 

The PP is brutal and one guy is responsible for it. NB did you see what happened to Cloutier?

The guys you have deployed cannot maintain possession of the puck and so we are spending most of the time chasing the puck from the opposition! No one can carry the puck in to set up and the passing is not sufficient enough to maintain possession. Then we go back to the pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, until we lose possession. Hello?!

Hutton has his moments but what separates him from great dmen is that he is inconsistent. He has had some great games and then some so so games.

Same with Goldy, his inconsistency will be his downfall, unfortunately.

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3 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

Utica isn't bench warming Jan. That experience is huge, its not a chump league. If you can't make it there you're not going to have NHL success. On top of that, every game down there is huge for those guys, they are all playing for NHL spots so the competition is high. Its not meaningless bench warming.

 

Neither is playing meaningful games now. Do you really think guys like Jake or Hutton take the steps they have this year, playing in "nothing" games right now? They're better players in part because of the intensity of the effort. 

 

I don't see how bringing up someone like Gaudette e.g., into a losing scenario helps him. Look at Edmonton for an example of why you don't rush players. Now if he's ready and there's a way he can contribute thats a different story, but he's not ready e.g., to take over from Sutter e.g. 

 

The Canuck players are developing the right mentality imo. But i can also see why it frustrates people, but I'd rather be frustrated by the current approach vs. wasting players like Edmonton has done for years. 

 

Jim, there are 5 reason we are where we are this year...

 

#1 Pettersson

#2. The Sedin's retired

#3. 3rd and 4th line depth

#4. The improved play of Edler, Virtanen, Hutton and Markstrom, 2 of which had to mature, before getting it.

#5. Injuries

 

But to respond to the Edmonton dilemma …….Edmonton's problem isn't 1st round drafting, it was not getting anyone after that in the draft.....

and signing useless UFA's

 

McDavid and Draisaitl developed quite nicely, as is Nurse, and RNH

 

We are certainly in transition, and we are better than we show, but this is when you bring in guys one at a time and give them experience, especially when the guys you are/can replace are Pouliot and Schaller. I am not saying for long periods of time but certainly for a couple games......they also need to learn their level against better competition. This is how it is suppose to be done...….just like young guys that do make it full time get sheltered minutes, but get a taste of better competition, so they in fact stretch, so do your better farm team star prospects.....instead of Gagner and Boucher....who are fringe NHL players with no upside.

 

I do agree that it's Benning's team and they are professionals....just like Chia was in Edmonton, just like Newal Brown runs our PP...….I love Benning for his drafting, and his team building, but not so much on development...….just my opinion....worth about a nichel

 

Thanks for commenting....always enjoy your points!

 

Cheers

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15 hours ago, Nuxfanabroad said:

Bunch of Snowflake-P*ssies!

 

Criticize Tanev? You keyboard-warriors? F*** off with that noise. One of the gutsiest guys who ever manned the blueline here. Fearlessly blocks bombs.

 

Didn't bother scanning names..whoever questions CT's service needs their head examined.

 

Fair weather fandom if we've ever witnessed it! That's enough for me..tired reading such rubbish!

 

Very proud of these guys. GCG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Nux... 

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Oh yeah, forgot all about little Troy Stecher. Wow, a +17! I'm surprised by this, but he's a firecracker. Good on him.

 

I was just pointing out how much more reliable a Dman Edler is compared to Hutton. Tanev gets a lot of praise, and sometimes he certainly deserves it, but he makes some glaring errors as well. Sometimes when he has the puck on his stick, you can see him get awkward and then he panics to deke a player or get a shot off. Very good Dman, but shaky on offence. Edler and Tanev have faced the other teams' best lines, so I'll cut them some slack.  

 

I'm looking forward to Hughes.

 

And Boeser is better than Horvat 

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12 minutes ago, EdgarM said:

So....as I was saying in my comments prior to the game TG line deployments are something he has had a hard time with all year. What is obvious is that Bo is getting shafted with every throwaway player we have on the team being promoted to his line while JV remains tacked to Sutter's line. Why are these two being suppressed? 

I was thinking the same thing. Horvat and Virtanent play OT together, and they play quite well together. Now that I think of it, I recall many games where JV starts with Sutter and then ends up playing numerous shifts or finishing games with BoHo anyways. Why not just... I don't know... keep them together? lol

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5 minutes ago, janisahockeynut said:

Jim, there are 5 reason we are where we are this year...

 

#1 Pettersson

#2. The Sedin's retired

#3. 3rd and 4th line depth

#4. The improved play of Edler, Virtanen, Hutton and Markstrom, 2 of which had to mature, before getting it.

#5. Injuries

 

But to respond to the Edmonton dilemma …….Edmonton's problem isn't 1st round drafting, it was not getting anyone after that in the draft.....

and signing useless UFA's

 

McDavid and Draisaitl developed quite nicely, as is Nurse, and RNH

 

We are certainly in transition, and we are better than we show, but this is when you bring in guys one at a time and give them experience, especially when the guys you are/can replace are Pouliot and Schaller. I am not saying for long periods of time but certainly for a couple games......they also need to learn their level against better competition. This is how it is suppose to be done...….just like young guys that do make it full time get sheltered minutes, but get a taste of better competition, so they in fact stretch, so do your better farm team star prospects.....instead of Gagner and Boucher....who are fringe NHL players with no upside.

 

I do agree that it's Benning's team and they are professionals....just like Chia was in Edmonton, just like Newal Brown runs our PP...….I love Benning for his drafting, and his team building, but not so much on development...….just my opinion....worth about a nichel

 

Thanks for commenting....always enjoy your points!

 

Cheers

But who? Gaudette got his minutes, he did OK but he also showed he needed more minutes than he could get up here. Other than that, I'm not sure anyone else is really ready yet. Maybe MacEwen but I don't know for sure. 

 

 

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