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

[Gurn]

6 minutes ago, qwijibo said:

How do you think other players and agents would feel about an organization that did that to a 18 year NHL vet just to be petty? Spezza earned his right to say he only wanted to play in Toronto.  Being childish and claiming him to force him to pull the plug would have been a dick move that likely puked have been remembered come free agency time 

If the Canucks had  claimed him and he retired that would be on him. If he didn't retire we could have used him on this team.

Being "nice"  might have just cost the Canucks 2 points.

Also why blame the Canucks when it was Toronto that put him on waivers, after they signed the guy. So which team is the classless org.?

[qwijibo]

5 minutes ago, gurn said:

If the Canucks had  claimed him and he retired that would be on him. If he didn't retire we could have used him on this team.

Being "nice"  might have just cost the Canucks 2 points.

Also why blame the Canucks when it was Toronto that put him on waivers, after they signed the guy. So which team is the classless org.?

He was signed to be depth. He wanted to be in TO. There was nothing classless about putting him on waivers.  It was required to have him in the taxi squad.  
 

The same thing happened with Perry in Montreal. Screwing over a player that signed with a specific team that he wants to play for to try to make him retire is absolutely the classless move 

Edited February 5, 2021 by qwijibo

[Sbriggs]

13 hours ago, Junkyard Dog said:

I wouldn't have signed him either. He's the only guy who would have made a difference in how we were playing though. Demko/Holtby can't bail us out as much as Marky did.

 

Demmer made more sense. We've seen his potential for a 2nd year player.

 

Overall we may need to see changes with the coaching and management.

 

agree

[ruilin96]

18 minutes ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

As much as Marky & Tanev were leaders, I find it hard to believe the dressing room would be in such turmoil without them, especially bringing in a guy like Schmidt. Turnover is part of the business.

 

It'll be interesting to see if, what & when changes take place that's for sure.

It is not just turnovers and it is how the turnovers are being communicated to the core. Right now, base on what we have from reports it that JB gave all our pending UFAs the silent treatment because he "ran out of time" while he was too focused on OEL and Barrie. The group was a tightly knit group last year and I do believe there is a sentiment of disappointment.

 

Especially after a year that they have last season and the guys were closer than ever, these sort of decisions really negatively impact the core. I understand the argument that these guys are professionals and they are paid in millions, should suck it up and go. Remember, players are people too. And people have emotions. The decisions made by management does tick off the guys.

 

Also, if you don't believe some of them showing up to the team, seeing some of the overpaid bottom 6 guys or overpaid taxi-squad teammates, you won't think they would have thought slip into their minds that who could've been here instead of them.

 

Especially when the team starts losing, it all just adds up. This team is no longer playing like they did last year. Which was with pride, passion, tight-knit group that got each other's back.

[Gurn]

8 minutes ago, qwijibo said:

He was signed to be depth. He wanted to be in TO. There was nothing classless about putting him on waivers.  It was required to have him in the taxi squad.  
 

The same thing happened with Perry in Montreal. Screwing over a player that signed with a specific team that he wants to play for to try to make him retire is absolutely the classless move 

dude doesn't want to play by the cba let him retire.

Pro league, not checkers with the kids.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

 

[qwijibo]

6 minutes ago, gurn said:

dude doesn't want to play by the cba let him retire.

Pro league, not checkers with the kids.

The GM’s have to have a good relationship with players.  There was nothing illegal about Spezza expressing his feelings.   He’s been in the league for 18 years, If he only wanted to play in Toronto that should be respected.  To try to force him to retire just to get a jab in on Toronto is childish. Going forward players would know that the management of a team that would do that has no respect for the players 

Edited February 5, 2021 by qwijibo

[PhillipBlunt]

5 minutes ago, -Vintage Canuck- said:

 

More clichés incoming.

[canuck2288]

42 minutes ago, mll said:

He likely wouldn't report instead.  Force the team that claimed him to put him through unconditional waivers to cancel the contract and the Leafs could have picked him right back up.

I don’t think failure to report triggers unconditional waivers

 

I may be wrong but I believe that would trigger an indefinite suspension and he would not be on the books for the cap hit

 

even better 

[iinatcc]

I was listening to the TSN 1040 post game show and maybe the folks there have a point.

 

The Canucks really were never as good as their Bubble performance last season. Let's look at the facts:

• Before the pause the Canucks were struggling losing 7 out of the 10 games 
• The beat the Wild in the Qualifiers but the Wild started was basically a back up goalie 
• The Blues basically "took the year off" and already won the cup the year before. I wouldn't be surprised if they just phoned it in against Vancouver. And I would imagine The Blues would probably have swept The Canucks if they weren't playing in the bubble and actually cared.
• Vegas smashed Vancouver and, as the guys from Tim and Sid said" the Canucks checked themselves out midway through the Vegas series and was only bailed out by Demko 

 

So as the folks in TSN said. Maybe this, what we are seeing now, is and always has been the real Canucks.

And perhaps their accomplishment last season in the Bubble, especially beating the Blues were a hallow one. 

Edited February 5, 2021 by iinatcc

[kanucks25]

Nylander entered our zone and won possession of the puck on a 1v3 using the wrong end of his stick.

 

I don't know who but that alone should get someone automatically fired/traded.

[Gurn]

1 minute ago, qwijibo said:

The GM’s have to have a good relationship with players.  There was nothing illegal about Spezza expressing his feelings  he’s been in the league for 18 years. If he only wanted to play in Toronto that should be respected.  To try to force him to retire just to get a jab in on Toronto is childish. Going forward players would know that the management of a team that would do that has no respect for the players 

Toronto just picked up 2 valuable points against the Canucks with massive help from Spezza. 

I want my team to win, this team would have been better with Spezza on it, and Toronto would be worse without him.

Him retiring is on Toronto for putting him on waivers and mostly on him for his "Imma take my marbles and go home attitude".

Millions of dollars and a possible cup put in jeopardy because  " Be nice"?

Pro hockey, not marbles.

[Googlie]

9 hours ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

Doubled in shots, Spezza walks Edler, our team is collapsing. Other teams know if they take on our defenders and shoot high they'll score. Demko was brutal tonight too, we can't keep protecting him and his inconsistency, that Matthews goal should never happen, stick down and it still goes 5 hole.

 

Our offence is the only thing that's still clicking, we need to reverse that - sacrifice offence for defence, and that's a structure/system thing.

 

Not as many clear cut breakaways tonight but just sloppy players tonight. The boys are packing it in sadly.

 

The season is salvagable but because it's so relentless, I don't see the players just turning things around mid-road trip. We need a big event like a players meeting or coach firing or something to shake everyone up.

We need a covid scare that quarantines half the team and gets 5 games postponed till the end of the season

[canuck2288]

Toronto gets a guy like spezza on a hometown discount and then effectively gets cap relief 

 

the risk in running that way is when you run into issues with injuries and have to expose people to waivers 

 

thats when other gms need to make them pay. There is no mr nice in pro sports 

[ShawnAntoski]

12 minutes ago, ruilin96 said:

It is not just turnovers and it is how the turnovers are being communicated to the core. Right now, base on what we have from reports it that JB gave all our pending UFAs the silent treatment because he "ran out of time" while he was too focused on OEL and Barrie. The group was a tightly knit group last year and I do believe there is a sentiment of disappointment.

 

Especially after a year that they have last season and the guys were closer than ever, these sort of decisions really negatively impact the core. I understand the argument that these guys are professionals and they are paid in millions, should suck it up and go. Remember, players are people too. And people have emotions. The decisions made by management does tick off the guys.

 

Also, if you don't believe some of them showing up to the team, seeing some of the overpaid bottom 6 guys or overpaid taxi-squad teammates, you won't think they would have thought slip into their minds that who could've been here instead of them.

 

Especially when the team starts losing, it all just adds up. This team is no longer playing like they did last year. Which was with pride, passion, tight-knit group that got each other's back.

I expected some growing pains with our first time GM (and there are some positives) but I wonder where Weisbrod is in all of this when all of this personnel decisions were made

[canuck2288]

4 minutes ago, iinatcc said:

I was listening to the TSN 1040 post game show and maybe the folks there have a point.

 

The Canucks really were never as good as their Bubble performance last season. Let's look at the facts:

• Before the pause the Canucks were struggling losing 7 out of the 10 games 
• The beat the Wild in the Qualifiers but the Wild started was basically a back up goalie 
• The Blues basically "took the year off" and already won the cup. I wouldn't be surprised if they just phoned it in against Vancouver. And I would imagine The Blues would probably have swept The Canucks if they weren't playing in the bubble and actually cared.
• Vegas smashed Vancouver and, as the guys from Tim and Sid said" the Canucks checked themselves out midway through the Vegas series and was only bailed out by Demko 

 

So as the folks in TSN said. Maybe this, what we are seeing now, is and always has been the real Canucks.

This is what i have been saying all along 

 

we were not on a trajectory to make the playoffs. Covid season stop got us in 

 

we beat 2 teams with smoke and mirrors and all of a sudden our fundamental issue were history? 

[Nathancanuck]

In the long run this might be the season where we set the foundation for the next 5-10 years though..

Pettersson and Hughes should sign for around 4x6.5. They are both exceptional players but also

show major problems in their game. This contract gives them stability with the option of 

getting a huge contract (QO 8.5-9) if they can develop to the leagues top players. It gives the Canucks

a 4 year window of having great players on "cheap" contracts as they should develop their game.

By the start of year 2 of their contracts (just about when they should start getting close to their prime) we have

cleared out ALL of our dead cap and most players should be on team friendly contracts. We have the cap then

to pick up an elite 3C and top 4D via trade or FA plus adding depth. Also we will probably know what we have

in Podz, OJ and the rest of the D prospects (some look promising)

Plus maybe another top 10 pick if we miss the playoffs this year (should be another top 4D that we are missing)

 

What are your EP, QH contract suggestions?

 

As for this season. I HATE to say it but bring back Eriksson and build a lineup that allows sheltering for the younger guys.

 

Miller - Pettersson - Boeser (primary offensive line, strictly O-zone starts)

Pearson - Horvat - Höglander (balanced second line, all situations)

Motte - Sutter - MacEwen (balanced third line, all situations)

Roussel - Beagle - Eriksson (shutdown line with no intention to score, D-zone starts only)

If Hawrlyuk is ready put him in for Roussel or Eriksson

 

Gaudette can go to the gym for the rest of the year and if he's able to win at least ONE physical battle after that then we can talk.

Virtanen has a mental problem that will NEVER change in Vancouver. He has no compete level, no desire to win or score or defend.

He's not tough at all, he looks like his first priority on the ice is to not get hurt. I'm 99% sure that this is the problem with Jake, the only

other possibility is confidence as I don't know how they (coach, management) communicated with him in the past. I'd be willing to

give him one last shot. Tell him "Jake you get 10 games now with Motte and Sutter on the third line, you won't get benched, you 

won't get scratched, you won't get moved up and down the Lineup. But you got to show that you're effective or we will trade you

for a bag of pucks".

 

I have no idea what to do with our D though. But bring Juolevi back, he certainly wasn't the problem.

 

 

 

[PistolPete13]

11 hours ago, Rush17 said:

I hope I wake up to an Adam Gaudette of Jake Virtanen trade. 

 

Something has to give. We don't have the manpower. Do we know hamonic's return date? If we can get him back at last season form maybe we can stop the blowouts. I don't care about the losses I just don't want to be blown out in 3 game sets all season.

Before I venture onto this thread after each game, I first stop at the Trades, rumours and signings, hoping that something is in the wind.
 

As a fan since day one, I’ve seen a lot over the years. You are right, it’s not the losing, it’s the way they are gift wrapping easy goals to other teams. 

Edited February 5, 2021 by PistolPete13

[qwijibo]

12 minutes ago, gurn said:

Toronto just picked up 2 valuable points against the Canucks with massive help from Spezza. 

I want my team to win, this team would have been better with Spezza on it, and Toronto would be worse without him.

Him retiring is on Toronto for putting him on waivers and mostly on him for his "Imma take my marbles and go home attitude".

Millions of dollars and a possible cup put in jeopardy because  " Be nice"?

Pro hockey, not marbles.

Do you not understand that we’re talking about real people here? Teams have to maintain a good relationship with players.  Spezza isn’t some green rookie.  He’s a guy who put in his time.  The only reason he was on waivers was because of the unique taxi squad mechanism.
 

He wasn’t interested in playing for any other team and made that fact known.  Picking him up off waivers wouldn’t have made the Canucks better because he never would have played a game for them.  

 

Your arguements are fine until you factor in the human factor.  Yes. It’s a business. But this business relies on a teams management having a good reputation  with the players in order to attract and keep  top end talent. The Canucks don’t want to become known as a team that will happily screw over a player for petty reasons. 
 

[-Vintage Canuck-]