Jack Rathbone | #3 | D

[RetroCanuck]

10 hours ago, Setyoureyesontheprize said:

Rathboner made Troy expendable. It’s simple as that. Love Troy he played his heart Out every night. Hope we can bring him back at some point. 

Id still have resigned Stecher at that price. If you have to trade him in the future to balance the size in the lineup then oh well.

 

Benning has hamstrung himself into needing to make a trade for a RD.

[Googlie]

2 hours ago, RetroCanuck said:

Id still have resigned Stecher at that price. If you have to trade him in the future to balance the size in the lineup then oh well.

 

Benning has hamstrung himself into needing to make a trade for a RD.

I would think one contingency is to move Hughes to the right.  He has said he is equally comfortable either side, and in the offensive zone prefers being right side. So an option would be Hughes, Myers, Benn/Rafferty/Chatfield

LHD would then be Edler, Juolevi, Rathbone, Benn, Acquisition (not necessarily in that order)

Left hand D's seem to.be 2 a penny

 

[RetroCanuck]

36 minutes ago, Googlie said:

I would think one contingency is to move Hughes to the right.  He has said he is equally comfortable either side, and in the offensive zone prefers being right side. So an option would be Hughes, Myers, Benn/Rafferty/Chatfield

LHD would then be Edler, Juolevi, Rathbone, Benn, Acquisition (not necessarily in that order)

Left hand D's seem to.be 2 a penny

 

I dislike that because I prefer to keep players on their strong handed side, but your right that could happen

[Victor77]

39 minutes ago, Googlie said:

I would think one contingency is to move Hughes to the right.  He has said he is equally comfortable either side, and in the offensive zone prefers being right side. So an option would be Hughes, Myers, Benn/Rafferty/Chatfield

LHD would then be Edler, Juolevi, Rathbone, Benn, Acquisition (not necessarily in that order)

Left hand D's seem to.be 2 a penny

 

Ugh! Take Hughes out and that is an AHL defence.

[Victor77]

The continued targeting of Hughes will inevitably result in an injury. Who replaces Huggy then?

[Crabcakes]

4 hours ago, RetroCanuck said:

Id still have resigned Stecher at that price. If you have to trade him in the future to balance the size in the lineup then oh well.

 

Benning has hamstrung himself into needing to make a trade for a RD.

When Benning is decisive, he can make moves in a hurry.  For example, on Friday morning when he knew that Marky wasn't going to sign, he had Holtby inked within an hour of free agency opening up (Dahliwal's post was 10:14).  This makes me think that he wasn't motivated to re-sign Tanev.

 

FWIW I am perplexed by what people have been saying about Benning not wanting to sign anybody for more than 2 years.  It looks like it could be true but what about taking on OEL for 7 years at 8.25?  

 

 

[Kootenay Gold]

14 minutes ago, Crabcakes said:

FWIW I am perplexed by what people have been saying about Benning not wanting to sign anybody for more than 2 years. 

I think that was / is true for a lot of the GM's this year. There are not very many contracts being given out that are for longer than 3 years. Exceptions to that like Markstrom and a couple of others were likely due to very high demand for their services. From looking at what has transpired so far, it appears that most of the contracts are for minor league salaries in the 700k to 800k  range and two year terms.

[Ilya Mikheyev]

On 10/11/2020 at 12:29 AM, Setyoureyesontheprize said:

Rathboner made Troy expendable. It’s simple as that. Love Troy he played his heart Out every night. Hope we can bring him back at some point. 

I disagree. Rathbone is a left-sided defenseman who has never played a NHL game. Don't think/hope he's not going to start the year off as a rookie on his off-side if the Canucks are fielding a healthy D. Gonna be a good call-up next year though, and him and Juolevi will battle it out for the bottom pairing left-side, my money is on Juolevi to start the year there though.

[GoCanucks16]

A lot of people don't know just how good this kid is. He's going to turn heads.

[theo5789]

On ‎10‎/‎11‎/‎2020 at 2:56 PM, Victor1915 said:

Ugh! Take Hughes out and that is an AHL defence.

Take out the best dman of most teams and you could say something similar.

[Maddogy]

On 10/12/2020 at 7:17 AM, Teemu Selänne said:

I disagree. Rathbone is a left-sided defenseman who has never played a NHL game. Don't think/hope he's not going to start the year off as a rookie on his off-side if the Canucks are fielding a healthy D. Gonna be a good call-up next year though, and him and Juolevi will battle it out for the bottom pairing left-side, my money is on Juolevi to start the year there though.

Based on how well his Harvard D partner Adam Fox did, I think Rathbone can become a full time NHL player this season if sheltered on the third pairing. They are comparable, physically and statistically (NCAA stats). Rathbone is somewhat less skilled but plays more physical. He is a slightly bigger but much more skilled Troy Stetcher.  However, Rathbone may not enjoy the support of a veteran D partner such as Chris Tanev if he is on the third pairing.

Edited October 13, 2020 by Maddogy

[HomeBrew]

It is all going to come down to Training Camp. I like the competition that Benning creates every year at the get go. Rathbone could surprise and land a spot on the roster and we could see a defense lineup getting relative equal minutes (except for Hughes).

Edited October 14, 2020 by HomeBrew

[GoldenAlien]

An exclusive Q&A with Canucks top defence prospect Jack Rathbone

“I don’t think anyone goes into a training camp not wanting to make the team. I think that’s definitely a goal of mine.”

 

On Sunday afternoon David Quadrelli and myself sat down with Jack Rathbone to chat for about 25 minutes. We got into everything from his time with Harvard to the Storm Trooper suit that he wore to go with his little brother’s Darth Vader attire on Halloween.

 

Rathbone was drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 draft and signed this past July during training camp 2.0.

 

For this written format of the interview I will be using DQ as a question from Quadrelli and CF as a question from myself. JR will indicate Rathbone’s answers.

 

CF: What’s this Covid offseason been like for you?

JR: Yeah, it’s different. I think everyone is dealing with the modifications. Like my trainer used to have free to walk in whenever, but now you got to come in a certain time, walk in and out from a certain door, wear a mask, and all that. But training has been good. With the start date being up in the air right now, people don’t really know when to ramp it up because you don’t wanna burnout. But it’s been good, trying to stay in shape and get on the ice as much as possible.

 

CF: The joke that I’ve heard is that everyone is going to come into camp with 20 extra pounds of muscle from the basement workouts in quarantine. Are we gunna see you add 30 pounds Jack?

JR: Hahaha, I’d like to think so. Hopefully not in the stomach! I’m not the biggest guy, so anytime I get a little extra time in the gym or a little extra time to prepare off ice, that’s a positive for me.

 

DQ: You now know you will have a place to play here in North America with the AHL announcing they are trying to come back February 5th. Did the thought of going overseas every cross your mind?

JR: It definitely crossed my mind, one of my close buddies from Harvard Jack Drury signed in the SHL at the beginning of their season. Talking with him was what introduce to idea to me but after talking with Vancouver and what they thought was the best plan of action for me was to stay here. I think in the back of their minds, they had an idea that there was going to be some hockey to play in North America, whatever level that be. Again, like I mentioned before any extra time I can get to train and work on my game off the ice, that’s a huge positive for me.

 

CF: A lot of players say that the jump from the CHL to professional hockey is the hardest but we are seeing more and more college kids have success right out of school when they make the jump. Do you feel you are ready after your two years at Harvard?

JR: I think so. I think college hockey in general you are kind of playing against what are considered men already. A lot of guys coming in as 21-year-old freshmen definitely some older guys and bigger bodies. Maybe a little bit more wide open in terms of the play when compared to the AHL and the NHL. I wanted to play college hockey every since growing up. It’s hard not to when you’re growing up as a Boston kid.

 

DQ: For Canucks fans who haven’t seen you play yet, what would you say your biggest strength and weakness is?

JR: I’d say my strength is my offensive creativity and my skating ability. Being able to transition the puck from defence to offence and kind of be that fourth forward. My weakness or something that I’m always trying to work on is a lot of just defensive positioning, my feet can allow me to do some things that can get me in trouble sometimes so a lot of decision making on when to jump and when not to. Those are a couple of things I’ve been working on for the past two years. Through video and help from coaches, I’m ready to continue to develop and make that transition a little bit easier.

 

DQ: What can you tell us about your relationship with Thatcher Demko?

JR: He’s awesome, he’s been great for me. Obviously the player that he is, looking up to him kind of as a role model. I was a freshman in high school when he was here and he would come over for a home cooked meal and whether it was pond hockey or playing Xbox. I obviously looked up to him, he didn’t have to but he was a really nice guy to me. He was great and definitely helped me and seeing the success he had in the postseason was really fun for me and my family. I’m psyched to get reacquainted with him and hopefully play with him one day.

 

CF: No doubt, you want to show him how that slap shot has improved?

JR: I hope, I hope from freshman year it has a bit haha!

 

CF: What did you think of his performance in the playoffs, that was unreal right?

JR: If you don’t watch hockey, you know how good he played. I knew he capable of it from watching him at BC but watching him do it at the highest level was really cool for me and my family, it was something we loved watching.

 

CF: I find it very interesting that you brought up being offensively creative as one of your strengths. That’s not something we heard players talk about 10 years ago. Why do you describe one of your biggest strengths like that?

JR: Yeah, I think being able to get out of your zone first and foremost for a d-man but then once you do, trying to make plays and create offense. Whether it’s getting the puck in the forwards hands and let them do it themselves or if you have to jump in and be that fourth forward I think the way the game is trending right now, d-men are almost rovers in the offensive zone. There’s no more set structure. I think that suits my game and something that I’m excited to hopefully get the opportunity to do at the highest level.

 

Quads then asked the hard-hitting question on everyone’s mind:

DQ: Do you feel you’re NHL ready?

 

DQ: Did the thought ever cross your mind of staying at Harvard and then going the free-agent route?

JR: I mean, you’ve seen guys do it before so you know it’s a possibility but (from) the Canucks player development staff, management, coaches and two development camps I got a great feeling and loyalty is something that’s pretty big to me. So I knew they took a chance on me. The decision to go to the USHL or to go back to prep school, I think they were great. They gave me space to be able to make that decision on my own. They have been great to me and whether its with the relationship with Chris Higgins or Ryan Johnson, those guys have been great for me in terms of trying to grow as a player. I think that was something that I knew I wanted to be a part of this kind of an organization and work alongside guys like that.

 

DQ: What were your initial thoughts of Vancouver?

JR: I mean, it’s beautiful. I actually had ankle surgery literally the first day of development camp last year. So I couldn’t attend development camp. I was bummed because being able to experience being a professional hockey player for a week was the highlight of my summer. I was pretty bummed I wasn’t able to go to that camp but the city is beautiful, the fans are unbelievable so I’m pretty psyched to get things going.

 

DQ: Final question here, do you have any goals going into Canucks training camp this Winter?

JR: Ya, I don’t think anyone goes into a training camp not wanting to make the team. I think that’s definitely a goal of mine; to play in the NHL this year. Honestly, I just want to learn as much as possible with this being my first year pro. I just want to be a sponge, try and learn as much as possible from the older guys and anyone who attends camp. That will be an incredible opportunity for me and it’s something I’m excited to get going.

[Camel Toe Drag]

On 10/11/2020 at 3:00 PM, Victor1915 said:

The continued targeting of Hughes will inevitably result in an injury. Who replaces Huggy then?

Bud you think every team just has backups for their best players? By that logic they wouldn’t be the best players. Obviously it’s a huge hit for any team to lose a Norris caliber dman. 

[Ray_Cathode]

On 8/17/2020 at 11:25 AM, CanuckCup2022 said:

Billionaires make the rules. Why would they do that?

Billionaires love the rules when they ascend the ladder, but want to burn the ladder that they ascended - and that requires changing the rules to keep them in the game against the innovative up and comers. The least supportive of capitalism are the capitalists - that's why all the big financial support for the Democrats is from those who've 'made it'. They believe in the fixed pie concept, but in their entrepreneurial phase believed that you make your own pie - but once you've baked your own pie, everybody and his dog wants a piece of it - but their biggest enemy are the new guys baking pies of their own.

[Ray_Cathode]

On 10/11/2020 at 11:08 AM, RetroCanuck said:

Id still have resigned Stecher at that price. If you have to trade him in the future to balance the size in the lineup then oh well.

 

Benning has hamstrung himself into needing to make a trade for a RD.

We resigned Stetcher by not re-signing him.

[NorthWestNuck]

I still think I’d like to see Jack on Utica’s first pairing with Woo developing some chemistry for when they both move up. We have several young defenders already pushing for a roster spot, JR can wait a year unless he absolutely blows the others away...

[wildcam]

On October 11, 2020 at 2:56 PM, Victor1915 said:

Ugh! Take Hughes out and that is an AHL defence.

AHL D? YOU SMOKING CRACK??????

#1 Hughes - #1 Schmidt --- Top pair excellent---

Edler - Myers ---- Very good

Benn -- Rathbone, Juolevi , Rafferty....

Nothing wrong these guys can fill void of Stetcher...This is typical Canuck fans being negative, Rathbone will be a top 4 D man soon, much better then Stetcher...Glad anyone important don't read crap from negative fans..

 

BETTER DEFENCE THIS YEAR AND EXCITING TO SEE RATHBONE, JUOLEVI , RAFFERTY #5 SPOT    ...

NO FERLAND ?????? HANOMIC 6'2 GRITTY - STILL THINGS WILL HAPPEN...

Edited November 5, 2020 by wildcam

[Ray_Cathode]

On 10/11/2020 at 2:15 PM, Googlie said:

I would think one contingency is to move Hughes to the right.  He has said he is equally comfortable either side, and in the offensive zone prefers being right side. So an option would be Hughes, Myers, Benn/Rafferty/Chatfield

LHD would then be Edler, Juolevi, Rathbone, Benn, Acquisition (not necessarily in that order)

Left hand D's seem to.be 2 a penny

 

Hughes.                                          Schmidt

Edler                                               Rathbone/Rafferty/Chatfield

Benn/Juolevi/Rathbone                  Myers

 

Rathbone, like Hughes, plays either side. The reason for having young players paired with a seasoned pro is too obvious to need explanation... see Hughes/Tanev. Edler has lost a lot of mobility, I think being paired with a young mobile player would good for both Edler and his inexperienced partner. Juolevi or Rathbone should be good for a similar reason - both Juolevi and Rathbone are strong at advancing the puck, Rathbone also has exceptional wheels and both Rathbone and Juolevi are clever, creative players.

 

[theo5789]

3 hours ago, Ray_Cathode said:

Hughes.                                          Schmidt

Edler                                               Rathbone/Rafferty/Chatfield

Benn/Juolevi/Rathbone                  Myers

 

Rathbone, like Hughes, plays either side. The reason for having young players paired with a seasoned pro is too obvious to need explanation... see Hughes/Tanev. Edler has lost a lot of mobility, I think being paired with a young mobile player would good for both Edler and his inexperienced partner. Juolevi or Rathbone should be good for a similar reason - both Juolevi and Rathbone are strong at advancing the puck, Rathbone also has exceptional wheels and both Rathbone and Juolevi are clever, creative players.

 

Unless I missed it, this is the first time I've heard that he can play both sides. Do you have a link that shows this? Not calling you out or anything, just curious as that would change things in defensive projections.