Canucks' Team Toughness

[Nuxfanabroad]

Wilson, Ferland..even Getzlaf. These big bodies are needed in the spring.

[Junkyard Dog]

The only FAs we should even look at are players with size and that excel at the physical aspects in the game.

 

It will make teams think twice about taking runs at our youth, these players will make us a tougher team to play against. Win or lose I want teams being black and blue at the end.

 

We should draft guys like this too but we really need help short term because we severely are lacking in these aspects, especially at forward.

[oldnews]

On 2017-04-03 at 9:04 AM, DIBdaQUIB said:

My brother played against Linden before Linden made the jump to the bigs.  He hated playing him not because he was a goon but because he played a "heavy" game.  He said, Linden's hits hurt and took a huge toll on you over the course of a game.  Every time you got near him Linden would lean on you and make you work hard to find space and time.    That is what we lack in our forward group.  We have some guys who will throw hits now and then but we don't have "heavy" players who make the other team pay regularly just for being on the ice.  Who wear teams down by constantly using size and aggression to make playing uncomfortable and tiring.

Having those guys on your 4th line does no good as those guys are usually only out for 8-9 minutes and seldom face the top 6 of the other team, who are most likely to do damage. YOu need size and physical presence throughout your line up. ..not goons, just big, tough, physical players.

Good points.

This is one of those things that I think people underestimate about a player like Gudbranson and the effect he can have both on opposition forwards - but also in making life easier for a goaltender.  That he can drop the gloves with anyone is a bonus, but not really the primary effect - which is that forwards have to battle with him all night long for pucks - in the corners, and he's not going to welcome you into our crease either.  I think that between him, Sbisa (if he's still here) and Tryamkin (particularly as he develops, gets better conditioned and gains more confidence in being physically assertive) I think the team is shaping up nicely in that sense on the back end.  Up front, it's really limited to our bottom six players -  Dorsett, perhaps Gaunce to a lesser extent - and hopefully Virtanen develops into one of the elements the team really needs.   Horvat may develop a bit more mean/heavy in his game as well, but it's not his bread and butter.  The forward group remains a work in progress in terms of being hard to play against, but thankfully there is that element on the blueline - which can take a toll on opposition forwards.  But we still need to add to our ability to work and wear on the opposition's defense.

[oldnews]

3 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said:

The only FAs we should even look at are players with size and that excel at the physical aspects in the game.

 

It will make teams think twice about taking runs at our youth, these players will make us a tougher team to play against. Win or lose I want teams being black and blue at the end.

 

We should draft guys like this too but we really need help short term because we severely are lacking in these aspects, especially at forward.

Getting a guy like Brouwer last summer would have been nice - but wasn't meant to be.

[J-23]

We need a tough physical 4th line to bring some energy to this team, that can be trusted by the coach. AV would start our 4th line a lot, I remember he started them in the Stanley Cup Finals to throw some early hits, it gets the crown and team into the game. Also, we are going to need a Kesler type of player in my opinion a 2nd line scorer, who is not afraid to be physical. I'm hoping Virtanen could fill that role. Our defensive crew has to be really physical, Guddy and Tram need to be more physical next season in my opinion. Once a player is physical, really physical ,the team follows his lead. Younger teams like Edmonton, Calgary and Toronto (especially Toronto) are getting physical players, as they know it's important for Playoff hockey.

Edited April 14, 2017 by J-23
I SPELT KESLER WRONG

[KKnight]

9 minutes ago, oldnews said:

Getting a guy like Brouwer last summer would have been nice - but wasn't meant to be.

4.5 a year for 4 years. Thanks, but no thanks. 

[oldnews]

1 minute ago, KKnight said:

4.5 a year for 4 years. Thanks, but no thanks. 

.5 ppg over the past 8 seasons, 200 hits a season, hard minutes. thanks

[KKnight]

Im not saying hes a bad player. He definitely is, but now we need guys on 1 and 2 year deals. That have the potential to be moved if were not in contention at TDL. We can find physical guys who put up, just around what his stats were this year for much cheaper. I think Labate and a healthy Dorsett will be on our team next year. That brings more physicality. Id be looking to bring in a physical element to our top 6, in order for the creative players to have more space to create high quality scoring chances. 

[Jiggs50]

1 hour ago, oldnews said:

Getting a guy like Brouwer last summer would have been nice - but wasn't meant to be.

Makes no sense on a rebuilding team. But then again Eriksson doesn't either...

 

Flames fans are hoping Vegas picks him up btw. 

[spook007]

2 hours ago, Nuxfanabroad said:

Wilson, Ferland..even Getzlaf. These big bodies are needed in the spring.

Agree.... Wasn't 'Getzlaf' in the top of this draft... 

[Nuxfanabroad]

1 minute ago, spook007 said:

Agree.... Wasn't 'Getzlaf' in the top of this draft... 

Yet RG musta been healthier in his jr days?

[spook007]

Just now, Nuxfanabroad said:

Yet RG musta been healthier in his jr days?

Yes 

[Bad_Dog]

the young skilled guys will excell alot quicker and play with a ton more confidence with a true heavy weight tuff guy around. Team mates play bigger and that is a fact whether you like it or not.Dorssett has the heart and soul but he is not a true heavy weight nor is Guddy.Tramkin is huge but not a scary fighter at all.Hate to say it but we need a Ferland type player.

[stanleysteamersmyl]

The currrent team forwards would take a pounding that most of them will be in the Chris Tanev Medical Center before the end of a playoff series. 

 

Kassian could have been on our 3rd line but they gave up on him and traded him for peanuts.  No rehab, just get rid of the problem. 

Compassion, getting help for a player is not a Canuck value.

 

[DIBdaQUIB]

9 hours ago, oldnews said:

Good points.

This is one of those things that I think people underestimate about a player like Gudbranson and the effect he can have both on opposition forwards - but also in making life easier for a goaltender.  That he can drop the gloves with anyone is a bonus, but not really the primary effect - which is that forwards have to battle with him all night long for pucks - in the corners, and he's not going to welcome you into our crease either.  I think that between him, Sbisa (if he's still here) and Tryamkin (particularly as he develops, gets better conditioned and gains more confidence in being physically assertive) I think the team is shaping up nicely in that sense on the back end.  Up front, it's really limited to our bottom six players -  Dorsett, perhaps Gaunce to a lesser extent - and hopefully Virtanen develops into one of the elements the team really needs.   Horvat may develop a bit more mean/heavy in his game as well, but it's not his bread and butter.  The forward group remains a work in progress in terms of being hard to play against, but thankfully there is that element on the blueline - which can take a toll on opposition forwards.  But we still need to add to our ability to work and wear on the opposition's defense.

He back end is indeed shaping up. I like what Gudbranson brings and Try.  Far fewer liberties will be taken when they are regularly patrolling our end.

Jb is rightly searching for scoring talent as this team is in desparate need if that but so far, not much size with those players.  Guys like Goldy, Bocher, Granlund etc., Are going to need linemates that play a heavir, meaner game if they are going to have the space and time to do their thing.  It's not easy to find d those guys because every team wants them.  Hopefully, we can develop our own, Virtanen being a strong candidate if he can re-directed his game.

[Darius]

 

7 hours ago, Bad_Dog said:

the young skilled guys will excell alot quicker and play with a ton more confidence with a true heavy weight tuff guy around. Team mates play bigger and that is a fact whether you like it or not.Dorssett has the heart and soul but he is not a true heavy weight nor is Guddy.Tramkin is huge but not a scary fighter at all.Hate to say it but we need a Ferland type player.

One guy I would love on our 4th line would be Ryan Reaves.  The guy hits like a linebacker, is one of the toughest guys in the league, and can get you 5-10 goals.  Hes getting up there in age, but I wonder what it would take to pry him out of St Louis..they might be more likely to move him if they lose in the first round.  Hes a ufa at the end of next year I think.

[ilduce39]

8 hours ago, spook007 said:

Agree.... Wasn't 'Getzlaf' in the top of this draft... 

If by some miracle we win the 1 OA I can already hear the chorus of moans if we take NP over Hischier.  They might even complain if we take him 2OA after Nico.

 

Patrick would look pretty darn good at the head of our forward prospects though... and give us a top 6 anchored by big centres.  

 

Worth whatever gamble his injuries represent imo.

Edited April 14, 2017 by ilduce39
Edit: oops. "Over Hischier" not "or"

[oldnews]

10 hours ago, Jiggs50 said:

Makes no sense on a rebuilding team. But then again Eriksson doesn't either...

 

Flames fans are hoping Vegas picks him up btw. 

I couldn't care less what Flames fans think/hope tbh.

 

Rebuilding teams add free agents all the time - there's nothing about taking advantage of every opportunity to improve that 'doesn't make sense'.

If adding a Brouwer doesn't make sense then neither does adding a Matt Martin, or Radim Vrbata (in Phoenix), or Matt Moulson, or Milan Lucic.

What doesn't make sense is trading picks and prospects at this stage to add 30 yr olds.

But we're not doing that anyway.

 

But the Leafs are lol.   I guess they're done the rebuild

[oldnews]

2 hours ago, DIBdaQUIB said:

He back end is indeed shaping up. I like what Gudbranson brings and Try.  Far fewer liberties will be taken when they are regularly patrolling our end.

Jb is rightly searching for scoring talent as this team is in desparate need if that but so far, not much size with those players.  Guys like Goldy, Bocher, Granlund etc., Are going to need linemates that play a heavir, meaner game if they are going to have the space and time to do their thing.  It's not easy to find d those guys because every team wants them.  Hopefully, we can develop our own, Virtanen being a strong candidate if he can re-directed his game.

Depending on how the balls drop, they may be able to land a big, skilled, playmaking center in this draft though - which does go a long way to making a smaller scoring winger more viable - and is a good complement in their own end as well as it is the center that draws the responsibility down low.  If we're fortunate enough in the lottery, we may not only get the highly skilled playmaker, but perhaps some size as well - and if that's the case, down the middle the team looks fairly strong in the future (ie Patrick, Horvat, Sutter )

Mittelstadt, Vilardi and Glass also have some decent size as center possibilities.

 

So if they were to wind up with one of those C in their top 6, Virtanen in their middle six - reasonable size in Horvat, Boeser - they'd be making decent strides imo.

And they'll finally have some depth of prospects, where they could actually have the assets - both up front and on the blueline - to potentially acquire a guy that rounds out the forward group better.  My dream would be a deal for Boone Jenner, but Columbus' rise this year might make them less likely to be making pre-emptive deals to avoid expansion exposure - but a guy in Jenner's mold would certainly make the group another level of hard to play against.

[EdgarM]

On ‎2017‎-‎03‎-‎29 at 8:59 PM, Elvistein said:

I seriously think that it starts when the Sedins and Edler are gone.  Our leadership is soft...  Travis Green needs to take the tape of the Flames vs Kings game tonight and show Virtanen how Tkachuk has played...  IF we can get Virtanen, Tryamkin and Gudransen playing with grit and push back every game... and we have a stud captain in Horvat...  that leads with grit and determination....  then things will get better in a hurray for our team!  

You hit the nail right on the head Elvistein. We have not had that type of "LEADER" since LINDEN. Its been a long time coming. Once the leadership falls into place all other pieces will gel together as well. We had grit before(Bieksa,Kessler,Torres)  but our core leaders have always been the same "gentlemanly" type players.