[GDT/PGT] Vancouver Canucks @ Toronto Maple Laffs | February 4, 2021 | 4 p.m. PT | SNP

[Junkyard Dog]

5 minutes ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

Agreed. And besides its a flat cap world, if you want to round out your roster there should be options on the cheap - ala Hamonic - available.

 

The 2 points of the offseason should be pursuing quality UFAs, as you say, and also cutting the deadweight on this roster.

 

I'd dangle Gaudette to either acquire a quality player, or move bad money. Same with Virtanen (if he even has value).

I’d keep Gaudette around for another year personally. Isn’t a huge issue if we move him but he’s cheap and could still compete for a bottom 6 spot with the likes of Mac/Hawryluk/Lockwood/Lind/etc. More guys we have competing these more chances we have of people panning out. 
 

Virtanen and his 2.55 can be traded elsewhere. I am done with the rollercoaster ride. Maybe a rebuilding team will take a chance on him like we have done in the past     Free up more cap and hopefully we’re lucky enough to get a pick/prospect back. 
 

Not sure it’s healthy for the team to be like this next year hence why I would try hard to move cap out and make the team better in the off-season. 
 

I reckon we should get new coach too if this play continues after the road trip. JB can’t afford another L after Green is gone but Aqua could just clean house by years end as far as I know. Hard to predict these things when they rarely happen. 

[Gawdzukes]

Blow it up, helter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

skelter

[CanucksJay]

2 minutes ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

Speaking of guys who shouldve been traded years ago; Jake destroyed Jake's value. This organization has given him opportunity after opportunity - that isn't on Green.

 

Gaudette was a productive bottom 6 scorer last season. Teams will take him just because he's young & doesn't cost you alot.

 

The point was it's time to get what you can & move on from these players - rather than thinking they can return the sun & the moon. 

I still think Jake and AG can be serviceable players in the bottom 6 and we may not be getting the same back in a trade. 

When our top 6 consists of

Horvat, Miller, Petey, Boeser, Hoglander and Pod, we still need a bottom 6 after Beagle, Rousel, Eriksson and Sutter leave. 

Think of all that cap space leaving and replaced by Motte, McEwan, JV and AG  (all who are quite young and still developing) we need 2 more bottom 6

 

On defense, we have

Hughes, Schmidt, Myers, Edler Juolevi, Chatfield. 

Edler will be getting older, Chatfield and Juolevi should theoretically improve. 

 

We will have tons of capspace to fill any holes such as a top 4 D and a top 6 winger while the young core continues to develop

 

I think we're doing ok guys. 

[Smashian Kassian]

4 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said:

I’d keep Gaudette around for another year personally. Isn’t a huge issue if we move him but he’s cheap and could still compete for a bottom 6 spot with the likes of Mac/Hawryluk/Lockwood/Lind/etc. More guys we have competing these more chances we have of people panning out. 
 

Virtanen and his 2.55 can be traded elsewhere. I am done with the rollercoaster ride. Maybe a rebuilding team will take a chance on him like we have done in the past     Free up more cap and hopefully we’re lucky enough to get a pick/prospect back. 
 

Not sure it’s healthy for the team to be like this next year hence why I would try hard to move cap out and make the team better in the off-season. 
 

I reckon we should get new coach too if this play continues after the road trip. JB can’t afford another L after Green is gone but Aqua could just clean house by years end as far as I know. Hard to predict these things when they rarely happen. 

 

I'd be fine holding onto Gaudette. I just don't think he's the 3C answer - which is why I'd dangle him. But I agree we don't need to get rid of him.

 

If we do keep Gaud I'd try to mold him into a winger. Maybe that's where he could fit long term.

 

Jake I agree, time to move on.

[Boudrias]

The venting going on after these loses appears more to do with a expectation/hope that the Canucks could return to playoffs again this year. The fact that Markstrom and Demko played at a level that covered up many of the d-side weakness’s on the club. No one should be overly surprised that they are struggling somewhat now. This is a process and likely another 2 year term. 

 

Worse case scenario they cannot salvage their season and are finished early. I am hoping management stays the course and is not panicked into bandaid efforts to try and save the season. Run the prospects thru instead of any Hail Mary’s. 

 

The plusses to date are Hogs, Motte, and Chatfield. It seems every game Chatfield does a little more. He is something else. Wwould like to see Juolevi back in at some point. 

 

The negatives appears to be to be how much the puck is being turned in the d-zone but also in the neutral zone. Canucks are struggling on possession time. Players are taking a fraction of extra time on decision making and it is costing. Practises would be working on this but they haven’t had many. .

[Sedinyoureyesontheprize]

45 minutes ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

Of course but in fairness there was alot of criticism at the time for Myers/Beagle/Roussel. So it's not entirely a 20/20 take.

 

And I think hope is Bennings strategy at this point. 

Conjecture 

[Ghostsof1915]

8 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

The venting going on after these loses appears more to do with a expectation/hope that the Canucks could return to playoffs again this year. The fact that Markstrom and Demko played at a level that covered up many of the d-side weakness’s on the club. No one should be overly surprised that they are struggling somewhat now. This is a process and likely another 2 year term. 

 

Worse case scenario they cannot salvage their season and are finished early. I am hoping management stays the course and is not panicked into bandaid efforts to try and save the season. Run the prospects thru instead of any Hail Mary’s. 

 

The plusses to date are Hogs, Motte, and Chatfield. It seems every game Chatfield does a little more. He is something else. Wwould like to see Juolevi back in at some point. 

 

The negatives appears to be to be how much the puck is being turned in the d-zone but also in the neutral zone. Canucks are struggling on possession time. Players are taking a fraction of extra time on decision making and it is costing. Practises would be working on this but they haven’t had many. .

Excellent post. 

[canuck2288]

I don’t understand the gms in the North division 

 

Spezza makes it clear he was going to retire if any team picked him up from waivers. So instead of warding off reams from picking him up it should have been a huge opportunity to pick him up and let him retire 

 

Why play so nice? Pick him up and screw the leafs over by having him retire. All any team needed was the little cap space he takes initially, he retires and comes straight off the books 

 

instead he is still a leaf and scores 3 on us 

[CanucksJay]

9 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

The venting going on after these loses appears more to do with a expectation/hope that the Canucks could return to playoffs again this year. The fact that Markstrom and Demko played at a level that covered up many of the d-side weakness’s on the club. No one should be overly surprised that they are struggling somewhat now. This is a process and likely another 2 year term. 

 

Worse case scenario they cannot salvage their season and are finished early. I am hoping management stays the course and is not panicked into bandaid efforts to try and save the season. Run the prospects thru instead of any Hail Mary’s. 

 

The plusses to date are Hogs, Motte, and Chatfield. It seems every game Chatfield does a little more. He is something else. Wwould like to see Juolevi back in at some point. 

 

The negatives appears to be to be how much the puck is being turned in the d-zone but also in the neutral zone. Canucks are struggling on possession time. Players are taking a fraction of extra time on decision making and it is costing. Practises would be working on this but they haven’t had many. .

I agree with everything you said. Worst thing that could happen is a kneejerk trade right now where JB tries to save his job. For that reason alone, Aquaman should either reassure JB and keep him as the future gm or negate any trade that involves the young core

[Smashian Kassian]

5 minutes ago, CanucksJay said:

I still think Jake and AG can be serviceable players in the bottom 6 and we may not be getting the same back in a trade. 

When our top 6 consists of

Horvat, Miller, Petey, Boeser, Hoglander and Pod, we still need a bottom 6 after Beagle, Rousel, Eriksson and Sutter leave. 

Think of all that cap space leaving and replaced by Motte, McEwan, JV and AG  (all who are quite young and still developing) we need 2 more bottom 6

 

On defense, we have

Hughes, Schmidt, Myers, Edler Juolevi, Chatfield. 

Edler will be getting older, Chatfield and Juolevi should theoretically improve. 

 

We will have tons of capspace to fill any holes such as a top 4 D and a top 6 winger while the young core continues to develop

 

I think we're doing ok guys. 

 

I just think it's time to move on from Jake. He hasn't even been effective in the bottom 6.

 

I'd re-sign Pearson. Pod will probably start in the bottom 6, then Pearson can play 3rd line once Pod moves up. Then Motte, MacEwen, & maybe Lind.

 

Other bottom 6ers can be added in UFAs. Always youngish players on the cheap looking for a shot ala Leivo/Simon/Hawryluk exc.

 

[rychicken]

15 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

The venting going on after these loses appears more to do with a expectation/hope that the Canucks could return to playoffs again this year. The fact that Markstrom and Demko played at a level that covered up many of the d-side weakness’s on the club. No one should be overly surprised that they are struggling somewhat now. This is a process and likely another 2 year term. 

 

Worse case scenario they cannot salvage their season and are finished early. I am hoping management stays the course and is not panicked into bandaid efforts to try and save the season. Run the prospects thru instead of any Hail Mary’s. 

 

The plusses to date are Hogs, Motte, and Chatfield. It seems every game Chatfield does a little more. He is something else. Wwould like to see Juolevi back in at some point. 

 

The negatives appears to be to be how much the puck is being turned in the d-zone but also in the neutral zone. Canucks are struggling on possession time. Players are taking a fraction of extra time on decision making and it is costing. Practises would be working on this but they haven’t had many. .

To me, worst case scenario is they flirt with the playoff bar all the way to the end, but just miss. Then we will hear the "oh, we were so close....a couple of bounces went the other way we would have been in, and then anything could happen, etc" and little change would happen

 

If they are finished early, it may actually prompt them to action some of the decisions that need to be made.

[BPA]

5 minutes ago, canuck2288 said:

I don’t understand the gms in the North division 

 

Spezza makes it clear he was going to retire if any team picked him up from waivers. So instead of warding off reams from picking him up it should have been a huge opportunity to pick him up and let him retire 

 

Why play so nice? Pick him up and screw the leafs over by having him retire. All any team needed was the little cap space he takes initially, he retires and comes straight off the books 

 

instead he is still a leaf and scores 3 on us 

That would probably be seen as a **** move.  Might be bad optics for future signings/trades.

 

But I would have done it for sure.  Why give an opposing team an advantage?

 

Lol.

[Boudrias]

2 minutes ago, CanucksJay said:

I agree with everything you said. Worst thing that could happen is a kneejerk trade right now where JB tries to save his job. For that reason alone, Aquaman should either reassure JB and keep him as the future gm or negate any trade that involves the young core

It can’t get much worse for Aqualini. No fans no money. I can certainly understand why he wouldn’t be keen on buying any contracts out. They have to tough it out. A season of losing likely strengthens this young group over the long term. I remember when it looked like the Avs were ready for a serious run 4 - 5 years ago and they came back to another  3 seasons of hard times. 

 

Over 50 years I have seen managements panic in the Canuck .org on a regular basis, even the Mighty Quinn. This is the first time in 50 years that the Canucks have built back from nothing. As fans we should never forget that.  

[bishopshodan]

The distance between reality and expectation is disappointment. 

 

Fair to say I'm pretty disappointed. 

[Jack Burton]

Just how much of last year was Malhotra? That is looking as yet another bad situation. I would have no problem at this point bringing him back and firing Green. 

[CanucksJay]

1 minute ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

I just think it's time to move on from Jake. He hasn't even been effective in the bottom 6.

 

I'd re-sign Pearson. Pod will probably start in the bottom 6, then Pearson can play 3rd line once Pod moves up. Then Motte, MacEwen, & maybe Lind.

 

Other bottom 6ers can be added in UFAs. Always youngish players on the cheap looking for a shot ala Leivo/Simon/Hawryluk exc.

 

I think Jake lacks the maturity because in his head, he's still a 7th overall pick who made the NHL in his first season. I don't think he's mentally prepared to be a bottom 6 mucker. 

He is a primadonna. He goes out to clubs, loves to party. Hangs out with Bieber. Bottom 6 guys don't do that. 

Jake wants a celeb life and has the natural talents but didn't do anything with it. 

I think best now for Jake is to put him on 3rd line with skilled, hard nosed players like Pod and AG and we could see a top 3rd line in the league for years to come. Jane needs to know he is on a line that can put up points

While my expectations of him dropped, he still put up 0.52 pts /gm last year while underachieving. 

His saving grace is that he still has a good attitude and isn't detrimental to the team

 

 

[Nucker 67]

I know Miller is a fan favourite, probably the Canucks best player when he wants to be, but I've been watching him and he isn't as engaged this season. His efforts defensively are pitiful, and sometimes I question his passes.  I don't think he wants to be here under this coaching staff/GM. He might see what Kesler saw all those years ago, a floundering team that is mismanaged, that will never go anywhere unless things really change. I know some are going to defend Miller, but this is what I see. Trade him for a Top Dman. 

[Law of Goalies]

13 hours ago, Alain Vigneault said:

Yes.

 

Veteran players of all types and skillsets have been signing league minimum deals since the 2005 CBA.

Based on your posts, it seems you don't understand hockey or how free agency works. Just because a team a signed a particular player for x amount, it means we could of done the same thing. Many factors come into play. 

[milk and honey]

Who r we hiring boys as new gm and coach???

[Smashian Kassian]

28 minutes ago, Setyoureyesontheprize said:

Conjecture 

 

Your right those contracts were all universally praised.

 

I can't even fathom how our cap situation hasnt worked out perfectly.