Abbotsford Canucks | Season Starting
- Thread starter Mr. Canucklehead
- Start date
WTG
December 5th
The guy that they brought in to replace Friedman was -23 in 69 games with 5pts. Ahac is playing with Woo in the top 4. IDK what Malhotra is cooking (probably pulling his bald hair out with the goal tending situation) but they really need to get some veteran presence who can calm the team down when momentum isn't going their way.
Last game vs the Gulls felt like a World Juniors game where the floodgates opened up.
Abbotsford Canucks are bleeding goals-against. A third period collapse last game with six going in; and seven so far tonight.
Malhotra is a first year coach......but he needs to get this team re-focused on team defense. You can understand some of the young players having erratic starts to the season. But some of the veteran players have serious underperformed so far.
Malhotra is a first year coach......but he needs to get this team re-focused on team defense. You can understand some of the young players having erratic starts to the season. But some of the veteran players have serious underperformed so far.
Blue and Green
Out to lunch
- Dec 17, 2017
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He was killing a penalty at the end of the first period and I didn't see anything happen to him, but he never returned after the intermission.
Andy Dufresne
Registered User
- Jun 17, 2009
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Anyone know why Felton hasn't seen the ice yet? Is he injured...or... Pretty bizarre a guy would look that good in pre-season, compared directly with the guys he's competing for ice time with, and then just be healthy scratched game after game on a team that sucks defensively.
Free Christian Felton!
Free Christian Felton!
Some random impressions from video clips, reports, other posters on this site and stats:
1. @Andy Dufresne beat me to this one, but is there a reason that first year pro Christian Felton, who looked so good in the preseason with the Canucks, can't get a single second of ice time in either Abbotsford or Kalamazoo? I understand there are a lot of defencemen in the system, but not even getting to put the pads on for warmup for a single game? Is he hurt or did he do something to get in someone's bad books?
2. The sudden poor play of Tolopilo is alarming and, to me, surprising. Does the loss of Torenius to the NHL Canucks have anything to do with it?
3. The defensive group in Abbotsford, so very crowded to start this season, is likely to undergo major changes this coming summer and unless the Canucks want to go with a very young defence group next season in Abbotsford they may have to add.
Wolanin and Brisebois, formerly two solid AHL veterans and call-up options, have had a rough start to the season, likely injury-related. Both are on expiring contracts and things will have to turn around for the Canucks to consider extending them.
I'd be very surprised if Hirose is offered an extension.
McWard, Friedman and Felton are also on expiring contracts.
4. Not seeing more than video clips of AHL games may have meant I'm missing something, but I don't understand the suggestions we sometimes see that Lekkerimaki get an NHL callup right now. From what I'm seeing the only real benefit to that would be so JL could see just how much he has to work on things so as not to get complacent with the goal scoring success he's having in the AHL recently.
Now maybe the impression I'm getting is wrong because I'm not seeing full games, but the distance from the net many of his goals are shot from, how little in video clips shows any physical contract, his Abby-forward team worst +/- (much worse than Raty who has been his usual center), his listed weight and comments from others that refer to him as soft and a perimeter player done give the impression of a player that belongs coming to the NHL to develop. JL certainly doesn't need to develop his wrist shot, but I'm getting the wrong impression about his game his defensive and physical play need work.
As a much maligned former Canucks' coach speaking about a much maligned former Canucks prospect/player said the NHL isn't a development league, it is a get-er-done league.
I understand the lack of reliability of +/- as a tool to judge a player's effectiveness. It could be wrong and the impression I'm also getting from watching video clips and what others are saying could also be wrong, but certainly all put together the impression given is that if he was brought to the NHL right now he'd spend most of his time in the pressbox or on the bench, not earning his coach's trust. Getting yanked and stuck on the bench or in the pressbox for making too many mistakes that an NHL player should know to avoid is not the ideal way to develop a young player.
Edited to remove reference to Jett Woo
1. @Andy Dufresne beat me to this one, but is there a reason that first year pro Christian Felton, who looked so good in the preseason with the Canucks, can't get a single second of ice time in either Abbotsford or Kalamazoo? I understand there are a lot of defencemen in the system, but not even getting to put the pads on for warmup for a single game? Is he hurt or did he do something to get in someone's bad books?
2. The sudden poor play of Tolopilo is alarming and, to me, surprising. Does the loss of Torenius to the NHL Canucks have anything to do with it?
3. The defensive group in Abbotsford, so very crowded to start this season, is likely to undergo major changes this coming summer and unless the Canucks want to go with a very young defence group next season in Abbotsford they may have to add.
Wolanin and Brisebois, formerly two solid AHL veterans and call-up options, have had a rough start to the season, likely injury-related. Both are on expiring contracts and things will have to turn around for the Canucks to consider extending them.
I'd be very surprised if Hirose is offered an extension.
McWard, Friedman and Felton are also on expiring contracts.
4. Not seeing more than video clips of AHL games may have meant I'm missing something, but I don't understand the suggestions we sometimes see that Lekkerimaki get an NHL callup right now. From what I'm seeing the only real benefit to that would be so JL could see just how much he has to work on things so as not to get complacent with the goal scoring success he's having in the AHL recently.
Now maybe the impression I'm getting is wrong because I'm not seeing full games, but the distance from the net many of his goals are shot from, how little in video clips shows any physical contract, his Abby-forward team worst +/- (much worse than Raty who has been his usual center), his listed weight and comments from others that refer to him as soft and a perimeter player done give the impression of a player that belongs coming to the NHL to develop. JL certainly doesn't need to develop his wrist shot, but I'm getting the wrong impression about his game his defensive and physical play need work.
As a much maligned former Canucks' coach speaking about a much maligned former Canucks prospect/player said the NHL isn't a development league, it is a get-er-done league.
I understand the lack of reliability of +/- as a tool to judge a player's effectiveness. It could be wrong and the impression I'm also getting from watching video clips and what others are saying could also be wrong, but certainly all put together the impression given is that if he was brought to the NHL right now he'd spend most of his time in the pressbox or on the bench, not earning his coach's trust. Getting yanked and stuck on the bench or in the pressbox for making too many mistakes that an NHL player should know to avoid is not the ideal way to develop a young player.
Edited to remove reference to Jett Woo
Last edited:
Blue and Green
Out to lunch
- Dec 17, 2017
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Jett Woo won't be Group 6 eligible until summer 2026. Will be below the age requirement on June 30, 2025.
Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
Big opportunity for Ty Young to show his stuff. Tolopilo and Patera, to put it delicately, have struggled. Young has been outstanding in his first two ECHL starts. Would sure be something if he could come in and give Abbotsford some stalwart goaltending.
Though, I think Abbotsford's veteran defenders playing poorly is just as big a story.
On the plus side - three point game for Bains in his return to the AHL, and Lekkerimaki continues to fire away and find the scoresheet.
WTG
December 5th
From what I watched, Lekkerimaki is probably not there defensively and needs time to adjust to the smaller ice surface and the NA game. I don't really buy into the whole "perimeter player" idea that you need to always be looking to get to the greasy areas all the time. Hughes can also be a perimeter player in the offensive zone, doesn't make him less capable of making plays and being effective offensively.
That being said, there is some truth that he needs to be more engaged fighting for pucks on the fore check and fight for position in front of the net before he can get called up and play in a Tocchet system. But you have to give him some leash right now to adjust, same leash extended to Pettersson (D).
Goaltending has been atrocious so far, I wouldn't worry about his +/- so far. Not neccisarily his fault that goaltending collapses and lets in softies.
So the Canucks will have three goalies in the AHL; and three goalies in Vancouver, if you include Demko, who's apparently nearing a return. So what gives? Could some sort of trade be coming?
Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
I think Lankinen's hot start means it will be Demko/Lankinen once Demko is ready to go. I think Silovs will go to Abbotsford to get some starts.
I'm torn on what happens with Tolopilo/Patera. I can see one of them remaining in Abbotsford to split starts with Silovs - unless Young has thoroughly outclassed them by that time. Maybe the Canucks decide to have one come and join them as a 3rd goalie? Or maybe one or two go to the ECHL?
It'll be an interesting conundrum once Demko is healthy, for sure.
Canucks Army reporting that Patera went down with an injury in last night's game......so the emergency recall of Young from Kalamazoo makes more sense.
Yes, Patera got hurt. Tolopilo started but was pulled. Patera came in but got injured and Tolopilo finished the game. This is in response to Patera's injury and no other reason.
Yikes! The Utica Comets have started the season 0-8. Somewhere out there, 'Bad Goalie' must be pulling his hair out!
Peen
Rejoicing in a Benning-free world
- Oct 6, 2013
- 31,407
- 27,653
Posted in the former Canucks thread but they fired their coach (Kevin Dineen) and replaced him with an ex-Canuck (Ryan Parent).
