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higgyfan

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Everything posted by higgyfan

  1. higgyfan

    Sam Gagner | C/W

    Nuck fans have always had a whipping boy. Yet another skill that Gags provides: sheltering the younger players from the landslide of caustic barbs.
  2. He's 24, so by the time he comes back, he'll be 26yrs. Who knows what the Canuck D lineup will look like by then. He plays on the left side, so he will likely be behind Hughes and Juolevi ( I don't think Green likes playing guys on their wrong side). I hope he comes back and makes the top 6, but I'm not holding my breath.
  3. I say Gagner because he has the C/RW tag like Gaudette. Besides, Eriksson's salary cap is not movable right now.
  4. 3rd wave will be Gaudette, Lind and Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
  5. I don't know if we can assume that Pettersson will be a C right away (if ever). He didn't play C with Vaxjo at all last season. As it is, he has a big transition to the NHL, so I don't think they want load up too much on him. I think Gaudette may spend some time honing his craft in Utica and get a call up when there's an injury. I see him replacing Sutter in a year or two. Granlund plays more RW than LW (as well as some C) so his versatility is a plus, but there is a reason he was only signed to a 1yr 'show me' contract. I think it's Gagner that should be nervous about Gaudette though.
  6. Pretty much. I'm thinking that all these guys know that there's another player breathing down their neck to take their spot (and they've known all summer long. I think we'll see all kinds of improvement from the current guys and the newbies fighting hard for a spot. It's going to be a hell of a training camp and pre-season.
  7. Not that I have a problem with Schaller, but I wouldn't go that route unless you have a look at what Schaller was doing when he was Gaunce's age. I would say Branden is a better player at 23 (last season) than Tim a the same age. In fact, it wasn't until he was 26yrs that he made the team and wasn't sent down to the AHL after 17 or 18 games. I still think Gaunce will play the 4th LW while Schaller is rehabbing. If Brandan has improved his game, it will be an interesting battle to see who wins the role.
  8. I really hope to see Virtanen on a line where he can score. He has spent the summer developing his shot, so hopefully he gets a chance to see if his hard work has paid off.
  9. Green has stated that he wants Beagle to take the defensive zone load of Sutter, which would mean he'll C a checking line. I don't know if that means he wants to put Sutter with EP though. We could see and Eriksson/Baer Sutter EP line I guess. There is also Granlund as C, but he is kind of soft as well. He is far better defensively than Gags, but not the greatest player at C. The softness doesn't matter as much if Guddy is riding shotgun on D. Maybe see an Edler Guddy pairing when EP is on the ice.
  10. I don't know if there's anyone currently playing that is like Hughes. There has been some discussion around players from other eras though. Some say he has the skating, edgework and puck handling of https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=bobby+orr+Highlights&&view=detail&mid=6F1B944B776CE621A1D56F1B944B776CE621A1D5&&FORM=VRDGAR Although Quinn lacks the physical game and massive goal scoring abilities of Orr. Others have mentioned Phil Housley because Quinn's great passing and playmaking abilities. Like Phil, he will likely have a massive amount of assists during his career. Quinn doesn't have Phil's slapshot and probably won't score anywhere near the number of goals. It's very hard to pinpoint a match for Hughes, as his style is quite unique.
  11. I'd like to see that line as well, but I think EP may need an adjustment period before he can take on the C position.
  12. Maybe, but I think he's an awful long ways from Virt or J Hughes speed. Initially, this line was posted as a 4th line suggestion. I just don't see Hughes, or even Virt being wasted as 4th liners.
  13. Absolutely. He also needs to continue improving his speed.
  14. Really like this player. Physicality with offensive ability is a weakness in the Canuck lineup. He can also play C or W, which makes him even more valuable. He is certainly going in the right direction on the development curve as well, Zack has his sights on the NHL for this season and this is what he is doing this summer... http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/sports/hockey/vancouver-canucks-prospect-zack-macewen-looking-forward-to-next-steps-236139/
  15. Beagle was signed to be a checking line C, as well as a PK specialist, which entails +++ d-zone minutes. I don't think EP ever plays on that line, although I wouldn't mind seeing Roussel play on the 2nd line with him (if EP is playing C). I agree with your summation in the last sentence.
  16. I never want to see a player like Jack Hughes on the 4th line.
  17. Gadj better speed up his skating if he wants to play on that line. This is more like it.
  18. If Hutton played with the heart, energy and adaptability that Biega has, he'd be a lock on the D. Right now, it's looking like it may be time for Ben to move on.
  19. Forgot the lockout. It will be fantastic if Olli has anywhere near the career Dan has had. Really like the comparison and think he and Quinn will be the foundation of a pretty good D in a few years. Hopefully Woo or a future draft pick will match up on the right side.
  20. Juolevi reminds me of Hamhuis. Dan should have been a top 5 pick in his draft, but for all the fw duds picked. Komisarek was the only d picked ahead of him. He started his career D+2yrs (he was Dec born, so older than most in his draft) and then returned to the AHL for the following year. His game took of when he was 22yrs old (23yrs in Dec). Subsequently, Dan has played more NHL games than any player in his draft. Juolevi has a comparable game to Hamhuis and appears to have a similar temperament. Olli may or may not be as durable as Dan, but I think he is more mobile and will score more points. I have no doubts he will be the #2LD on our young team; sometimes moving up to #1 when Quinn is injured.
  21. In retrospect, for sure. It wasn't at the time when you consider that Barry Petterson was a high scoring Center and Glen Wesley (3rd overall pick in '87) turned out to be a very good dman. On paper, it looked like a really good trade. BPs health was questionable, but he had put up good #s the season after his surgery. Trading Wesley for crap was really bad. In the end, it was really bad luck with BPs health and an uniformed decision not to keep Wesley.
  22. Why do you label classy guys as wimps? I would say that guys like Horvat and Boeser play just as hard to win as your rats, jerks and whiners. It sure looks like some of the upcoming prospects will play in a similar fashion as well. A championship team needs a balanced blend of players with many different skills and roles. An entire team of agitators and pests might be entertaining (until people grow weary of all the game stoppage), but I can't see them winning a cup.
  23. Sutter is another undervalued player by many of the fans. I highlighted your comments that point out what a tremendous defensive C he is and what a significant player he is on our team. I also prefer Sutter to continue in his role as the key shutdown guy, despite the addition of Beagle. I think that Pettersson can play a decent defensive game when required, so he doesn't need the sheltering that Sutter provides. I would rather see Granlund, Gagner or Gaudette as C (until Pettersson can take over), along with Baer or Eriksson (especially like Loui's defensive game) on the wing. I have a suspicion that Elias is probably good at taking faceoffs, but will need plenty of time to learn the NHL game as a top 6 C
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