Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
Still kind of surprised the Canucks/Abby haven't added anyone yet, outside of possibly Smith and Pitera.
do they wait for the development camp to be done to get a feel for what prospects might be coming?Still kind of surprised the Canucks/Abby haven't added anyone yet, outside of possibly Smith and Pitera.
Gatcomb played some solid hockey for Abby last year - good for him getting an NHL contract.
Gatcomb played some solid hockey for Abby last year - good for him getting an NHL contract.
We're only three days into free agency....so still time for the Canucks to add some veteran depth to their Abbotsford farm team.
Losing guys like Gatcomb, Dries, Johansson and Matt Irwin, is definitely going to hurt. But with all the UFA signings on the parent Canucks, it really makes you wonder if there's going to be any room for the likes of Karlsson, Bains, Sasson, Raty and McWard.
Before July 1st, I thought there was a chance that two or three of these kids might stick with the Canucks. But now I'm not so sure. Another year in Abbotsford is possible for all of them.
And these guys would be starting their third seasons in the AHL--so they almost qualify as 'veterans'.
By mid-season everybody will know how to spell my man Kudryavtsev's name!I think presently, we're looking at something like this, assuming Podkolzin and Aman stay up as the 12th and 13th forwards.
Bains - Sasson - Karlsson
Lekkerimaki - Smith - Nielsen
Raty - Stevens - Glover
Loewen - Mueller - Klimovich
Bloom - Walker
Wolanin - McWard
Hirose - Brisebois
Pettersson - Fenton
Kudryatsev
Tolopilo
Pitera
The top line looks fine. Lekkerimaki and Nielsen should hopefully be capable offensive wingers for a second line, and I think the team has high hopes for Smith. Raty/Stevens is 2/3 of a good line, but after that, the quality of forwards is dicey. I think it makes a bit more sense to find a legitimate top-six AHLer or two and push Smith/Nielsen down, rather than finding some other bottom six filler types.
The defense looks awfully green. A lot will depend on if Brisebois can stay healthy. McWard had an okay rookie season, you sure hope Hirose can bounce back, and then you've got three newbies.
Goaltending looks fine.
Missing PDG & WooI think presently, we're looking at something like this, assuming Podkolzin and Aman stay up as the 12th and 13th forwards.
Bains - Sasson - Karlsson
Lekkerimaki - Smith - Nielsen
Raty - Stevens - Glover
Loewen - Mueller - Klimovich
Bloom - Walker
Wolanin - McWard
Hirose - Brisebois
Pettersson - Fenton
Kudryatsev
Tolopilo
Pitera
The top line looks fine. Lekkerimaki and Nielsen should hopefully be capable offensive wingers for a second line, and I think the team has high hopes for Smith. Raty/Stevens is 2/3 of a good line, but after that, the quality of forwards is dicey. I think it makes a bit more sense to find a legitimate top-six AHLer or two and push Smith/Nielsen down, rather than finding some other bottom six filler types.
The defense looks awfully green. A lot will depend on if Brisebois can stay healthy. McWard had an okay rookie season, you sure hope Hirose can bounce back, and then you've got three newbies.
Goaltending looks fine.
God I hope Loewen is not back. Such a joke. Definitely can't play and really initimates no one with his clownish antics.I think presently, we're looking at something like this, assuming Podkolzin and Aman stay up as the 12th and 13th forwards.
Bains - Sasson - Karlsson
Lekkerimaki - Smith - Nielsen
Raty - Stevens - Glover
Loewen - Mueller - Klimovich
Bloom - Walker
Wolanin - McWard
Hirose - Brisebois
Pettersson - Fenton
Kudryatsev
Tolopilo
Pitera
The top line looks fine. Lekkerimaki and Nielsen should hopefully be capable offensive wingers for a second line, and I think the team has high hopes for Smith. Raty/Stevens is 2/3 of a good line, but after that, the quality of forwards is dicey. I think it makes a bit more sense to find a legitimate top-six AHLer or two and push Smith/Nielsen down, rather than finding some other bottom six filler types.
The defense looks awfully green. A lot will depend on if Brisebois can stay healthy. McWard had an okay rookie season, you sure hope Hirose can bounce back, and then you've got three newbies.
Goaltending looks fine.
Missing PDG & Woo
Whichever route they go in Vancouver, I hope that the eighth d-man doesn't sit around for months in the press-box like Friedman did last year in Vancouver.And maybe Friedman (or Juulsen, but probably Friedman).
Whichever route they go in Vancouver, I hope that the eighth d-man doesn't sit around for months in the press-box like Friedman did last year in Vancouver.
Get him on waivers and down to Abby, where he could really help the young d-men. You can still call him up in an injury emergency.
Missing PDG & Woo
KudryaVtsev!D’oh. Thanks!
EDIT: With PDG (or Aman) and Woo, things do look a bit better.
Bains - Aman/PDG* - Karlsson
Lekkerimaki - Sasson - Nielsen
Raty - Smith - Glover
Loewen - Stevens - Klimovich
Bloom - Mueller - Walker
Wolanin - Woo
Hirose - McWard
Pettersson - Brisebois
Kudryatsev - Fenton
Tolopilo
Pitera
D’oh. Thanks!
EDIT: With PDG (or Aman) and Woo, things do look a bit better.
Bains - Aman/PDG* - Karlsson
Lekkerimaki - Sasson - Nielsen
Raty - Smith - Glover
Loewen - Stevens - Klimovich
Bloom - Mueller - Walker
Wolanin - Woo
Hirose - McWard
Pettersson - Brisebois
Kudryatsev - Fenton
Tolopilo
Pitera
I completely missed that one. Had to look him up. (ahem—another spelling challenge)Joe Arnsten is another guy on defence you're missing.
Can't really see it, since Tolopilo and Patera are now ahead of him in Abbotsford. And they don't want a goalie sitting around not playing all here, which is what happened to Sawchenko last season.Jonathan Lemieux is in the second year of his AHL contract after spending all of his rookie season in the ECHL. Any chance he pushes for time in Abbotsford?