Nils Hoglander | #21 | LW

[HomeBrew]

19 hours ago, Petey Castiglione said:

Hogz is everything we wanted Shinkaruk to be.

 

Can't wait to see him in training camp.

 

I don't know about you... but I was wanting Shinkaruk to of been able to play in our top 6 at the NHL level... haven't seen Hogz do that yet. 

[GoldenAlien]

From today’s game:

 

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

Can’t help thinking that Höglander-Gaudette-Lind has a chance to be a hell of a third line one day. 
 

Not saying that I’m certain any of the three will be deployed in those roles, just that I think they could mix very well and form a really effective and complimentary group.

[wildcam]

Hello, excited about Hoglander but I don't think he can make the Canucks... He has 9 points in 14 SHL games and  he has lots of room to move around..Hoglander   1 - 2 yrs away, Utica call up should play 10-12 games with injuries..

The NHL is much tougher and much more talent league...Sorry he has lots of speed 5'10" similar to Lockwood ??

Now Podkolzin will make the NHL and sign with Canucks when the KHL season is over 6'2, 200 lbs gritty and talented ready for NHL style..

Edited November 15, 2020 by wildcam

[Ray_Cathode]

On 11/13/2020 at 8:51 AM, BCNate said:

I don't disagree at all, I just question how well Rafferty will be able to defend at the NHL level.  He certainly had his struggles in Utica, and is 25, so not sure how much more he will develop.  We've all heard JB talk about Chatfield and Joulevi's readiness for next season, but not anything about BR.  Not sure why, but JB doesn't seem quite as high on him.

I have no idea where the idea that Rafferty struggled defensively comes from. I watched all the games, only Brisebois was better defensively - and it was close.  As the season went on, Rafferty was given increasing defensive responsibility - last minute of a period or game, etc., either protecting a lead or coming from behind. He is a dynamic player who drives the play, and getting out of your own end with possession is a huge part of defending, as we learned in last year’s playoff against Vegas. Demko stood on his head, but other than Hughes, getting out of our zone with possession was an entirely forgotten art. Spending all that time in your own end your defence will eventually break down and expose your goalie - exactly what happened. The best defence is possessing the puck, and we didn’t, other than Hughes amongst our defencemen the puck seemed to be radioactive. Because of Hughes’s negative+/- one could argue that he struggled defensively, but that would really diminish what Hughes brought to our D in terms of generating play and minimizing opposition play in our end. Rafferty performed that function in Utica but with a high positive +/-.

 

[JM_]

5 minutes ago, Ray_Cathode said:

I have no idea where the idea that Rafferty struggled defensively comes from. I watched all the games, only Brisebois was better defensively - and it was close.  As the season went on, Rafferty was given increasing defensive responsibility - last minute of a period or game, etc., either protecting a lead or coming from behind. He is a dynamic player who drives the play, and getting out of your own end with possession is a huge part of defending, as we learned in last year’s playoff against Vegas. Demko stood on his head, but other than Hughes, getting out of our zone with possession was an entirely forgotten art. Spending all that time in your own end your defence will eventually break down and expose your goalie - exactly what happened. The best defence is possessing the puck, and we didn’t, other than Hughes amongst our defencemen the puck seemed to be radioactive. Because of Hughes’s negative+/- one could argue that he struggled defensively, but that would really diminish what Hughes brought to our D in terms of generating play and minimizing opposition play in our end. Rafferty performed that function in Utica but with a high positive +/-.

 

I'll post why over in the Rafferty thread. Lets take this over there. 

[aGENT]

1 hour ago, wildcam said:

Hello, excited about Hoglander but I don't think he can make the Canucks... He has 9 points in 14 SHL games and  he has lots of room to move around..Hoglander   1 - 2 yrs away, Utica call up should play 10-12 games with injuries..

The NHL is much tougher and much more talent league...Sorry he has lots of speed 5'10" similar to Lockwood ??

Now Podkolzin will make the NHL and sign with Canucks when the KHL season is over 6'2, 200 lbs gritty and talented ready for NHL style..

Tend to agree. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the kid's makeup and think he's going to eventually be a very solid player for us for many years. (I also hope he, Podkolzin and Lind are all going to start pushing Virtanen to take his NHL career more seriously.) 

 

He might get a few games later this (bound to be weird) season and some time as a 'black ace' etc. But he should finish his year in Europe and likely is still another 1-2 years from being an everyday NHL player IMO.

[Coconuts]

6 hours ago, wildcam said:

Hello, excited about Hoglander but I don't think he can make the Canucks... He has 9 points in 14 SHL games and  he has lots of room to move around..Hoglander   1 - 2 yrs away, Utica call up should play 10-12 games with injuries..

The NHL is much tougher and much more talent league...Sorry he has lots of speed 5'10" similar to Lockwood ??

Now Podkolzin will make the NHL and sign with Canucks when the KHL season is over 6'2, 200 lbs gritty and talented ready for NHL style..

Honestly, while he may be a couple years off, I don't know how many prospects we'll have coming via the Utica route if Covid continues to worsen in the US 

 

The AHL doesn't have the resources NHL teams have

 

Management may just leave him in Sweden til they feel he's ready 

 

AHL is very much up in the air 

Edited November 15, 2020 by Coconuts

[Herberts Vasiljevs]

 

[Ray_Cathode]

11 hours ago, Herberts Vasiljevs said:

 

Thanks for this. So much realism out of Craig Button. Podkolzin will make anybody he plays with better - anybody. His view of Hoglander, too, is right on. Both he and Podkolzin are elite at competing - battling opponents over 200 feet - they will be miserable guys to play against - they will be elite ar that. Will they become elite scorers? To be seen. But they will play hard. 
 

This, by the way, is kind of a theme over many Benning selections: Tryamkin, Woo, Focht, Lind, Madden (yeah, I know we traded him), Stetcher (the best part of his game is his compete), MacEwen, Bailey, Lockwood, and so on. You cannot be shy on the ice in the NHL. This has pretty much always been the case with Boston selections, and Benning appears to have brought that over with him. There is one thing I know is true about that, Vancouver fans will love these kinds of players. Burrows, Bieksa, Kesler, Rypien, Odjick, Snepsts, and so on - not because they fight, but because they compete... hard. I believe that one of the reasons that Jake is not fully accepted by all Vancouver fans is because we don’t see enough of that in his game... but we love Motte.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

 

[Hogs & Podz]

On 11/17/2020 at 9:59 AM, Ray_Cathode said:

Thanks for this. So much realism out of Craig Button. Podkolzin will make anybody he plays with better - anybody. His view of Hoglander, too, is right on. Both he and Podkolzin are elite at competing - battling opponents over 200 feet - they will be miserable guys to play against - they will be elite ar that. Will they become elite scorers? To be seen. But they will play hard. 
 

This, by the way, is kind of a theme over many Benning selections: Tryamkin, Woo, Focht, Lind, Madden (yeah, I know we traded him), Stetcher (the best part of his game is his compete), MacEwen, Bailey, Lockwood, and so on. You cannot be shy on the ice in the NHL. This has pretty much always been the case with Boston selections, and Benning appears to have brought that over with him. There is one thing I know is true about that, Vancouver fans will love these kinds of players. Burrows, Bieksa, Kesler, Rypien, Odjick, Snepsts, and so on - not because they fight, but because they compete... hard. I believe that one of the reasons that Jake is not fully accepted by all Vancouver fans is because we don’t see enough of that in his game... but we love Motte.

You hit the 'nail on the head' so to speak.  Elite compete.  That is the #1 want for canuck fans.  Heart and soul elite compete.  All the ring if honour and retired canucks had elite compete as their base quality.  

[Fred65]

2 hours ago, Hogs & Podz said:

You hit the 'nail on the head' so to speak.  Elite compete.  That is the #1 want for canuck fans.  Heart and soul elite compete.  All the ring if honour and retired canucks had elite compete as their base quality.  

So important. I recall watching Stan Smyl when he first joined the NW Bruins. He had compete written all over him. You couldn't help but being attracted to the player. He had lots of defiencies but he more than made up for them with his compete level. He was a 3rd round pick. Another guy was Scott Walker, just give you every thing each shift ... you can't say that about Virtanen 

[Googlie]

Good perspective in Canucks Army write-up...

 

https://canucksarmy.com/2020/11/19/nils-hoglander-nhl-ready-soon-upcoming-season/

[-Vintage Canuck-]

 

[Mackcanuck]

 

[Ray_Cathode]

On 11/14/2020 at 11:59 PM, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Can’t help thinking that Höglander-Gaudette-Lind has a chance to be a hell of a third line one day. 
 

Not saying that I’m certain any of the three will be deployed in those roles, just that I think they could mix very well and form a really effective and complimentary group.

Lind fit well with our NHL players last year in the AHL - Goldobin, Baertschi, and Boucher (has played in the NHL and was the top scorer in Utica). Lind was almost always deployed with our best players in Utica and looked like he earned that spot. For a winger he took a great portion of our key face offs in eithe the O or D zone, and was very good at it - rarely saw him lose. Sure hope we have an AHL this season - want to see some development in Focht, Lockwood, and Woo.

[Ray_Cathode]

On 11/18/2020 at 2:16 PM, Fred65 said:

So important. I recall watching Stan Smyl when he first joined the NW Bruins. He had compete written all over him. You couldn't help but being attracted to the player. He had lots of defiencies but he more than made up for them with his compete level. He was a 3rd round pick. Another guy was Scott Walker, just give you every thing each shift ... you can't say that about Virtanen 

Yep. If Virtanen had Smyl’s compete he would be among the league’s elite. If he had Walker’s pound for pound willingness and ability to fight, he’d be the most feared guy in the league. 

[buddhahoodlum]

10 minutes ago, Ray_Cathode said:

Yep. If Virtanen had Smyl’s compete he would be among the league’s elite. If he had Walker’s pound for pound willingness and ability to fight, he’d be the most feared guy in the league. 

On 11/18/2020 at 2:16 PM, Fred65 said:

So important. I recall watching Stan Smyl when he first joined the NW Bruins. He had compete written all over him. You couldn't help but being attracted to the player. He had lots of defiencies but he more than made up for them with his compete level. He was a 3rd round pick. Another guy was Scott Walker, just give you every thing each shift ... you can't say that about Virtanen 

 

I don't get this constant need to crap on Virtanen, especially in a Hoglander thread. Do we need to bash Jake to make Hogs or Podz look better?

[Ray_Cathode]

1 hour ago, buddhahoodlum said:

I don't get this constant need to crap on Virtanen, especially in a Hoglander thread. Do we need to bash Jake to make Hogs or Podz look better?

That is not bashing him, it’s just matter of fact. Virtanen rarely shows that kind of intensity, focus, consistency, or competitiveness. His movement up and down the lineup and variety in the number of minutes he gets reflects that. He is what he is. Physically, he could be a fifteen goal guy or a thirty goal guy, it all depends on what he brings on any given day. It’s not a put down to say a guy is an eighteen goal scorer in an abbreviated season. Just making the NHL is a tremendous achievement... just saying that he could be more. I don’t think this will be a problem with Hoglander, who reminds me of Bure in his psyche. Hoglander strikes me as being driven to be wonderful, just a really intense, determined guy. I think on any day you are going to whatever he has to give.