Nuckles80

His cardio was an issue, the ability to stay out for a proper shift and compete hard late in the shift were clear. He was smart in that he shortened his shifts often but there are a few issues with this A. It places more stress on his teammates playing the same wing, they as a result get less 'rest time' so it has a domino effect. Yes he rests but others pick up the slack and tire out, shift time is a very very important aspect of managing your team 'in game' for that reason. B. He has ALOT of raw talent. I don't think most objective hockey fans would disagree. Skates probably the fastest I've seen a Canuck (with the puck / puck speed) next to Bure (not saying he has that speed but fastest since) and Raymond but Raymond couldn't stay on his feet. He hits harder than any Canuck I have seen other than Cam Neely and Bert and I would argue he pretty much is on par with those two in his physical dominance and THAT is crazy. He has one hell of a shot when he gets himself into the right spots (something he's still feeling his way through at the NHL level I think), he is strong on the backcheck (I think he had some of the best takeaway stats on the team and his defensive 'advanced stats' were very good for rookie (but could stand corrected there). So all of that is great but you therefore want that kid out there to be able to stay out if he has to for a 1-1:10 and still have his legs...or if he gets caught on a long shift not to be tired out to backcheck etc - that's why stamina matters. Agree on the running around point, he needs to learn when to use his size to hit, when to use it to bull his way to the net and create space like Bert did. He's not a 3/4th liner and that's why many want him in Utica, to be playing on the top line, get PP time to re-develop that offensive aspect of his game, that WD seems to try so hard to get rid of in offensive players!

Lol, that's not Etem. Tagged is basically posting the persons instagram name to their picture. if you click on the pic you'll see names appear.

Well they aren't going to call him fat in the media....he was pudgy and big deal he's a big kid (and he wasn't "fat") just a bit soft around the middle for a pro athlete. Go look at the video of when they did the lip synch and he's wearing the grizzlies jersey - its pretty obvious he has to much weight in the middle. Also, its been stated that he needed to focus on his fitness by the team...it all adds up to the same issue... Regardless, it appears as though he's been focused on addressing it!

Lol, love the enthusiasm but he's not getting 30. He'd have to be playing top 2 lines from the outset and getting alot of PP time. With Willie, EVEN if he tore it up in camp and was a standout, WD would start him at BEST on the 3rd line. If somehow he's fortunate enough to be slotted at 2RW at the start, the minute he falters on the second Willie would drop him down for a long time. Willie doesn't show much patience with young players and has a view that they earn their way up to the top 2 lines 'over time'. Can't disagree with that strategy but he could do with a bit more patience. Ie if Bo wasn't playing PP time until Sutter went down, no way in hell Virt gets prime ice time next year. So based on that 15-18 goals is my expectation and a good year if he sticks in the NHL vs being sent to Green for some 'seasoning and flava flave'

all the guys in the photo are tagged, its just his bro's not other players

It's pretty funny how many people were losing their minds at the draft when we picked this kid, and now people are realizing how much of a stud he has the potential to become and no one cares anymore about Tkachuk lol... Good...he was a great (and the right!) pick!

He did have a bit of a belly last year man...and if you look at some of the pokemon pics he looks the same - could be angles but for certain last season he had a bit of baby fat on him....there's a reason the team was on him and they call him big country bro It's not for his love of country music - its 'big country reeves' they are referring to, if you don't know that story look it up - he played for grizzlies and was majorly out of shape. Came to camp one year after a lockout 40-50lbs out of shape from eating big macs and not working out - no joke.

Someone above said he's now around 200lbs. Now that may not be correct, but if you look at even his draft pictures there is no way he was 6'3 and 179. I was 6'1 175 at that age and was much 'skinnier' than he looks. He is at least above 190lbs for sure. At that height, if he was only 179 it would be very 'noticable' almost how skinny RNH looked when he was drafted and still does. That height with that weight would be obvious. In fact if you look at his neck and shoulders you can tell he's not that light

That golf picture sure seems to suggest he has been working hard, ponch is gone and dude looks like a UFC / MMA fighter

Look at his upper body, its like a bodybuilder's ...my concern was that bit of a beer gut he seemed to be getting / had.... in that picture he looks like he's got a different type of 6 pack under there....if so that's great news for Nucks fans and him...and as I said, if so, what I like most is it shows he committed - that to me means more than anything. It means his attitude is becoming more mature and professional. With the right attitude (and resulting commitment and effort), and his natural abilities, and size, he can turn himself into one hell of a player. Seems the Twins /Burr and Bo are rubbing off...to those saying trade the twins /Burr, vets - right there you see the impact of vets on young players...

Ok so I am relieved Anyone concerned about Jake's pudge - check out his instagram and there's a pic of him and his boys playing golf at cultus lake. Its hard to see but pinch zoom it, he's in the middle in the blue at backwards hat. He's looking ripped folks!!!! Like bodybuilder Jacked.....maybe its time to change his knickname from Bigcountry to Jacked! WOW....kid if you committed like that, you won me over, keep it up!

Looks like that little ponch he had is gone, at least from this picture! he's always had big legs and that big middle...that's where he gets all the speed and power from By the way, I hope he gets the 'big country' knickname - its not a 'nice one'....its a reference to our big mac eating old center for the Grizzlies

Yes, look back at the pictures of the twins when they were rookies and first couple of years, they had baby fat on them still. Then look at pictures of mid career and now. Lean, muscle, two of the fittest athletes in the NHL. Key is as you said, but also as the twins showed - 'commitment' to that end. They work extremely hard to get into top physical form, as do most elite players and athletes (look how hard crosby works in the offseason etc). Jake, and most young players (other than those born and bred with Bo's mentality) usually need to learn 'good habits' when they get to the NHL. Most of these kids are naturally gifted athletes so having to push themselves off the ice beyond normal workouts is a bit new to them. Now, in the NHL, 99% of players are in great and better shape and are MEN so they need to work extremely hard in the offseason. Moreover, these men have been around long enough to know how hard it is to stick in the NHL and they realize that their work ethic off the ice can often determine if they have a job or not. Young players are now competing with all of that, its a learning curve for most young players. Jake also came into the league with 'size'. If you're RNH, being lighter hinders you in some sense (knocked off the puck), but is advantage in others, stamina etc. For Jake its the opposite, he has the size but has to work on other aspects, key being stamina - all players have areas to work on when they get into the league fitness wise. Stamina thankfully, is one of the easiest and quickest correctable issues. Drop some weight, focus on cardio and your diet and you can make huge gains in an offseason, muscle is harder. Key is also diet, that's the part that worries me about him, don't want another Pudgo Kessel! And yes Kessel is good but imagine how good he'd be if in shape! Hopefully we see this year that Jake heard the advice loud and clear, saw how the twins work, Bo, etc and took it to heart.

well he's grown 3 inches since we drafted him so he should put on some weight now. The plus is he grew in height

Ya, that's not small by any means. Obviously being 'stronger and bigger' will always help but given his game, size can't be a fair argument for the Nucks to send him back. Development, sure but if they use the size argument that will be weak. Tanev was lighter than him in his first 2-3 years and probably still is.

Apparently that's the type of game he plays, cerebral. Much like Lidstrom and Neidermayer. You don't need to be physical to be dominant. What I am surprised about however, was the Nucks saying he needed to gain size and strength - and while that's common for pretty much 95% of draft picks right out of junior (and I can appreciate getting bigger will always help him), when I saw his pictures, he certainly doesn't look 'small' like McCann was physically. He looks like a pretty wide solid kid already.

I agree, but we should wait until the trade deadline to see how Tryamkin is coming along. If he shows he's the real deal and if Pedan can show he can provide depth, Edler becomes redundant and a valuable trade chip

Yes, I don't dispute most of that, other than I think both Morrison and Burr had some part of their game that was outstanding in some regard Morrison was a terrific skater, defensively and a very very good playmaker. Not elite but had 2nd line playmaking skills, and then when placed with Nazzy and Bert, found a role. Burrows at his prime was still quite a good skater, and tenacious as hell, that skill to forecheck, work the boards come out with the puck was elite (thus the reason he meshed so well with the twins and similar to what we see with hansen). I just don't see any real 'standout' part of Gaunce's game. That is the issue. Solid all around but those types of players do tend to have challenges transitioning to the NHL unless they learn to use their size and bang and crash (Think Taylor Pyatt - never really did much, was an ok player but didn't really standout in any aspect of his game). This is why I think he's really suited for a defensive center/ checking role. He'll never be a hitter, he never was in junior and was a mid skilled guy (not elite, just solid). He's effectively a ''tweener' with size but smart. So if he builds up his skating ability, can focus his attention on becoming a great faceoff man, and can learn to use his size (not so much to hit but to play heavy hard minutes and make it hard on opposing centers to get ice and get to the net), well his smarts and defensive skills will make him a valuable part of the organization. Add in the ability to learn from a guy who made is career out of playing defensively like Jarvis, and hopefully another in Manny and we already have Ryan Johnson in our group, the coaching is there to turn him into a great defensive player if he can mold his game that way. Again, not saying he can't surprise, players do, but based on what I have seen of his game in junior (which I saw alot of) the AHL and his natural athletic abilities, that's the role that's most likely in my view. One thing to remember, as a top 2 center, you really do have to have the ability to drive the play offensively - you need to be able to distribute the puck, even if you are not the 'scorer' and the finisher, the key is always to be the guy making your linemates better. I don't see that with Gaunce and you allude to it. I don't think you want a guy who isn't great at distributing the puck and isn't a great skater as a 2c. We saw how that inability hindered Kesler and still does to a degree, however his skating and tenacity and elite defensive ability made up for it. Gaunce doesn't have that skating, and yet sn't an elite distributer either and is only 'solid' defensively. He really is a 3/4c in my view

I'd be happy if he developed into a great shutdown 3 or 4c. Those players are key ingredients to winning. He is best suited for that role. If he's having to push up like Higgins, well it would likely mean we are quite lacking on the second line! You really never know where a player's ceiling is however, as you said, Burr was never even supposed to make the NHL, then never more than a grinder, etc...just from what we have seen thus far and barring some surprises in his trajectory as a player.

I don't think Gaunce has the offensive game to be a 2nd liner. And what I mean by that is not that I don't think he has a good hockey mind, but rather he just doesn't have enough 'finesse' to his game or assets that translate to him being 'exceptional' in any offensive skill at the NHL level (ie not a superior skater, shot, elite passer etc), and you really do need to be 'exceptional' at some part of your offensive game to be a legit second liner vs a Higgins during his best years. While he clearly has a high hockey IQ, he will never be a great skater (he has improved and his work ethic will ensure he keeps doing so but he'll never be great in that manner, I think we can all agree. He will find a way however to be a 'decent' skater I believe). However, in my view, he is simply just a smart player with size who needs to find a way to maximize his various 'good' but no exceptional assets to carve out a role/career in the NHL. That being said, with his size, his smarts, and ability to play a solid 2 way game with decent enough hands to contribute, I would hope that he can find a way to eventually be our #3 or #4 center long term. His size, while he's not a big hitter, is very useful down the middle, makes it hard for opposing forwards because he does still play a heavy game. He can skate well enough and is smart enough positionally to keep up with the best centers in the league, and if he can work on his faceoffs, as all players do, perhaps we can create a poor man's Manny 2.0 If he can provide that type of role for the Canucks I would be estatic. I certainly hope he gets a chance at 4c this year and that he and Granlund battle it out. Not a huge fan of Granlund personally, a bit of tweener. Not a top 6 but no big enough or gritty enough to play a bottom 6 role. I think Granlund is really an stop gap upgrade on Vey while they wait and hope Gaunce can step into that 4c role. If he's ready you play him this year, giving him maybe 35-40 games, Granlund with the rest. If not, another year in Utica as a call up and hope next year that occurs.

Marner won't bust- he may end up being as good as Kane...wait and see the kid is elite in every way.