The Big Luongo

Doesn't matter to me I thought he faired well for me it was more important seeing he was the aggressor and he's game when need be. We're going to need that now and then from Lind, Jake, Gadjovich, MacEwan, Guadette and others. That's quite a few players who play a skilled game but drop the gloves if need be. Can't wait to see this gritty young crew along side all our more skilled players looks like a great mix!

Boucher has done more than enough to get the call and we're missing lots of goals out of the lineup.

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Any Lind action I've seen he's shown very elite passing skills and lots of grit and if that's how hard and accurate his shot is we just might have another steal like young EP!

Wow that shot will help him make the JR team. That snipe was Boeser velocity and great placement not sure a puck could be shot much harder!

I completely agree. When seeing MacEwan I was actually a bit shocked to see how well he skates, his vision using his linemates very well and his mobility and ability to stickhandle past checkers. After watching MacEwan and Chatfield I told my brother these 2 lesser known guys will impress at camp and will be solid players on the big team soon. Guys like MacEwan, Gaudette, Guance and Virtanen will be the rocks that play heavy heavy games that give EP, Boeser, Dahlen and Horvats the room they'll need to do big things and they'll also have a tonne of success because of that great mix of power, size and elite skill. I think there's also a chance Kane will be in a Canucks uniform in the not so distant future.

Seeing him play I agree it's actually something that really stood out for me besides his high level skill. He has a real knack for being all over the puck giving no space and also a great stick and hand eye at picking off passes. To me this is huge obviously the more turnovers you create the better makes the opposing team scramble to defend and just the fact you have the puck much more to create offense for you and will definitely be some great young linemates. Love this pick!

Obviously there's a lot to love about this kid lighting it up like he is and showing great offensive upside but the other big thing I love is the fact that he's very hard to play against and really agitates his opponents. This other side to his game will be huge when he's playing the Mcdavid's and Gaydreau's one day. Having our high end skill players like Pettersson, Boeser, Dahlen and others is very exciting but the players like Lind, Virtanen, Gaudette, Gadjovich and MacEwen will be just as important knowing how physical and difficult the game can get and the fact the team will all really get to thrive as a whole when there's the others that play the hard physical game that's needed and give the team overall team toughness.

My guess from watching Edler is that he's not thought of as a mentor because he makes as many mistakes as the rest of the defensemen combined, Stecher is already leaps and bounds ahead of him defensively in his rookie season and Edler is pretty much useless and error prone on most nights costing the team wins. If Benning wants to help this team win next season he makes sure he keeps Tanev and Hutton and tells Edler he's seen enough poor uninspired play out of him to last a lifetime and to except a trade to a team of your liking or you spend the season in Utica. As for Juolevi great all around dman in the making looks like this kid will be ready after next season hopefully a little bigger and stronger. This kid does a lot of things well and we already have some young guys who do just that it'll solidify what we have when he's ready and he could just might round out into a true qb for the powerplay.

Once Virtanen gets his game together they'll be mocking those over him again because he's a completely different player who has the combination of speed, power, size and chip on his shoulder that players like that don't have. This style will definitely be something we need with all the softer skilled players that will be in the lineup in the future and it's for that reason I'm still more excited about his potential than I would be of the others that are having the quicker success. When it comes to Virtanen reading these posts people just dont seem to put enough value of his style of game and don't understand what kind of huge asset it will be to have him playing against opponents we'll play in meaningful games against one day soon and those other players he's always compared to will imo most likely be soft like the Sedins and will be next to invisible in all likelihood in the types of games that turn out to be all out wars at times especially the playoffs. You just can't have so many soft players and not have guys with this size and talent you'd think after watching the Canucks all these games during and since the last Canucks cup run fans would be smart enough to to see this. I just can't believe how impatient fans are it's ridiculous they all want everything now and sometimes that's just not the way it goes some players take more time than others. Hell I think even at the end of last season Virtanen put together a glimpse of what his values to this team will be in the future in a string of games I thought he looked excellent in but of course all fans all seem to have not noticed or forgot about that and would rather cry and be pessimistic. Anyway you guys keep crying and hell who knows maybe I'll join you one day if in a couple seasons he doesn't break out but right now is definitely too early and it's pathetic as far as I'm concerned and I hope guys call you nay sayers of Virtanen out when his break out happens and you guys feel like the fools that you seem to be. I have full faith in Virtanen he's a special player that I'm almost positive will come around and this kid will definitely be one of my favorite Canucks players for the unique style he'll show everyone he brings and I'm definitely willing to wait for it!

I just hate how WD shelters the young or new players and makes them ride the pine almost all game basically leaving them to think they're not good enough in his opinion and he doesn't trust them at all. I'd have to think this would make some lose a little confidence and this might have them on pins and needles when they are getting their measly 6 minutes of ice time. Again not a big fan of WD decision making on the lineup or the handling of young or new players on the squad at all. Hoping with Boucher and others down the line WD talks to them in a positive way, shows faith in them and gives them a real shot to show their abilities.

What keeps me positive is the fact that when he played with the Canucks last season using his skill, speed and size and was driving to the net and imposing himself in scrums he was one of the best Canuck players and I haven't lost any faith in him whatsoever. Seems fans are always so paranoid we're drafting busts Virtanen imo is definitely not one if them. At worst he'll be a Hansen type player not as defensive but with the same great speed, very good forecheck, a much heavier hitter, better net front presense, more powerful shot, better one on one skill and a guy who will protect teammates fight and intimidate opponents and unique in the fact we'll have nobody else like him. He'll come around its just a matter of time and when he does look out we'll have a real imposing force on the top lines and more importantly a player who can play and excel in playoff hockey instead of disappearing like other soft players who are producing more now.

Wow great to see especially considering the guys above him likely aren't 2nd line players getting less ice time and pk guys.

Actually I'd bet Boeser has 7+ points easy if with the Sedins this season even considering their deteriorating play.

Benning did the best thing here after the top 4 were gone. Great pick I'm excited! Our defense has me more intrigued than I've ever been having all these good young up and coming dmen who all have a lot to offer. Boeser, Virtanen, Horvat and all the other forwards we have moving forward are going to need a swift moving/passing dman who can pressure and skate and do all the good things this kid does.

Very excited about the strong overall game of Gaunce. Gaunce is exactly what the Canucks need in their lineup right now over a soft useless Vey as a matter of fact. Gaunce and Zalewski should be playing on the big club they both bring to the table what the Canucks are really lacking all around.

Well it seems most fans are righting us off including our so called own as usual and as usual so are most of the so called hockey experts because its the thing to do but with what we have in talent, the free money to spend, having Benning and Linden leading the charge and what seems to be a solid well liked head coach I don't agree we can't challenge. I see the glass half full with this team knowing how huge all the injuries played a part in last seasons demise. To me we have a great deep defense along with all these great well rounded up and comers, I think we'll get bounce back seasons from Burrows and the Sedins, good contributions out of Kassian, Lack and maybe Hiller giving us great goaltending and some others like Matthias and hopefully Santorelli, Jensen and some added solid free agents signings this team will be playoff bound and contend with the top teams. Saying all that it may be a tough sell for a guy like Iginla but then again he would prefer good money, he's mentioned he would play here, I think really he would prefer playing in Western Canada and for a team not as far from contending as some claim. Overall I think it's a bit of a long shot but he will consider it but it's possible especially if he waits to see who we add first.

I love this pick. Ranked 1st physically, 2nd skating, 4th competitiveness and 5th in Puck skills he's from BC and loves the canucks seems like a no brainer to me. One thing i'd heard earlier today about Virtanen is that he played injured last season so his numbers could have been better and sounds like he's got a real edge and a bit of a warrior. Really like this kid got a good feeling about him!

I completely agree. I'm in favour of a couple changes if they're good changes but this definitely wouldn't be one of them. Keep these guys there's no guarantee that the #1 pick will be a better player then a good pick at 6th and giving away a potential great player in Shinkaruk and any roster player never mind a good one would be an idiot move.

I'm not a fan of this at all. There's no way this disappointing season should be on Gillis when the 2 biggest reasons they failed is because the Sedins and Burrows played pathetic for the most part and because the team was decimated with key injuries all season. No teams could succeed with all those injuries and their # 1 line failing so miserably. Gillis has done a lot better then given credit for and a lot of people are very dilusional on a lot of his so called errors. I really hope Mike Gillis knows that we're not all fools like the ungreatful fans chanting against him and i personally think for the most part he's done an amazing job and would like to thank him and wish him all the luck in the world.

Damn i'll gladly take the win but it's pathetic how fragile we are. Win a damn faceoff Kes and clear the puck you clowns. We're lucky its the lowly flames we're making all these brutal misplays against.

Canucks are doing all the little things wrong late again hopefully all this panic and gaffes don't cost us

Ugh Edler drives me insane!! Damn Gillis should have talked his useless a$$ into a trade.

I can't believe how many people cry and blame Gillis and Torts for everything when clearly injuries and the Sedins and Burrows have had pathetic seasons and rarely get criticized. The Sedins and Burrows and injuries are the ones mostly to blame why are people so foolish they can't see that. Any team that had a top line disappear like that and take stupid lazy penalties on top of that would struggle. No wonder Kesler may have wanted out. It's probably because he knows the Sedin line, Luongo and Edler cave when the going gets tough and their the weak links and unless they changed by miracle the Canucks will never go anywhere. Thats the closest thing to the truth.