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Mr.53

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Everything posted by Mr.53

  1. The kid was young, and eating up A LOT of defensive responsibilities. He is also one of those players that started out as a forward, and then converted to defense. So honestly, I don't question at least too much about his offensive potential. Give the kid a half decent team, and see what you get
  2. For a third round pick, I like it. I like it a lot. Any kid that can be captain at the age of 17 is worth a shot. You know he's got great work ethic and compete level. 17 year old captains are rare. There has to be some outstanding intangibles the kid has. As for his tangibles. Good frame, good size to fill out and he has a motor. The kid has been described as being a minute eater, and on a terrible team. That's already a skill in of itself. Also 28 points too as a defensive defensman, and a 17 year old, not bad at all. I love the pick. I hope he gets traded to a better team. This is the case of a player whose stat line I don't trust at all to tell us about is skills
  3. Gaunce Cassels Jensen/Grenier too. Now thats enough said. A top 9 of the future. Not even lncluding Kenins Kassian and Vey
  4. Wow. When you put it like that, he is seriously in good company. To further add, he was one of the youngest players this year in the USHL and put up those numbers as a rookie! To make you feel even better about him, here are the players the University of North Dakota has produced. As per Undsports.com: Joe Finley Matt Frattin Matt Greene Brian Lee Brad Malone Brock Nelson TJ Oshie Zach Parise Chris Porter Drew Stafford Johnny Toews Chris Vandavelde Travis Zajac Also not a bad list to have your name be part of. Some great players have been produced there. He already comes with a dynamic skill set, I think he should see little problem in honing it. I am feeling better and better about this pick. Somehow, at 23, we manage to find an offensive dynamo. I see him fitting in greatly. I love the fact that his 200 foot game and work ethic are known plus's. That's how you build a core. Great overall player.
  5. Baertschi McCann Virtanen Shinkaruk Cassels Boeser Gaunce Cassels Grenier That is fantastic top 9 prospect pool. Honestly superb in my opinion. 5 guys with legitimate top 6 potential, and 4 guys with legitimate top 9 potential. And that is not including Horvat, Kenins, and Kassian, who have already solidified spots on the team so far. The future is bright. Now honestly, if the Canucks could snag 2 good defensmen in the second round, that would be huge. There are still a couple left on the board, but I have a feeling they will go fast. Both Eddie Lack and Kevin Bieksa are worth second round picks in their own right, I hope someone bites. San Jose maybe??
  6. I love the pick, but honestly, my hype was killed by his lack of emotion. He seemed rather less than pleased to be here. I hope it works out, because he is a great player at 23.
  7. Mr.53

    Brendan Gaunce | C/LW

    Gaunce is a rare breed of prospect that legitimately gets better and better every season, if not every game. The kid doesn't take steps. He takes leaps. I LOVE the idea of building a third line around Gaunce and Cassels. 2 centers with the flexibility to play wing. Very defensively conscious, and every year they continue to expand the rest of their game. If we could have these 2 anchor our bottom 6, we will be in good shape.
  8. I wish we could walk out with both Konecny and Roy. I feel like that would legitimately make our prospect pool one of the op ones in the league. Only way that's possible is somehow also snagging Edmonton's second first rounder at 16th overall. No way Konecny falls passed 20 with that elite skill set.
  9. Why do people so often leave out Kenins from their lineup posts? The kid proved a lot this year.

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. Intoewsables

      Intoewsables

      Unless he has a terrible showing at camp, he should be a lock for 4LW.

    3. Wilbur

      Wilbur

      ^or 13th forward at the very least

    4. Time Lord

      Time Lord

      If Kenins is our 13th forward, it means that enough vets weren't traded.

  10. That shot Virtanen has got is just far too big time. Purely from the size, speed, and shooting ability he has now as an 18 year old. I think he could contribute on the NHL level in a bottom 6 role. Great to know that at worst, we still have an NHL calibre player. He's the closest thing to 'risk free' or 'bust free' as you can get. Here's to hoping he reaches his full potential. The dudes shot went through the net… Big time..
  11. Because they used him a different role. Virtanen was even playing center for some time. Sometimes, your top player gets a different role. I don't know if you watched Team Canada at the WJC this year, but that is a great example. (I only use this example because I feel like a lot of people did watch the WJC this year.) Connor McDavid was the most highly touted player, yet he was put on the second line for coaching reasons. The line of Domi-Reinhart-Duclair had such great chemistry, that putting Connor McDavid on the second line made the team far more deadly for depth reasons. There are many different reasons why players would play different roles. The hit men used their seniors and older players a lot. Probably for the same reason. Then Virtanen would come out and punish players. He was consistently in everyones face up and down the ice. You hesitate, he is so quick he will either take the puck from you and develop a scoring chance, or he will tag you with a solid hit. He basically forced the opposing team, on whatever line he was on, to play a different style. Think of it kind of like, how a quarterback is going to struggle with his split second decisions when you have a guy like JJ Watt who is always a split second from knocking you out. It gave the hit men a kind of 1-2 punch combo. Virtanen was also used in many defensive match ups because of his natural speed, strength, size, and athleticism. (that's probably why they had him play center at times.) I for one love the fact that they did that. Virtanens athleticism, puck skills, and shooting ability has been well documented. The only things he really needed to work on were his passing and overall defensive abilities. This year he addressed that. That's just one step closer to become a full complete player.
  12. Bo was for sure one of our top performers this post season. My top 3 goes Horvat Edler Hansen The Sedins and Vrbata played well, but those 3 for me really stepped up with an all around solid 200 foot game chipping in, in all ways
  13. The hit men have a legitimate chance at the WHL championship. Similarly, both the Oshawa Generals and the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds have a legitimate chance at the OHL championship. We have three prospects with a legit chance at winning their championship. If we could have two of our guys in the memorial cup, that would be huge!
  14. Just looking at the playoff match-ups, I'm getting hyped. This year, you really can't tell who is going to make it. I see 11 potential cup contenders

    1. Mr.53

      Mr.53

      But hey, as long as you make it. Anything can happen. It's going to be an exciting year.

    2. thejazz97

      thejazz97

      I see 16 cup contenders. ^ Like you said, anything can happen.

  15. So if Calgary loses, does Jake get to play in Utica/Vancouver. (I doubt the latter unless injures are rampant)
  16. This a game 7 i want to watch. I'll be in Ohio at the time. Anybody know how I can watch?
  17. That's one of the things that made the Hitmen so deadly. I've only watched a game or 2 myself, but the games I did, Virtanen was all over the place. Constantly in the puck carriers face, and forcing him to make a decision. If you hesitate too long, you know Virtanen is going to hurt you bad with a big check. It causes the other team to make quicker decisions, and of course, when you never have time to think, eventually you make the wrong one and then the Hitmen try to capitalize. From what I can tell, Calgary uses their other seniors for more offensive roles, while Virtanen kind of plays a similar role to the likes of a defensive end in football. Constantly keeping the temp up and forcing the other team to make plays because he is such a constant threat both with his speed, and physicality, but also, you know every coach is telling their players, don't mess around when Virtanen is around you. Because if he gets a turnover, and a couple steps, he is gone, and that shot is deadly.
  18. Well said. People become victims of the past too easy. As a general manager, it's far more important to look at what the player can do. Players slump, or vary in production. The important thing is, do they still have talent that they can bring to the table. It also goes with Alex Edler. A lot of people were screaming for him to be traded. Trevor Linden gave him the vote of confidence seeing that he could still bring a lot, and guess what he did. Players don't vanish as quickly as people think. It just takes different ways to unlock their maximum potential. Shawn Matthias is having his best season with us at 27, as well as Brad Richardson at 30, and Derek Dorsett at 28. As fans we need to not be so quick to write people off.
  19. Travis Green is a great coach. I feel real comfortable with him putting on the final touches for Baertschi. Watch for Baertschi to be a major presence next year. I don't know if he's calder eligible, but he his odds could be legitimate.
  20. The reason I love the trade is because of this simple fact. If in this years draft, Jim Benning selected with the 45-55 overall pick, a kid named Sven Baertschi, we would be ecstatic. If he was 18, and we had snagged him with that pick, this top six potential, two way, versatile, offensive machine, we would be calling Jim Benning the best drafter of all time. We would be claiming steal from the rooftops and he would be a fan favorite. All Benning did was get a sure first round talent player, who has already gone through the developing stages. He plans on using Travis Green to put the final touches on him, because we all know Travis Green can coach. Baertschi will be able to play third line minutes down the stretch when injuries reoccur. And in the meantime, he beefs up a Utica team, which also has a formal AHL MVP in Cory Conacher, as they go for a run of their own. I LOVE THIS MOVE. You crafty SoB. I see you JB, I see you..
  21. This is the way I look at this trade, as well as the Linden Vey trade for that matter. If we had a second round pick, and produced the way Baertschi does now or had the skill set he displayed, we would all be ECSTATIC. Benning just fast forwarded prospects with prospects that have proven themselves on the AHL level and shown they are likely to succeed in the NHL sooner rather than later. I will take that over a risky 2nd or 3rd rounder almost any day. The chance that the 2nd rounder comes back to haunt us is very low. And the pick is going to be somewhere in the 45-55 range most likely. Baertschi was picked 13th overall. This trade was more than fair value. It was a straight steal
  22. Everyday he makes a stronger case that maybe, Bo Horvat for Cory Schneider was not that bad of a trade.
  23. Exactly. Just wait until he gets his shot down on this elite level. We have a special kid on our hands.
  24. Who cares that he's in the prospect section. i don't think it matters AT ALL
  25. Bo Horvat is going to anchor this team for a long time. Already at nineteen, he plays a responsible defensive game, is one of the teams best face-off men, and now is showing he can put up points even if it's not the most stylish of ways. He makes smart dependable plays that give his linemates chances to develop offense. And every game he gets better. In a few years, he will get his timing down and be able to make those stylish plays. He is a 2 way center a team can build around. I have confidence in this guy.
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