Mike Vanderhoek

Seeing his friends on the team putting in the effort and learning to play the right way could be enough to handle any character issues aside from Tocchet being coach.

Rutherford and Allvin have been very upfront about the challenges they have faced trying to fix the defense. It is on the radar but unless options are created ( one of the other 31 teams needs to take part ) by trade then as they have explained the team will need to wait to get off certain contracts and make changes. I would think there is a very good chance the team signs Bear and lands Livingstone which could be big for this club moving forward. Back to Kravtsov, this kind of deal presents itself you jump on it and take advantage. Make no mistake the Canucks made a very astute trade oozing with potential to work well.

TRADE REPORT! The New Jersey Devils have been hit hard by the injury bug, hoping it is short lived the team has been relying on several AHL depth players but at this point the team continues to slide. The team bolstered the blue line by completing a trade to acquire defenseman Nate Schmidt earlier this month. Once again a big thank you to @Ilunga and the Red Wings for the constructive negotiations. Truly a pleasure to deal with. Having still a few roster spots not being utilized by fulltime NHLers word late Saturday is that the Devils have added another Playoff experienced veteran to the lineup. New Jersey is still betting on being a contender when the second season starts but now more than ever perhaps the club is open to moving Playoff bound players for the right price.

Tell me about it, this one guy and his ~ always going on about Carolina~s Kotkaniemi in relation to a JT Miller trade EVERY DAMN ~ DAY All about his PPG and his ~~~~ and his ~ this ~ that ~ here a ~ everywhere a ~ ~......mind numbing

I think he meant it is snowing outside........

An astute trade from the Canucks view, has definite potential and the cost was well worth the risk. I think it is a type of trade you jump on, but not robbery-esque level...maybe down the road ?

New management group in place for just over a year yes, I liked the Bear trade and thought the Dermott trade could have worked out but those injuries ruined that nicey nice feeling of moving off Hamonic. Stillman can fill a depth role if what we've seen of late is him establishing his NHL game. I do like the fact the team or Rutherford simply came out upfront and said he had thought they were going to be able to address the defense and move on some contracts and found it to prove more difficult than anticipated. Nothing wrong with trying and although there just doesn't seem to be much movement on the defense side of things they have time to address this moving forward. I think the draft if they hold position and get to utilize the Islanders 1st this year they could snag a good defenseman.

when a former 9th overall pick at the age of 23 with an extremely high ceiling and highly skilled tool kit with size becomes available for a 7th round pick and a forward whom may be a depth/bubble player in his career you jump on that if you can make it happen. Obviously nothing to do with defense and it remains an insanely tall task to figure out but this is a deal I think you make every time it comes up.

but I have a good feeling about that number six when it happens though

going back to a behind the scenes video before the last draft in it Allvin stressed the importance of finding high end skill, high end potential players. He in that vein pounced on the ability to snag a former 9th overall pick, a young fast skating and highly skilled sizeable forward. His ceiling far outweighs what Lockwood could be ( he should be a serviceable NHLer certainly ) but taking a chance on Kravtsov and his potential is a no brainer. Top it off with a growing and positive Russian group of players in this organization, Gonchar as a mentor it could really be a benefit and spring board for the player to focus on being an NHLer.

oh wow thats what I wanted to see. Depending on price but......

That consistent argument or excuse or indictment of the owner is such garbage, EVERY NHL club has an owner whom will be in on NHL meetings, decisions, financial discussions etc. Why do so many fans here rip an owner who has brought this city its most stable and successful run for the team on and off the ice ? I mean if people don't like the guy for whatever reason thats fine but people should at the least be able to acknowledge the success of this club under his ownership. Under Aquilini the team has spent to the cap and produced: The highest winning percentage ( over .560 ) of any ownership group 1 Western Conference Championship 2 Presidents Trophies 6 Division banners 2 Art Ross Trophies 1 Calder Trophy 1 Frank J Selke Trophy GM of the Year ( Mike Gillis ) 1 Hart Trophy 1 Jack Adams Trophy 3 King Clancy Trophies 1 Ted Lindsay Trophy 1 William M Jennings Trophy Apologies for sidetracking just the " meddling " argument is so lame, some of the best years of hockey we have witnessed was under evil Franceso's rule lol.

I would have liked to see Kravtsov get an opportunity in Vancouver, just think he could really develop outside of New York.

So are we thinking the Schenn trade to Boston is announced and official after the game today ?

Demko is a starter and at a decent AAV correct, I think people see he took off for one season as a starter and that was his coming out party so to speak then got injured then this season injured again. There is a segment of the goaltending community that think Demko will really struggle to try and physically regain his form prior to his injury last season. Don't know how true that is but it may or may not be a valid concern. The Canucks building around Petey and Hughes it would only seem logical to add Demko to that core moving forward. He has shown before injuries and surgery that he could bail his team out night in and night out. But if there has been a slight shift in focus since new management has come on board and now started to implement changes they have wanted to now being a year in, Demko I am sure is being listened on at the very least. There are a few teams like Los Angeles and Buffalo for example that make sense and have plenty of good young players and draft capital that could peak the Canucks interest. Why pursue moving Demko ? well he may not be capable of reaching prior ability and performance and the team believes Silovs is their next starter and also feels through Ian Clark that he has immense potential as a very good starter if developed the way they feel he can be. Demko is not old by any stretch but Silovs could fit very well into a timeline to be starter on this club on its next upswing, which could also be the case after a couple seasons pushing Demko too. Can't hurt to explore moving him, there are UFA stop gaps available if any current options are not here moving forward.

IR ACTIVATION: The New Jersey Devils have activated defenseman Jan Rutta from Injured Reserve and place him onto the active roster.

WAIVERS: The New Jersey Devils have placed defenseman Jordan Gross on Waivers with the intent to assign him to Atlantic City should he clear.

They will not be in seller or rebuild mode fully until Ovechkin retires. I think they are just utilizing players they are not going to be able to resign. Orlov wanted many more years on a new contract then the Capitals were willing to go. Eller, Sheary, and van Riemsdyk are all players the team is weighing the benefit of extending new deals or exploring the trade market. They may be working on new contracts for Jensen and Gustafsson but if anything stalls in that regard within the week they could be put on the market too.

Ofcourse the Canucks can afford to pay him more. They could probably give him a solid two to three year deal with trade protection. Whether they trade him or he finishes out the season in Vancouver does NOT play into whether he signs here. There is no burnt bridges or hurt feelings when he gets moved. So you are suggesting it would be smarter for the team to decline adding a pick or prospect or combo of a return for Schenn ? Further just electing to extend him on a multi year deal? If you can secure " free assets " for Schenn why wouldn't you? Again, trading him won't sour him on signing here anyways if he wants to and not being a key roster player he wouldn't expect a new contract until well after free agency anyways.

I agree he's worth it. I think there is a decent chance he signs in Vancouver in the off season regardless. If the team can add a pick or prospect for him they should. Him being traded or finishing out the season i Vancouver won't play into whether he signs here in the off season anyways.

Its comical really, fans scream when UFAs leave for nothing yet a building thought among the fanbase is " let's keep Schenn " we wouldn't want to burn any bridges if he truly wants to come back. Honestly he needs to be traded to obtain an asset for him. I say 50% chance he signs in Vancouver in the offseason. But will fans then not love him as much if he command 2 or 3 years at 1.5m? 2m? per with trade protection?

Which based off the Brett Kulak trade last season he was dealt for a 2nd, 7th, and Zboril type prospect of age in William Lagesson. That alone gives me confidence a 2nd rd pick is going to be involved in a Schenn deal. May be wrong and thats cool but have to think his value is above a 3rd.

Chicago started a retool/rebuild and built up a solid stable of good young players in say Jokiharju, Dach, DeBrincat, Boqvist and so on for example then traded them all away as they were becoming relevant NHL pieces. Kane is there big veteran piece they can move and if the rumours are true they figured out a deal. Thats great. They have also taken on cap in deals to net some picks again great but they were building up a good young team around Toews and Kane then pressed reset halfway through. Arizona has been dragging out a trade with one if their best players in Chychrun and no doubt he gets moved but as of yet they have not found a team to meet their price. Lane Pederson is not worth a pick. He's the type that goes through Waivers or jumps around via Waivers as evidenced. Vancouver moved off the one bigger piece they had to in Horvat. I don't understand how the Blackhawks actions or the Coyotes inaction would make one question what Vancouver is doing?

IR ACTIVATION: The New Jersey Devils have activated forward Alexander Ovechkin from Injured Reserve and place him onto the active roster.