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Everything posted by Gaudette Celly
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Virtanen doesn't have skill?
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Not so necessary in a deep draft.
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“I think Jacob is going to be an NHL goalie, and an NHL goalie soon. It might even happen before the end of the year... We’re also extremely happy that some people were sleeping and allowed him to go through waivers because he’s a huge asset for us.” Rather sounds like he's in their plans.
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Gotta keep expectations ultra-low on at least one guy...
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Man, dude can skate -- effortlessly passes people.
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Remember he put up that production with that injury for half the season.
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Yes I did, and you didn't answer the question. I asked if you would trade THE (entire) Canucks roster AND prospects for that of either or both of Edmonton and Calgary.
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But anyway, that all belongs in a different thread. How about that Horvat?
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The Oilers cannot feasibly be that terrible again this year... And then you say: What is to say we don't have more of that this year? Come on, seriously. The duplicity notwithstanding, two completely baseless assertions. First, the Oilers have not arguably improved, and second... Torts, Kesler and Luongo are not even here! What -- are the Sedins, Bieksa, and Edler gonna pull it this year? Calgary now brings in a bunch of stud young guns, better goaltending some veteran D men and yeomen for the back end and bottom 6 as well as basically became the largest toughest team in the league. What "studs" -- Klimchuk, Poirier, and Gaudreau? One NHL game played between the three of them, and hardly marquee prospects. And what "veteran D men" -- the goon they overpaid by about $3mil per season? Calgary got better all over as well Nothing but opinion, with no substance to back it up. Bollig? Raymond? The Goon? They get Hiller and we get Miller, but they got better than us? Would you trade Miller, Vrbata, and Vey for those three? ANYTHING happens like that or even a slow start and we are behind the gun again. You go from saying that Calgary and Edmonton will be as good as Vancouver, then when challenged you pull out "Oh well, anything can happen. Everyone's at zero." First you assert something, then you say others cannot because it's all unknown. Sorry, you cannot have it both ways! See, I was told NOT to use last year as the benchmark for how the Canucks will do this year, yet in the same breath everyone is using last year as the benchmark for how the Alberta teams will do this year. The reason, which you inexplicably so blindly miss, is that last year WAS an aberration for the Canucks. How can you not possibly see that? Just as Edmonton making the playoffs last year would have been an aberration and the fact that Calgary has slid the past three seasons. All it takes is a simple look at the standings for the past 3-4 years. We stand as good a chance as any team of winning it all... You are seriously stating that we have as good a chance as LA, Chicago, Toronto, and Buffalo of winning it all? Come on man, you're teetering on the edge here desperately clinging to your assertion. This is not "trite nonsense" this is simple reality as I see it. Sorry, the reality train left long ago. Reality is actually based on REAL things like historical data, not baseless speculation. Btw, you never did answer if you would trade the Canucks roster and prospects for the Oilers or Flames. Would you, straight up?
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So Raymond makes up for Cammalleri? The journeymen Edmonton overpaid for makes them at least as good as us? Edmonton has been in the basement for years and Calgary has been falling. Tell me something -- would you trade the Canucks roster and prospects pool for that of the Oilers or Flames straight-up? What part of "last year was a disaster" do you not get? Wow, well I guess that explains it. But I have absolutely no idea how you can possibly think that, unless you only started watching the team last year. From the disastrous coaching to the rampant injuries to the Kesler and Luongo distractions... to say last year was not an anomoly is quite incredible. Sorry, you're just completely off-base with all this. And this whole "every team is starting the same" is trite nonsense. Sure, we're in the playoffs and top of the conference as of right now, too -- we just have to win the tiebreaker!
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Not so sure, as he doesn't really play their type of game (not to mention having trouble keeping up with him!). I'd see him more with a McCann or Vey, or even Cassels, that like to come in off the rush and make plays.
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Seems we have to keep repeating it, but far to many have memories that don't go past 6 months. To wit... Don't know what's got into you, Warhippy. Hitting it great up until draft day, but since then you've been Debbie Downer as if you've been chumming around with BanTSN The simplest way to put it is this: There is absolutely NO DEBATE that last year (last half especially) was a complete aberration. The entire core of a team does not just fall off a cliff at the same time. Despite that fact, the Canucks were STILL better than the Flames and Oilers. Every team believes they've improved, so if the Flames and Oilers have then it's a wash. I frankly don't see it, unless somehow all that Oiler dysfunctionality suddenly turns around under the same coach that couldn't get it done last year, or that Raymond and the other scraps the Flames picked up will suddenly see them start scoring? Or little JohnnyG and no-pullup Bennett are going to come in and light it up? And don't even get started about their minor-league Ds... It's been said enough times, but there are many reasons the Canucks will be a significantly better team this year. You cannot under-estimate the coaching change, plus culture change of removing the twin egos Do you really think a straight-laced guy like Benning is willing to put his reputation on the line this early saying they will compete for the playoffs and have the potential to be a 100-point team? This isn't 50-win Bill Laforge and the 80s Canucks. I realize you want to be cautious, but equating the Canucks with the OIlers and Flames is simply not rational.
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Yep, Kassian needs to be with snipers, Virtanen with a playmaker. Big LWs -- Matthias, Zalewski?
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Too bad for them Jake also didn't have linemates of complementary skill and ability. Will be interesting to see how he does this year with an increased role, and in particular more time on the PP.
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Certainly nobody is advocating that the Sedins will be getting similar minutes to the other lines. The point is that compared to last year, the 3rd and especially 4th lines won't simply be a means of giving the top two a breather.
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The draft used to be for 20-year-olds but was changed in 1979 because of the WHL merger and a potential legal challenge. The age isn't likely going anywhere, but increasing it certainly would reduce the uncertainty and number of early busts. http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1979/79facts.html
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And why did they get 5-6 minutes? Because of injuries and a lack of depth, Higgins and Hansen were playing on the top 6 and the bottom 6 were manned by scrubs. That is NOT the case this upcoming year, unless injury lightning strikes twice and even then there's more depth that can be called up. You've said nothing at all to substantiate your claim of a "grand illusion" other than to throw out that pejorative term. The coach has stated his intent, and management has stated their intent and have provided the players to do so. If they bomb out then so be it, they will change the players if required. Horvat will get what they determine he needs to develop, whether 8mpg, 14mpg, 4th line, 3rd line, or back to junior. The Sedins are not going to play 22-25 minutes this year, and the fourth line will not be playing 5-6. Even if the 4th gets "barely 10", that's still in the same range that other top picks have received when starting their NHL careers, as has already been pointed out by others. The changes they've made are testament to rolling four lines, but of course no games have been played yet. Until proven otherwise, I'm going with their stated intentions backed up by their to-date actions and projected roster.
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This is I think where the misunderstanding comes in. The Canucks have clearly said they intend to roll four lines this year, and the moves they've made indicate that it will happen. The bottom 6 will likely have similar ice-time, not like last year's gong show. We really need to get past the last half of last season. It was not in any way indicative of the skill level nor the abilities of this team, let alone be as directly transferable to this season as many believe it to be. Time to let it go. Yup, ponder what it means
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Perhaps in his "understanding of player development", players will be set onto the line they are projected to play from Day 1 and will remain there for their entire career.
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...but you cannot turn away. You have a real blindspot here, and do not seem to understand how things actually work with the development of prospects. Won't be long and we'll see what they do with Horvat, but don't go calling them out as fools when Horvat makes the team and plays on the fourth line.
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Minutes are not a simple numbers game -- more good less bad. Have you not heard what Benning and Linden have said? They do not want to see him playing 25 minutes per game in junior and learning to pace himself. If he's ready to tackle the NHL, when given 10-14 minutes he will be expected to go out there and bust his butt every shift, and learn what it's like the play in the bigs. The more he shows he can handle, the more he'll be given. This would be the same if he were coming in after a couple years in the AHL. Worst-case he splits the season with the junior club and one year of ELC may be affected, but what ultimately matters is what's best for his development and that's where the people much more knowledgeable than us have my trust.
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Yeah -- the media made it up and wanted to see how well it spread and if it affected him, basically to stroke their egos.
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Dude, you aren't even listening to what he said. ANY NHL competition is better than junior; it's men versus boys. If you won't listen to us, then listen to TL and JB.
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And more from Trevor: "You know what we'd love to see? Look at Detroit and how they've handled their young players; they go to Grand Rapids, they play well at the AHL level, which makes them better pros. Everyone is in a rush to get these young guys in the lineup, but having said that it'd be great to have some of our young guys have real successful AHL seasons where they're not pushed into spots that ask too much of them. You've got to be careful with young players, it's a big jump from Junior to Pro. We want them to grow organically." He wants to see them in there as much as we do. They want them to succeed as much as or more than we do, and are much better-equipped and knowledgeable about how to do it.
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Listen to Linden again from today: "The biggest thing is -- we don't want to have to rush players into our lineup. We feel that Utica and Travis Green and Nolan Baumgartner are going to play huge roles in developing our young players. You want to make sure the player is in the right spot. It's a possibility, but it'd be great to have him playing too well to loan out, too." The biggest thing. The first step was drafting the right guys, but now it's all about development -- in the past both have been lacking. If they determine Horvat is best-developed by playing the fourth line, so be it. Same with the third line or going back to junior. Remember, Kassian was drafted only four spots behind Horvat but FOUR years earlier. He's also played parts of three seasons in the NHL already, including time on the top line and has shown good promise. Yet Linden says he must earn his spot, and that includes getting to play in the top-6. Kassian could well start on the third line, and yet Horvat should be given a spot there right out of junior? It's great to see that this franchise is now going to develop their players properly, even if that means holding them back at times. Egos are going to have to be put aside, because it's all about the team and winning. Fortunately Horvat's that kind of character guy, and one likely to take whatever challenge is put in front of him and run with it. It might actually be a good thing for him to be here this year regardless of what capacity, and then take a leadership role in acting as a transitional mentor in the next few years for all the other youth that will be coming in.