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GoldenAlien

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Everything posted by GoldenAlien

  1. Let's look at a couple smooth skating, cerebral, two-way top pairing defensemen: Duncan Keith 20 year old: 75GP - 7G - 25PT - 0.33PPG in the AHL, 8GP - 1G - 2PT in the playoffs. 21 year old: 79GP - 9G - 26PT - 0.33PPG in the AHL, 6GP - 0G - 0PT in the playoffs. Nick Lidstrom 19 year old: 39GP - 8G - 16PT - 0.41PPG in the SHL, 2GP - 0G - 1PT in the playoffs. 20 year old: 38GP - 4G - 23PT - 0.61PPG in the SHL, 4GP - 0G - 0PT in the playoffs. Olli Juolevi 19 year old: 38GP - 7G - 19PT - 0.5PPG in the Liiga, 11GP - 2G - 7PT in the playoffs. 20 year old: 18GP - 1G - 13PT - 0.72PPG in the AHL Though stylistically different, the AHL and the SHL/ Liiga are comparable in terms of quality of competition, and Juolevi is easily better than Keith/ Lidstrom as a 19 and 20 year old. And if you were to judge Lidstrom and Keith by their earlier records, it would suggest that they're poor playoff performers who disappear once the pressure is on. But luckily for their teams, fates aren't determined at 20 years old. Keith: 2x Norris, 4x All-Star, 1x Conn Smythe, 3x Stanley Cup, 2x Olympic Gold. Lidstrom: 7x Norris, 12x All-Star, 1x Conn Smythe, 4x Stanley Cup, 1x Olympic Gold, 1x WC Gold. Seems like most of the criticism surrounding Juolevi is centred on: 1. did not light the world on fire in his D+1; or 2. did not make the NHL in his D+2/ D+3. Imagine the uproar if he pulled a Keith and spent all of next season in Utica, and put up 0.3-0.35PPG. Cam Barker played 35 games in the NHL as a 20 year old. Giordano spent his 20 year old season as an overager in the OHL. Now Barker is floating around Europe and Giordano is a Norris winner. Doesn't mean Juolevi will be a 60+pt franchise defenseman, but it's completely illogical to put a cap on his potential because he didn't make the NHL before his fellow draftees.
  2. Focht ends the tournament with 3GP - 1G - 1A. And he's already friends with Woo: https://hitmenhockey.com/article/scratching-the-surface
  3. New interview with Green: https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/canucks-travis-green-new-additions-boesers-contract-erikssons-issues/
  4. New interview with Green: https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/canucks-travis-green-new-additions-boesers-contract-erikssons-issues/
  5. Some praise from Ruutu, who’s Finland’s assistant coach at the WJSS:
  6. God that 50th anniversary patch is just an aberration on an otherwise classic jersey. Really should be half of its current size.
  7. It's not related to waiver eligibility or contract type. The NHL has agreements in place that allow players to get sent to the AHL, or the WJC. The NHL has an agreement with the IIHF that its players will not play in the Olympics. You're simply ineligible for the Olympics if you're under any sort of NHL contract. McDavid was on record as wanting to go and he was still on his ELC during the 2018 Olympics, it didn't matter. https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/washington-capitals/report-iihf-assures-nhl-it-wont-allow-players-under-contract-play-olympics
  8. Does seem like he’s motivated:
  9. Excerpts from an article on Hoglander: https://www.nhl.com/news/nils-hoglander-strong-start-vancouver-canucks-development-camp/c-308273482 "Many skated over and said, 'Wow, this guy is fun to watch," Vancouver senior director of player development Ryan Johnson said during development camp. "I can say it, but when the other players are talking about it, that's the ultimate compliment." "He has a deceptive release and his hands are really good," Canucks goalie Michael DiPietro said. "It's impressive. He made a breakaway move against me where he put the puck behind his back. I haven't seen that too much, and he did it so fluidly too." In camp, Hoglander's shot often seemed to finish just under the crossbar, but it was the way he got into prime shooting areas that impressed Johnson. "It's the finish, but it's also the power and explosiveness out of corners. He almost plays a reverse physical game," Johnson said. "If a defender comes at him, he's not afraid to pop him and explode to the net, which catches people off guard because visually he doesn't overwhelm you. The power in his legs, and the skill set he has, there's something special there." Hoglander left development camp with instructions to focus more on his edge work. "Turns on the ice, I can be better on that," he said. He also wants to use his shot more this season. If all the facets of his game come together, he hopes to be in the NHL by 2020-21. Of his attempt to make to the NHL by the time he's 20, Hoglander said, "It's hard to do, but I will do my best." Hoglander in 2020 and Podkolzin in 2021 . Madden, Rathbone and Woo could also make the team in that time frame -- a nice infusion of ELCs when EP40 gets his raise.
  10. The Utica Observer-Dispatch reported a few days ago that Bachman was on track to start the season. He injured his Achilles in December which gives him 9 months to rehab before training camp. McIntyre was probably signed as insurance in case Bachman's rusty or suffers a setback, but it's likely both Utica and Kalamazoo will end up with one veteran goalie. Things are pretty quiet on the Palmu front but I'd be surprised if he plays for the Canucks/ Comets again. Ryan Johnson was asked about him at development camp and he deferred the question. But he's been unspectacular in Finland -- his 0.62 PPG in the regular season ranks #75 in the Liiga and #7 on his own team. He was scratched once in the playoffs and scored 0 pts in the other four games. He's unlikely to beat out any of Boucher, MacEwen, Perron or Bailey for a top six wing spot, and he hasn't shown to be better than Lind, Gadjovich or Jasek. Right now, the Canucks have 11 wingers (excluding Roussel), so if MacEwen or Perron makes the team then a NHL player is getting waived down. Any NHL player is better than a guy who was scratched in the Liiga, so there isn't going to be more space for Palmu in Utica regardless of how the other prospects perform. A 5'6" forward who's turning 22 but hasn't dominated anywhere offensively (besides juniors) is unlikely to become a NHL player. For comparison, Zuccarello had 40 pts in 35 GP (1.14 PPG) as a 21 year old rookie in the SHL. Palmu was a fine gamble at #181 but he's more Grimaldi than DeBrincat. On the Canucks' end, there's little incentive to bring back a player with minimal NHL upside. From Palmu's perspective, it makes little sense to leave Finland to alternate between the bottom six and the press box in Utica. I think the Canucks either loan him out again or both sides mutually terminate his contract so he's free to re-sign in Europe.
  11. With free agent signings and trades, the preparation for next season is underway so I figured it's time to start a new Utica thread. An overview of the roster below; AHL-only deals are italicized and qualified RFAs are included but marked with an asterisk. Trades include both in-season and offseason trades. Newcomers: RW Justin Bailey, LW Francis Perron*, C Carter Camper, C Tyler Graovac, RD Mitch Eliot, RD Brogan Rafferty*, LD Josh Teves*, G Mike DiPietro, G Jake Kielly, G Zane McIntyre. Re-signed: LW Vincent Arseneau, LW Reid Boucher*, C/W Seamus Malone, RD Dylan Blujus, LD Stefan LeBlanc. Returning: RW Carter Bancks, RW Lukas Jasek, RW Kole Lind, RW Zack MacEwen, LW Jonah Gadjovich, C Wacey Hamilton, RD Jalen Chatfield, LD Guillaume Brisebois, LD Olli Juolevi, LD Ashton Sautner, G Richard Bachman. Out: RW Reid Gardiner, RW/LW Petrus Palmu (in Europe), C Cam Darcy, C/W Brendan Gaunce, C Tanner Kero, C Brendan Woods, RD Jaime Sifers (retired), LD Jesse Graham, LD Evan McEneny, G Michael Leighton. Traded: RW Darren Archibald, LW Michael Carcone, LW Jonathan Dahlen, LW Tanner MacMaster, LW Tom Pyatt, G Marek Mazanec. Right now, the five vet spots are filled by Graovac, Camper, Boucher, Hamilton and Bancks, and Bailey takes the "veteran exempt" spot (between 261- 320 games of pro experience.) The Canucks have 13 forwards signed and three RFAs (Boeser, Goldobin, Leivo). All three are expected to be on the roster which makes it 16 forwards. Roussel may not be ready until Christmas, but MacEwen could surprise out of camp. Someone like Schaller could get waived to ease the crowd. Vancouver's defense is set with Edler, Myers, Tanev, Benn, Stecher and Hughes, with Biega and Fantenberg being the likely depth Ds. Rafferty/ Sautner could beat out Biega/ Fantenberg, but they would benefit more from starting in the AHL than riding the pine in the NHL. However, expect a lot of movements on this front as Juolevi is projected to end the season with the Canucks. If the youngsters perform well the Canucks could make some room during the season via trades. Brisebois and Teves may also get looks once injuries hit. Possible opening night lineup (rookies in bold): Boucher - Graovac - MacEwen Perron - Camper - Bailey/ Jasek Bailey/ Jasek - Malone - Lind Gadjovich - Hamilton - Bancks Arseneau Juolevi - Rafferty Brisebois - Blujus Sautner - Chatfield Teves, LeBlanc, Eliot DiPietro/ Kielly Bachman/ McIntyre In general, a more experienced bunch than last year's. I'd expect the Comets to go with a rookie/ vet combo in net, so one of DiPietro/ Kielly and one of Bachman/ McIntyre; the other two start in the ECHL. One or both of Eliot/ LeBlanc could get sent to the ECHL as well. However, the team could use an extra centre. The Canucks are at 46/50 contracts if all the RFAs are re-signed and probably want to leave a little wiggle room. Perhaps Utica signs a 3C on an AHL deal and make Malone a depth option. Possible late season additions: RW Will Lockwood, RW Karel Plasek, LW Ethan Keppen, C Carson Focht, C Linus Karlsson, C Tyler Madden, RD Jett Woo, LD Jack Rathbone, LD Toni Utunen. The CHL guys (Keppen, Focht, Woo) will almost definitely join Utica if their seasons end early. The Europeans (Plasek, Karlsson, Utunen) will all be 20 or turning 20 and have experience playing against men; if they're interested in crossing the pond the Canucks might start them with an AHL tryout like Jasek. The college guys (Lockwood, Madden, Rathbone) are hard to predict; Madden and Rathbone may go back for their junior years and all three could ask for NHL deals right away to burn a year off of their ELCs.
  12. Interesting development, there are now six AHL teams in California (San Jose, Stockton, Bakersfield, Ontario, San Diego) and one in Arizona (Tucson). Wonder if the Canucks would look into putting a team in the area -- same time zone and much easier flight access. Plus the Aquilinis have long had business interests in California. Some options: Fresno, CA -- the largest city in the Central Valley, over 500,000 people in the city and nearly 1 million in the metro area. It's located in between the northern and southern California teams for easy travel and only a 1 hour 40 minutes drive from Bakersfield. The Selland Arena seats 7,600, which is perfect for AHL hockey. The city is home to California State University, Fresno (over 24,000 students who might be interested in affordable hockey), and has a history with ECHL/ junior hockey. Bakersfield is a smaller city and makes it work, and it probably wouldn't cost too much to lease Selland Arena. Sacramento, CA -- the Golden 1 Center would be a premium facility, though the team would have to share with the Sacramento Kings. Only two hours from Vancouver via direct flight, and only a 50 minute drive from Stockton and 2 hours from San Jose. The AHL played its outdoor game there in 2015 and drew over 9,300 fans. There are also two major universities in Sacramento -- Cal State Sacramento and UC Davis -- which combine for over 70,000 students. It's the fastest growing city in California and has over 2 million people in the metro area. Reno, NV -- hockey has done well in Nevada and there's interest from both the city and local businesses to bring pro hockey to Reno. In 2016, the city council approved a 10 year agreement with the Reno Puck Club to get a professional minor league team, but financing became a major hurdle. The Reno Puck Club projected $5.6 million to renovate the Reno Events Center, which would seat 5,100. There were no guaranteed tenants or naming sponsors then, so the project fell through. But the Canucks could easily go in and revive the plans -- $5.6 million is less than one year of Loui Eriksson. Reno is a smaller city -- about 250,000 people in the city and over 450,000 people in the metro area -- but AHL hockey would be the main event and University of Nevada, Reno, has nearly 22,000 students. It's about a 2 hour 50 drive from Stockton and 4 hours from San Jose. Personally, I think Fresno would be best for cost and easy AHL travel, but Sacramento would be best for accessibility. The entire management/ training staff already visits San Jose several times a year. They could easily take a two hour drive to visit Sacramento, then get on a direct flight home. Or when the team is in L.A., Las Vegas or Phoenix, a few execs/ development staff could take a direct flight to Sacramento, stop for a day or two, then go back to Vancouver.
  13. Ladies and gentlemen, we have another juggler! https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/patrick-johnston-canucks-like-what-they-see-in-lanky-latvian-goalie-arturs-silovs Silovs first started playing goal when he was a six-year-old. “My team didn’t have one. I was a forward, a right-winger,” he said. “I was pretty good at it.” Some of those years, he didn’t have a dedicated goalie coach, but he did know that flexibility was going to be a key to success. So stretching has been a bit part of his routine for years: no yoga, no gymnastics, just stretching. He taught himself to juggle to improve his eye tracking and hand-eye co-ordination. Petey and Hoglander are getting some competition. Can he ride an unicycle?
  14. Some high praises. From Johnson: Canucks’ senior director of player development Ryan Johnson called Hoglander “an explosive player” top to bottom. “He doesn’t have any holes in his game,” Johnson said. The obvious strengths he sees in Hoglander’s game are tantalizing, he added. “If we can up all those … he’s going to be dangerous. You see the skill set but in a lot of the compete drills, the battle drills, he’s a physical player. By no means is he just a one-dimensional player. He uses his body and his power to create time and space.” “He wants to continue to evolve his game down low,” Johnson said. “I think he realizes he’s a very good north-south player, but talking to him today he wants to get better at that low game, the east-west game using his legs and his power to buy him time and space to create low cutbacks and get in to the net. ” … He knows now that he has the resources and the people who can help him … He’s a player that wants it. We don’t have to ask too much of him from the intensity side of things.” From DiPietro: “He’s a guy that’s very shifty. I think he’s got a great, deceptive release,” DiPietro said. Hoglander pulled off a move on a breakaway against DiPietro that the netminder said stood out, as Hoglander shifted the puck behind his own back before releasing a shot. “That was pretty cool. Haven’t seen that too much,” he said. And the Swedish connection: As a 10-year-old, he said he met the Sedins, a thrill at the time. And of course, he’s well versed in the Canucks’ current Swedish star. He spent one year playing for one of Timra’s youth teams; Elias Pettersson is two years older than him and was playing for the hockey club’s junior team. “Of course I watched him a little bit, but I try to do my own thing,” he said. “Do what I know I’m good at, like skating and creativity.”
  15. Before Walker left (which is so recent there hasn't been time to fill that vacancy), the Canucks development team actually looked quite similar. Senior Director -- Ryan Johnson Director -- Scott Walker Senior Advisor - Doug Jarvis Goaltending Director - Dan Cloutier Player Development, Goaltending Consultant - Curtis Sanford Skill Coach - Glenn Carnegie Jarvis spends a part of his time in Utica, part in Vancouver. There isn't a goaltending director for the Leafs, which makes it easier for Sanford to do more. And Ellis is the only skill coach, like Carnegie -- the Leafs don't have one for player development and one for NHLers. A major difference is that the Marlies and the Leafs are in the same city. If the farm team was playing in the Coliseum, Jarvis could easily be moved to assistant director or player development consultant, and work in development full time. But asking him to move his family to Utica is unrealistic. Though how much value an assistant director adds to a team that already has a senior director and a director is unclear. However a huge omission is a skating coach. I don't know if the Canucks outsource that to part time skating instructors or what, but the organization absolutely needs one. In fact, it should be mandatory for all prospects to work on skating during the first three summers after their drafts. It would make the transition to pro so much easier and you really can't be too fast for the game. Even top notch skaters have things they can improve in, whether it be edge work, stops and starts, backwards skating, etc. Even veteran NHLers in their 30s can still benefit from tweaks that make them more elusive or efficient. Considering the whole premise of the game is to move around on ice, anyone who wants to be a pro hockey player should be busting their bums on skating.
  16. Lockwood has always maintained he’s signing with the Canucks. After he made the decision to go back for his senior year in April: I talked with [Canucks’ GM Jim] Benning and [Utica Comets GM Ryan] Johnson, things don’t change for me, the goal is to still play in Vancouver at the end of next year. I also want to leave a little bit of a legacy in Michigan. The decision was more difficult than I thought but the Canucks were very understanding and didn’t force me and gave me the time. At development camp: He's committed to going back to school this fall and said playing a senior year for the Wolverines is best for his future. "I think it will give me a chance to develop a little bit more, develop into the player I want to become. And Vancouver fully supports that. And I couldn't be more grateful for that," said Lockwood, who's been named captain of next year's Michigan team. Still, the 64th overall pick from the 2016 draft said he's dedicated to playing for the Canucks once his collegiate career is done. "It's kind of come to a point where I owe them a little bit. So I'm working on developing my game and the end plan is coming to Vancouver," he said.
  17. Good profile from PITB: https://www.vancourier.com/pass-it-to-bulis/jack-malone-could-be-another-draft-steal-out-of-the-ushl-for-the-canucks-1.23869969 Among first-time draft eligible forwards in the USHL, Malone was sixth in scoring, with 19 goals and 59 points in 57 games. Of those 59 points, 42 were primary points: goals and first assists. All five of the players that finished ahead of Malone in scoring were selected in the first four rounds; in fact, four of the five were picked in the first two rounds. In other words, players with a similar statistical profile to Malone’s mostly got picked by the second round of the draft. To get Malone in the sixth round already seems like a steal, but it gets better. If you take the power play out of the equation and just look at 5-on-5 scoring, Malone shoots up to first. His 43 points at 5-on-5 led all first-time draft-eligible players in the USHL last season. Sure, there’s a mild caveat: on a per-game basis, Malone was out-scored at 5-on-5 by Alex Turcotte, Matthew Boldy, Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Bobby Brink, and Trevor Zegras. But now we’re talking about first-round picks and one second-round pick that should have gone in the first round in Bobby Brink. Not just first-round picks, either, but players that went in the top fifteen picks of the draft. Malone is clearly not in the same tier as that group of players, but is he so far behind that he deserved to be picked five rounds later? Hockey Prospect describes Malone as “a well-rounded forward, who can do a lot of things well” in their scouting report, noting he can play at either centre or right wing. They praise his ability to control and protect the puck, along with his strength on his skates, with a still-developing playmaking ability. In fact, “still developing” is a theme in his scouting report, with Hockey Prospect concluding that he “represents an intriguing chunk of clay to mold.” “I think I can be reliable on both ends of the ice and I think I’m a 200-foot player,” said Malone at Canucks development camp. “A player I try to emulate is definitely Nick Backstrom on the Capitals. I mean, I’m a bit bigger than he is, so I try to use my body a bit more, but as far as his ability to make plays and see the ice.” From the local Ohio paper: https://www.tribtoday.com/sports/local-sports/2019/06/canucks-draft-phantoms-malone/ “Not only was Jack the dominant player that we had hoped for, he was a pillar of a person away from the rink,” Patterson [his USHL coach] said. “He earns everything he gets and he deserves it tenfold. We are all excited to see his career evolve as he has a special set of ingredients that usually contribute to long and successful careers.” The Canucks seem to have had Malone on their radar for a while, scouting him since November. “Vancouver was actually the first team that interviewed me, or showed any real interest in me,” Malone said. “I haven’t really talked with them much, but I’m pretty sure they contacted some of my teammates and coaches just to get a better feel of myself as a person.” “I just always try to work my hardest on the ice and never take a shift off,” Malone said. “Just do whatever I can, bring some offensive play and make plays. Use my hockey IQ to make plays and use my body, but I’m also someone who can be reliable defensively and work my bag off.”
  18. Good to see he’s completely recovered from that ankle sprain:
  19. Edler better watch out, this kid can play goalie:
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