bigbadcanucks
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I remember hearing about how NHL teams owned junior teams (e.g., Oshawa Generals - Bruins; Montreal Jr. Canadiens - Habs; Ste. Catharines Black Hawks - Chicago) where they would groom their 16 to 20 year old players before they became pros, either in the NHL or another affiliated pro league. In some ways, this would actually be a good way to develop your CHL amateur picks. Imagine a team called the Vancouver Junior Canucks with a roster filled with Jake Virtanen, Jared McCann, Cole Cassels, Jordan Subban, Miles Liberati, Mackenze Stewart, Kyle Petit, Evan McEneny, Ashton Sautner playing together and learning the Canucks system as 18 to 20 year olds. I realize that this would never happen because of independent ownership of junior franchises and whole bunch of other reasons, but it'd be pretty cool to see all our CHL and tier 2 CHL players on one team learning the Canucks brand of hockey.
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You're making this way too easy, there Cable Guy. We'll give you a mulligan, so hit your edit button and take another shot at your response to Snipeshow. I'm sure you can demonstrate to everyone here that you aren't swimming in the shallow end of the gene pool if given another chance. This dude's^^^^ claim of having an "above average IQ" is frickin' hilarious...thanks for the laugh, Funny Boy. Back on topic...hopefully Jake Virtanen can work out his on ice self-discipline issues while still in junior. Great that the kid plays on the edge, but putting the team in PK trouble with regularity ain't going to cut it in the NHL.
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Great to get a first hand commentary/confirmation on Virtanen. You could never have too many big, fast, talented, nasty young players developing in the system. What I find hard to believe is this dude named Brick^^^has any buddies...well, maybe he thinks these guys who he calls his Canucks buddies in Calgary are his buddies. Methinks there is a big chasm between the dude's self-perception and reality. Carry on Cable Guy, carry on.
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So, here is a REAL BIG STRETCH... Mark Giordano was signed as a undrafted UFA after two very good OHL seasons. 68GP 18G 30A 48TP 109PM +1 as a 19 year old; 65GP 14G 35A 49TP 72PIM +1 as a 20 year old; 6'0", 200 lbs. Ashton Sautner...signed as undrafted UFA. 72GP 8G 34A 42 TP 26PM +59 as a 19 year old; 69GP 12G 36A 48TP +18 as a 20 year old; 6'1" 194 lbs. If by some grace of hockey gods that Sautner becomes half the player Giordano has become after being an undrafted UFA, Benning will have landed a very good player.
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...and his understanding of UFA eligibility for college grads. The dude canuktravella...yah, not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
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"Doesn't look good". Yah right. Trading a player a year into their UFA contract will have no bearing on the Canucks' ability to attract other UFAs -- hence no consequence to the team in moving a player. But somehow you think that the team doing so is hurting itself from being able to sign future UFAs. Obviously you haven't come to the realization that ALL pro athletes without a full NMC and NTC have accepted that being traded/moved is a possible/probable event in their professional and personal lives. I may not have a background in sports management, but I've spent close to 25 years in corporate management. I've been transferred and I have transferred/promoted people from one market to another on an international basis so I'm quite aware of the trials and tribulations of cross country, cross continental and cross border moves. That's my point of reference...how about yours? Oh yah. It's NHL15.
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Trading Miller is not a good idea since neither Lack nor Markstrom are ready to move up the depth chart. However, using that "it looks really bad" to trade a UFA signing a year into his contract is about the stupidest argument being made...but drawing from NHL15 explains this dude's rationale (or there lack of). What's the consequence of moving a UFA signing a year into his contract? Other UFAs aren't going to sign here? There's plenty of evidence to suggest otherwise. Looks bad on management? Yah right it does. FTR, Miller didn't take a discount to sign with the Canucks. The only serious offer he fielded was from the Canucks.
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I have a gnawing feeling that waiver exemptions/subjects is going to be one of the key determining factors on how the line up looks next season. In another thread projecting 2015-16 lineups, I projected Kenins to start the year in Utica, only because he's waiver exempt, even though he deserves to be up here as much, if not more than other players. I hope Baertschi, Vey, Cledening, Corrado, Stanton, etc. (players who are subject to waivers) don't come in with the attitude that a spot is available to them because of waiver rules. Sounds like these guys are motivated enough to make the jump in spite of their waiver status, but we'll see. Glad to see Baertschi and Conacher have a good start with the Comets. Hopefully they inject speed and offence to the lineup that sounds like has been missing.
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I don't think that will be a problem for Jim Benning. He's already been through as a kid himself when he was rushed in as an 18 year old on a brutal Toronto Maple Leafs team. If anyone knows the virtue of patience, I would bet it's Jim Benning.
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I hope I didn't come across as negative on Baertschi...the sky's the limit for this kid and I'm glad JB was able to get him. But like all prospects with a lot of promise, they haven't done squat in the NHL until they do it with regularity (to parrot Willie). Baertschi has shown glimpses of what he can be (and maybe that was part of the problem for him in Calgary...that is, he showed snippets of brilliance and the management/coaching staff thought that that is what he should be doing every single shift...i.e., sort of like the Kassian situation). I'm with you on your bold prediction for Baertschi. He has all the tools to be a top flight forward in the NHL. Hopefully he's given the chance to show his wares and when given the chance he makes the most of it.
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Think about this one...Baertschi can just as easily be a waste of a second round pick...Baertschi can just as easily be a guy who struggles to land a spot on the Canucks roster as a second-line wannabe...and as you say, Baertschi can easily be the first line player. Anything is possible. What Baertschi is is a high end prospect with a lot of untapped potential and a high ceiling. He obviously failed to live up to expectations of the Flames management, and being moved further down their depth chart precipitated a trade request. For what JB gave up, he got a very good prospect. I hope you're right with your bold prediction.
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Question for those in the know...are Jensen, Corrado and Baertschi subject to waivers next season? Man, I miss capgeek.
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Okay...you're hired. Now stop chattering and go back to your streamed games and on-line searches so that you can report on something. Note to others: sorry for de-railing the Gaunce post. Apparently this DeNiro fella took offence my first post thanking Comet Fan 0727 for his post on Gaunce based on first hand observations and not giving him any credit for what he's posted. Apparently he works real hard and spends countless hours at being a wannabe scout. Surprised no NHL team has scooped him up.
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Dude, don't get your panties in a knot because I'd rather read and give credence to what the posters who actually watch the players live have to say than what you have to say. You credible? Yah, okay, if it makes you feel better.
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Please keep posting your scouting reports...would rather hear the opinions of persons like yourself who actually attend Utica games on a regular basis when it comes to providing insights on how the Canucks' prospects are developing as opposed to those who think they know a thing or two from watching streamed games, stat watching and parroting what they may have read or heard. Thanks for your post, Comet Fan.
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Schneider who? Horvat's gonna be alright. Looks like he's gaining some confidence in his offensive game.
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Point of this post^^^? Oates was a right-handed centerman; Janney a left-handed centerman. The thing they had in common were they were excellent playmakers. The way either Oates/Janney shot had no relevance to the magic that they had with Neely and Hull. But I guess buddy thinks having two possible left-handed centermen for Virtanen is a pre-requisite for having "enormous chemistry". That's funny.
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IMO, it wouldn't be worth it. If he plays poorly, there's going to be a large segment of Canucks fans disappointed...if he plays well, unrealistic expectations will be formed. Best thing for Virtanen's development is to let him play out his season in the dub. I wouldn't even send him to Utica. It will be Jordan Schroeder all over again...Schroeder ripped it up for 11 games after his final college season for the Moose. Then everyone was disappointed in him that he didn't do the same the following season. Same thing happened to Sven Baertschi with Calgary. Kid is barely effective now.
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Last time I checked, KHL was a pro league. Wonder if there is a provision in Tryamkin's deal that allows him to have his contract bought out by himself or the Canucks? And if he has such a clause, I wonder if the Canucks would be interested in exercising the clause?
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Same reason why he pronounces Hamhuis as Ham-hoose.
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Whether we trade one or any of our goalies, we're going to lose one, but most likely two of the goalies currently under contract...I doubt that either Markstrom or Lack will pass through waivers next fall, so one of the two could very well be be lost to waivers unless the Canucks carry three goalies (which is unlikely) if one isn't dealt; my money is on Eriksson going back to Europe next season (and make more money than he would in the AHL). The goalie depth that we have now will inevitably be gone at the conclusion of this season, so if I'm JB, I'd be actively looking to get something back for either Lack or Markstrom before July 1st and go hard at signing Matt O'Connor and try to get Cannata to sign another one year extension. Moving Eriksson to no. 3 on the depth chart may be enough to entice him to sign a one year extension. Goalie depth at the pro ranks is going to disappear quickly for the Canucks.
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Here's the list of smack I was saying about Burrows since last summer: -he should be bought out of his contract -his best days were behind him -he's not a second liner and he shouldn't be paid like a first/second liner -he hurts the team with his bad penalties -etc., etc. I was wrong. I'm glad that he's still a Canuck and he's demonstrated that he can play anywhere in the lineup, kill penalties, provide leadership, withstand a boatload of abuse in front of the net, play decent defensive hockey and still provide offensive spark at times. Game 4 vs. Tampa and Game 10 vs. the Habs were watershed moments for Burrows, IMO. WD didn't have nice things to say about players playing undisciplined hockey after the Lightning game when Burrows took a selfish penalty (without singling him out, as say, a certain coach from the past may have), and the 3 game suspension Burr got for his hit on Emelin probably tuned him into playing a more mature and disciplined game. When Burrows came back from his injury, he was hands down, the best Canucks player (then he got sick on the second to last long road trip, where he didn't play his best hockey). IMO, there are "old" 30-something players, and there are "young" 30-something players (if that makes any sense). Burrows strikes me as someone who is a young 30-something guy (Sedins and Bieksa are looking like old 30 somethings to me, btw). I expected Burrows to be better this season, but I didn't expect him to be as better as he has been.
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I remember JB talking about Tryamkin being 265 lbs. at the draft. So, was surprised when training stats showed him to be much lighter (same with MacKenze Stewart). Regardless, a 6'7" d-man weighting 265 lbs. that can move like Tryamkin is a welcomed addition to the Canucks' depth chart.
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Hoping that McEneny turns out to be a decent prospect, but imo he didn't show much during the Young Guns Tourney last summer. Sorry to be negative about an FA signing playing in the O, but he's a over-ager (albeit he lost a full year of junior A development with his leg injury) so if he wasn't one of the better players on his team it would be a disappointment. Hopefully his play last summer was an aberration and he is as good as he has been with the Fronts/Rangers these past couple of seasons.