Abbotsford Canucks Talk | 2025 Stretch Run

[Vector]

I'm guessing this contract is about rewarding a kid who consistently paid his own way to attend Canucks' development camps. Similar to Zlodeev a little while a go. Kept showing up to development camps and the Canucks gave him the same contract.

 

[Tables of Stats]

Giving anything to Kunz seems very sunk cost fallacy but at least he's not taking an NHL contract slot.

Worst case he's depth stashed in the ECHL next season and then he either retires or plays for a low tier Euro league. Best case, he shows something be wasn't able to show at the college level and we see where he ends up. No matter what we only have him a one-year deal so this is as low risk as it gets.

 

[alternate]

Giving anything to Kunz seems very sunk cost fallacy but at least he's not taking an NHL contract slot.

Why? Worst case he spends the contract in Kalamazoo, wherever the eff that is. There's zero risk to the big club with an AHL contract, don't even think there's an AHL contract limit (stand to be corrected on that) to factor in.

Not that you're making a big deal about this or anything, but it's really just a nothing burger.

 

[MS]

Worst case he's depth stashed in the ECHL next season and then he either retires or plays for a low tier Euro league. Best case, he shows something be wasn't able to show at the college level and we see where he ends up. No matter what we only have him a one-year deal so this is as low risk as it gets.

Why? Worst case he spends the contract in Kalamazoo, wherever the eff that is. There's zero risk to the big club with an AHL contract, don't even think there's an AHL contract limit (stand to be corrected on that) to factor in.

Not that you're making a big deal about this or anything, but it's really just a nothing burger.

It's obviously a nothingburger but I feel like out of all the pending NCAA UFAs, the single best player to bring into the organization didn't just happen to be the sub-0.5 PPG guy that we drafted.

 

[sting101]

Kunz is a big boy with good hands. I like the gamble....long term he could be a Patrick Maroon type player for Abbotsford.

Isn't that what some of us have been clamouring for to protect and insulate some of the kids developing?

 

[Tables of Stats]

It's obviously a nothingburger but I feel like out of all the pending NCAA UFAs, the single best player to bring into the organization didn't just happen to be the sub-0.5 PPG guy that we drafted.

Nothing's to say we won't be signing other NCAA UFAs. Kunz is unlikely to block anybody who deserves to play. This move literally costs nothing and shows goodwill to a guy we drafted by giving him a shot to show that he can hack it as a pro. If he does it's a sweet deal, if not we risked nothing to give him a shot.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Kunz is a big boy with good hands. I like the gamble....long term he could be a Patrick Maroon type player for Abbotsford.

Isn't that what some of us have been clamouring for to protect and insulate some of the kids developing?

Sure, no downside, but I wouldn't count on this guy being any kind of enforcer. He's played most of his life in leagues that don't (basically) allow fighting. He's probably about 100 career fights behind Loewen who was the same size and accomplished nothing in his time here.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Nothing's to say we won't be signing other NCAA UFAs. Kunz is unlikely to block anybody who deserves to play. This move literally costs nothing and shows goodwill to a guy we drafted by giving him a shot to show that he can hack it as a pro. If he does it's a sweet deal, if not we risked nothing to give him a shot.

Especially with the recent history of Marc Gatcomb as an example. Fairly unremarkable college career, an AHL start that didn’t scream future NHLer, and now he’s a productive NHL player on Long Island. And I mean this sincerely, f***ing good for him - that’s a long, hard road he fought to get there. But just goes to show late bloomers can come along once in a while. And like I said, as long as it’s not costing us a contract slot to see what might be there, why not?

 

[Tables of Stats]

Especially with the recent history of Marc Gatcomb as an example. Fairly unremarkable college career, an AHL start that didn’t scream future NHLer, and now he’s a productive NHL player on Long Island. And I mean this sincerely, f***ing good for him - that’s a long, hard road he fought to get there. But just goes to show late bloomers can come along once in a while. And like I said, as long as it’s not costing us a contract slot to see what might be there, why not?

Unless you don't have room for them even at the ECHL level, there's no real downside to signing any willing prospect to this type of AHL deal. If they hit, cool. If not, they're gone after a year of ECHL obscurity.

 

[arttk]

It's obviously a nothingburger but I feel like out of all the pending NCAA UFAs, the single best player to bring into the organization didn't just happen to be the sub-0.5 PPG guy that we drafted.

I am on team give people more money if it doesn't restrict what we can do as a team.

 

[MS]

Especially with the recent history of Marc Gatcomb as an example. Fairly unremarkable college career, an AHL start that didn’t scream future NHLer, and now he’s a productive NHL player on Long Island. And I mean this sincerely, f***ing good for him - that’s a long, hard road he fought to get there. But just goes to show late bloomers can come along once in a while. And like I said, as long as it’s not costing us a contract slot to see what might be there, why not?

There is obviously nothing wrong with giving guys a shot, and we absolutely should be taking some free flyers on guys. But there are obviously some guys who are better to give shots to than others, and I wouldn't have thought there was anything about Kunz that would have put him in the former category.

As the biggest Gatcomb supporter on these boards going back to when he was scoring 8 points in an AHL season, the difference with him is that he can really fly. Kunz is a slug, or was when I last watched him a couple years ago.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

There is obviously nothing wrong with giving guys a shot, and we absolutely should be taking some free flyers on guys. But there are obviously some guys who are better to give shots to than others, and I wouldn't have thought there was anything about Kunz that would have put him in the former category.

As the biggest Gatcomb supporter on these boards going back to when he was scoring 8 points in an AHL season, the difference with him is that he can really fly. Kunz is a slug, or was when I last watched him a couple years ago.

Obviously guys like Gatcomb are rare. The odds are definitely against Kunz amounting to much - but I don’t have an issue with offering him an AHL deal and, worst case, he ends up in Kalamazoo.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Also - whenever I think of guys who could absolutely fly, I always think of Rico Fata. Too bad he was terrible at everything else.

 

[orcatown]

Wondering about Klimovich exempt status for next year. Is under contract for next year (which is good). Don't think he is NHL ready, but he is showing enough high level skill that some team may may be interested. I can't really see an offer sheet where a team has to keep him on their roster, but there may be some worry if he isn't exempt.

Other than his size, little to suggest Kunz is a scapper material.

 

[MS]

Wondering about Klimovich exempt status for next year. Is under contract for next year (which is good). Don't think he is NHL ready, but he is showing enough high level skill that some team may may be interested. I can't really see an offer sheet where a team has to keep him on their roster, but there may be some worry if he isn't exempt.

Other than his size, little to suggest Kunz is a scapper material.

Klimovich is under contract for next year and waiver-exempt so the only way we lose him before 2026 is if we trade him.

 

[VanJack]

I wonder if the Rangers asked for one of the two 'Jackson's', either Dorrington or Kunz, in the J.T. Miller deal?

Dorrington is a younger d-man; while Kunz is an older winger, and a pretty big one. He listed on Hockey DB at 6'3" and 232. So if he can skate at all--he certainly has the size to do some serious damage out there.

Probably AHL-ECHL depth this point, but in the Canucks mind still worth a contract spot.

 

[MS]

I wonder if the Rangers asked for one of the two 'Jackson's', either Dorrington or Kunz, in the J.T. Miller deal?

Dorrington is a younger d-man; while Kunz is an older winger, and a pretty big one. He listed on Hockey DB at 6'3" and 232. So if he can skate at all--he certainly has the size to do some serious damage out there.

Probably AHL-ECHL depth this point, but in the Canucks mind still worth a contract spot.

Dorrington was/is literally worth 100x what Kunz is.

I haven't seen Kunz skate since 22-23 but his skating was awful at that stage and he looked like a complete no-hoper and a massive scouting fail to see him selected as high as the 4th round.

 

[Bitz and Bites]

Kunz is a big boy with good hands. I like the gamble....long term he could be a Patrick Maroon type player for Abbotsford.

Isn't that what some of us have been clamouring for to protect and insulate some of the kids developing?

He had four penalty minutes in 37 games last season so he’s probably not going to be scaring anybody out there unless he’s really changed his game this season with his 21 PIM. I can’t say I know anything about his game but maybe he’s been saving it up for the pros. Wait and see I guess.

 

[ChilliBilly]

Why? Worst case he spends the contract in Kalamazoo, wherever the eff that is. There's zero risk to the big club with an AHL contract, don't even think there's an AHL contract limit (stand to be corrected on that) to factor in.

Not that you're making a big deal about this or anything, but it's really just a nothing burger.

In mIchigan, about 140 miles west of Detroit.