Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign D Akito Hirose to 1-Year ELC

[hookshott]

Not short term thinking at all. I’m well aware of the cap hit and for how long. I’m also well aware that when it starts to hit the cap will be moving up and that his retained cap + cap of a replacement player that can perform at a higher level will also be less than his current hit so you do get some more room elsewhere. Is it ideal? No. Of course not. Either choice is a bit of a poison pill but the pill is smaller with a buyout even if it doesn’t seem like it.

This is a different story if he is #3/4 then he is only a couple mil extra of wasted money. But IMO that is no longer the case. I don’t believe he is a full time NHL player on any sort of decent team. You quite simply can’t be paying $7 mil in cap hit to sit in the booth. Again not ideal but I think the situation has really changed as he has continued to regress.

Also, as soon as you buy him out you lose the potential for LTIR in the future,.

 

[Tables of Stats]

We should give him the old Loui treatment and see if he likes 60+ games in the pressbox next season.

 

[Lindgren]

Also, as soon as you buy him out you lose the potential for LTIR in the future,.

I'm still not sure what management should do in order to become cup-competitive as quickly as they hope.

Perhaps they should use an asset to get out of the Boeser deal with no retention but just wait a year on Myers and OEL, not hoping that OEL will pick up an injury that will lead to retirement by LTIR, but ... hoping. If they get very lucky they'll be without Boeser, Myers, and OEL in 24/25, having lost only the futures asset in the Boeser deal.

Despite what some seem to think, I don't believe they can get out from Myers without giving something up, and I don't think that it's worth it with only one year left on the deal.

But I apologize for going off topic. I like Hirose.

 

[AzNightmare]

Not sure how people still hold out hope OEL is going to magically be anything more than a ghost of what he was several years before the Canucks acquired him. Injuries have hobbled him and here he has yet another injury. He’s not going to get better, he’s not going to be anywhere near a $7 M a year guy. He’s not going to be a second pairing guy on a decent blueline.

I’m sure ownership doesn’t want to buy him out but it will help the team.

holding out for him to have a Karlsson rejuvenation.

loooooooooooooooooooooooooool...........................

 

[David Bruce Banner]

I think OEL will be a 3rd pairing guy next year and probably do meh to okay in that role.
But it’s most likely, IMHO, that he will spend the last several years of his contract on the LTIR.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Not short term thinking at all. I’m well aware of the cap hit and for how long. I’m also well aware that when it starts to hit the cap will be moving up and that his retained cap + cap of a replacement player that can perform at a higher level will also be less than his current hit so you do get some more room elsewhere. Is it ideal? No. Of course not. Either choice is a bit of a poison pill but the pill is smaller with a buyout even if it doesn’t seem like it.

This is a different story if he is #3/4 then he is only a couple mil extra of wasted money. But IMO that is no longer the case. I don’t believe he is a full time NHL player on any sort of decent team. You quite simply can’t be paying $7 mil in cap hit to sit in the booth. Again not ideal but I think the situation has really changed as he has continued to regress.

I do hope other teams wont complain when the cap only moves up for us.

 

[CanucksMJL]

Agreed...I've been impressed with him so far...but we should pump the brakes on him a bit, until we get a larger sample size..

He's a good find by the scouts though..

Plenty of guys can throw 5-10 good games together before suddenly dropping off without warning. The sample size really is too small.

On the other hand, he has made the most of the opportunity thus far and blown away expectations. You couldn't ask for a better start so the small sample size isn't a knock. It's a factual reality that reduces certainty.

 

[DFAC]

So what will be his expected contract in the off-season?

2 x 1.0m?

 

[iceburg]

Since this has turned into a fix the D thread, the main change has to be Myers leaving followed by acquisition of a competent RHD. Ideally a top 4 but I’d be ok with competent (I.e. above replacement level).
Hirose may be good enough to play beside Hronek

Hughes Bear/RHD
Hirose Hronek
OEL RHD/Bear

 

[mathonwy]

Also, strength and weight are not the same thing. You can add a lot of upper body strength without moving the scale much.

Jake didn’t get this message.

 

[VanJack]

Since this has turned into a fix the D thread, the main change has to be Myers leaving followed by acquisition of a competent RHD. Ideally a top 4 but I’d be ok with competent (I.e. above replacement level).
Hirose may be good enough to play beside Hronek

Hughes Bear/RHD
Hirose Hronek
OEL RHD/Bear

That's a lot of 'small bodies' on the back-end, folks.

 

[iceburg]

That's a lot of 'small bodies' on the back-end, folks.

It is. And I still see this as a transition to fix the D. They are still handcuffed by cap issues and they really won't be able to address the D fully until Myers, Pearson and at least one other of their expensive wingers are off the books.
A high end defensive RHD with size would solve a lot of problems.

 

[Bitz and Bites]

It is. And I still see this as a transition to fix the D. They are still handcuffed by cap issues and they really won't be able to address the D fully until Myers, Pearson and at least one other of their expensive wingers are off the books.
A high end defensive RHD with size would solve a lot of problems.

Gee, maybe we should have kept Tanev and our D wouldn’t have been a complete tire fire for the last three years but ol’ Jimbo had better ideas.
Finding a good defensive RHD sounds easy in theory, much like a good two way 3C, but in reality very hard to find at a cost we can afford.
Maybe the hockey gods will bless us with Reinbacher at the draft which would probably be the best case scenario.

 

[iceburg]

Gee, maybe we should have kept Tanev and our D wouldn’t have been a complete tire fire for the last three years but ol’ Jimbo had better ideas.
Finding a good defensive RHD sounds easy in theory, much like a good two way 3C, but in reality very hard to find at a cost we can afford.
Maybe the hockey gods will bless us with Reinbacher at the draft which would probably be the best case scenario.

I keep trying to move past the Benning train wreck but it's just hard not to think "what if".

I agree that it's hard to find the top 4RHD with the right profile and the Malhotra clone at 3C. It's why I say this is still a transition. That transition will be shorter or longer and a little luck would help.

 

[RandV]

That's a lot of 'small bodies' on the back-end, folks.

So we should keep Myers? Our D is always going to be on the smaller size because you're not starting with a Victor Hedman but rather Quinn Hughes. And now Hronek is our #2. What's important is how effective they are, like you wouldn't swap Hughes for Nurse just for the size difference. If Hirose is effective you role with that rather than trying to shoe horn in ineffective players like Tyler Myers because they have more appropriate NHL D size.

 

[PavelBure10]

So far what a great signing Hirose has been. Such a smart player, he's always moving and keeping square to his defensive partner so he is easily able to receive a pass and make the quick play. Hirose is a excellent skater, and a very accurate passer. Always seems to be in the right position and continues to impress with his smart play. What a great signing here by Mr. Allvin. Hirose could be a a top 4 defenseman, and may look nice next to Hronek next season.

Awesome signing.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

He looks poised and good out there. It seems like all the Dmen playing under Tocchet have played well and the system they are using is helping keeping it simple.

 

[lawrence]

He looks poised and good out there. It seems like all the Dmen playing under Tocchet have played well and the system they are using is helping keeping it simple.

Having gonchar and Foote does help. Those guys are legends in some ways.

 

[Knight53]

Unreal pass. Hughes like.

 

[Fulham]

Well we just added a top 4D for free.

 

[MarkMM]

So we should keep Myers? Our D is always going to be on the smaller size because you're not starting with a Victor Hedman but rather Quinn Hughes. And now Hronek is our #2. What's important is how effective they are, like you wouldn't swap Hughes for Nurse just for the size difference. If Hirose is effective you role with that rather than trying to shoe horn in ineffective players like Tyler Myers because they have more appropriate NHL D size.

Of course we shouldn't keep Myers, or just blindly pick players because they're bigger. But it is a fair consideration that if we've got Hirose and Hughes and maybe Rathbone (though that ship might have sailed), and Hronek isn't that big, size isn't everything and means less but it's also dangerous to ignore it as a factor.

 

[sting101]

Not convinced he will hold up over 82. Big adjustments to be made once teams actually game plan for you and you start to get smashed a bunch and get worn down or play banged up.

He has the stick skills and IQ which is huge but he's still a 170lber who looks a little shaky against Calgary and LA (2 teams that actually had something to play for)

Its also a bit odd to hear people just assume he's gonna pack on significant muscle when he hasn't to this date on a NCAA schedule and is 24.

Still think he's battling with Wolanin to be LD4 and hope they can get someone legit to challenge OEL for LD2. Wolanin had a better track record this year with better range and strength to boot. I tend to throw out the non hitter beer league skates and want more than 6 games 3 of which i thought he was pedestrian before i declare someone a top4.

Love the skills confidence and acquisition see how it plays out

 

[arttk]

Not convinced he will hold up over 82. Big adjustments to be made once teams actually game plan for you and you start to get smashed a bunch and get worn down or play banged up.

He has the stick skills and IQ which is huge but he's still a 170lber who looks a little shaky against Calgary and LA (2 teams that actually had something to play for)

Its also a bit odd to hear people just assume he's gonna pack on significant muscle when he hasn't to this date on a NCAA schedule and is 24.

Still think he's battling with Wolanin to be LD4 and hope they can get someone legit to challenge OEL for LD2. Wolanin had a better track record this year with better range and strength to boot. I tend to throw out the non hitter beer league skates and want more than 6 games 3 of which i thought he was pedestrian before i declare someone a top4.

Love the skills confidence and acquisition see how it plays out

Well packing muscles seems more achievable than hoping for prospects to “figure shit out”.

 

[sting101]

Well packing muscles seems more achievable than hoping for prospects to “figure shit out”.

Are you quoting me?

 

[ahmon]

have the canucks conceded a goal at EV with him on the ice ?