SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME

Former Canuck Gino Odjick is fighting heart disease again The Maniwaki Mauler says he's confident he'll be able to beat amyloidosis again. He first suffered from the heart ailment in 2014. Author of the article: Patrick Johnston Oct 17, 2020 Six years after Gino Odjick was at death’s door, the heart ailment that had doctors telling him he had just a year to live at best has returned. The former Canucks enforcer, nicknamed the Maniwaki Mauler, told Ottawa francophone newspaper Le Droit his doctors determined about a month ago that he was once again dealing with amyloidosis, a rare condition that produces protein deposits in the heart. A bout with the disease in 2014 reduced his heart function to just 25 per cent of its usual power and doctors told him he should prepare for the end. A last-ditch attempt at chemotheraphy at an Ottawa hospital reversed his condition. The hope then was that he wouldn’t have a recurrence of the disease for another 20 years. “It came back about a month ago,” he told Le Droit. “They (his doctors) found it early, so I am very confident that I will be able to get rid of it. It was a shock, but what can you do? … There were several treatment options, but I asked to follow the same one I had in Ottawa as it had worked. I’m on chemo for the next six months.” https://www.google.ca/amp/s/theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/former-canuck-gino-odjick-is-fighting-heart-disease-again/wcm/b07b20bb-c800-4a70-8994-a5d19c780108/amp/ https://twitter.com/jamescybulski/status/1317314051781750784?s=21 Just gutted tonight to learn that Gino’s amyloidosis has returned, and far sooner than anyone expected. Thankfully, it sounds like they caught this early and there’s reason to be optimistic that Gino should respond well to the chemotherapy. Sending all my best wishes and good vibes Gino’s way, as once again, he undergoes treatment for this heart ailment.

Yeah, the only “retiring” Loui is gonna do is putting better snow tires on his car for the Utica winters.

Yeah, that’s my thinking too. Outside of Hughes, who’s a breakout machine, we did not have good puck moving on our D last season. Splitting up Hughes and Schmidt between two pairings allows us to have a quality puck mover on the ice for a huge chunk of the game. And Hughes-Schmidt can still be thrown together as our secret weapon late in games, if we’re down a goal and need offence. Similar to what we’d do with Hughes-Myers last year (and they had excellent numbers together). Edler-Schmidt should also be able to handle similar matchup duties to what McNabb-Schmidt played in Vegas, which would free up Hughes-Myers for more offensive usage (where they’ve been very successful together).

Probably, lol. And maybe the Chilliwack GM got fired for signing bad Czechs?

I have a lot of time for the idea of Juolevi-Schmidt as a future pairing, but yeah, certainly not anything I’d pencil in as early as this coming season’s lineup. Edler-Schmidt makes the most sense right now. But I would like to see Juolevi-Schmidt played together at times this coming season. Which should happen, just due to injuries, or Edler being in the penalty box, etc. Down that road, should Juolevi reach his potential and become a legitimate NHL top-4, I think him and Schmidt could make a very good pairing.

You can easily make the case for one or two of them, but five is a heavy drag on our cap (and make it six, if you count Ferland). I’m not against having a veteran presence on a young team. Or paying top end UFA prices for key veterans to round out a group, and provide stability, culture, and leadership. However, you definitely could do all that with fewer high paid bottom-sixers than we have in the lineup. And even the role players we arguably “needed” to have, could probably have been done with much cheaper options. It is what it is. We now have far too much salary tied up in these guys, for far too little return on investment. I could easily make a case for each individual player. But I really can’t defend them as a whole. We’ll get out of this mess soon enough, with most of the contracts expiring in 1-2 years, but it’s truly unfortunate that they’ve cost us chances to dramatically improve this roster. Having cap space in this buyer’s market, and while Petey and Hughes are still on their ELC’s, would have been such a great opportunity. Oh well. What’s done is done and there’s no sense in crying about it, I suppose.

Sucks to hear that Jake is still up to the same old ****. It’s anecdotal, of course, but I believe Hip 100%. Fits with everything I’ve heard about Jake through the grapevine, over the years. I hadn’t heard any stories quite this recent, and really hoped that he’d matured some, and I wouldn’t keep hearing this stuff, but doesn’t sound like he’s changed much, if at all. I’m not really bothered by the partying, at least when it’s offseason. These guys deserve to have lives, and I did the same in my 20’s (almost assuredly I was worse, actually). But it’s the entitlement attitude that really gets me. I’m good with players who “work hard and play hard” and I don’t think we need to shame them for every bad decision, or for the nights out that they went a little overboard and get caught via social media. It’s more about the fact that Jake still doesn’t seem to “get it” and he continues to have issues with his training, diet, preparation, and commitment, and all the while, he sports this entitled attitude and apparent belief that he’s somehow above it all. He really needs to be putting in the work necessary to be a good professional and bring his best version of himself, as a player, and as a person. And unfortunately, we’re 5 years into his pro career, and he’s 24 years old, and he still seems to acting like that high school jock that gets worshipped for his talent, and keeps getting given breaks he doesn’t deserve, and everyone secretly hates because he’s just such a freaking *******.

Interesting to see how this plays out. Given the profile of the player, and the fact the “tampering” was successful as the Pietrangelo signing actually happened, I’d imagine the punishment would be on the higher end. Maybe similar (or even higher) than the 1994 NJD/STL tampering case with Stevens, where the result was a first round pick being given to the Devils, plus some $1.4 million in cash, and another first swapped between the teams (with the Devils getting the better pick). That’s assuming they actually prove wrongdoing, of course.

It’s really TBD, but I finally bit the bullet and voted in the poll. Went with the unpopular “Benning is not a great GM” option. He just hasn’t earned “great GM” status (yet). He very well may one day, but he’s yet to prove it to me. I still see Benning’s tenure to-date as a bit of a mixed bag. Lots of highs and lows. I won’t bother making a list because then I’ll be forced into a bunch of replies to people nitpicking individual points (sorry, just not interested in those discussions, so I’m gonna cop out when it comes to bringing the receipts). Plus, most people are just going to agree or disagree anyway, regardless of how persuasive an argument I make. Many people seem to believe Benning can do no wrong, and they react quite emotionally to even the suggestion that he’s made mistakes. I don’t really understand those people, but what I have learned is that arguing with them is a fruitless exercise. Others think he’s “Dim Jim” and can’t do anything right. For them, any successes Benning has enjoyed are either flukes or the result of his underlings succeeding in spite of their boss. I have just as little interest in trying to argue with those people. No degree of analysis of Benning’s management record is really going to sway the minds of either of those camps. So, I’m not even gonna try. Sorry. And then, there’s the group of us in the middle. We acknowledge, appreciate, and celebrate the successes, but we also have some legitimate concerns about the failures. (And I’m definitely putting on the flak jacket now that I’ve openly stated on CDC that Benning has had failures.) What I take some comfort in is that, IMO, Benning’s success to failure ratio has generally been improving over his tenure. I believe he’s learned from many of his mistakes, and is a better GM today for it. But, even though he’s shown improvement in many areas, he’s not (yet) a great GM. For me, where Benning will earn his final grade will be how he handles the coming extensions for our core, young players, especially Pettersson and Hughes, and whether or not he’ll be able to bring in the necessary pieces to build a legitimate contender around that core. It’s a monumental task, and one that, if done correctly, should earn him “great GM” status And I’ll gladly give it to him, if he successfully navigates that next phase. So, like I said at the top, it’s TBD, but as of today, he’s not a great GM. He hasn’t earned it (yet). But I really hope he does.

Definitely that’s the order. And it’s very clear cut, IMO. It’s possible things change sooner rather than later, I suppose. If one of our prospects becomes a legit top-4, they should easily push Myers down to 5th. And Edler could, over the coming years, decline to more of a 4/5 tweener or third pairing D. But for right now, and for the near future, it’s definitely Hughes>Schmidt>Edler>Myers.

Thank you. I was waiting for that.

Whenever I hear Aaron Dell’s name, I get flashbacks from having to watch Frozen with my kids (the kingdom in the movies is called Arendelle). Any other parents have this issue, or just me?

I’ve heard that internally the team is really high on Chatfield, so it’s quite possible he’s actually penciled in right now as the “next up” RHD, especially with Schmidt and Myers as the top two on that side. Had we acquired more of a pure defensive/shutdown Dman, instead of Schmidt, I’d expect Rafferty to have an edge, however. (EDIT: This isn’t to say Schmidt can’t be a shutdown D. He can, and has, to great success, with Vegas. He’s just not built in the mold of a purely “defensive” defenceman. He’s a two-way D who defends just fine, but brings more value in his ability to move the puck and push play up ice, and also defend the play before things actually get into his own zone.) The Canucks really seem to like both of them, but I don’t think most Canucks fans appreciate just how highly Chatfield is regarded by many inside the organization. Fans certainly know about Rafferty, and pencil him in all the time as the “next” option on the right side, but it’s much closer than that, between Rafferty and Chatfield, from everything I’ve heard.

Definitely seems like a guy who can help clear out any bad vibes from the locker room left from the departures of our free agents. These guys are pros, and they know it’s a business, but I still wondered (just a little) about how the guys would react to losing Tanev, Stecher, and Markstrom. Schmidt just seems like the ideal injection (no pun intended) of fun, goofy energy, and just plain warmheartedness and positivity. It’s not like I thought the guys would sulk after the departures of some of their very close friends and teammates, but I do think that any lingering bad feelings will be quickly burned away by the sheer explosion of shiny, happy energy that Schmidt will bring to the group, from day one of his arrival, to the last game he plays in Vancouver. His personality is really a gift, both for the guys already here, and for any new additions incoming. Seems like the type of glue guy who will quickly repair any fractures that might have happened, make it much easier for new guys to bond with the existing team, and help bring this already tight group even closer together. (Damn, I’m so positive in this thread! Either it’s just a contact high from the “Nate effect,” or my wife’s been slipping something in my coffee the last couple mornings. )

I think this is the only Canucks zoom I’ve listened to where the moderator was clearly laughing at times and was speaking throughout the call with a smile on her face that somehow came through the audio. Nate is so damn likeable. And such a big personality. I love the idea to adding this component to an already very tight group of players, especially the young core, that clearly has a lot of love for each other. And with another huge personality and big time talker like JT Miller already in the room. Gonna be fun.

Just to give people an idea of Schmidt’s usage last season. He played the majority of his minutes paired with Brayden McNabb on what would be considered Vegas’s shutdown pairing. Here’s a look at the quality of competition Schmidt faced: For comparison, here’s what Tanev faced last season: Both players were deployed most often against the opposition’s best forwards, but Schmidt even more so than Tanev (the Canucks D who faced the highest QoC last season). So, in a sense, Schmidt actually played more of a shutdown role than Tanev did last season, at least when it comes to getting matched up against the opposition’s top line players. McNabb-Schmidt was also the 5th most used pairing in the NHL least season, in terms of 5v5 TOI played together, so that matchup role was certainly his primary deployment. Schmidt was second in TOI/GP on the Vegas D (21:40) during the regular season, and he was first among VGK defensemen in both total minutes played and and TOI/GP (23:02) during the playoffs. So last season, on what most people would consider to be a pretty good team, Schmidt was top-2 in TOI/GP and he was also top-2 in quality of competition.

For me, the difference is that OEL has already shown signs of decline in his advanced stats, whereas Schmidt really hasn't. Add that to the 2M+ difference in AAV, and OEL felt a lot more risky to me. Generally, top level Dmen follow one of two curves. One is a steep drop off around age 30. The other is a much shallower decline, and occasionally delayed into the early 30's before it becomes even all that noticeable. It's always a gamble going longterm on players of this age, but I feel much more confident laying odds on Schmidt than OEL. That's just my take. I know others feel differently.

August 28th, 2009: Patrick White + Daniel Rahimi for Christian Ehrhoff + Brad Lukowich October 12th, 2020: 2022 third round pick for Nate Schmidt That's the level of this trade. Honestly, I don't know which of those two trades will go down in Canucks history as the bigger robbery.

First pairing two-way D. High level puck mover with very good mobility. LH shot but plays either side. Munches high minutes (can easily log 22-23 minutes per night), and can handle the hard minutes (he faced really high quality of competition with Vegas—actually tougher minutes than Tanev played for us IMO). Brings more value on the offensive side of the puck, but is overall a very solid defender at even strength. Gets excellent PK results, although he’s not generally viewed as a specialist in that area. Overall, just a solid, quality first pairing D who brings value to many areas of the ice.

Just FYI, in terms of WAR/GAR/GSVA/etc, Schmidt replaces the “wins” delivered by Tanev and Stecher, and then some. By pure advanced stats, this one player should give us more wins next season than Tanev and Stecher combined. So consider the defense “upgraded” already. Anything more (in terms of additional lineup upgrades) is gravy.

I give Schmidt as hard time for the PEDs, but this is a heck of a move by Benning and company. They pick up a first pair quality Dman on a good contract, and pay cap dump prices (a 2022 3rd round is NOTHING for a player of this caliber). Vegas was in a bind, but this is an absolute gift of a deal. Schmidt values out around $8M per season by advanced models, and he’s making only $6M.

It is pretty sexy though. It’s been a while since I was on the club scene, but women used to love it when I’d ignore them all night, flirt with others that were way out of my league, and then “circle back” around last call. /sarcasm (in case it wasn’t obvious )

For those who appreciate such things, here’s Dom Luszczyszyn’s chart for the Pietrangelo contract: Shows a very small net loss over the life of the deal (600k/yr too rich). However, it does appear that Dom has prepared this chart using GSVA and not GSVA/82 (in which, due to the shortened season, Pietrangelo’s 2019-20 would rise to something equivalent to 3.3, instead of 2.5, and his curve would start higher and probably show a net positive over the life of the deal). Also worth remembering that 2023 is the year the new USA TV contract comes onto the books. Right when Pietrangelo is predicted to fall from “elite” to “number one” status. Overall, I do expect this contract will be a net positive deal, barring any serious injuries. Pietrangelo should be good for 3-4 years of “elite” play, and then solid first pairing for most of the remainder, maybe falling to top four in the final year or two (by which time the cap should be a lot higher).

That would be such a 2020 thing to do. Maybe we even reunite the BBB line? Baertschi-Bo-Boeser Killer B’s FTW!

Was hoping the same. I don’t necessarily think we’d need to replace Sutter, if we shed his cap hit, but at $1M, Richardson would have been a great depth piece, and insurance for Gaudette, if he struggles (assuming Gauds even comes back).