Toggle sidebar

Canucks & NHL News, Rumours, and & Fantasy GM | Much Ado About Nothing

Hodgy said:
The whole idea of LA selling their good/promising players doesn't really make sense given that they are a playoff team and those good/promising players are contributing to that.

But I agree that they may be forced to trade one or two of their defensemen as some of their young defensemen reach waiver eligibility status.
Click to expand...
They could send Clarke back to Ontario, but I could see that being an issue, despite him not being a Czech born RHD drafted in 2022!

The logical move here is to sit Moverare and it's likely what they'll do IMO.
 
kanucks25 said:
@ManVanFan in response to this post in the previous thread: Canucks & NHL News, Rumours, and & Fantasy GM | LOOKS LIKE GRUB IS BACK ON THE MENU, BOYS!

Where did I say Hansen was qualified in mental health?

He said in his experience the kind of bullying that some people are suggesting is occuring would not have taken place or someone would have put a stop to it.

Maybe he's "naive" because it's just never happened in the rooms he's been in but given his actual long, firsthand and relatively recent experience in the NHL, I give his opinion credence over someone on a message board comparing this situation to the actual rape that occured with Blackhawks or Team Canada which to me is a little over the line.

"You need to be better."
Click to expand...
Experience and understanding aren't exclusive. I just used those two examples but there are a lot of other things that have happened over the years.

Be better.

xtr3m said:
Click to expand...

 
  • Like
Reactions: xtr3m
Let's be real here, neither Pettersson nor Miller are likely to say anything to media right now about their childish spat. I could perhaps see either leaking stuff, whether now or after they are traded, or going more public after they are traded, but not now,
 
Bruh another one, how many articles and interviews do we need?!
Don't need to hear about this drama every single day, just ephin trade someone.
 
wonton15 said:


Gary Mason just dropped!
Click to expand...

I'll post the entire article this time so no feathers are ruffled :laugh:

(there are some spicy Zadorov contract negotiation quotes)
Amid the drama engulfing the Vancouver Canucks and their two star players, J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, the one person who has had responsibility for managing this team crisis on a daily basis has been coach Rick Tocchet.

In my interview with team president Jim Rutherford this week, one that exploded like a bomb in Canucks nation, he talked about his coach and how he feels he’s managed an absolutely unmanageable situation.

“There is no playbook for this,” Rutherford told me. “So, you don’t know if any of us have done everything we can. I’m satisfied that he [Tocchet] has spent as much time as possible on the situation, meeting after meeting after meeting trying to resolve this.

“Beyond that I’m satisfied with the job that he does. He’s a very good coach who has been dealt a very tough hand this year.”

Lord knows, Tocchet has tried to get through to Pettersson, even working with him one-on-one before practices to help the player rediscover the form that so excited the organization during his first few years in uniform. So far that hasn’t worked. Maybe it’s the burden of the massive contract he signed.

Rutherford told me that he warned Pettersson around the time he signed his US$93-million, eight-year contract extension last March that it would only make things harder for him. He said he told Pettersson he would have to be more prepared, both mentally and physically, as a result.

“And he didn’t get to that level coming right out of his contract and into training camp but now he understands that,” Rutherford told me. “With the talent he has and his understanding now of what it takes [to excel] he’ll get that at some point.”

The team’s mediocre season can’t solely be laid at the feet of their feuding stars. Their franchise goaltender, Thatcher Demko, has not been very good since his return late last year from a knee injury suffered during the first round of the 2024 playoffs. Everyone can see that. The fact the Canucks are even sniffing a playoff spot is due largely to the play of “backup” Kevin Lankinen and captain Quinn Hughes.

Demko’s off-season hasn’t come as a surprise to Rutherford, a former NHL goalie himself. He says players who miss training camp often have an off-season or at least a slow start. And on top of that, they often get injured again. This certainly applies to Demko, who missed games because of back spasms after he returned to action.

“He’ll be okay,” Rutherford said. “He has a lot of talent and it’s still there.”

The same thing can also be said of forward Dakota Joshua, who had a stellar season last year, scoring 18 goals in 63 games and making a strong impression during the playoffs. Then it was revealed during the off-season he’d been diagnosed with testicular cancer, missing the start of this season as a result. When he returned to action late last year, he got injured. He’s been a big missing piece.

Perhaps the biggest issue, however, beyond Pettersson and Miller, has been the defence corps, which has been brutally inconsistent. Rutherford said at least part of their struggles has been the result of the five-man unit on the ice not being as cohesive and structured as it was much of last year.

He acknowledged the team misses Ian Cole and Nikita Zadorov, who said he loved his time in Vancouver and wished he could have stayed. However, he said in published interviews he felt disrespected during the negotiation process, an accusation that mystifies Rutherford.

“At the end, Zadorov was talking close with Tocchet while Patrik [Allvin] was talking to his agent. Tocchet would ask him ‘what’s it going to take to keep you here.’ And Zadorov said he had to get his contract to US$5-million [annually] and then he’d be set. So we got him to US$5-million. But then there was still no deal.

“So, Rick said to him ‘what’s going on?’ And then he said: ‘Well, if I can get to six years then I’ll stay.’ Same process. We said okay. So twice in that process he said give me that one more thing and I’ll stay and then we give it to him and then he goes to Boston.”

Regardless, Rutherford understands that if the Canucks are “going to get back to being a contending team, we’re going to need to make additions to the defence. Those prices are high by the way.”

Right now, it seems inconceivable that the Canucks can forge onward and just ignore all the “noise” that currently surrounds the team. On the other hand, the players are supposed to be professionals, highly paid ones, and they should be able to put these distractions behind them. Lord knows, Hughes has, despite carrying the burden of the captaincy.

In doing his interview with me, Rutherford was answering the call many had for the club to be more transparent about its internal problems. The reality is, it simply was not something that could be ignored forever. His honest assessment of where things are at, as hard as it was for many fans to hear, needed to be acknowledged.

Jim Rutherford didn’t ask for this farce to be handed to him. Some will say he’s responsible for letting the situation get to this point. Doesn’t matter now. It’s now his job to somehow make it all better.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: Canuckle1970, Grip it N RYP it, Bubbles and 6 others
Zadorov himself confirmed he chose Boston over Vancouver to live and raise his family long term. Sounds like a USA vs Canada thing. We did offer him the same contract.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rotang


  • Satisfied that Tocchet has done all that he can on the situation in the room
  • Tocchet is a very good coach and has dealt with a “very tough hand this year”
  • Pettersson didn’t get to the needed level coming into training camp; understands that now
  • Demko will be okay; has a lot of talent and that hasn’t gone anywhere
  • Part of the defensive struggles is that the 5 players on the ice aren’t as cohesive as in the past
  • Acknolwedges the team misses Nikita Zadorov and Ian Cole
  • Zadorov wanted 5m AAV from the Canucks, they got there, but there was still no deal
  • Tocchet talked to Zadorov and then Zadorov wanted 6 years; Canucks acquiesced and he still left
  • Need to make additions to the defence; those prices are high
  • Rutherford is doing what many have asked; be transparent
 
  • Like
Reactions: Baby Pettersson, God, geebaan and 3 others
Vector said:


  • Satisfied that Tocchet has done all that he can on the situation in the room
  • Tocchet is a very good coach and has dealt with a “very tough hand this year”
  • Pettersson didn’t get to the needed level coming into training camp; understands that now
  • Demko will be okay; has a lot of talent and that hasn’t gone anywhere
  • Part of the defensive struggles is that the 5 players on the ice aren’t as cohesive as in the past
  • Acknolwedges the team misses Nikita Zadorov and Ian Cole
  • Zadorov wanted 5m AAV from the Canucks, they got there, but there was still no deal
  • Tocchet talked to Zadorov and then Zadorov wanted 6 years; Canucks acquiesced and he still left
  • Need to make additions to the defence; those prices are high
  • Rutherford is doing what many have asked; be transparent
Click to expand...


That last part, some already said, there's transparent, and then there's stupid.

Like when Dimbo admitted to tampering and then shocked that he was punished for tampering.

As for General Zad, I can't really even say anything anymore.
 
Nuckles said:
"Perhaps the biggest issue, however, beyond Pettersson and Miller, has been the defence corps, which has been brutally inconsistent. Rutherford said at least part of their struggles has been the result of the five-man unit on the ice not being as cohesive and structured as it was much of last year."
Click to expand...
Bzzzt! Wrong answer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: pitseleh
Pure blowup.


Pettersson -> Cozens, Byram, K.Helenius
Miller, 2nd -> Mittelstadt, C.Ritchie
Hughes -> Lafreniere, Miller, Schneider, E.Emery, 1st
Suter, NYR 1st -> C.Geekie
Patera -> Jarry, 2nd, 2nd (25% retained)
Demko -> Foerster
Hoglander -> Rasmussen


Top 6 forwards -
Debrusk, Lafreniere, Cozens, Mittelstadt, Boeser, Garland

Bottom 6 forwards -
Joshua, Heinen, Rasmussen, Blueger, Foerster, Sherwood

Top 4 defense -
K.Miller, Byram, Hronek, Schneider

Bottom 4 defense -
Soucy, Forbort, Myers, Juulsen

Goalies -
Lankinen, Jarry

Young centers -
Geekie, Ritchie, Helenius

Young RHD -
Willander, Emery
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Top Bottom