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My Favourite, Gone too soon, RIP Luc, We miss you
- Oct 12, 2008
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Canucks News, Rumours, and & Fantasy GM | The Final Countdown
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Cue the youth movement!.....In a Q&A between Iain McIntryre and Jim Rutherford on Sportsnet, the Canucks President isn't ruling out Lekkerimaki making the team out of training camp next season.
He stated that he's basing his opinion on the season Lekkerimaki had as a rookie in the SHL; and his breakout performance at the WJHC. He may be wildly optimistic, but what it tells me is that the fan-base is being softened up for a influx of young guys on ELC's.
In the same interview he reiterated that he expects three or our guys from Abbotsford to seriously challenge for lineup spots at training camp. It's a strategy probably borne out of necessity.
Simply put, the Canucks need three or four guys on ELC's to get under the salary cap. There's just no room to do what they did last year--and sign a bunch of guys off the UFA bargain bin.
If true, Tocchet has his work cut out for him. Integrating that many young players into the lineup is bound to be a bump ride.
Just A Bit Outside
Playoffs??!
- Mar 6, 2010
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They want speed. Sasson should get a look as the team's 4C.
Some highlights.
SN: General manager Patrik Allvin said Hronek was at the top of the pecking order among your free agents. Could his re-signing untangle other negotiations and lead to some of your UFAs getting signed?
JR: Wherever they fall in the pecking order. . . we're in business here to sign players. We've talked enough to some of our players and, you know, it's really their choice now. And if not, we're only a number of days away from free agency. One way or the other, we'll have a better understanding of what our team is pretty soon.
SN: A month into your off-season, why haven’t more players been re-signed?
JR: I don't know, it varies from year to year, player to player. Sometimes you just have to let these things play themselves out.
SN: Are you surprised?
JR: I thought there was a chance we could have a couple of more signings by now, but I don’t see a lot of other signings around the league, either.
SN: How big could the job be this summer if most of your free agents leave?
JR: It's always a big job to try and make the right decisions. We do feel comfortable in the fact that we have four or five guys now from Abbotsford (in the American Hockey League) that should be knocking on the door to be with the big team. We have Lekkerimaki coming, which based on his year this year (in Sweden and the AHL), if he comes in and has a good camp, he'll make a case to be on the team right away. We have a bigger pool of players now to turn to than we did a year or two years ago.
SN: So no plans to explore a trade this summer? (Boeser)
JR: No. No.
Just A Bit Outside
Playoffs??!
- Mar 6, 2010
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Also local guy, Shea Weber can retire a Canucks in 2 years and enter the Hall with himself, Johnny Canuck, on his jersey.
Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
My regular reminder that listening to Rutherford and Allvin speak and give interviews is and remains such a breath of fresh air over previous role-holders.
The entire Canucks organization has given out 6 contracts in the last three days!
Canucks management edging us by giving us more and more signings but they’re all depth players
Jovofan
Registered User
I'm willing to let Joshua walk if we're able to keep Zadorov. I feel like keeping our D as intact as possible is a higher priority than maintaining the bottom 6 regardless of how much I like Joshua. Hell, as others have pointed out, at least Mik's PK ability doesn't make him a completely useless asset if we're forced to keep him and play him in Joshua's spot, he'd just be an overpaid PK specialist but better that than another buyout costing us more dead cap space.
The priorities to me are:
1 - Big Z
2 - Mik Trade
3 - Guentzel
4 - Myers / Blueger
5 - Joshua
Maybe it's not possible that we're even able to replace Joshua this summer. We may have to wait until next summer to do that when the cap goes up again. But I'd rather leave ourselves thin at that spot and make do with rolling out whatever guy from the farm impresses during camp than have it cost us Zadorov (especially if he ends up in Toronto).
The priorities to me are:
1 - Big Z
2 - Mik Trade
3 - Guentzel
4 - Myers / Blueger
5 - Joshua
Maybe it's not possible that we're even able to replace Joshua this summer. We may have to wait until next summer to do that when the cap goes up again. But I'd rather leave ourselves thin at that spot and make do with rolling out whatever guy from the farm impresses during camp than have it cost us Zadorov (especially if he ends up in Toronto).
Jerry the great
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- Jul 8, 2022
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Combining regular season + playoffs
Mikheyev in 21/22 had .600 PPG and .383 GPG
Joshua this year .513 PPG and .289 GPG
It would have been nice to see Guentzel go to any team other than Carolina. He went from 8 seasons beside one of if not the best play driving possession players in the game to playing on the best possession team in the league. He looked good there, which isn't a surprise, but i though his playoffs were somewhat underwhelming. small sample that probably doesn't really tilt the scales in either direction though. I think my biggest concern with him is what happens if he doesn't mesh with Pettersson, who isn't a great possession player.
VanillaCoke
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- Oct 30, 2013
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I like Drance's evaluation - they'll commit big money and even over pay for the most important, irreplaceable players but will be disciplined and hold a hard line for glue guys.
Hronek was that - big resources to get him, big resources to keep him, very hard to replace him.
Hronek was that - big resources to get him, big resources to keep him, very hard to replace him.
Jovofan
Registered User
Based on Rutherford's assertion that we might see an influx of younger guys I did a very quick CapFriendly project. Ended up with a roster that's not perfect by any means but gets us under the cap:
Guentzel -- Pettersson -- Hoglander
Lekkerimaki -- Miller -- Boeser
Suter -- Blueger - Garland
Di Giuseppe -- Aman -- Podkolzin
Sasson
Hughes -- Hronek
Zadorov -- Myers
Soucy -- Juulsen
Friedman
Demko
Silovs
Bought Out Mikheyev (1.15 Cap Hit) -- assuming this is what the team ends up doing even if I'm not a fan
Guentzel (7 years / 9.5m)
Zadorov (6 years / 5.0m)
Myers (2 years / 3.0m)
Blueger (2 years / 2.0m)
Silovs (2 years / 1.0m)
This leaves us with 815k in cap space.
Guentzel -- Pettersson -- Hoglander
Lekkerimaki -- Miller -- Boeser
Suter -- Blueger - Garland
Di Giuseppe -- Aman -- Podkolzin
Sasson
Hughes -- Hronek
Zadorov -- Myers
Soucy -- Juulsen
Friedman
Demko
Silovs
Bought Out Mikheyev (1.15 Cap Hit) -- assuming this is what the team ends up doing even if I'm not a fan
Guentzel (7 years / 9.5m)
Zadorov (6 years / 5.0m)
Myers (2 years / 3.0m)
Blueger (2 years / 2.0m)
Silovs (2 years / 1.0m)
This leaves us with 815k in cap space.
Lekkerimaki is not making the team out of camp. Not close. He might be a call-up option at some point in the season.
Vancouver_2010
Canucks and Oilers fan
- Jun 21, 2006
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My impression also barring something shocking and while I normally love Rutherford/Allvin's interviews I didn't love this from Rutherford.
To me (outside of rare exceptions) you should be under-hyping prospects to fans and then enjoy it when they over-deliver as opposed to the Benning-esque default method of over-selling guys to try and generate positive PR and forcing them onto the roster before they're remotely ready.
StrictlyCommercial
Registered User
If he has a good summer, I think he has a *shot* at it. (Pause for drum sounds).
We have 2 huge holes in our top 6 currently, and even Hog's spot is not assured. If we sign Guentzel that closes 1 spot. That still leaves an open winger spot with Pete or Miller. If Lekk can find the space to shoot, his shot may be enough to earn Top 6 time.
Aman, PDG, Podz, Sasson, Karlsson - all of these guys probably get some looks.
Third line could be Mikh/Joshua, Blueger, Garland.
Rutherford and the Canucks are holding the line.....he was asked by McIntryre if he was concerned about the possibility of 'fan favorites' Zadorov and Joshua both walking.
He countered that Bob Horvat was 'also a fan favorite' but they traded him. Ouch!. Blunt to be sure. But if Joshua and Zadorov can do better elsewhere on July 1st, I don't like the chances of either guy being back.
He countered that Bob Horvat was 'also a fan favorite' but they traded him. Ouch!. Blunt to be sure. But if Joshua and Zadorov can do better elsewhere on July 1st, I don't like the chances of either guy being back.
Jovofan
Registered User
Trust me, I know. But there was no way to get under the cap and sign an extra D plus Zadorov and Guentzel without being able to move Mikheyev's contract which is looking improbable at the moment.
That interview read to me as more-or-less a fluff piece (it's IMAC) and Rutherford just wanted to give fans some morsel of "fun" news to hang onto given he expects most of the UFAs will not be retained.
I don't see it happening. He's got a lot of physical development and strength training to do. Also needs some time to change his game in North America and become more inside-driven.
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