gameburn
Members-
Posts
2,566 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Gallery
Everything posted by gameburn
-
It's not like they are going to be paying him 4 million plus money -- i.e., Horvat, Miller, Myers, Edler money. I like him more than Edler and of course Eriksson, but he won't be making mega millions. Probably under 3.00 million, which is sad as he is clearly more important to a a playoff run than Beagle, Sutter, Eriksson and arguably Edler. He is now a top 6 forward who is likely to excel in the playoffs. If I were Jake, lol (I'm 64 yrs old and never went beyond Midget in hockey) I'd go for a bridge contract: 2 years, maybe 3. Imagine what a power forward who can score 50 points no matter what line he plays on would be worth? 4 to 5 minimum. Can hit, draw penalties, score key goals, play on the point on the point on the second power play unit? Closing in on Ryan O'Reilly stats/profile?
-
Alf... seriously... how long will LE last? 6 weeks? The playoffs? (can I even use that word without cursing us?) the guy is not doing what Jake is doing or even Pearson... is this just a side-effect of everyone else EXCEPT LE playing steadily better? I don't see him as much better than he was in October.
-
Cap Hell for Canucks!!! (GREAT NEWS from Daly re: CAP for next year!!)
gameburn replied to HKSR's topic in Canucks Talk
Brilliant. The lesson of the Hawks is that you'd better appreciate -- and lock up -- the key pieces: Kane, Toews, Keith. For us obviously it is Hughes, Pettersson and Horvat. I see Boeser more like a bonus player, depth, or maybe like Hossa who was so good in those Cups. I think you have really really hit on the big issue: how do you get a nice situation in place for the Core: Hughes (improving quickly), Pettersson (improving slowly, but starting from a higher point) and Horvat, Boeser, Virtanen and maybe Stecher. I'm not sure goalies are part of a core anymore. So rapidly evolving and chancy a position.... best to have a drafted guy and a UFA. Hughes is an American. Not sure if it matters. But bridge deals are not for him, I agree. The guy is great if he never wins a Norris or does much more than he is doing now. Injury free, uncontentious (doesn't hit people with vehemence/attract attention) a quiet player like Lidstrom but I think maybe better. I wish we could get someone like Drysdale to complement him, but I guess those picks are past us now. -
Cap Hell for Canucks!!! (GREAT NEWS from Daly re: CAP for next year!!)
gameburn replied to HKSR's topic in Canucks Talk
Edler (paid the most on the team at the moment!) only has 1 more year, that's big. In fact, I suspect he's a possible move at the upcoming trade deadline; or if not Edler then maybe Tanev. Eriksson and to a lesser extent Beagle are obvious problems too. Sutter is probably movable, although if we had to eat some salary it would work against the whole point of dumping their Cap hit. The team became respectable this year (assuming it holds, lol) because of the Miller signing, the rise of Virtanen, the continuing growth and health of Horvat, the steady play of Stecher (arguably more important than Edler) and the play of lesser lights like Gaudette. The signing of Fantenberg has helped too, as has Myers.. The rise of the team imo has little or nothing to do with Sutter (been gone much of the time), Beagle (his stats say quite a lot) or Eriksson (little effect til lately, and missed most games.) Motte, Schaller and even Roussel have not bee the difference makers. It's the young players including Virtanen along with Miller. Ferland sadly has had the same effect as Eriksson. The timing of the contracts for Pettesson and Hughes suggest there is a little leeway (one more year of dithering? maybe) but the year after? Edler, Beagle, Eriksson had better be well gone by the summer after this one. -
Cap Hell for Canucks!!! (GREAT NEWS from Daly re: CAP for next year!!)
gameburn replied to HKSR's topic in Canucks Talk
Good point. Beagle is a bit of an issue re: term, but not too worried about Sutter. I think the lesson here is to be careful about going too heavily into the free agency market. The good news -- and most of us fans appreciate this -- is that Horvat has turned out to be even better than we predicted. And Hughes is clearly a new kind of D that will probably avoid injury while contributing to puck control and offense (and defense too) every time he is on the ice. Pettersson and Boeser are solid scorers but still learning. Pettersson in particular will take a big step forward in the next year or two. Miller, Pearson and Ferland are mid to late 20s guys who are in a different position -- call them temporary core, I guess. All of which means we can be pretty selective about who we add. But also capable of moving players when we can benefit. -
Cap Hell for Canucks!!! (GREAT NEWS from Daly re: CAP for next year!!)
gameburn replied to HKSR's topic in Canucks Talk
But if your mid to high level scorers can ALSO do the faceoff and defensive work, then it just means you don't need the likes of Beagle, Sutter, Schaller, Motte, etc. Same with the D, now that we can see what Hughes can do. You can use Entry Level players/young guys to fill in these roles, not overpaid guys like Sutter and Beagle. Look who closes out games now: Hughes, Tanev, Horvat, Pearson and Eriksson. (Eriksson is an interesting player because clearly he has decided to play a real role, really put in the work. -- I'm not sure he did this the 2 previous years.) -
Cap Hell for Canucks!!! (GREAT NEWS from Daly re: CAP for next year!!)
gameburn replied to HKSR's topic in Canucks Talk
I agree that it can be hard to assess talent or relative importance of a player on a team/in the league. But game-winning goals, and scoring in general is a pretty good start. Virtanen is now a difference maker, he wasn't a lot of the time in his first couple of years. He draws penalties (huge for a team with a good pp); he scores a fair number of even strength goals and plays physically enough to make the ice a bit bigger when he's out there. He is also beginning to look like a genuine top-6 forward who can pilot a powerplay. He is paid less than Beagle. He may well be paid less than Beagle when he gets his raise this summer. Hughes is a difference maker, so is Miller, Pettersson, Horvat, Boeser and Pearson. Tanev and Myers are good enough in their own ways to make a difference. Stecher's plus minus numbers and overall tenacity would suggest he makes a difference. Roussel when avoiding penalties can be a difference maker. I'm not sure whether players like Motte, Beagle, Schaller, Benn, Edler, Eriksson, Sutter or even Gaudette do a lot more than give the better players a rest. (Gaudette is young and improving though, so worth giving plenty of ice time to.) I realize this is a bit harsh, but it seems helpful to distinguish players who win games from those who provide relief for the players who win the games. Since the team began to get to the next level (lately?) we see more clearly where the goals come from consistently and who you play more and use on powerplays when it really matters. Stats sometimes help with figuring these things out, but for me it is significant that Virtanen is more likely to be on a powerplay's point position than, say, Edler or Stecher.. If the Canucks used players a bit more like some other teams do, such as putting their best players on the pk some of the time, then this would be more obvious. We would have a better sense of who are the difference makers. Now that Miller and Horvat can carry so many of the critical faceoff duties, and Hughes has proven himself to be a durable, smart player who never seems to become tired when he plays, we are getting a better and better sense of who is driving the bus. -
Cap Hell for Canucks!!! (GREAT NEWS from Daly re: CAP for next year!!)
gameburn replied to HKSR's topic in Canucks Talk
You're right, but the poster's point is still well taken: a lot of money for players that aren't difference makers and never will be. The crunch comes next Fall, not in terms of money, but space on the roster. Hoglander, Podkolzin and Juolevi are all starting to look they could make this team next year. The poster's list is a pretty good list of what has to be gone if we are to have room for these 3, and that doesn't even include Rafferty and Lind, who seem to be credible alternatives, Rafferty especially. Good problem to have, though. -
Cap Hell for Canucks!!! (GREAT NEWS from Daly re: CAP for next year!!)
gameburn replied to HKSR's topic in Canucks Talk
Beautiful work. Podz and Hogs... what an energetic lineup that would be. Do you think this Trade Deadline would allow us to move Tanev and maybe Edler? Utica has 3 D that would be not too out of place right now even: Rafferty and Juolevi, Chatfield even. Hate to see Tanev and Edler just walk. Your point about Eriksson is well taken, and the fact that he actually looks like an NHLer again really adds to your argument. -
Cap Hell for Canucks!!! (GREAT NEWS from Daly re: CAP for next year!!)
gameburn replied to HKSR's topic in Canucks Talk
And Eriksson the same? Seems unlikely. -
Cap Hell for Canucks!!! (GREAT NEWS from Daly re: CAP for next year!!)
gameburn replied to HKSR's topic in Canucks Talk
And it is something we fans can get pretty good at figuring out, unlike assessing talent in some cases. It's not a huge issue but I'm not sure Jake can be expected to accept only a million more than Gaudette. Jake has become a top 6 forward with real potential to dominate in the playoffs.