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Wayne Simmonds... do the Canucks really need him?


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With the dominance of Wayne Simmonds both during the regular and playoff seasons, do we feel, as per Mike Gillis's parting philosophy, that the Canucks need to get "Bigger and more physical"? Then we need a player like Wayne Simmonds; equally as likely to win a fight as he is to score a goal.

I wonder what CDC thinks about Bertuzzi in his prime vs. Simmonds and if Kassian will achieve that level of play or if we need to still get a new power forward prospect.

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I don't think it's ever only about size and getting bigger. Speed and skill imo trumps size. If a player is so skilled and fast that no one can touch them, then it basically eliminates the need for size.

Remember when Keith knocked out Daniel in 2012? In our next game against Chicago our players all tried going after him but Keith is just such a good skater that no one could even touch him.

That being said, obviously acquiring a guy like Simmonds (or Evander Kane who everyone here is obsessed about) for that matter would likely be beneficial to any team. But at the same time, I don't think players like that are worth the cost. Obviously, they are skilled, fast, and play a big, physical game but they are expensive to acquire. I think Kassian and Jensen will be capable of playing the big, fast, physical and skill game in the future but who knows...maybe that style will be "out" in the future when they are fully developed.

The NHL is constantly changing and if we are building to match what teams are doing currently, we will always be behind. Yes, acquiring Simmonds may help now but will it put us over the top? Probably not. We are better off rebuilding/retooling through the draft and acquiring the BPA (most skilled player...if he has size then that's a bonus but not a requirement).

Imo the Canucks are better off keeping their young players and their 6th overall pick. If we want to have a quick retool/rebuild the only way to do that is the get our young players to step up. It worked in Chicago (Shaw, Saad, Bickell) and San Jose (Hertl and Couture). Our young guys like Kassian, Jensen, Tanev and Stanton all took huge steps in their development next year and I'm excited to see what they can do, along with Horvat, Shinkaruk, Gaunce, Fox, Cassels, etc.

Obviously, not everyone will make the team but I think the Canucks are up for some exciting times. Also, teams don't get high draft picks too often and I think that we can get a very good young player who will be a cornerstone of the franchise if we pick carefully. I'm not gonna go into that though because this is a thread about acquiring Simmonds. Sorry for going off topic!

All in all, I think that having a balance between size, speed and skill is ideal. But Simmonds isn't the guy that the Canucks need at this point in time. Two years ago? Maybe. But now we are in a retool/rebuild phase and I think it'll be better to let our younger guys develop together, much like how the Burrows, Kesler, Bieksa and the rest did.

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Hey man, no problem. I'm also excited about several prospects who I hope get additional NHL ice time next year. Anyway, I was just wondering what it'd be like to have Simmonds on our team. He's sort of like a bigger, badder Burrows who mucks it up in front of the net and shovels in any puck that gets into there. Plus he intimidates the other team and never backs down from a fight (he & Hartnell). It makes for an amazing offensive combination with Giroux doing his brilliance back there on the PP.

Anyway, I hope Kassian is on the path to rocking a major role as a power forward in the next year or two, he seems close.

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Hey man, no problem. I'm also excited about several prospects who I hope get additional NHL ice time next year. Anyway, I was just wondering what it'd be like to have Simmonds on our team. He's sort of like a bigger, badder Burrows who mucks it up in front of the net and shovels in any puck that gets into there. Plus he intimidates the other team and never backs down from a fight (he & Hartnell). It makes for an amazing offensive combination with Giroux doing his brilliance back there on the PP.

Anyway, I hope Kassian is on the path to rocking a major role as a power forward in the next year or two, he seems close.

Yeah, I mean a guy like Simmonds will probably help any team that he goes to. He will definitely help us in the short term but imo that's not what the Canucks need. He's not "old" by any means but he's already 25 and by the time our younger guys like Horvat, Shinkaruk, Jensen, etc. are ready to make some noise Simmonds could be less effective. I'm not sure if he can keep his playing style up for too long...look at Burrows and Kesler.

I think at this point the Canucks need to decide whether they want to win in the short-term or long-term. If we want the win in the short-term, then by all means. Go out there and get Simmonds, and other skilled top-six players. Let's make another run for the cup. But if we are aiming to go the San Jose route then we are better off drafting well and developing well and letting guys within our system step in right before the window closes on our current core.

The Sharks look great right now with Couture and Hertl stepping in and taking the pressure of Thornton and Marleau. I hope that in one or two years Horvat, Shinkaruk and our 6th overall pick this year can do the same. Like you said, Kassian also is doing great and his development has really took off. Same for Jensen who has shown that he can score at this level. Now what we need is for them to show that they can score consistently. If the stars align, the Canucks are in for some good times. The future isn't all negative!

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Would I like to have Simmonds on my team, any day. But the price it will cost to pull him from Philly is astronomic. Not only has he shown dominance in his situation, but his contract is incredible. At a cap hit of about or a little less than 4 mill for 5 more seasons? Great deal. He should be a consistent 50+ point scorer while adding strength and grit. He can play anywhere in the top line and seems to find chemistry relatively easily with other quality players. I think it's because of his style, it complements skilled players similar to that of a Burrows. (excluding this season) But if you wanted to trade for him, be prepared to give up an arm, and a leg. I'm not a big supporter of a Kesler trade unless there is significant return. This year when we heard rumors about Kes going to Philly, I was praying for a Wayne Simmands Brayden Schen/Sean Cuturier deal. Ah well

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With the dominance of Wayne Simmonds both during the regular and playoff seasons, do we feel, as per Mike Gillis's parting philosophy, that the Canucks need to get "Bigger and more physical"? Then we need a player like Wayne Simmonds; equally as likely to win a fight as he is to score a goal.

I wonder what CDC thinks about Bertuzzi in his prime vs. Simmonds and if Kassian will achieve that level of play or if we need to still get a new power forward prospect.

how good would our team be if we could get Simmons for Edler and a second in 2015; Evander Kane for this year's first and second plus Hansen and sauve. We would immediately solve a lot of problems this team has. Second line scoring. Would take a lot of pressure off the Sedins. Size and toughness to compete with California teams.
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I have been wanting Simmonds on this team for years.

What baffles me is how he is able to play his style of game. At 6'2 he is listed at 182, which even then is generous considering he is a twig.

Look at his legs....

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