Mo Grit

Did he take the warm-up?

Bruce the Legend says the season starts tonight, I'm in! How can we not buy what this guy is selling us? Expect a close one - don't care - their offense shades our in-progress D. Only need to see our forwards enjoy gettin' after 'em. Seems like it hasn't rained since May.

It seems highly likely Ghost. 0-5 losses, 7-22 goals at this point, shut-out twice already, and persisting playing a goalie we don't need. Didn't show much local pride against Seattle and bitchslapped every which way by teams Alberta. The only success our forwards have are when scrimmaging against our own D. And yet, players who haven't played for days have earned a no-practice day today. Further 3rd period collapses ahead.

Management proves its worth, as advertised. We fans get the season we wanted with BB, added sandpaper and re-motivated full roster. I'd believed JT's contract needed sorting before any other trades, but Alvin gotter done anyway. Drop the puck now! Year 8 can wait. On which street is Deb doing her backflips, anyone?

Brock is dangleable.

So many 'ifs' but its a good discussion. Being first in the division will mean: Miller's had another career year here in Van. The defence has been sorted somewhat We've added some size to back up Miller's natural belligerence. At that point Miller gotta see his future as a hugely important piece of a suddenly contending Canucks. Any trade proposals received have shown him that no other team values him as highly. Keep him while hammering on his psyche daily to accept a shorter, high value contract. If after a play-off run he'd still walk, then we enjoy the cap space while our young guns have matured by his mentoring.

He gets that first year, reduces down to average out @ 6.6 per year. Makes him more tradeable, apparently. Earlier in the thread.

Its a little soon to be losing the faith Alf, but I'm a little rattled by the Brock signing. It doesn't seem to fit management hi-ho narrative leading up to the draft. There's obviously a strategy gone woosh over me.

Yes Spur, but we do have wingers of our own - I'd like to see them given decent opportunity to develop. Brock's 20 goals from pp and favorable shifts should easily be replaced for a lot less than the 7.5m he's getting next year. I'm not crapping on Brock per say, just that his money could have gone toward a crease-clearing defender we so desperately need.

Yes wai, I see the risk. But we get Miller's cap space no matter how Miller leaves us. We may be in a more informed position to use that then than accept some foisted trade upon us now in panic.

In the 600 or so replies to this thread, I've yet to see anything realistic coming back for what Miller brings to our Canucks for 2022/23.. Now even more so that we've signed Brock, Miller's fiery leadership will be crucial. We can lose him at the deadline for something still substantial, but we could even be contending, and he may want to stick around. Y'know, it may be high time we pressure our coaches to develop what we got raw already. I'd like to see us run as we are for this season, let new management eyes see properly what we have, before trading, allow JB's baggage to terminate. Accountability would be a refreshing change in Canuckland.

In signing Brock I sense the first tremble from our new management. He's a good kid no doubt, and his signing makes the young core (country club) happy for sure. But he's nowhere near as overall effective as Garland, and we can't carry more than one small forward. In our desperate need for some size and grit we've missed a huge opportunity to upgrade with Brock's freed up cap. Who's now gonna create the space for our smaller, skilled guys to operate? We'll soon see I suppose, how JR has this all planned, but I'd not thought him such a gambler.

Well yes, i can agree with many of the above. But for me, the most wrong I ever bin was rooting for Green to become head coach. At the time, he'd some Cup success in Utica and rumors had him interviewing at a few NHL teams. In retrospect, I think it was more desperation to rid ourselves of Twitchy's most boring hockey ever. If we'd only known.

Dang, I had just put my calculator away. That 85% appears to equal $5,950,000. For how many years on the QO? I really hope they settle without bad feeling, most of all among the core. Again. But JR seems like a hardarse. Mostly optimistic like you CJ, though I sign in here with trepidation, and peek through face-palm fingers. At this moment, all things Canucks could ship in any direction.

Interesting point NCF, I wasn't aware of that. You wrote " Boeser has zero reason to sign for 6.25 million when his qualifying offer is just over 7 million. He also has arbitration rights.' Just one Brock contemporary, and there are others: Blue Jackets' Jack Roslovic. Age 24, 6'1, 187lbs, 22goals 23assists cap hit $1,838,362. Canucks' Brock Boeser. Age 24, 6'1, 207lbs 23goals 23assists cap hit $5,875,000. ..... and expecting even more. Worse is that Brock's numbers were put up in his 'contract year'. Brock seems a great guy, surely loved by his teammates and fans alike, but contracts are all math & and comparables. Not sure how even the Players Union will defend his $7mill + worth. Brock signing that QO will make him more attractive in any trade? Brock's numbers should be easily replaced for a lot less and JR desperately needs that cap space saving. JR signs that QO, then I must be missing something, and that wouldn't be a first for me. Loving this thread for learning the details behind how hockey is run, and appreciate your reply NewbieCanuckFan.

Brock'll do what his agent tells him to. if you're wanting empathy, an agent's office is probably the exact wrong place to look. I recall the arbitration regarding Neved signing with St Louis. At some point an unsatisfied Quinn chimed in with 'you don't swap a battleship for a tugboat (Janney).' It worked. Both teams agreed to trade him back for Brown, Hedican and LaFayette. Brock's agent will have to prove just how exactly Brock will earn his 7+. I'd really like to hear that argument. Yet, its entirely possible that Canucks' defence of a lowball offer will be quite inflammatory to Brock's camp. Don't want that creeping into the room.

75k+ furry warm boots, scotch account, travel, hotel and 'iffy' entertainment expenses paid, boss far away, creative reports .... seems like a decent gig to me. Why aren't retired hockey journeymen lining up right around Rogers to apply?

Agreed, and on top of that, poor development made JB's pics look even worse. Its no co-incidence that Brock, EP, Huggy, Podz, Bo weren't allowed anywhere near Utica. Only Demko paid his dues but almost everyone else coming up simply weren't prepared properly. Many of Bennings' young pics have failed and faded away because of this. Must have been obvious to JR's professional eye.

Ya 1/2 joking 6of1, but curiously, what's your best guess at an average salary? Love to see an official job profile. Can't imagine a mid-winter tip to go watch a prospect in High Prairie.

Ya'd think any and all scouting info should belong as intellectual property of the Org which paid for its discovery. Cant see any Org wanting that leaked to rivals before the draft. Not sure it matters with the Canucks fired staff. As they were let go for lifetime incompetence, their notes are worthless. Mebbe JR's intelligence division has sent them packing with false papers, hoping they'll be hired within our division. Still not sure of the rules which prevent an amateur scout from working for whoever he pleases, at anytime. If he's amateur then by definition he's not getting paid. I would guess the financial incentive to actually go out and watch players is a commission when one of your 'finds' offered a pro contract. Canucks' scouts must have already been living for quite a while on streets, under cardboard boxes.

Exactly so. Three brothers playing prominent roles for the next 10years is a marketing dream. NJ must surely be calculating hard on which of their surplus young stars it will take to prise Quinn away from Vancouver. Quinn himself just as surely would want to part of this, no? For the first time in my long Canuck support we appear to own the upper hand in a major trade. Getting 3 sure-fire young roster additions on cheap contracts who fill our needs might allow a Quinn-light in Rathbone to emerge. Its easy to forget, but Quinn also held out on this year's camp. Obviously, that's in his dna and so he's proved to have few qualms about doing it again at the end of his next contract. Quinn's value might indeed reach higher numbers, yet its hard to see that overtake his present value to Canucks & JR's plans. I'd hope JR is smart enough to see through NJ's crafty temptation-offer of a 1st round pick. Quinn's trade return either promises next year's play-offs, or we pass. NJ don't hold the ace in this game.

The 'poor defensive zone break outs' comment looks to me at least directed more toward the defensive coach rather than BB. But did BB hire the assistants? If so, then BB has to accept the criticism. Maybe JR/Alvin want to install a defensive assistant of their own choosing. Be quite awkward for BB that situation, not much different than Aqua telling JB to relieve Green. Good stuff in this discussion, not least the number of potentially good fits to trade for, its an education in itself. it appears that a suitable RHD for Huggy is our main priority but I hope this doesn't become similar to the turn-stile, career-long search for the perfect third Sedin twin. Overall, the lack of credible leaks from within JR's circle has been impressive. He appears to run a tight ship. It could well be that he also still has game, and really has been busy all winter long, figuring out his preferred path forward. Some of us here bound to be upset along his route, personally I'd not appreciate losing young Rathbone, nor failing to bring in some muscle. Quinn is a future all-star but, ya never know if there's an offer of 2 or 3 studs on good contracts, I could be ok with JR pulling the trigger. He's not Mike Keenen.

And not one 'Y'know' throughout. Keeping Fransesco's meddling fingers busy installing things like new toilets everywhere might prove to be a masterstroke in itself. Canuckluck .... Putin kidnaps Podz and any deal for his release includes a multi-year contract for Impaler Vlad to replace Brock on RW. It might work if the contract also includes his huge mass-murdering thug-mate from Belarus as a crease-clearer. Almost as far-fetched as paying Brock a $60 million Harmonic-style contract where he only turns up when its suits his personal schedule. Another moody camp spectacle like the last, can't possibly happen again can it? Just might if BB is hired down in Vegas.

Good read Alf. Roster speculation has become fan's (enjoyable) annual compensation for a seemingly infinite number of ways our Org finds to miss out on hockey's big show. Quitting this addiction alone has to be our new management's priority. Ownership, after much denial and dithering, finally took steps for a cure. Have to admire that because the gamble is very real. I'd say that our existing roster even with no changes at all, can reach next April's play-offs. So, change nothing and management can look successful, while riding the cap down for a cleaner slate 2023/24. But... what if that causes us miss out again 22/23? And we've lost Miller for nothing, Brock for a low pick? Francesco gonna feel like he bin done sold a lemon. Worse, as he practically gifted JT an open cheque during his home visit, he's going to look pretty dim amongst his peers. Bruised ego and empty pockets don't wear well. So I'd have to believe JT's crew will try justify their mountainous, collective salaries by some roster changes which show Aqua they're working 'really hard'. Somehow, I don't see adding more underwhelming special nights at Rogers or further 'good work in the community' cutting at the next AGM. That marketing brand is well set already. We are already well-proven punters. So can we please, please get some heavy protection in for our skinny kids. Just once.

Bruce is a very smart guy who radiates sincerity. Even as our season is over, he's still coaching: "This (Vancouver) is a great place. This is a team that is on the rise." He can't help himself from getting inside player's heads and staying there over the off-season. The optimism is clear. Also smart enough to delegate more load on his chosen, trusted assistants as he ages. He'll easily survive as the team's conscience while grooming say, Scott Walker to continue his legacy. And, almost certainly guaranteed next year's opener to be a barn-burning 600th celebration win. Francesco must be ecstatic, and deservedly so.