Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign RW Loui Eriksson to 6-year, $36m deal ($6m AAV w/ NMC)

[me2]

That assumes we have better forwards to put on a 1st line. Hopefully they come from somewhere in the next 2 years.

It also assumes that the Sedins and Eriksson all start good for 3 years, big ask for at their ages. One good thing about Eriksson if he is a good possession player (goes against most of Benning's acquisitions).

 

[Dana Murzyn]

Loui wore #91 at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Woah, Forsberg played in that tournament? I don't remember that.

Also, is Eriksson's head super tiny?

Okay, carry on.

 

[VanillaCoke]

We should sign forsberg too

 

[zoolander09]

6 m for 6 years to a 31 yo who has averaged less than 50 points the last 3 years.
congrats benning!
HAHAHA.
BIGGEST JOKE IN THE LEAGUE!
if it wasnt for chiarelli.

 

[kanucks25]

We should sign forsberg too

Probably would still be our 4th best forward.

 

[Grub]

We should sign forsberg too

Oh god... I remember that time when all Hfboards could talk about was where Peter Forsberg would sign to.

He finally did sign 15 games for Colorado.

 

[Boose Brudreau]

6 m for 6 years to a 31 yo who has averaged less than 50 points the last 3 years.
congrats benning!
HAHAHA.
BIGGEST JOKE IN THE LEAGUE!
if it wasnt for chiarelli.

I love how you used the concussion plagued season just after having his life turned upside down to paint the picture as unflattering as you could.....in realty, we got a top 15 winger in the league signed to a manageable contract.

 

[Zombotron]

Has it been mentioned that Loui Eriksson is a former Desjardins player?**

**Desjardins was an assistant coach in Dallas, late in Eriksson's tenure there. I couldn't find a picture of Eriksson and Desjardins together. The connection was also noted in a Vancouver Sun article. I'm just regurgitating the info.

 

[iceburg]

Has it been mentioned that Loui Eriksson is a former Desjardins player?**

**Desjardins was an assistant coach in Dallas, late in Eriksson's tenure there. I couldn't find a picture of Eriksson and Desjardins together.

Eriksson talked a little bit about it in an interview. Said WD was a smart coach as an assistant and looks forward to what kind of systems he's running as a head coach.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

Has it been mentioned that Loui Eriksson is a former Desjardins player?**

Of course.

He's a double whammy - former ties to Benning AND WD. Our interest was a complete lock.

 

[Zombotron]

Eriksson talked a little bit about it in an interview. Said WD was a smart coach as an assistant and looks forward to what kind of systems he's running as a head coach.

Of course.

He's a double whammy - former ties to Benning AND WD. Our interest was a complete lock.

Hmm, okay. Pardon my ignorance.

 

[Shareefruck]

Can we start shifting the discussion towards how Eriksson actually plays, what his strengths and weaknesses are, etc?

This other stuff has been talked to death already.

 

[VanillaCoke]

No we can never talk about that stuff

 

[biturbo19]

This contract is too long imo.



Are all these GMs expecting another lockout and a fresh new slate of compliance buyouts before these deals are up? Insane term handed out across the board on Frenzy Day.


I don't mind adding Eriksson one bit, for ~3 years. After that...we've probably got another year of being a garbage team anyway. But this contract still runs 2 years beyond even that. It's a bit uncomfy. It's well into infringing upon the future sort of territory.

Makes us a better team for the next couple years though. And i don't absolute despite Eriksson like i do Lucic. So there's that.

 

[biturbo19]

Can we start shifting the discussion towards how Eriksson actually plays, what his strengths and weaknesses are, etc?

This other stuff has been talked to death already.

As far as Eriksson as a player goes...i like that he's pretty multi-faceted. He can obviously score goals, but he's also a pretty decent set-up man as well. He's defensively responsible - this is a guy who was in the Selke conversation in his absolute prime, as a winger no less). I think that makes for a player who isn't as "plays with Sedins or Bust" as Vrbata for instance - who is incredibly 1-dimensional.

I could see Eriksson doing well with the Sedins obviously. But could also seem him finding success with Horvat, or even Sutter if it comes to that. Tons of flexibility as a RW/LW option and i don't think you have to worry much about zone deployment or matchups with him. You can throw him out there wherever and he should find a way to do well.


My biggest concern is just the injuries to his brain. Health is of the utmost importance with older players like this. If Eriksson can stay healthy though, i think i'll quite enjoy watching him play here for a few years.

 

[Nick Lang]

definitely, Willie blows my mind sometimes with his decisions. He had better utilize better line combinations and not stick with horrible lines like baer-bo-vrbata for 2months when it clearly did not work.

Maybe after 2 years he has learned how to adapt to the pro game.

I was also heartened by Bennings comments after the draft that now he has depth built up in the organization he wants to start accumulating draft picks instead of moving them out for ready-to-play depth. Hopefully he sticks to that and Willie adapts and maybe the future wont be as bleak as it looked last year in all facets of the organization.

Pray tell, what better combos would you have used? Remember we still had garbage like Higgins and Burrows chewing up cap space and basically zero options.

Don't you think the Sedins will want to win? Why would they sign one year deals here?

Lol, really ... you don't have a clue? If you had a been a fan since at least half their NHL career it should be blatantly obvious.

for many many years, sedins have not played with a true top 6 that meshes well with them...finally they have one at the age of 36.

An absolute hypocrisy that it took this long. The first legitimate player ever signed to play with them. The rest including Burrows, Hansen, Carter, Krog, etc., are a complete joke. Can't fathom why they never got a legit player to play with them before Vrbata last year, considering his days were past as well.

 

[mathonwy]

Ya know something...

Eriksson might be the missing piece to enable Sutter to be a 2C.

The problem with Sutter is that he's not a playmaking center but he's a fast skater which, based on the 15-16 Canuck roster, makes him an overpaid 3C but a strong penalty killer.

Everything I've heard about Eriksson is that he's a smart all-around player as opposed to Vrbata who excels at just being a triggerman. So if Eriksson can adapt his game to become more of a playmaking winger then that takes the pressure off of Sutter to playmake and to be our 2C and we'd actually have a 2nd line.

I know everyone (including Eriksson) wants to see Eriksson with the Sedins but if the goal is still to be competitive than it's probably a good idea to try to make Sutter work as a 2nd line player anyway we can.

Sedin-Sedin-Hansen
Eriksson-Sutter-Burr
Bae-Horvat-Dorsett
Zalewski-Granlund-Virtanen

 

[Hit the post]

An absolute hypocrisy that it took this long. The first legitimate player ever signed to play with them. The rest including Burrows, Hansen, Carter, Krog, etc., are a complete joke. Can't fathom why they never got a legit player to play with them before Vrbata last year, considering his days were past as well.

You tell them.

Vrbata as a professional is a joke compared to Burrows. One doesn't whine & cry when he's not put with the Sedins.

Burrows in his prime (which he clearly isn't anymore) wasn't a legimate player?

 

[Free Edler]

Ya know something...

Eriksson might be the missing piece to enable Sutter to be a 2C.

The problem with Sutter is that he's not a playmaking center but he's a fast skater which, based on the 15-16 Canuck roster, makes him an overpaid 3C but a strong penalty killer.

Everything I've heard about Eriksson is that he's a smart all-around player as opposed to Vrbata who excels at just being a triggerman. So if Eriksson can adapt his game to become more of a playmaking winger then that takes the pressure off of Sutter to playmake and to be our 2C and we'd actually have a 2nd line.

I know everyone (including Eriksson) wants to see Eriksson with the Sedins but if the goal is still to be competitive than it's probably a good idea to try to make Sutter work as a 2nd line player anyway we can.

Sedin-Sedin-Hansen
Eriksson-Sutter-Burr
Bae-Horvat-Dorsett
Zalewski-Granlund-Virtanen

I'd rather see Virtanen with the twins than Hansen. But I don't mind the lineup otherwise.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

Radim Vrbata the best linemate the Sedins have ever had.

It's incredible how short memories are at this place.

 

[Nick Lang]

Ya know something...

Eriksson might be the missing piece to enable Sutter to be a 2C.

The problem with Sutter is that he's not a playmaking center but he's a fast skater which, based on the 15-16 Canuck roster, makes him an overpaid 3C but a strong penalty killer.

Everything I've heard about Eriksson is that he's a smart all-around player as opposed to Vrbata who excels at just being a triggerman. So if Eriksson can adapt his game to become more of a playmaking winger then that takes the pressure off of Sutter to playmake and to be our 2C and we'd actually have a 2nd line.

I know everyone (including Eriksson) wants to see Eriksson with the Sedins but if the goal is still to be competitive than it's probably a good idea to try to make Sutter work as a 2nd line player anyway we can.

Sedin-Sedin-Hansen
Eriksson-Sutter-Burr
Bae-Horvat-Dorsett
Zalewski-Granlund-Virtanen

That could definitely work if you move Burr to the 4th line or pressbox.

 

[Nick Lang]

You tell them.

Vrbata as a professional is a joke compared to Burrows. One doesn't whine & cry when he's not put with the Sedins.

Burrows in his prime (which he clearly isn't anymore) wasn't a legimate player?

Not a legitimate first liner without the Sedins, capable of playing on other teams first lines.

Why, you think he was .. or is? My point being if an actual first line sniper was signed in their prime that player should have been able to hit 50 or 60 goals with the best passers in the world, in their prime. Am I wrong or was 32 the best anyone else in the world could do?

I meant sniper, not professional (my bad) when comparing Vrbata and Burrows (no slight intended there), although Vrbata was quite the competitor before last year. He played pretty tough in Phoenix actually.

 

[valkynax]

That could definitely work if you move Burr to the 4th line or pressbox.

MUCH rather have Virt Horvat Bae line. Having Dorsett with Horvat is an act of treason.

 

[Hit the post]

Not a legitimate first liner without the Sedins, capable of playing on other teams first lines.

Why, you think he was .. or is?

That CLEARLY WASN'T WHAT YOU POSTED. YOU SAID LEGITIMATE PLAYER which is clearly something different.

Burrows in his prime was close to elite defensively. VERY solid winger he can play on either the 2nd or 3rd line of ANY NHL team (in his prime).

Guy didn't just leech power play goals (again, when in his prime) - as he didn't receive alot of power play time with the Twins during that period of his career.

Right now, he's probably just a 4th liner - still a legit NHLer (only his contract stinks). Much like Sbisa - who I think is still a legit NHLer (only his contract stinks).

 

[mathonwy]

I'd rather see Virtanen with the twins than Hansen. But I don't mind the lineup otherwise.

Virtanen needs to grow the **** up and learn how to be a good bottom 6 player before getting a sniff at top 6 let alone top 3 minutes.

Zalewski is a hell of a 4th liner. He's strong as an ox and works the offensive boards like nobody's business. Zalewski also works a heck of a lot harder than Virtanen so putting them on the same line would create some big time competition and do Virtanen some good.