Grub's Canucks & NHL News, Rumours, and & Fantasy GM | Looking for a D-Man to Save Us

[Nick Lang]

Jensen, Gaunce, and Schroeder are not going to save this cores contention window. Even looking back at those drafts, roughly ~2 of the next 10-12 players in each of those drafts become relevant players 5+ years down the line.



You’re correct in that trading our picks earlier like in the OEL deal was a huge blow to this cores contention chances. If the Canucks had drafted either Boldy/Caufield like was discussed on this forum, and used the OEL pick on Guenther, and had a couple million more in cap space from no buyout, they’d be cup favorites right now. Benning gonna Benning.

Savings picks doesn’t make up for those mistakes though, as the Canucks picks are likely in the 20+ range and not top 10 anymore, so your odds of getting that hyper impactful young forward is super low.

That’s why you make a deal & trade the pick for a guy who can help over the next 3-5 years, while the team who makes the pick can wait 3-5 years for the player to arrive.

I kind of agree but also not. I get where we are now, the development time of youth, and I'm fully committed to accepting we'll trade our 1st for near term improvement. It is what it is ... to quote a lost pick/player. There is still a high likelihood that it will fail but we will still have a team in 5 years which could use quality prospects.

Some folks (not you necessarily) like to pretend that our window is only now. They are like Bennings. However that logic is not correct. Yes Miller is older and less likely to be a major contributor in 5 years. However, Petterson, and a hopefully newly signed Hughes, and possibly even Boeser should/could all theoretically be better players. Plus the cap space of a well run team. There is also Lekkerimaki, and Willander coming up who will 100% be better players. I would venture our team will be better in 5 years than it is in the next 3 if we play our cards right.

I don't see us playing the long game with this management group but let's not kid ourselves that we will have a definite need of quality prospects 5 years down the road. To be honest though with Demko, Miller, and Boeser all significantly struggling I would be hesitant just to give that pick away for any short term fix. This is a wait and see season. I would be thinking of the future.

 

[Nuckles]

Another CapFriendly alternative throwing their hat into the ring

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

LMAO Friedman

But like after all the shit we put up with Benning, don't we deserve an abject win like Zadorov back? Retained will have me rolling considering Bruins.

Trent Frederic I've liked for a while now.

 

[ManVanFan]

LMAO Friedman

But like after all the shit we put up with Benning, don't we deserve an abject win like Zadorov back? Retained will have me rolling considering Bruins.

Trent Frederic I've liked for a while now.

Boston isn't going to be that goofy.

I saw let it play out. Play the youth to see who's going grab hold and run with it. If not then at the tdl figure shit out.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

Boston isn't going to be that goofy.

Hence I posted what I did.

 

[ManVanFan]

Hence I posted what I did.

My bad, I didn't quite understand what you were meaning.

 

[Vector]

Canucks’ Roster

• JT Miller is currently off the roster as an Injured Non-Roster Player
• Functions the same as a placement on IR but can return at any time
• Miller won’t be back under 7 days and isn’t expected to be back during the road trip
• Canucks aren’t used LTIR
• Can’t call up anyone because no cap space
• Believes that Boeser, Demko, and Forbort will return soon

Trade Market for Defencemen

• Canucks are eager to get Forbort back
• Size concerns have held Brannstrom back but he is getting more minutes
• Team recognizes that if Soucy-Myers continue to struggle they’’l have to find a different internal mix
• Wouldn’t be surprised if Canucks pulled off a trade for a defenceman soon
• Management is being mindful with how they proceed
• Team expects both Cole McWard and Elias Pettersson to play in the NHL this season
• Canucks’ love Tom Willander’s progress; will push to sign him after his NCAA season
• Sawyer Mynio is tracking exceptionally well; team thinks he will play in the AHL at the end of his WHL season
• Canucks need a top-4 defence upgrade and are working to identify & acquire that player
• Don’t want to pay a significant price because they believe their stable of defensive prospects will be ready for NHL action soon
• Every contender is looking for a top-4 upgrade
• Willing to pay a high price if they find a defender that’s a perfect fit
• Zadorov’s long-term contract is a better fit for the Canucks than Marcus Pettersson as a rental

Max Sasson

• Sasson Light for a bottom-6 centre but has a high motor, speed, and good hockey IQ; is a natural centre
• Likely Sasson makes his NHL debut on the road trip

Lekkerimaki

• Canucks’ viewed Lekkerimaki’s call-up as a huge success
• Coaching staff were impressed by how Lekkerimaki’s game worked at the NHL level and how he paid attention on defence
• Wanted to give him a taste of the NHL so he could apply what he learned in the AHL
• Will be back in the NHL soon
• Canucks’ are hopeful some of their young forwards will be on the NHL team by the end of the season; Bains is closest to that level

 

[Vector]

I find it quite interesting that Drance doesn't mention Kudryavtsev in the article.

 

[Nuckles]

I find it quite interesting that Drance doesn't mention Kudryavtsev in the article.

I'm much more confused about the team's supposed obsession with McWard. This is the second or third article mentioning that the Canucks want to get him into NHL games this season for some reason.

 

[Vector]

I'm much more confused about the team's supposed obsession with McWard. This the second or third article mentioning that the Canucks want to get him into NHL games this season for some reason.

And it's been going on since they signed him. When I attend Abbotsford games, I don't notice him at all. Start counting the defencemen, get to 5, and struggle to think who I'm forgetting.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

My bad, I didn't quite understand what you were meaning.

And you know what, I could be less of an ass about it sometimes too but it happens a lot to me for whatever reason. Even my parents

 

[ManVanFan]

Canucks’ Roster

• JT Miller is currently off the roster as an Injured Non-Roster Player
• Functions the same as a placement on IR but can return at any time
• Miller won’t be back under 7 days and isn’t expected to be back during the road trip
• Canucks aren’t used LTIR
• Can’t call up anyone because no cap space
• Believes that Boeser, Demko, and Forbort will return soon

Trade Market for Defencemen

• Canucks are eager to get Forbort back
• Size concerns have held Brannstrom back but he is getting more minutes
• Team recognizes that if Soucy-Myers continue to struggle they’’l have to find a different internal mix
• Wouldn’t be surprised if Canucks pulled off a trade for a defenceman soon
• Management is being mindful with how they proceed
• Team expects both Cole McWard and Elias Pettersson to play in the NHL this season
• Canucks’ love Tom Willander’s progress; will push to sign him after his NCAA season
• Sawyer Mynio is tracking exceptionally well; team thinks he will play in the AHL at the end of his WHL season
• Canucks need a top-4 defence upgrade and are working to identify & acquire that player
• Don’t want to pay a significant price because they believe their stable of defensive prospects will be ready for NHL action soon
• Every contender is looking for a top-4 upgrade
• Willing to pay a high price if they find a defender that’s a perfect fit
• Zadorov’s long-term contract is a better fit for the Canucks than Marcus Pettersson as a rental

Max Sasson

• Sasson Light for a bottom-6 centre but has a high motor, speed, and good hockey IQ; is a natural centre
• Likely Sasson makes his NHL debut on the road trip

Lekkerimaki

• Canucks’ viewed Lekkerimaki’s call-up as a huge success
• Coaching staff were impressed by how Lekkerimaki’s game worked at the NHL level and how he paid attention on defence
• Wanted to give him a taste of the NHL so he could apply what he learned in the AHL
• Will be back in the NHL soon
• Canucks’ are hopeful some of their young forwards will be on the NHL team by the end of the season; Bains is closest to that level

You must be a saint or something to be able to read or even sit and listen through what Drance says.

 

[Vector]

You must be a saint or something to be able to read or even sit and listen through what Drance says.

For all the shit Drance gets, whether justified or not, he's a really good writer.

 

[Deeds26]

And it's been going on since they signed him. When I attend Abbotsford games, I don't notice him at all. Start counting the defencemen, get to 5, and struggle to think who I'm forgetting.

So what you're saying is, he doesn't f*** up a whole lot to notice him, which is a good thing.

 

[StreetHawk]

You must be a saint or something to be able to read or even sit and listen through what Drance says.

Most of the Canucks F prospects outside of Lekky are bottom 6 guys. Will be needed to save on the cap a bit but not going to move the needle that much unless they perform better than expected.

 

[ManVanFan]

For all the shit Drance gets, whether justified or not, he's a really good writer.

Yeah he is. It's more just his personalty and his own opinions that are reckless. Lol.

 

[ManVanFan]

Most of the Canucks F prospects outside of Lekky are bottom 6 guys. Will be needed to save on the cap a bit but not going to move the needle that much unless they perform better than expected.

Most aren't going to be NHL guys. That's why I'm hoping they try and keep their 1st and 2nd this year (even in a weaker draft) because they need to find more top 6 potential.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

For anyone looking to migrate to Bluesky, I put a starter pack together of Canucks + NHL media: Canucks Starter Pack

@Vector are you on Bluesky? Couldn't find you.

 

[ManVanFan]

I'm much more confused about the team's supposed obsession with McWard. This is the second or third article mentioning that the Canucks want to get him into NHL games this season for some reason.

I'm clearly on an island with McWard to most. I see another version of Chatfield. Watching Abby, Friedman before hurt was the clear capable D and McWard right behind. Woo is never going to get it.

 

[Nuckles]

For anyone looking to migrate to Bluesky, I put a starter pack together of Canucks + NHL media: Canucks Starter Pack

@Vector are you on Bluesky? Couldn't find you.

A few you can add to the list

CanucksNewSummaries (@vcanucksnews.bsky.social) (Vector)

Wyatt Arndt (@stanch.bsky.social)

Award winning journalist Wyatt Arndt. I cover the Canucks and I run NEW Wrestling

bsky.app

Jeff Paterson (@jeffpaterson.bsky.social)

Host of Rink Wide Vancouver postgame live stream after every Canucks game. Also contributor to Sekeres & Price Show and Canucks Army

bsky.app

Noah Strang (@noahstrang.bsky.social)

Vancouver-based sports reporter covering the #Canucks and more for Offside/Daily Hive | PHWA Member | Get in touch at [email protected]

bsky.app

robthehockeyguy.bsky.social

I cover the Vancouver Canucks and other things as the National Sports Editor at Daily Hive and Offside.

bsky.app

 

[MS]

I'm much more confused about the team's supposed obsession with McWard. This is the second or third article mentioning that the Canucks want to get him into NHL games this season for some reason.

And it's been going on since they signed him. When I attend Abbotsford games, I don't notice him at all. Start counting the defencemen, get to 5, and struggle to think who I'm forgetting.

It makes no sense. McWard is a mediocre AHL player in his draft +6.

Only thing I can think of is that they spent a lot of money on the 1-way deal to Hirose and they want to justify the overall expense of these guys to ownership.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

For all the shit Drance gets, whether justified or not, he's a really good writer.

Yeah, there's a reason I don't do what Drance does. It's because when you live in a cubicle your whole life, you end up getting high off your own farts.

I've never said that he isn't smart. I agree with most of he says, just from a different perspective and when it's like that he can come off as condescending only because it's his forum you are interacting on.

My $0.02 dealing with him. He's just very quick to dismiss your opinion because the last 200 opinions sucked.

 

[Vector]

For anyone looking to migrate to Bluesky, I put a starter pack together of Canucks + NHL media: Canucks Starter Pack

@Vector are you on Bluesky? Couldn't find you.

I am and I even posted the link here before.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

It makes no sense. McWard is a mediocre AHL player in his draft +6.

Only thing I can think of is that they spent a lot of money on the 1-way deal to Hirose and they want to justify the overall expense of these guys to ownership.

To an ownership group who have proven if you don't bend exactly to their will in addition to not getting the results. Some whackier things will happen in this situation because otherwise rational thinkers will start thinking about their job and that's no way to do good work.

Ownership needs to be told may be they aren't as clever as they think they are. The difference between me, you, and them is I wasn't born an Aquilini.

 

[Vector]

Canucks

• Nothing new on the Canucks at this point in time
• Doesn’t get the sense they are going to make some kind of permanent change
• Maybe they try to add something just to get something through the next couple of weeks but thinks this is the team to get them through this difficult patch
• Any team lead by Jim Rutherford by make a trade at any time
• Hard to make deals when you’re in a position of weakness

Nashville Predators

• Trying to do something but other teams know they need to make a move

Nikita Zadorov

• Struggled in Boston
• Bruins have told Zadorov to carry the puck less
• Canucks do miss him
• Mentions Conroy going from Calgary to LA and then back to Calgary
• So far, hasn’t been a fit

Ottawa Senators

• Harder to rebuild in the NHL than in other sports leagues
• Eastern Conference is full of teams that have been on the cusp of playoff contention for years
• Canucks have turned around faster than these other teams
• Travis Green can really grind players and even he saw how fragile these Senators are
• When things go wrong, this team sags

Quinn Hughes

• Not a fiery guy in what he says but sets the tone with his work ethic
• Teammates follow him

Rebuilding in the NHL

• Hard to acquire talent
• Need a lot of different players to make a competitive line-up
• Doesn’t think a lot of young players realize how long the regular season and how much more difficult the playoffs are
• Too many players don’t think they are going to get hit

JT Miller

• Reminded of a situation where a player took a couple of days off and the team announced it as an injury but it was just a mental break
• Hopefully rejoins the team after the road trip
• Unusual circumstances
• Predator’s Spencer Stastney is also away from the team and hasn’t been with them all season
• More of an emphasis on mental health
• Is also battling an injury
• If this becomes more common, the league and NHLPA will have to address it from a procedural point of view
• Isn’t sure why he wasn’t just placed on IR; guesses no one wanted to do that

Calgary Flames

• Conroy told his veterans, in the summer, that the Flames were going to have a quiet summer and he wanted them to come back and compete hard
• Veterans tired of losing and young kids getting an opportunity
• Odds against that their good play lasts all season
• What you control is your effort