Ray_Cathode
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Some people were still making excuses after he was long gone. I sure took a lot of abuse for calling attention to his issues right from the onset of his play in Utica. His first game at young stars saw him being walked on the outside because of his limited ability to pivot to the left. He actually looked good on the pp, and not awful on the pk, but at even strength when opponents were more likely to drive the outside, he was in trouble. Now, whether Juolevi’s medical issues were properly looked after by the Canucks is another issue, about which some questions have recently arisen in the context of Boeser’s infection of his hand injury, and more recently, As for Lekkerimaki, since his recovery, he has looked like a different player. It will be interesting to see him after being able to have his season’s preparation not being interrupted by mono.
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Last night in Abby vs Calgary, Kannok-Leipert stood up and fought a much bigger Calgary opponent who had cheap shot an Abby player. After the game, Rathbone acknowledged Kannok-Leipert for doing so and emphasized his importance to the team. He also went on to praise his skills as a hockey player. He didn’t have to do that. It made me wonder why. Well, the Abby Canucks had just beat Calgary again, one of the best teams in the league, with the personnel that they have. Now, it’s rumoured that Johansson is coming over, Wolanin and Juulsen have been waived to come down. That might be raising concerns amongst the players that got them there. Just entirely speculation on my part, but it did make me wonder. The playoffs are the reward for struggling through a difficult season, after all.
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Well, that is crap. He has really stepped it up this year, but right now, Hronek, Bear, Myers (if we can’t move him), Juulsen, Burroughs, and Johansson (apparently management is very high on him). The one saving grace is that Woo has been playing either side in Abby this year. If OEL is bought out, that would make the pecking order on the LD: Hughes, Wolanin, Brisebois, Hirose, Woo? We have never seen Woo versus NHL competition, but from my observations this year, I’d rate Woo above Brisebois - better skater, more physical, brings offence, strong AHL defence, but unproven at a higher level. Brisebois was the go to guy defensively in Abby before he was moved up, Woo took over much of that, then Wolanin moved up and Rathbone was hurt or in Van, and Woo took over that key roll, too. His improvement has been remarkable. His performance in the AHL playoffs is pivotal in future decisions. Apparently, Wolanin and Juulsen are being qualified for Abby. Now Wolanin and Juulsen were protected from waiver claims by the contracts they were given - I believe they get 500k to play in the AHL, 750k for NHL - that makes them much less likely to be claimed. If Aqualini is willing to crack open the piggy bank, a similar deal might protect Woo.
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I don’t want to disparage Myers work with Canucks because I think he gave us whatever it was he had. You can’t criticize his effort, and nobody forced JB to pay him six mil per. That he was mistake prone was known before we acquired him, and it did not help that neither Green nor Boudreau gave us great defensive structure. Unlike some on this site, I won’t miss OEL. If he was awful this year BECAUSE he was hurt, then why did he play? He was entirely a liability. If we buy out OEL and manage to shed Myers cap hit, it will clear up nearly 13 mil for next year. The next year the OEL saving is only just under five mil, but only 2.5 mil for each of the next two years, then it’s four years of 2.1 mil cap hit. But, moving on from Myers and OEL creates spaces for our young guys - if they can make the grade- uncluding it creates a space for Woo to shoot for.
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Unless Bear prices himself out, I think the Canucks keep him. I see Myers as gone, Hronek hopefully healthy (nice alliteration there). That leaves the third RH spot up for grabs (if Poolman returns from LTIR or Dermott is not re-signed) with Johansson as the leading contender (management is very high on him), then Juulsen and Burroughs. McWard has not yet ‘misout of contention, and Woo. Woo definitely is an outsider with a hill to climb. Left side is problematic; Hughes, some people think OEL can still play and that we shouldn’t buy him out (I am not one of those people), Wolanin?, and I think Hirose is the real deal. Beyond that the organization is thin on immediate help on the left side (Dermott?), but with at least two decent futures out of Pettersson, Kudryavtsev, Jurmo, and Truscott.
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They could sign him to an Abby contract to be able to continue his development without giving up one of fifty signing spots. Canucks signed AHL scoring leader, Carcone, to an Abby contract, I believe, years ago.
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Great to get a report, thanks!
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I think Myers is gone. He is trade-able to a low cap team as he is definitely serviceable as a 2 or 3 RHD on a lower half team, especially since he will only cost 1 mil in cash. I think Bear stays unless his money demands are too high. Mobile, low cost, RHD, are at a premium. I think Woo might replace Burroughs’ toughness. Juulsen is a question mark, but I think Johansson is the leading RHD contender as management and scouting like him a lot. It’s an admittedly short sample, but I think Hirose will take the 2 LD spot unless ownership balks on buying out OEL. Wolanin will be 3D… if no OEL. If OEL’s problems were entirely medical, and ownership balks at a buyout, then I think Hirose makes the 3LD over Wolanin.
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Yes. Also interesting that McDonough seemed to loosen up last game. He moves well out there for a big guy. Yes, if there is co-ordination between management and coach, with Tocchet’s advancing up the lineup of Joseph and DiGiuseppe, he is indicating the kind of player he needs to play his style. Gotta think Tocchet will love Mikheyev, and I think Bloom is his kind of guy: right size, strong skater, good two-way discipline, kills penalties, tracks well, north-south kind of winger. I’m amazed we got this kid for so little.
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Thanks.
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Character clearly not a Rathbone shortcoming.
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After Vancouver’s last game, Is Kravtsov eligible to be sent down? Maybe DiGiuseppe and Amon? Could be a pretty strong group when you add in McDonough. Abby could get very interesting in the playoffs.
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The trick will be how much cap any trading partner will assume for Garland - that may well have been why we were unable to trade him this year. Trades are much more difficult with the cap so tight. Most teams are simultaneously trying to trade their way out of cap problems while they rebuild. It has become hideously expensive rid the team of cap problems.
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Woo brings a lot, but the Canucks have been loading up on right side guys: Hronek, Bear, we still have Myers, Johansson, Juulsen, Burroughs, and now maybe McWard. Though Woo brings something that might endear him to Tocchet: he hits harder than most guys that are three inches taller and thirty pounds heavier… and he has been really active on both O&D this year. Of course, as we know, injuries happen to thin the ranks of the hopeful.
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It’s great improvement, thankfully.
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Broken thumb can bea real ‘headache’ if that bone is the scaphoid. The scaphoid is a small triangular shaped bone with a blood supply only at one end. If the bone is not secured properly for healing, the part of the bone lacking a blood supply can go into necrosis. As I recall, when I had this injury, it took thirteen weeks to heal. Inoperable it is not his scaphoid.
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He does something not many of our wingers do effectively - he protects the puck till he can make a play. The question is: is that a high value in a Tocchet forward? Tocchet’s preferred offensive strategy appears to be dump and chase. For that type of offence, we need bigger, faster kinds of wingers - and that means less of players like Kuzmenko. I also don’t see that as an effective style for Pettersson. Clearly, under Tocchet, a strong pp does not appear to be a priority.