Li'l Fra

Pffffft! Green is sitting him because he has too many vets to manage and Virtanen is paying the price. Also because we got a win and he didn't want to change the lineup. Telling him he needs to get more hits is an excuse. Hopefully this BS doesn't confuse Jake too much. We've got to stop messing with this Kid and let him play. He was going play for play with Boeser in the preseason. Give him some rope. Once again Jake is being held to a different standard than his teammates. There is no lack of players who could take a turn in the press box. It's Jake time!

Guby. Oh, Guby! I want so much to like this player's game. But he is struggling to be average. Unfortunately it usually isn't good to watch a player's game under a microscope (like Bieksa some years, and Sbisa). But once I start doing it I have a hard time not focusing on all the little things in said player's game. Guby is not the player I want him to be. And that sucks. He is big. He can deal with bigger, slower players, like Lucic, on nights when that is needed. How important is that? Very. How much do you need to pay a guy to play that role? It depends what else he can do. What else can Guby do? Come on, Gubester! Play some power hockey, lock down your defensive game, and truly become useful to your team. Or...???

Any injury update for Loui?

Dang it! I wasn't whipping on Louie so he'd get hurt. I was whipping on him to get going. Now I feel bad. Curses! lol

We gave Eriksson a year to get his butt in gear. Hardly anyone said anything. That is patience. I think he's had more leash than almost any Canuck player ever. But the time for that is past. As much as the Canucks are paying that guy he deserves a wakeup call. Maybe we let him off easy last year and he now believes he can float through the next 5 years of his contract. It sure looked like he quit on himself last year. For sure he is the new whipping boy and it is entirely fair. You don't get paid the big bucks in a Canadian market without getting the intense scrutiny as well. I don't think it is unfair to say he's been a Gigantic Disappointment. So much so that no one even knows what to expect. Can he still score in the NHL? As a Canuck fan I hope for a lot of things. Sometimes all it seems I have is hope. I'm sick of hoping Louie Eriksson can do more than just piddle along on the third line. I'm tired of hoping he's not a total waste of time. This team has too many other things to worry about. To have to worry about Eriksson actually being the player he's being paid to be is disheartening. Prove me wrong Louie...please...you've only got five years. FFS!

Eriksson. Sheesh! J-Pat and Botchford were talking about how no one is/was speaking about Louie Eriksson. I honestly think that after last year we are all holding our collective breath, hoping that this guy does SOMETHING this year. But the fans won't be holding their breath for long. The contract is looking so bad, and Eriksson is looking, well like Eriksson. We can't trade him and no one would want him. The years of uselessness disappear into the fog of the future. WTF? What I really don't like is that he has taken no ownership of the team, doesn't hold up his end of the bargain by doing interviews, and is showing zippo leadership in that direction. When the Sedins retire (possibly next year) he is our highest paid player. He's been a ghost since he arrived. That can't continue. Seriously, get it together Louie! At this point MDZ seems like more of a Canuck than Eriksson. And he's only been here two months.

I am super stoked we didn't lose Gaunce to Vegas. He had a perfect storm year to avoid being plucked in the expansion draft. Played all year, was dangerous but had no puck luck, then hurt his shoulder and had surgery. If he had had a great year he'd be gone. Anyway, I've been a fan of Gaunce since we drafted him, I watched him at the young stars tourney way back. He has always had intelligence, solid skills and a good work ethic. He should have been on the team two years ago instead of Cracknell, and outplayed him in preseason. Then he went back and killed it with Green in Utica playing all three forward positions. Green already knows what Gaunce can do and I predict he's going to have his best year yet!

That thing where a guy that shouldn't even be on the team plays for the Canucks all year and gets given prime ice time he doesn't deserve and didn't earn.

Rarely has a signing of a free agent worked out for us. Eriksson has been a non factor. Definitely not what I was hoping. Maybe he'll be better next year? But, how are we not trying everything in our power to keep Hansen, including trading Eriksson. I guess we can't move Louie because he got the bulletproof contract for 6 freakin' years. Stupid...stupid...stupid!

Love it. This guy is a boss!

"Big Bedroom Community" "Suburban Sniper" lol

Big Country? Really? The nickname of one of Vancouver sport's biggest disappointments. Plus, Virtanen ain't no country boy, he's from Vancouver. How about "Big City"? now we're talking.

It's a tough question. The Detroit model would send him down. We're deep with forward vets. While he is useful to us, we don't need him right now. This is a very critical time in his development. If he goes back to Junior and uses the opportunity to get even better, like some of his peers, it would be the most prudent thing to do. But He has shown flashes of offensive prowess already at the NHL level, like the wraparound last night, and maybe he's only a bounce or two away from contributing more consistently. I'm sure Bo feels that way. How would he feel if he was sent back to Junior? As a fan, of course I'd like to see him all year. What to do?

He's a true #1 goalie in the NHL, bonafide! How often do franchise goalies like Miller become available? How old is Tim Thomas? If we can pick up Miller at a reasonable rate and term, we'd be nuts not to do it. It won't take long to get tired of our young Swedes if they don't cut it. We've been spoiled with great goaltending around here for a long time.

I just can't get over the Ritchie hilights. The kid is a huge talent. Heads up player, likes to use his size. To me he looks better than Virtanen.