Comeback_Kings

Is Bailey ready to go? Yeah Garland is small, shifty, smart, tough and hairy. Alf must be in love with him :-)

Coach Green should try out the Dickenson Garland combo next game. Loved the game Garland played last night, total * disturber, so confident.

No question Hoglander played his way onto Horvat's line last night.

With Boeser out I'd like to see Podkolzin play with EP40 in a pre-season game. Not sure who the other winger should be on the line though.

Yeah, good point, should correct that.

Just because I'm a Canuck fanatic, stoked about the news on the signings of 40 and 43 and like to do up the lines like a wannabe coach. Running 4 lines, great mix of talent, size, speed and grit. Use the first quarter of the season to further develop our younger players and turn them into bonafide nhl assets. Pearson Horvat Garland - 2 way play against other teams top lines Hoglander Pettersson Boeser - dominate against other teams 2nd lines Gadjovich Miller Podkolzin - physical play against any line Highmore Dickenson Lockwood - defend with speed IR : Motte, Sutter, Ferland, ______ extra fwd : Di Guiseppe OEL Hughes Rathbone Poolman Juolevi Myers Hunt Schenn Demko, Halak pk fwd : Dickenson, Highmore, Lockwood, Podkolzin, Pearson, Miller, Horvat pk d : Juolevi, Myers, OEL Poolman pp1 : Hoglander Horvat Pettersson Boeser Hughes pp2 : Miller Gadjovich Podkolzin OEL Rathbone

What's so complicated about these negotiations? This is on EP40 and his agent. EP is uber confident in his abilities and wants what he wants, but what he wants is not in the best interests of the team. Management has to do what is best for the team. EP is not Matthews and Vancouver is not Toronto. Canucks have additional rising stars and players that also need to be paid. A 5 year contract buying just 1 year of ufa status is a non-starter for management unless forced to do so because EP gets this in an offer sheet. So far no offer sheet, so suck it up EP40, take your money, get to camp, you belong to the Vancouver Canucks. Take the 3 years and prove you are super-elite or take the 8 years and the security. As soon as EP signs, Canucks can sign QH as he is likely not signed because of the EP situation. Yes, management could have broken up the EP QH signing tandem by having more cap space. The team further limits EP and QH and their agents by moving on which is exactly what they are doing. Players like OEL and Rathbone playing well will put the heat on QH. Players like Hoglander, Podz, Garland playing very well will put the heat on EP. If the Canucks start the season without them and get 6 outright wins in their first 10 games, if the pp1 excels without them, this puts the pressure on EP/QH. I think management will continue to wait out this negotiation. EP and his agent will have to concede. EP40 is probably my favorite player in the NHL and I'm not angry with him. This is business and it is time for EP and his agent to realize they've likely already negotiated the teams best offer.

Gadjovich should make this team

Poolman is a cool 2.5 man

Green is a patient coach and wants his systems play, but why not mix up the lines a bit, see what you have, it's pre-season! Is Chiasson making this team? I don't think so, we have enough forwards. They should be giving a PTO to a LD right now instead. Hopefully in the third they try someone else on Bo's right wing. I'd like to see a line of Gadjovik Horvat Lockwood

Gudbranson too. Flames tried to build a skilled hockey team for what, all of 6 months? They are full on back to being the goon squad Flames we know and dislike. Canucks can grab a lead on the power play and then the speed and tenacity of the Canucks bottom 6 will drive them crazy.

When the Canucks need a goal I think we'll see Hughes line up at RHD. OEL Hughes

The future is now!

nah, Halak is a great signing and will play. I think management wanted to improve the backup position and this was more than just about saving cap. Holtby started the year off rough, but did play a lot better the second half of the season.

Canucks best new advantage - ABBOTSFORD ! The Johnny Canucks are collecting solid depth players in all positions.

This is a good hockey team! Canucks as currently constructed have proven players throughout the line-up, but what excites me is that there are still players on our squad that have real upside potential. People saying the defence isn't good enough are discounting the upside players like QH has. Schmidt was miscast on the Canucks and dissapointing. He's gone and OEL will be a significant improvement on Schmidt. Players like Hamonic, Poolman and Schenn will be solid role players as defenders.

Totally agree. Stoked about this team.

I'm ok with the Poolman signing. RHD are in demand and teams have to pay to get them.

Schmidt kind of feels like the Keith Ballard piece on a contending team right now.

haven't seen the return yet, but likely not. I agree Canucks are in a win now mode and i like it.

Never a dull moment with JB. Exciting times on cdc! The retool is nearing completion and the future is now. Canucks should be one of the top two teams in the Pacific Division for the coming season.

Agreed. Myers bleeds blue and green. Look who's winning in the playoffs right now... teams with big defensive players on d. Myers isn't going anywhere.

You do need great players at good value contracts. Overpay, sign the wrong players and your on the outside wishing for cap space to sign better players so you can have a better team and a shot at the cup. Especially in a flat cap offseason, you need cap space money at the right time to buy low on good players. So yeah, there's a premium on cap space. It's not because Montreal has a better young core than the Canucks that they are in the finals. Their pro-scouting has been better. Their ufa signings have been better. Montreal has had better timing with their rebuild on the fly, but smart management has to spot trends and situations before they even happen. The Schmidt/Holtby/Pearson signings have been made in the current flat cap situaton and have not been the right moves. Chicago will have to give up assets to move Keith. Keith played more icetime in key situations than Schmidt did last season. Right now it is looking like Vegas should have given up the 3rd pick for Van to take on Schmidt and his contract. Horvat had just walked him in the playoffs. Schmidt had probably been a mouthpiece during our heated series with dirty cocky rival VGK. It wouldn't surprise me if Schmidt's acquisition wasn't a popular one in the dressing room. So your wrong and Canucks management was wrong, this wasn't a trade you make 100 times out of 100. Canucks move on from Markstrom/Tanev/Stetcher and use much of this money to sign Holtby and trade for Schmidt. Tanev is a better D than Schmidt. Tanev is popular with his teammates. Tanev didn't use to play for the dreaded VGK. Tanev's contract is looking like the better contract (4.5 mil x 4 years) proven with one superb season already under his belt. Schmidt has 4 x 6mil on left on his contract and was average last year. They didn't need to trade for Schmidt, they needed to pick up the * phone and sign Tanev. Also, many on this forum are hoping Seattle picks up Holtby and his money. He did have a good 2nd half to the season so maybe he will get picked up or traded. Why do many want him off the roster? Because we want to spend the money elsewhere. I'm not a typical Benning basher, but clearly pro-scouting continues to be a problem with Canucks managment. Maybe they should spend more time on this forum.

Last season and probably for the next two seasons at least, Tanev > Schmidt. Tanev is currently a 1RD. This is another pro-scouting mistake by Canucks management. They misread the room again. Cap space is money! Many thought a third round pick was a good deal to pick up Schmidt. I wouldn't have made the move, many on CDS wouldn't have made the move, but we aren't pro-scouts employed by the team. Now I'm wondering if giving up another 3rd round pick would be enough to give up to trade his contract. Like selling a stock that has cost you money. Sure it may have some upside, but you only get so many to buy and hold. I think they trade Scmidt for a contract player like OEL. I'd rather they trade him for cap space.

How about the Abbotsford Johnny Canucks