Markus Granlund | #60 | C/W

[Strombone]

5 hours ago, ThrustyPrusty89 said:

Y'all already know how I feel about Granny 

 

I just wish that if they're going to keep playing him at center they'd get him more one on one time with Manny. His FO% was in the 30's last time I checked. As a whole the team's not great on the dot, but boy is watching Markus get out muscled every faceoff depressing.

 

ETA here are some of the other fellas FO% according to the NHL app:

 

Hank 51.82%

Sutter 53%

Bo 48.83%

Gaunce 51.11%

Granlund 35.9%

 

Granny will probably eventually move to the wing unless he can up his FO game.

 

All we need is Mikael Granlund and our team will be awesome again.

[Cramarossa]

24 minutes ago, Strombone said:

Granny will probably eventually move to the wing unless he can up his FO game.

 

All we need is Mikael Granlund and our team will be awesome again.

The way Mikael is playing I wouldn't be surprised. He's been underwhelming on the Wild, and also fancies himself a natural center but has been better on the wing as of late. He's got tenacity and is aggressive in the corners, which our Granny needs to be. He'll be a RFA after this season, maybe we can cop him lol.

[-AJ-]

23 hours ago, ThrustyPrusty89 said:

Y'all already know how I feel about Granny 

 

I just wish that if they're going to keep playing him at center they'd get him more one on one time with Manny. His FO% was in the 30's last time I checked. As a whole the team's not great on the dot, but boy is watching Markus get out muscled every faceoff depressing.

 

ETA here are some of the other fellas FO% according to the NHL app:

 

Hank 51.82%

Sutter 53%

Bo 48.83%

Gaunce 51.11%

Granlund 35.9%

 

He has taken by far the least face-offs out of those five, which is worth noting.

 

Number of FOs

Hank - 274

Sutter - 300

Bo - 256

Gaunce - 90

Granlund - 39

 

His sample size is small, so hopefully that explains some of the variance. 

[Junkyard Dog]

I feel that Granlund's ceiling would be that of a Chris Higgins level of player, which is a reliable middle 6 forward.

 

So far Granlund has been the unsung young gun.

[Cramarossa]

1 hour ago, ajhockey said:

He has taken by far the least face-offs out of those five, which is worth noting.

 

Number of FOs

Hank - 274

Sutter - 300

Bo - 256

Gaunce - 90

Granlund - 39

 

His sample size is small, so hopefully that explains some of the variance. 

Did you get those numbers from the app? I was trying to find the total of how many faceoffs he's taken. 

[-AJ-]

3 hours ago, ThrustyPrusty89 said:

Did you get those numbers from the app? I was trying to find the total of how many faceoffs he's taken. 

 

I just went to NHL.com.

[MattJVD]

Wooo! Another one for Granny!

[Junkyard Dog]

Good night on the face-off dot(63%). Hopefully he can keep that up.

 

Had a bad giveaway that led to a goal but made up for it with his own

 

He is now tied for 2nd in goal scoring on the team which is good for him but not necessarily for the team.

 

Still wish he'd be getting more defensive zone starts though.

[aGENT]

11 hours ago, Junkyard Dog said:

Good night on the face-off dot(63%). Hopefully he can keep that up.

 

Had a bad giveaway that led to a goal but made up for it with his own

 

He is now tied for 2nd in goal scoring on the team which is good for him but not necessarily for the team.

 

Still wish he'd be getting more defensive zone starts though.

 

I wish they'd but him, Baer and Eriksson on a line and feed them largely o-zone starts personally.

[SilentSam]

Kids playing a complete game, and starting to feel comfortable enough to find and use his strengths.

Great release and shot.. still think he could mimick a game similar or better than Naslund's.

Keep it up Granlund !

[RyIe]

What would it take to get Vegas to take Dorsett instead of Grandlund? 

Edited December 5, 2016 by RyIe

[Cramarossa]

1 minute ago, RyIe said:

What would it take to get Vegas to take Dorsett instead of this Grandlund? 

Us protecting him, most likely  

I am already bracing myself for having to watch him play in those hideous Boba Fett jerseys. 

[RyIe]

Just now, ThrustyPrusty89 said:

Us protecting him, most likely  

I am already bracing myself for having to watch him play in those hideous Boba Fett jerseys. 

 

Isn't there an option to send Vegas a pick in order to keep them from picking a certain player? 

[Cramarossa]

34 minutes ago, RyIe said:

 

Isn't there an option to send Vegas a pick in order to keep them from picking a certain player? 

That's interesting. I'm honestly not sure, have never heard that before. I don't know if GMJB would be willing to sacrifice a pick for our young Finn but it would be awesome if he did! But only a second (ha!) or a third.

[canuckledraggin]

1 hour ago, RyIe said:

 

Isn't there an option to send Vegas a pick in order to keep them from picking a certain player? 

I heard on the radio yesterday that as soon as Vegas has paid their fee to the league, they will be able to start negotiating. That means yes, they will be able to work out deals prior to the expansion draft.

[RyIe]

Vegas picking Dorsett would be ideal for this team IMO. Grandlund looks really promising as a utility top 9 guy. Sbisa is looking pretty good these days too. 

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

Nice article on Granlund posted on Canucks Army. Written by JD Burke. Yes, the same JD Burke who wrote this hachet job on the trade when it happened (including a quip about how the Canucks were "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic and sinking lifeboats for the trouble") is now writing a positive article on Granlund's play this season.

 

link: http://canucksarmy.com/2016/12/19/markus-granlund-a-swiss-army-knife-in-the-canucks-middle-six

 

I'll post the whole article here but wrap it inside spoiler tags. Font size is pretty big so didn't want to force people to scroll through if they don't want to read it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARKUS GRANLUND A SWISS ARMY KNIFE IN THE CANUCKS MIDDLE SIX

J.D. Burke 
December 19 2016 12:50PM

 

Photo Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin - USA TODAY Sports

When the Canucks acquired Markus Granlund at last year's trade deadline, it was his well-rounded defensive game that caught their eye. A season later he's grabbing everyone's attention with crafty setups like the one that levelled the score in Friday's contest with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

That assist was Granlund's 13th point in his 31st game of the season. Prorated over a full season, that's a 35 point pace. In today's NHL, that's second line production.

Granlund's been an everything man for the Canucks. He's produced consistently on a line marred by moving parts and restoration projects. That versatility is something Granlund's cognizant of; something he takes a great deal of pride in bringing to the lineup.

 

"Yeah, I think when you’re a young player you have to be good defensively." Granlund told Canucks Army. "That’s part of my game, of course. I try to be good defensively, and I’m trying to be good offensively too."

A cursory glance at Granlund's underlying shot-based metrics reveals a strong net positive presence in the Canucks lineup. Among active Canucks skaters with 100-plus minutes, Granlund's 49.5% score and venue adjusted Corsi ranks second.

It's not Granlund's defensive play that's driving these results, though. The calming effect we'd generally associate with Granlund's pedigree hasn't yet taken hold. Not this season. Only Loui Eriksson is averaging a higher Corsi event rate at even strength than Granlund.

Based on a conversation I had this weekend with an NHL scout, that's always been a present element in Granlund's skill set. It was just a matter of time before he showcased as much. 

"Based on his play in international tournaments and then his progression and development in the AHL he provided enough evidence for me to think both his offensive and defence attributes could translate into the NHL once he turned 23-24 age range"

Those comments hold weight under further scrutiny. Granlund produced at nearly a point per game pace in the AHL, with 75 points in 82 career games in the Calgary Flames system. The EliteProspects database shows 78 points in 61 International Junior contests, too.

Granlund echoed those sentiments, adding "when I was a kid and played juniors, I played on top lines. I believe that’s a part of my game -- to score goals, and be good offensively. I know I can do that. That’s my game.

 

At first glance, Granlund's paltry 1.02 P/60 might belie the progress he's making towards that end. The Canucks have an expected goals rate of nearly three an hour with Granlund on the ice, trumped only by Jannik Hansen. I'd expect once Granlund's luck improves (third worst PDO on the team) that much will reflect itself in his production not long after.

And whether the Canucks can afford to wait for as much or not, Willie Desjardins deserves his share of credit for not succumbing to the pressure those percentages might thrust upon him as a coach in a results-based industry. That kind of trust is exactly what Granlund pointed to as a driving influence in his resurgence in Vancouver.

"Of course, when coaches trust you -- that’s the biggest thing. Helps you gain confidence." Granlund exclaimed. "It's been good for me here. I like the system over here, and it's pretty fun."

Granlund's most frequent linemate, Eriksson, offered an explanation as to why the coaches might be so trusting of their Finnish pivot. "Granlund's been doing a good job. He's a pretty smart player out there. He thinks the game the right way." Eriksson told Canucks Army. "Granlund can make some good passes out there. You saw that the other night -- that pass to Sutter was pretty nice."

Something tells me Granlund has a few more of those in his future. And while he's making it easy for his teammates to contribute, his play is quickly forcing the Canucks into an expansion predicament further down the road. Then again, I'm almost certain they're willing to suffer it if this production continues.

 

Edited December 20, 2016 by SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME

[Boudrias]

6 hours ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Nice article on Granlund posted on Canucks Army. Written by JD Burke. Yes, the same JD Burke who wrote this hachet job on the trade when it happened (including a quip about how the Canucks were "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic and sinking lifeboats for the trouble") is now writing a positive article on Granlund's play this season.

 

link: http://canucksarmy.com/2016/12/19/markus-granlund-a-swiss-army-knife-in-the-canucks-middle-six

 

I'll post the whole article here but wrap it inside spoiler tags. Font size is pretty big so didn't want to force people to scroll through if they don't want to read it:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

 

Thanks Sid. Interesting article.  

[Cramarossa]

8 hours ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Nice article on Granlund posted on Canucks Army. Written by JD Burke. Yes, the same JD Burke who wrote this hachet job on the trade when it happened (including a quip about how the Canucks were "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic and sinking lifeboats for the trouble") is now writing a positive article on Granlund's play this season.

 

link: http://canucksarmy.com/2016/12/19/markus-granlund-a-swiss-army-knife-in-the-canucks-middle-six

 

I'll post the whole article here but wrap it inside spoiler tags. Font size is pretty big so didn't want to force people to scroll through if they don't want to read it:

  Hide contents

 

 

 

 

He's an absolute gem. I've been pleasantly surprised by his offensive production, particularly his shootout goals. I was definitely expecting him to be that needed defense-minded C; glad Willie has trusted him to bring offense as well. I think Markus is one of the most exciting young Canucks. If he keeps this up and they still protect Baertschi over him I'll eat my hat! 

[Gaudette Celly]

On 2016-12-20 at 0:37 AM, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Nice article on Granlund posted on Canucks Army. Written by JD Burke. Yes, the same JD Burke who wrote this hachet job on the trade when it happened (including a quip about how the Canucks were "rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic and sinking lifeboats for the trouble") is now writing a positive article on Granlund's play this season.

 

link: http://canucksarmy.com/2016/12/19/markus-granlund-a-swiss-army-knife-in-the-canucks-middle-six

 

I'll post the whole article here but wrap it inside spoiler tags. Font size is pretty big so didn't want to force people to scroll through if they don't want to read it:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

 

 

Funny how often those guys put it out there then end up eating their words.  "Third-line 40 or 50 points maybe once, no NHL for a couple more years" Horvat was particularly amusing.