I've watched probably 10-12 games with Ahac in them over the past 3 years and I remember his name being called during the PBP but do not recall a single thing about him as a player - left no impression whatsoever.
Abbotsford Canucks Talk | Part 2
- Thread starter Mr. Canucklehead
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And one last note - updated depth chart...
(Assuming PDG/Podkolzin don't get re-assigned back to Abby)
Bains - Aman - Karlsson
Lekkerimaki - Sasson - Nielsen
Raty - Smith - Glover
Loewen - Stevens - Klimovich
Bloom - Mueller - Walker
Arntsen - Kambeitz
Wolanin - Woo
Brisebois - McWard
Pettersson - Hirose
Ahac - Fenton
Kudryatsev
Tolopilo
Pitera
(Assuming PDG/Podkolzin don't get re-assigned back to Abby)
Bains - Aman - Karlsson
Lekkerimaki - Sasson - Nielsen
Raty - Smith - Glover
Loewen - Stevens - Klimovich
Bloom - Mueller - Walker
Arntsen - Kambeitz
Wolanin - Woo
Brisebois - McWard
Pettersson - Hirose
Ahac - Fenton
Kudryatsev
Tolopilo
Pitera
There's a good chance Brisebois isn't healthy or they limit how much he actually plays. Pettersson played some RD in Sweden but I doubt they have him do that too often.
Had a pretty nice 22-23 AHL season with 17 goals. Another big bodied forward for the Abby crew.
Solid move by Ryan Johnston and Allvin, loading up on a few AHL veterans to surround some of the kids they're trying to introduce into the lineup.
That's the positive thing about the current Canucks front office. They're taking a holistic view of the entire organization--ensuring they have competitive teams in both Vancouver and Abbotsford.
That's the positive thing about the current Canucks front office. They're taking a holistic view of the entire organization--ensuring they have competitive teams in both Vancouver and Abbotsford.
First line should be good - thought Aman was clearly the best player to play for Abby last year. Played top line, PP, PK and at times seemed to play half the game. However, if he can make any improvment in his game, I believe he starts in Vancouver. Can't see either Bains or Karlsson in Vancouver.
Second line will need to let Lekkerimaki adjust. Neilson was thoroughly beaten down last year but if he can bounce back he should help Lekkerimaki. Sasson had a solid season and could be a decent play maker for Leks.
Still see Raty as center but apparently Canucks don't. Glover earned a chance to be given a decent role on Abby, given play during last season, but likely starts 4th line. Think you can put Twarynski with this line instead of Glover.
4th line , as presented here would, IMO, be a nightmare. Klimovich has shown himself to be utterly hopeless at this level. I'd say last season was worse than the season before. Given present level of play, he shouldn't make the team. Stevens is no better than mediocre and once again, last season, was a no show in the playoffs. (like 1 goal in 17 playoff games). Said to be a PK guy but was lousy in that role last last year as well and was eventually mostly taken off it. Loewen is brutally bad at hockey and was nothing of a deterrant as far as protecting team mates.
Probably could go with Wouters, Kameitz and Glover on your 4th line.
Team still needs some toughness. You look around the League you'll and see every team has major veteran protectors. Some examples on teams we face on a regular basis.
Calgary - Gallant, Klapka, Bishop and others
Colorado - Middleton and others
Tucson - Kurtis Douglas (maybe the scariest of them all) Koch, Drew,
Henderson - Geertsen, Dalton Smith and others
San Diego - Wolfe (hurt lots of Abby players last year) , Howe
Cochella Valley - Haydon, Melanson and others
These are just some examples that make you realize teams know you have to protect the young players in your organization. Canucks have only Loewen who showed last year that he would not, and in most cases could not, protect even himself against the type of player listed above.
This, to me, is the biggest problem with the roster. I'd say move out the useless Stevens and see if you can get some toughness back. The center position can be filled by better players and getting back a bona vide enforcer is almost a must.
yeah, that seems odd, I think Raty will be on the top line next season, that's the whole point of development. Lets hope Manny doesn't screw things up.
AHL lines can be very weird and variable. Raty may end up shifting between C and W on three different lines throughout the season. He's more versatile than pretty much everyone else on that roster.
If guys like Bains, Raty, Karlsson, Sasson and McWard all end up back in Abbotsford, which seems likely, they're going to have a stacked team. All these players would be starting their third seasons in the AHL; no longer 'rookies' by any means.
And if one or two of those players push Aman and Phil Di Giuseppe out of a lineup spot with the parent club, and they clear waivers, then they'd be a big help as well in Abby as well..
The goaltending is solid with Tolopilo and Patera; the only question mark is the blueline, where they'll have 'quantity' in form of five left-shot d-men, but 'quality' will be a question mark with a lot of youth. But Allvin has been slowly adding some AHL veterans, so even that will be less of a concern.
Hard not to see this team somewhere near the top of the Pacific Division. It's going to another season of exciting AHL hockey in the Valley.
And if one or two of those players push Aman and Phil Di Giuseppe out of a lineup spot with the parent club, and they clear waivers, then they'd be a big help as well in Abby as well..
The goaltending is solid with Tolopilo and Patera; the only question mark is the blueline, where they'll have 'quantity' in form of five left-shot d-men, but 'quality' will be a question mark with a lot of youth. But Allvin has been slowly adding some AHL veterans, so even that will be less of a concern.
Hard not to see this team somewhere near the top of the Pacific Division. It's going to another season of exciting AHL hockey in the Valley.
This org has been awful at developing prospects through the AHL forever. Over the last 15 years, can only really point to Demko as a player who spent significant time in the minors to become an impact player. Hoping we can add a couple more to this list in the next few years.
If you look at the Tampa Bay Lightning in their Stanley Cup glory years, they always had a couple of guys marinating on the farm in Syracuse, who probably could have played on a lot of other teams in the league.
Classic examples were Carter Verhaeghe and Erik Cernak. They were actually drafted by other teams--Toronto and L.A.--but eventually found a home in the Tampa organization and eventually became key contributors at the NHL level.
Verhaeghe has gone on to a stellar career with the cross-state Florida Panthers; and Cernak is a still a key guy on the Tampa blueline. But both spent two years in the AHL with the Crunch; and Verhaeghe even spent some time in the ECHL.
So playing an extra year or so in the AHL is probably good for their prospects and good for the Canucks. Bains,, Karlsson, Raty, Sasson and even McWard are very close. And Lekerimaki may need only half a season in Abbotsford.
Successful NHL teams always have guys pushing from below. and then contributing at the NHL level on valuable ELC's or making close to the league minimum.
Like your enthusiasm but you said the same thing last year. Biggest problem is that the team lacks the high end vet players that generally carry an AHL team. Dries was like the best we had last year and likely none of the players we've added compare to even to him.
Also, we have nothing near what Verhaeghe was when he was in the AHL. I was following Utica and could easily see how he was blowing the doors off in the AHL and just killing Utica every time Utica played against him. I don't understand how the Canucks, and especially Johnson, weren't demanding Benning pick him up when the Lightening let him walk. Johnson had a chance, first hand , to see how good Verhaeghe was. Just a huge miss (and I said it at the time) particularly when you consider Florida got him for 1 mill a year.
Well Gillis traded away almost all the picks and I don’t think Benning ever cared. I think development sucked ever since we lost the Moose.
I wouldn’t look at what was done in the past.
Agree with the Moose part and how Benning was so unmindful of what happened in Utica. Think he might have gone there once.
Just looking at the Penguins' farm team, it appears they frequently lack those high end vets as well.
Realistically, I'm not sure a GM does much with the AHL team aside signing NHL depth and appointing someone to GM an coach the AHL team. Ryan Johnson has obviously been well liked as he keeps getting promotions. He should be primarily responsible for advising the GM on who to call up etc.
everything about the farm was an afterthought, I think we might have had more picks pan out if development was actually a thinng.
With the lack of picks and no College FA signings last year, Abbotsford will be feeling the “legacy” of the Benning era for a few more years now.
The 'makeover' of the Abbotsford Canucks is almost complete from the Benning era. Really there's only a few left--Jett Woo, Arturs Silovs (probably starts the season in Vancouver; Danila Klimovich and Linus Karlsson who was acquired from the Sharks for Johnathan Dahlen.
But I see your point. If the Canucks under Benning had been able to draft anyone decent in rounds 3-5; and not traded so many first and second rounders; those players would undoubtedly be in the lineup for Abbotsford today.
Agreed - we just extended our affiliation with them for two years.
ManVanFan
Guest
Cooper Walker is horrible and is actually negative depth. Small, slow, weak, had 3 goals in 36 ECHL games. Possibly the worst player (excluding goons) I’ve ever seen get 10+ games in Utica/Abbotsford.
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