Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign UFA D Cam Barker to 1-Year, $700K Deal

[craigcaulks*]

Barker's defense is so bad I sometimes wonder if it's actually post-moderm performance art. Is he desconstructing our notion of reality?

Right or wrong doesn't matter, well said.

 

[Jay Cee]

Here's a question: who in the NHL is a lights out reliable #8 dman? We surely aren't sitting a top prospect in the press box and none of our prospects seem ready to make the next step.

Are we advocating trading for a sure-fire lights out top 6 dman on any team to sit in the press box? Ok, that seems fine, but said player probably won't be too happy.

Are we advocating signing another free agent dman whose game is also full of warts? I mean Alberts has pretty much been written off as a part or this team. Are we ever going to be happy with the guy that we have on the roster essentially to sit in the press box or stay in the minors in case he is needed?

This is day 2 of training camp after a long lockout and we have a team with some outstanding issues. I have a hard time getting worked up about depth player acquisitions especially in that light.

 

[Barney Gumble]

I have a hard time getting worked up about depth player acquisitions especially in that light.

He really doesn't add much depth if he's hasn't shown to be all that great at any one particular skill. Even a guy like Marc-Andre Bergeron had at least an above average shot from the point (but medicore to terrible at everything else).

 

[putridgasbag]

Our 8th D-man saw quite a bit of action the past two years. I would say it's smart to have somebody reliable in that role. Cam Barker is not "somebody reliable."

So who you going to sign that is willing to hang out in the press box until maybe needed?

I would also assume that if it got down to Barker playing and playing a lot and sucking at it he would be replaced. Barker isn't in the lineup when everybody is healthy and if a dman goes down with a long term injury then you can look at replacing him through the farm or acquisition. But you still need black aces and Barker is fine in that role. Who knows maybe he becomes a serviceable player.

 

[BerSTUzzi]

We could put a claim on Thomas Hickey, why not have two 2 that were picked top 5 in the draft that haven't come close to their potential.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

We could put a claim on Thomas Hickey, why not have two 2 that were picked top 5 in the draft that haven't come close to their potential.

Is Hickey on waivers?

I think everyone and their dog saw "bust" written all over him from the moment he was drafted...

 

[Samzilla]

On the plus side, maybe we'll get to relive all those wonderful adventures we had like when Marc Andre Gragnani was on the ice last season.

 

[BerSTUzzi]

Is Hickey on waivers?

I think everyone and their dog saw "bust" written all over him from the moment he was drafted...

according to the waiver wire he was set to be put on....though the waver wire thread is on HFB

 

[Reign Nateo]

I don't understand this argument. When you look at recent history, there's a decent chance the Canucks will end up playing a significant number of defensemen this season. You don't have to go back far -- to both the 2010 and 2011 post-season -- to see what happens when defensemen play far out of their depth: a decent safe 6-7 guy like Aaron Rome starts to be a liability; a slightly less decent 6-7 guy like Shane O'Brien gets crushed; your better defensemen that are still playing (or injured) start to look a lot worse; your really questionable 6-7 guys like Alberts look awful and start costing the team games. Cam Barker is demonstrably worse than all of these players. If he ends up in the line-up because "lol #3 pick", the team will be worse for it.

In more than 2000 EV minutes over recent seasons, Andrew Alberts has outscored Cam Barker. So there's that.

Well for one we're talking about a guy that will be 8th on the depth chart and likely sitting in the box. Will he play? Probably. Are they likely to play him 20 minutes a night if enough injuries occur? I highly doubt it. We've won President's trophies with Marc-Andre Gragnani, Andrew Aberts, Evan Oberg, Yan Sauve, Ryan Parent and Lee Sweatt seeing action over the last couple years. And now we're in trouble because Cam Barker may seen some action? I don't buy it.

As I said, the only chance I can see this back-firing is if somehow Cam is still on the team come playoffs and 3-4 guys get hurt in front of him, then he has to play and potentially hurts us at an important time. But there are 48 games to figure that out. If by trade deadline he proves to be awful, you waive him and bring in some depth.

I'm sorry, I just don't see the panic here. We're not signing him for 2.5 million and playing him 20 minutes a night. If all goes well he spends most of the time eating popcorn in the press box.

Look around the league at some teams 8/9th defenceman. Not too pretty I'll tell you that much. Pick the most vocal complainers about this deal, Oilers? Colten Tuebert or Martin Marcinin. Blackhawks? Dylan Olsen or Shawn Lalonde. Wild? Steven Kampfer or Brian Connelly. Most of these guys are busts or career AHLers, Marcinin has potential but 0 NHL experience. Something about glass houses comes to mind...

Again, I really don't see why the sky is falling here...

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

according to the waiver wire he was set to be put on....though the waver wire thread is on HFB

Bob McKenzie confirmed it via Twitter.

 

[Fat Tony]

So the teams above them didn't have the same thing?

The teams above them in GA last season were 1st (Blues), 5th (LA) and 6th (NYR) in shots allowed per game. The Canucks were 21st.

 

[Fat Tony]

Look around the league at some teams 8/9th defenceman. Not too pretty I'll tell you that much. Pick the most vocal complainers about this deal, Oilers? Colten Tuebert or Martin Marcinin. Blackhawks? Dylan Olsen or Shawn Lalonde. Wild? Steven Kampfer or Brian Connelly. Most of these guys are busts or career AHLers, Marcinin has potential but 0 NHL experience. Something about glass houses comes to mind...

Not arguing your point. Just pointing out the bolded. Since it's Canucks fans debating a Canucks signing, I don't think the saying means what you think it means.

 

[Tiranis]

Is Hickey on waivers?

I think everyone and their dog saw "bust" written all over him from the moment he was drafted...

I don't think anyone thought he was a bust at the time, just that he was taken far too early.

 

[ChilliBilly]

maybe this guy will develop into a top 6 D man ... who knows. He's been hurt the last 2 years, and was challenged by high expectations because of his draft position. Lots of NHL D men don't really blossom until they are 27 - 28, and many have their best years in their 30's. At $700K I just can't see what the problem is.

 

[Proto]

Well for one we're talking about a guy that will be 8th on the depth chart and likely sitting in the box. Will he play? Probably. Are they likely to play him 20 minutes a night if enough injuries occur? I highly doubt it. We've won President's trophies with Marc-Andre Gragnani, Andrew Aberts, Evan Oberg, Yan Sauve, Ryan Parent and Lee Sweatt seeing action over the last couple years. And now we're in trouble because Cam Barker may seen some action? I don't buy it.

As I said, the only chance I can see this back-firing is if somehow Cam is still on the team come playoffs and 3-4 guys get hurt in front of him, then he has to play and potentially hurts us at an important time. But there are 48 games to figure that out. If by trade deadline he proves to be awful, you waive him and bring in some depth.

I'm sorry, I just don't see the panic here. We're not signing him for 2.5 million and playing him 20 minutes a night. If all goes well he spends most of the time eating popcorn in the press box.

Look around the league at some teams 8/9th defenceman. Not too pretty I'll tell you that much. Pick the most vocal complainers about this deal, Oilers? Colten Tuebert or Martin Marcinin. Blackhawks? Dylan Olsen or Shawn Lalonde. Wild? Steven Kampfer or Brian Connelly. Most of these guys are busts or career AHLers, Marcinin has potential but 0 NHL experience. Something about glass houses comes to mind...

Again, I really don't see why the sky is falling here...

I'm not concerned with the regular season. I'm concerned with the post-season, where poor choices of depth defenseman have cost the Canucks games in recent seasons. The Andrew Alberts debacle springs to mind. Let's not forget the coaching staff in the finals thought so little of Alberts/Ballard et al that Nolan Baumgartner almost got the call...

The idea isn't to sink to the level of all the other teams that make poor depth choices: it's to be better. I don't care what lousy teams like the Wild, Hawks, and Oilers are doing.

I think when the arguments in favour of Barker are "he won't play!" and "he'll only be as terrible as these other terrible options!" that it's a pretty lousy signing. Heck, why is the team seemingly banking on Tanev being a stalwart defenseman? The team has zero fallback options right now. Not a good summer for Gillis before the lockout and a bad start after it.

I'll wait to see what he does with Luongo before passing judgement, but I just don't see any upside in this move. It's a waste of a contract slot.

 

[Fat Tony]

The idea isn't to sink to the level of all the other teams that make poor depth choices: it's to be better. I don't care what lousy teams like the Wild, Hawks, and Oilers are doing.

I think that's really what's irking. It's all these incremental moves towards mediocrity. Not every transaction will be a homerun. But for a team that's supposed to be a contender, everything is going to be scrutinized.

 

[Kryten]

It's not like Gillis got the best free agent defenseman in 2010 in Hamhuis, or the second best this summer in Garrison... Terrible GM making this elite team more mediocre eh

 

[EpochLink]

I can't believe there are 17 pages on CAM BARKER, jesus christ people

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

I can't believe there are 17 pages on CAM BARKER, jesus christ people

We're hockey starved! What did you expect, honestly? We could have hired a new waterboy and we'd probably be over 10 pages.

 

[David71]

cam barker might peak depending on how he plays this season.or jsut another warm body sitting in the pressbox. in case of injuries.

 

[HighAndTight]

We're hockey starved! What did you expect, honestly? We could have hired a new waterboy and we'd probably be over 10 pages.

A new waterboy would be a minimum of two threads.

 

[EpochLink]

We're hockey starved! What did you expect, honestly? We could have hired a new waterboy and we'd probably be over 10 pages.

I'm on vacation at the moment so I was star struck that this thread has gone long enough

Once the season hits, I'll be ready

 

[Lard_Lad]

We're hockey starved! What did you expect, honestly? We could have hired a new waterboy and we'd probably be over 10 pages.

Well, of course. Signing a new waterboy would be a huge waste of money when Kellan Tochkin is probably big enough to do that job. Might as well get some value out of him.

 

[jigsaw99]

Tomas Hickey would of been a better choice.

 

[Reign Nateo]

Not arguing your point. Just pointing out the bolded. Since it's Canucks fans debating a Canucks signing, I don't think the saying means what you think it means.

True, but not what I meant...

"Look around the league at some teams 8/9th defenceman. Not too pretty I'll tell you that much. Pick the most vocal complainers about this deal, Oilers? Colten Tuebert or Martin Marcinin. Blackhawks? Dylan Olsen or Shawn Lalonde. Wild? Steven Kampfer or Brian Connelly. Most of these guys are busts or career AHLers, Marcinin has potential but 0 NHL experience. Something about glass houses comes to mind..."