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Ray_Cathode

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Everything posted by Ray_Cathode

  1. Ray_Cathode
    Injuries create opportunities, strong play lets the up n comer get a shot. Most prospects are either exclusive top six, or exclusive bottom six. Bains is making sure that either opportunity will be one that he can take advantage of.
  2. Ray_Cathode
    The farm team finally has a coaching staff that actually improves the players.
  3. Ray_Cathode
    That’s when the Calder was given to the guy with the longest neck.
  4. Ray_Cathode
    His confidence kept growing all year long. For his size, he is very strong, skates pretty well, handles the puck well. Of course, that is in the AHL, love to see him do that in the show.
  5. Ray_Cathode
    It’s possible. We only have 46/50 for contract limit
  6. Ray_Cathode
    Shoulder injuries suck. Had two separations and a dislocation. Fortunately, I went to a chiropractor instead of getting rotator cuff surgery. Got all of the movement back after the dislocation, and no problems with popping out later like so many of my friends that had the surgery. Of course, I’m older than God, so maybe the surgery had improved since my day.
  7. Ray_Cathode
    Yeah, we’ll have a couple of interesting D’s in junior to watch in the new season. Both are breakout candidates,
  8. Ray_Cathode
    He had a strong year in Abby. Amazingly strong for his size. Showed good skating and hands, too. It’s always a bonus when the organization can develop a right D.
  9. Ray_Cathode
    He has lots of shade under both wings.
  10. Ray_Cathode
    Hughes came up at a time when we needed a D strong in offence, to run a pp, and so on. In his first couple of years he was weak defensively - his first year paired with Tanev covered up a lot of that. In his second year he didn’t have that protection and really struggled, but had been able to establish his offensive game, so he kept his ice time. That off season he really worked on his D and became a very good all rounder defenseman. Rathbone is a very similar kind of player who didn’t really get that opportunity to establish his offensive game in the NHL. Then there was the Covid season where he was on the taxi squad and hardly got to play and hi# game regressed. Last year was marred by injuries in the first two thirds, but finally got his game back near year end and in the playoffs. It would be a shame to lose him to waivers this year because the coaching in Abby is much improved over his first two years where he learned precious little D. He still needs work on his D, but if his play at the end of last year is any measure, it’s coming. Hate to lose him now, but now that we have two more D with some size and good defensive play, he might find a way to fit in.
  11. Ray_Cathode
    At the end of last season in the playoffs, we got to see Rathbone and Wolanin together on the PP an Abby. They worked together well, but ran into a very hot Calgary goalie. If Hirose doesn’t make Vancouver, they might make an interesting pairing on the PP - particularly late in games if they already have a lead. After a rough start to the season, Rathbone was looking like himself again. Abby could have a strong team this year: maybe a D with Rathbone, Hirose, McWard, Johanssen, and maybe one of Brisebois, Juulson, or Wolanin. Raty, Sasson, Klimovich, Karlsson, Bains, McDonough, Neilson, and maybe some combination of Podkolzin, Hoglander, and Dries, Aman, or Studnicka - if every waiver eligible guy clears could make for some young strength up front. Near the end of the year, they could be joined by some very interesting prospects like Bloom and Kudryavtsev. Interesting goaltending in Silovs and Polotilo. There are a couple of college players, too, that might turn pro, or young Euros like Forsell, Jurmo, or DPetey. Interesting times.
  12. Ray_Cathode
    Well, with the new coaching in Abby, by the end of the season, our best defensive forwards are pretty much our best offensive forwards - Klimovich, Bains, Neilson, Raty, and Sasson. Klimovich, by the way, was by far the highest +/- on the team. By season end, Bains was our best forward penalty killer and the guy the coach wanted out there in the last minute to close out the game. In particular, I am really impressed with Bains and Klimovich. These young men are dedicated to doing whatever it takes to become winners. Now, there may be some insufficiency that keeps them from the NHL, but it won’t be because it was something they did not care to learn.
  13. Ray_Cathode
    We will have an opportunity to see if OEL can redeem himself. One thing I do feel confident about is that he will never be worth 8 mil per, and probably not even half that. If we didn’t buy out OEL,we would have been giving away first round picks till hell freezes over to get rid of enough players to become cap compliant.
  14. Ray_Cathode
    He was real young when he started in the AHL, and lack of arrention to defence limited his icetime. This past year new coaches and some great examples like Bains, Karlsson, Podkolzin, and the like helped or inspired Klimovich to improve his D. Now he’s a player that the coaches trust. He’s still learning the ropes, but he’s come a long way. I’m really looking forward to what we’ll have in Abby this year. Hopefully they really put pressure on the NHL team.
  15. Ray_Cathode
    Did you?
  16. Ray_Cathode
    As an all-round defenceman, Ohlund was numero uno for Canucks. In his best years, Edler was up there,, but defensively he was not Ohlund. In the fifty three years I have been watching the Canucks, the best offensive D that has put on the uni was Paul Reinhart, but with each year I see Hughes, he just keeps getting better. He is not a big guy, but the times that opposition players can take advantage of that just keep decreasing. Hughes can take over a game like only Reinhart used to be able to do in his prime. The best thing the Canucks have done in recent years was sign this kid to a long-term contract. - but we will rue the day that it wasn't longer.
  17. Ray_Cathode
    We often find guys to fill out the farm team roster - Curtis Valk and Michael Carcone come immediately to mind.
  18. Ray_Cathode
    I drove up there each year till this one, hope they are broadcast.
  19. Ray_Cathode
    Depends on who goes down. If Hughes went down, Rathbone would be of more use than Irwin. If Cole or Soucy went down, then Irwin.
  20. Ray_Cathode
    Hughes partner doesn’t have to hire Tanev’s dentist to get the job. That is only an option.
  21. Ray_Cathode
    Burke also struggled to fill in a team behind the core. That too, might have been frustrated, as you say, by budget constraint. But scouting under Burke and Nonis was kind of a hill between two valleys. Still gotta go with my guy Jake, though, for top dog.
  22. Ray_Cathode
    I stand corrected, according to cap friendly, he was Burke’s first NHL trade. Auspicious beginning. If Salo had only been less fragile (or less unlucky) what a career he could have had! When he was in the lineup, we stood a much better chance of winning hockey games. Not only was he great offensively, he was a mistake eraser.
  23. Ray_Cathode
    They both have a chance of being the kind of lower round picks that make a draft. You expect your high first round pick to Make a difference soon, your mid first later. Your later first rounder you hope will make a difference. Your second rounder is a two in six to play games for you. A third rounder one in six. After that is a crap shoot. But I agree on Silovs, barring serious injury, he looks like he will contribute in the NHL. Forsell is really surprising, there is no obvious flaw that says ‘This will make it difficult for him.’ That said, Jasek looked like that, too. At least he did to me, and he never saw an NHL game. Sometimes, it’s not the player, it’s that good, proven players are standing in the way. I think that is how we managed to get Bloom for Stillman. There’s nothing wrong with Bloom, they just wanted Stillman (God only knows why) and they felt they had a full larder.
  24. Ray_Cathode
    He endured, and as much as he was traded, teams kept wanting what he brought to the game.
  25. Ray_Cathode
    Add in Demko who is a big win and Forsling (that he traded away for nothing) Let’s see who remains: NHL maybes: Podkolzin, Hoglander AHL prospects:: Silovs, Klimovich, Karlsson, Woo, Rathbone, McDonough International: Forsell, Costmar, Jurmo, Zlodeyev, Persson College: Truscott, Junior: Lockhart I’d say the top two lines remain as prospects and perhaps two or three of the others. In two years we will likely know the verdict on JBs era. With the exception Silovs, I don’t see any more stars there. Maybe Podkolzin and Hoglander once again become regulars, but the rest will have to show something in the next two years, or it’s likely never.
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