Guest Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Look at a player on our roster , Jake Virtanen , for a look at unreasonable expectations for a first year player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostsof1915 Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 If he just plays a solid game, helps generate chances, improves our power play. All the rest will fall into place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tre Mac Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 If it means no more Dowd, Chaput, or Smegna than my expectations have been met without losing my temper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dura_mater Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 12 hours ago, canuckledraggin said: If I hear this phrase one more time, I will surely puke. Remember last year when Boeser debuted? It was the same narrative. Yeah sure, he's been great at the College level, but it's going to take him a while to get used to the pro game. I was fine with the conservative approach, but having watched him play a couple dozen times during his NCAA career, I was positive that his game would translate to the NHL. Lo and behold he was and is the same sniper that he proved himself to be as an amateur. His linemates in his title winning rookie year were Schmaltz and Caggiula, they're both playing in the NHL right now. Gaudette may be proving to be developing at a slower rate, but leading the NCAA in scoring doesn't give pause to any of you who are telling me to pump the brakes, slow your roll, temper or lower your expectations? The NCAA didn't all of a sudden become a pushover league since Boeser graduated and having watched him play a couple dozen times, I'm sure his game will translate. His linemates Sikura and Nolan were also signed this weekend and will play the remaining games for their respective teams. Gaudette also plays every situation. PP1, PK1 and starting every game on the 1st line. As a member of the Canucks I can see him starting on the 4th line and taking Dowd's minutes. It will be difficult for him to score in this role. My expectations are firmly rooted in this scenario, but if he scores or produces any sort of offense, I would be upset to see him held back. When Pettersson comes to training camp next season are we going to try to stuff him into the tempered expectations box? These kids are all world and we should stop trying to hold them back from reaching their potential. The competition for this team is wide open and we need to put these young guys into positions to succeed. Talent evaluation seems to be a concern for this team. We have the horses and now it's time to let them run. The reason I disagree with this is because (most of) the Vancouver fanbase and media can be so toxic towards our players a lot of times. Look at all the $&!# the Sedins have to put up with. The crap Luongo had to endure. These are players who may very well be in the HOF one day and probably have to endure more trash from Vancouver fans and media than any other player in the league does from their fanbase. Is it okay to be optimistic? Of course. But when I hear players propping up Gaudette to be a future Kesler or to play between Boeser and Petterson on the first line I worry fans will start crapping on them when they only play good; as opposed to great like fans have built them up to be before ever playing a game (ie Hodgson, Virtanen, Juolevi, Cassels etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 $@!% it, lets all go full @apollo and expect a cup next year beats whining that we're not Arizona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCNate Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Keep in mind that Tyler Motte had as good of a Junior season as Gaudette did when he was at U of M. Obviously lots of variables involved, but the Blackhawks had huge expectations of him when he signed with them, as did Columbus when they picked him up. Some players games transfer over better than others, and some need a bunch of time to develop. Gaudette may hit the ground running and play well for the last 6 games here and start the season in the NHL next year. He is just as likely to start the year in Utica. I get that we need any ray of hope right now, and expectations of Gaudette are sky high. If he doesn't reach them right away, give him time. Canucks fans are far too quick to label any player who doesn`t succeed right away as a bust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nucker 67 Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Virtanen and Juolevi are still receiving criticism for their slow development. But Jake was selected #6 overall and Olli at #5, compared to Gaudette at #149. Of course there are high expectations of any player taken in the Top 10. I don't really have much in the way of expectations for Gaudette. Sounds like he's a good player who gives full effort, works hard and plays a gritty game. Will be a real good 3rd liner one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tas Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I think the problem is fans not being able to differentiate hopes from expectations. nobody is telling you to temper your hopes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Crossbar Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I get what the OP is saying. It was a similar narrative last season with Boeser. A lot of fans were cautious but Boeser's production late in the season told the tale - 4 goals, 1 assist in 9 games. Those numbers were screaming NHL ready. Gaudette is coming to the team in a very similar situation. In consecutive seasons, you have two great NCAA scorers joining the team late in the season. From that situational standpoint, the comparisons to Boeser are unavoidable and are a contributing factor to higher expectations. Unreasonable high? Maybe, but Boeser was the one who set the bar high last season for other prospects coming behind him. That's great motivation for a guy like Gaudette coming out of the NCAA who has a similar opportunity. I'd say if there's any pressure on the kid to do well, it's not coming from fans. It likely comes from watching what his teammate did last season to make the team. But he also has a great support group in former NCAAers on the team in Boeser, Hutton, and Stecher to balance out any pressure. Gaudette also has the right mindset and work ethic to be a pro, which will only help. The kid is coming off of a 30 goal college season, in strong contention for the Hobey Baker, and had 26 goals the previous season. Also factor in 56 assists over his last two college seasons and it's hard to peg Gaudette simply as a 5th round fluke whose game won't translate and who needs to be in Utica. You have to pause and consider that we may have another special player on our hands. How special remains to be seen and is up to him. I'm not saying his game will translate as an absolute but I don't think having high expectations (at this moment) is unreasonable or a bad thing. I think Boeser's trajectory shows Gaudette what's possible. The kid has the opportunity to make an immediate impact and prove he belongs. As a fan, yeah, I want to see evidence of that in these last few games. And if he's indeed ready, we'll see it. Hopefully Green gives him the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovy Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Crumbdatchit! Did he just jump over Dane Fox on the depth chart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloodycanuckleheads Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 16 hours ago, canuckledraggin said: Gaudette may be proving to be developing at a slower rate, but leading the NCAA in scoring doesn't give pause to any of you who are telling me to pump the brakes, slow your roll, temper or lower your expectations? The NCAA didn't all of a sudden become a pushover league... Go look up the list of Hobey Baker winners. You'll notice that a rather large percentage of them flamed out in the NHL. And, these are the best of the best NCAA players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckledraggin Posted March 28, 2018 Author Share Posted March 28, 2018 10 hours ago, Winter Soldier said: I like getting hype as much as the next guy but you're talking to the forum that was sure that Cole Cassels was ready for the show because he shutdown McDavid at the Memorial Cup. I actually watched quite a bit of that series and it was extremely unfair to expect that of Cole. It took 5 guys on the ice every shift that McDavid was on the ice, to shut him down. They were selling out and cheating towards him every chance they got. It definitely wasn't a 1 man effort and in a lot of ways it's the blueprint for stopping him when he is on the ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckledraggin Posted March 28, 2018 Author Share Posted March 28, 2018 3 hours ago, dura_mater said: The reason I disagree with this is because (most of) the Vancouver fanbase and media can be so toxic towards our players a lot of times. Look at all the $&!# the Sedins have to put up with. The crap Luongo had to endure. These are players who may very well be in the HOF one day and probably have to endure more trash from Vancouver fans and media than any other player in the league does from their fanbase. Is it okay to be optimistic? Of course. But when I hear players propping up Gaudette to be a future Kesler or to play between Boeser and Petterson on the first line I worry fans will start crapping on them when they only play good; as opposed to great like fans have built them up to be before ever playing a game (ie Hodgson, Virtanen, Juolevi, Cassels etc). And I remember when Bieksa was on his way out the door that he said he had never had a bad interaction with a fan in his entire time with the organization. Yet on these boards and in the media he was being ripped left, right and center for several years. I think that we see and hear things as fans who are firmly on the outside looking in, that the players rarely, if ever hear. We get immersed in our love for the game and the team and think that somehow we have the power to influence them by typing something on a message board or twitter. If fans are capable of putting more pressure on these guys than they are able to put on themselves, they likely won't make it. As for the Kesler comparisons, I heard him wanting to emulate Bergeron and Toews. I don't think anyone is saying he's going to be Kesler out of the gate, but that's what I see his game evolving into. If you listen to his 1st scrum, the mainstream media is already asking him all of the questions that people are so scared of him hearing, regarding pressure and expectations. He passes with flying colors. https://www.nhl.com/canucks/video/news--gaudette-on-signing/t-277437438/c-59307703 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austy Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I thinks its just been a bit of a bummer of a season especiallythe last month or so that people are getting a tad excited. By next October with an influx of new people it will dilute the pressure somewhat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kloubek Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 On 3/28/2018 at 8:16 AM, dura_mater said: The reason I disagree with this is because (most of) the Vancouver fanbase and media can be so toxic towards our players a lot of times. Look at all the $&!# the Sedins have to put up with. The crap Luongo had to endure. These are players who may very well be in the HOF one day and probably have to endure more trash from Vancouver fans and media than any other player in the league does from their fanbase. Is it okay to be optimistic? Of course. But when I hear players propping up Gaudette to be a future Kesler or to play between Boeser and Petterson on the first line I worry fans will start crapping on them when they only play good; as opposed to great like fans have built them up to be before ever playing a game (ie Hodgson, Virtanen, Juolevi, Cassels etc). I'm of the same mindset. It isn't that I don't think Gaudette will be good - he may very well be. But there is SO much hype around him lately that if he doesn't reach the level expected of him in short order, some fans will be calling him a bust. (As much of a bust as a 5th round pick could be, anyway). I find that the Vancouver fan base is so incredibly opinionated about their predictions, regardless of whether they have an educated basis or not, and when things turn sour they turn really sour. We don't want that kind of environment for our young players. We want to attract young talent, and be a place where the players know they will be developed properly when we draft them. We need them to know that if they falter, the organization and fans will support them and help them get back into a groove. In recent memory, the organization has done a pretty good job but the fans remain quick to join the lynch mob. I like what I see from Gaudette. He plays the way we want our guys to play - with passion, grit, and determination. He has enough skill to convincingly be the best player in the NCAA this season, and his potential future is very bright. But I wholeheartedly believe he will and should start on the 4th, and earn his way up the lineup to where he naturally fits. And when he doesn't score in bunches on the 4th, I fear the fans will get all over him and make life more difficult for him. So yes - temper expectations. Let him develop at the pace he requires and be happy that we even got an NHL player out of our 5th round pick. If we, as fans can do that, then that gives him the best chance possible to exceed our expectations and be the player some of us are hopeful he will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Lasso Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 “Temper your expectations” sounds like advice for mentally fragile and/or entitled fans. I am comfortable with my high expectations for Gaudette. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGuardian_ Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 What expectations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaudette Celly Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 On 3/28/2018 at 12:40 AM, VancouverHabitant said: Look at a player on our roster , Jake Virtanen , for a look at unreasonable expectations for a first year player. Jake was 19, not 21 and having three years experience playing against men and leading his league in scoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlanB Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 On one hand, relatively recent past NCAA scoring leaders include Eichel, Guderau, Nyquist. On the other hand, a 5th round draft selection has an approximately 3% chance of being a top 6 forward in the NHL (https://www.tsn.ca/statistically-speaking-nhl-draft-pick-value-1.786131). Somewhere in between these extremes is probably where Gaudette ends up, but that's just a ballpark guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aGENT Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 See, I think people hear things like the 'he plays like Kesler' comparison etc and then they worry fans are going to expect he's going to play like 2010-11 Kesler right out of the gate. I would like to give fans more credit than that and not assume they expect a Selke worthy, 40 goal season as a rookie. That doesn't mean we can't be excited about another promising kid who appears to have a solid foundation and will hopefully have a positive effect on the lineup. I mean sure, he doesn't have Boeser's 1st round draft or offensive pedigree and he'll likely be starting out in a more 2 way role all of which will likely equate to less offensive production. But was anyone expecting him to start scoring at anything close to 1ppg out of the gate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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