bluesy_shoes

This is a misconception I keep seeing: Ownership is not losing money at all from OEL's buyout, and we should stop giving them undue credit for it. Contract buyouts are structured to protect owners from the ability to spend money to improve their teams through buyouts. It would be a disadvantage to poorer teams. OEL's buyout is entirely paid for under the salary cap. If they kept OEL, they still spend to the cap, so same money spent. If OEL was traded instead of being bought out, the cap space that goes to his buyout would be used for another player, so still spend to the cap. If they stop spending to the cap, which they can still do and has nothing to do with buying out OEL, ownership makes more money. If they find a way to spend over the cap, then they lose some money. If they make moves under the cap to improve the team, sell more jerseys, tickets, and make the playoffs, they make more money. OEL's buyout makes us better under the cap, and actually stands to make ownership more money than having kept him or traded him at a loss. If we want to judge whether ownership is cheap or not, we can watch what is done with Tyler Myers after his bonus payout. In this case, if they trade Myers after paying out his $5M bonus and replace him with $5M more in player salary, then that will be a $5M loss of revenue for ownership. They will be needing an additional $5M to pay out player salaries for the season. If they do trade him, then we can say they are willing to spend above and beyond to improve the team. I personally think we will keep Myers in part for that reason, it is burning $5M of ownership's share of revenue. I think he also has more value than most give him credit for, and would actually be worth re-signing to a team friendly deal given he takes on a 3rd pairing role. I also think we see a better Myers this season as I feel the coaches are going to pull hard on the giraffe's reigns and have him play a more stay at home, heavy defensive role on his pairing. I am also quite sure there is an internal budget cap given to management by ownership, and spending $5M to replace Myers means $5M from the facilities upgrade budget, marketing budget, etc, and it just isn't worth that.

Not sure if serious responses are warranted, lol, but if you want my insight into what his training program is about, it is about him basically getting lighter on his feet and vastly improving his cardio and work rate. For as long as he has been in the league, he has been trying to establish himself as a top line scoring winger, and not much else. He's been very passive in how he plays off the puck, which he is actually pretty effective at, but this is not how Tocchet wants his forwards to play. He wants forwards to be aggressive in taking time and space away from the opposition, and to push the pace at all times. I think they have had an honest discussion about what they need him to bring to the table, and for the team to be effective in Tocchet's system, he needs to have much, much better cardio and foot speed. Boeser has been using his good hockey sense and anticipation to conserve energy and tread water through his shifts, which will no longer be acceptable. He hasn't earned the privilege to be carried in the lineup by scoring and generating offence (like perhaps Kuzmenko has, a player Tocchet has also asked much more of.) He is going to need to be a much better supporting role player and to be more of a swiss army knife so the coaches can give him ice time in different situations. I think he is entirely capable of doing this; he's got loads of talent, character, and great defensive instincts, he just really needs to put his head down and put the work in. I think his path to becoming a better supporting player looks an awful lot like his path to becoming a bonafide top line winger, its just that the supporting role needs to come first.

Kuzmenko - Pettersson - Mikheyev Joshua - Miller - Boeser Beauvillier - Suter - Garland Di Giuseppe - Blueger - Podkolzin Hoglander Hughes - Cole Soucey - Hronek Wolanin - Myers Irwin - Brisebois Demko Martin I would like to see Hoglander push himself onto the roster, but we need that kind of forward depth to cover for injuries so someone will have to be the odd man out to start the season. If Pearson is back healthy, he takes Joshua or DG's spot. I like adding a physical winger to a scoring center-winger pair, instead of using 3 scoring forwards together. It spreads out the offence and salary throughout the lineup, makes the line harder to play against, and given there is only one puck, having 3 skilled forwards together has diminishing returns as you are better off giving more touches to your best guys by giving them a physical winger who can get them more time and space with the puck and win puck battles. Strong guys drive the middle of the ice, and speed guys push defenders deeper on the rush.

I think he'll be listed at 6'2", 205lbs, but will be measured at 6'1.5"

I think in general people have a difficult time analyzing a player's defense; at least much less so than a player's offensive game. People see passing, dekeing, speed, "shiftiness," vision, shooting, puck protection, and really the list goes on for offense. Defensemen are generally identified for mistakes, like losing board battles down low, being weak in front of the net, getting walked on a rush, misplaying a 2 on 1, not getting the puck out of the zone, ect. Truth is Hughes is pretty weak on the boards, is pretty useless in front of the net defending, and if he gets caught by a big forechecker, he will most certainly get blown up. That said, he collects dump ins and evades forecheckers extremely well, he exceptional at holding the offensive zone, at slowing down opposing rushes in the neutral zone with his gap control there and ability to jump back up to intercept passes, at breaking up plays at the blueline with his lateral closing speed and stickwork, and he rarely gets beat 1 on 1 on rushes. There's a reason he matches up well against McDavid and why Green often uses him there. Arguably best backwards skating Dman in the league. He's also incredibly efficient and can log some serious minutes while maintaining a high level of engagement. Also I believe this is why Myers gets so much hate, too. He make a lot of obvious mistakes, and they are OBVIOUS, let me tell you I scream at him. But he is so rangey at the blueline with his size and stick that he slows down and breaks up rushes at the blue line very well, skates exceptionally well for a big man and has closing speed from a standstill to engage on the boards, was blocking shots on the PK like a mad man last season, and is good in front of the net because he is huge, especially for a defenseman who you can trust to carry the puck and deliver some offense as the trailer on the rush and with his shot at the blueline. Edit: To bring it back to Rathbone, he is definitely much stronger than Hughes where the latter has his weaknesses; board play, physical play, ect. He is a more conventional offensive defenseman, more North-South with a great shot and a good mind in the offensive zone. Definitely need to see more. I don't think he has craftiness of Hughes, i.e. the insane edgework and puck skills, which will always make Hughes one of the best PP QB's in the league for a long, long time. Wouldn't be surprised to see Rathbone as the better 5 on 5 and defensive zone start option, and on a more conventional 2-dman PP2. There is room for both players IMO.

I don't doubt they could handle it, but you don't want your offensive catalysts held together with tape, if you don't have to.

like his game, very strong on his skates man to man on the back heel. Tough to do, and very intimidating as a rushing player. no one likes to get up ended by a rookie and fly into the boards. that kind of game will get him respect around the league. not sure on a comparable, but i like his strength. quiet and steady, good player. book it. I called Tanev our best defenseman like 10 years ago when he was out of college, and i think career-wise he knowingly hampered his career for the team. Pissed he is gone, although support the move because we can't compete. Argue with me haters. This is the closest thing we have right now to shoring up that hole.

I'd say he looks good when he's got time and space with the puck, and he makes good plays out of the zone if he's got time to pick his head up. Very accurate passer, he knows how to feather a puck. I'd say he needs to play a lot more hockey at the AHL level. He doesn't have an NHL pace to his game yet, and he doesn't play with much jump. I don't like how he holds the puck in the offensive zone while he contemplates shot or pass. I'd prefer to see him moving his feet and using skating with the puck as a third option, and playing with more jump after he moves the puck. He also looks a little lost in the defensive system, although he seems to react well given where he is on any given play. He can see the ice well and can find his teammates, but It just doesn't look like he knows where his teammates are supposed to be before he finds them, and where he should already be in relation. He won't be able to play at an NHL pace without growing his systems awareness and urgency.

That's less than Burrows and Hansen got. Tanev plays way more minutes than those guys, and he's just entered his prime years as a late-bloomer. He's still getting stronger. Most of his injuries are from sacrificing the body in the shooting lane. On a better team that doesn't get lit up with shots and defend as much as the Canucks do, he'd be much more durable. I think he'd be great anchoring the PK and second pairing on a contender. He would definitely return more than what you suggest, especially considering he always plays hard minutes and his contract is great. He'd be great replacing an aging guy like Paul Martin on San Jose.

The way I like to think about player development is good moves and bad moves. The biggest factor in a player's success is in the player, so its hard to say there can only be one path to follow. I think sending him back to Europe was good move, because he's playing at a higher level than he was previously, and he is wildly successful. His success now is a great thing, and its great for the Canucks. He might not be contributing to the Comets or to the Canucks, but his ELC gets pushed forward, and he will be a better player once that ELC kicks in. Adversity can be good, but if you can move up in baby steps and continue to be wildly successful, why not? If he was sent to AHL and got stifled by the physicality (very possible,) he would have to change his game, when maybe all he needed was more bulk. Let him play at the highest level on big ice (which arguably he is,) then run him through training camp. Let him compete; if he's weak, back to Europe. If he's strong on the boards but not scoring (doubtful, but a possibilty on small ice) send him to the AHL til hes a bonafide scorer. If he's scoring and strong on the boards, give him 9 games.

I wanted Carlo at 23 at the time, but I only looked at Dmen. happy with Boeser then and now.

http://londonknights.com/video/nov-2016-wsr-2-ldn-3-ot

if jake plays in the NHL next year, what's his cap hit?

At this point, getting benched and scratched just means rest. I think Team Canada sees Virtanen as a gamebreaker for their bottom 6. He's a tournament rookie so he won't get top 6 time, but he has a history with Team Canada that precedes this tournament, and he honestly probably earned his spot on this team last year. He's a player that I think they see as affording them scoring depth, and they are going to deploy him that way. I know he's been saying that he's willing to be a role player, but to me I think they know his skill set, and they just want him to go out on the ice and play his explosive game. They're hoping they have him next year as a cornerstone in their top six.

I really like Bo at 4C on this Desjardins team. It's clear Desjardins takes advantage of the high energy available in four lines, and I think from a team standpoint, they can use a B option shutdown centre (to Richardson's A game) throughout the regular season. Not just for when Richardson is injured, but when he isn't rested. Bo's the best player for that, and I think Richardson is a great cushion to nurture his development. From watching Bo as a player, I don't think his offensive game would improve much in junior. This is my opinion, not Benning's obviously , so we'll see where he ends up. Sure he might develop more puck on stick skills, but I don't believe he will evolve his vision or his transition game more towards the NHL game. IMO, he'll never be a first line offensive player (as I am sure you'd agree) and my reasoning is that, from my viewings, he lets the play come to him. He is a really heady, reactionary player, and his offense will always come from transition. He doesn't break down the opposition guard, his game is catching them off guard and gaining that step. Purely a shutdown player, maybe elite. Again, we'll see.

so if he was born one month later? if he managed to have the season he had last year as a draft -1 player, i'd think he would be someone the media considered as someone to watch as a potential riser into the 5-10 range. He would need to generate more team success.

Horvat will earn his icetime with his ability to outbattle players. If you are matched up against first line players, you will be getting ~20 minutes a night, and those are top six minutes. From what I've seen of him, if he is on the powerplay, it will be to win faceoffs, to win puck battles down low, and to battle in front of the net. If he does play on the powerplay, he will definitely be a top six forward. Like I was saying before, it is better to think of drafting in terms of TOI and not conventional first line, second line, third line players. Kesler had more TOI per game than Henrik Sedin in 3 of the last 4 seasons. Henrik was indeed our "first line centre," but i would argue that the player who is on the ice more is the player who is more important to team success.

Top six... First liner... Bottom six... People have to forget about that kind of line-up structure. Smart drafting is all about TOI and salary cap. Benning and Co. have stated that Horvat looks to be an important player for our team as a shutdown player. He's got no quit, he is a heavy player, and he is smart enough and has enough skill to play in the NHL. Not too many people are saying he is a career AHLer. What he needs to do (as has been stated) is improve his game pace. He is playing heavy minutes at the junior level, and where he fits in at the NHL level is against top players. He has to be able to keep up with and outbattle dynamic players like Getzlaf, Kopitar, Kane, Toews, Kesler... that's his calling. The OHL is a jog compared to the sprint in the NHL. The talk of his offensive development is overblown and a misunderstanding. His projected role at the NHL level is invaluable to a winning team, and acquiring players of that caliber within their role is difficult outside of the draft. Rarely do you see core players in that mold get traded. Watching him play at the WJC's is the most telling. Fans were disappointed at his lack of dynamism and creativity. But he was a plus player who rarely made a mistake, and his line won the match-ups against the opposition's best. The most important thing for Horvat is, in all honesty, his defensive development. That is his game, and he won't get any farther with that in juniors. He would be pacing himself against teenagers. Whether or not he produces big numbers, he looks to be a player to be a safe bet to play his role and win his matchup. This summer needs to be cardio, cardio, cardio.

Does anyone think playing in your hometown is a drawback? It's a lot easier to have a life outside of the rink.

I'm hearing so much about Benning and this coming draft... we had an amazing draft last year. I am hoping the new GM is only going to be one more voice to the draft conversation, not someone dictating the draft. I think we can survive without a GM for this draft given Linden's direction and our scouting staff. Just get someone who has a clear model for success and the business acumen to move the right pieces and sign the right players a good price. General managing is a hell of a lot more than scouting.

i've only been watching him at the wjc, but it looks like he has room to improve with his puck possession in the offensive zone. it's funny, he looks to have great puck control and offensive instincts when he's skating at full speed, but when the game slows down and he's got a bit of time and space in the offensive zone, he looks a bit uncomfortable. Could be he hasn't completely settled in with his linemates yet, or he just might not be that kind of player. it looks like he wants that in his game, so we'll see if it comes with time.

Thanks. Interesting word to describe that style of play. Googling "Babcock heaviness" brings up some threads that show some confusion among general fans, but you're definition seems to be right. Recently he referred to Darren Helm as heavy, and i can see the similarities.

Super stoked on his line today, they are a treat to watch. It's great to see them play off each other, instead of having a puck carrier force the issue as was the case with the rest of Team Canada's offense. (Petan was having a hell of a time, and Shinkaruk was imploding.) Reinhart and McDavid play a similar game, and Horvat complements them nicely. Not sure if Horvat is as comfortable holding onto the puck as those two are (especially McDavid) so I am looking forward to watching him more to see if he can be more creative with the puck during the cycle. He is on a similar level offensively away from the puck as the other two, so he knows which quick play he can make to keep the offense moving. Sutter and Bob Mckenzie both mentioned that Horvat has a "heaviness" in his game that McDavid and Reinhart lack, and it is this heaviness and his hockey sense that complements McDavid and Reinhart's chemistry. I was a bit confused by the idea of "heaviness" as I haven't heard it used much to describe players, but what I think they mean by heaviness is Horvat's playmaking away from the puck. He reads and reacts well to the puck carrier, and he is bullish enough to get where he needs to be to control play and open lanes.

Not to mention that he has been chosen to play center despite those two potential 1st overalls being centers themselves. Hopefully they will find some chemistry early on and put up good numbers. They might be our most dangerous line away from the puck; with all that IQ, I can't wait to see their transition game.

read the article next time before you comment.