Vancanwincup

Horvat has a larger frame than Toews and will be 220 in his prime.Same can be said of Jensen and he will be 215 in his prime. Ritchie is large, but like Gaunce will more than likely be a third liner. So no will do not need big and average skill like Ritchie we need elite skill; big or small.

Speed would better on that line so Shink, or Ehler, Virt.

I guess Horvat, Jensen and Guance are all small and unskilled.

Evander would would be nice, but for what price. He is not worth an over payment.

I 'm sorry, but you make me and not in a good way. Your understanding and evaluation of players = . Keep posting though, because it is fun to read what you write. " With Ehler I see a lot of fear" = ... and making thing up like "Ehlers constantly gets pulverized in junior" =

I do agree; Ritchie's skill is no where near Ehlers . I do see why people are high on Ritchie ; he does have a great shoot and hits like Scott Stevens. Ritchie looks like he could be a force physically in a few years and Ehler could easly be a big game scorer that scares other teams with speed and skill. I personally think the Canucks need the big game scorer more.

I was going to write the same thing how "stupid is that statement" or "short sighted". Each line on a perfect team would have; a power forward(that fights), a play making center( with speed and high hockey IQ) and a top goal scorer( with elite speed a skill).

This was written By Kevin Forbes, not me.

The Q over the last 3 years is equal to the O and W my friend. Yes in the past the Q was not producing like the O and W in terms of ready NHL players but that has changed a lot: Over the last ten years, 30 players from the QMJHL have been selected in the first round of the NHL Draft, with a high water mark of five players in a single year being reached twice. That peak looks like it will be completely blown away in 2013, with as many as ten QMJHL players challenging to be selected among the first 30 players this June in New Jersey. When you couple that with the fact that a QMJHL team has won the past two Memorial Cups, the question then becomes: are we witnessing the emergence of the QMJHL as a force to be reckoned with in the CHL? For many years, the QMJHL has been viewed as the weaker sister league to the WHL and theOHL. The league produced fewer NHL Draft picks, especially in the top rounds, while also facing tired stereotypes about how scoring was easier in the Q and playing defense was merely a suggestion. It's a narrative that no longer fits the reality of the situation. The last two Memorial Cups were won by the Shawinigan Cataractes and the Saint John Sea Dogs, respectively. This year, the Halifax Mooseheads are tops in the CHL rankings and are the odds-on favorites to make it three straight for the QMJHL at the CHL's championship event. Meanwhile, 13 QMJHL players participated in the recent NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game. Seven of those players are listed among the top 15 North American skaters ranked by the NHL's Central Scouting at the midterm mark, in addition to the league boasting the top ranked draft eligible goaltender in the same rankings. As the commissioner of the QMJHL, Gilles Courteau has heard all the knocks on his league. But since taking the post in 1986, he's been at the helm as the league has transformed into a well-rounded development system for NHL talent. "[All the credit goes to] the coaching staff for each and every team, because of the great job that they are doing to develop those players at the level they should be," explains Courteau. "The way that our coaching staffs from each and every team are working, I'm very impressed with it and I think you will see benefits from the great job that coaches are doing over the next couple of years." The effect of these improvements in coaching can even be seen at the highest level, where NHL teams have been eager to snap up successful junior coaches. NHL head coaches like Tampa Bay's Guy Boucher and Vancouver's Alain Vigneault both came from behind the bench at the QMJHL level to make the jump to pro hockey. In addition, assistant coaches around the NHL like Gerard Gallant and Clement Jodoin in Montreal and Pascal Vincent in Winnipeg have all previously won the QMJHL's Ron Lapointe Trophy as the Coach of the Year. QMJHL commissioner Courteau has also watched the league grow, with expansion into the Atlantic Provinces now bringing the league to a total of 18 teams. As Courteau is quick to point out, that still places the league as the smallest among their CHL brethren. "You have to consider that across the CHL, we have the lowest number of teams," says Courteau. "The Western Hockey League has 22 teams, the O has 20 and here in the Q, we have just 18. So when you look at the ratio of players eligible for the draft, we have a good number of players being drafted." Growth in the ability to find talented players from previously untapped areas and improvements in player development across the league has helped the QMJHL's draft numbers considerably. The East Coast expansion, in particular, has paid dividends for the QMJHL. Over the past ten NHL drafts, almost a quarter of the first rounders selected out of the QMJHL have come from the Atlantic Provinces, including 2005's first overall pick, Sidney Crosby. In total, among the 76 QMJHL players drafted in the first two rounds over those ten years, 16 have come from the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. That Atlantic influence is also a factor for the class of 2013 with Halifax Mooseheads forwardNathan MacKinnon, a native of Cole Harbour, challenging for the honor of being drafted first overall. In addition to the expansion into the Atlantic Provinces, the QMJHL has also had much success with identifying and luring European players to their league. Six of the 30 QMJHL first rounders drafted over the past ten years were Import players joining the league, including three from Russia, two from the Czech Republic and one from Slovakia. When you also consider the second rounds of those ten drafts, the number expands to 13 QMJHL Import players selected out of a total of 76 QMJHL selections. That trend of producing first-round NHL talent from Import selections is one that should also be continued with the class of 2013. Russian forward Valentin Zykov joined the Baie-Comeau Drakkar with the specific goal in mind of being drafted as high as he could be. Currently ranked eighth among North American skaters, Zykov is a solid bet to be drafted in the first round this summer. Swedish forward Nick Sorensen is in his second year with the Quebec Remparts. After an injury-filled rookie season that saw him play only eight games, his draft stock may not be as guaranteed when it comes to being selected in the first round, but the young forward should still hear his name called among the top 60 players. Finally, the QMJHL has evolved in how it has developed their top caliber talent. Once simply the bastion of high scoring forwards and butterfly goaltenders, the QMJHL has seen six first round defensemen over the last ten years and a total of 18 defenders picked in the top two rounds from the same period of time. In a change of fortune, only ten goaltenders were selected among the first 60 players over that period, with just two of them being picked in the first round. Zach Fucale of the Halifax Mooseheads looks to buck that trend and be the first QMJHL goaltender selected in the first round since Jonathan Bernier was chosen 11th overall in 2006 by the Los Angeles Kings. While 2013 looks to be an exceptionally strong year for the QMJHL when it comes to the NHL Draft, Courteau is optimistic that the league will continue to be at the forefront of developing NHL talent, both on the ice and behind the bench. "This is a strong year, but it's something that we were expecting," says Courteau. "I think what we've seen over the last number of years is a good quality of players being drafted and a good quality of coaches that have been able to reach the NHL level, which has been great."

Nicholas Ritchie = Taylor Pyatt

Case in point : had 1 assist and was -2 with 4 penalty minutes in five games at the Ivan Hlinka tournament.

If was that easy why have any scouts in your system just go off the NHL central scouting. No need to have the first round of the draft just give the players to the team that falls in their projected draft position.

And going off the NHL central scouting after the top 5 is smart!

There are 177 NHL players under six foot, weighing between 215 and 150 pounds. Almost all of them weight under 190, most between 185 and 170. Ehler could easily weigh between 185 and 170 in his prime and if he grows an other inch or more he could weigh in the 190's. His size will not be a factor with his skill set. Compared to the top 6 picks his skill is similar or better, compared to the rest of the draft class his skill sets him apart by a large margin. Once again we have a draft pick who could be fighting to be a number one draft pick , if his was 1.5 inches taller and 20 pound heavier. Nothing special about the kid except coming over from the bigger ice surface and dominating. He is a smart pick at 6th. Ehler or Nylander at 6th. Canucks already have Guance, Horvat , Cassels as two-way players that can play in all three zones. Now they need to add to Fox and Shinkaruk with another sniper/ play-maker ( Ehler / Nylander). With Kassian and Jensen as power-forwards(one ,more of ,a sniper and the other more of a play-maker). The Canucks will have a good mix of young players. Who knows maybe one of the top 5 will fall, then of course the Canucks take that player at number 6th. Then again if this report is any where close you take the risks: In the past 12 months or so, he helped the Danes get up to the top bracket at both the under-18s and the world juniors; an obvious point of pride for him." From Ryan Kennedy in a The Hockey News 'NHL prospect hot list' post - March 4th Imported from Denmark, Ehlers has replaced the scoring void quite nicely after Nathan MacKinnon made the leap to the Colorado Avalanche. Like his predecessor in Halifax, Ehlers is one of the fastest skaters in the draft, blazing past defenders and utilizing his dynamic elusive cuts in and out of traffic to create room. The depth of intelligence Ehlers possesses for the game allows him to adopt both a shooter and playmaker’s mentality. Rising up draft boards quickly. Profile from: Brendan Ross of Dobber Prospects - Feb. 16th I'll give you one thing, Nikolaj Ehlers was a dark horse coming into this draft, slotted to be a second round choice at the beginning of this season. Now he's gaining serious consideration, and a likelihood, of getting picked in the top ten of this year's 2014 NHL Entry Draft. The correct pronunciation of this offensive dynamo's name is ("Nick-oh-LIE" "EEL-hers"). He hails from Denmark and played in the Swiss Men's League in Biel posting strong numbers like 12 points in 2 games and 8 points in 2 games at the age of 14. He is by far the fastest player in the draft, and faster than almost all of the players in last year's draft, which sets him apart by a huge margin. He's had his speed compared to that of Pavel Bure and his style of offensive play compared to Peter Forsberg - something which scouts may well use to further back their opinions of Ehlers as being one of the most dynamic players in this year's draft. He has voiced his want and need to gain size, particularly to about 185-190lbs, so he knows exactly what he needs to work on, where his goals lie, and how he will get there. He has an absolute laser of a wrist shot; an accurate rocket that he snaps off at top speed. He plays for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. He's 5'11 and about 175 lbs so the same size of William Nylander. The thing that is going to make him a special player in the future is that he's a leader. He played with the Dallas Stars' Tyler Seguin and the Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane during the NHL lockout, and learned amazing english and a very unselfish style of play from them during that time. He sees the ice with an uncanny eye and makes plays for the team, not himself. If there is a tiny slit in the defense, he's already slid through it and scored on the goalie before you can blink. He works the hardest out of most of the players on the team, first to get to training last to leave. Vancouver Canucks fans have already dubbed him "The Electric Ehl" due to his electrifying, explosive style of play. Comparable Players: Markus Naslund (Skill) Pavel Bure (Speed) Peter Forsberg (Seeing the ice) Mix (Nathan MacKinnon/Jonathan Drouin) .

The most points Dallas can get if they win all their remaining games is 107! The most points Vancouver can get is 97! The most points Phoenix can get is 103! So, if Dallas drops 6 games and Van wins their remaining 12; Van over takes Dallas? Phoenix would have to drop 4 ? Then there is overtime points to consider!? Highly unlikely the math will work out for the Canucks , but not impossible!

Luongo Price Crawford Duncan Keith / Shea Weber Dan Hamhuis / Kris Letang Dan Boyle / Pk Subban Staal Hall / Crosby / Stamkos Tavares / Getzlaf / Perry Couture / Towes / Giroux E. Staal /Carter / Nash Eberle

My comprehension is not the problem the way you tried to explain your point is. I agree that Kesler and Booth should not play together and only AV knows why he keeps pushing the issue. Booth situation and Garrisons situation are not comparable except the fact they come from Florida. Perpudescent and you're the one writting insults. Worry about a player after 6 games you must have been pulling your hair out , with the start the twins had when they first came into the NHL.

7 months to figure what out ... how to play in game situations and figure out his line mates without playing with them in real game situations, in his mind

I read your first post and just like this one you are basically calling him a flop after 6 games so once again, nice job and ignorance is thinking you can judge a player after 6 games , then go on in believing you could coach the player better than Boness and AV. Garrison is playing no better or worse than who he is paired with or on the ice with. You can not go through all your terrible analysis and fail to come to the conclusion that a new player needs the team around him to be doing well before he can show what he is capable of. Another thing in your first post you compare or categorize Garrison, after 6 games, to players who have been there for more than a year

Ok then, Garrison is being labeled with only 6 games played as a flop. Nice!

He has good company with Hamhuis, Edler and Bieksa.

If the coaching staff and management of the Canucks thought the way a lot of the forum members think, there would be no Burrows , Kesler. Sedins ect... The amount of useless topic started the last couple weeks is making this forum look stupid beyond belief.

Your Cory Schneider post is almost as stupid as this one by clutch.