Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

Dixon Ward

Members
  • Posts

    1,433
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Dixon Ward

  1. If this is true, both have 2 Norris Trophys so the debate is reasonable. I think that it would be reasonable to say that Hughes wins on overall skating (by a bit) and I would venture to say that his hockey IQ is a tad higher as, with his size he has to use use more strategy as to how to get around and defend. Hughes averaged .78 ppg in the NCAA in his draft year, Dahlin .49 ppg in the SHL. Hughes was +14 and Dahlin was +4. Dahlin is bigger, has a bigger reach and a bigger shot. Dahlin is considered by experts across the board to be on par with McDavid as a generational talent. Hughes is considered a potential star. When you look at it that way, it looks like a semi-reasonable debate. However, the way you tell how valid your debate is, is to ask the other 29 fanbases who didn't draft Dahlin. They would laugh you off the message board. Furthermore, had we won the lottery, we would be belly laughing at anybody who tried to make the debate. Having said all that, go Hughes!
  2. Dahlen reminds me of like a Theo Fleury. Not size wize, but Fleury was not big, not the fastest, not the best shot. He just worked and played and hustled and found a way to protect the puck and score. He contributed offensively in many different ways from many different places. He just willed himself to contribute. That is how I see Dahlen. I think he will make us love him very quickly.
  3. I think Juolevi will be in the line-up this year and will be one of our top 3-4 d by the all star break. Barring injury or setbacks of course. He has the skating, size and hockey IQ to contribute to the Canucks and it is time that he got his feet wet in the NHL. One thing I notice is he seems to get his shot through. Not a laser, but not on a shin pad. This is a skill that all Canucks' D seem to lack.
  4. I agree, he is not the flashiest, but has the potential to be a big star in Vancouver with his heritage and his game. He is just what the doctor ordered to partner with players like Hughes and Juolevi on the left side.
  5. Cool to see them getting some attention. What a joke Horvat not in top 100. Bo knows hockey. He will kick ass this year! 65+ points
  6. Like I said, "if he belongs". I am not saying he should be here, I am saying if he earns a spot. Jesper Bratt was drafted in the 6th round and nobody would have given him a shot at sticking last year, but he earned it and they kept him, and he contributed all year. I don't believe, in the new NHL you should hold a player back who earns a spot. If he is big enough, fast enough, and he is clearly one of the 4 best RWers at camp, keep him. Send a message to everybody. In truth, I don't think he will make it just that he should if he is top 4.
  7. I hope they make room for him if he belongs, waive Gagner and hope somebody takes him. Lind is big enough and gritty enough to play 3rd line winger for a year or two before assuming his position on 2nd line RW for the next 10 years.
  8. I didn't say or mean that the lower league would hurt his development. I said that if they think that if lower leagues don't have enough to offer at his development stage, they will keep him in the nhl if he earns it. I was further saying that the decisions should not be made based on contract status, but merit. That will lead to a much better development environment throughout the organization.
  9. I agree. I have heard people saying that there is no need to rush him, "it is not like we are pushing for a Stanley Cup!" This makes no sense to me. Letting him play in the NHL is a decision that the team and he will make if they think that his development is at the point where the NCAA and AHL are not enough. If we were "pushing for a Cup" we would have so many excellent players, there would be no room for any youngsters. We have the opposite problem. Even if we have to eat Hutton/MDZ/Pouliot's salary and send them down, or even trade them for pennies on the dollar or lose them to waivers. Everybody agrees, the defence we had last year was not a good nhl defence. A true competition at camp should happen where the 8 best defenseman are kept and the rest are sent down, regardless of contract status. That would breed the type of attitude we want our team to have. Everybody is expendable, especially underachieving, overpaid players who have come at the bottom of the league 3 years in a row. If Hutton were waived and picked up, that clears a spot and some cap room, so be it.
  10. I thought Lind and Palmu looked like they were already NHLers compare to the rest. Hughes looked exhausted. I think the flu or whatever was still in his system. He could skate really well but not really long. Woo looked as advertised. Solid great all around. Leader. Utunen will be a really good all around player in 2 years. Maybe Stecher plus. Madden fast and smart but a ways to go. Rathbone looked fast and skilled but I thought he rested on his speed and didn't utilize it at all times.
  11. It will be interesting, because I don't think anybody is going to promise him top 4 minutes in the NHL. Hopefully he will have matured a bit and understand he has to earn it. Just because you are a KHL AllStar doesn't mean anything in the KHL. Phillip Larsen was the Top Defenceman in the league this year!
  12. I am expecting a big comeback from Hutton. I think Green was pushing him because he knew he had a lot more to give, not because he didn't like him. I don't think he has taken himself seriously enough in the past. If he can become what we all thought he could after his first year, that will allow us to move MDZ and possibly Edler at the deadline for more picks and prospects.
  13. Is Petrus going to play in Utica this year?
  14. I think this opens up Sutter for a bit more offensive role and a trade by the deadline.
  15. Here is a review of another 2nd round pick from the whl after he was drafted 49th in the 2nd round. Shea Weber, Defense Round 2, Pick 49 Age: 17 Team: Kelowna Ht/Wt: 6-3, 190 Hometown: Sicamous, B.C. Stats: 70 GP, 2 goals, 16 assists, 18 points, 167 PIM Comment: Weber is a tough, physical player who fills the Predators need for a big defender. Weber is most noted for his strong skating ability and his no-fear approach to playing defense. The 6-3 defenseman has the ability to physically dominate opponents and clear out players in front of the net. The Predators thought so highly of Weber that they moved defensemen Tomas Slovak to Colorado to make room for Weber. Weber needs to add muscle to be successful in the NHL. Weber was member of the 2003 WHL Champion Kelowna Rockets this season. Read more at http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/6107/predators_draft_review/#Hw6LdOlSdyVor3TS.99 Sound familiar? Woo's idol is Weber. Right shot on top of it.
  16. Thanks for posting that, I think when all is said and done, he will be a steal at 37th.
  17. I'm a little confused why Botchford and other so-called experts keep calling him a stay at home defenceman? He was a ppg in the first quarter of the season and then had injuries and then came back and was put on shutdown role because of some trades that changed his role on the team. Had he kept on that pace or near it he would have been right up there with all the offensive defenceman his age in the CHL. I think that JB did a great job here of understanding the real potential of the pick rather than just the numbers. Woo won't be challenging Hughes or Juolevi for top defensive scorer but I think he will be a strong contributor to the offense and the defense.
  18. I was looking at the HF boards and they have a topic for people list the top 30 drafted prospects right now. Petersson is anywhere from 2-5th, but averages about 3rd and only Svechnikov is ahead of him as a forward (we'll see). Hughes is as high as 5th and consistently, from what I saw, in top 10 and the 3rd best defenceman. Some people say JB isn't good at the top picks but better in the later rounds. Getting a top 2 forward prospect from a 5th OA and a top 5 defence prospect from 7th OA is pretty impressive imho.
  19. We went into this draft with a weak pool of defence prospects. I think we look pretty good now. Our Forwards, Defence, and Goaltending pools are all pretty deep. I would think that we would have to be in the top 3-4 prospect pools in the league now. This is how I would rank our d prospects and their chance of playing for the Canucks in 2-3 years Hughes Juolevi Tryamkin Woo McEneny Chatfield Brisebois Sautner Utunen Rathbone (Biggest risk-reward on the board though)
  20. I think this guy will be in our lineup in 3 years. The Finnish program is very strong and you don't become captain without some skill, work ethic and leadership. He will work on his skating, strength and playing against men in the top league next year, I bet, and after 2 years will be on the Canucks.
  21. Juolevi Tanev Hughes Gudbranson Edler Stecher Hutton Pouliot
  22. I predict he will be paired with Juolevi 2 years.
  23. Agreed. He basically has Kucherov skills but even smaller. If he can bulk up a bit and the league continues to value speed and skill over size, he has a shot at scoring in the nhl.
  24. I would actually put Woo ahead of Lind and equal with Dahlen. I live in Kelowna and like Lind a lot, but a RHD who plays in all situations, skates well and hits like a tank is worth more imho. I think the best Lind can hope for is 2nd line. I would not be surprised to see Woo be Hughes partner in 3 years. I could easily see him paired with OJ as well. That would make him a top 4 defenseman. That is worth more than a middle six winger.
  25. We need speed and skill. All 3 picks fill needs and bring speed and skill. You can trade for truculance. We have a prospect pool with speed, skill, leadership, character. These are characteristics you can't teach at the nhl level. Size can be developed, defensive positioning can be taught.
×
×
  • Create New...