Ronaldoescobar

Utica bound! If he can spend a couple years down there playing against men he will be all the better for it when he is ready for the NHL in a few years. D do take longer to develop (as we can see with Sbisa) so no need to rush Stecher who could turn out to very serviceable for the franchise.

Burrows mentors young guys so he is on team for good!

No need to rush OJ he will be a cornerstone piece (if not traded for one) in the future.. I could see this year and next in junior followed by 3-4 years in the AHL honing his game against adults before the Canucks bring him up full time.

I have a feeling there was definitely some headbutting between WD and management over giving Hutton a spot.. That said I am glad he got one!

I just hope that Cagiulla doesnt help to convince Boeser to go FA and sign with the Oil and all their young talent... Hard to turn down getting fed by McDavid or Draisaitl vs Sutter, Granny or Guance imo.

Stecher looked really good last night but I have a hard time thinking that WD will have him on the team this year as he is very cautious with the young guys. I think Stecher will have a great year in Utica under Green and hopefully compete for a spot in the NHL next season!

Juolevi is a good 3-4 years away from the NHL at this point but it is exciting to see him on the ice at 18.

Very excited about both Virtanen and McCann (at this point) but it's going to be a good 2-4 yrs before they are ready for the NHL and things could always change

I think Gaunce will be more of a Matthias type with a little less scoring touch when/if he hits the bigs.

I think he is highly overrated unfortunately... Career 4th line grinder if he makes the NHL

    youre correct in that it does not say that head first is the determining factor and I apologize for that. "48.1 Illegal Check to the Head A hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted. However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered" That said I guess it leaves it open for interpretation on each individual hit. Fraser's take which is hard to brush aside as easy as all the posters on this board: "Rule 48.1 (i) (ii) (iii) provides lots of 'reasons' to determine whether contact with an opponent's head was avoidable. Practically all of these allowances place considerable onus on the recipient/victim of the hit. From (iii) Alexandre Burrows did not "materially change the position of his body or head immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit in a way that significantly contributed to the head contact." The material change in position came from Nino Niederreiter. If the rule verbiage doesn't qualify hits of this nature as a "head pick," at the very least it needs to be acknowledged that significant contact resulted from an illegal hit to the head in an ongoing effort to hold players accountable." I guess what is frustrating is people arguing that this hit was legal and attacking those opposed when this is obvioulsy a matter of interpretation which may be valid just as those arguing the opposite are just as valid. The fact that the majority if not all of the rule interpretations have gone agains Vancouver the last 3-4 years probably adds to this frustration.

    Tell that to Horton... Always taught to keep your head up and not admire your passes but the NHL took that responsibility away as soon as they suspended Rome.. Nice try tho

No point arguing... The league has decided that its open season on Canucks and their players since Horton was caught with his head down... Why this rule applies to all but Vancouver is something you would have to ask Colin "I dont know what a penalty is anymore" Campbell (ps. good thing he is still there when he doesnt know what a penalty is) and shanny