Maniwaki Canuck
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Weise says Lucic threatened him during handshake
Maniwaki Canuck replied to J529's topic in General Hockey Discussion
Yeah, he certainly does look and act that way. -
Weise says Lucic threatened him during handshake
Maniwaki Canuck replied to J529's topic in General Hockey Discussion
Not surprising: he has class, so he doesn't fit there, and the racist contingent in that fan base is pretty vocal, as we've seen in the past with Ward and Subban. Guess they're eating their own now. -
Yes, since Malhotra's injury, the Canucks' 3rd line hasn't been a shutdown unit, so it might not be the worst assignment for Horvat's development, but I'm still concerned that he hasn't been given the space to develop his offensive game to this point in his career. Maybe it will just come from playing with the kind of wingers you mention, but maybe it will stunt his growth ... Absolutely. Mathias and Santorelli should both be in the mix for 3C, and if Horvat can beat or match them, well then fine, he makes the team, but if not, back to junior.
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Unless Horvat lights it up during the Memorial Cup, I'm not sure it's a good idea for him to make the Canucks lineup in a bottom six role next year. The skill is there, but still needs developing, and that isn't going to happen if he keeps getting slotted into a shutdown role. We need him to be a solid offensive player at the next level. Coaching is really going to matter for the Canucks in the next 4-5 years. Teaching and development will either make or break the prospects we're starting to stockpile.
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Skating might be comparable but Ehlers looks way more dynamic offensively: elite shot and playmaking, great hockey IQ and compete level, not a perimeter player. So he looks to have a higher ceiling than Grabner at this point, but of course is totally untested and might end up a similar or less accomplished player.
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We haven't had a high octane, pure skill player like Ehlers for a very long time. On a team that struggles to score but has some size and defensive awareness, this is the kind of guy we should be taking a chance on.
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Agreed. While his offense did improve this year, London still used him in a shutdown role. That needs to change next year, assuming he's still there. Bo didn't have an outstanding WJC or playoffs this year, but was allegedly injured in the first and sick in the second. It would be good to see him break out in the Memorial Cup, but I suspect that London is going to feel outmatched and play pretty defensively. If the Canucks do send him back to junior next year, I hope it is with some assurances from Hunter that he will be given more offensive responsibility.
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Except more beligerent.
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^Another bogus argument bights the dust.
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No way Ehlers falls to the 10th pick and no way does Virtanen have similar potential. Ehlers' skill, lateral movement and puck handling at speed, hockey IQ, compete level and defensive game are all superior to Virtanen's by a long way. They are only comparable in terms of shot and straight-up speed.
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That's fair comment based on that video compilation, but there's others that show his game better, most notably the high-end stickhandling and cutting to the net at warp speed. With all due respect to Virtanen, he's fast but doesn't have anything like the same lateral movement or stick skill, even if he has a huge physical advantage. This is an interesting take, for sure. While I'd be shocked to see Florida take Ehlers, it actually would be a good fit for them, and perhaps there will be some kind of deal. The bigger picture is that it's not out of the question that either Ritchie or Ehlers could displace one of the top 5.
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I agree, he might, but would be delighted if we picked him up because he's got some real skill as well as complete game and an edge to him. At this stage, my fear is that Draisaitl will drop. While he is an effective player in junior, he's slow as molasses. Even Gaunce looks quicker. I don't think that will wash in today's NHL. So if Ritchie bumps Dal Colle or Bennett from the top 5, I'd jump on either but if it's Draisaitl, it's got to be Ehlers.
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Even though I'm still in the Ehlers camp, I have to say this is pretty convincing, particularly the low risk/high upside part.
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Sorry, but I just don't see the skill. Ritchie's speed, size, shot and release are definitely top end, and I like his strength and mean streak. But skill in the sense of the ability to dangle, make sweet passes, moves at high speed, I just don't see. Maybe those who have actually watched him play more can speak to this, but it's not there in his highlight package or the game highlights that I've seen. I'd also be interested in anything people have to say about his hockey IQ, positioning, creativity, etc. because that doesn't come through either in the video I've seen. Not saying it isn't there, only that it isn't evident from the compilations circulating out there. To me, Ritchie looks like a bigger, faster and better version of Virtanen, but has some of the same question marks.
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That would be Ehlers, but don't tell his mother's husband.
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This is probably true after Linden's comments, but it's a big shame if so. Ehlers is the best pure offensive player coming out of this draft, has the highest ceiling, and looks like the only real game-breaker in the lot. Some team is going to look really good in retrospect for taking a chance on this guy, and I'm still hoping it's us.
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I like Ehlers a lot and hope we get him if the top 5 go as projected. If Draisatl or Dal Colle are available at our slot, I'd happily take either. And that could pan out if any of the five teams above us really want Ritchie or Ehlers for the unique profiles they have. For me, the question is whether Ehlers has truly top-end speed at the NHL level. Obviously he does in junior and it enables him to play the way he does. He also has the unusual, Bure-like ability to make slick moves at top speed, and has amazing vision of the ice for the kind of player he is, instead of just putting his head down and skating. But his game is based on speed so the question is whether he really has enough of it to play the same way in the NHL and get away with it. I think it probably comes down to the combine with him, when teams will evaluate how he projects in terms of size and speed. This guy could be a generational talent or a bust: high risk/high reward doesn't begin to do justice to it. But I'd roll the dice on him at 6 for sure.
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No kidding. I think we now know that Gillis took his last stand when he criticized Torts on radio last week. He challenged ownership to defend their coach, and they obliged. I'm not at all happy about that part of it. On the other hand, we do need to do something about the grudge the league bears against us. I'm not sure this will fix that problem, but it could help. The drama level around this franchise just won't die down.
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I agree, but we'll see what's in the wings. Wasn't expecting this so soon, if at all. Wonder how much Torts knew, and as of when?
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Spot on. The critique of Tortorella is obvious and unmistakable, but not far below the surface you can see the subtext with ownership. If it's down to one of Gillis or Tortorella staying, I hope it's Gillis. He's messed up some things to be sure, but Torts takes the cake. Hard not to sense that his timing was strategic here too, what with AV just passing through town. This message is also about setting the stage for exit interviews with players. If Torts really has lost the room, people may not be having to worry so much about no trade clauses. But you never want that kind of vibe to develop around your club, so maybe he's trying to head it off at the pass.
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The fact that players and coaches have no idea where the line is speaks volumes. If you need a lawyer or a public relations agent to decode what the league is saying, then there basically aren't any rules.
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Wherever we finish, I hope we find a way to trade up the board, for example if we get the 8th pick, maybe bundle it, Hansen, and another piece if necessary to get into the top 5. That would give us a shot at Draisaitl or Dal Colle who both look like genuine high-end players. Below that it's not so clear. Virtanen looks a bit slow to me and I'm not confident he'll do too well when he loses the size advantage he's got right now in junior. His shot looks decent but not great. We've got a lot of bigger and faster guys with at least as much skill so I'd go with Ehlers over him, just to get a potential game-breaker into the mix.
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Assuming we come in somewhere around 8th, and both Virtanen and Ehlers are available, I'd lean towards Ehlers although he's high-risk/high-reward. While I've only seen highlight packages and therefore don't know as much as some people will, Ehlers has game-breaking speed and elusiveness combined with a lethal shot. This guy has Bure upside but could bust if he can't handle the physicality of NHL play. Virtanen would be fine, but looks like he's skating in mud by comparison and we have already have several players with his skill set (size and a decent shot) in the system now. I'd rather try to hit a home run with Ehlers, even if he's less of a sure thing.
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Beyond the knee injuries he's had, it seems like the only real problem with this guy is that he's both big and athletic, and hasn't quite found the right style to combine those attributes. It's a nice problem to have, and Melanson should be able to help him solve it. I like what little I've seen of Matthais, too, and hope he can become an above average 3rd liner. It's going to take a while to separate these guys from how they were traded for Luongo and all that represents for the club, above all that we're in re-build mode. But in 2-3 years, if Markstrom comes anywhere near close to original expectations, the deal is going to look really good for us.