King Heffy Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Higgins had multiple productive seasons with Montreal. Raymond had one fluke 25 goal season and has been awful ever since. No contest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackamore Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I like Higgins, I like Raymond. I hope they both, as well as the team as a whole, all come back and have a healthy career season. I don't understand why we have to knock down one player on the team to prop up another. Internal competition within the team will sort it out without the fans and media constantly having to go after select, non-flavor of the year players. Regarding Raymond, I find it mindboggling how disrespectful a certain part of the Canuck fan base can be towards a player drafted by this organization who has gone through one of the worst injuries we have seen on this team. My son, also a serious competitive athlete, suffered a vertebra compression fracture with nerve and soft tissue damage [like Raymond] and it took three years of serious rehab for him to return to the same level of core strength and balance he had before his injury, and he outweighs Raymond by more than twenty five pounds. So Raymond gets a big thumbs up from me for his effort last year, it was gutsy of him. After not knowing if he would be able to return to the game he loves and makes a living from, I would have wanted to get back out there as soon as possible too just to prove to myself I could. I don't think his game was quite as strong in 2010/11 as his career year in 09, but he was far from useless. It has been documented he had been on pace with his even strength goals in twelve less games, but lost points when he received much less powerplay time and Kesler was moved to the top PP line. It has also been noted that Kesler, the winner of the Selke award that year, had a possession percentage of fifty eight with Raymond as his winger and only fifty two percent when Raymond was not. There is a reason why winners of these awards thank their teammates, they would not be able to do what they do without them. Until last year Raymond was not jnjury prone, but 09/10 he was slowed down with the broken thumb as well as the hand injury that had him miss several practices in October and November, and then the sore shoulder. Would have been interesting to see what he could have done this past season if he had not ended the previous playoffs in a back brace. I like Higgins too, I think they both bring valuable tangibles to the team. Higgins is two years older and twenty pounds heavier enabling him to play a different style along the boards, and hit harder. He is a workhorse. I laughed at how smug some of the media sounded when Raymond got sat in the press box late in the season in a game which Vancouver lost. They wondered why it had taken so long, and then after the game they sadly discussed the one thing that the game had seemed to be been missing, even with Booth and Hanson in the line up. That was the speed Raymond brings. Higgins has played well for Vancouver, this is also his fifth team. After a strong couple of years in Montreal his play dropped off too, supposedly rumor has it because of lifestyle choices. Raymond's was from injuries. Higgins has been able to finally settle in with a mature group of players in Vancouver, and with hard work regain his consistency. Maybe being traded five times was a kick in the butt he needed.Even everyone's favorite,Jannik Hanson, started the season slow, and he was one of the few on the team to have come out of the Stanley cup final relatively unscathed. He was criticized for not hitting or scoring until he got moved up with the Sedins. Then while he was finally starting to get points, he still was not hitting. It took a while for him to regain his game last season just coming back from the a Stanley cup hangover, and not trying to come back from a major injury. If Raymond can get his back healthy again he has just as good a chance of finding his game again too 2005-2006 CANADIENS 80 23 15 38 -1 26 7 3 3 148 15.5 2006-2007 CANADIENS 61 22 16 38 -11 26 8 3 3 159 13.8 2007-2008 CANADIENS 82 27 25 52 0 22 12 0 5 241 11.2 2008-2009 CANADIENS 57 12 11 23 -1 22 2 2 1 151 7.9 2008-2009 UNITED STATES-WC-A 6 1 0 1 2 2009-2010 RANGERS 55 6 8 14 -9 32 0 0 1 137 4.4 2009-2010 FLAMES 12 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 28 7.1 2010-2011 PANTHERS 48 11 12 23 5 10 0 0 0 126 8.7 2010-2011 CANUCKS 14 2 3 5 0 6 1 0 0 34 5.9 2011-2012 CANUCKS 71 18 25 43 11 16 1 1 4 165 10.9 Even everyone's favorite,Jannik Hanson, started the season slow, and he was one of the few on the team to have come out of the Stanley cup final relatively unscathed. He was criticized for not hitting or scoring until he got moved up with the Sedins. Then while he was finally starting to get points, he still was not hitting. It took a while for him to regain his game last season just coming back from the a Stanley cup hangover, and not trying to come back from a major injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5minutesinthebox Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Healthy Higgins, all day every day. Is this really a question even? P.S. Here's why: Raymond is a good scorer when healthy, however Higgins isn't one dimensional - he can play Offensively, defensively, and on special teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Mind Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Is it just me, or does it feel odd to see Raymond score like that? It's just been so long I guess. And how can anyone hate on Raymond after he was one of the only guys to hit marchand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smashian Kassian Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Have you ever watched an NHL game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlayStation Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I'd say Higgins was one of our best, and most consistent players last season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodee Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 It has to be Raymond .........no surprise there eh? Rationally even in those few clips the difference is obvious. Raymond makes things happen. He has the ability on his day to take the puck and open up a defence. The poster above is right we have not really seen Raymond fully healthy over the past 2 years and that is something that most fans on here are not astute enough to realise..............unlike Mike Gillis. Raymond fit and healthy has it all. He has the ability to light us up and that should not be forgotten. When you take his salary into account he could be the bargain of the season for us next year. I can't wait to see him on the second with a centre who passes to him. He may still have little luck getting a pass from Booth but maybe with Schroeder or even Arnott that might change. As for consistency...........how can you talk about consistency when one player has had so many "game affecting" injuries? As for playoffs last season..........well I hardly noticed Higins on the ice. Raymond played a pretty gutsy game considering his injury. (apart from his attempted hit that is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topbananas Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Mason, hands down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray_Cathode Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Healthy Higgins, all day every day. Is this really a question even? P.S. Here's why: Raymond is a good scorer when healthy, however Higgins isn't one dimensional - he can play Offensively, defensively, and on special teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggins Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Healthy Higgins, all day every day. Is this really a question even? P.S. Here's why: Raymond is a good scorer when healthy, however Higgins isn't one dimensional - he can play Offensively, defensively, and on special teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SukhKular Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Who the hell voted Raymond? Was it Mason? Are you on CDC, Mason? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABurrows14 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 They're pretty much the exact same player... Except for one thing. Higgins can hit people, whereas Raymond can fall down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABurrows14 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 It has to be Raymond .........no surprise there eh? Rationally even in those few clips the difference is obvious. Raymond makes things happen. He has the ability on his day to take the puck and open up a defence. The poster above is right we have not really seen Raymond fully healthy over the past 2 years and that is something that most fans on here are not astute enough to realise..............unlike Mike Gillis. Raymond fit and healthy has it all. He has the ability to light us up and that should not be forgotten. When you take his salary into account he could be the bargain of the season for us next year. I can't wait to see him on the second with a centre who passes to him. He may still have little luck getting a pass from Booth but maybe with Schroeder or even Arnott that might change. As for consistency...........how can you talk about consistency when one player has had so many "game affecting" injuries? As for playoffs last season..........well I hardly noticed Higins on the ice. Raymond played a pretty gutsy game considering his injury. (apart from his attempted hit that is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABurrows14 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Huh? Raymond plays PP, PK and can play the point on the PP to boot. How is that one dimensional? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABurrows14 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 The fact that you just called Raymond one dimensional shows you know absolutely nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kumquats Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 His play was on a steady decline before that injury Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brahma Bull Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Higgins goes beast in the playoffs. Raymond has shown no signs of elevating his game in the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodee Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 The fact that you can't see he brings nothing to the table shows you know absolutely nothing 1. Since he arrived he has always played on the periphery, never gone to the net, hard spots to score, his one good year was more a benefit of playing with Kesler than him being the 'man' 2. He falls down religiously, can't stay on his skates 3. Weighs about as much as a 12 yr old girl, partially the cause of number 2 4. Skates really well but when its time to do something with the puck, either falls down, loses it, or shoots it at the goalies chest 5. Gets knocked off the puck very easily because of his size 6. Can't play along the boards (same issue as 5) 7. Great at circling in tight spaces but who cares if you can't get to the net 8. Disappears in the playoffs (again size), look at his playoff stats prior to his back injury 9. Scared to go to the hard spots on the ice where most goals are scored 10. Now, having broken his back #9 will be worse So tell me what exactly does he add? Case closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bodee Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Higgins goes beast in the playoffs. Raymond has shown no signs of elevating his game in the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaMacNamedDre Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Raymond is great at cleaning the ice but so is the zamboni in between periods making him redundant. If the kid doesn't come back to camp in the best shape of his life and an extra 10-15 lbs of muscle he will truly be a lost cause and waste of time. Really tho, i hope he was re-signed only as bait to pad the Luongo trade so we get something useful in return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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