The Kesler Situation

[Canucklehead73]

I'm not a fan of Kesler simply because I hate the rush up the ice shot off the glass insanity...

But I would keep him for sure, any team wanting to go for the cup needs a player who can step into any situation and win a face-off at a critical point in the game. Kesler in not perfect but he can skate shoot pass hit win faceoffs and draw penalties. He needs to play a secondary role on a line and be "used" though as he thinks he is Guy Lafluer right now.

But the face-off factor is the critical thing for sure. If he can help our young centers learn that art form we should keep him until he retires as he says he wants to... It's a no brainer.

[Nino]

I'm not a fan of Kesler simply because I hate the rush up the ice shot off the glass insanity...

But I would keep him for sure, any team wanting to go for the cup needs a player who can step into any situation and win a face-off at a critical point in the game. Kesler in not perfect but he can skate shoot pass hit win faceoffs and draw penalties. He needs to play a secondary role on a line and be "used" though as he thinks he is Guy Lafluer right now.

But the face-off factor is the critical thing for sure. If he can help our young centers learn that art form we should keep him until he retires as he says he wants to... It's a no brainer.

I agree with you but think about this, he's a valuable trade asset in the nhl and he's unlikely to stay past the end of his contract (he bound to attract ridiculous FA offers and in that past he's shown he's willing to walk). We trade him now and get a good return or we keep him (in a rebuild) and let him walk, what's your choice? We are not a team even with Kess that could make a run in the next few years= he's no help to us!!! Trade him for a player or two that will help us when we may benefit from the help more.

[youngdad]

I really think what is best for Kesler is best for the Canucks. If he really wants to stay then I think we should keep him. All the things people are hyping about Kes for trade value (grit, great defence, great righty shot) are things we need too.

The only catch is the roster needs a fairly significant shake up. Whether that's by trading Kesler or some other core player(s), it is time.

If Kesler at all wants out we should do it now. Out if fairness to him, and because keeping a guy where he doesn't want to be is bad for the locker room and IMO the on ice product. The media is going to hound this Kesler thing all year if we are any worse than 5th in the conference. If there is any shred of truth to him wanting out just turn him loose now.

Let Kesler decide.

[Salmonberries]

The Kesler situation....is no longer a situation!

[Junkyard Dog]

The Kesler situation....is no longer a situation!

What?

[Time Lord]

For those that question Kesler's worth then why did USA Hockey have him on their top line at the Olympics?

Why consider trading him? IMHO it is because this core group is not good enough to be a serious CUP contender. If this assumption is correct then a new development timeline is required around another age cohort which I suggest is 20 - 24 year olds. We talk about a Kesler trade because his return is one of the largest from the existing roster.

Kesler has not shown enough consistancy as a 2C let alone inheriting the 1C from Henrik. Even the young (Santorelli) who Gillis signed as a FA played Kesler off the 2C this year. I am not suggesting Kesler is not a top 6 player but we have had two coaches who have not solved the 2nd line problem that has existed for over 3 seasons with Kes as the 2C.

Linden's challenge is building a top 6 line that can challenge the Twins for #1 in Van. There is no reason why the Twins cannot morph into a 2nd line threat. After the disaster of watching attempted PK duty by them this year I do not see them as viable 3rd liners.

IMHO the Canucks will not be CUP contenders until a new top line emerges and a talented offensive dman is developed/acquired. I saw enough of Kassian this year to think that he can play at least at 2RW with serious potential at 1RW. I would not use Hanson as a 'throw in' on any deal. He is a solid 3rd line player and not a top 6 which is what was attempted with him last year at times. He has a very physical and fast forecheck and can PK. What more is needed of him?

Edler: Moving him is like any other deal. It is all about what comes back and how that compliments your development timeline. Edler is still young enough that an incoming GM and coach might have ideas on how to turn him around. I thought Valk's comment about Tort's tearing him a new one turned the kid off for the season. Tort's even commented that he had not been able to get through to Edler. Edler's play has been trending down with both Tort's and AV which is not a good sign. If he is kept cut his TOI to 18-20 minutes and refocus his game around being a stay at home physical dman. Two coaching groups have not helped him. The risk of another group trying is that failure will reduce his trade value even further.

The difference between Van and so many other teams who share the cellar is that Van has a group of high level vets who could bring significant assets back to the org. The franchise's history is that the either held onto such assets to long to realize their value or they simply let them walk as UFA's. IMHO the Canuck management opted to ice a winning team at whatever short/long term cost as a sop their fan base. Win now with a weak roster depth equals long term failure.

Linden has more creditability with Van fans than anyone else I can think of. How long that lasts depends on how he defines the prospects of this org. Are Canuck fans willing to wait 5 years for another group of players to be developed into serious CUP contenders?

Great post, and I agree strongly with the bolded.

[CanucksSayEh]

I hated Kes until this season. Guy is our only real scorer. Can't lose him, don't give up, lets sign some Fa's, develope some younglings further, bounce back CUPPPPPPPPPPP!

[youngdad]

I hated Kes until this season. Guy is our only real scorer. Can't lose him, don't give up, lets sign some Fa's, develope some younglings further, bounce back CUPPPPPPPPPPP!

Go to bed kid.

[Me_]

That was the thought process with Schneids and Luo....so yeah. And Edler's "lets see how he is next year, break out year for sure!"

And from both our starter goalies we got Matthais, Markstrom, and Horvat.... What did Buffalo get for Miller?

Let's see:

NHL

Luongo

Schneider

Anthony

VAN

Matthias

Markstrom

1st '13 - Horvat

----------------------

STL

Miller

Ott

BUF

Halak

Stewart

Carrier

1st in '15

Conditional third-round draft pick in 2016

[youngdad]

Let's see:

NHL

Luongo

Schneider

Anthony

VAN

Matthias

Markstrom

1st '13 - Horvat

----------------------

STL

Miller

Ott

BUF

Halak

Stewart

Carrier

1st in '15

Conditional third-round draft pick in 2016

"GILLIIIIIIS!!!"

(In superintendent Chalmers' voice)

[messier's_elbow]

I think that, as a basis of a trade this is the minimum we should be asking for: a top prospect and a 1st. Minimum.

Here's the rub though…. since you are talking about a prospect that is extremely unlikely to be ready to step into the NHL immediately and a pick for the following year then there is little incentive to make that deal now as opposed to during the season. The 2015 pick, though in a good draft, is going to be low on the board with practically zero possibility of being a lottery pick. In my mind, that means that acquiring a similar pick in this type of deal is not going to be an immediate requirement as there will ample opportunity to find a similar pick at a future point, and it will not bear fruit for several seasons at any rate.

I'll never advocate for blowing up a roster with the intention of tanking, especially when our team is compromised as it is currently, so any deal of this type will entirely hinge upon any subsequent moves. Your proposed trade, in isolation, is not enough to indicate the totality of the franchise direction.

Is this proposed deal the one that gives us the most options at this juncture to augment the other parts of our organization that require attention? It's possible, as exampled by the Anaheim rumours involving picks and prospects, that there are better deals to be had for our current needs. Would not Vatanen, 10th overall 2014, + not be as equally good or better for our organization?

Since we have a nearly full roster currently, with our RFAs signed, and still maintaining potential cap space for a UFA then there must be one or more other trades to be made as well. My reasoning for this is that I find it entirely unlikely that the organization will enter the season with 5+ million dollars in unused cap space.

Who will be the GM?

Who will be the coach?

Are we going to buy out Booth?

Are we also looking to move a d-man?

What UFAs are we targeting?

Are we seeking another goaltender?

How ready are our young players to assume quality minutes, especially at centre?

These questions are more easily answered after this draft and during the UFA period, at the earliest, and probably better served even after training camp breaks . As I said before, we lack too much information at this current moment to just make a move like this without having the complete big picture plan in place.

How can we know what trades are right to make when we don't know what the competing offers are or what other player have received substantial interest off of our roster?

Honestly ive just heard from a few sources that Pouliot might be back on the table, since Letang looks ok again. I think Pouliot is a cant miss prospect and a PMD which we need to succeed.

[Fozzy]

Said it before

Kesler is probably my favourite player on the team but if Pittsburgh comes calling with Pouliot, a 2015 1st and a roster player(Bennett) I'd do that.

Too many NTC on this team so I think only Hansen will be moved.

Although I would ask Edler to give me a list of teams if it was up to me.

If Kesler goes go for Stasny on the FA list. Don't think the Canucks will buy out Booth as they have just shelled out cash to Gillis and Torts. Booth has one year so I think we will attempt a trade next season but he will start the season here IMO

Sedin Sedin Jensen.

Booth Stasny Kassian

Burrows Santo Horvat

Higgins Mathias Bennett.

Hamhuis Bieksa

Tanev garrison

FA. Stanton

Pouliot in the prospect pool as he isn't ready for the bigs yet. Get a reliable FA 3rd pairing D.

Third and fourth lines can play decent minutes and will hustle like hell.

Second line is a bit of a bruiser line.

Not many changes but gives the kids a full year in the bigs (Jensen and Horvat). Next year or during the season Booth will be gone.

This will give us some decent cap space for 2015. Not sure what the FA list is like then.

[Baggins]

I still cannot understand why one or two of our top prospects were not given a 9 game tryout at the start of the year.

The answer to that was obvious. You can only have so many players on the active roster. Who do you put through waivers to send to the farm team to give a kid, who obviously wasn't ready, a nine game taste just for the hell of it? I don't think there were any forwards on the opening roster that weren't waiver eligible.

Losing depth to appease the fans prospect woody for nine games is a fools move.

[MayRayDown]

The answer to that was obvious. You can only have so many players on the active roster. Who do you put through waivers to send to the farm team to give a kid, who obviously wasn't ready, a nine game taste just for the hell of it? I don't think there were any forwards on the opening roster that weren't waiver eligible.

Losing depth to appease the fans prospect woody for nine games is a fools move.

wasn't Burrows on ltir for the first 10 games of the season? I think there was room but shinkurak would of been further injured playing against men with a bad hip.

[Canuck Surfer]

Totally agree Kryten.

No need to rush into any moves regarding Kesler right now.

Off-topic: IMO the definition of insanity is using Einstein's quote to define insanity.

On-topic: I would absolutely love Kesler to stay with this team, especially with new coaching and management ahead. I doubt Kesler is moved at or before the draft, I imagine the new front office would like to see how the team reacts to the changes first. If things don't look good and Kes is still unhappy, then ship him. There really isn't a reason to be impatient when it comes to moving a player of Kes' caliber.

I also agree.

Kryten has this nailed IMO.

[MattJVD]

wasn't Burrows on ltir for the first 10 games of the season? I think there was room but shinkurak would of been further injured playing against men with a bad hip.

Burrows was injured during the first game of the season. We would have to have been compliant with a 23 man roster before that.

[SAMCRO]

Hope the pens lose to AVs rangers so they can crank up the offer for Kesler.

[RockNroLLa.]

We need Benning as GM and Tim Burke as AGM.

Hire one of Trotz, Johnston, Blashill

Trade Edler and our 6th for 1st..draft Ekblad.

Trade Kesler to Pitt for Pulliot, Sutter and 1st.

Check out UFAs Stastny etc

Groom our youth, with simliar styles in in both the main club and the farm.

Trade Garrison and/or Hamhuis plus any other old timers..for 2015 1st round picks.

Sign Schneider at next years FA period.

Trade Lack for a mid 1st round pick for 2016.

Our future Dcore and Goaltending

Ekblad Tanev

Pulliot Cederholm

Stanton Bieksa

Corrado Hutton

Schneider

Ericsson

Edit: Make all our youth players watch Mtl vs Bos game 6 2014 playoffs and tell them they better play like how Mtl did, with robust speed, determination and net protection.

[Canuck Surfer]

The answer to that was obvious. You can only have so many players on the active roster. Who do you put through waivers to send to the farm team to give a kid, who obviously wasn't ready, a nine game taste just for the hell of it? I don't think there were any forwards on the opening roster that weren't waiver eligible.

Losing depth to appease the fans prospect woody for nine games is a fools move.

There was only a lack of space because we picked up Stanton, but also Dalpe and Welsh occupied spots. Have the forethought to keep Stanton (who would have been replaced by Corrado anyways not a forward) but not Dalpe and Welsh and there was room for a 9 game trial for Horvat and Shinkaruk.

If they flunked the 9 game trial, there were bargain basement but viable free agents available (Simon Gagne) that were heads and shoulders more likely to be helpful than those two.

[PhillipBlunt]

Kesler wants to leave. It was reported during the season. He subsequently denied it. However, the season is now over. Linden met with Kes and talked to him about the future. When asked about the conversation Linden avoided saying anything concrete. Ask yourself this, If Kesler told Linden he wants to stay why wouldn't Linden come out and say that?

Kesler wants to leave. When a suitable trade is found the deal will happen.

Linden won't come out and say it because he doesn't need to. Just because all the parasites in the media and Pavlovian fans are salivating for some news on the team, doesn't mean they're going to get it. Nor should they.