Grub's Canucks & NHL News, Rumours, and & Fantasy GM | Hockey Starts Now

[PavelBure10]

Also, missing out on Kovacevic was a huge loss. Funny how most fans on this board have been talking about him for 2+ years now as a potential Canuck pickup.

 

[krutovsdonut]

tampa just did to us in their home opener what we tried to do with the flames. but we are not tampa and we did not have vasilevsky in net, so we couldn't thoroughly school another nhl team for three periods on demand. i doubt tampa can either except in perfect conditions such as a home opener.

i guess you could fault the coaching staff who didn't set them up as humble and hungry to start the season, but i imagine the lesson is sinking in and will be fully absorbed during this road trip.

 

[krutovsdonut]

Our defensive group just is not strong enough. Letting a Zadorov walk may end up hurting us a lot. We need Botha left and right top four and Soucey/Myers needs to be the third pair. Not sure how you work it out for the cap hit or the assets.

zadorov could not have maintained that swagger all season either.

what we need is an all situations 2-way guy who can carry the team defensively. imagine having mcdonaugh to stiffen the bottom 4.

 

[Nick Lang]

I think maybe the whole organization has been overconfident heading into this season. The off-season acquisitions are very playoff focused: filled out the roster with speed on the wings and big lumbering defensive d-men; coaching staff is determined to lengthen the leash on their system to let their stars shine; about half the team looks like they are expecting the magic to just strike again.

I have a pet theory about pro hockey: a team's success is proportional to the work they were putting in a couple months ago. It goes both ways--if you are playing poorly, it's going to take months of hard work to get on top of it and start performing better; and if you are winning, you can take your foot off the gas a bit, enjoy the winning, and coast for a few months until the shit starts hitting the fan.

Last season was a MASSIVE success for this team, given where expectations were. The way they were winning, too, was hugely dependent on their work ethic and fitness, their dedication and execution of their system, and it seemed like everyone had their timing and were clicking right off the hop at the season opener. They were reaching their potential, scraping their ceiling even. There isn't a coach on the planet that can manufacture the sense of urgency they had last season; it took years of disastrous failure and embarrassment to cultivate. This time, they've been expecting to make the playoffs all summer, exactly as most fans are, and we are all thinking realistically about the cup now. A few players have said as much.

We can see they look like shit though, so I think its going to be a rough ride through the first couple months of the year. The urgency has yet to set in. It will eventually, and then give it a few stressful months of losing while doing everything to win, and we'll eventually push through onto the right side of things. I'm hoping anyway.

Very astutely said. Yeah we definitely appear to be over cocky and expectant, as compared to hungry as a result of previous bitter failure. This team is really going to have to put in the work to get going or it could be a tough year on the bubble for a playoff spot. Our goaltending situation is dicey. It's hard to win without upper level goaltending in the NHL. Some teams overcome that but it's not the norm.

On a completely different note I am starting to see that part of Petey's problems stem from the backend. He needs the puck on his stick faster and in better positions so he can attack with time and space, as well as numbers. Right now he's getting it positions where he needs to grind out plays to get goal scoring opportunities. Not his strength.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Danton Heinen is just another example of how Boston best utilizes talent on a very cheap deal and has zero reluctant in letting them go. Schaller and Lazar are other guys who signed with us and proceeded to not live up to their contract.

A guy like Phillip Di Giuseppe makes 1.5 mil less and seems to offer the same utility in a bottom 6 role.

Really hope we can find a taker for Heinen.

 

[Nick Lang]

Losing Zadorov and Cole were two huge loses. Both vets add a physical element to the game. Both have playoff experience and are well liked in the locker room. The leadership and defensive awareness alone were huge losses.

Myers at 3 million is a fair deal, but to choose him over Zadorov and make him their first priority is a real head scratcher. I really miss the big Z.

Myers was never a replacement for Zads. They play two different positions. Zads is LD. We were short 2 RD and Myers deal is 2 mil less and 2 years less. Zads is also a little bitch. Did you hear his whiny comments about not getting his ass kissed by Allvin, and how he and Lindholm talked about signing for Boston while they were playing with us? He's a chump. Funny if he plays on your team but just a complete goof otherwise.

I think Zadorov was always gone, they never really thought they'd be able to give him the contract he wanted. I believe Cole is an underrated, and perhaps unnecessary loss, who played a big role in lessening the load on Myers/Soucy and could pretty capably handle pretty much top-four minutes with a variety of partners (especially in the regular season).

Absolutely, anyone with simple math skills could see that. He was a rental who parlayed his UFA season into a big contract. Never was in realm of reality. Cole was someone we could definitely use right now. It's looking like their defence experiment is going a little rocky right now. Hopefully it comes together with some reps or we're likely going to have to make a move of some type. Or, people probably don't want to hear this but maybe just ride the season out. We don't really have much trading capital.

 

[sandwichbird2023]

anderson might suck but the canucks need to get bigger and faster up front. i know no one agrees with me but their wings are amongst the worst group in the league imo

I think Joshua coming back will help with the size factor. You don't need to be overly physical in the new NHL anymore, but having him and Sherwood is a good base for that element. Plus him and Garland forms one of the best 3rd line in the league last year, we are sorely missing that depth right now, especially when the top 2 lines and the PP are not going.

I think Zadorov was always gone, they never really thought they'd be able to give him the contract he wanted. I believe Cole is an underrated, and perhaps unnecessary loss, who played a big role in lessening the load on Myers/Soucy and could pretty capably handle pretty much top-four minutes with a variety of partners (especially in the regular season).

I think Cole was worn down late in the season and was completely exposed by the Oilers in the 2nd round, maybe that is why management were fine moving on. However, for 3LD, I thought he was fine overall and would much prefer to have him back than sign Forbort. Just need to manage Cole's ice time. I rather have Cole than Forbort + one of the depth winger we signed (Heinen specifically). IMO for our team Cole >>> Forbort + Heinen, or Cole >>> Forbort + Sprong.

 

[krutovsdonut]

Danton Heinen is just another example of how Boston best utilizes talent on a very cheap deal and has zero reluctant in letting them go. Schaller and Lazar are other guys who signed with us and proceeded to not live up to their contract.

A guy like Phillip Di Giuseppe makes 1.5 mil less and seems to offer the same utility in a bottom 6 role.

Really hope we can find a taker for Heinen.

give it time. i am super uncomfortable with us taking on debrusk or heinen based on the long tradition of supporting cast forwards who thrive in boston and struggle elsewhere after getting paid. heinen is somewhat proven elsewhere though, and de brusk still ought to be an above average role player like mikhayev with his size and speed if that is all we got.

i would also say though that what was impressive about suter and blueger was the detail they had as fully trained middle 6 centres who did it without size. they added a lot of thinking depth to our lineup. so far i am not seeing particularly smart or focussed detail play from any of heinen, sherwood or debrusk.

 

[oceanchild]

zadorov could not have maintained that swagger all season either.

what we need is an all situations 2-way guy who can carry the team defensively. imagine having mcdonaugh to stiffen the bottom 4.

Fair enough, not sure that any are or were available or that we have the resources to aquire. Hard to argue that he likely would have been our third best dman so far this season and that is problematic to say the least. Not to mention the contract was reasonable comparatively in my estimation and sometimes a little swagger can rub off a teammates and I think this group could use said swagger atm.

 

[bossram]

Also, missing out on Kovacevic was a huge loss. Funny how most fans on this board have been talking about him for 2+ years now as a potential Canuck pickup.

TBH it's been like two of us @Vector

 

[PavelBure10]

TBH it's been like two of us @Vector

Make it 3 because I was on board with Kovacevic when he was making league minimum for Montreal. Would if been a fairly easy player to acquire while his contract was very cap friendly.

 

[Vector]

TBH it's been like two of us @Vector

Make it 3 because I was on board with Kovacevic when he was making league minimum for Montreal. Would if been a fairly easy player to acquire while his contract was very cap friendly.

@MS was also stumping for Kovacevic since last season.

 

[PavelBure10]

@MS was also stumping for Kovacevic since last season.

Hard to believe his rights were obtained for a 2026 4th rounder. That's a no brainer.

 

[MS]

@MS was also stumping for Kovacevic since last season.

To be fair, my take was that his performance/position to salary ratio meant that he would actually be too expensive for us to afford, which was totally 100% wrong.

I thought he'd be one of those Jeannot/Coleman/Hagel type assets where getting two playoff runs from a big, quality 4-5 RD at $700k would justify a major trade return.

 

[timw33]

Hard to believe his rights were obtained for a 2026 4th rounder. That's a no brainer.

Even if he was pitched as acquiring a 3rd pairing RS guy, it's insane value due to his contract. But so far he's been playing like a RH middle pair guy, pretty much the specific gaping hole on our roster.

I thought he'd be one of those Jeannot/Coleman/Hagel type assets where getting two playoff runs from a big, quality 4-5 RD at $700k would justify a major trade return.

It's really stunning that they didn't get more and got too committed to giving Justin Barron more of a role (where he has struggled)

 

[timw33]

Well, so we're no longer in the offseason, do we have any under the radar D acquisitions we might be able to make on the cheap? Time to find the next Kovacevic opportunity.

 

[credulous]

Well, so we're no longer in the offseason, do we have any under the radar D acquisitions we might be able to make on the cheap? Time to find the next Kovacevic opportunity.

vaakanainen on anaheim is maybe worth a look. he's crowded out because they have 1 trillion good young defenders but he's put up reasonably good results on some bad teams and he's cheap

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

Jacob Moverare didn't make the Kings, he's an intriguing option.

What's going on with Spencer Stastney in Nashville? He hasn't played this season yet - is he hurt?

 

[Vector]

 

[timw33]

Justin Schultz is also still unsigned an is Kelowna based in the offseason.

 

[Bgav]

Justin Schultz is also still unsigned an is Kelowna based in the offseason.

sounds like they just called up brannstrom

 

[bossram]

sounds like they just called up brannstrom

goooooooood

 

[sting101]

Brannstrom up Raty down. Good move

No sense playing 9 minutes and sitting in 3rd periods vs huge minutes in ABBY

Hopefully he gets Lekkerimaki going as well

Brannstrom is a good 3rd pair puck mover. May have had a bad camp but his numbers last year were pretty decent and given our acquisitions look more geared towards playoff style hockey his skating and puck moving from either side should be a welcome addition vs the board smashers

Justin Schultz is also still unsigned an is Kelowna based in the offseason.

when Myers got banged up this was my first thought

 

[timw33]

Yeah I mean they are just running through all of their internal options first, but I think we know that we're going to need to augment this D core even if Brannstrom is a fit.

What are people's thoughts on Lljiligren? It's a tough contract to take on at 3MM x 2 without sending back some money, but all of the guys we might move for him are recent UFA signings and it would be pretty ratty to move them a few games into their Canuck tenure.

I know he became a total whipping boy for Toronto, but have this idea in my head of him having generally good underlying numbers, and a mobile RHD with really good hit/block rates.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

No interest in Liljegren at his price point/cost.