[Signing] Canucks sign Tucker Poolman

[Junkyard Dog]

1 minute ago, Jack Fig said:

Better to hire a poolman than a poolboy, I always say. 

Might be a safer result than a Poolparty. 

[King Heffy]

2 minutes ago, Jack Fig said:

Better to hire a poolman than a poolboy, I always say. 

Pretty sure we learned from Kesler.

[RWMc1]

4 minutes ago, oldnews said:

 

 

My concern with the right side is not Poolman - it's bringing back Hamonic if the intent is to pair him with Hughes - he'll need to be considerably better imo.

Hughes was playing pond hockey for most of last season. When he focused on the system more, they seemed to defend better. The numbers would also be skewed by our condensed schedule and Covid.

[highwayman3]

1 minute ago, Dazzle said:

How is it horrific?

Hamonic is proven RD that just mellows the unsteadiness of the offensive D men we have. We also have Poolman who the Vancouver Canucks are banking can step up. Not a horrible contract, but I do question the amount. Then you have pieces like Schenn that are just bargains and we KNOW what he brings to the lineup.

The theme is insulation and the defense are very well insulated by stay at home defensemen.

None of these players can play against the other teams top lines.  Hamonic was ok last year but would be much better suited to the bottom pairing...Poolman is also a bottom pairing guy.  Myers is an ok #4 defenceman who also struggles with poor defensive coverage.  Even though everyone is saying OEL is a top pairing D - he hasn't been for like 3 years.  He's been bad defensively too - I hope he can rebound here but there's no guarantee.  It's just a weird hodge podge of ill-fitting parts and players playing further up the depth chart than they should.  I know people don't like graphs or statistics on this site but the WAR for the defense as a whole is last in the NHL.  I'm not sure I'd go that far but it's definitely bottom 5 in the league.  

[Jack Fig]

1 minute ago, RWMc1 said:

Hughes was playing pond hockey for most of last season. When he focused on the system more, they seemed to defend better. The numbers would also be skewed by our condensed schedule and Covid.

I find it difficult to take much of last season very seriously. I might be wrong. But yes, Huggy needs to calm down and play a more conventional game. 

[Odjick the Warrior]

4 hours ago, Josepho said:

All overpayments add up, especially when the term is 4 years. We've seen this so many times during the Benning tenure.

This is a head scratcher since Hakanpaa was still available and at most was $2 Million a year and was 3rd pairing in Carolina as a RHD 

[Texx]

A ton of doubt about this signing. It is a great contract 2.5 per for poolman. He is highly underrated. Was awesome here in winnipeg.

[flat land fish]

Biggest change on outback end from last year is better depth especially on the RHD side.  Those fretting about the d are not giving OEL a chance.  I think we will be happy to be out of the Schmidt business if I remember correctly he had got popped for using a some PED’s while at Vegas.  We leaned a lot of minutes against an aging edler and Schmidt pairing that will be redistributed and I think that will be a net positive.

[oldnews]

1 minute ago, RWMc1 said:

Hughes was playing pond hockey for most of last season. When he focused on the system more, they seemed to defend better. The numbers would also be skewed by our condensed schedule and Covid.

yes - I'd agree with that in general - and the reality was that at least half the forward group were waiver claims, prospects, AHL callups on a regular basis - which didn't make things any  easier for the young defenseman - but while I like what Hamonic brings in general and don't have a problem with his cap hit - it's whether he becomes a better fit for Hughes that is what I want to see.   In general I'm very happy with what the team has accomplished this offseason - but from the outset I think the primary task/need was to find the right partner for Hughes - and I'm not sure they've done that,  unless that's OEL (or perhaps even Poolman) then it's back to the Hughes Hamonic pairing....

Maybe I should give Hamonic more benefit of the doubt - but as opposed to wondering what a pairing looks like, we've seen what Hughes Hamonic looked like (granted in unfortunate circumstances).   I think when it comes down to it I'd just like to see primarily a more mobile guy in that role.

[Maniwaki Canuck]

2 minutes ago, IjustNEEDaTROYgamble said:

This is a head scratcher since Hakanpaa was still available and at most was $2 Million a year and was 3rd pairing in Carolina as a RHD 

Yeah, I'm wondering what's up with Hakanpaa.  Seems that JB prefers Poolman and nobody else is in a great rush to sign him.  Not what I would have expected.

[Quantum]

At a 2.5 million dollar cap hit, this is a very tradeable contract. I don't expect Poolman to be a Canuck when his contract ends but I also don't see this to be an albatross like Myers or Beagle or Roussel. A team will bite on Poolman if we decide to move on from him.

 

He hasn't even played yet.

 

Also don't forget that we have the defenseman whisperer in Brad Shaw. If anyone can get more out of Poolman, it's Shaw.

[Dazzle]

9 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said:

Might be a safer result than a Poolparty. 

Well we do have a Dickinson...

[mll]

1 hour ago, AV. said:

They didn't buy-out Johnson.  They sent a 2nd with him to gain LTIR cap-space.  Pretty easy W considering some teams like the Islanders and Flyers sent players with assets for free and didn't even get LTIR space.

LTIR is a negative - there's nothing positive to be unable to bank cap space and limit roster flexibility.  

 

Seabrook is a negative but taking him back lowered the cost to move Johnson.  

[Master Mind]

6 minutes ago, highwayman3 said:

None of these players can play against the other teams top lines.  Hamonic was ok last year but would be much better suited to the bottom pairing...Poolman is also a bottom pairing guy.  Myers is an ok #4 defenceman who also struggles with poor defensive coverage.  Even though everyone is saying OEL is a top pairing D - he hasn't been for like 3 years.  He's been bad defensively too - I hope he can rebound here but there's no guarantee.  It's just a weird hodge podge of ill-fitting parts and players playing further up the depth chart than they should.  I know people don't like graphs or statistics on this site but the WAR for the defense as a whole is last in the NHL.  I'm not sure I'd go that far but it's definitely bottom 5 in the league.  

This is my thought too. The Canucks defense has been a glaring issue for several years, and appears will still be our weak point this season.

 

Perhaps these players will click and find chemsitry, but on paper I'd consider it a bottom 5 defense in the league.

[DrJockitch]

2 minutes ago, oldnews said:

yes - I'd agree with that in general - and the reality was that at least half the forward group were waiver claims, prospects, AHL callups on a regular basis - which didn't make things any  easier for the young defenseman - but while I like what Hamonic brings in general and don't have a problem with his cap hit - it's whether he becomes a better fit for Hughes that is what I want to see.   In general I'm very happy with what the team has accomplished this offseason - but from the outset I think the primary task/need was to find the right partner for Hughes - and I'm not sure they've done that,  unless that's OEL (or perhaps even Poolman) then it's back to the Hughes Hamonic pairing....

Maybe I should give Hamonic more benefit of the doubt - but as opposed to wondering what a pairing looks like, we've seen what Hughes Hamonic looked like (granted in unfortunate circumstances).   I think when it comes down to it I'd just like to see primarily a more mobile guy in that role.

Man, have entered Bizarro world when you and I are saying same thing. Number one priority should have been find partner for Q.

If Poolman works there, Hamonic slides up with OEL and Myers is back where he should be on third pairing. 
If that comes to play Benning looks golden.  
last year needs to be looked at as aberration for Q. D got rebuilt last year though to a lesser extent. No practices because of COVID, no chance to get chemistry with new partners. 
Hopefully the right guy is there for him now, but can comfortably say it isn’t Myers. 

[Odjick the Warrior]

1 minute ago, Master Mind said:

This is my thought too. The Canucks defense has been a glaring issue for several years, and appears will still be our weak point this season.

 

Perhaps these players will click and find chemsitry, but on paper I'd consider it a bottom 5 defense in the league.

They should have gone after Zadorov as Calgary got him for a 3rd rounder 

[RWMc1]

3 minutes ago, oldnews said:

yes - I'd agree with that in general - and the reality was that at least half the forward group were waiver claims, prospects, AHL callups on a regular basis - which didn't make things any  easier for the young defenseman - but while I like what Hamonic brings in general and don't have a problem with his cap hit - it's whether he becomes a better fit for Hughes that is what I want to see.   In general I'm very happy with what the team has accomplished this offseason - but from the outset I think the primary task/need was to find the right partner for Hughes - and I'm not sure they've done that,  unless that's OEL (or perhaps even Poolman) then it's back to the Hughes Hamonic pairing....

Maybe I should give Hamonic more benefit of the doubt - but as opposed to wondering what a pairing looks like, we've seen what Hughes Hamonic looked like (granted in unfortunate circumstances).   I think when it comes down to it I'd just like to see primarily a more mobile guy in that role.

I thought that, if they bring in another good LD, then they might play OEL on the right with Hughes. That doesn't seem like it's going to happen.

 

We should be better just with better personnel and a better defensive assistant in Shaw. I'm sure that Shaw had input in the D-men that we targeted.

[canuckleheads fan]

3 minutes ago, Quantum said:

At a 2.5 million dollar cap hit, this is a very tradeable contract. I don't expect Poolman to be a Canuck when his contract ends but I also don't see this to be an albatross like Myers or Beagle or Roussel. A team will bite on Poolman if we decide to move on from him.

 

He hasn't even played yet.

 

Also don't forget that we have the defenseman whisperer in Brad Shaw. If anyone can get more out of Poolman, it's Shaw.

The point about Shaw is an excellent one. Everyone seems to think this is JB acting like the Lone Ranger, I am sure Travis and Shaw had input and believe Poolman has what it takes to be a bottom pairing guy with top four potential for this team. Don't forget the best teams have the capacity for their bottom rung guys to move up the lineup in the case of injuries. Hamonic has missed time the last two years, and Myers is no spring chicken. Having good depth on the right side bodes well for this team.

[BPA]

1 minute ago, IjustNEEDaTROYgamble said:

They should have gone after Zadorov as Calgary got him for a 3rd rounder 

Rumored he wants $5-6M per year.   So kinda out of our price range. 

[Gurn]

16 minutes ago, IjustNEEDaTROYgamble said:

They should have gone after Zadorov as Calgary got him for a 3rd rounder 

Do you have a link to a story stating they didn't go after Zadorov?

 

 

Edit to add:

 

I'll take your Loui emoji as a no.

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by gurn