Jack Rathbone | #3 | D

[73 Percent]

1 minute ago, Junkyard Dog said:

Both OJ and Rathbone have seen praise from the coaching staff. 
 

Given the fact that we’re arguing who’s preferred by Green or not, it is safe to say we have it good on our left side D. A good problem to have per say.  
 

It should be noted that Rathbone has played the right side before(works well with his shot). It could be an explorable option. 

College?

[Junkyard Dog]

Just now, 73 Percent said:

College?

Utica tried it out on both PP and even strength(at times situational). 
 

Not sure about College. 
 

Small sample size but given his offensive toolset I think it could be tried out if injuries hit the right side and in situational moments. 

[Pure961089]

We have 2 great prospects on defence.  But Rathbone in my humble opinion looks fire.  

 

[Pure961089]

3 hours ago, 4petesake said:

Sorry, help me out here. I just read the article and I am having trouble finding the quote where Green says he preferred Rathbone over Juolevi.

Wow, you really have to be determined to not see it, Greens post game comments and his game decisions speak volumes.  You have to see the post game clips where he’s talking about Rathbone, he’s not going to full out say it but like they say “actions speak louder than words”. You need to read between the lines  

[Pure961089]

4 hours ago, 4petesake said:

Sorry, help me out here. I just read the article and I am having trouble finding the quote where Green says he preferred Rathbone over Juolevi.

These are some quotes I was able to find from reporters.  Just compare Green’s assessment  of Rathbone’s play to Juolevi’s.  

 

Edited August 16, 2021 by Pure961089

[aGENT]

"The timing in D zone coverage is going to take a bit"

 

Basically mirroring exactly what I've stated. Rathbone is clearly the more dynamic, offensive player who correspondingly recieved 53% ozone starts. Juolevi has a more refined defensive game and was trusted, as a rookie, with PK time and 59.4% dzone starts.

 

Rathbone will be well served in Abby, playing big minutes, in all situations and refining his D zone play while available as first call up.

 

I can't wait to see what he can do with more refined D play in the coming years! If he does switch to the right, him and Juolevi might actually make a REALLY good pair down the line.

Edited August 16, 2021 by aGENT

[bigbadcanucks]

On 8/14/2021 at 4:30 PM, Locke Lamora said:

 

So how did you go quickly from proclaiming OJ a “bustaroo” to being this high on him? 

 

Look folks, I’d love nothing better than to see Olli come in to camp and look so good that Rathbone going to Abby makes sense. I’d be on board with that. 

 

No doubt the injuries are a huge factor in 5th overall pick, 23 year old Olli Juolevi having barely made an impact on the team who drafted him. For the record, I really liked it when we picked him. I have attended every training camp (pre pandemic) since we selected him and while the injuries are a factor, it has been tough to watch him consistently near last in bag skates (only Reid Boucher looked worse to my eyes), and watch him get walked to the outside. He has looked amongst the slowest players in every camp I’ve watched him participate in. The injury situation is indeed part of the “disappointment” around poor OJ. You can’t sugarcoat it. Now, it could very well be that this is the first Summer in a while that he’s been able to train as normal and he’ll come into the camp and there will be whispers of his name as “most improved” conditioning wise. I’ll own all of my concerns I’ve had in this regard.

 

Rathbone is known to be a monster in the gym and his work ethic has never been questioned as far as I’m concerned. My strong suspicion is he’ll come to camp and make it next to impossible to send him to Abby. BUT….if OJ comes in CLEARLY a step above what I’ve seen previously in his training camp performances….well, this is GREAT for the team. But call me sceptical until we see it.

 

But yeah, I’m done with OJ vs Rathbone.

@Locke Lamora...I believe you will see a more fit Olli Juolevi at camp this September.  He was on one of the talk shows on SN650 where he spoke about being able to train full out this summer and that he's looking forward to coming into camp ready to go at his best. As you probably already know, even being off by 5% in fitness level can translate into hitting the wall a little quicker, resulting in a significant drop off in the last 10 seconds of a shift from the first 25-35 seconds.

 

Not making excuses for OJ, but most of his on-ice "issues" came at the end of his shift (as it does for almost every single player in the NHL)...maybe was just more noticeable because of his COVID set back (reputed that he was hit really hard).

 

I like Rathbone a lot and believe he has a Torey Krug-type career ahead of him. I like OJ just as much as Rathbone and believe he has a OEL-type career ahead of him. Only challenge that I see that Canucks management has is that they have Hughes, Rathbone and OJ clustered in the same age category, with Rathbone and OJ having limited NHL game experience. I'm expecting OJ to come out of camp with a hold of the third pairing left defence and JR to have a lock on 1st pairing LD in Abbotsford.

 

But for once in recent history, isn't having QH, OJ and JR in the program a great problem for the organization and its fans?

[Alienhuggyflow]

On 8/15/2021 at 1:21 PM, Pure961089 said:

I’m just trusting in Benning and Green.  They’ve done a pretty good job developing their prospects even tho last year was a Covid anomaly I feel confident they know what they’re doing.  

There was a good in the Athletic about Joulevi that surprised me.

His last season in Utica he still hadnt got his skating or strength back so he decided to change from a 2way guy to a more stay at home pker.

The coaches felt with his great stretch pass he could move the puck out, limiting his skating and even raw he became  the comets #1-2 dman.

Apparently hes made a lot of progress with his skating and if that comes back he'll be much more of a complete D.

He also took the league min to give himself the best chance since he will require waivers, he feels once they see the diffetence he won't get sent down. Thats gonna be a great battle at camp.

[Bure_Pavel]

On 8/15/2021 at 5:49 PM, aGENT said:

"The timing in D zone coverage is going to take a bit"

 

Basically mirroring exactly what I've stated. Rathbone is clearly the more dynamic, offensive player who correspondingly recieved 53% ozone starts. Juolevi has a more refined defensive game and was trusted, as a rookie, with PK time and 59.4% dzone starts.

 

Rathbone will be well served in Abby, playing big minutes, in all situations and refining his D zone play while available as first call up.

 

I can't wait to see what he can do with more refined D play in the coming years! If he does switch to the right, him and Juolevi might actually make a REALLY good pair down the line.

It makes the most sense and would be great for all parties, but for some reason in my gut im worried if he has a good training camp he will be on the team, even if it means limited playing time. 

[48MPHSlapShot]

6 hours ago, Bure_Pavel said:

im worried if he has a good training camp he will be on the team

God forbid the best player wins the position.

Edited August 19, 2021 by 48MPHSlapShot

[Phat Fingers]

On 8/15/2021 at 7:20 AM, Pure961089 said:

Yeah, with a critical unbiased eye lol.  You should really give this a read.  It sheds some light on Green’s decision making down the stretch of last season.  https://thehockeywriters.com/canucks-battle-for-the-final-defensive-spot/
 

i clipped some paragraphs from the article.  

 

 

I love Rathbone, I think OJ was severely hampered in his development due to injuries, likely due to his hard time bulking up.  Those injuries created a downward spiral that has given OJ technical difficulties to the outside turn to the left.  
 

if IF OJ can resolve this issue and overcome the a for mentioned hurdles, we could have two good young Defensemen on our hands.  Never known that to be a problem.  

[-Vintage Canuck-]

Jack Rathbone on the Canucks’ offseason acquisitions, his confidence, motivation, and “that” 2-on-1:

 

Jack Rathbone is a calm and well-spoken individual who rarely seems phased by any question, no matter how difficult or poorly worded it may be.

 

When you listen to how he conducts himself in interviews, this is apparent right away.

 

That calm demeanour that gives off the impression that he’s tough to phase is also true of the way he plays on the ice.

 

At every level, Rathbone has been praised for his ultra-smooth skating ability. Vancouver Canucks fans got to see this firsthand during Rathbone’s eight-game stint with the club to close out what was a dreadful 2021 season in just about every way imaginable.

 

Those eight games have left Rathbone feeling motivated and confident as ever as he prepares for the 2021-22 season.

 

“Getting a taste of it near the end was great. I learned a ton,” Rathbone told CanucksArmy. “Obviously, you’re pretty motivated going into every offseason but it definitely adds a little bit more fuel to the fire knowing that I can do it. I’m just excited to go into the offseason with that goal in mind to be up there for the full year.”

 

Much like Quinn Hughes — who was his roommate during his late-season NHL stint — Rathbone walks the line with poise and plays an exciting brand of hockey.

 

There are those who will question his defensive game, but at the end of the day, Rathbone was trusted with a bigger role than most young defencemen who’ve gotten looks from the Canucks — Travis Green described it as throwing him into the deep end and seeing if he can swim — which should bode well for his chances to win a spot on Vancouver’s bottom pairing out of training camp.

 

Green’s deep end analogy couldn’t have been more accurate, as nobody, including Rathbone himself, will ever forget the time he got stuck on a 2-on-1 against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl in his NHL debut.

 

“That was a moment when you look back on the season and look at key moments, I’d say that was as close to a welcome to the NHL moment as I’ll get,” said Rathbone. “I kind of wish it was maybe a little bit of a different moment. With those two guys being the players they are, I don’t think anybody’s hoping to see them on a 2-on-1. I’m just happy they didn’t score. It’s one of those moments you look back on and say ‘wow I can’t believe that actually happened.”

 

“I’m just more excited that I came out of it unscathed.”

 

Things out of Rathbone’s control — such as not requiring to pass through waivers if the Canucks send him down to the AHL — may keep him out of the NHL to begin the year, but if he’s able to go down highway one and produce as well as he did in Utica last year, he’ll be back with the big club in no time.

 

“I think it’s awesome, I think it’s awesome for hockey not only in Vancouver, but for British Columbia,” Rathbone said of the Canucks’ decision to relocate the AHL team to Abbotsford. “Moving it so that management, coaches, or whoever can come watch… for the team to be that close, honestly, I think it gives guys a little bit more confidence in terms of knowing that it’s a quick phone call and a quick drive to go up to the NHL.”

 

That NHL team is going to be a lot better this season, too, and expectations will be much higher for any player called up than they were last year.

 

Although fans and media alike will spend years debating the long-term implications of some of the moves the Canucks made this offseason, the simple fact of the matter is that the players want a shot at winning, and there’s no debate that the lineup the club will ice this upcoming season is stronger than the 2021 product.

 

“To see management go out and do that, I think it just gives everyone a little bit more confidence, a little bit more excitement going into camp,” said Rathbone. “Knowing that, just without playing a game yet, that we’re definitely, a little bit of a better team. Adding guys like that, a top four dman and a top six forward, not a lot of teams make those kinds of acquisitions often. It’s exciting to see management go out and do that. The guys I know are definitely excited to start camp and get the season going.”

 

Rathbone and newly acquired forward Conor Garland skate and golf together in the offseason, and much like every chart and graph you’ve seen over the past two months have suggested, Rathbone thinks Canucks fans are in for a treat.

 

“He’s a pretty dynamic forward. Really fun guy to play with, loves to make plays. Real exciting player, creative, and a guy that I think Canucks fans should be really excited about.”

 

It’s no secret that the Canucks’ improved their blueline depth this offseason, but there’s still a serious case to be made for Rathbone in that third LD spot.

 

He’s got eight games under his belt and feels confident and motivated heading into the new season.

 

“That contributes to the motivation going forward,” said Rathbone of getting his eight games in. “You want to start from the outset at training camp and hopefully make it a hard decision on the coaching staff and management and just try and stay up for the whole year and try and contribute to what is hopefully an exciting team here for Vancouver going forward.”

 

https://canucksarmy.com/2021/08/20/jack-rathbone-canucks-offseason-confidence-motivation-2-on-1/

[Hairy Kneel]

[tas]

9 hours ago, Hairy Kneel said:

look up, look waaaaaaaaay up (one whole post).

[Kootenay Gold]

2 hours ago, tas said:

look up, look waaaaaaaaay up (one whole post).

Hairy should know by now that he is never going to beat Vintage to the post.

 

[-AJ-]

My gut feeling tells me that Rathbone is gonna earn a spot at camp this year and force some very hard decisions.

[Guest]

The main thing that I liked about his game besides the skills is the swagger that he possesses. 

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

35 minutes ago, -AJ- said:

My gut feeling tells me that Rathbone is gonna earn a spot at camp this year and force some very hard decisions.

I’d definitely enjoy watching Rathbone and Juolevi split games all season at 3LD and have the internal competition of two young guys battling over that spot.

 

Would mean waiving Hunt, but hopefully he’d clear, if timed correctly. And if he made it down to the AHL, Hunt would be a monster in Abbotsford. Might even lead the team in scoring.

 

What I hope doesn’t happen is OJ ****ing the bed at camp/preseason, and being the clear cut third place option in that trio of 3LD candidates. That would truly make a hard decision for management, as they probably want Juolevi to make the team more than anyone else. Waiving a former 5OA would make for some rough optics. And so would keeping him up, if he didn’t actually deserve the spot. Bad situation either way.

Ideally, both Olli and Jack come in highly motivated, having put in tons of summer work, and they leave it all on the ice, outperform the veteran Hunt, and the two young guys make the final roster, as the 3-4 LHDs.

[Locke Lamora]

47 minutes ago, -AJ- said:

My gut feeling tells me that Rathbone is gonna earn a spot at camp this year and force some very hard decisions.

Agreed. IF Juolevi and Rathbone perform similarly in camp, then I’m willing to accept Jack going to Abby for a stint. But I really expect Rathbone to be better, even considerably so. If that happens you can’t send him to the minors….the players on the team won’t be on board with that if it’s clear Rathbone’s is good enough to help them win games, where they might not feel the same way about OJ. The players don’t give two $&!#es about waiver eligibility.

 

I also think Rathbone is going to force his way on to the team. But perhaps a healthy Olli comes to camp in the best shape he’s ever been in and makes it a battle. Can’t wait to watch in person once camp starts. Who else around here is thinking about heading to Abby for camp?

[J.I.A.H.N]

The average hockey fan on here really bugs me. Why I say that, is the limits they put on Rathbone and Juolevi for that matter. I do not have all the analytics to back me up, but I do have a fairly decent eye for talent. And although I think Rathbone needs time before we anoint him. I believe he is the real deal. 

 

By that I mean that I believe he will have a better net contribution than Hughes, "IF" given a chance. Most people on here that comment on Hughes, always talk about his offense and are very dismissive of his defensive woe's. 

 

This certainly has to play out, and Hughes could easily prove he is the better option, and I am good with that...actually great with that, if it turns out that way. But I will not be surprised if Rathbone plays out to be better. 

 

People are way too impressed with offensive stats at the expense of good defense.

 

All, I mean by this is for everybody to have an open mind, and not be married to anyone player, including me, to Rathbone.

 

It is an exciting time.........now for some RHD