Phat Fingers

Rathbone looked lost on defence this year at the NHL level. It’s not all Rathbone’s fault, and like any person, focus on what you can control, work to make your self ready for the opportunity and you only truly waste the shot if you don’t give it your all. Brisbios looked far more able, to play a more purely defensive game. Who are we pairing with Rathbone, if Hughes is playing with Schenn? Myers? No, he needs a more responsible or aware partner. Bear? He is just getting into the system and has yet to show a lot of strength away from the puck at times. Dermott is his best possible partner and he’s out. Rathbone is his own best weapon and worst enemy. But until the right side is fixed, to reflect the talent on the left side, then there is no partner that can let Rathbone play his game at the NHL level unless Hughes is unavailable. Thats a giant leap, from the AHL. Rathbone can make his own future.

Why start this crap Alf? With the state of things, McDonough’s agent is looking at Kuzemenko and Pedersen saying, it’s a fantastic place for you to earn a great deal in as short as possible time and get the ice time you need and the set up guys of your dreams, Hughes and Pettersson. Why would McDonough not look at the Canucks throwing money at Brock for another three years as a fantastic example of what his future is going to look like in a very open house roster situation? Look, Miller is playing himself into a trade just by being too cranky, needing a ego stroke and maybe the player, the agent and management have the conditions now in play that make JT Miller waive and there by making Bo the Guy and JT can avoid being the Guy. Love JT, love his intensity and aggression. Reminds me of a bit of Bertuzzi, with the tater disrespect of the media at times. Also love that JT would not let Bruce take the heat for the Veteran giving the Rookie player some snarl while JT was wanting to attack the Jets end before the Jets we set up. A drawn up attack that has worked 6 vs 5 and a goalie with the Nucks this year. clearly the Canucks wanted to get the win and hated their loss to the Jets a few weeks ago, that was an utter embarrassment. Hate to say it guys, but what happened on the ice and that sourness, that’s what losing is supposed sound like. Delia was a rookie who stood on his head, and I don’t think JT was showing anymore than the frustration that the very ideal opening that this drawn up attack is meant to exploit was lost because of the Rookie Goalie that made a mistake in a drawn up play. A goalie that has done amazing as the third string rookie stand in. Remember last year, when JT and Demko carried the club for the first half? He gave the same vibe and energy, personal best doesn’t matter to him, the win or the chance to win. We lack a snarl in our line up, and JT has snarl. Bo is very diplomatic and that is also good, Peterson can stare down and win a by wit and honesty in any situation, Hughes can Huggy Bear and now show his bearish side so the snarl has to be there and unhappy players should be expected when the team is losing. A healthy Demko and are we having any issues? Demko hasn’t been healthy since he and Bo both went down with injuries on the just missed playoff push last year. Without a healthy Demko, the weakness on Defence is too much for the strength at Offence to overcome. Thats not a fault of anyone but Management, as the Defence was at best a ‘work in progress’ as much as the dressing rooms were at the start of the year. Thats not on the coaches, the players or injuries. But it’s not anything that an unlucky injury or lack of recovery from lasts years injury with Demko would be or could be, when it’s on the rung and gun, out score the opponent style of the Canucks as built and drafted by JB and the team that Bruce has to coach and the style he coaches best. If not for Bruce, the very play JT was called out for his stick smacking a few days ago would even get to play. Imagine such a play with AV behind the bench of Torts? No NHL executive cares less and knows more about media manipulation and entertainment, yanking the media and fans eyes and attention and tanking while no one is looking better than guys like Rutherford. This boiling over of energy and frustration is part of that, and if JT wants out, he has the ability, audacity and audience to make it happen.

As a former extended visitor to a psychiatric ward, and an extended visitor on this planet, I think your trade proposal is out of this world. But it’s not the fix we need. If the club is moving on from Bo, somehow a defender is coming back and still Tank for Beddard. Bust for Beddard. Enough of the all forwards and no defence… if this team doesn’t want to repeat the futility of the last ten years.. did exactly what crazy people would do, continue the same mistake over and over snd each time, think that it was working.

He turned that offer down Alf. He is looking at a bigger deal, or playing elsewhere. His and hers family are all back in Ontario, so the ties cut both ways. at this point in a long relationship, if the renewal of vows isnt welcome by both sides, then there is a divorce coming. I learned that last one the hard way… my wife had signed with a different club before the season was over… lol. But yup.

Wha? sorry, as much as Bo is on Fire, the up side in Pettersson is another level and the complete game is going to improve. with Bo it’s about cost, and this team has great assets but is unbalanced and it’s weakness needs to be fixed or the whole team cannot succeed. I would move Brock and Bo and then see what the team is like. Getting someone on Defence with upside in the return is essential. think the Rutherford Alvin group is here to let a stealth tank for Beddard… I will wear a tinfoil hat and say, with Demko on the shelf, this team is not making the playoffs. most teams lose their starting goalie have low odds of success. Bruce is here because why hire a new coach when the goal is a shot at the wunderkid. The room is in upheaval and this gives RutherfordAlvin the green light to do whatever the heck they want for about the next six to eight months. Still think it’s nuts, bonkers, and goofy to even think of dealing Hughes or Pettersson. Bo is gone no matter what anyone wants. He wants a different look and knows he is getting a monster deal. but it’s great clip bait,

Well, this was my jumping off the playoff band wagon. this was my worst game of the year and it’s time for the coach to have the players in a hotel before every home game and see who gets back after curfew not ready to give their best the next day. something is draining the energy from this team every time they get back from the road, be it their wives, girlfriends or the Roxy, it’s starting to be hard to ignore that the away team is way better than the home team most nights the Canucks have played this year. Home or on the road for the team.

Heard this too, sorry, but Quinn Hughes has to be as well. In Pits, how many times did rumours fly that Letang was being dealt? how many cup rings does Letang have. Quinn Hughes is vital to this team and as intergral to the future of the club as EP40. what I will say, Quinn’s game is subtler and he has not been as dominant this year as the last two. Nagging injury, or unhappy or slump… but of all three, but I gotta say, he could get 82 points this year and not score a goal. We need a reliable cannon from the point on his pairing and hopefully that player has the size and physical play that is in the mold of Luke Schenn. That prototype guy, a top four capable player that can land a hit and shoot the puck accurately from the point, and we have given Hughes what he needs to become dominant. The other player has to be capable, not a star. just getting those sweet set ups and or secondary assists being between Hughes and Ep40 is a dream position for any player looking to cash in one day and maybe hoist a cup too. The dynamic in the locker room and with the system being employed by the coach is not working all that well. But the quality of the individual players is higher right now than the sum of the performance on the ice. Home games are especially lack lustre this year. Our depth is at forward, our defence is struggling and the weakest position current is goalie, when we have the Guru, Ian Clark? Good thing it’s a dream draft scenario for a local wunderkid. The fans could take a tank, but like a one dip and out tank. The talent is deep, there are two generational players that will vastly outperform any player we could ship out to improve our draft position other than Hughes and Ep40. This is the year to look terrible. The season is soon behind hood of the play offs, the absolute bi polar mood or energy of the team. Against Calgary, they were skating hard, and against the jets, they look glued to the ice. we get an automatic better ability to resign and or sign FA’s and college FA ‘s with the ending of the Florida Assistant GM penalty against our cap. This effort did not pan out, and to be fair, Bo and Brock need to be dealt and the team needs to move on a bit from JB’s core. The return from a well timed and placed trade of Bo Horvat could make this franchise what we want it to be, which with Bo it has not happened but for the Bubble Run. the same could be said about Brock, except for the return, but he needs a change and it’s a drag on the emotions of a fragile team atm. thr team that is Bo Horvat’s as Captain, whether he has any ability to change the outcome and his efforts on the ice in the dot on in the offensive zone have been career bests in the very year he needs to be the best for himself alone. Winning is a team sport and right now it’s something that is completely hit or miss. Tear the scab, to it now and make sure the club is set for the draft and start looking forward to next year. the biggest thing to do atm, get very cozy and be very communicative with Kuzemenko’s agent and get him resigned for a decent term. Trade Bo and Brock, we have the forwards already there to step into Brock’s role and Bo cannot be replaced, not outside a mega deal or thru the draft. We could not afford him in FA. okay, but that cap and his return can give this club another player equally hard to acquire or draft. Maybe more than one. Look at what Colorado got for Duchene.

Don’t mind Alf, he gets a little too into his online persona. The thing at his draft was he hadn’t put it all together on the ice, with some questionable decision making while playing a really high tempo attacking style. Bad news travels ten times faster than good news and in general the more knowledgeable a person can be, the flip and funny they can try to be and also flop. glad to have a keen scout on the European scene for us fans of Canucks and dough heads who are Canucks fans too.

I don’t care, he is a RHD. Draft all the RHD.

The sooner the better, tear the scab, the bounce back will happen and loosing Bo will also put us in the front runner spot to land Beddard. If the wheels were coming off in a fast tear down rebuild but keeping Petey and Quinn, the vital guys, and making them the best they can be, then let’s do it. when the second place tanker gets Fantelli, it’s a great draft to sink on. and we have the best in the biz at tanking. Penguins management.

1st, a top prospect and a roster player should be the starting price. The conditions of the pick and or any additional picks are debatable? Does Bo Resign, does the team get past a round or win the cup… etc… The Roster player needs to be a cap dump player and able to contribute to this years team or a longer term piece, which means a better roster player. The prospect has to be blue chip and a position of need. The Prospect can be anywhere from Jr to the NHL but lower in the depth chart, but a good future. pretty easy to base any deal for Bo off that model. the quantity is less relevant that the quality of prospect(s) coming back. the pick will be a later first etc… so the real return will be whomever the young prospect(s) are coming back. phats.

Please please please please please…. over and over, until the Canucks get a good RHD!

Unless we want to keep Bo and Kuzemenko. Then another 4-5 million dollar winger is heading out.

Not bad. take out the third. make the pick back a conditional one, as Brock could explode playing shotgun with Barzal, playoffs, etc… So who goes next? we still have a long jam at wing… Pearson or Garland?

The Cardiac Kids. Poor Bruce’s Heart, and Rutherford looks like he is having a stroke each game. These kids are ‘hectic’ and Martin has a backups mindset. If he could iron out his kinks with Clark, it would be helpful, but I think fatigue will be a factor for him over the next stretch. With guys like Pettersson and Hughes and Horvat and Miller and Kuzmenko and Dakota Joshua, your never out of a game totally. The psychology of winning will be very helpful, if this tram can win or go .500 thru the next five games. But the clear need for a Grant Fuhr like goalie that can shut the door in the last five minutes of a 5-6 game is so clear. This team is overloaded at wing and needs to move Brock and I would take almost any deal that brings back a decent top 60 pick and a cap dump expiring contract. This gives the club the ability to resign Bo. With other dead money coming off the books, any expiring contract for Brock is a win. The need for a top 4 RHD is so clear after the last few games. Petey is ice cold, and with space in OT, it’s almost unfair to give him the puck on the off side. For all the haters of Management out there. Dakota Joshua was a fantastic signing. The two Russian wingers… sorry can’t spell all that well… This team can come back, can’t hold a lead, but it can trade shots and goals. the next five game stretch… this is the tempering and if the team is overwhelmed, the deals will follow. But if they can play a competitive game and win, it may be enough to re cast the team psychology as winning is a wonderful boost.

But he was left in Abbey afterwards, on loan, was he not?

Was Demko hurt the whole time, just nagging and it was aggravated last night… or worse? if so, then Martin is our tank for the season.. sorry goalie…. deep, deep draft. loads of talent and we have assets to play with too. didnt Rutherford and Alvin find Murray in the scrap heap and made him a cup winner… twice… having Demko on the shelf with the elves for the season, would green light Tankathon 2023 with Beddard or bust.. without having to ‘gut’ the core…ala the few times that Rutherford wasted some of Crosbies early years to get a nice pick… Martin has a steady presence and this is also a good news piece for Mikey D on the farm. Silvos gets brought up and time to deal some excess depth pieces for a bargain price of as little cap back as possible. one or two moves… Garland, Pearson and or Boeser would free up bucks for signing Bo..if he is still into the club or getting cold feet. Myers is a contract that gets easier to move after July 2nd… frees up the management and owners to make any moves that they want.. so the gloves are coming off and things will change after the last two home games. needs to happen. Why.. Demko was not himself. Now we know why,.. the injury last year didn’t recover properly most likely. the Beddard Tankathon has begun…

Fair enough, but a dash of optimism is not a bad way to look at things. Thats me. I don’t think OEL is the real problem and he does well with a partner that plays defence at an NHL level. not sure if OEL has ever had that, Kinda moot with Demko getting hurt. its Bedard or bust…Lmao.

Second fastest D man to get 20 assists other than Orr. Bump.

Why would you be happy about this as a fan of the team. OEL is a Canuck. Wishing him fail to looks similar to wishing the team you cheer for failing?

Going with a 1 or 2 player difference and we go into a darkhorse playoff bound team, like the team that went to game 7 vs LV. Tanev resigned…. over Myers.. maybe a wash… but maybe not. Walking away from JV or dealing him and signing Tiffoli…that was a big f**k up. where would we be now? No worse off. Would we have squeaked in last year? That’s a difference of one to two guys

Holy shit. wonder if he could win the Norris and not score a goal this year. currently on pace for 80 points and a solid plus minus. think, one day he will get a shot working. but right now, the Nucks have a ton of good options for him to set up. best wing man ever… guaranteed to score with Hughes by your side…

Love Aman and Joshua. two excellent unheralded moves this last off season. what was the price tag on our fourth line two years ago?

Another guy better than OJ… f**k.. why?!

A Myers for Zub deal frees up six million next year which means resigning Bo done and with freed up dead money next year, a FA signing could replace Myers or Zub for less.