theo5789
Members-
Posts
10,599 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
7
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Gallery
Everything posted by theo5789
-
JD Burke is still holding firm that we have made a bad trade in the Miller deal. He seems to want to make a decision and hold to it regardless of changes and never wants to admit he is wrong. I'm not sure of his credibility. Biech seems to not let his personal opinions misguide him from what he's actually seeing. Just seems to be more factual. I think I will side with Biech this time around.
-
Stecher could handle bigger minutes than Irwin or Weber and thus could ease Fabbro's minutes. They could balance out their ice time based on if Fabbro is having a good game. Getting a strictly D4 is not going to be cheap unless they are bargain bin shopping. He's not a physical specimen because of his size, but he certainly plays bigger than his size indicates. If we weren't tight against the cap ourselves, I'd re-sign him back to our team (hoping that maybe he even takes a pay cut to stay). Granlund might be had for a late pick with 50% retention. So we will see how this plays out. Nashville's window will only be for so long for them to throw out a season. Rinne's time is almost up.
-
Would you like to see Kesler in the Ring of Honour?
theo5789 replied to iBlueGreen's topic in Canucks Talk
He has every right to use his NTC as he pleases. Unfortunately the way he did use it was detrimental to our future. We had no choice, but to move him and were only given two teams to work with, one of which was a rival and didn't have the cap space. He didn't need to waive it, but there were certainly more playoff contending teams than the ones he listed. Even if he was deadset on those teams, when it became public that those were the two teams before a deal was made really handcuffed us. All of this could've been handled behind closed doors and he could've still gotten his wish while we gained the most we could have. Benning actually still did alright considering the circumstances. I will forgive and forget about it at some point and won't boo his presence, but I still don't think he is deserving of a ring of honour induction. -
Would you like to see Kesler in the Ring of Honour?
theo5789 replied to iBlueGreen's topic in Canucks Talk
Read back on some of the posts. Most aren't upset about him wanting to leave and actually feel like it was fair to ask. It was how he went about it, which hurt our team. He never really cared for Vancouver (signed an offer sheet with Philly) beyond seeing us be a top team to try and get him to a Cup, but when that failed, he moved on. He didn't really seem to respect the city or the organization which doesn't bode well when trying to enter a ring of "honour". -
And he did it mostly in the 1st half where he was getting all the rookie of the month accolades. He cooled off in the final few months. Not to take anything away from his rookie season and he was certainly a big part in why we had some success last season, but Marky found a new level to his game in the 2nd half and we were in it on most nights because of him. People simply remember what had happened at the 2nd half of the year more when the voting happens. Both were important players to our team and I believe EP won the most exciting player. Minor accolades, but Marky was just as deserving of MVP as EP, so I'm fine either way.
-
Looking back, we had an 8 game skid in November (Marky played in 6 of those), so 1st half.
-
I too think we will expose Myers as an expansion shield and see if they take the bait. I like Myers, but cap space is also important. His contract is set up so he could be exposed, but also has a bonus that needs to be paid out which may or may not scare them off also. It's nice to have that flexibility amongst the defense group on who to protect which is why I'm not concerned there which is also a good thing because defense depth is where our weakness has been for a while. If they take a forward, we are laughing.
-
EP was 1st half MVP last season while Marky was 2nd half MVP. People remember what has been done lately. Marky has carried his game into this season.
-
I think it's the unknown of who others will expose. No one knows whos really going to be available at that point, so the concern simply lies with what we see may be available with this team. I don't think anyone has really gone through a breakdown on who could be available. The goaltending situation is a big one in that we have two decent goalies and don't want to lose either, but should be easy to figure out who will be available with a bit of research for anyone willing. I think we are fine on defense and most likely lose a forward if not a goalie. But as you said, it'll likely be a middling forward that we will manage because we have a good influx of youth/depth coming up to mitigate any loss. I really hope we don't make any trades to "protect" more players. Just let them make their pick and move on. Even in goal, I'd say go with the proven starter (assuming Marky is re-signed) and see if they take Demko. We have DiPietro in the system and could either sign a stop gap back up to allow him to steep a bit longer.
-
Stecher (RFA) and Sutter could still be on the table in the off-season if they choose to wait out the year. They could also be proactive like they were in changing coaches and see if they can salvage this season. Not saying Sutter and Stecher get that done, but Granlund isn't doing it for them either, so where's the risk? They are unlikely to be able to dump him and they are the ones making him "available", so if they don't like the offer (my proposal), then they can find another deal or wait until his contract is up and get his full cap space. I just don't think they have room to make a big splash in UFA anyway as they don't have room and not many teams are left to help them make room unless they are willing to pay with prospects/picks to do so (which for a cap strapped team, they should be avoiding as cheap ELCs help maintain a competitive roster). They made room for Duchene and even that hasn't been that successful, so do they want to continue this route? Personally I think upgrading their bottom pairing D and bottom 6 forward (instead of running with a couple of relatively inexperienced AHL call-ups) while ridding themselves of a player that hasn't been all that useful to them is hardly a major shake up to their roster. Whatever chemistry they have isn't exactly getting them results at the moment. As for teams heading into the playoffs, many teams make additions at the trade deadline to bolster their group, so it's not really a reach to see teams make adjustments to their lineups. We aren't talking like teams are trading core players here.
-
Young Stars Classic returns to Penticton
theo5789 replied to -Vintage Canuck-'s topic in Prospects / Farm Team
Our prospect pipeline is still going strong. Maybe not top 10 picks included anymore, but we will still give any prospects' team a good run for their money barring we are able to sign a couple college guys and bring over a couple euros in the system. -
Funny how all the panic and concern (eg cap, coaching issues, etc) are completely brushed off by Benning. He hears his critics and is being humble rather than telling them to eat crow. Continues to show respect despite being crapped on for years. Seems true to his word that respect is highly preached amongst the organization and is building a foundation on that. Hopefully the fanbase (the vocal ones) follow suit soon and we all band(wagon) together in support of the team.
-
Would you like to see Kesler in the Ring of Honour?
theo5789 replied to iBlueGreen's topic in Canucks Talk
There's a legacy that you leave behind and for Kesler it's a bitter taste. If he had respected this team more, he could've made his trade demands privately. Once it became public that he restricted us to two teams (one which was a massive rival at the time and didn't have the cap to acquire him anyway) before a deal was even made really handcuffed us. I can respect that he wanted to have another kick at the cap and am not upset that he wanted out, but the way he handled was all wrong. Nevermind the fact that he signed an offer sheet earlier in his career to also handcuff us then as well. Doesn't seem like a player that really wanted to be here. Not sure why we would give him the type of honour that is a representation of being a Canuck. When he does officially retired, and say he joins the Ducks in a management role, I'm fine with him getting a tribute for his time here, but ring of honour is too much for someone that didn't show a whole lot of honour. -
Would you like to see Kesler in the Ring of Honour?
theo5789 replied to iBlueGreen's topic in Canucks Talk
That is more the league's fault than it is Luongo for signing a legal contract that was retroactively penalized. Luongo could have gone on LTIR instead of retiring, but then he would be punishing the team he's currently with which also doesn't make sense. If he retired in the following two years, the damage would've been way worse, so in a sense, this was the least damaging way for us while helping his team. Benning knew it was a possibility and had plans accordingly. Our organization didn't exactly handle the Luongo situation very well before he left here too. Otherwise based on his contract, he seemed to be okay with finishing his career here. Kesler on the other hand jumped (a sinking) ship and took the bucket with him to not even give us a chance to bail ourselves out. -
Would you like to see Kesler in the Ring of Honour?
theo5789 replied to iBlueGreen's topic in Canucks Talk
It's not the trade demand, it's the fact that he restricted us to basically one team to trade with giving us no leverage to move a player still in his prime. He was probably right that the team likely had peaked and was on the decline and it's fair that he wanted another crack at it, but we could've gotten a king's ransom for a player of his calibre had he been willing to go to any playoff contending team and that would've contributed massively towards a rebuild/retool. I still respect his time here, but he gave up his right to any "honour" when he left the way he did. Bure put our team back on the map. He was singlehandedly electrifying. Bure didn't restrict where we could move him. The report is that management at that time screwed him over and pissed him off and therefore it was more "our" fault. I don't equate their situations as being equal. -
Would you like to see Kesler in the Ring of Honour?
theo5789 replied to iBlueGreen's topic in Canucks Talk
Wait how did Luongo screw us? -
Something isn't working there right now. They have a decent team on paper. They've changed the coaching, if that doesn't solve the problem, then maybe their lineup makeup isn't right. Duchene hasn't really lived up to the billing so far and Turris was a dud. Do they think signing more high priced FAs is the solution? Not even sure if they can afford it. Moving a couple pending UFAs isn't going to resolve that. They could wait things out, but the rumour is they're looking to sell, so they're trying to make something happen and at the same time, I'm sure they don't want to throw this season away.
-
If they can find a buyer for Granlund and his entire cap for a pick, then good for them. They're more likely to just wait out his contract and let him walk than to expect any value from Granlund at this point. Cap dumps aren't easy these days with very little teams that have room. They have a projected 11 million in cap space next year (which includes Granlund gone), with spots to fill, so good luck to them trying to lock up Hall (not going to make them any tougher) or Kreider as if they haven't learned from the Duchene signing not making a big impact for them. Stecher plays above his size. I disagree that he adds no physicality. He's certainly more physical than Weber. They play their top 4 a ton and have been able to carry and Weber and Irwin. Stecher is an upgrade on both and is younger. I agree that they need to make it work with Turris, so why not get him proper offensive minutes and leave the 4th line duties to players more suited to the role? Guys like Trenin and Blackwell may look good in a small sample size, but how will they fare over the grind. There are a ton of AHL level guys that look decent in short spurts and then fizzle out over a longer period of time. If that line is their best line and they don't want any help because they feel those guys will sustain their play, then they can gladly accept their fate. Blackwell is 5'9 and 26 years old and surely Sutter would add more physicality than him if in the same breath that Stecher isn't physical because of his size. Instead of going for the big fish UFAs, they could target Dillon as a UFA which also adds toughness to their D. Personally I think they are better off bolstering their depth and trying someone like Tolvanen in their top 6.
-
If they're looking for an effective replacement in their top 6, then they're not getting that in a Granlund deal. Unless they hope Baertschi can fill that need. Granlund's value is low and not many teams are going to be able to fit his contract even this season. I said in my post that I'm aware they aren't in need of centers, but Sutter has been playing wing just fine and is another insurance marker as a center. Gives them options to load a line by having Duchene and Johansen together or whatever to fill that top 6 hole potentially unless they want to offload picks and prospects to bolster the top 6 instead. I'd also suggest that Sutter would make a much better 4th line center than the projected Turris that you have there. Sutter would add experience on Trenin. They could still trade Smith as well for a pick or whatever. Also having a bunch of listed centers doesn't mean they are good at center eg Markus Granlund was a listed center when he was here, same with Gagner, neither were good in that role at the NHL level. Carrier could be an extra dman or rotate in for Stecher if need be. Both Weber and Irwin are 30+ year old UFAs that could be replaced and upgraded with more youthful Stecher and Carrier.
-
I think we are a better team with Sutter in the lineup as well. But we also need to get creative with opening up some cap space. Gaudette has pretty much taken Sutter's spot and he's a pricey 4th liner. This also opens up a roster spot should Tryamkin return or when bodies get healthy. Granlund was a 60+ point player not too long ago, so maybe a new team sparks him back (see JT Miller). If not, then it's one year and we move on.
-
Isn't Dillon a LD? Unless he's one of those left handed RD types. Stecher wouldn't get in the way of Dillon positionally to further your argument (if he's an LD like I thought). Dillon would replace Hamhuis quite nicely while Stecher would fill in for Weber/Irwin as suggested and Nashville seems to love their BC boys. We would certainly have to make even more moves to open up some winger spots to add another though. I do wonder if they don't take Baertschi, would Sutter be of interest to them. They aren't in a huge need for centers, but Sutter can play wing well and is good insurance as a center. Sutter does have a modified NTC, but surely he would love to go to a country town like Nashville. A couple of players with actual NHL value for a guy that isn't working out for them seems fair. They take the risk of Sutter being hurt, but we take the risk of Granlund being a dud. They take on an extra year, but gain a young-ish dman who's an upgrade to their current RD IMO who's still an RFA, so they have negotiating rights.
-
I wouldn't sign him only because he wants to be here. That's only part of the reason I would still sign him. It's not that I'm strictly a fan of his, I just feel there is still value. We don't only look for top 6 offensive production, but if we did, Lockwood's career has been around 0.6 PPG which aren't horrible numbers. There is also more "production" to his game beyond simply points and he doesn't have the luxury of size to get him through, so he does it by hard work. He doesn't play a soft game by any means for his size (eg Motte) and I don't know a lot about those other college FAs beyond their stat line on hockeydb, but I'd be willing to bet that Lockwood is probably faster than most on that list. Someone like Rafferty didn't have amazing stats when we signed him and he has been impressive so far in an unexpected way. So production and size aren't of the greatest concern for me. There is a case of other quality picks that we would like to give a chance here as well, but I just feel Lockwood fits in this group as well. He hasn't blossomed like a Gaudette or Madden, but that doesn't mean there isn't some development work that could be done to make a player out of him still. Not being a center is not really a knock as that's simply the case for any winger. We converted Jasek from wing to center and it has looked okay and he's even centering the top offensive line of late. Who knows what could be done with Lockwood in this case. The injury issue could be in the past as like I've said before that he's been healthy all year so far. Has it changed his game? Maybe, but like I said, it's not like he's become a soft player suddenly, he's just needing to learn to play with more control. He's still amongst the leaders on his team in terms of offensive production, so he's at least still one of the best players on his team and is a captain which shows good character and leadership, which are attributes that are valued highly to the Canucks and at times valued more highly than skill alone. I guess we just have a different view in the concerns for the players. It will be interesting to see if he does get signed or not. We currently have 3 contract spots, one for Tryamkin hopefully, maybe Rathbone and I can see Lockwood with the other, but certainly if the team views another prospect higher then they go with them. We could create more spots through trades or if Lockwood is really committed to us, he could sign an AHL contract for this year and see where he fits next year when we have spots opening up.
-
But that's why I said that he's really no different than a college FA signing. Difference is that we saw potential at a young age as opposed to some maybe late bloomers that have also gotten by with their size. I'm not saying that we sign him because we used a pick (although there is some investment there already) but the fact that the team clearly had seen something that they liked and surely that hasn't changed beyond a couple of injuries, but we have looked past injuries and players continue to progress. He's been healthy this year (knock on wood). There's certainly no guarantee that he makes the NHL, not any of the other college FAs, but he has stated that his goal is to sign for the team that drafted him, so he seems to want to be here.
-
I'm not sure what the expectations are for production, but he's been amongst the team leaders in points in every college year. He may not be the driver of offense, but has shown to be a good complimentary player. Much like Motte was. So it's no surprise his offense goes up and down with the team. The change in his play is to be more controlled. It has nothing to do with him being less aggressive. His speed is still there to forecheck and match up defensively. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders to work hard. If the expectation for him was to become a top 6 player, then I would feel differently, but I don't think that it's a major concern with his production so far which is far from terrible.
-
Have to consider there is competition to sign these guys as well. We don't simply have the pick of the litter. Lockwood was drafted by us and has said his goal is to sign with us and appreciates the fact that we didn't force him to sign so he could finish his degree. Safe to say if we want to sign him, it likely won't take long. Also have to consider if players want to sign here seeing the competition ahead of them. With that said, there's no reason why we couldn't sign Lockwood and look into 1 or 2 more FAs. We are at 47 contracts now, but there certainly could be deals made to free up spots and we need to make some moves soon anyway as our roster is getting log jammed. Lockwood could go the AHL contract route before signing next year when there is even more space to fit him in. Looking up those names and Chaffee looks promising, but the rest don't seem that interesting to me aside from them being centers. Lockwood over his 4 year college career thus far is producing decent numbers for a "bottom 6" player (and still is amongst the leaders of his team currently in points). He is currently a captain of his team and could play an effective PK/defensive role with some spark of offense (similar to Motte) with his speed and tenacity. I understand the injury concern, but OJ had suffered a couple of knee injuries, but he's looking pretty decent so far in his return. Jake suffered a shoulder injury and has developed into what he is today. I don't know what to expect from Lockwood in the future, but the team saw something in him to use a 3rd round pick (and been on his national team radar throughout his young career) and likely sees potential to be able to develop him further. The post earlier shows that top end numbers aren't necessarily needed to make a career in the NHL (Roussel who is a bottom 6 type player). I think he's worth a longer look to see what he can do in our system.