Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign D Tucker Poolman to 4-Year, $10M Deal ($2.5M AAV)

[geebaan]

Would you confidently say that this defensive group is better than last season’s?

If so, what makes you confident that Poolman is an upgrade on Schmidt and OEL an upgrade on Edler? Or is it a hope wait and see thing?

I keep asking but no one has explained how this pair will prevent more offense than Schmidt/Edler and how Hamonic/Hughes are going to improve and how Myers is going to be better other than just hope.

It’s not reasonable to expect everyone to improve. Some improve, some decline, some stagnate.

could not agree more. Everyone just keeps saying “guys like OEL and Poolman are gonna be good”. But when asked why crickets. It’s the most disingenuous bullshit I’ve ever seen.

 

[WishfulThinker]

Feels like there are a lot of angry people in here for a guy making 4yr - 2.5 mil AAV. Ya, it's probably another player we instantly know is not going to outperform his contract, and ya the right side of the D looks disappointing heading into next season.

But from what I can tell, he looks like a defenseman who can play defense respectably. So I'll take that at this point. I imagine he'll have a good chance to earn that extra 500-750k having to babysit our offensive D men. At the very least it's a contract that I can actually see Benning being able to move as well, like Benn's, as opposed to his other dips into UFA...

 

[David71]

Poolman deal is questionable wtf. But benning shored up the right side. Now lots of depth. Abbotsford looking stacked as well. Now to concentrate on petey and hughes deals

 

[bbud]

I waited to talk to 2 buddies who are winnipeg raised hard core jets fans being i know little about the player .
Poolman they say a decent depth defenseman best when playing simple game said he was pretty good for them last playoffs.
2.5 million is not break the bank so wait see what he does .

 

[Cancuks]

Well Jim says he's long and hard. Jim must be a excellent scout to know all these intimate details about these players.

 

[alternate]

Jets fan, don’t hate on Tucker for a contract he didn’t offer himself.

He is a solid 5/6, can move up and cover for short periods, kill penalties, plays a blue collar game works his ass off and will put his body on the line blocking shots and digging pucks out corners.

How is he on the PK?

Seems like we are banking on:

A. coaching improvement
B. Systems improvement
C. Every single blueliner to improve from what they showed last year

Well if A happens, B and C necessarily follow.

Beyond that, Hughes is going into his 3rd year. He should be expected to improve on last year just from being a year older, wiser and stronger.

Hamonic played better as the season went on, and had a healthy offseason. Good bet he's better, especially compared to the start of last season.

Juolevi and Rathbone are both coming off their 1st extended NHL experiences. Both should be better, in whatever roles they get.

The forward core as a whole is improved on last year. Added speed, skill and puck pressure to the top 12. This should make the team defense better, as well as having the puck more.

OEL gets a clean slate. Probably won't return to his previous Norris finalist form, but I'd bet on Ek being the more effective top 4 defenceman next season compared to Edler (not a shot at Edler).

As for Poolman, going by AAV, he's the third pairing RD. Contract isn't ideal, but he is the "type" we need. Do get a bit of a "Sutter is a 2nd line center" vibe from some of Benning's comments, but he's paid as a depth dman so if he has a cap on effective minutes, that's fine.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

could not agree more. Everyone just keeps saying “guys like OEL and Poolman are gonna be good”. But when asked why crickets. It’s the most disingenuous bullshit I’ve ever seen.

.You're manufacturing the bullshit...Maybe let's watch them f***ing play for the Canucks first, before making rash comments.

 

[biturbo19]

This is the signing i really don't get. Is there not something out there they could've signed, or done...to bundle this $2.5M x 4 years, along with a little bit of extra cap, to bring in at least a better, fringe Top-4D? I know the UFA market is somewhat slim pickings, especially for a Canadian team right now. But really? Nothing else...?

I'm just really not a big fan of Poolman. He seems like the epitome of "filler". And not in the "quiet, steady, stay-at-home D" sort of way either. Very much, "Just A Guy". A warm body who can play some hopefully forgettable bottom-pairing minutes for you. That's not a guy i even entertain the idea of locking up to a 4 year deal, even if it's one you could completely bury tbh. And this obviously isn't that.

I'd be happy to be proven wrong, if he becomes a solid contributor over the next 4 years. If there's something i'm missing there with him, or it randomly ends up being a perfect fit with Hughes somehow. But i don't see it...

 

[UrbanImpact]

I was talking to an Oiler buddy and he said Poolman was super under-rated during the Jets sweep of the Oilers.

He said Morriesey and Demelo shut down Mcdavid/Drai but it was Poolman who took care of the net and depth guys like RNH, Kassian etc..

I re-watched the highlights of the 4 game series and he wasnt wrong. Even scored a huge goal in game 1

Poolman was very solid and grinded out Oil players and punished anyone going anywhere near Hellybuck

 

[Kickpuncher]

.You're manufacturing the bullshit...Maybe let's watch them f***ing play for the Canucks first, before making rash comments.

Why wait? Did they not have careers before Vancouver? Have they not played hockey before? Is there no existing track record that one can use to base opinions and "rash comments" off of? Are you too lazy to form an opinion based on what they've already done for other teams in the past, or does it just not fit your narrative?

 

[GetFocht]

Tucker Poolman on going through free agency, what he adds to the Canucks roster - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Peen]

 

[alternate]

Why wait? Did they not have careers before Vancouver? Have they not played hockey before? Is there no existing track record that one can use to base opinions and "rash comments" off of? Are you too lazy to form an opinion based on what they've already done for other teams in the past, or does it just not fit your narrative?

Because we all know that in the history of professional sports, every time a player changes teams their trajectory stays exactly the same. Never been a time where a new environment with new expectations, motivations and systems has seen a player bloom. Just look at Vegas and their lack of bloomers....

 

[Kickpuncher]

Because we all know that in the history of professional sports, every time a player changes teams their trajectory stays exactly the same. Never been a time where a new environment with new expectations, motivations and systems has seen a player bloom. Just look at Vegas and their lack of bloomers....

Don't get me wrong. I'm hoping for an OEL bounceback -- I'll take 3-4 level performance from him, he doesn't even have to be a #1 -- and for Poolman to come in and suddenly become Tanev-lite as much as the next Canucks fan.

But just because I'm "hoping" for it, doesn't mean it's likely. It's okay to acknowledge that.

 

[timw33]

Much less dangerous contract at that price at term than Poolman.

 

[Melvin]

Don't get me wrong. I'm hoping for an OEL bounceback -- I'll take 3-4 level performance from him, he doesn't even have to be a #1 -- and for Poolman to come in and suddenly become Tanev-lite as much as the next Canucks fan.

But just because I'm "hoping" for it, doesn't mean it's likely. It's okay to acknowledge that.

It's the same approach we've seen from day one with this management group. Just project everyone at their 95 percentile and hope that they hit it.

 

[geebaan]

.You're manufacturing the bullshit...Maybe let's watch them f***ing play for the Canucks first, before making rash comments.

people in other threads literally have said he’s a 40 point shutdown number 1 defenceman

 

[polarbearcub]

Benning dumps 3 of his worst mistakes in one day…. Couple days later he signs another mistake. Never sign fringe bottom pair or 4th line forwards to 4 year term that’s unreadable .

 

[VanJack]

It's pretty apparent to me that the Poolman signing was as much the result of the Canucks scouting this player in college, as it was what he did in Winnipeg.

As a teammate of Brock Boeser at North Dakota, Poolman wasn't entirely without offense....seven goals and 30 points in 39 games in his last year at UND. And I suppose taking a positive view of it, d-man are usually later to mature than other position players.

So now that Poolman has the stability of a four-year contract, we might see a bit more from him.

 

[Lackhalak]

This is what Poolman is worth. I would also prefer Hakanpaa. Hopefully im wrong

 

[Snatcher Demko]

Would you confidently say that this defensive group is better than last season’s?

If so, what makes you confident that Poolman is an upgrade on Schmidt and OEL an upgrade on Edler? Or is it a hope wait and see thing?

I keep asking but no one has explained how this pair will prevent more offense than Schmidt/Edler and how Hamonic/Hughes are going to improve and how Myers is going to be better other than just hope.

It’s not reasonable to expect everyone to improve. Some improve, some decline, some stagnate.

I think we could see broad improvement next year, and it's mainly because last year was so horrendous for the Canucks (and AZ too).

Plus keep in mind the forwards are much improved and we have legitimate depth. That will help the D big time..

Then there's Shaw, who has a good reputation but we'll just have to wait and see.

One thing though - I think this team will need to take time to gel. I don't think we can really ascertain their potential (as a group) until probably Xmas or January.

 

[arttk]

Feels like there are a lot of angry people in here for a guy making 4yr - 2.5 mil AAV. Ya, it's probably another player we instantly know is not going to outperform his contract, and ya the right side of the D looks disappointing heading into next season.

But from what I can tell, he looks like a defenseman who can play defense respectably. So I'll take that at this point. I imagine he'll have a good chance to earn that extra 500-750k having to babysit our offensive D men. At the very least it's a contract that I can actually see Benning being able to move as well, like Benn's, as opposed to his other dips into UFA...

This is another Beagle like signing. He is the one that will need babysitting, not the other way around. This contract will be difficult to move unless we eat some of the contract.
This signing is pure stupidity.

 

[VanJack]

Let's be perfectly candid here.....The Canucks can shuffle and re-shuffle the deck on the blueline, but if this team doesn't start playing better defensively as a five-man unit than it won't matter who is back there.

If we get to the quarter pole of next season, and the Canucks are still in the bottom-eight of virtually every defensive category and stat in the NHL, then the results won't be much different.

But of course if that happens, then the spotlight shifts to coaching where the real accountability lies.

 

[The Vasili Jerry]

Don't get me wrong. I'm hoping for an OEL bounceback -- I'll take 3-4 level performance from him, he doesn't even have to be a #1 -- and for Poolman to come in and suddenly become Tanev-lite as much as the next Canucks fan.

But just because I'm "hoping" for it, doesn't mean it's likely. It's okay to acknowledge that.

Even in fantasy leagues everyone knows to not pick a lot of "hope" players. At most, you take a swing at one guy whom you hope could be severely underrated/underpriced. The reason is that the majority of players don't magically change and become better -- some do, but they're not the norm.

 

[iceburg]

Poolman signing is fine. $$ were expected on UFA day 1. Term is long. But there's way too much being made of it. I don't see this as a Beagle comparison given that he just turned 28 and he's a D-man. Interesting that his last two years are at $3M. This has been a theme in JBs signing (see Holtby, Virtanen) - pay less now, decide later what to do with the later years of the contract.

I think he will be a useful player that will be difficult to displace in the top 6. To me he is Aaron Rome at worst (a depth defenseman who is relied upon as a key contributor) and Tanev at best. Who knows, given that he has taken a little bit of a slow boat to the NHL and really is in just his 3rd full NHL season, there may be some upside that he has yet to have an opportunity to show. Just to be clear, I don't think he'll reach Tanev-esque contributor status but I also think he could be a guy who will always be in the line up when healthy.