Brendan Gaunce | C/LW

[elvis15]

7 hours ago, alfstonker said:

Well he helped Think put up points did he not? I don't think Shink was the same player when Gaunce was not on his line. One thing Gaunce is NOT short of imo is hockey IQ. That is why I think he needs more offensive line mates.

Not sure that would be EP either though but you never know eg Gaunce is pretty fast and can be physical enough to take the heat off EP.

 

 

These goals make me think Gaunce has what it takes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-zrgpsODqw

I wouldn't say it's the best matchup to have them together, but Gaunce can play in a straight line very well and has no problems in and around the net. He'd be a disruption/distraction to give Pettersson and another skilled forward more space.

 

As much as I'd like to see him get better starts, I'm not sure that's the best usage for either.

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, elvis15 said:

I wouldn't say it's the best matchup to have them together, but Gaunce can play in a straight line very well and has no problems in and around the net. He'd be a disruption/distraction to give Pettersson and another skilled forward more space.

 

As much as I'd like to see him get better starts, I'm not sure that's the best usage for either.

We have much better guys, who are good at creating space, to play with Pettersson.  Jake is one for sure.  Gaunce is a bottom line guy, and if he’s playing higher in the line-up (expected to produce, or help others produce) we are dead.  

[SingleThorn]

2 minutes ago, Kanukfanatic said:

Schaller is a 4th liner only. He should not be on the 3rd line in my opinion. Roussel is a solid 3rd liner though.

Our bottom 6 won't really fit the 3rd/ 4th line stereotype. Two 'defence first' lines ( my opinion, so worthless ) !

[canucklehead44]

2 hours ago, Phat Fingers said:

Gaunce is a C/LW. You are right. 

 

He has size, good two way ability and has shown he can put up numbers when relieved of the center responsibilities in lower leagues. 

 

Added to that he played with McDavid in jr and was decent. 

 

What he could offer is a second faceoff guy while play LW wing. He likely has a better chance of sticking that way then as a center. 

 

 

 

 

86% defensive zone starts playing with With low skill players - almost impossible for a player to put up offence in that situation. He has more skill than he gets credit for and I believe he could hold his own as the size/defensive presence on a smaller skill line - more than Sutter or Beagle.

[TGT68]

8 hours ago, alfstonker said:

Well he helped Think put up points did he not? I don't think Shink was the same player when Gaunce was not on his line. One thing Gaunce is NOT short of imo is hockey IQ. That is why I think he needs more offensive line mates.

Not sure that would be EP either though but you never know eg Gaunce is pretty fast and can be physical enough to take the heat off EP.

 

 

These goals make me think Gaunce has what it takes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-zrgpsODqw

 

 

If Gaunce can play like that consistently he is a second to third line guy.  Problem is he doesn't shoot, doesn't go to the net and doesn't get involved enough most of the time.  Brendan has the smarts and the skill.  So far he has lacked the will.  He had his back against the wall this pre season, will we see very soon if that changes how much he wants to stay here.  

[Rob_Zepp]

On 9/14/2018 at 11:17 AM, GarthButcher5 said:

WTH !!??

 

Is Roussel damaged good or something? 

Totally.   Canucks never should have traded for a player who trains let alone one who trains in the actual sport they play.   What were they thinking?

[Crabcakes]

52 minutes ago, Kanukfanatic said:

Schaller is a 4th liner only. He should not be on the 3rd line in my opinion. Roussel is a solid 3rd liner though.

Roussel put up only 17 points last year, the 4 previous he put up 25-30.  I would think that last year was an off year and he would regain previous form at only age 28

 

Schaller put up 22 last year, 12-10-22.  He has much less NHL experience at age 27 but went the full 4 years in college, a couple years up and down between AHL and NHL and only 2 full seasons at the NHL level

 

Similar numbers, an edge goes to Roussel but I wouldn't rule out Schaller playing all the way "up" to the 3rd line in case of injury.  I really haven't paid a lot of attention to either player in the past but on the surface, they look somewhat interchangeable.  Schaller is bigger.

 

As for Gaunce who is up against these guys for a spot on the team, 4-2-6 in 37 games last year.

 

Not a lot of discussion on the bottom 6.  Candidates for left wing imo:  Roussel, Schaller, Gaunce, Palmu.  Right wing:  Virtanen, MacEwen, Archibald, Gaudette. (am I missing somebody?)

 

I would speculate that the Canucks may go with 14 forwards this year.  One for a bottom 6 checking role and one for a top 6 role.  If the top 6 spare is Gagner, we may see Gaunce in a spare role (1 left hand, 1 right hand which seems to hold some weight with this staff)

[Phat Fingers]

2 hours ago, canucklehead44 said:

86% defensive zone starts playing with With low skill players - almost impossible for a player to put up offence in that situation. He has more skill than he gets credit for and I believe he could hold his own as the size/defensive presence on a smaller skill line - more than Sutter or Beagle.

Agreed. 

 

He is a Chris Higgins style player. A Swiss Army knife that can play different roles on different lines. 

 

He could become a decent Top 6 LW/C or a good 3rd line center. 

 

He doesnt get much love from the CDC, but Green knows Gaunce.  He doesn’t need our help to figure out if Gaunce can be useful

ir not. 

[NHL97OneTimer]

1 hour ago, Phat Fingers said:

Agreed. 

 

He is a Chris Higgins style player. A Swiss Army knife that can play different roles on different lines. 

 

He could become a decent Top 6 LW/C or a good 3rd line center. 

 

He doesnt get much love from the CDC, but Green knows Gaunce.  He doesn’t need our help to figure out if Gaunce can be useful

ir not. 

I've really wanted Gaunce to do well and become that player but you must be seeing something I just don't.  Gaunce is nowhere close to a decent top 6 player.  There's no future for him there with the current landscape anyway.  In fact, Gaudette just walks in and already looks like the player I'd hoped Gaunce would be.  

[Phat Fingers]

5th,

 

what are are the odds we could disagree on a player/prospect on the CDC with me having a positive POV and you thinking the same player is garbage. 

 

So a few years ago Gaunce was scoring at a pretty good clip in Jr, he then had a decent amount of offence.  His playoff scoring was even better. 

 

Then he went to the AHL and had a pretty normal up and down year, in his second season he scored at just under a PPG pace on a offensively starved Comets team. 

 

He also can take draws, is 217lbs, 6’2” and skated well playing a responsible game.  

 

Then he got called  up and has played on the 4th line and gets 80% d zone starts. So he hasn’t been given a chance to show that the offence he had at every other level can translate to the NHL. 

 

Maybe he doesnt, we’ll be no worse off, but for the love of Pete, why can’t you see that a young player can grow and develop. That just because a 20 ish year old has struggled they are capable of improving. Especially if the team is in turmoil and the player has also struggled with some injuries. 

[Stormriders]

All this negative talk about Gaunce about his lack of offensive stats, despite the fact he has not been played in that role, high d zone starts etc. that most have already pointed out.  BUT, I don't hear any of same concern for our newest member Jay Beagle.  All I hear about is how good he will be defensively, which is true, but nothing about offense.  So let's look at his goals. Starting in 2010, he has only twice score double digits, 10 & 13, all the others range from 2 - 8 per season.  He has only had one season with more than 10 assists, so he is a very low scoring defensive forward.  Doesn't make him bad, just saying.

 

Do we not think it is possible that Gaunce can score at that pace, and be just as good defensively?  I do given more experience and exposure.  Again, he is a big body that skates well that has a high hockey IQ that is a team first player.  And right now, he is super cheap [what was it that we just signed Beagle to  . . . . $3M for 4 years ! ]

[elvis15]

That's about the only hope for him at this point. No one should be expecting that he'll put up 40-50 if he gets put on the second line or anything. Hopefully with some decent linemates who can do at least something in the o-zone while being defensively responsible he can end up with 20+ points a year.

Edited September 17, 2018 by elvis15

[-AJ-]

10 hours ago, Phat Fingers said:

Agreed. 

 

He is a Chris Higgins style player. A Swiss Army knife that can play different roles on different lines. 

 

He could become a decent Top 6 LW/C or a good 3rd line center. 

 

He doesnt get much love from the CDC, but Green knows Gaunce.  He doesn’t need our help to figure out if Gaunce can be useful

ir not. 

I'm a Gaunce fan, but pegging him to be a Top 6 player at this point is extremely optimistic. If he becomes a regular 3rd line forward, I think he'd be exceeding my expectations. I did like the improvement we saw from him last year though.

[Phat Fingers]

5 hours ago, -AJ- said:

I'm a Gaunce fan, but pegging him to be a Top 6 player at this point is extremely optimistic. If he becomes a regular 3rd line forward, I think he'd be exceeding my expectations. I did like the improvement we saw from him last year though.

I said ‘could be’.  That would

be if he is given an opportunity and made good on it. Not would be, not even pencilling him in at all. Does he have the tools, yes, does he have the moxie and can adapt his game, maybe. 

 

He has a decent IQ, great size and had a good shoot prior to the NHL, but 80% d zone starts does make it harder to show.  

 

So if he can figure out how to play with aggression and actually try and score, who knows. 

 

Likely not and he gets waived to Utica.

 

 

[Phat Fingers]

5 hours ago, elvis15 said:

That's about the only hope for him at this point. No one should be expecting that he'll put up 40-50 if he gets put on the second line or anything. Hopefully with some decent linemates who can do at least something in the o-zone while being defensively responsible he can end up with 20+ points a year.

Derek Dorsett was scoring at a

very high rate in his last season prior to be injured. 

 

Plenty of 3rd/4th liners have pushed their way up a line up and get to play with top talent and start putting up better numbers. The most recent Ferkland, another big one we should all know, Alex Burrows and how about stone hands Hansen. 

 

Right now we have a team in complete flux and unless Green is a genuine miracle worker, line combo’s will be purely experimental. Chemistry isn’t an exact science in Hockey.  

 

Gaunce has the skating, size, IQ and faceoff ability to be the LW that Pettersson needs to get transitioned to Center in the NHL. 

 

Would Gaunce be the first choice, nope, but injuries, trades and such will open up opportunities that none of us can foresee.  

 

Have stranger things happened, yes. That’s all I am saying. 

[EternalCanuckFan]

Would definitely love to see Gaunce take the next step in his development and win a spot out of training camp.  To be frank however, Gaunce has already played a good chunk of  two seasons at the NHL level and while he did seem to have some progress last season, the results have not really come.  Gaunce seems to be a slow developing player who eventually makes the jump but given the competition at camp, I think he will need to really impress to be able to beat out anyone.

 

Gaunce's main advantages are versatility as he can play wing and center.  He's generally been a good faceoff man but he hasn't really been used in that capacity very much at the NHL level.  Gaunce is a responsible defensive player and has improved his skating since being drafted.

 

The main drawbacks with Gaunce are that though he has a history of having the skill to produce, he just hasn't produced at the NHL level.  There have been glimpses of Gaunce's offensive skills but nothing consistent.  Additionally, though Gaunce is versatile, the Canucks have really pushed him as a winger and haven't really given him much opportunity at center.

 

I think there's pretty much zero chance that Gaunce makes the team as a center, even with one of those positions being open.  Pettersson and Gaudette will get a strong look at center before Gaunce ever does, and even if they don't make the cut now, the Canucks will probably play Sutter for now and then open up spots for them will in the future.

 

Gaunce will have to make the team as a winger, most likely in the bottom-6, and that means beating out:  Roussel, Schaller, Leipsic and Granlund.  I personally think Gaunce will be hard pressed to do this, even if I otherwise like Gaunce.

 

At the end of the day, I think the Canucks will try to keep Gaunce for depth in Utica.  There's a very strong chance that Gaunce could be plying his trade with another team in the NHL this season which could be good for him.  It's good that the Canucks have this level of competition even if it's sad to see some guys have to move-on when we have been following them for several years.

[mll]

Interview by Daniel Wagner in the Vancouver Courier with also quotes by Green:

https://www.vancourier.com/pass-it-to-bulis/brendan-gaunce-this-could-be-a-career-changing-year-1.23436318

 

Quote

Over the past two seasons, Brendan Gaunce has played just nine AHL games. For all intents and purposes, he was an NHL forward. He’d made it.
And then free agency opened. The Canucks signed three veteran bottom-six forwards on July 1st.

Put yourself, for a moment, in Gaunce’s shoes. He’s spent pretty much his entire life working towards his dream of playing in the NHL and had finally carved out a niche role with the Canucks, playing a shutdown defensive game on the fourth line. Then in come three established veterans to take that role away.

“This could be a career-changing year, whether I play in the NHL for the rest of my life or I don’t,” said Gaunce heading into his first preseason game on Wednesday.

To go along with the pressures of veteran free agents and hot-shot prospects pushing him to the edges of the roster, this is also a contract year for Gaunce. And, at 24, time is running out for him to establish himself as an NHL player.

Head coach Travis Green knows that Gaunce is in a tough spot.

“He’s one of those guys that’s in competition mode,” said Green. “He knows that, he’s a smart guy. He’s taken the first step: he’s come into camp in phenomenal shape. He looked good in Whistler. Now it’s just like everyone else, he’s gotta play.”

The numbers are not in Gaunce’s favour. It’s simple math.  

The Canucks like to carry eight defencemen and 13 forwards on their roster. They currently have 16 forwards on their roster that require waivers to be sent down. Add in the waiver-exempt Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson and you get to 18. That means five players need to be put on waivers.

You can expect Tanner Kero, Reid Boucher, and Darren Archibald to hit the waiver wire. Who are the other two? Gaunce, Markus Granlund, Nikolay Goldobin, Brendan Leipsic, maybe even a veteran like Sam Gagner?

“I think it’s pretty obvious that a lot of guys are going for the same spots,” said Gaunce. “Not many guys on each team every year are gifted spots before the season and I haven’t got to that point in my career.

“You just come into camp with the mentality that you have to make a team.”

That mentality includes a reality TV staple: Gaunce isn’t here to make friends.
“As you go through more training camps you try not to talk to as many people, not be friends with everyone,” he said, before adding, “You are friends but you’re battling for jobs and you’re here for a reason.”

Working in Gaunce’s favour is what Green said: he’s in “phenomenal” shape. Around this time of year, you hear a lot of reports of a player coming to camp in “the best shape of his life,” but for Gaunce it’s not a cliche. For the first time in a long time, he didn’t spend the summer rehabbing an injury.

“Not having an injury is huge because you put all your focus on getting that injury back to 100%,” he said. “You don’t take away from other things but it’s not your main focus. I knew this was a pivotal year for me.”

“For me there’s not as much pressure,” he added. “Just be confident in yourself, because I know I can do it.”

Gaunce knows there’s another number working against him: five. That’s the number of goals he’s scored in his 114 career games in the NHL. That’s simply not enough to nail down a roster spot in the NHL, though it’s understandable he hasn’t scored more: he never starts his shifts in the offensive zone.

“It was actually the least in the league, I saw that stat. Someone tweeted it at me!” said Gaunce with a smile, and he’s right. No player started less often in the offensive zone than Gaunce. Of his non-neutral zone starts, 94.5% were in the defensive zone.

“I mean, you take whatever role you’re given,” he said. “You try and not have an ego when you’re on a team, especially in the NHL. Whatever role you’re given, you play, and you try to play to the best of your ability.”

Gaunce played that role well. Only Brandon Sutter was on the ice for a lower rate of goals against, and only the Sedins allowed a lower rate of shots on goal against among Canucks forwards. As a shutdown winger in tough matchups, Gaunce was legitimately great defensively. The issue is at the other end of the ice.

“Even if I’m starting in my own zone, I want to be a player that can create chances,” he said. “I think I always have been. The biggest thing for me has been confidence, trusting yourself and trusting your abilities. I think this year has been the clearest mindset I’ve had coming into camp.”

Asked about what led to that clear mindset, Gaunce opens up about how his early struggles breaking into the NHL affected him.

“I think it’s tough coming into the NHL when you’re not successful right away,” he said, “and you’re a high pick and you’re playing in a Canadian market with a lot of eyes on you. You’re not going about your business anymore, it’s more open to the public.

 

“Whether or not you have Twitter or have Instagram… you see stuff, or hear stuff. I think it took a little bit for me to get accustomed to that. I wasn’t necessarily always shellshocked by it, but for me, you’re just not used to that stuff.
“I took it to heart, because I want to be a good hockey player and I want to be a good player for the city I’m playing in.”

 

Heading into this season, Gaunce feels he has grown as a person and is able to push criticisms out of his mind.

“You just take it with a grain of salt,” he said. “You’re in the best league in the world, so obviously there’s going to be some criticism. People pay to come watch you play, so you can take the good and the bad, but I think sometimes players let the bad get to them a bit too much.”

Now Gaunce takes a philosophical approach. If and when he receives criticism, that means just one thing: “If that happens, you’re obviously good enough to be in the NHL, so you’re a good enough player to play.”

 

Edited September 20, 2018 by mll

[Tre Mac]

On ‎9‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 1:10 PM, Phat Fingers said:

A Swiss Army knife that can play different roles on different lines. 

I disagree, he's only got one blade and that's playing defense.  He's too slow and lacks the offensive tools to play in this league.  He has skills to make a lot of good money playing professional hockey but not here. 

[Boudrias]

34 minutes ago, Tre Mac said:

I disagree, he's only got one blade and that's playing defense.  He's too slow and lacks the offensive tools to play in this league.  He has skills to make a lot of good money playing professional hockey but not here. 

We will likely know Gaunce's future in Van by November/December. I like the kid but he has to change up his game a bit to stick. I prefer he be more overtly physical and a tad more selfish with his ozone chances. I say 'overtly' with his physicality as Gaunce is physical by being hard on the puck. If he can stick pass the pre-season his exposure to Roussel and Beagle could really help his game if he can absorb some of their games. IMHO Gaunce cannot stick playing his existing game unless he is on the 3rd line. Likely will not happen with the depth.

 

I continue to watch him with interest. Since the Canucks are rebuilding making an immediate move with Gaunce is not needed. Canucks are at a point now where 'monetizing' some of their assets as it is determined their Canuck future is done becomes an opportunity. We might find that even if Gaunce starts to produce offensively that JB still moves him.  

[Phat Fingers]

1 hour ago, Tre Mac said:

I disagree, he's only got one blade and that's playing defense.  He's too slow and lacks the offensive tools to play in this league.  He has skills to make a lot of good money playing professional hockey but not here. 

I don’t think it’s an abilities thing with Gaunce. He has them. He is a defensive forward and has only been deployed as that so far in the NHL. 

 

Can he ever play angry? Aggressive?  For a player with his size, he plays a passive game.  He may not have that extra gear/punch to give. But if he could find that edgy game I would see him as becoming successful.