Vancouver's 3 new free agents

[aqua59]

After watching last nights prospect game something was evident. None of the Vancouver players were going to be swatting their opponents aside.

This group has wheels. I'm not saying they're not jammy but that's why they are going to need some space to get things done. 

 

After Dorsett left last season that was pretty much it for push back. The old team tough was more or less a joke. The two biggest guys on Vancouver occupy the net. 

Alex Edler? Well...   

Jake's coming along.

Smaller back end with little bite. 

No Mr Nasty. Well, we now have some grit, a little sand paper with a super pest. Focus changers. Vancouver has missed that for a period of time. Nothing like watching your goalie get run with no response. 

Watching the young stars game last night it was very evident why they went out and got these free agents. Guys like Pratt instill  fear and illogical thinking.

 

Vancouver never replaced their toughness over that past several seasons.

Go back and listen to Dave Semenko's take on role of players on a team. Dave told Gretzky to go do his job and he'd do his. Vancouver hasn't had that element for a while. This training camp will be very much about accepting one's role and earning it.

 

Antoine Roussel looks like the perfect prick to come play in Vancouver. The guy can skate and play the game. 

Jay Beagle is another mountain man fresh off a stanley cup win. He's used to the rough going.

Tim Schaller is another physical player.

 

That's 3 spots leaving 9 up front. I have a feeling some players will be on the outside looking in, players that thought they were a lock.

 

Thoughts?

 

[EdgarM]

I am really hoping these 3 guys teach our young guys some character and grit. If your small and not really tough, then you better play like a Marchand or a Ronning and not like our past "skilled" players. We have had decades of this type of play and no one has ever replaced a "heart and soul" player such as Gino Odjick. 

None of our small players took any crap in his era and I quite frankly want it to be that way again, after all, this is hockey isn't it?

[mikeyman109]

3 minutes ago, aqua59 said:

After watching last nights prospect game something was evident. None of the Vancouver players were going to be swatting their opponents aside.

This group has wheels. I'm not saying they're not jammy but that's why they are going to need some space to get things done. 

 

After Dorsett left last season that was pretty much it for push back. The old team tough was more or less a joke. The two biggest guys on Vancouver occupy the net. 

Alex Edler? Well...   

Jake's coming along.

Smaller back end with little bite. 

No Mr Nasty. Well, we now have some grit, a little sand paper with a super pest. Focus changers. Vancouver has missed that for a period of time. Nothing like watching your goalie get run with no response. 

Watching the young stars game last night it was very evident why they went out and got these free agents. Guys like Pratt instill  fear and illogical thinking.

 

Vancouver never replaced their toughness over that past several seasons.

Go back and listen to Dave Semenko's take on role of players on a team. Dave told Gretzky to go do his job and he'd do his. Vancouver hasn't had that element for a while. This training camp will be very much about accepting one's role and earning it.

 

Antoine Roussel looks like the perfect prick to come play in Vancouver. The guy can skate and play the game. 

Jay Beagle is another mountain man fresh off a stanley cup win. He's used to the rough going.

Tim Schaller is another physical player.

 

That's 3 spots leaving 9 up front. I have a feeling some players will be on the outside looking in, players that thought they were a lock.

 

Thoughts?

 

The posters who understand that the kids will need not only protection but some veteran presence around them to become better NHL players get the need to sign these types of players. We cant play Petterson Dahlen and even Boeser and Horvat without someone to respond should things go ape. Rousell Beagle and Schaller play the game with a little sandpaper and thats been missing in my opinion since 2012 when Lapierre and Torres left.

 

Regardless of 9 spots up front what is holding back spots from the kids has nothing to with these three signings. Its more the Erikssons, Gagners etc and as such its up to the kids to displace them and give Benning every reason to either trade them or waive them to make room for a player that has earned it.

 

This is the crux of the whole issue. The young players must give Benning the reason to  move a veteran to make room for them. Its their responsibility, not managements or the coaching staff. The young player must show that they are bette4r than the current option. No player will be gifted a spot nor should they be. To make the team you will have to play at your best all the time or now there is someone else who may take your job.

What player thought they were a lock?? The whole idea of having this type of competition for spots on the roster is no one can feel comfortable. This will create better players and thus a better team. this is exactly what we want. Great to see4 the uoung players showing up. Now they have to outplay the veterans.

[Kootenay Gold]

I posted about this very thing in another thread in that I was glad to see the signings of Beagle, Roussel and Schaller. They bring an element to the game that was sorely missing last year. Some were worried that they were taking spots from some of our young up and coming prospects. I think in fact it will actually help our young prospects; both the smaller highly skilled ones and also the big bodied prospects that will eventually take their place. Guys like Gadjovich and MacEwen will be given time to develop in the AHL until they are ready to challenge for a spot and elite player prospects like Elias and Jonathan will have the knowledge that there are players on the team that will give pause for the other teams goons to take liberties on them without paying a price. Competition for jobs is a good thing. It tends to separate the men from the boys.

[mikeyman109]

1 minute ago, EdgarM said:

I am really hoping these 3 guys teach our young guys some character and grit. If your small and not really tough, then you better play like a Marchand or a Ronning and not like our past "skilled" players. We have had decades of this type of play and no one has ever replaced a "heart and soul" player such as Gino Odjick. 

None of our small players took any crap in his era and I quite frankly want it to be that way again, after all, this is hockey isn't it?

Torres and Lapierre had players heads on a swivel looking for them rather than the puck

[mikeyman109]

Just now, Kootenay Gold said:

I posted about this very thing in another thread in that I was glad to see the signings of Beagle, Roussel and Schaller. They bring an element to the game that was sorely missing last year. Some were worried that they were taking spots from some of our young up and coming prospects. I think in fact it will actually help our young prospects; both the smaller highly skilled ones and also the big bodied prospects that will eventually take their place. Guys like Gadjovich and MacEwen will be given time to develop in the AHL until they are ready to challenge for a spot and elite player prospects like Elias and Jonathan will have the knowledge that there are players on the team that will give pause for the other teams goons to take liberties on them without paying a price. Competition for jobs is a good thing. It tends to separate the men from the boys.

Great post completely agree. We need players to create space for Petterson and Dahlen as well.

[Kanuck_Krazy]

I don't think anyone had any problem with the players brought in.  It was their contract.  The terms were awful.  No-one else would have paid them that much for that long.  (Roussel/Beagle)  Schaller is okay.

[EdgarM]

2 minutes ago, mikeyman109 said:

Torres and Lapierre had players heads on a swivel looking for them rather than the puck

Agreed Torres could lay some devastating hits, Lapierre was more of an agitator, both effective and needed on a team going deep into the playoffs. Too bad the players around them didn't play with a little more...….. "Sandpaper". 

[Viper007]

Just now, Kanuck_Krazy said:

I don't think anyone had any problem with the players brought in.  It was their contract.  The terms were awful.  No-one else would have paid them that much for that long.  (Roussel/Beagle)  Schaller is okay.

Question is why does it matter what they're paid, when there's cap space.  When they're no longer needed, they can be traded/bought out/buried in minors.

[Kootenay Gold]

2 minutes ago, mikeyman109 said:

Torres and Lapierre had players heads on a swivel looking for them rather than the puck

I'm not advocating we have Torres or Marchand type's of player on the team but rather players that will come to the aide of one of the smaller players on the team that are not afraid to mix it up and deliver punishment to the perpetrators

[AlwaysACanuckFan]

Just now, mikeyman109 said:

The posters who understand that the kids will need not only protection but some veteran presence around them to become better NHL players get the need to sign these types of players. We cant play Petterson Dahlen and even Boeser and Horvat without someone to respond should things go ape. Rousell Beagle and Schaller play the game with a little sandpaper and thats been missing in my opinion since 2012 when Lapierre and Torres left.

 

Regardless of 9 spots up front what is holding back spots from the kids has nothing to with these three signings. Its more the Erikssons, Gagners etc and as such its up to the kids to displace them and give Benning every reason to either trade them or waive them to make room for a player that has earned it.

 

This is the crux of the whole issue. The young players must give Benning the reason to  move a veteran to make room for them. Its their responsibility, not managements or the coaching staff. The young player must show that they are bette4r than the current option. No player will be gifted a spot nor should they be. To make the team you will have to play at your best all the time or now there is someone else who may take your job.

What player thought they were a lock?? The whole idea of having this type of competition for spots on the roster is no one can feel comfortable. This will create better players and thus a better team. this is exactly what we want. Great to see4 the uoung players showing up. Now they have to outplay the veterans.

The bolded is one thing I'm very intrigued about when it comes to training camp and preseason. I'm expecting one helluva intense competition, where the likes of Dahlen Gaudette and even Palmu making a strong case to take one of those spots away. 

[Kootenay Gold]

3 minutes ago, Kanuck_Krazy said:

I don't think anyone had any problem with the players brought in.  It was their contract.  The terms were awful.  No-one else would have paid them that much for that long.  (Roussel/Beagle)  Schaller is okay.

I don't have a problem with the terms as 1. it is not my money paying them. 2. We are not squeezed for cap space and 3. They can all be moved before the end of their contracts if need arises.

 

[EdgarM]

2 minutes ago, Kanuck_Krazy said:

I don't think anyone had any problem with the players brought in.  It was their contract.  The terms were awful.  No-one else would have paid them that much for that long.  (Roussel/Beagle)  Schaller is okay.

Just because they are not big name point producers does not make them any less valuable to a team, especially this one who lacks what they bring. Especially when we can afford them with the amount of cap space we have. Its a no-brainer.

Our young core really need these guys around for the next couple of years for numerous reasons.

[mikeyman109]

15 minutes ago, Kootenay Gold said:

I'm not advocating we have Torres or Marchand type's of player on the team but rather players that will come to the aide of one of the smaller players on the team that are not afraid to mix it up and deliver punishment to the perpetrators

I am advocating we have players that make sure the other teams know we will react when you do stupid things like Marchand did in the cup final.We need to stand up for our team and the players need to stand up for each other.

 

16 minutes ago, Viper007 said:

Question is why does it matter what they're paid, when there's cap space.  When they're no longer needed, they can be traded/bought out/buried in minors.

Perfectly put. What does the cash paid matter. Or the term when they are movable players. The only caluse was a limited no trade. No trading them to Edmonton example.

[mikeyman109]

2 minutes ago, AlwaysACanuckFan said:

The bolded is one thing I'm very intrigued about when it comes to training camp and preseason. I'm expecting one helluva intense competition, where the likes of Dahlen Gaudette and even Palmu making a strong case to take one of those spots away. 

I hear you. With the Gaudettes, Pettersons, Plamus, Gadjovichs, Dahlens looking great last night who might they displace.

I can see a Gagner getting pushed out but would we bury Eriksson in the minors? Buy him out?? I am curious

[Kootenay Gold]

1 minute ago, mikeyman109 said:

I hear you. With the Gaudettes, Pettersons, Plamus, Gadjovichs, Dahlens looking great last night who might they displace.

I can see a Gagner getting pushed out but would we bury Eriksson in the minors? Buy him out?? I am curious

Going to be one heck of a preseason!!! Can't wait. I have not been this enthused about this team in years. The future looks promising now.

 

[mikeyman109]

1 minute ago, Kootenay Gold said:

Going to be one heck of a preseason!!! Can't wait. I have not been this enthused about this team in years. The future looks promising now.

 

Agreed, the big thing about this is that it osnt just one kid , like when Niklas Jensen was our best hope, or when Cody Hodgson was our best young player. We have great prospects at each position right now. A front line center would be great but you can see the talent coming. and its not just one.

[AlwaysACanuckFan]

Just now, Kootenay Gold said:

Going to be one heck of a preseason!!! Can't wait. I have not been this enthused about this team in years. The future looks promising now.

 

Future looking so bright that I'm gonna need shades like Brock here 

[The Lock]

Here's the way I see it:

 

No vets? We look like Edmonton for the next 10 years.

Vets? Our young players actually learn actual "accountability", or at least the excuse that was thrown around the Edmonton locker room as to why they've been losing.

 

Sure. There's less spots on the team, but now the other 9 spots are going to be more meaningful since there will be a veteran presence along with that that can also protect the other 9 spots.

[coastal.view]

8 minutes ago, mikeyman109 said:

I hear you. With the Gaudettes, Pettersons, Plamus, Gadjovichs, Dahlens looking great last night who might they displace.

I can see a Gagner getting pushed out but would we bury Eriksson in the minors? Buy him out?? I am curious

um

you do not understand what a nmc is

ericksson has one

 

you cannot move him to the minors

 

his contract is buy out proof

you will basically be paying him close to full value to just not play for the team

and he has value as a player

so how does it make sense to not play him

and really save no real money by buying him out