Ilya Mikheyev

all three are excellent playdrivers with dynamic offensive skills, who win puck battles to create plays out of nothing, and all have high motor compete levels. stoked to see them in a game setting.

gotta keep my record 100%. i'll let u know when i get the next vibe

Yea, I like Joshua's outlook but I also don't think he should be handed a spot in the top-13, and after last year Dickie is fringe waiver wire depending on his camp IMO. The wings are stacked tho - right now Dickinson - Lazar - Hoglander looking like the most likely 4th line. Pretty good, especially if Dickinson had a big healthy summer, but ZAR would be an upgrade on Dickinson in that role IMO, and likely for half the cap hit or so (i.e. waive Dickie, sign ZAR to 1.125M= same amount against the cap).

I wonder too. Mikheyev and Kerfoot were a fast, high pressure PK duo, and I don't know if Lazar really fits that role but maybe they go for a defensive/physical C with Mikheyev being a single high-pressure forward. It's wild tho - Mikheyev's SH CF% was 31.4 last year, that's nearly triple JT Miller or Teddy Blueger, 8 percent higher than Petey, 10 percent higher than Motte, essentially tied with Martinook who was part of the best PK in the league last year, and 11 percent higher than Vinny Trochek. Feel like the Canucks have to take advantage of trying that out, maybe with Petey (or trading for Kerfoot hehe). Maybe Mikheyev/Petey PK1 and Lazar/Dickie PK2 if Dickie makes the team or Bo if he doesn't - one high pressured, skilled PK and one dzone oriented, bigger PK. Still think there could be one more transaction before the season starts too.

Aston-Reese - Lazar - Hoglander is a defensively responsible/dependable 4th line, with two players who can add to the PK and physical play and a offensive play driver with limited finish who can move up the line-up when injuries hit (providing another trade that includes a forward isn't upcoming...which I think it is still).

well damn make me a verified source.

@Captain Canuck #12 that's what I like to hear

@Chickenspear they should sign both. but ZAR should be signed right now. Cowards

Alf seal of approval

@Bure_Pavel how dare u

draft bedard and dragi 2023. not open to criticism

Aston-Reese - Boyd - Motte second line in Arizona

@King Heffy oh!! didn't know about that - so it's me not the teams that were unaware of something. byeeee pauly

Mikheyev is the perfect counterpart for Petey IMO. If he's played on the left side, his goal pace would likely go down but he could focus on puck retrieval with Petey and Pods continuing their chemistry and we might see a big assist season from him. Or play him on Petey's right side with Kuzie on the left, and Mikheyev can be what Burrows was to the Sedins IMO.

@Curmudgeon wow such a curmudgeon ! he will come back from the dead to lead the canucks to glory Shiro - Krutov - Podkolzin . book it

@VancouverHabitanthis car is still here tho. maybe he'll come back for it

@Phil_314 no one talks about how Sergei Topol made a comeback last year after 8 years off!

no no he was pacing for 82 goals a  year, then AV benched him needlessly. 

I mean he was a Toronto signing when he got that 7 year/4.5AAV. Truly insane

YESSS that's the spirit. Shirokov will always be 27 to me!

i firmly stand on the position that Zaitsev is not NHL calibre, maybe third pairing, PK specialist at the AHL level

@smithers joe he did last year, Heinen just took a paycut. I can't imagine options are looking great rn.

@Drive-By Body Pierce absolutely the D should be a priority. If Allvin can't sign a 850k depth forward while maintaining conversations about the D... he should be fired already lol. But I see your point, CDC may lose their minds.

LOL obviously, but NJ would never touch that.

@VancouverHabitant
 

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He’s generally good for around 30-to-35 points, but actually driving offence at five-on-five isn’t his specialty. That holds his value back a bit, especially from being a true number one, but his defensive ability is supposed to make up for it. At his peak, Parayko was one of the league’s very best defensive defencemen — one who would absolutely be worth a big-ticket deal.

 

The problem is Parayko hasn’t been that over the past two seasons. His relative scoring chance suppression has been OK, but that’s been relative to a below-average defensive team that gives up a fair share of chances. A lot of those chances are also ending up in the net, which over a larger sample size does matter — even if it’s prone to luck in the short term. Parayko is now projected to be an average defensive defender, with a little boost given because of the context of his usage which is very tough.

 

Right now Parayko looks like a strong number three according to GSVA, but there’s a path back towards being a legitimate top-pair defender … maybe even a high-end one like he once was. What Parayko needs is help on the left side. He isn’t a guy who can drive a pair on his own, and while there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s harder to like an eight-year commitment at top-pairing money under those circumstances. Parayko has the ability, talent and size to be very valuable, but better support is needed.

 

I believe in Parayko and that he can get back there, but there’s an even bigger hindrance and that’s age. For a rugged defender, the age curve isn’t kind, especially as he enters his 30s. Parayko’s best comp is Erik Johnson which isn’t bad, but it isn’t great either.

 

Getting back to the top-pair level in his early 30s will make this deal much more palatable for the Blues, but it’s no guarantee and the mid-30s part will likely be even tougher to swallow. This will be a very interesting season for his trajectory.