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Everything posted by Mr.53
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Yeah I know but I'm just saying hypothetically, let's say he doesn't. Maybe he struggles or whatever. If he wasn't to know english sufficiently, what do we do?
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I don't think people are looking at the hometown factor as much as they should. Ever since he was a kid, he, like most of us, dreamed of playing for the Canucks. Now that he is so close, you can bet he is going to push himself in every which way to make that dream become a reality. Getting drafted isn't making it. It's only the beginning. The hard work is about to start and you can bet your bottom dollar this kid wants it, and wants it bad.
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So i'm curious. It seems like he knows very little to no English. I assume he is going to at least try and work on that the next two years, but say he doesn't and he struggles with it still and needs a translator like he does now. Does that mean we pretty much send him back, or do we deal with it? I would imagine a coach would not be too happy with constantly having a translator to communicate with his players on and off the ice.
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If you were to assume Jensen doesn't make the lineup and starts in Utica, what would you do?I assume you would Move Vey Into Jensen's spot? Also, from what I've seen, Vey can play any position from 4th line to second line, except left wing. But in other words. I like you're defensive lineup. Obviously, I prefer my own, but I would totally be happy with that
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Exactly what I was looking for. Before I thought about putting Mattias on the 4th line, but when you think about what Mattias and Kassian were able to do with Richardson near the end of the year. That was possibly one of our best lines at the time, and maybe all season. Give them a huge upgrade in skill with Bonino, and they could be magical. Also, that is a big tough line to play against for anyone. Kassian and Mattias can throw guys around easily while Bonino adds skill to feed them pucks.It also allows Burrows to move to the third line, which gives them a sure added boost in offensive and defensive prowess, he shows chemistry with Higgins, and it would be fantastic for Vey's development. Hansen also on the fourth line seems like a must to me, as it gives us 4 lines that can actually play and and be depended on. Burrows may be more skilled than Mattias, but a balanced lineup is more important than 'stacking' our top 6 with talent.
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This lineup is assuming the rest of the rookies don't make it. And I see what you're saying with that lineup, and I used to agree until it hit me what an awesome combo of Mattias Kassian would be. Some would argue Mattias has a more legitimate claim to even Kassian in the top 6. I just think it spreads out the talent nicely and giving people chemistry that works. But I like you're lineup too
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I left out Vey and Corrado because I think they're almost certainly locks. I would probably rank them at 3 and 4 if I were to include them though
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lol I'll take it. Thank you
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This is what I would do with our lineup. I actually think it could be a playoff lineup. It's not awful. My Lineup Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Radim Vrbata Shawn Matthias - Nick Bonino - Zack Kassian Chris Higgins - Linden Vey - Alex Burrows Derek Dorsett - Brad Richardson - Jannik Hansen (Tom Sestito-___________) Dan Hamhuis - Chris Tanev Alex Edler - Frank Corrado Luca Sbisa - Kevin Bieksa (Ryan Stanton) Ryan Miller Eddie Lack Sedin – Sedin – Vrbata: 18 Minutes I love this line. Vrbata seems to be the perfect complement. All of ten play a high IQ game, and Henrik has two snipers as options. Vrbata also takes pressure off Daniel to score goals. I have no doubt this line can put up a solid amount of points, but I guess we will see. If this line can get going, it definitely be one of the better first lines in the NHL. Matthias – Bonino – Kassian: 15 Minutes Matthias and Kassian played well together in the last part of the season. That was with third line minutes and with Brad Richardson as their center. Now they get second line minutes to do the same thing, with a more offensively talented center in Bonino. This is a pacific division type line, one that can play hard and physical, and still have enough skill to score. This line would be real tough to play against. The perfect second line to follow the Sedins. The Sedin's hit them with immense skill, and this line hits them with size and strength. Higgins – Vey – Burrows: 15 Minutes Higgins and Burrows both are solid two way forwards. Both of them would be good 2nd liners, but they would be awesome third liners. They can help ease Vey into the league giving him Veteran support. This line could definitely put up their fair share of points as well as play solid defense. Burrows and Higgins also have some chemistry in the past. Both are workhorses on and off the field, and would be the perfect fit for Vey's playmaking. Burrows shot also get's turned in for one timers, and quick releases. This line is more line a line 2b. Dorsett – Richardson – Hansen: 12 Minutes If you are going to roll 4 lines, you need a line that supplies a solid defensive base. All 3 of these players can play defense well. Richardson showed last year he also has the ability to put up about 20 points a season, and Dorsett was able to do that back in columbus, add that with Jannik Hansen's speed and they can be one of the better fourth lines in the league. Speed, defense, grit, etc. All great qualities for a 4th line, plus a little bit of offensive production from Jannik Hansen and Brad Richardson. (Sestito - ______): 13th/14th forward We know what Sestito brings. He's not a terrible player, but he fits the 13th/14th forward role better, bringing in muscle when we lose a guy from injury. The '______' spot is for whichever big man young guy wants to step up and take it. No point in giving it to a top prospect when they need to get their minutes, but it would be a great spot for a Kellan Lain, Ronalds Kenins, Darren Archibald, Alex Grenier etc Someone ready to play bottom 6 minutes while our top enders get more minutes in Utica to develop their craft. They all add different things so it depends on what you want, but my personal choice would be Archibald, but let them compete for it. If you want, you can even give it to Yannick Weber. Has it's benefits. Interesting option) (Minutes allocated are not exact due to line changes and special teams, but rather a basic template) Hamhuis – Tanev: 1st Defensive, 2nd Offensive, 3rd physical This line will be charged with shutting down opposing teams top lines. They play the most in defensive situations, rather than in offensive situations, in case the 2nd line in tired. We know Hamhuis and Tanev can defend, and we know they can shut down top lines. Why change one of the few things that's already working. Plus, it allows Kevin Bieksa to move elsewhere in the lineup, balancing lines. Edler – Corrado: 3rd Defensive, 1st Offensive, 2nd Physical Plays against weaker lines to maximize Edlers offense. Corrado is the perfect line mate for Edler. He's a steady PMD who is composed and plays reliable defense. He is much like Tanev as he knows defensive positioning, and the couple of times he get's caught, he can recover. He also has a physical edge which could work well alongside Edler's. They can pour on the offense. We have been looking for a suitable line mate for Edler to play with for a while. Corrado is the perfect fit. Seem's like a match made in heaven. Question is, is he NHL ready, and I personally think he is. Sbisa – Bieksa: 2nd Defensive, 3rd Offensive, 1st Physical The second deployed line when needing to shut down top lines. They give a more physical edge than the first line so they can play against bigger opponents. Sbisa brings everything Garrison brought, minus the shot. Sbisa is a strong, defencman who is heavy on the boards. His style really fits well with Kevin Bieksa. This pairing is the stronger, more aggressive line. Plus also, we have seen Bieksa turn on some offense before, but that didn't really work well with Garrison's offensive style. Maybe Sbisa's more defensive style will be a better fit. (Stanton): 7th man Stanton is the ideal 7th man. He brings physical aggressiveness, as well as a decent all around game. He already has chemistry with some of the team, namely, Kevin Bieksa, so he can ease right back into the lineup when needed. Miller: – 50(ish) starts Lack: – 30(ish) starts Power Play Units Sedin-Sedin-Kassian ----Edler----Vrbata---- The format is a little different. You have both Sedins on the sides, Kassian in the center causing havoc in front of the net and screening, with Edler and Vrbata on the points. You can either turn their shots in, or keep them on the outside, either way they can get plenty of sniping opportunities. Burrows-Bonino-Vey -----Hamhuis----Bieksa--- This line is more of an up pace type of PP units. Keep the pace up and tire out their defense. Produces a lot more shots rather than passes. Higgins-Mattias-Hansen -----Corrado---Tanev---- Try and develop Corrado's Quarterbacking skills. I would imagine this line would do more cause havoc in front of the net, and with Corrado on his offside, Tanev can feed him for one timers. Tanev also supplies responsible d, to make sure we don' get caught on an offensive rush. PK Units (Not much reasoning other than I think they can defend) Richardson – Burrows Hamhuis – Tanev Bonino – Dorsett Sbisa – Bieksa Mattias – Hansen Edler – Corrado Let the rest of the prospects go back to juniors or spend a year in the AHL. No need to rush them. The only ones that are for sure ready are Corrado and Vey. Even Jensen and Horvat should go back and get one more year. I know theres no such thing as models, like the Boston model and stuff like that, but what is real is scouting and development models. The teams with the best prospect pools all consistently follow a the same scheme. Let them develop. Even if it takes them 4 years of development and they enter the league at 22, it's best they enter when they are at their best. Overall recap Solid First line. Last year the Sedin's were in a funk, and I think mostly due to Torts. This year will be different. They were at their best when they played 17 minutes a night. Torts had hem playing 21+, and especially at their age? Come on. This year Desjardins will make sure they bounce back, and on top they have a new line mate who has the ability to put up 50-60 points along with them. We don't really have a second line. The second line is definitely our weakspot; however, we still have 2 lines that can roll as 2A, and 2B. They're composed of a series of players that are all third-second line tweeners. At least that's the conservative estimate. Arrange them in this style creates 2 lines with chemistry and the ability to produce. The fourth line is actually one of the better fourth lines in the league. Hansen has third line capability, and Richardson played great when plugged into 3c last year as well. Dorsett is an energy, heart and soul, enforcer. Strength, speed, and a fair amount of offense. What can you ask for. We have one line that can defend and shut-down top lines. One line that can defend and shut down, bigger stronger lines. And one line that can play offense. I like Kevin Bieksa coming off the bench and not starting with Hamhuis as well. It gives much added depth down the right side. All 3 of our defense pairings can roll. Our goaltending is great. Ryan Miller is a great goalie, and Eddie Lack is already showing he may be too good for backup. We can roll either goalie any night and we will be covered in net. Sestito and Stanton being scratches are perfect. They're good enough to be either 4th line or 6th defencman, so having them be depth players is a bonus. Honestly, I think this team can compete in the division. I see one of those wildcard spots calling our name. Jim Benning retooled and gave us a team that can still contend for the playoffs. Vrbata, and Miller were huge, as well as getting Bonino and Sbisa to replace as much of Kesler and Garrison as they can. Don't count the Canucks out yet. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Utica comets Lineup (And potential mid season call ups) Hunter Shinkaruk---Cal O’Reilly---Nicklas Jensen Dane Fox---Brendan Gaunce---Alex Grenier Ronalds Kenins---Dustin Jeffrey---Ludwig Blomstrand Brandon Defazio---Kellan Lain---Darren Archibald (Patrick Kennedy, Mike Zalewski, Alex Freisen, Alex Mallet) Peter Andersson---Bobby Sanguinetti Henrik Tommernes---Alex Biega Evan McEneny---Yannick Weber (Jeremy Blain, Kane Lafranchise) (Jacob Markstrom) if he clears waivers or whatever Joacim Eriksson Joe Cannata (Keep in mind that if this lineup goes through and Bo Horvat does not crack the lineup, most likely, one player from this lineup will get moved up onto the roster) Notes Shinkaruk and Jensen start developing chemistry immediately. Their styles complement each other so might as well get them used to playing together. Speed and playmaking one side, and speed and sniping the other. Put Cal O'Reilly in the middle and it could be a great first line. He will do nothing but further their development. Gaunce and Fox also start building chemistry at the pro level. They already played on steam together, and now they can do it again, accompanied by 6'4 200+ pound Alex Grenier. Looks like a talented top 6, or at least more talented than last year. Great third line. All three of these guys can put up a good amount of third line scoring in the AHL level. They're pretty fast and still have some size too. I am a firm believer in you need a good base before you can build. This 4th line consists of 2 guys who have shown they can be at least decent 4th liners on the NHL level, which means they can surely do it on the AHL level. I would argue Zalewski also showed it, but that was in like 3 game stint. Not enough to prove anything yet. Our Defense actually looks fairly good at the AHL level. Not great, but still good. They're a little small, but still kind of skilled. The core has a solid mix of defensive play as well as offensive play, but it is still the weak point of the team if you ask me. Eriksson is a great AHL starter, and Cannata is a capable backup. Alltogether, not bad in goal. In the System Bo Horvat © Jake Virtanen (RW/LW) Jared McCann © Thatcher Demko (G) Ben Hutton (LD) Cole Cassels © Nikita Tryamkin (LD) Anton Cederholm (LD) Jordan Subban (RD) Gustav Forsling (LD) Joseph Labate © Mackenzie Stewart (LD) Kyle Petit © Great center depth coming in. You build from the center out and we have a number of 2-way Centers. Only 1 Right handed defenseman. As I stated, we may want to address that but it's really not something to be too worried about given that Corrado and Tanev are really young. Lots of Left handed defensemen (5). Lots of variety too. Only 1 winger. He's one of our best prospects but still only one.
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Here are my rankings for our top 20 prospects. I've been trying to work on my writing so I thought I would make a top 20 list of our prospects. This is my first blog entry so bare with me. (If anyone ever see's this. lol) This is my opinion based off what I've seen, so take it for what it's worth…. In other words, not much. Word of notice: Both Frank Corrado and Linden Vey have been omitted from this list as I believe their spots in the lineup are pretty much guaranteed. Now just to clarify, these are just my opinion. (Or in other words, it is the most official list in the world and I am 99% sure all the players are clammering to see where I put them… Duh.) Let us begin #20____________________________________________________________________Joseph Labate Joseph Labate ©: Joseph Labate is a center with good size as well as good two-way skills. But that's all he is, good. If you convert him to the NHL level, he seems like he could be a decent third line center, but that's it. He doesn’t really show many signs of being able to achieve more than third line status, but he definitely has the skills to be a bottom six center. If not third line, maybe 4th line. I see him playing the role of a Brad Richardson minus the PK killing, which again he's just 'good' at. He needs to up his offensive game if he wants to better his chances, but as of right now, he would be a good depth center. Maybe in Utica he will stand out in some way. Next year, Labate will get a bigger role and we will see how he does. Do not count him out yet though, next year will be the defining year for him. Chances are, we won't be an NHL regular, but if he does, 4th line center is what should be expected. AGE = 21 Height: 6’4 Weight: 201 lbs League: NCAA Team: U of Wisconson Games Played: 37 Goals: 11 Assists: 11 Points: 22 ETA: 2-3 years #19__________________________________________________________________Gustav Forsling Gustav Forsling (D): The Swedish PMD definitely has offensive upside. He is exceptionally good on the Power play. Forsling’s problems mainly come from his smaller size, especially being a defenseman. If he can work on being responsible on his own side and well as upping his offense a tiny bit, he could push for a job with the club in the future. For the round he was selected in, he is a great talent, just small. I could see him at max being a top 4 guy, but that's really stretching it. Him turning into a third paring who gets power-play minutes, if not on the first team, then most likely on the second team, seems more suitable. But who knows, he could surprise me. AGE = 18 Height: 5’11 Weight: 176 lbs League: SuperElit Team: Linkoping Games Played: 44 Goals: 6 Assists: 12 Points: 18 ETA: 3-5 years #18___________________________________________________________________Ronalds Kenins Ronalds Kenins (LW/RW): Signed last season, Kenins could make a push for the big club this year. He has all the tools to be a decent fourth liner currently. The thing is, he would probably better served playing another year in Utica so he can develop into a great fourth liner. I actually like this guy. He his really, really fast, and plays with high intensity. You always love guys who have a high compete level, no matter what line they are on. He would fit very well on a third line. I see him still being the type of player who still isn't fantastic, but can hop in and play with good players and mesh. Offesnively, he does have skills, but we just need to see him prove it on the next level. After that, who knows, he could be higher on the rankings. He seems like he could hop into the 4th line spot asap, and at max turn into a third solid sized, speedy, third liner than can score decently in a while. AGE = 23 Height: 6’0 Weight: 201 lbs League: NLA Team: ZSC Games Played: 39 Goals: 8 Assists: 17 Points: 25 ETA: 1-2 years #17_______________________________________________________________________Kellan Lain Kellan Lain (C/LW): The big man! Kellan Lain, is 6’6, 230+ pounds. He can potentially be a fourth line center or winger in case of injury, making him a solid 13th forward choice. He also still, has possibly the hardest shot out of all our possible callups, but I don’t think he would be expected for much scoring. 4th line has Kellan's name calling it. I say keep him in Utica for a year and try to develop his skills so when he does step into that 4th line role, he's not a pilon. If you can get him to play average defense, and almost average offense, he would be able to unleash his big man size to it's potential. 6'6, 230+ pounds ain't nothing to mess with. Especially when you know he can drop the gloves. AGE = 24 Height: 6’6 Weight: 223 lbs League: AHL Team: Utica Games Played: 63 Goals: 7 Assists: 12 Points: 19 ETA: 1-2 years #16______________________________________________________________Darren Archibald Darren Archibald (LW/RW): I believe Darren has a big chance at getting called up next year. He is everything you want a fourth liner to be. He plays a hard working, two way game, and is not afraid to lay out hits. He’s one of the older more experienced prospects, which is exactly why he can beat out the rest of the prospects for a depth spot. Not really skilled, but can play a rugged style needed in our division. Have you seen his crazy hit where he completely flips some poor guy? Man, he should have got arrested for that. It was awesome. And to top it all off, he's a workhorse. Only if he had more upside, but still, a solid 4th liner none the less. AGE = 24 Height: 6’3 Weight: 209 lbs League: AHL Team: Utica Games Played: 59 Goals: 10 Assists: 12 Points: 22 ETA: 1-2 years #15________________________________________________________________Joaccim Eriksson Joaccim Eriksson (G): The Canucks have a lot of Swedish goalies in their system. Eriksson right now will manage the starting goaltender role on the Comets. He could push for a backup role in 2 years or so, if not he will be an AHLer for life adding a third goaltending option in case there are serious goaltending injuries. Still though, at the AHL level he has some skill. There really isn't that much to say about him other than he can maybe be a backup. I hope I'm wrong and he turns into more of an Eddie Lack, that would be pushing it. AGE = 24 Height: 6’2 Weight: 196 lbs League: AHL Team: Utica Games Played: 52 GAA: 2.61 SVS %: .911 ETA: 3-6 years #14___________________________________________________________________Anton Cederholm Anton Cederholm (D): Possibly the best shut down defenseman in the Canucks system. In my opinion, he certainly is, but I'm sure Tryamkin has something to say about that. He has potential to be able to shut down top 6 players, but doesn’t show much offensive upside. Although, while saying that, he is showing more upside than originally expected, but still not that much. So in all you should be happy about the sign he's showing, and maybe he can develop the upside a little more. Already has NHL size at 6'2 210+ pounds, and very solid skating to back it up. Cederholm can potentially make an impact to be a top 4 defensman if he develops the right way. A straight up defensive piller is never bad to have. And if you pair him up with someone like a Jordan Subban, you could see real good results. AGE = 19 Height: 6’2 Weight: 214 League: WHL Team: Portland Games Played: 71 Goals: 4 Assists: 12 Points: 16 ETA: 3-4 years #13____________________________________________________________________Alex Grenier Alex Grenier (RW): Grenier has NHL size, and one of the hardest shots in the AHL. In fact, he would have one of the harder shots on the NHL club if he were to make it. Grenier, being a late bloomer, and a breakout season last year. He needs one more season to see if he can replicate, or better yet improve upon that success, and possibly push for a fourth line job. The reason I rank him so high is because I think he is very close to being NHL ready. And he's showing he has more upside than originally expected, as well as plays better defense then originally expected. As of right now, he can turn into a fourth liner quick, but who knows, he could be better than that. AGE = 22 Height: 6’4 Weight: 196 League: AHL Team: Utica Games Played: 68 Goals: 17 Assists: 22 Points: 39 ETA: 1-2 years #12___________________________________________________________________Jordan Subban Jordan Subban (D): The most skilled PMD in the Canucks system by far. Brother of PK, even he thinks Jordan is the more skilled of the two at that age. Much like many other prospects, his biggest concern comes with his size. While his brother PK stands 6’0, 210 pounds, Jordan comes in at 5’9, 180 pounds. His size makes defending against larger players very difficult, so if he could grow an inch or 2, and put on 10-15 pounds or so, it could only help him, but you can’t really teach size. His kill however, is undeniable. Drafted in the fourth round, I honestly think he has first round talent. If it wasnt for the size factor, I really couldn't see him falling as far as he did. If his size proves to be too much of an impediment to being a defenseman, he has the skills to be a skilled undersized forward in the top 9. All he can do is keep working on his game, and maybe be a little more defensive zone conscious and try to battle through the height and try to be the next Ryan Ellis/Torey Krug. (Ellis however was a first round talent) I'm sure PK can help work with him on that so I'm not too worried. I see Jordan Subban jumping up the rankings in the near future. Jordan Subban is the prospect that I say, do not count out for sure. This kid grew a full inch last year, and apparently it runs in the family as both PK and Malcom did the same. He is already incredibly strong, squatting 300+ too. If he hits 5'11, I see him jumping into the top 10. But you can't teach height, and 2 inches is still a long way to go. Still though, I see him overcoming that and moving up these rankings soon. AGE = 19 Height: 5’9 Weight: 180 League: OHL Team: Belleville Games Played: 66 Goals: 12 Assists: 30 Points: 42 ETA: 3-4 years #11_________________________________________________________________Nikita Tryamkin Nikita Tryamkin (D): The big Russian monster. Skates surprisingly well for his size, as well as you can guess, is a great physical force. He has a cannon of a shot but needs to work greatly on his accuracy. Sounds a lot like Jason Garrison right? But at least he's still young, he has time to develop the accuracy. Currently, he still has 2 years left on his KHL contract. After that he could potentially make a push for a top 6, max top 4 spot on the team, and be a huge defensive pillar. A defensman of his skill set has not been on the Canucks roster in possibly ever. I'm really excited to see the physical edge he can bring. He is truly able to play in our division, but only if he works o his overall game to make it a little better. The KHL is a good league, he's not playing with scrubs. Grown men with good skill. I expect him to fully develop there. AGE = 19 Height: 6’7 Weight: 229 League: KHL Team: Avto Games Played: 45 Goals: 1 Assists: 6 Points: 7 ETA: 2-3 years #10_____________________________________________________________________Dane Fox Dane Fox (C/LW): The curious case of Dane Fox. Had an outstanding campaign last season with the Eirie Otters. However, he was still an over-ager. Could he be a late bloomer, or will he turn out to be a player more of the Sean Avery type? As of right now, it looks as if he will be closer to a potential third line scorer, but we will have to see. A great signing for the Canucks, worth I would say, I high 2nd round, low third round pick. So getting that value from free signing is a just a solid bonus. Dane Fox truly can be a career AHLer, but he could also go the opposite way and potentially be a top 6 player. Linden Vey, who I omitted from this list purely because I feel like he's a lock, had similar results in the CHL. He was good his CHL career, but exploded in his final year. If Dane Fox could do say Vey did and play in the AHL for 2 years or so, you can see a top prospect on your hands with real top 6 potential. But it won't be easy, so don't expect too much from this kid or you can be disappointed. But it will be interesting to see how he develops. The good thing is, he will be playing with some solid prospects in Utica. Whether it be a Hunter Shinkaruk, or a Nickals Jensen, or his former teammate: Brendan Gaunce. He will have help along the road, which is nothing but good for him. AGE = 20 Height: 6’0 Weight: 185 League: OHL Team: Erie Games Played: 67 Goals: 64 Assists: 43 Points: 107 ETA: 2-3 years #9____________________________________________________________________Cole Cassels Cole Cassels ©: Cole Cassels is a solid two-way player. He is responsible in his own end and has shown he has a little more offensive upside than people thought before. He plays a good all around game. He doesn’t stand out in many areas, but he doesn’t fall short in many as well. I like to think of him is as Bo Horvat Lite. He currently projects to be a good third line center give or take a little, but I honestly think he has a chance at cracking 2C. He has the skill and the work ethic to get there, it's just a ways to go. Cole is a hard working two center, and this year if he goes back to juniors, he will likely play another year with Michael Dal Colle. It would really help his offensive development even further as well as teach him how to play with more skilled players, that way he can hop in and play with a Shinkaruk or a Virtanen and not lose a step. It also could only help his chances at developing into a potential 2nd line center. It's always good to have versatile players that can play with guys more skilled than themselves. If developed right, he can be a really solid center prospect. AGE = 19 Height: 6’0 Weight: 181 lbs League: OHL Team: Oshawa Games Played: 61 Goals: 24 Assists: 49 Points: 73 ETA: 2-4 years #8____________________________________________________________________Ben Hutton Ben Hutton (D): 1 word, 'UNDERRATED'!!! Well at least by the league. It seems most Canucks fans are starting to catch on. Ben Hutton is interesting, as he was a forward converted into a defenseman. After transitioning to Defense, he really spread his wings. He had a break out season and broke records at the Univesity of Maine, for most goals by a defenseman (15). Also has good size at 6’4 200+ pounds and plays responsible defense. I think he is massively underrated and has definite top 4 potential in the NHL and can put up a solid amount of points while he’s at it. Also, an interesting tidbit, since he was converted to a defenseman in the first place, he is a potential candidate to be converted into a forward if necessary. See Brent Burns or Dustin Byflugion as an example. I, for one am very excited to see how he does next year. If he makes half the leaps he made this year, you will see people start to catch on. AGE = 21 Height: 6’3 Weight: 201 League: NCAA Team: U of Maine Games Played: 35 Goals: 15 Assists: 14 Points: 29 ETA: 1-3 years #7________________________________________________________________Brendan Gaunce Brendan Gaunce ©: Gaunce has NHL size, and NHL smarts. With that good combination alone, he can be a solid third line pivot. He is a two way forward, and always takes care of his own end. He is a natural leader. He has a very quick release on his shot and good playmaking skills. He must however, work on his skating, after that, he can make the jump. Can also play left wing, although it is not his natural position. Still Though, some people think he would be better off at Wing because of his rather mediocre foot speed, however, he is still a natural center. His skating is definitely getting better, but it will need more improvement if he wants to play center. Still, he is a natural born leader, and penalty killer. He can also play with many different types of players and not lose a step because of his positioning and smarts. If Brendan Gaunce is going to succeed, it's going to be as a two way power forward. AGE = 20 Height: 6’2 Weight: 216 lbs League: OHL Team: Erie Games Played: 65 Goals: 31 Assists: 41 Points: 72 ETA: 1-3 years #6_______________________________________________________________Thatcher Demko Thatcher Demko (G):Thatcher Demko, to some, can be seen as the second coming of Cory Schneider.=. Like Schneider, also went to Boston College, and like Schneider, also very skilled and athletic. Definite potential to be a starter, and still has the possibility of being elite; however, goalies take much longer to develop. Don’t expect Demko to actually make an impact for 6-10 years, but hey, if you’re going that time to a goalie, might as well invest in one with the elite skills of Demko. Best bet you can get as he does show elite goaltender potential, but again, goalies are an enigma, and you really don't know what you have in a goalie until they're minimum 23-24 years old, and sometimes not even that soon. But I have trust in the Boston College development system. AGE = 18 Height: 6’3 Weight: 192 League: NCAA Team: Boston College Games Played: 24 GAA: 2.24 Save %: .919 ETA: 5-8 years #5________________________________________________________________Hunter Shinkaruk Hunter Shinkaruk (LW/RW): Speed and skill. Shinkaruk has top six speed and top six skill; however, his progress has been slowed due to a couple injury problems. In Utica, he will get a chance to adapt to the pro game and ease into it. After a successful campaign or 2, he can make the jump possibly straight into our top 6. Overall, Shinkaruk has the highest offensive ceiling, although he offers the highest risk. His hip injuries have really healed and apparently, and it seems like he hasn't lost a step. Thank you modern day medicine. I think the best way to go with Shinkaruk is to 'Gutav Nyquist' him. What I mean by that is give him at least another full season in the AHL, maybe 2 or 3. Then when he arrives, you will see him take over games. He still needs to improve on his defensive play, but he's the kind of player that you really use for his offensive upside rather than his defensive upside. Still, it never hurts for your players to be reliable defensively. But one thing he really needs to watch out for is getting injured. Injury problems could seriously hamper his chances, at least more than others, and he just naturally plays a high octane, high compete level game. If he has to, he will charge straight into corners and battle on the boards. He will need to bulk up if he doesn't wants to play that way and not get injured. AGE = 19 Height: 5’11 Weight: 180 lbs League: WHL Team: Medicine Hat Games Played: 18 Goals: 5 Assists: 11 Points: 16 ETA: 1-3 years #4___________________________________________________________________Jared McCann Jared McCann ©: Plays very responsible defense, while boasting a very impressive offensive skillset. He has a lethal shot, and great playmaking ability. In juniors he will find his way and his skills will come together so he can be a more consistent offensive threat. McCann is interesting in that he seems to be like Cody Hodgson 2.0. He has the same IQ and shot, but has better speed and boasts far better defense. For everyone that is still upset for the Cody Hodgson trade, I think this kid is the answer to your prayers. Jared McCann will probably play in junior next year, and if he could have a 80-90+ point season, you will see the league go crazy about how much of a steal he was. And the thing is, with his current, already possessed skill set, that is not really that far of a stretch. I honestly think, similar to how Anthony Mantha was the steal of the 2013 draft's first round, McCann will be the steal the 2014 draft's first round. AGE = 18 Height: 6’0 Weight: 180 League: OHL Team: Sault Ste. Games Played: 64 Goals: 27 Assists: 35 Points: 62 ETA: 2-3 years #3___________________________________________________________________Nicklas Jensen Nicklas Jensen (RW/LW): Nicklas Jensen showed us last year that he has talents. Rare talents. He has good size at 6’3 200+ pounds, and is still a very smooth skater for his size. On top he has a snipers shot capable of picking corners. Jensen has all the tools to explode into a top 9, if not top 6 sniper. It would be best for him to start out in Utica and hopefully get called up soon. Jensen and Shinkaruk can be linemates and build chemistry. (Just think of that line. Speed and playmaking by Shinkaruk and speed and sniping on the other. Throw a McCann, Gaunce, or Horvat in there to play center and see what happens.) All he has to do is work on his consistency, and not just offensive consistency but also defensive. The kid can play solid defense as his natural athletic speed and size give him a good edge. Still however, sometimes he seems to get lost and not play effectively. He has probably the best current offensive upside, and still currently has better than average defensive, but he really needs to learn how to perform that efficiently every night. If he does, watch out. Jensen could still hop into the lineup immediately, now that he won't be hampered by injury and can make a push, but still, a full season in the AHL would be great. AGE = 21 Height: 6’3 Weight: 203 lbs League: AHL Team: Utica Games Played: 54 Goals: 15 Assists: 6 Points: 21 ETA: 1-2 years #2_____________________________________________________________________Jake Virtanen Jake Virtanen (RW/LW): At the age of 17, Virtanen boasts NHL size and NHL speed. Virtanen was the fastest skater to come out of the draft, as well as being ranked number 1 for overall physical play. Not only are his physical gives astounding, but he also had the best shot coming out of the draft. He is a true goal scorer in that he can play the speed game, or the physical game, and score in the meantime. JB said he wants a team that can play an up tempo, high speed game, but still can play a bang it out physical game when they have to. Well that sums up Jakes game perfectly, except he doesn't just play physical when he has too, he loves it. And on top of that, he picks corners with a rocket of a shot. With a couple years of fine-tuning, he can be a great top 6 forward. I see a lot of Evander Kane in him, which would be GREAT if you ask me. A lot of people give him flack about his Hockey IQ level, but keep in mind he is still 17 years old. He's still a student of the game and can be taught. Ask any NHL player, you constantly learn the game, even when you're 30. It’s not unreasonable to think that a 17 year old kid can improve his hockey smarts, and if he does, Virtanen can really turn into a homerun player. Virtanen is at worst a third line winger that can put up 15 goals a season. But at best he can be a top 6 forward, the likes of a Evander Kane putting up 30-40 goals a season. He's a low risk, high reward prospect. He can play the speed and finesse game one second, and then play the physical strength game the next. AGE = 17 Height: 6’0 Weight: 207 lbs League: WHL Team: Calgary Games Played: 71 Goals: 45 Assists: 26 Points: 71 ETA: 1-3 years #1_______________________________________________________________________Bo Horvat Bo Horvat ©: I would argue, the number 1 prospect in the system, is none other than 'The Ox', Bo Horvat. Man, let me tell you, I Bo-lieve….. Yes, I just said that… Anyway, Horvat is a rare gem. When it comes to almost every aspect of his game, he is grade A. From Defense, to compete level, leadership qualities etc. Even overall skating and physical play are probably A-s. The only part of his game that needs work is his offensive game. Overall his offensive game is like a B compared to the rest. If he can show up to camp in good shape, he can make a strong consideration to make the big club, but if not, he can go back to the Knights and work on those offensive skills to make him a truly deadly all around prospect. Bo is future captain material. At worst he will be a third line center, but he could definitely push for second line, and possibly, if he really works hard push for first line. He already had a massive improvement last year, if he gets one last season in London, puts up 90+ points, and then comes to the NHL is a true offensive repertoire, he could make a big impact. Still however, if he makes the team, I'm sure Desjardins will give him solid minutes, and solid linemates. With the right care, Horvat could turn into a Ryan O'Reiily type player, but that is why it is so critical that we get this right and make the right choice in his development. Still though, assume 2nd line center if you ask me, and a good one at that. Get ready to hear the announcers talking about "that Bo drag", because it's coming… and it's going to be awesome. AGE = 19 Height: 6’0 Weight: 203 lbs League: OHL Team: London Games Played: 54 Goals: 30 Assists: 44 Points: 74 ETA: 1-2 years --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But that's just my opinion. Overall not too bad of a group. I would say the biggest need is for us to add a right handed defensman. The only one we have in our entire top 20 is Jordan Subban, who although skilled, is undersized. My idea would be to make a package around Jacob Markstrom if he's not enough to to it himself, and acquire recently drafted Jack Glover, who I would rank between Tryamkin and Grenier, from the WPG jets. We would have prospect depth at every position and should help ease this 'rebuild'. We would look strong going into the future. Other right handed shots I would be interested in looking into would be Madison Bowey in Washington, as well as Jack Dougherty in Nashville. Both would be much harder to get though. Other than that, we could use a little help on the right side with some either RW forwards or at least a right handed center. I would personally try and go after someone like Nick Baptiste from Buffalo. He's a third round pick who has really spread his wings. I would rank him in-between Ben Hutton and Cole Cassels at the 8th spot. Buffalo has so many quality prospects up front, it's only a matter of time before they had to start shipping guys out. Baptiste would be a great addition and not cost the farm. Other than those two areas, we are fairly solid pretty much everywhere. By solid, I mean good, but lacking a true number 1 center or defensman, but those don't really come around every day, and when they do, they are usually for a team picking in the top 5 or so. Overall, not bad Canucks, not bad at all. Quick Recap 1: Bo Horvat 2: Jake Virtanen 3: Nicklas Jensen 4: Jared McCann 5: Hunter Shinkaruk 6: Thatcher Demko 7: Brendan Gaunce 8: Ben Hutton 9: Cole Cassels 10: Dane Fox 11: Nikita Tryamkin 12: Jordan Subban 13: Alex Grenier 14: Anton Cederholm 15: Joaccim Eriksson 16: Darren Archibald 17: Kellan Lain 18: Ronlads Kenins 19: Gustav Forsling 20: Joseph Labate
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Horvat is a very special prospect. He's the real deal when it comes to pretty much all aspects of his game. Defence, work ethic, leadership, even his physical play is solid. I would rate him at an A or so for pretty much all spects, except his overall offensive skill set. In that department, he's a B or B+. If he makes the team, GREAT. If he doesn't he can go back to London and work on that skill set. Bring that from the B range into the A range and you will see he could very well become a top 6 center. Maybe even top line center. Don't rush him. Let him develop his offensive side fully, and we will have a pure gem in our ranks for years and years to come
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I'm a little confused. I thought if they let him go to school all 4 years then they lose RFA rights similar ti Justin Schultz. There's probably something I'm missing. Someone hit me up, let me know?
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You nailed it. If you ask me, Virtanen's closest comparison has to be Evander Kane. North/South player with BLAZING SPEED, but still with significant size and wicked shots. Both also have good enough hands that it allows them to do same cool moves, but they're not elite at it. Really tough to play against because they can burn you with their speed, and the next second can muscle you up. I would say Kane however, is definitely the more talented one when it came to their draft years. But yes, if we are talking comparison, Evander Kane is as good of one as you can get if you ask me.
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Stalked. Among the best etc. I totally agree with him. Horvat, McCann, Gaunce, Cassels, Fox, and Vey. That is actually a really deep squad at center. Aside from a obvious number 1 center (which is pretty hard to find) this is super solid. I for one thing, one of these guys can probably turn into a number 1 center anyway. It's a matter of numbers. Chances are, at least one of these guys should underachieve, and at least one of these guys should overachieve.
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[Rumor] Ryan Miller to Vancouver Thread
Mr.53 replied to canuckbeliever's topic in Trades, Rumours, Signings
Best tweet ever Edit: "tweet"? lol, mean post -
I wouldn't have been opposed to that, but it assumes either Carolina, Toronto, Winnipeg, or Anaheim would want to trade up to 6. I Don't see any of them with the want to trade down.
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His only flaw is his hockey IQ. If he didn't have that problem he would probably be the number 1 pick if not in serious contention for it. I get a sense from Benning that he doesn't see that as that big of a problem that can't be addressed. The kid is still 17. He's a student of the game. He can still study the game and work on positioning etc for years. Come by the time he's 20-22, if he has upped his in game smarts, which is totally possible, you can very well see Virtanen turn into the best player in the draft. I'm a believer. When people say a 17 year old kid can't up his smarts, they're being ridiculous.
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At least you have a positive attitude. I can respect that
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Well that was quick….
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YES. I really think one day all the doubters will come around.
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Hope we actually get a decent pp coach
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I got you. I personally still think Reinhart has the biggest ceiling but I can understand why people think Ekblad does. Still, I know GMs have to be thinking the same thing. Last year Nathan Mackinnon outplaying Seth Jones didn't help either. But I got you. I guess we will all see in a couple of days who goes where anyway
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hahahaha that's pretty funny. I'm actually pretty shocked he didn't know how many wins his team had. I feel like if I was going into an interview I would do as much studying as I can. I would at least know the teams record, maybe powerplay and penalty kill percentage as well. Hahahahaha, pretty funny none the less.
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We need a defencman with the second round. Unless there is a glaring sleeper talent that slipped down to us, I definitely think we should pick a defencman.
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I don't think he's saying they will all pan out, but look at that depth. Chances are, at least some of them will pan out. Each one of those prospects looks promising, yeah some will flop, but I honestly think not that many.