*Buzzsaw*
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Posts posted by *Buzzsaw*
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Tocchet is overplaying Hughes again to get meaningless wins.
Can't continue or he will be injured.
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Exercise in futility. Points which won't help the team's real growth.
And Demko is showing what overplaying him results in.... poor games.
He should be rested.
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No team will trade the #1 pick.
The Oilers didn't trade the pick when they had a chance at Connor McDavid, the Pens didn't trade when they had a chance at Sidney Crosby or Mario Lemieux.
Bedard is in the same class as those two.
And I doubt Bedard will even have a chance to go to Vancouver even if he wants to. Bettman won't allow it... he and the rest of the owners want a compliant set of players in the league, they want the top picks to go to a US team so they can 'grow' the game more and sell more franchises for ridiculous fees. Bettman will put out the word to the Aqualini's that they will be fined big time for tampering if they even think about pushing for a Bedard trade. The rest of the owners will lean on them too and Aquilini will cave.
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Let's talk about Demko again.
History tells us that teams who rely too heavily on one goaltender during the regular season often have a problem.
Either their #1 goalie gets injured and they miss the playoffs or exit early, or their goalie is burned out and doesn't play well.
Teams who succeed more often use their #1 more sparingly, give him 45-50 games and let the backup play 30-35.
The Canucks should really be focusing on developing a backup for Demko so that he doesn't have to play a large number of games.
That means they should be playing Delia and Silovs, even Martin more so they can assess them over a larger game sample and determine if they need to acquire another backup.
Everyone talked at the time about how the Luongo/Schneider competition was somehow unhealthy, but in fact it was the best situation the team could possibly have. The Canucks of that era had two excellent goaltenders, either of whom could start on any given night.
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7 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:
There is no guarantee that the player taken at 5 or 6 will be any better than the player taken at 10 or 12...
Actually the facts show players drafted in the top 1-5 positions have a much higher chance to have a productive career than those drafted lower.
Scouting is not science, but it is a good indicator of a player's potential.
This is especially the case for those who are drafted #1. Go back over the list of #1 picks and you'll find a lot of NHL Superstars and Stars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_first_overall_NHL_draft_picks
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John Garrett is as sharp as ever... there is no reason for him to retire.
He clearly enjoys doing the broadcasts.
He is probably being forced out by the usual Eastern Clique.
The guy who should be forced out is that puke Ron MacLean... who is the most over-rated and most self centered POS around.
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For the education of the last two posters:
In the NHL, there are two required conditions for a team to "win":
1) The team makes the playoffs by placing 3rd in its division or by placing in one of the two Wildcards spots in its Conference.
2) The team wins four games in each of the 7 game series it plays in the playoffs
There is basically ZERO chance of either of the above happening for the Canucks.
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Yeah the team building is great. Yeah its nice to see the team win games.
But the points the team is gaining are meaningless... there is no chance of making the playoffs.
Meanwhile, by playing Thatcher Demko nearly every game... as Tocchet is doing... is risking next season.
Tonight we watched Demko get rammed against the post by a goal crashing Dallas forward.
Fortunately the result was only a tweak and not a serious injury.
Why is this risk necessary?
We already have seen Demko is back in his groove, he is playing well... his confidence is back.
How is playing him at the current rate going to improve on that?
Its great he is back... but what is the point of leaning on him like it is critical to have him between the posts?
Realistically Demko can't get the team to the playoffs no matter how well he plays. But he can pick up an injury which could cripple the Canucks' chances next season.
Doesn't Tocchet remember last season?
Boudreau overplayed Demko in an effort to make the playoffs... (Boudreau's team had a MUCH better chance to succeed than this team)
And what happened? Demko got an injury which incompletely healed over the summer of 2022... he re-injured himself early and the season went into the toilet.
Is it not better to relax, let Demko work on the details with the goalie coach, play him every second game and give Delia, Silovs and Martin more experience... maybe re-build Martin's confidence? Have Demko fresh and ready to go next year.
Tocchet's choices are becoming more and more nonsensical.
He has the team playing his game, he has his system working... is it not time to introduce more of the young guys in Abby to his system?
Why is Hoglander not getting a chance?
Meanwhile all these wins... which are meaningless in terms of a playoff position, are critical in terms of the Canucks' draft chances.
Canucks have moved from a 7.5% chance of getting Connor Bedard two weeks ago to a 6.0% chance... and at the pace they are winning they will pass Detroit and St Louis and have a 3.5% chance at Bedard.
If they continue to win, even Ottawa, Washington and Buffalo are not out of reach for the Canucks' to pass in this Snail derby. It is possible they could end up in the 20th position in the standings.
If they place as high as 20th or even 21st, i.e. if they pass Washington... then they have ZERO chance of winning the Lottery for Connor Bedard... it is impossible to move up more than 10 places in the lottery. And of course, it is not just Bedard... the other top 5 picks would be huge additions... and right now the team's chances of even drafting these prospects is rapidly diminishing.
To state again... all of this point getting is meaningless... the Canucks have absolutely no real chance of catching the last current Wildcard spot holder Winnipeg... who sit at 85 points... 14 points ahead of the Canucks. For the Canucks to make the playoffs, they would need to win 7 of 10 remaining games, OT lose another, and Winnipeg would need to lose all its remaining games.... plus Calgary and Nashville would also have to lose 8 of their 10 remaining games.
This current run of wins is an exercise in futility.
So I ask again: Why is Rick Tocchet risking Demko and next season... not to mention undermining what little chance the team has of drafting well?
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I said this last week, I'll say it again... JT Miller making a statement about his leadership.
Not that Elias Pettersson has been any kind of a slouch but JT is definitely stepping up.
About the game... definitely a great effort by the team.
But to qualify that statement... it was a great effort in the service on a meaningless result.
It is now time to sit Demko, play Delia and reduce the ice time of Hughes, Pettersson and JT Miller.
Someone is going to get injured if Tocchet continues to play his top guys at this relentless rate... and it will be for a meaningless season.
Time to dial it back and relax.
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Forwards:
There is no question this team has a decent number of highly skilled forwards who can score... scoring is not a problem.
Pettersson, Miller, Kuzmenko are obviously really creative. But of those, only Pettersson is really good defensively.
Then you have the 2nd tier... Beauvillier, Garland, Boeser and Mikheyev... decently creative.... but at this point none of them stand out defensively. And Boeser and Garland are over-priced. And there are too many wanna-be top sixers.
And finally the third tier... Joshua, Aman, Podkolzin, Giuseppe, Kravtsov, etc. Of these, a couple are decent 4th liners on a contending team, but not really 3rd line. Podkolzin is a potential top six or potential 3rd line... unclear right now.
What we lack are really skilled defensive forwards who play preferably on the 3rd and 4th lines and who can go head to head with the opposing #1 line and free up Pettersson and his line and Miller and his line.
These are the same guys who should be the mainstays on the PK... yes Petey is good on the PK and a constant threat, but too much time there burns him out and leaves less energy for what he really needs to do... that being drive the #1 line and PP.
Defense:
Hughes is an obvious offensive superstar.... and he is getting better and better in his defensive play. But he is small... and bad things happen to small D who don't have big protectors. In the playoffs Hughes would be a target unless he had a big brother as his partner.
All the rest of the D that have ice time with the Canucks have not shown they are top 4... they can play the 5/6 well some nights, but that is not good enough. How Filip Hronek fits into this is a question. We have had a lot of D come through who were supposed to solve all our problems, and who just couldn't do the job. Hronek is also small... he is not the ideal partner for Hughes. He is actually better suited to anchoring his own pair in the 3/4.
Realistically the team needs two new top 4 D.... one LHD and one RHD... both with size and decent mobilty whose primary focus has to be physical play... and in the case of Hughes partner, protecting Quinn.
Goaltending:
We actually have the pieces we need. If Demko can get a decent set of D-men in front of him, he would be a Vezina winner. And for backup, my choice would be Delia next year and Silovs the year after... after he gets another year in Abby.
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Thats my read on what this team needs to compete.
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43 minutes ago, Westcoasting said:
Hey Bozo players get injured no matter what the minutes they play.
Players get injured more often when they are overplayed and tired.
Happens in the playoffs every year.
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Look the times when the Canucks were real contenders... what were those teams' rosters:
'94
107 point, 60 goal game breaking Superstar in Bure
Three other players all over 60 points, and over 25 goals... including Linden with 32 goals.
Solid D Corps
Very underrated goalie in McClean, Vezina finalist twice and multi year NHL Allstar
2011
A 41 goal, 104 point Daniel and a 94 point Henrik Sedin... both Superstars and Art Ross winners... Henrik Hart trophy the year before.
A 41 goal 71 point Ryan Kesler... Selke winner and 8th place in Hart balloting.
Alex Burrows at 26 goals and a Selke consideration.
Three other forwards with 14 or more goals... including some very physical players.
The most mobile D in the league... with a pre-injury Alex Edler as main stay.... including Christian Erhoff on D with 14 goals and 50 points... this not even including the very highly skilled Sami Salo who was injured most of the season.
The best overall goaltending tandem in the league with Luongo and Schneider... Luongo 3 time Vezina winner.
What does this team have:
A potential 100 point center in Pettersson
A declining potential 75 point center in Miller, D skills questionable.
A potential 75 point winger in Kuzmenko, D skills questionable. Young developing forward group with some bright lights, Podkolzin, Mikheyev. Overpriced remainder of forwards... Boeser etc.
A potential 80 point offensive D man in Hughes... small D. Garbage remainder of D group... all would be 5/6's on good teams.
A team representative to the allstar game in goal in Demko, a couple mediocre backups in Delia and Martin and a potential future starter in Silovs.
CAP problems
The difference is obvious.
This team needs more building blocks... it needs new players who have the special abilities which it takes to get to the finals.
This is especially the case with the D... we need at least another two high quality top four defensemen.
This is why those of us who see the meaningless wins late in the season and wonder why may be justified in thinking so.
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Who cares about the ice....
Aquilini needs to make more money.
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Just now, canuck73_3 said:
Tell an elite athlete to tank for a pick, then tell me how sore your jaw is.
The athletes are not making the decisions on how many shift the best players are putting in or which goalie starts.
Tocchet has the decision there.
The athletes are not making the decision on who sits and who is brought up from Abby.
Management does that.
Playing Hughes 30 minutes a game when he is getting banged up every game and starting Demko 4 of 5 when he doesn't have his game legs yet is not Hughes and Demko's decision... it is Tocchets.
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Lets be realistic.
Canucks just beat Anaheim in OT... bottom feeder.... before that they beat Nashville, not quite a bottom feeder, but without two key offensive players in Forsberg and Johannsen.
Is this a sign of a worldbeater? Are we on our way to the Cup?
No, we are actually hardly holding our heads above water.
The points are meaningless, and we are grinding our best players into the dirt for them... how beat up does Hughes need to get? Next step... he gets seriously injured and we are screwed for next season start. Meanwhile Demko is playing 4 of 5 games on legs which are not in season shape... invitation for another groin injury?... yes.
Tocchet is definitely motivating the team, but he also needs to be cognizant this season is not the goal, its next season.
He should be playing his best conservatively... giving the young guys more ice time and relaxing about the outcome.
And of course there's that little matter of draft position... with Bedard, Fantilli, etc. on the line.
I don't see a lot of logic in the way management and the coach are proceeding.
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Connor Bedard hits 60 goals and 124 pts in 49 games.... in the Western Hockey League... that is hard to do... its not the QMJHL where those points are routine.
This is what we are currently blowing any opportunity to draft.... yeah teambuilding... but this is really once in a lifetime.
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Great interview with Rick Tocchet on the TNT network postgame.
Talks about how he is approaching the process.
I have to admit... I had my doubts about Tocchet when he was hired... but he has done a great job so far.
Not sure I like all the wins the team is racking up under him this late in the season, but I guess what is happening is happening.
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I think Tocchet has turned the team around to a certain extent.
They are playing better defensively... including the forwards.
And of course, Demko back healthy and rested has made a huge difference.
But he can't change the fact the team is overall weak on the back end... too small to break up the cycle and not defensively smart to anticipate the way the game flows.
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Here's my concern if the team goes on a run now:
- Last year the team went on a run and the result was Management thought all our problems were solved and we didn't need any defensive changes.
- We don't need management drawing the same incorrect conclusions... this team needs more improvements on the Defensive side... Hronek is not enough.
- We need to find a big defensive D to pair with Hughes... that should still be the first priority... if it means trading some guys, then so be it.
- We cannot expect Demko to stand on his head every night and drive himself to exhaustion and injuries again... like he did last year. We need to have a better set of D in front of him so he can pace himself and stay healthy.
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Just now, KFan said:
This is a different team with Horvat, Stillman, Lazar, Lockwood and OEL gone (for awhile). And it's a different team with a more responsible style of defense coaching. I like what this management team has done so far and look forward to Hronek in the lineup. Next year with Myers gone, and hopefully OEL, replaced by our AHL defense we're definitely improved. Now have to find that 3rd center. We're competing pretty well with playoff contenders right now.
Team played a good game against the Leafs... but tonight not so good.
Nashville is missing two key offensive players, Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg... they are a beat up team.
Canucks were still lucky to win.
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Couple comments about the game:
- Petey is like a gunslinger... its him and the goalie. If the other team's defense and forwards give him time, he WILL stare down the goalie, pick the open spot and blow it by.
- Don't really like Brisbois... ok on the defense, but has ZERO offensive understanding... so many times he gets the puck in the middle of a good offensive sequence, and then he puts it onto the opposing team's sticks or into an empty corner.
- Really like what Wolanin is showing offensively... starting to develop some really nice puck movement and passing. Opposite of Brisbois.
- Podz is that powered toy whose battery never goes dead... kid is a perpetual motion machine... and tonight he was showing some abrasiveness too... as well as contributing a goal.
- Another better game by Myers... I think Gonchar and Foote are getting inside his head, replacing all the old garbage with 'This is how good you can be'. And he is believing it.
- Yes, Silovs is going to be a starter... still lots to learn and probably should be in Abby another year with Delia as Demko's backup, but he will be an NHL goalie.
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I have a bad feeling this team is building something... like they had last year, where they go on a run... but don't make the playoffs, but get enough points to be out of the top 10 picks.
Which would mean all the really good prospects are gone.
I guess we will see.
Really think the coaches should be ordered to give tryouts to all the Abby boys, and sit regulars... play Demko as little as possible.
Put Delia back in.
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I had a smile on my face, but my mind was saying... "Sh*t... another win we don't need."
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Kuzzie is like a wolf around the net... always hungry.
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2022-23 Canucks Injury Thread
in Canucks Talk
Posted · Edited by *Buzzsaw*
Personally I am beginning to think Myers stays with the team next year.
He is playing far better under Tocchet and seems to have found his place.
I think he is willing to sign for a discount extension at 5/6 pairing cost.
What happens with OEL is another question... if he gets healthy maybe Arizona takes him back with the Canucks retaining?