Boeser, Horvat future 1st liners?

[Adarsh Sant]

How many of you guys see Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat as  future 1st liners? We're gonna need a replacement for the Sedins very soon and I think Horvat and Boeser would do a very fine job. Obviously there's the option of trading for an already developed player, but I think these 2 guys could get the job done in 3-4 years. What do you guys think? Any other prospects in mind?

[Bigturk8]

I think Boeser will be. Obviously he's young, but it seems like he has all the tools and the drive to get there.

I see Horvat as an top tier 2nd line center. If we have no other option, I can see him being a Bergeron like 1C (nothing to scoff at); However, I don't think he'll ever be among the elite scoring centers though.

[Nucker 67]

I agree ^

 

? - ? - Boeser

Baertschi - Horvat - Virtanen

[Rollieo Del Fuego]

Yes.

[TimberWolf]

Have to see if Boesser can even make it in the AHL (after he's done with school)  before we can determine his star status. I assume he'll be a decent second line player at worst but we thought that about many a player in the past. 

 

For now I'll just say he's a pretty good college player 

[Mathew Barzal]

I think at they're peak they'll be considered very good second liners who can slide up if need be. I don't think either will be bonafide first line material on a Cup contender.

 

Unfortunately, the Canucks have a bad habit of settling for less. Then the fans rip the players for not performing up to their ridiculous expectations.

[Jaku]

I love Horvat. I love every aspect how he plays and where he's going. But I cannot see Bo being a top line player, he's going to be a great 2C and I fully believe he will produce 50-60 points per year during his prime. 

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

At this point I think Horvat could be a first liner, provided we have second line scoring.  He kinda has a Toews thing going.  Boesser is still in college, we don't know if he will even be an NHL regular, let alone a first liner.  From what I'm seeing from the Linden/Benning management team, I feel like there will be a trade or a signing for a potential top line center or a defined scoring forward in the coming years as player situations change around the league. 

[Fateless]

I don't really know why people are limiting Horvat to being a second liner after he's only had two years in the NHL and he's had huge progression each year.

 

Horvat had an EXCELLENT sophomore year - especially when most players have a bad second year. He put up 40 points last year when he had a huge 20ish game pointless drought. I have no doubt Horvat can put up 50-60 points this season. 

 

I have a feeling Horvat is going to turn into a Toews like 1st line center. A leader, a playmaker and a guy that puts up 60-70 points a year while being a true leader for their team on the ice - putting up clutch points when it matters most. 

 

Yes, Horvat will make an excellent top tier 2C, but if we don't find a better option, I believe he will do just fine on the top line.

[Winter Soldier]

27 minutes ago, Mathew Barzal said:

I think at they're peak they'll be considered very good second liners who can slide up if need be. I don't think either will be bonafide first line material on a Cup contender.

Based on what? Formulate your answer.

[jono2009]

Boeser yes. 100%

 

Horvat will be a career 2nd line center. 

[Nex is my ex]

I don't see Horvat as a legit 1st line center like Toews, Kopitar, Crosby, McDavid etc but he is definetly a very solid 2nd line center and can play on the 1st line until we get someone better. Boeser is gonna be our Patrick Sharp, 30-35 goal scorer in his prime playing on the 1st and 2nd lines.

[70seven]

 

 

With Bo, his will to improve is a complete X-factor on what his celing will max out as.  He's improved his skating a LOT, and that again was his focus for this offseason.  The focus within that was his first 3 steps...  Getting more agile and be able to get to pucks quicker.  He protects the puck once hes got it, and is solid winning boards battles, so if he gets there quicker, thatll produce more results for him easily as he can take the puck to the net, has a good shot, can dangle, and make plays.

 

IF Bo Horvat finds a way to be quicker, and he works on winning faceoffs, I see no reason that he wont be able to become a top matchup center in the league.  Top matchup centers can play 1st line minutes, but they generally need some top end skill on their wings for the 1st line production to evolve.

 

 

With Boeser...  Just far too early.  He's got a fantastic release and can play a power game.  I dont know if he's got the wheels to effectively do those things at a 1st line rate in the NHL.  I have no doubt he'll be able to be a solid scoring top 6 winger, but jury for me is still out on if he'll be a no brainer 1st liner.  Sorta felt the same way about Tkachuk.

 

I dont think Vancouver really has any 1st line with a bullet prospects.  But you never know how guys will develop.  I believe we could have a few diamonds in the rough, but only time will tell.

 

[Rollieo Del Fuego]

1 hour ago, TimberWolf said:

Have to see if Boesser can even make it in the AHL (after he's done with school)  before we can determine his star status. I assume he'll be a decent second line player at worst but we thought that about many a player in the past. 

 

For now I'll just say he's a pretty good college player 

Ya right...Boeser will go straight to the Canucks roster year after this one...no doubt about it in my mind.

[kloubek]

1 hour ago, Bigturk8 said:

I think Boeser will be. Obviously he's young, but it seems like he has all the tools and the drive to get there.

I see Horvat as an top tier 2nd line center. If we have no other option, I can see him being a Bergeron like 1C (nothing to scoff at); However, I don't think he'll ever be among the elite scoring centers though.

I would generally agree with you.  For Boeser, his ceiling is very high but it is all about how he transitions to the NHL.  It is still possible he might be a total dud.... it has happened before.  That would be most unfortunate for our club, since we're kinda relying on him to be our top line RW.

 

For Horvat, I also see him as a top tier 2nd line player.  But with that said, he makes moves sometimes which really impress me so I'm not completely convinced I'm right quite yet.

[Odd.]

IMO, I say we develop Horvat into our 1C. Becausehe's got all the tools to do so. Horvat had a 27 game scoreless streak and he still managed to get 40 points in a season full of franchise lows. He would have could have had at least 50-55 points, which is as much as H.Sedin made the whole season, and those numbers are 2nd line numbers. And he had to do a lot of the workload when Sutter was injured and he did all of this as a sophomore. That's some good stuff right there especially being a 9th overall pick.

 

Horvat's got the skill, his skating is very good than it was before, he's got good speed, he's got the poise in being the leader after Henrik, he's getting even more stronger, there was a video of Horvat doing heavy, almost extreme like training which was taped by canucsk youtube. He's built like a truck already, he plays a 200ft game, he's good at faceoffs, solid defensively just as he is offensively. There's so many things to like about his game. He's also got the danglez.

 

This guy had a better 2nd season than these guys such as 1st overall pick Yakupov, Sean Couterier who was drafted 7th overall, Galchenyuk who was a 3rd overall pick, Ryan Johansen a 4th overall pick who everyone was calling a bust until he shined 2 seasons ago.

 

I could go on more about Horvat, but can anybody tell me why he can't be a solid 1C? I'm comparing him to other solid centers in the league and I must say a lot of those 1C centers have had similar 1st and 2nd seasons to Horvat. Giroux, Krejci, to name a few. 

 

 

 

 

[Bigturk8]

7 minutes ago, kloubek said:

I would generally agree with you.  For Boeser, his ceiling is very high but it is all about how he transitions to the NHL.  It is still possible he might be a total dud.... it has happened before.  That would be most unfortunate for our club, since we're kinda relying on him to be our top line RW.

 

For Horvat, I also see him as a top tier 2nd line player.  But with that said, he makes moves sometimes which really impress me so I'm not completely convinced I'm right quite yet.

I completely agree. Like I said. I THINK he'll be a first liner. I'm in no way saying it's a certainty, but from what I've seen of his talent, attitude and work ethic, I believe he will be.

Every time Horvat drives the net, it blows my mind. I remember when we first drafted him and his skating wasn't all that good. He showed up to training camp the next season and blew everyone away. The guy is full of surprises, so I wouldn't rule him out either.

I stand by my original predictions, but I'm willing to accept that they can be wrong. For the latter, I would love that to be true.

[TimberWolf]

11 minutes ago, Rollieo Del Fuego said:

Ya right...Boeser will go straight to the Canucks roster year after this one...no doubt about it in my mind.

 

Possibly, just saying it was beyond doubt in some minds that Cody was our future team captain. 

[kloubek]

1 minute ago, Bigturk8 said:

I stand by my original predictions, but I'm willing to accept that they can be wrong. For the latter, I would love that to be true.

For sure.  Let's not forget what we ended up with in Kesler.  Never projected to be an elite 2nd line center, but that's pretty much what he ended up being.  When you factor in all the variables like conditioning and toughness (two things also in Horvat's favour), good things can happen.  Horvat's hands are better than Kesler's so his ceiling is potentially higher.  I guess that's why almost everyone has accepted he will be at least a 2nd line center, if not a first.

[vancan2233]

Boeser has potenial yes! will he? it is unknow at this time. As of right now he look as promising as any propect in the NHL.

 

Horvat has all the right things going for him to be considered a first line center, but will not be a high point center( 80+ points). He will be that top two way, 50 to 70 point center that wins game with his overall play and leadership. All depends on if there is a higher point producer option for Van when the time comes that Horvat is at his peak.

 

Lets put it this way, many people had the Sedins as ok first line pontenial during thier first few years in the NHL(some as busts and others as soft second to third liners). No one, not even their own team, could of foresaw the stars they have become. The Sedins work in the off season is what made the difference and it looks like Horvat has that same drive to go one step more than others to be the best he can. That is one thing Horvat has, that is so special, that drive to be the hardest worker in the group.