Does anyone have any good guesses as to how they will change the look of our defense?

[Canuckfanforlife82]

I have been trying to figure out how amazement is going to fix the defense on this club? It just looks so bad if they end up leaving it as is because they are strapped for money. It’s hard to see how they go about changing it. Can they even change it this off-season? Is the plan to just bring the same defense back? It’s really early but I don’t see a lot in free agency. Anyone have any good guesses or thoughts?

[Coconuts]

Gradually, I just don't see this roster being overturned in a single offseason. Could take 2-3 years. We're pretty capped out right now, and there's no guarantee we'd get who we want via UFA even if we had open cap. 

 

Best way to get who we want is via trade, but we don't have much in the pipeline and we really shouldn't be parting with higher picks at this point in our cycle. You already know the player I'd recommend trading, but the reality is that in order to get someone via trade we'd likely have to part with at least one roster piece some folks would prefer not to lose. 

[Phil_314]

Couple dominoes I could see falling would be
- Dallas (after they re-sign Robertson and Oettinger, how much cap space would they have left and if we could sell Myers to them with retention, say for Faksa, since Klingberg is gone and most UFA's will probably be overpriced)
- whoever trades for Boeser or Garland (I don't know if the return for Miller will warrant moving him anymore [could be surprised, esp. if one of NJ/ Philly/ NYR/ Pittsburgh/ Washington still decides to shuffle their deck chairs around and throw assets at him], but with Boeser re-signed recently, maybe Garland goes and there's a top 4 RHD to be had)

The rest will take time (surprised they didn't draft an RHD but at least Schenn and Dermott are current viable top-4 and bottom-4 options respectively)

[Alflives]

Hughes is paid right.  Myers will be gone in two years.  OEL is overpaid by 2 mil per.  So in two years, when Myers is gone, we need to have new two top four who play great and are on value contracts under 2 mil to cover for OEL’s 2 over.  And OEL needs to continue to play like a 5 mil D man.  

[Elias Pettersson]

We have an abundance of wingers, so some need to be moved to open up space to fill other holes, i.e. 3C and RHD.

 

Garland or Boeser would be the obvious choices.  If anyone wants Dickinson they can have him.  Pearson could also be moved.  Myers is a big ticket that can be moved, but we need him so it would have to be a hockey deal with a decent return and then we would need to replace him with someone younger and cheaper. 

 

But the biggest way to do this quickly would be to trade Miller and his cap space for help on defence.  That's what we are all waiting to see if it happens or not.  My hunch is there will be alot of activity this week.  If not then we will probably stand pat and run with what we have which would be pretty disappointing.  The draft itself was pretty meh, so I'm not really holding out any hope that something big will happen this week.  I'd put it at 50/50 at best.

[kanucks25]

The defense won't be fixed for this upcoming season unless something totally unpredictable happens like brutally overpaying in a trade or making some sort of risky trade in an attempt to get better fast.

 

These are foolish ideas, and I think it's clear that management knows we aren't legitimately close, so it won't happen.

 

As everyone knows top-4 quality RD's are tough to find, we'll just have to hope one falls into our lap one way or another over the next couple years. Perhaps down the line a player asks out or prices himself out of a market; just keep making smart moves and stockpiling assets and hope eventually we can pounce on that.

 

Although our salary cap isn't as clean as one would hope, the major hurdle here is the availability of quality D-men, not so much our ability to make them fit.

Edited July 11, 2022 by kanucks25

[Viper007]

I'm going to guess it's status quo.  

 

Although I think they'll have 

 

OEL - Poolman

Hughes - Schenn

Rathbone - Myers

 

as the pairings.

[Viper007]

5 minutes ago, 6of1_halfdozenofother said:

Elias Pettersson will start playing D, and then that'll break the database at the league office, causing refs to screw up their assignments, DoP(e)S to penalize the other teams' players, and then he'll win the Calder.  Again.

 

 

 

 

 

(too soon?  )

What do you mean start, we already drafted him to play D!  

[Canuckfanforlife82]

1 hour ago, Muttley said:

I suppose they may have very little choice. You look at Poolman's stats and they're a wee bit uninspiring. Not a minus player but no growl to his game. Must have some 

growl. He's got the size to bang some bodies around but probably doesn't if for no other reason then he's not that way. Slow skater. leaves too much work for his partner.

That's where I'm looking to upgrade when posible.

I am also worried about his concussions. One hit and he is out. Too often injured. 

Edited July 11, 2022 by Canuckfanforlife82

[Drakrami]

The easiest way is through trade. This is why people were upset no triggers were pulled before the draft. Nemec, Jiricek could make a difference in 2-3 years. We need to go hard for Mason, probably need to shed some cap to do that. 

[Whaleroad Train]

Change the look of our defence? I suggest buying a years supply of rose tinted glasses.

[Angry Goose]

IMO, if mgmt are being ultra patient / waiting for the right deal to come along for Miller-its gotta be for a dman.

 

Schenn and Myers will be gone in the short term-major hole on the right side there without them.  They need a long term RH shot-maybe that’s what they are targeting in a trade

 

 

[DrJockitch]

Mostly the same as this year. 
Add Brady Keeper, subtract Brad Hunt.  Rathbone in the NHL. 
It takes a bad GM or a bad RD to trade a winger for RD. Same goes for C. GMs don’t trade quality at premium positions unless for a lot better player or another premium position. 

[hammertime]

Makeup?

[JM_]

8 hours ago, Coconuts said:

Gradually, I just don't see this roster being overturned in a single offseason. Could take 2-3 years. We're pretty capped out right now, and there's no guarantee we'd get who we want via UFA even if we had open cap. 

 

Best way to get who we want is via trade, but we don't have much in the pipeline and we really shouldn't be parting with higher picks at this point in our cycle. You already know the player I'd recommend trading, but the reality is that in order to get someone via trade we'd likely have to part with at least one roster piece some folks would prefer not to lose. 

the best we could likely do this offseason is something like bringing in Lyubushkin and Zadorov, if we can shed Pearson or Dickie and Garland, e.g. 

 

imo if we can use OEL properly that will be a nice boost to our d production. Zadorov provides some size and meanness. 

 

Hughes-Schenn

OEL-Loobie

Rathbone-Zadorov

Dermott-Poolman

 

with two mid-tier additions it changes the look and depth quite a bit. 

[timberz21]

Haven't you been reading?  Been said many times, easy peasy.

 

Trade Miller for Scheider + a gazillion 1st rounder

Trade Myers for Dobson

Trade Poolman for a 2nd rounder

Sign Zadorov

 

Pretty much sums most proposal around here

[Nucker 67]

Demko might be asking this very question.

 

I don't think they do much - because they haven't since they got here.  Maybe they bring in a bottom pairing Dman for depth. 

 

whip-de-fricken-do

[48MPHSlapShot]

They won't.

[spook007]

8 hours ago, Viper007 said:

I'm going to guess it's status quo.  

 

Although I think they'll have 

 

OEL - Poolman

Hughes - Schenn

Rathbone - Myers

 

as the pairings.

Fear Rathbone - Myers pairing has disaster written all over it... a bit like QH - Myers.  Unless Rathbone has developed lots defensively over the last 7-8 months. 

[VegasCanuck]

9 hours ago, Canuckfanforlife82 said:

I have been trying to figure out how amazement is going to fix the defense on this club? It just looks so bad if they end up leaving it as is because they are strapped for money. It’s hard to see how they go about changing it. Can they even change it this off-season? Is the plan to just bring the same defense back? It’s really early but I don’t see a lot in free agency. Anyone have any good guesses or thoughts?

So, I find it interesting that everyone thinks our defense is that bad, even though, from the time that BB took over the bench, through the end of the season, we were one of the top 5 defenses in the league at 5 on 5. 

 

Even considering the start we has, we finished up tied for 9th overall for lowest goals against in a 32 team league.

 

Granted, Demko had a massive hand in that, and we do need to improve how fast we transition out of our own end, but we are not the Swiss Cheese that many fans seem to want to believe.

 

If we wind up trading Miller, 90% chance it will be for a good, young RD on return. That would free us up to move Myers to create cap space. Not because Myers is a bad defenseman, just because we have too many 6 million plus guys on the blue line and OEL, I’m positive said no to being traded, and Hughes isn’t going anywhere.

 

Part of exiting the zone faster is systems, which I believe is what Rutherford was talking about at year end press conferences. It’s one of the things BB will work on with them in camp.