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EternalCanuckFan

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Everything posted by EternalCanuckFan

  1. Let's see how Demko and Dipietro do over the next year or so. I wouldn't mind Markstrom being kept longer term but I think it's premature to assess him as an elite goalie. He had a stretch of play that was elite but he's got to be able to keep that up. If Demko and Dipietro can't make the jump then a good but not elite Markstrom may be still be in the Canucks' future.
  2. I think that's the main thing going for Pearson right now. Not surprising that Pearson hasn't shown that well since coming over. There certainly is a lot of "loose change" in the line-up. My sense is that Baertschi (health) and Goldobin (possible trade chip) are a bit on the bubble in terms of their long term presence with the Canucks. Pearson, Eriksson, Spooner, Granlund and Spooner are definitely on the bubble so I'm very curious what management will do with them. It's a glut of under performing or middling forwards with varying amounts of value in a trade market.
  3. Brock is still collecting points but does look a bit slow on the ice. Brock still seems to be seeing the ice well though, so I don't imagine he'll take a big hit to his negotiating power. I don't think it'll be a huge $ ask but, of course, I could be very wrong. My guess is that Brock has shown enough since making the jump to the NHL to at least get Bo like money. I would be surprised if Brock got much more than Bo. No idea about term though.
  4. It's been evident since Leivo joined the Canucks that he's exactly the type of player that the Canucks need. Leivo's continually impressed with his skills in puck retrieval and control, and his shot is very good as well. This summer will be interesting as I'm curious how much Leivo will command as a RFA. Keeping a guy like Leivo seems like it would be part of the solution for the Canucks in the long term rather than a chip to acquire another asset. If Baertschi is out long term and if Pearson can regain his form, then a line of Pearson-Horvat-Leivo seems like it could be a solid line for the Canucks for quite some time.
  5. There was a play in the final seconds of the 3rd where I thought Goldobin would force a pass through the neutral zone to try and create a scoring chance. Instead, Goldobin passed it back to Stecher in the Canucks' zone and Stecher held on to the puck until the end of regulation. A small play but to me, it showed the level of engagement and responsibility Goldobin has in recent games. Goldobin has always been a "creator" since I have seen him play with the Canucks but there have been many occasions where I could see that he may try to force a play, and not always at the most opportune moments. I don't think you can ever complete remove bad decisions from play, but it looks like Goldobin is starting to limit those considerably which is excellent to see. He was deservedly rewarded with a healthy amount of playing time in OT. Great to see and hopefully he'll start seeing the points come along with his stronger play.
  6. The Hodgson situation was exactly what I thought of when I heard Benning's explanation about the Dahlen trade. I agree with previous posters who have pointed out that perhaps the Canucks may be well served by having a bit more patience with prospects who advocate for more playing time or NHL opportunities but it's impossible to know at this point if this was one conversation between Benning and Dahlen's agent or several conversations. I would like to believe that the Canucks don't make knee-jerk reaction decisions for matters like this. Although it's disappointing to see Palmu and Dahlen not work out in Utica (with Dahlen of course now being outside of the organization entirely), it's hard to place all blame on management and Utica as well. While Lind and Gadjovich haven't produced at the level we had hoped for as fans, as far as I can tell their play has in fact been improving and we're starting to see more out of them. Sautner has clearly developed nicely as well and he was not nearly as highly regarded. The one player that I have a bit of disappointment with management about is Gaunce as I think he's a guy that has paid his dues and deserves a shot in the NHL. He's a defensively responsible forward and in his brief stint with the team earlier this season, was actually able to produce some points. I'm not saying Gaunce will be a savior for the Canucks but for a team that talks about development as much as they do, it's hard to understand how Gaunce is not a better option than a guy like Tim Schaller or even Markus Granlund. Gaunce is also versatile enough to play C and W. Aside from foot speed (which from what I can tell has improved greatly since his draft year), what's not to like?
  7. If Schenn plays well down the stretch, then I could see the Canucks looking to bring him back as a bottom-pairing/depth D. Too early to say if that would be good but the team always needs depth D, especially RHD, and Schenn is as experienced as they come. I'm very interested to see how Schenn fairs against better competition than the Ducks but his first game showed promise. Based just on Schenn's ability to move the puck (whether it's passing or shooting), he already seems like an improvement over Guddy (no disrespect to Guddy - he had his moments but he generally seemed to struggle with the puck).
  8. Goldobin definitely looks much more engaged on the ice, both with and without the puck. It will be good to see him maintain this level of engagement for the rest of the season. With his skillset (and linemates), the points will come. I can't see the Canucks walking away from Goldobin this summer given the uncertainty about Baertschi's health. They need as many high-end forwards as they can have (which is one reason why, notwithstanding the alleged trade request by Dahlen, it's disappointing to see the team give into him and trade him relatively soon). Baertschi might be skating again but my sense is the Pearson acquisition was also out of recognition that Baertschi may not be able to be relied on to play anymore simply due to health concerns. They're the same age so Pearson fits into the window of need for the Canucks that Baertschi's absence leaves. Keeping Goldobin in the mix with this group makes total sense unless, of course, management believes they can acquire a better player.
  9. All the best to Dahlen. Would have been nice to see him develop into a full time Canuck but so be it. Anyone know what Linus Karlsson is like?
  10. Surprised it's 1-for-1. Fiala's a good player but doesn't seem, to me, to me better than Granlund. Maybe Fiala takes his game to another level and becomes a consistent 60-pt forward but that is pretty much what Granlund is. I guess Fiala is faster, fits the style of play and/or fits better in the Wild's projected window? Same age as Donato. Great deal for the Predators though. Crazy deep now. Almost a brand new second line with Simmonds-Turris-Granlund (with Granlund able to play all forward positions) behind Forsberg-Johansdn-Arvidsson. They also have Tolvanen in the minors.
  11. Will be interesting to see Luke Schenn as I presume he'll take Gudbranson's place in the line-up. Worth noting that MDZ's deal for Schenn and a 7th may have been in preparation for this. I know it seems strange that MDZ could go for a 6th at the TDL but that was only for a pick and did not involve a depth D. Leads me to think that Benning could have received a late 2019 pick but opted to go for a late 2020 pick and a depth D with a possible Gudbranson trade in mind. No idea about Pearson. He obviously has played well in the past but he has really struggled this season. Sportsnet 650 talked about him playing with Horvat which seems like it could be promising. Pearson might fit better with Horvat than Spooner. Pearson might also fit with Pettersson and Boeser.
  12. The Jets have enough grit and sandpaper in their lineup for this to not hurt them. Big add and hopefully they can re-sign him. Losing Stastny was tough for them.
  13. So... Dipietro will be up for a little while. Doesn't sound like this should be related to any chronic conditions for Demko.
  14. Samuelsson was fantastic in his stint with the Canucks. Wasn't the greatest skater but he always seemed to know where to be on the ice and contributed nicely on offence without being a liability.
  15. I think Gaunce will hang around the organization so long as he isn't claimed off waivers or leaves once he hits UFA status. IMHO, Gaunce deserves a chance to ply his trade with the Canucks but I guess there's just something missing in his game that management and coaching don't like. There are lots of players who play well at the AHL level but can't translate it to the NHL so it's hard to argue against the Canucks with Gaunce. Having said that, Gaunce seemed to be playing pretty well in his last stint with the team so it's disappointing that he was sent down so quickly. If it's a matter of giving Gaunce playing time while letting a guy like Schaller ride the pine for extended periods of the season, then I'm fine with it. It will be disappointing if the Canucks lose Gaunce next summer however.
  16. Does seem like it, doesn't it. Curious if they have a trade for Gardiner brewing or if they're going to let him test FA this summer.
  17. Muzzin has been pretty healthy throughout his career and has three 40+ point seasons under his belt along with winning a Stanley Cup in 2014. As much as I would love it, I don't think either Tanev or Edler have quite the same value with a big detracting point being their history of injuries. Still, it's interesting to see the actual cost of acquiring a pretty good LHD. I don't recall Muzzin being the fleetest of foot so we'll see how he fits into the faster Eastern conference. Should be a good pick up for the Leafs but they're still very thin on the right side.
  18. Aside from the comments from Palmu, this is one of the reasons I think the Canucks prospects are in good hands in Utica. The Canucks seem to be willing to address players as they are and to give them time to work on their weaknesses. It's of course distressing when players aren't dressed or aren't getting much playing time, but it doesn't seem unfair to give young guys time to work on weak parts of their game while gaining some (if limited) exposure to the pro game. It does sound better than throwing guys to the wolves and hoping that they figure it out themselves.
  19. Great to hear that Baer's doing well and on the road to return.
  20. I think one of the things that makes Goldy frustrating to watch is he is clearly a very skilled player but it looks like he might get to be a low-to-average middle 6 winger who has limited ability to contribute as a defense first player. I'm not saying that's his ceiling, just where he seems to be headed based on his use with this team. Goldy's production this year is decent and could help him keep a job in the league, but I guess he's one of those guys that keeps you wanting more since you can see him being capable of it. My own feeling is that the Canucks shouldn't give up on Goldy. Another Sharks' pick, Tomas Hertl (born 1993), is only now starting to hit his stride after several years of promise and displays of skill. Goldy could still get there and he's 2-years younger. Having said that, I could see Goldy as a piece that the Canucks may dangle to acquire assets and/or clear contracts. I'm not entirely against that, depending on the return of course, but I would rather see how Goldy develops over the next year or two with the Canucks.
  21. Jasek is a really pleasant surprise. He was such a mystery until he finally came over and has deservedly turned heads. Nice to see the Canucks forming depth out of later picks.
  22. If Jack Hughes' stock drops and teams ahead of the Canucks pick Kakko, then I think this makes sense. If the Canucks win the lottery and get the 1st overall, then there are some hard decisions to make if Jack Hughes' is not a clear #1.
  23. Dubinsky's not a small guy either. Clearly didn't expect the reverse hit. Besides the obvious offensive magic that Pettersson has brought this season, I'm continually impressed at his very solid two-way play and his fearlessness to attack the other team. This reverse hit is just another example of that. It would have been just as easy for Pettersson to have made the pass and then bailed to avoid the contact but he stood up for himself. Of course, if this had been someone other than Dubinsky attempting a dirty hit, then it might have been played differently, but it's nice to see him being this well-rounded so soon. I don't think Pettersson will bring a physical game like Forsberg did (and I kind of hope he doesn't as that took a huge toll on Forsberg's body), but it's good enough to see that he's willing and able to protect himself when needed. As Pettersson gets stronger, he should also be better able to defend himself against bone headed plays like Matheson's earlier this year.
  24. I think Canucks management is likely doing whatever they can to find a good situation for him. They already have by cutting a deal to have him play with the Marlies. It's true though that if no other teams come seeking Gagner's services, then there's nothing the Canucks can do. One can't gripe about not being on the team if the judgment of management and coaching is that other players would help the team more. I suspect that there will be a deal in place for him before the TDL though. Gagner is skilled enough to play in the league and to give him some credit, his game has evolved over his career so that he could probably still be a PP specialist type player in the league while playing bottom 6 minutes 5-on-5. The issue is going to be his salary but the Canucks might be willing to retain.
  25. Now that it's been mentioned, Leivo's play does have a bit of Higgins to it. Bodes well for him if he can stay healthy. He looked good last night and, IMO, was a better skater than I expected.
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