Why is Linden Vey still here?

[Fred65]

I read some place Vey had the most minutes (in Pitts) of the forwards and that's not right and reflects bad bench management. But Vey has looked pretty good along side Burrows and Etem. They seem cohesive and can make plays, certainly woke Burrows up and Etem is benefitting too. The line that frankly letting us down is the McCann line and that will be sorted out shortly when Henrik returns. Right now ( seems strange to say this ) Vcr has 3 offensive lines. In fact I'd go so far as to say Sutter plays on the 4th when he returns. Zalewski goes down and Prust too. Some one will pick up Prust and I hope for his sake it's closer to Mtl and his wifey because it seems like the life of a monk is not doing Mr Prust any good. Maybe his concentration is limited he has been moved along by a number of teams and was firmly seated in the press box in Mtl. Maybe it's his ankle still bothering him but after the all star game JB has some decissions to make

[Alflives]

14 hours ago, lolwut? said:

I'm gonna disagree with this stance on our team.. although the Canucks have been anything but top end this season, they are not a *bottom team*..

The reason why I wouldn't classify this team as bottom end are because we have, by all accounts, two very capable goaltenders and demko ripping it up in juniors, a very capable and potentially excellent group of up and coming forwards, and some great players on D in Tanev and Hutton.  Not to mention the Sedins who are still hanging in there amongst the top scorers in the league.

No question,  we have plenty of room for improvements, but based on the above alone I'd argue we do not qualify as a bottom feeder. 

I accept your reasoning, but differ.  We are in the bottom quarter of the league, and only slightly above the lowest teams.  We have two old Twins keeping us from scrounging for crumbs As a bottom feeder. IMHAO

[canuckleheads fan]

14 minutes ago, Fred65 said:

I read some place Vey had the most minutes (in Pitts) of the forwards and that's not right and reflects bad bench management. But Vey has looked pretty good along side Burrows and Etem. They seem cohesive and can make plays, certainly woke Burrows up and Etem is benefitting too. The line that frankly letting us down is the McCann line and that will be sorted out shortly when Henrik returns. Right now ( seems strange to say this ) Vcr has 3 offensive lines. In fact I'd go so far as to say Sutter plays on the 4th when he returns. Zalewski goes down and Prust too. Some one will pick up Prust and I hope for his sake it's closer to Mtl and his wifey because it seems like the life of a monk is not doing Mr Prust any good. Maybe his concentration is limited he has been moved along by a number of teams and was firmly seated in the press box in Mtl. Maybe it's his ankle still bothering him but after the all star game JB has some decissions to make

I've explained that elsewhere. McCann is aweful on the dot, so Vey was taking most of his Dzone faceoffs after a stoppage, and then switching off after the puck cleared the zone. He would then come back for his regular shift. If you have a third line center that you trust to take defensive zone draws, it means you don't have to shuffle your lines like you would if Jake took those draws.

[Fred65]

5 minutes ago, canuckleheads fan said:

I've explained that elsewhere. McCann is aweful on the dot, so Vey was taking most of his Dzone faceoffs after a stoppage, and then switching off after the puck cleared the zone. He would then come back for his regular shift. If you have a third line center that you trust to take defensive zone draws, it means you don't have to shuffle your lines like you would if Jake took those draws.

I can see that except Vey's FO % is only 46% I'd agree if you were doing that with Horvat who is 50% hey even Zalewsky is better than Vey. ( 60% but in only 2 games won 6 of 10 ) Some thing to watch for  :-)

[Crabcakes]

37 minutes ago, canuckleheads fan said:

Or more likely, Vey stays on the third line, since that has been our second best line (best if you include +/-) since we acquired Etem. Somebody else noted this, since Vey's recall the team is 8-4-3, which includes this very successful road trip, much of it without our best player. In the 15 games prior to Vey's recall, the team was 5-7-3. Our faceoff percentage has also steadily improved since his return. Vey is a very useful player, he plays a responsible 200 foot game with a high hockey IQ and creativity. He can play PP and PK minutes without looking out of place, and is good on the dot, according to the SN crew, best in the 7 games prior to Pittsburgh, and faced Bergeron in the final 30 seconds in Boston, and set up Daniel's clincher.

Yes we didn't draft him, but he is much better than he was last year. He is here because TG (who would have a lot of input) and JB thought he was the most ready for the role he's playing. More ready than any of the other centers in Utica. Before he got hurt in Utica, Vey was centering Shink, so some of his success is thanks to Vey.

Isn't it a hint to you Gaunce fan boys that not only was Vey more ready to be here, but so was Zalewski. Our management knows what they're doing! With another off-season to get even stronger and continue to improve, Vey will be a fixture. JB traded for Vey. I'm sure WD had some input, but JB saw something worth spending a 2nd round pick on. Vey had great success in JR and in the A.

Vey stays on the 3rd line, Jared, Dorsett, Jake and Zalewski rotate on the 4th line. Cracknell will clear waivers, and go to Utica where he was intended to be at the start of the season. Or Cracknell stays and Zalewski returns to Utica.

 

 

If Sutter goes on the wing with Hank, then the Vey line has a chance to stay together as you would like.  I'll give you that the 3rd line with Vey and Etem has been an offensive threat even though they haven't produced a lot.  Vey has been better at face offs some games but it remains that his average is still 46.6% which is only 2% better than last year.  And I wouldn't say that Vey is responsible for the recent success of the Canucks; it's coincidental.  Horvat and Baertschi are on a tear. 

I'm not anti-Vey.  He's better than he was last year (incrementally) and not as bad as he was at camp (the effort that got him sent down).  I think he stays with the team for the rest of the season.  After that, it's up to him because the competition for spots in the line up isn't getting any easier.  If Benning brings a top 6 RW in from outside (if by trade or free agency) Sutter is playing centre next season, and Vey will be looking for another job. 

The Zalewski call up was just to see what they had in him at this level.  He looks decent after only 2 games and I think has a shot at the 4C spot next year.  He has speed, size, and is good at face offs.  He's better suited for that role than Vey is, and Vey is certainly behind Hank, Sutter, Horvat, and McCann in the depth chart.  Cracknell will looking for a job elsewhere next year as well imo.

 

Btw, I don't think you could call me a Gaunce fan-boy.  I like what he brings and think that next season, room will likely be made for him (as I said before).  Travis Green sees him as a LW long term.  The fan-boys are always trying to shoe-horn him in at centre.  That ain't happening.

 

[canuckleheads fan]

1 hour ago, Fred65 said:

I can see that except Vey's FO % is only 46% I'd agree if you were doing that with Horvat who is 50% hey even Zalewsky is better than Vey. ( 60% but in only 2 games won 6 of 10 ) Some thing to watch for  :-)

It's a lot harder to have your 2C to take draws for your 1C and make sure he gets enough rest between shifts. Somebody needs to take the draws for McCann, or the first line would never get out of their zone. Also, Bo was taking all the key PK draws and playing first line PP and PK. According to the SN crew, Vey had the team's best FO% for the seven games prior to Pittsburgh, so WD was also riding the hot hand. Vey's FO% over the past eight games has been stellar, especially when you consider he's been doing a lot of that against the best centers on the other teams. He played a lot against Bergeron and Crosby.

[canuckleheads fan]

44 minutes ago, Crabcakes said:

If Sutter goes on the wing with Hank, then the Vey line has a chance to stay together as you would like.  I'll give you that the 3rd line with Vey and Etem has been an offensive threat even though they haven't produced a lot.  Vey has been better at face offs some games but it remains that his average is still 46.6% which is only 2% better than last year.  And I wouldn't say that Vey is responsible for the recent success of the Canucks; it's coincidental.  Horvat and Baertschi are on a tear. 

I'm not anti-Vey.  He's better than he was last year (incrementally) and not as bad as he was at camp (the effort that got him sent down).  I think he stays with the team for the rest of the season.  After that, it's up to him because the competition for spots in the line up isn't getting any easier.  If Benning brings a top 6 RW in from outside (if by trade or free agency) Sutter is playing centre next season, and Vey will be looking for another job. 

The Zalewski call up was just to see what they had in him at this level.  He looks decent after only 2 games and I think has a shot at the 4C spot next year.  He has speed, size, and is good at face offs.  He's better suited for that role than Vey is, and Vey is certainly behind Hank, Sutter, Horvat, and McCann in the depth chart.  Cracknell will looking for a job elsewhere next year as well imo.

 

Btw, I don't think you could call me a Gaunce fan-boy.  I like what he brings and think that next season, room will likely be made for him (as I said before).  Travis Green sees him as a LW long term.  The fan-boys are always trying to shoe-horn him in at centre.  That ain't happening.

 

I disagree that Vey is behind McCann. It depends if McCann grows duing the offseason. I think both Jared and Jake start next season in Utica. They were kept this year because the organization decided they would learn more in the NHL than in JR. Next year they can continue to be schooled in the team systems and grow as pros under the tutelage of TG. Neither has shown that they were ready for the speed and rigors of the NHL the way that Bo did last season. McCann needs to gain about 15 pounds, which for most players is a two year process. Jake has great raw talent, but needs to smooth the rough edges.

[Fred65]

Vey was schooled  by Crosby and Bergeron ( 10 out of 16 if I remember right ) that much I do remember. I don't have the the last 8 games FO numbers but I do tend to watch FO match ups and who's winning what and I didn't see much for Vey to write home about. The concept of matching FO men is good but Vey's wouldn't be my choice. AS to WD riding the hot hand yeah we watched that Hansen gets a hat trick but not good enough for the PP  :-)  Make no mistake I'm a Vey fan...he does have good hockey IQ and might well turn out to be a good trade

[alfstonker]

16 hours ago, canuckleheads fan said:

Or more likely, Vey stays on the third line, since that has been our second best line (best if you include +/-) since we acquired Etem. Somebody else noted this, since Vey's recall the team is 8-4-3, which includes this very successful road trip, much of it without our best player. In the 15 games prior to Vey's recall, the team was 5-7-3. Our faceoff percentage has also steadily improved since his return. Vey is a very useful player, he plays a responsible 200 foot game with a high hockey IQ and creativity. He can play PP and PK minutes without looking out of place, and is good on the dot, according to the SN crew, best in the 7 games prior to Pittsburgh, and faced Bergeron in the final 30 seconds in Boston, and set up Daniel's clincher.

Yes we didn't draft him, but he is much better than he was last year. He is here because TG (who would have a lot of input) and JB thought he was the most ready for the role he's playing. More ready than any of the other centers in Utica. Before he got hurt in Utica, Vey was centering Shink, so some of his success is thanks to Vey.

Isn't it a hint to you Gaunce fan boys that not only was Vey more ready to be here, but so was Zalewski. Our management knows what they're doing! With another off-season to get even stronger and continue to improve, Vey will be a fixture. JB traded for Vey. I'm sure WD had some input, but JB saw something worth spending a 2nd round pick on. Vey had great success in JR and in the A.

Vey stays on the 3rd line, Jared, Dorsett, Jake and Zalewski rotate on the 4th line. Cracknell will clear waivers, and go to Utica where he was intended to be at the start of the season. Or Cracknell stays and Zalewski returns to Utica.

 

 

I think you may have gone a bit off track where Gaunce is concerned although I agree with most of your post.

If you listen to TG's latest broadcast Gaunce has been struggling with niggling injuries almost from the time he came back down from Vancouver. Green added that it was only in recent games he has started to get his speed back.

I don't think we should be under any doubt that Gaunce when fit, is the number one asset we have down there. Having said that I still prefer Vey just now, because he is a guy who elevates everyone around him when he is playing to form and that included imo the Pens game despite his misfortune

 

[Baggins]

14 hours ago, Fred65 said:

Vey was schooled  by Crosby and Bergeron ( 10 out of 16 if I remember right ) that much I do remember. I don't have the the last 8 games FO numbers but I do tend to watch FO match ups and who's winning what and I didn't see much for Vey to write home about. The concept of matching FO men is good but Vey's wouldn't be my choice. AS to WD riding the hot hand yeah we watched that Hansen gets a hat trick but not good enough for the PP  :-)  Make no mistake I'm a Vey fan...he does have good hockey IQ and might well turn out to be a good trade

Vey was 65% against Boston while McCann was 29%. -  http://canucks.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/boxscore?id=2015020693

Against Pitts he was 53% to McCanns 50%. - http://canucks.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/boxscore?id=2015020709       

Either your memory is useless or we have very different opinions on what "schooled" means.                               

[Googlie]

quote:  Vey was schooled  by Crosby and Bergeron ( 10 out of 16 if I remember right ) that much I do remember.

 

Against Boston, Vey was 13 for 20:

1 for 3 vs Bergeron

2 for 3 vs Talbot

3 for 5 vs Spooner

7 for 9 vs Krejci

I read that as Vey "schooling" Krejci

I think you mean McCann was schooled by Bergeron (2 for 12)

********************************************************************************

Against Pittsburgh, Vey was 5 for 8 vs Crosby

I think it was Bo who got the schooling (went 4 for 9 against Sid)

[ice orca]

3 minutes ago, Googlie said:

Against Boston, Vey was 13 for 20:

1 for 3 vs Bergeron

2 for 3 vs Talbot

3 for 5 vs Spooner

7 for 9 vs Krejci

I read that as Vey "schooling" Krejci

Krejci's first game back from an injury as well.

[hlinkas wrister]

17 hours ago, canuckleheads fan said:

It's a lot harder to have your 2C to take draws for your 1C and make sure he gets enough rest between shifts. Somebody needs to take the draws for McCann, or the first line would never get out of their zone. Also, Bo was taking all the key PK draws and playing first line PP and PK. According to the SN crew, Vey had the team's best FO% for the seven games prior to Pittsburgh, so WD was also riding the hot hand. Vey's FO% over the past eight games has been stellar, especially when you consider he's been doing a lot of that against the best centers on the other teams. He played a lot against Bergeron and Crosby.

Another thing to consider is that Vey has been our only right handed center in the lineup as well so he's getting a lot of extra draws by default. His ice time will go down significantly when Sutter is back. 

[aqua59]

11 hours ago, Googlie said:

quote:  Vey was schooled  by Crosby and Bergeron ( 10 out of 16 if I remember right ) that much I do remember.

 

Against Boston, Vey was 13 for 20:

1 for 3 vs Bergeron

2 for 3 vs Talbot

3 for 5 vs Spooner

7 for 9 vs Krejci

I read that as Vey "schooling" Krejci

I think you mean McCann was schooled by Bergeron (2 for 12)

********************************************************************************

Against Pittsburgh, Vey was 5 for 8 vs Crosby

I think it was Bo who got the schooling (went 4 for 9 against Sid)

So whom would you bet on long term? I'll take Bo looking forward. 

[Boddy604]

On Sunday, January 24, 2016 at 11:38 AM, chilliwiggins said:

Zalewski was brought up because he could clear waivers going back down.

Injury call ups aren't eligible for waivers anyways. 

[Cowardrobertford]

26 minutes ago, aqua59 said:

So whom would you bet on long term? I'll take Bo looking forward. 

That argument. It's like talking to a leaf fan stating how good their coach and prospects are compares to the nucks and then suddenly asks you, "so how many cups have your team won again"

 

[snucks]

Hoy Vey !

[RakuRaku]

I'm neutral about Vey...  but this much is clear, he does have good speed and offensive skill. If I were coach, I would put him on RW and get him to shoot more! 

Interesting to see Etem and Vey bundled together as make or bust! And rightfully so... if they can't help the team at least create scoring chances, might as well send them down in favour of Gaunce and Shinkaruk. 

[Googlie]

1 hour ago, aqua59 said:

So whom would you bet on long term? I'll take Bo looking forward. 

Post Sedins, I see McCann as 1st line center, Bo as second, Vey as 3rd and someone like Zalewski as the 4th - maybe challenged by a Cole Cassels (if he indeed develops into the shut-down center that he showed in the Cup)

[Baggins]

5 hours ago, aqua59 said:

So whom would you bet on long term? I'll take Bo looking forward. 

Do you think Cracknell or Biega are long term bets? It doesn't matter, they're on the roster right now for a reason - to help win games. WD still has the directive from above to win and make the playoffs. He has to do so with what he currently has to work with, not what he may have in the future. So "long term bet" doesn't mean much in the here and now.