Canucks - Oldest Top Line in the League

[Gaudette Celly]

So then, a first line of 18-year-olds would mean we're contenders?

 

Maybe Aqualini is paying off these media hacks to push expectations as low as possible.

[JM_]

TSN should have gone with average shoe size. Then we'd really know something. 

[higgyfan]

2 hours ago, shattenkirk8 said:

TSN just released an article that shows the top lines for all 30 teams in hockey, stating the 3 players that make up the top line, and the average age between them. It's worth noting that the Canucks top line of Sedin-Sedin-Eriksson is the oldest in the league by a landslide, averaging 34.3 years in age. 

 

The next highest was actually Anaheim's 2nd line (1A) consisting of Raymond, Vermette, and Perry, who average 32 years of age.

 

The youngest top line in the NHL is Buffalo's, consisting of Kane, Eichel and Reinhart, averaging 21.7 years of age. 

 

Overall, the average age for a top line in the entire league is 27.3 years of age, which is expected for a top line. 7 teams containing a top line of players with an average age of 25 or less.

Although some teams do have a young player slotted into their top line (ex. Granlund with Koivu and Pominville, or Hertl with Thorton and Pavelski), do you think it's concerning that our team has the highest average aged top line of any team? Could this be the reason that so many speculate that we will end up being last in the league? Are you concerned that we currently do not have an option of a young player to slot into our top line like many other ageing teams? Are we putting too much pressure on the Sedin's, at their age, to continue to perform like top players, unlike other teams that have begun slotting their veterans into 2nd or 3rd line roles?

Obviously teams will start moving around their lineups, which will raise or lower the average age of the top line, but with the season upon us, the Canucks' best 3 have a load to carry, and maybe don't have the knees to carry it. 

 

TSN Top 30 lines article

Hard to take seriously if TSN thinks that Raymond, Vermette and Perry is the Ducks 2nd (or 1A even funnier) line. 

 

But yeah, the teams that have been rebuilding for endless years are younger.  News alert!!!!!

 

[Jaku]

2 hours ago, Gooseberries said:

I don't see why it matters. 

 

Would you rather

Granlund koivu pominville

OR

sedin sedin eriksson

 

Hoffman Turrris stone

Or

Pavelski Thornton hertl

 

I don't care about having younger players. Tsn is all about it right now because Toronto is a newborn dumpster fire. I want better players. So no there is no correlation between age and quality.

 

Also how is Torontos second line a 1a but Tampa bays isn't? Torontos first line is hardly a 1.

 

Goooood damnit I hate TSN. They dont even air any nhl games.

 

 

This is wonderful.

[Davathor]

2 hours ago, Toews said:

1A just means its unclear which of those two lines is the top line. Columbus also got a 1A and both their lines aren't 1st line caliber either especially with Sam Gagner there lol.

 

So 2a and 2b for all the other teams that aren't Toronto

[Drive-By Body Pierce]

3 hours ago, Gooseberries said:

I don't see why it matters. 

 

Would you rather

Granlund koivu pominville

OR

sedin sedin eriksson

 

Hoffman Turrris stone

Or

Pavelski Thornton hertl

 

I don't care about having younger players. Tsn is all about it right now because Toronto is a newborn dumpster fire. I want better players. So no there is no correlation between age and quality.

 

Also how is Torontos second line a 1a but Tampa bays isn't? Torontos first line is hardly a 1.

 

Goooood damnit I hate TSN. They dont even air any nhl games.

 

[Drive-By Body Pierce]

...or better yet (though a quick hack):

 

 

[250Integra]

Well.. we can view it as: "The Canucks have the most experience first line".

[Dr. Crossbar]

4 hours ago, shattenkirk8 said:

Although some teams do have a young player slotted into their top line (ex. Granlund with Koivu and Pominville, or Hertl with Thorton and Pavelski), do you think it's concerning that our team has the highest average aged top line of any team? Could this be the reason that so many speculate that we will end up being last in the league? Are you concerned that we currently do not have an option of a young player to slot into our top line like many other ageing teams? Are we putting too much pressure on the Sedin's, at their age, to continue to perform like top players, unlike other teams that have begun slotting their veterans into 2nd or 3rd line roles?

Do you think it's concerning that our team has the highest average aged top line of any team?

 

Legitimate question. From strictly an age standpoint, for sure. Leaning on conventional wisdom, there's an organic cause for concern knowing the Sedins are 36 and Eriksson is in his 30s. These guys aren't young anymore so it's not crazy to think age plays a factor. It does. 

 

But when Daniel scores 28 goals at 35 and Eriksson scores 30 goals at 30, you can't ignore that. Those numbers, if anything, show less cause for concern despite their ages. Henrik's numbers from last season reflect age related decline, especially after playing hurt and also being injured. 

 

The wild card in all of this is the chemistry the Sedins have with Eriksson. Even though there's cause for concern, you can also look at the impact that very chemistry will have on each other. With Eriksson, it's not a stretch to think Henrik's numbers will be better and that both Daniel and Loui should be able to equal last year's totals.

 

At this point, I'm not so concerned until I see more cause to be concerned. I think it's a good thing these guys have last season's totals to live up to this year. They need to be pushed and we need that output.

 

The problem with that is at their age they're making it harder to transition out of the top line by defying age. If that line bombs this season, well, that will make the case for a younger top line. But we just can't slide guys into the top line right now because they're younger. 

 

But that doesn't mean I don't think we need a younger, equally productive top line. We do. I think Boeser, if he maintains his scoring pace, will be the start of that transition.

 

Could this be the reason that so many speculate that we will end up being last in the league?

 

One of the reasons, probably. I'd flip that, though, and say the writer's age could also factor into their opinion. I just think it's easier to look at the top line from an age standpoint and say, yeah, the Sedins are 36, Eriksson is 31, they're old and slow. That doesn't require much mental horsepower. 

 

I'd say the speculation on last place is more informed by last season, the amount of young guys, lack of secondary scoring, changing defense, and the fact that we haven't gone full rebuild in the traditional sense the media expects. It's easier to say we'll be last than to explore reasons why we may be better than expected.

 

Are you concerned that we currently do not have an option of a young player to slot into our top line like many other ageing teams?

 

Well, in the here and now, not so much given that the Sedins playing with Eriksson is a best case scenario at their age. Like I said above, if they bomb completely, I'll be concerned. I think we'll see something special with these guys.

 

In the bigger picture, sure. But guys need to earn top line minutes. The Sedins weren't gifted the top line. They had to master the 2nd line before taking over. Again, the transition we really want to see won't start until Boeser gets here (just saying he'll likely be the start of that change), and Benning still hasn't filled the need for a big scoring winger. So, just because we don't have that young option now doesn't mean we won't have it in the near future. 

 

Concerned? More like waiting to see how this season plays out and which young guys take bigger steps forward. Also waiting for a few contracts to fall off the table as well, which will create the option for a younger player we don't currently have.

 

Are we putting too much pressure on the Sedin's, at their age, to continue to perform like top players, unlike other teams that have begun slotting their veterans into 2nd or 3rd line roles?

 

No. Not at all. With Daniel's 28 goals and Loui's 30 from last season, they're still performing like top players. Why would we set the bar lower for them? In Henrik's case, he needs the bar set higher after last season.

 

Players like these guys welcome the pressure. And at their ages, to keep up their numbers, they need to be pushed. They know this. 

 

If we had younger guys below them lighting up the net and nipping at their heels, that would be different. Our younger guys aren't there yet. We don't even know how our 2nd line will be yet even though we saw flashes of greatness in the pre-season with Baer, Sutter, Rodin, Horvat, etc. Gaunce is young but he's nowhere close to taking over top line minutes.

 

Keep in mind, Eriksson will already be dropping down to 2nd line when necessary. So, why (or how) would we demote the Sedins and Eriksson to 2nd or 3rd line when we're still trying to solidify those two lines.

 

Burrows is the noticeable veteran who we're slotting further down the lineup. He's definitely not performing like the past, so we are slotting vets down in the lineup. Hansen is a bit more versatile because of his 22 goals. So, even though he's older, you have to ride on his numbers over any age related concern until he shows cause for concern.

 

 

[Shift-4]

Time to swap the Gatorade for prune juice

[Makaramel MacKhiato]

Just now, Dr. Crossbar said:

Do you think it's concerning that our team has the highest average aged top line of any team?

 

Legitimate question. From strictly an age standpoint, for sure. Leaning on conventional wisdom, there's an organic cause for concern knowing the Sedins are 36 and Eriksson is in his 30s. These guys aren't young anymore so it's not crazy to think age plays a factor. It does. 

 

But when Daniel scores 28 goals at 35 and Eriksson scores 30 goals at 30, you can't ignore that. Those numbers, if anything, show less cause for concern despite their ages. Henrik's numbers from last season reflect age related decline, especially after playing hurt and also being injured. 

 

The wild card in all of this is the chemistry the Sedins have with Eriksson. Even though there's cause for concern, you can also look at the impact that very chemistry will have on each other. With Eriksson, it's not a stretch to think Henrik's numbers will be better and that both Daniel and Loui should be able to equal last year's totals.

 

At this point, I'm not so concerned until I see more cause to be concerned. I think it's a good thing these guys have last season's totals to live up to this year. They need to be pushed and we need that output.

 

The problem with that is at their age they're making it harder to transition out of the top line by defying age. If that line bombs this season, well, that will make the case for a younger top line. But we just can't slide guys into the top line right now because they're younger. 

 

But that doesn't mean I don't think we need a younger, equally productive top line. We do. I think Boeser, if he maintains his scoring pace, will be the start of that transition.

 

Could this be the reason that so many speculate that we will end up being last in the league?

 

One of the reasons, probably. I'd flip that, though, and say the writer's age could also factor into their opinion. I just think it's easier to look at the top line from an age standpoint and say, yeah, the Sedins are 36, Eriksson is 31, they're old and slow. That doesn't require much mental horsepower. 

 

I'd say the speculation on last place is more informed by last season, the amount of young guys, lack of secondary scoring, changing defense, and the fact that we haven't gone full rebuild in the traditional sense the media expects. It's easier to say we'll be last than to explore reasons why we may be better than expected.

 

Are you concerned that we currently do not have an option of a young player to slot into our top line like many other ageing teams?

 

Well, in the here and now, not so much given that the Sedins playing with Eriksson is a best case scenario at their age. Like I said above, if they bomb completely, I'll be concerned. I think we'll see something special with these guys.

 

In the bigger picture, sure. But guys need to earn top line minutes. The Sedins weren't gifted the top line. They had to master the 2nd line before taking over. Again, the transition we really want to see won't start until Boeser gets here (just saying he'll likely be the start of that change), and Benning still hasn't filled the need for a big scoring winger. So, just because we don't have that young option now doesn't mean we won't have it in the near future. 

 

Concerned? More like waiting to see how this season plays out and which young guys take bigger steps forward. Also waiting for a few contracts to fall off the table as well, which will create the option for a younger player we don't currently have.

 

Are we putting too much pressure on the Sedin's, at their age, to continue to perform like top players, unlike other teams that have begun slotting their veterans into 2nd or 3rd line roles?

 

No. Not at all. With Daniel's 28 goals and Loui's 30 from last season, they're still performing like top players. Why would we set the bar lower for them? In Henrik's case, he needs the bar set higher after last season.

 

Players like these guys welcome the pressure. And at their ages, to keep up their numbers, they need to be pushed. They know this. 

 

If we had younger guys below them lighting up the net and nipping at their heels, that would be different. Our younger guys aren't there yet. We don't even know how our 2nd line will be yet even though we saw flashes of greatness in the pre-season with Baer, Sutter, Rodin, Horvat, etc. Gaunce is young but he's nowhere close to taking over top line minutes.

 

Keep in mind, Eriksson will already be dropping down to 2nd line when necessary. So, why (or how) would we demote the Sedins and Eriksson to 2nd or 3rd line when we're still trying to solidify those two lines.

 

Burrows is the noticeable veteran who we're slotting further down the lineup. He's definitely not performing like the past, so we are slotting vets down in the lineup. Hansen is a bit more versatile because of his 22 goals. So, even though he's older, you have to ride on his numbers over any age related concern until he shows cause for concern.

 

 

great response

[Honky Cat]

Canucks have not really been picking at the top of the draft for the most part of the last 15 years...None of Grabner,Hodgson or Schroeder worked out either...I'm sure the next few drafts the Canucks will be concentrating on offensively gifted players.

 

A lot of the blogging experts do look at the 36 year old Sedins and think they are too old...and from this, generally presume that the Canucks don't have any type of a youth movement whatsoever...This feeds the negative speculation (its almost like ..instead of politely going to the back of the queue to collect your draft picks,the Canucks are trying to butt into the middle of the line to get to a playoff spot..).

[apollo]

That's interesting but also irrelevant. Sedins are... Refer to my sig... GREATEST EVER. 
 

[Honky Cat]

Here are the average age,height, weight of every team in the league...They all seem pretty much within the same ballpark..IMO

http://mirtle.blogspot.ca/2016/10/2016-17-nhl-teams-by-height-weight-and.html

 

[JM_]

7 minutes ago, Honky Cat said:

Here are the average age,height, weight of every team in the league...They all seem pretty much within the same ballpark..IMO

http://mirtle.blogspot.ca/2016/10/2016-17-nhl-teams-by-height-weight-and.html

 

 

Good. The 2 oldest teams in the league made it to the cup final last year.

 

SO TSN IS SAYING WE'RE GOING TO THE CUP!!!!!!

 

Ht

HRk

Wt

WRk

Age

ARk

PIT

73.0

20

197.4

27

28.4

2

SJS

73.1

19

203.1

11

28.9

1

[riffraff]

Years back I was lucky enough to get on a beer league team with guys who had played together for nearly 15 years.  Aside from me we were the oldest team by far.

 

but some nights the other guys couldn't even get the puck from us.

 

anticipation. Passing. Positioning.

 

the other team would be whizzing around trying to keep up with Te puck movement.  By the third they were done and we'd blow em out.

 

i caught the sedins watching with Willie d a couple nights.

[Baggins]

5 hours ago, Gooseberries said:

K so yeah. Just like I said. An overflow game. 1 game this entire week...

 

Regardless. They lost the bid for hockey is what I'm getting at. 

 

Regional games are negotiated by the individual teams with the revenue going to the team. They can sign with any provider they want to maximize revenue. National broadcasts are negotiated by the NHL with the revenue split among all the teams.

[Baggins]

29 minutes ago, riffraff said:

Years back I was lucky enough to get on a beer league team with guys who had played together for nearly 15 years.  Aside from me we were the oldest team by far.

 

but some nights the other guys couldn't even get the puck from us.

 

anticipation. Passing. Positioning.

 

the other team would be whizzing around trying to keep up with Te puck movement.  By the third they were done and we'd blow em out.

 

i caught the sedins watching with Willie d a couple nights.

 

I liked to call it age and treachery overcoming youth and skill when I was playing sports well into my 30's.

[clutesi]

Trade them for some good drafts

[the harry]

Oldies but goldies!