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Curmudgeon

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Everything posted by Curmudgeon

  1. Sure, but a lot of what we fans hear is based on speculation, rumour and opinion. It is always difficult to separate the cat poop from the kitty litter.
  2. You are correct about Hoglander. It's not a question of skill with him, he just has to keep learning to put all of the pieces together in a complete package. He is almost to the point where he could help the NHL club, but I think it is better for him to hang with Abbotsford and maybe learn what playoffs look like in North America. As for Rathbone, if he can avoid brutal hits from behind into the end boards, he'll be a really good puck moving defenceman. Just not yet.
  3. Yes. Allvin seems to think Johansson will be ready to play in the NHL and I like how Jurmo appears to be progressing. I've also heard positive reviews of Jacob Truscott's play at Michigan but, whether that's the result of playing with Luke Hughes, I don't know.
  4. I understand your reluctance, but what if: Schenn is traded, Myers is traded or bought out, and Poolman is finished. That leaves Bear and Burroughs as your only two right defencemen. Options in the system are Johansson, who is still in Sweden, Woo, Keeper and Juulsen. I acknowledge that I am hopelessly biased in favour of a heart and soul guy who gives 100% every shift of his life and who is better defensively than most on the list, but he's a known commodity that would likely fit instantly.
  5. No, it was a bad trade pushed BY Benning, which was doubly dumb. A year before making the deal, Benning was so busy trying to land OEL that he ran out of time and lost Tanev, Markstrom, Stecher, Leivo and Toffoli. Didn't mind losing Markstrom (Calgary fans are already disenchanted with a goalie who is 75th in the NHL in save percentage and is a disappointing 14-13-7 so far), but Tanev and Stecher at a minimum should have been kept. Fun Fact: Stecher, who is 28, will be UFA again in July and is playing 16:37 per night over 55 games played. I'd sign him for a million and you know he'd sign back home in a heartbeart.
  6. Don't know if you recall, but Demko has not been great this season (3-10-3; 3.93 GAA and .883 Sv%), so your faith in his performance is misplaced.
  7. Hope somebody claims him. Not the most talented guy in the world, but he gives it everything he's got and can be effective in controlled minutes. I have all kinds of time for guys who work their tails off without complaint and who always put the good of the team ahead of their personal goals.
  8. If CDC were the GM the team would have 13 prospects playing in Junior, College or Europe, 14 in the AHL, 22 extra draft picks, an ECHL-calibre NHL squad, no NHL goalie, no assistant coaches, uniforms selected by CDC poll, and Trevor Linden in charge of it all. But we'd be aiming at the Stanley cup sometime in the next 5-7 years. Sounds like a plan.
  9. Waited 50 years for Hughes to come along. Not up for trading him regardless of the return. What the hell is the point of drafting super-talented players only to turn them into trade fodder? Like it or not, Hughes is a big part of this team's emerging identity and will be a quiet leader going forward. We'll know more after July 15th or so, but let's hold off on trading him until we see how next year's team lines up. Even then, I'd give the idea of a trade an emphatic no.
  10. I watched some of the Islander game, just watching Horvat. I am able to report that the Bo I saw tonight is the very same Bo we saw in Vancouver. Somewhat of a peripheral player who seemed to cheat towards the offensive side of the puck. Not a tenacious forechecker or backchecker and quick to fly the zone. Not a play driver. All in all, not a $68M player. Sure glad Vancouver didn't give away the farm to keep him.
  11. Correct. I do want players that step up and challenge others. Yes, I said Petey should be the next captain, but you made an assumption that I was suggesting that Petey would be the guy to challenge. Not at all. There are several reasons for Petey to be the captain, but challenging others to fight isn't one of them, and if that's the impression you got from my post, then that's on you.
  12. Bo has already earned about $34 Million in his career. I think he's already pretty secure.
  13. No, I didn't say that at all. Don't put words in my mouth. Go back and read it again.
  14. Actually, 8 x 8.5 is $68 million total. Miller is at $56 million, so the Canucks, by betting on Miller instead of Bo, saved $12 million. I have nothing but respect and appreciation for what Bo provided the Canucks, but really, the team did nothing with him as captain. The kicker for me was in a recent game against Chicago when Max Domi cross checked Dakota Joshua after he scored and Bo stood right there and did nothing. Now I know that Bo and Domi have a long history together and Domi was best man at Bo's wedding, but that dirty hit demanded a response and our captain turned the other cheek. Bo is really good at APPEARING to be a captain by high-fiving his teammates as they leave the ice after every game, but I always had the feeling that being captain for him was like a role he was playing in a play. For me, a captain is one of two possibilities; the obvious best player on the team, or the guy who is in everybody's face and challenges even his own team to play better. Bo, in my opinion, did neither. That leaves either Petey or Miller as choices for captain. I'd go with Petey.
  15. I think with McDonough, all we ever see is clips of him scoring or setting up a goal. I don't see that he has the foot speed or lateral mobility you'd want in a power forward. I could be wrong, but if he can be used as a piece of a bigger deal, and the return is reasonable, I wouldn't be disappointed if he were to be dealt. That said, I'd really like to see what he can do, since I've been closely following his career since he was drafted. Myabe he can join up with BFF Rathbone in Abbotsford.
  16. I think the previous poster mentioned that once he plays two more NHL games, then he can't be sent down without clearing waivers. On the off chance he doesn't make the Canucsk out of training camp, they can send him down without putting him on waivers, where he would surely be claimed. I think this is simply insurance. Except in the case of more injuries up front forcing a recall, I think the plan is to leave him in Abbotsford, where he has played very well. And let's see if he can create some chemistry with Karlsson and Raty.
  17. Amen. There are too many people on here that want to diminish the contributions made by the women in the organization. Cammi Granato has a big role in scouting, a role she had with Seattle in the lead up to the expansion draft. Unlike Vegas, which turned over almost everybody within a year or two, Seattle has 13 expansion picks still in their lineup. I guess the scouting helped. Emilie Castonguay negotiates contracts and looks after the cap. Dan Milstein singled her out for praise in the negotiation of Kuzmenko's extension. Each woman works quietly behind the scenes and are making significant contributions to the team. They don't deserve to be dismissed because they are women or demeaned by being labelled Chipmunks.
  18. I remember hearing Jason Botchford talk about how Petey, early in his career, wasn't happy with his shot. So, he broke the act of shooting down into six or seven separate components and then worked on them one by one until he pretty much mastered it. In his post-competition interview he said his shot was the result of practice and training. The kid is always working to be better.
  19. Jarry is a UFA and the only reason Pittsburgh is looking for a goalie is that Jarry is going to want north of $6M for lengthy term. If Demko was to be traded, it would be to save money on the cap. Trading away a $5M player then signing a $6+M player doesn't make sense.
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