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Ray_Cathode

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Everything posted by Ray_Cathode

  1. Thanks, something to chew on.
  2. If we can assume that we do not need to protect Edler and Myers because the size of their contracts insulates them, and Hughes because of his exemption, that we would not protect Benn, would that not only leave us with only Schmidt to protect - so that we could actually afford to protect Tryamkin even if he played more than two games and still protect one of Edler or Myers, or even pickup an additional defenceman that needs protection?
  3. Just wondering; is Myers a six million dollar a year guy on this team? Is he worth it? Would we lose him if we don't protect him. The fact that Benning wouldn't give him an NMC may hint at Benning's thinking of what happens down the road.
  4. I thought Podkolzin got better as the game went on, but he was almost invisible in the first period, and showed as a little in the third. Larionov loved him enough to have him out in the closing minute of the game, and that was an impressive rush with, I think, about four minutes left. Not a strong finish, though - but both goalies in this one were pretty impressive. And he does look bigger, he may be his new listed numbers at 6'4" - if he is, it may take a bit to adjust to accommodate that growth spurt..
  5. Bringing Baertschi onto the roster gives him a chance to prove he can play in the NHL and that his concussion issues may be a thing of the past. That gives us a chance to move him as the year goes on. If we have a young RW in our black aces - it will permit us to have him near at hand to work on what he needs to work on, and step in if Baertschi can be moved. Baertschi played well in Utica last year - he is still soft skilled, less inventive than Goldobin, but a step up defensively compared to him. Right now it looks like Baertschi is guaranteed not to move unless he can prove he has value in the NHL. I seem to recall that Pearson plays either wing, so there may be a fit with Pearson and Horvat. Horvat has grown as a player and that may help get the most out of Baertschi.
  6. I never noticed Bailey having a problem handling the puck at speed this past season in the AHL - maybe that was a problem in prior years and became a meme that stuck to him.
  7. That’s an interesting point with Jurmo. Lot’s of speed is great, but quickness in a big frame is a terrific asset for a defenceman - hopefully this kid can build his hockey IQ - he could become a heckuva package.
  8. I used to live down the street from a guy who got drafted by St Louis. He was not a big guy, but his dad owned a cafe that had some pinball and game machines in it. One of the machines consisted of a handle that you squeezed and a hand like on an old style clock spun around and told you how much you squeezed. This kid used to squeeze that machine every time he got near it, with either hand. Guys would come into the cafe and often ended up squeezing that machine, and some of them, loggers running chain saws or setting chokers, or pulling off the green chain fancied themselves pretty strong. Ken would be serving coffee and sandwiches and these guys would get on that machine and a few would impress their buddies. Often these guys would remark to Ken, what do ya think, kid? Anybody do better? Ken would shrug and say, “It’s okay.” The guy would almost always challenge Ken, and eventually back it up with a couple of bucks. A Northland pro cost about four bucks in those days - that machine bought him a few sticks. The guy would squeeze hell out of the machine, then Ken, sixteen and slight, would spin the dial to near the limit. Ken had huge hands, even at sixteen, and a hell of a wrist shot. He played with the Regina Pats and with the Kansas City Blues in the CHL. The corners were very rough placed in those days and Ken was a good looking guy. I don’t think he cared to share the corners with guys like Bobby Clark, who played in the WHL at that time. I heard Ken ended up as the regional sales manager for Maidenform Bra, then moved to Australia. I’m pretty sure he still had both eyes and all his teeth.
  9. That says 2019, maybe that is not the right one?
  10. That is a big part of it, Burrows was a great pk guy because he had a very high level of anticipation. And yes, better three step quickness is tough to develop, but not impossible... that said, not many tall, lanky guys have three step quickness, just to do with their build I guess. Sutter is that kind of guy - long and lean - and not particularly quick, but he does have good anticipation and a sound stick defensively. Malhotra was a big guy at 6’2 220, but still very quick and good too end - perhaps because he was more compact. Bailey is 6’4 or 6’5 depending where you look and 210 to 215 - more lanky - amazing top end in the AHL - as fast as any guy I saw there - defencemen had a tough time pivoting and staying with him, and he is so big and strong, trying to grab him or slow him down with a hook just didn’t work too well. Of course, that is the AHL, who knows in the NHL where there are so many big fast defenders. If he could learn to play pk effectively, wow! What a threat on turnovers! An interesting note is that near the end of his time in Utica, MacEwen started to be used on the pk and he is around Beagle’s size at 6’3 205~210. Well, I thought it interesting, anyway.
  11. “. Leivo, despite his point production, was one of the best on the team at coming out of board battles with the puck.” I doubt that the Canucks valued it that much, because if they did, they could have bought out Baertschi and kept Leivo - if your theory was correct... but the didn’t - so I don’t buy your theory. After the experience with Baertschi over multiple concussions, and granted Ferland’s style, surely signing him to an equally big contract was simply a huge mistake that continues to this day. I wouldn’t call Ferland’s play in his current circumstances fearless, perhaps stupid or rash is more apt.
  12. I don’t think Eriksson managed to make a single hit last season - I don’t think these guys play no contact hockey in a full contact league
  13. I believe his concussion history is entirely it. Rather than see him maimed for life, they sent him to Utica to see if he could play and not get his brain scrambled - they basically gave his job to a bigger, tougher guy who also had a concussion history - if anything is to be questioned, surely it is that. Ferland, by the way, did not survive play in the AHL. He survived and was offered to join the Canucks for the playoffs but Baertschi declined. Now they have offered him a chance to try again for the roster.
  14. Here is the game schedule for anyone who wants it, starting with per tournament games: https://www.iihf.com/en/events/2021/wm20/news/23325/new-pre-competition-game-schedule-announced
  15. Let’s start by saying I’m not comparing stature, but there have been very effective levels of toughness combined with talent in Messier’s era - that were the same size as Hoglander and who were in the 70 to 80 point range - Smyl and Verbeek - they took turns leading the league in hits. And those weren’t just hits - these two guys HIT. Smyl was 5’9 190, Verbeek was 5’8 180. And Messier only had one of his 100 point seasons when he wasn’t playing on the same team as Gretzky, Coffey, Kurri, and Anderson - in addition Messier was 6’1 210. Much of Messier’s toughness consisted of being willing to take your head off with his elbow or his stick. All this is to say that there is little that prevents Hogs from being effective playing his game. There is a guy in Boston who excels at that kind of game - proficient and nasty and of small stature. With a guy like that holding down one of the wings for the Sedins, we might of had us a cup. Marchand is 5’8 180 and a consistent top ten scorer. The average player today is 6’1 200. Messier was not an extraordinarily big guy, what he was mostly, was fast and extremely nasty. Playing on a team in Edmonton that could afford to carry a couple of guys like Semenko and McSorley permits that kind of behaviour. The tallest team in the NHL is the Vancouver Canucks with only two players under six feet. https://www.stack.com/a/how-big-is-the-average-nhl-player
  16. Gadjovich improved a lot in Utica this past year.
  17. Like he was being chased by a fuddy-duddy with a blunderbus.
  18. Bailey is very fast, but I’m not sure that he is particularly quick - big difference between top end speed and first three step quickness like Motte.
  19. One reason he was moved to centre is that we had no Canuck properties in Utica playing centre after Gaudette got called up and Glaovac got hurt playing in a Vancouver - all the centres in Utica belonged to Utica, not Vancouver. In addition, his attributes, skating, intelligence, defensive discipline suited the pivot position. Looks like he has face offs to his repertoire. Another gut I would not be surprised to here h3 got moved to the middle is Lind - for many of the same reasons as Jasek. As far as I know they don’t keep face off stats in the AHL - but entirely from my observation - Lind appeared to be taking most of the critical draws in Utica - I don’t recall him being cleanly beaten but for a couple of times. Jasek’s play in Europe seems to indicate he has upped his faceoff skills. He already seemed to be strong defensively, faceoff skill just adds to that.
  20. We don’t have a lot of high level depth at centre - after Pettersson, Horvat, and Gaudette (who is also a winger) with Sutter and Beagle not far from the ends of their contracts - he has to compete with a Jasek, Michaelis, Focht, Costmar and Zlodoyev - I don’t see any high first rounders in that group - though there sure are some overachievers based on their draft position.
  21. He might be an upgrade on Benn, but we still have Benn filling up cap space - why double up on something that is already a mistake. It’s just sending good money after bad - one of the worst bad habits in business, and the Vancouver Canucks are a business.
  22. At this stage in the team’s development I’d prefer to stop wasting time and money on superannuated vets. Develop the kids, they are far enough along. If that doesn’t work, pick up a vet, they are waiting on the sideline desperate for a job. Heck, we already have one no longer good enough for this league, why double our misery. If we have to use a guy who is marginal, why not use a young marginal guy they just might get better. Surely one of Rafferty, Chatfield, Rathbone, Juolevi, Brisbois, or Sautner is a player. This is how we got to have a team of albatrosses that we regret having: Eriksson, Sutter, Roussel, and now Ferland (a player with concussion issues) that we gave up valuable cap in a risky move. You can’t expect to keep making the same mistakes and end up to be in a better place. At least with the young guys we might be making different mistakes, but they don’t lead to ongoing misery and might have a positive payback.
  23. The cap being flat and damn near everyone up against will soften those deals. If no-one has the money, no-one has the money. Bridge deal may lead to bridge deal, particularly if governments get to like the idea of a compliant populace, and the plague rules are made more or less permanent, in the words of Rahm Emanuel, “Never let a crisis go to waste.”
  24. Well, they did steal other people’s copyrighted technology, such as doublespace quite liberally. That failed to make Doublespace’s life better.
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