Was letting Raymond walk a mistake?

[Bodee]

Raymond is a perimeter player with speed. So what? He burns in, does a spin and falls down, his pattern play. He is super replaceable.

[Moonshinefe]

Raymond was just too soft in the end. He had his upsides and was an OK player, but the Canucks need to get tougher. Raymond would show flashes of being a decent offensive player then disappear for games at a time. A very frustrating player to watch and I understand why he was such a scapegoat.

At any rate, we needed a shake up on the team and Raymond needed to move on. Hopefully he finds a decent career elsewhere where a team needs a more defensive, speedy winger that isn't physical.

[Bodee]

Raymond was far from a "perimeter" player this year, he scored many goals in between the dots and off the rush/breakaways. He was a good passer, often setting up tap in goals to his linemates and some impressive stretch passes for breakaways. A good portion of his goals and points came vs playoff teams. There was a few cases where Raymond was too aggressive around the crease and/or going to the net and was called for interference.

If you don't believe in resigning him, fine, but this "perimeter" garbage needs to stop. It's rhetoric brainwashing brought over from the previous, injury recovering year.

Not to mention, this is a guy who takes baseball swing highsticks and pucks to the face, stays standing ( unlike a few guys around the league who would happily fall to the ice grabbing their face and peeking at the refs through the cracks of their fingers.), spits out the blood and comes back to score a goal. Breaks his back? leaves the ice on his own skates. He's certainly not gritty or physical, but he's not soft.

[Clinch16]

Are you aware how misinformed and ignorant a comment like that makes you look. You give "hyperbole" a bad rep. Actually like most of you people who make cracks like that I suspect you never watch a whole Canucks game or have the attention span of a gnat with heatstroke.

[Bodee]

What does Raymond do that nobody else on this team can? Speed means nothing if there's nothing to show as a result.

[Bodee]

I bet you're doing an honour lap right now over that gem. Brutal

[Mr.Canuckrazy]

I think that overall not getting another top 9 forward was a mistake.

[SergioMomesso]

Sedin Sedin Kassian

Booth Kesler Burrows

Higgins _____ Hansen

Sestito Richardson Weisse

Santorelli

No room in our top nine for Raymond anymore. Too soft. Falls down at least 2 times a shift. Same 2 moves everytime. Goes wide or stops at blue line and gets knocked over.

We do not have the cash for another top nine forward. it's time one of our prospects comes in and takes the job.

[Batmania]

Last season.

Tell me how many times he played in the top 6?

How many games did he partner rookies?

How often did he play with low end low producers?

THAT is why he got top minutes...........as defensive two way cover. Put him in a good line, with a playmaking centre and you will see his production go to 50-60 points

[DownUndaCanuck]

Say what you want about Raymond, he's a fast, skilled player who's 15-20 goals a season needs to be replaced.

MG is relying on prospects like Jensen, Lain, Gaunce and maybe even Horvat/Shinkaruk to chip in that offence, but Raymond also brings 2nd PP skill and PK abilities to the team that will be hard to replace (along with Lapierre's PK time as well).

I think Tortorella is expecting the twins to replace those big PK minutes which will be an adventure.

[SergioMomesso]

Say what you want about Raymond, he's a fast, skilled player who's 15-20 goals a season needs to be replaced.

MG is relying on prospects like Jensen, Lain, Gaunce and maybe even Horvat/Shinkaruk to chip in that offence, but Raymond also brings 2nd PP skill and PK abilities to the team that will be hard to replace (along with Lapierre's PK time as well).

I think Tortorella is expecting the twins to replace those big PK minutes which will be an adventure.

[Moonshinefe]

Someone who ACTUALLY WATCHES games it seems as opposed to most of the "hockey lightweights" on here who muster up their lynch mob mentality because they haven't the ability to analyse what they are watching so they just regurgitate what the other playstation jockeys write.

[Pavelinden]

We don't need Raymond too many rushes screwed up because he has no balance.

[SergioMomesso]

Uh huh, and I guess the Canucks organization slashing Raymond's salary and then letting him go before other, similar players is just because they're "lightweights" that don't know anything about hockey too? You know the game better than them?

You're treating him like he's a 1st liner who failed to achieve because it was everyone else's fault. The verbal abuse toward others and ridiculous homerism is getting silly man, it's time to move on. I'm sure you can follow Raymond on his new team.

[UFCanuck]

Say what you want about Raymond, he's a fast, skilled player who's 15-20 goals a season needs to be replaced.

MG is relying on prospects like Jensen, Lain, Gaunce and maybe even Horvat/Shinkaruk to chip in that offence, but Raymond also brings 2nd PP skill and PK abilities to the team that will be hard to replace (along with Lapierre's PK time as well).

I think Tortorella is expecting the twins to replace those big PK minutes which will be an adventure.

[CanucksJay]

What happened to the 3.5m we thought some GM was going to throw at him?

Was listening to FAN 960 in Calgary and found it interesting.

They think while Calgary wants Raymond, they don't want him bad enough.

They don't want to tip their hand and don't want to over spend on Raymond so while Raymond wants to go to Calgary and Calgary wants him, they will take the chance and if he signs elsewhere, no big deal, but if they end up signing him in a couple weeks at a discount, then so be it.

They also question if he's even worth1.5 to 2m and I think they are hoping to maybe even sign him for less... (As they have to decide whether using Raymond over a young guy liek Baerstchi is worth it

[higgyfan]

I'd rather not replace Raymond's 15 goals. That get's us a few more points and a possibly a couple more w's but he's useless in the playoffs.

Finish in a lower seed is ideal now. We start off better on the road and if we lose we get a good draft pick.

Younger better players than Raymond can be developed during the regular season.

[Tortorella's Rant]

If you need to be told, maybe hockey is too complicated a sport for you.

Seriously, have you watched him when on a decent line, then have you watched him when he plays with rookies and underachievers? The difference is he still produces, still makes chances, still covers for his team mates defensive faux pas.

It's not his fault AV was obsessed with using his abilities to put out fires on the 3rd instead of lighting up on the 2nd.

[JamesB]

4: He was one of the better goal scorers on the Canucks. When he was on his game, he was unstoppable.

I think he made fair money for what he brought to the team and you could probably sign him right now even cheaper than what he made before... Why is he not being given another chance? Great value player as the Canucks are pretty tight up against the cap. He'll bring more than a lot of the guys getting overpaid in free agency.

I'd like to see Raymond back.

Thoughts?

[farcus]

yes, because i think we could of traded him for something. i never understand management. if u r not going to resign a player, trade him, instead of losing him for nothing.