Mathew Barzal

I always thought it would be weird to have a doppleganger of yourself playing second fiddle to you in such a niche role while you see success and their career gets shelved. Hope Nilsson gets it together in Ottawa. Meanwhile, stocking up picks to create the ultimate trade up package.

Hughes is such a special talent, but he definitely plays a selfish game. From slamming his stick on the ice demanding the puck to his over reliance on the rover style in the offensive zone, he's going to be a double edged sword in the NHL for sure.

There's something off about Goldobin to me, even when he's playing well I don't really get the same vibes from him as I do from players like Baertschi or Sutter. He reminds me a lot of Vrbata in that sense, he might work hard on occasion but there's no heart behind his playstyle. He doesn't push himself to be better than he already is.

Honestly? Two years of consistent play. Cam Ward won the Conn Smythe once upon a time.

He really exhibited some fantastic decision making skills in the neutral zone with his puck movement today. I kind of hope we move him to a contender so he gets a fair shot at the Cup in his prime.

I'm questioning your ability to assess Sergachev's play here. After meandering through the Tampa Bay HF subforum it seems to be a general consensus that Sergachev has been extremely lacklustre on defense, so much so that fans are calling for him to be scratched. He has fantastic raw offensive tools but he is still prone to many questionable decisions with the puck like we saw on that goal tonight.

You can be both, I don't think we should need anyone telling us that as Canucks fans. Hockey isn't a game that's policed well at all, if teams know they can take liberties without repercussions they will.

Must... resist.

Can any Utica fans comment on what they think of Trent Culls coaching decisions thus far? Pros and cons vs Travis Green?

I feel like all the 12 year olds who used to be on CDC before moved on to HFboards. It's insufferable how insecure they are as Canucks fans, have to post a Pettersson thread every day to remind everyone else what we have. Being liberal with my block list has made Canucks and Leafs threads bearable on HF. Otherwise I'm spending more time sifting through whining teenagers than actual discussion content.

Yeah I've been getting the same impression lately. Old boys club coming through.

Whether he fully recovers or not, if I were Baertschi I would take a long look at calling it a career. At some point it's just not worth it.

It's a Canucks board, can't avoid the homers. Just have to learn to roll with the punches... or block them. Nylanders value has lessed, but I'm not sure its to the degree that puts him on Juolevi's level. Also, Toronto is set with Rielly/ Gardiner on the left side. If they move Nylander it's likely only for a RHD that helps them out now. Toronto is in win now mode with their stars on ELC's.

Depending on how good Byram is we might be better off trading Juolevi for a comparable winger prospect and just drafting the hometown kid.

I've been hoping that happens for a while now. In fact I even wanted Hansen there when he was a Canuck, I have no idea why the Canucks personnel are so averse to just putting the players with cannons at the top of the circle and teeing them up. Hansen had one of the best one timers on the team and it was really disappointing we didn't use him there. Honestly speaking, I'm not a fan of Virtanen's game. It is extremely reliant on North-South hockey and when we actually retain puck possession and enter the cycle he ends up doing his own thing because he is inept at reading the play. What he does have going for him is that absolute laser beam of a shot. If he can lock that down I think he'd be akin to David Booth in his prime. I think loading him up on the right side is a great idea.

In the same boat as Baertschi to me. Middle six tweener putting up numbers because they're riding shotgun to a workhorse.

Haha, I doubt your average joe is as invested in the Canucks as us. No one is going to 'look up' anything, just see the other draftees around him.

Given what we know now, I think everyone would be thrilled if we got a Hansen out of Jake. But he will never be judged based on his own true potential, he will be judged based on where he was picked. And it will always be hard to justify his production based on that alone.

Man, watching today's game it's genuinely hard to watch Boeser accelerate from a stand still. He needs to be taken to the Horvat school of skating.

Can anyone who's been keeping up with the Comets comment on how Gadjovich has looked in his limited role? Specifically is his speed a big flaw in his game?

I think we should move him at the deadline for whatever we can get. Hughes will make him irrelevant. Stecher is a nice feel good hometown story but he gets crushed by physical competition and has no exceptional skills to offset that deficiency.