Blue and Green
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Abbotsford will host Tucson in a best-of-three opening round series. Wednesday, Thursday, if necessary Saturday, all 7pm starts.
Abbotsford Canucks Talk | 2025 Stretch Run
- Thread starter VanJack
- Start date
Things are set up nicely for the Abbotsford Canucks heading into the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs.
Unlike last season, they'll have both their starting goaltenders available for the entire playoff run. And their lineup is sprinkled with some important veterans, who will play big roles. Guys like Blais, Di Giuseppe, Wolanin, Smith and Khaira are the type pf players who always step up in the playoffs.
And of course they join younger vets like Bains, Sasson, Karlsson and Mueller who've all proven they can score at the AHL level. And adding Mancini to an already stacked blueline, can only add some dash and muscle.
They'll be a load for any AHL team to handle.
Unlike last season, they'll have both their starting goaltenders available for the entire playoff run. And their lineup is sprinkled with some important veterans, who will play big roles. Guys like Blais, Di Giuseppe, Wolanin, Smith and Khaira are the type pf players who always step up in the playoffs.
And of course they join younger vets like Bains, Sasson, Karlsson and Mueller who've all proven they can score at the AHL level. And adding Mancini to an already stacked blueline, can only add some dash and muscle.
They'll be a load for any AHL team to handle.
NoShowWilly
Registered User
Blue and Green
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Karlsson and Smith are not veterans under AHL rules. Smith is below the games threshold, Karlsson below both the games and age thresholds.
Brisebois (not injured, he's playing) and Wolanin are VE's. Di Giuseppe, Blais, Khaira and Stevens are the four full veterans so all six of those guys could play in the same game although Stevens hasn't been seen for two months, hasn't been taking warmups, must be injured (and would have a difficult time cracking the current lineup anyway).
I've said a few times now that Mancini's production and eye test since turning pro make his lack of NCAA production absolutely mystifying.
My fingers are crossed for kind of a chatfield trajectory minus the edge thus far
Reverend Mayhem
Lowly Serf/Reluctant Cuckold
It’s a small sample size, but he’s been shockingly good with the puck. Keeps things simple when he needs to, then does things he can do with his frame when he gets in to trouble.
I think his upside is beyond what a lot here figure it is.
Blue and Green
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Tables of Stats
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If he can improve his defensive awareness and translate his newly found offence at the NHL level, he could be a rangy #4 defender that could run PP2 either as the lone D or alongside Hronek. He could surprise and reach higher than that, but that's where I see his current upside.
You have to hand out some props to the Canucks pro scouting staff for this one.
I mean, hands-up anyone who had even heard of Mancini, before the Canucks acquired him in the J.T. Miller trade? There was nothing in his preliminary background to suggest he'd be anything more than a big-bodied depth defender--a younger and more mobile version of Vincent Desharnais.
But clearly they watched him for some time in the Ranger organization, and saw what everybody is seeing now. For kid listed at 6'4" and 229, he can skate, and I mean 'really skate'. And his mobility seems to be improving all the time. Canucks Army had clip up from last night's game in Ontario, where he basically single-handedly dominated an entire minute and a half shift.
Maybe be learned something from practicing and watching Quinn Hughes wheel around the ice. Because he's in constant motion in the offensive zone, and seems to be able to carry the puck at will, at least at the AHL-level.
And the major added bonus, is that he's a rare right-shot defender. Obviously we have no idea of the status of Tom Wilander. But Mancini coming out of nowhere, makes you feel a lot better about the possibility of a Wilander trade to address some of the holes up-front.
VIPettersson
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- Apr 9, 2018
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role placement (speculating)? Also looking at his college team his last NCAA year he played his team stat wise doesn't appear to have been an offensive juggernaut. Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha 2023-2024 - Roster, Stats & more
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VIPettersson
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I wonder perhaps if his time in UNO caught the Canucks eye as that was the team Mueller played on during his NCAA days.
Blue and Green
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I think that would be a poke-head-through-ceiling result. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. He turns 23 next month and he's been a tweener this season on two non-playoff teams. If he becomes a legitimate #6 that would be a solid result and legitimate #5 would be about as good as I could realistically hope for. Also don't see him as a PP guy in the NHL.
While I also think that isn’t likely, and he has a long way to go, I think it’s also worth pointing out its kind of rare to see a guy his age improve him game so much in such a short time.
Maybe it’s just another short sample size situation and we soon learn that the glimpses we’ve seen from him this season were more of a fluke than an actual late development spurt…
…but there is something there to work with. I don’t think it would be a ridiculous take to say it’s possible he could become a #5.
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Tables of Stats
Registered User
A 5th or 6th D-man is more likely, but his sudden improvement and excellent tools give him more headroom than most 23-year-old D-men would get. That ceiling is also predicated on his AHL offense translating to the NHL. He gets less interesting if he's "just" a big toolsy player with plus skating.
ChilliBilly
Registered User
As stated before ... our D situation is insane.
Hughes Hronek
MP EP2
Mancini Myers
Forbort
With Willy KK Mynio in the wings. Mancini can be 5 - 7 for the next 2 years. I can understand why Willander may be expendable, but damn, some one is getting one hell of a deal.
Anyhow, only Mancini joins the Baby Canucks.
Hughes Hronek
MP EP2
Mancini Myers
Forbort
With Willy KK Mynio in the wings. Mancini can be 5 - 7 for the next 2 years. I can understand why Willander may be expendable, but damn, some one is getting one hell of a deal.
Anyhow, only Mancini joins the Baby Canucks.
Something clicked in Mancini that he is all of a sudden on this insane trajectory to becoming a top 4 defenceman.
While I certainly hope he'll continue on a radical improvement trajectory, I'd be careful about planning for that to be the case.
I really don't like what the club is presently doing with Willander, a guy they've been building up for years, they now seem to be irritated by.
Being over confident with two rookies in EP2 and Mancini seems incredibly risky, particularly if that's why they're now willing to trade Willander.
They're not irritated by any means, they're just going to trade him. It will all make sense by July 1st.
Tables of Stats
Registered User
If they trade him, he'll likely have more value signed and locked into his ELC.
HairyKneel
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- Jun 5, 2023
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How old were Willie Mitchell or Kevin Bieksa when they became top 4 D men? Sami Salo? Chris Tanev?
Let's give the kid some rope.
krutovsdonut
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like d-petey, he's showing enough development and tools to be potentially top 4. it is early days and it is not unusual for ncaa dmen to come out of college shot out of a cannon as relatively mature rookies getting rookie treatment in a good situation and then come down to earth as sophomores when they are getting worked over and the situation is less ideal. ben hutton comes to mind. in year two, guys started working him over, plus they took away hamhuis as a role model and gave him gudbranson to work with, and the team went south. his development stopped cold.
the thing in mancini's favour is the defence looks solid overall and he's got good pairing options in hughes and mpettersson even if d-petey falls off a little. plus hughes needs a partner other than hronek so they can run two strong pairing and mancini is perfect for the role if he rises to the occasion. that is a lot to be excited about for mancini.
