Grub's Canucks & NHL News, Rumours, and & Fantasy GM | Trade Breezes

strattonius

Registered User
Jul 4, 2011
4,636
5,335
Surrey, BC
Didn't expect Trotz to just come out and say it


Dorky little bluff.

What's the rebuild plan? Find teams to take on the 34 year old forwards you signed to term?

I think the Preds can turn it around but I was consistently of the belief that the Stamkos and Marchessault contracts were horrendous and they were getting mostly over-rated to finish near the top of the West. They signed Stamkos to term to play on the left half wall taking one timers on the powerplay - basically all his game has left. But that has been Forsberg's bread and butter. Then they sign a soon to fall off a cliff Marchessault to also be a shooter on the powerplay. Basically team loaded up weird options on their powerplay but will be easier to play against at 5on5. Sherwood is a perfect disaster for them.
 
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Nuckles

_________
Apr 27, 2010
28,847
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heck
According to Trotz, who spoke to the Tennessean after his initial remarks, it's not that simple.

"We're never going to burn it down to the studs," Trotz said.

"I've tried to buy time through free agency with these older players so that we can still be a threat," Trotz said. "But if it doesn't work, I've still got to buy the time for those young players."

It's not a typical "break it all down and start over" rebuild, especially given the contracts he has on the books.

"(Filip) Forsberg, (Roman) Josi, (Ryan) O'Reilly, (Brady) Skjei, and of course Stamkos and Marchessault, they are here," Trotz said. "They aren't going anywhere. And (Juuse) Saros. But everybody else, I might pull out and put in a young kid."
 

Just A Bit Outside

Playoffs??!
Mar 6, 2010
17,643
17,318
According to Trotz, who spoke to the Tennessean after his initial remarks, it's not that simple.

"We're never going to burn it down to the studs," Trotz said.

"I've tried to buy time through free agency with these older players so that we can still be a threat," Trotz said. "But if it doesn't work, I've still got to buy the time for those young players."

It's not a typical "break it all down and start over" rebuild, especially given the contracts he has on the books.

"(Filip) Forsberg, (Roman) Josi, (Ryan) O'Reilly, (Brady) Skjei, and of course Stamkos and Marchessault, they are here," Trotz said. "They aren't going anywhere. And (Juuse) Saros. But everybody else, I might pull out and put in a young kid."
So essentially they will keep the older expensive players that are the issue.

Makes sense.
 

LemonSauceD

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Jul 31, 2015
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Trotz comes across as a guy who is pretty much just winging things as they happen. No sort of real long term plan.

He also seems to have a bit of Rutherforditis.
 

bossram

Registered User
Sep 25, 2013
16,660
17,072
Victoria
Trotz comes across as a guy who is pretty much just winging things as they happen. No sort of real long term plan.

He also seems to have a bit of Rutherforditis.
Very apparent. Prior to last season, his public comments were all about building slowly, building through the draft, bringing up young players.

Then he makes the playoffs and blows his load on over-the-hill veterans signed to horrible contracts. I mean, I didn't think they'd have this slow of a start, but I thought the public consensus was massively overrating them (to the extent I bet them to miss the playoffs).

Now Trotz is switching up the plan again. No one is taking on those contracts though.
 
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Vector

Moderator
Feb 2, 2007
27,476
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Junktown


Seravalli interview:

Boeser:
-haven't heard anything about extension talks but has been 10 days since last asked
-when he did ask, was told conversations had not yet begun
-difficult to pinpoint his next contract
-thinks it will be something with an AAV that starts with 8m

Defencemen:
-even more thin of a market than previous years
-thinks there's a few guys out there that are playing with less opportunity but if are given more might show you more; cites Jonathan Kovacevic as an example
-no particular names come to mind
-understands fans and media are watching Rasmus Andersson but his understanding is Calgary has no interest in making a trade right now

Buffalo Sabres:
-Kevyn Adams has been making a lot of calls around the league to understand what different markets look like
-thinks the Canucks have asked if Bowen Byram was available but the answer was "No" from the Sabres
-Canucks are a terrible trade partner for the Sabres; Sabres have no interest in futures
-issues are a lot deeper than any one player
-around the league, they say that's a team still playing summer hockey
-have to shake it up, have to fix it
-getting a bunch of calls on Jack Quinn

Nashville Predators:
-his level of concern has ratcheted up
-have become a perimeter team; they know what the issue is but won't work out of it
-really lacking centre depth
-if they don't figure it out this season, it's a nightmare
-on a true contending team, O'Reilly is a 3rd line centre

Anaheim Ducks:
-rumblings of needing a new coach according to conversations with players last year
-Greg Cronin is an exceptionally difficult coach; someone that really grated on the players
-Ilya Lyubushkin had some really damning recent words about Cronin
-Ducks should have more of everything than the Sharks but are behind

Philadelphia Flyers:
-zero plans to make a coaching change
-management thinks Tortorella is the right guy to shape the young players
-Seravalli thinks Tortorella is exactly the wrong guy; calls last season a colossal failure
-a couple of teams have been interested in a few of their players
-Sabres and Wild are potentially interested in some of those players

Seattle Kraken:
-ownership is probably worried about the lack of success
-only a matter of time until the NBA is back in Seattle
-have to make progress and put a winner on the ice
-thinks the Kraken are the Western Conference version of the Islanders; committed to being "mid"
-no superstar and no way of getting a superstar

New York Islanders:
-no one speaks on behalf of the team
-ownership seems happy and supportive of Lamoriello
-Islanders are slower than the Penguins
 

Bertuzzzi44

Registered User
Jun 26, 2018
4,167
3,977
Canucks are playing good defensive hockey, offence and powerplay is a work in progress.

Goals per game: 14th
Goals Against: 9th
Powerplay: 22nd
Penalty Kill: 12th
Shots for per game: 14th
Shots against per game: 5th
Face Off %: 14th
High Danger Shots For: 24th
High Danger Shots Against: 2nd
Medium Danger Shots For: 18th
Medium Danger Shots Against: 5th
 
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Wisp

Registered User
Nov 14, 2010
7,602
2,127
The defensemen market is just a reminder that expansion has made it so there are just not enough good defensemen to go around.

Player development for defensemen so important right now. It's why project players like Brannstrom and Desharnais are a thing. For the Canucks, it's imperative that Sawyer Mynio, D-Petey, Kudryavtsev, and Willander are developed to the best of their abilities. 10 years ago Mynio, D-Petey, Kudryavtsev might have been 'whatever' prospects... Today they'll have to be ready to play.
 
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Bourne Endeavor

Registered User
Apr 6, 2009
38,865
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Montreal, Quebec
Lol, yes, that's exactly what's happening here.

But Francis is so smart! How could this have possibly happened?! It's not like he made some of the safest, if not completely head scratching picks imaginable drafting that roster then did nothing else.

Mockery aside. It still floors me how... well, "mid" his decisions were. Especially when you compare to Vegas being involved in damn near everything. I don't think they drafted a single player with the four high firsts they were given that actually played on the team.
 

ManVanFan

Registered User
Mar 28, 2024
711
695
They made a sizable investment in the off season and added Jake Debrusk, a consistent 25-30 goal scorer. All the interviews in spring training also confirmed they were going to plant the two together and hope sparks would fly. Even Alvin in an interview suggested this was a winger to play with Pettersson. But instead we get 70% no skating Pettersson who handles the puck like a grenade. The 'no linemates' for Petey thing has got to die at this point. There are PLENTY of good wingers on this team for a 12M dollar forward to find some chemistry. He's been playing with Garland who has been absolutely phenomenal this year and we're still pretending this guy doesn't have a partner. More excuses for Pettersson.
Guess what, sparks haven't flown between the two.
 

Breakers

Make Mirrored Visors Legal Again
Aug 5, 2014
22,731
21,351
Denver Colorado
Sometimes it is as simple as taking somebody off a PP

Toronto is raving about having Matthews off the PP now that he is injured

Move Pettersson to the 2nd unit
Sometimes just something that little.
 

VanJack

Registered User
Jul 11, 2014
22,571
16,042
You can see that slowly and steadily, the new guys Allvin brought in this off-season are getting acclimatized and adjusted to Tocchet's system.

Sherwood is probably ahead of everybody, but Debrusk, Heinen, Heinen and Sprong seem to be catching on fast. Canucks entered the off-season claiming they wanted better skating forwards who were faster through the neutral zone, and quicker on the forecheck. If Raty can come in and somehow cement a third line, then the team is on its way.

The big caveat though is still on the blueline. Myers and Soucy have clearly regressed, and Desharnais and Forbort are really only 6-7 guys at best on a good team. But sadly no 'quick fixes' unless the Canucks dramatically overpay.
 

ManVanFan

Registered User
Mar 28, 2024
711
695
You can see that slowly and steadily, the new guys Allvin brought in this off-season are getting acclimatized and adjusted to Tocchet's system.

Sherwood is probably ahead of everybody, but Debrusk, Heinen, Heinen and Sprong seem to be catching on fast. Canucks entered the off-season claiming they wanted better skating forwards who were faster through the neutral zone, and quicker on the forecheck. If Raty can come in and somehow cement a third line, then the team is on its way.

The big caveat though is still on the blueline. Myers and Soucy have clearly regressed, and Desharnais and Forbort are really only 6-7 guys at best on a good team. But sadly no 'quick fixes' unless the Canucks dramatically overpay.
Maybe underestimated how affective Cole was last season and Zadorov as well in taking some harder minutes off of Soucy and Myers. I'm sure if they could have made the money work, management would have brought both of them back.
 

MS

1%er
Mar 18, 2002
55,793
91,909
Vancouver, BC
Maybe underestimated how affective Cole was last season and Zadorov as well in taking some harder minutes off of Soucy and Myers. I'm sure if they could have made the money work, management would have brought both of them back.

I talked a lot about how last year we were basically 'matchup proof' on D because all three pairings were totally capable of playing leverage/matchup minutes.

This year, with the 3rd pairing of Forbort/Desharnais/Brannstrom/Juulsen being much weaker, Tocchet is playing them less and handing them softer assignments, with the result being that Soucy-Myers are being required to play much more consistently higher-leverage minutes. And they're struggling, obviously.

It's pretty obvious that moves will be made and this won't be the D-group we go into the playoffs with, but outside of the Pettersson fiasco it's pretty obviously the biggest problem with the team right now.
 

Lindgren

Registered User
Jun 30, 2005
6,326
4,374
Despite what Hughes said in the off-season about wanting to play with Hronek, I'd still like management to be investigating an acquisition that would allow them to be split up. The new alignment would look like this:

Hughes Dallas Smith clone
Brannstrom Hronek
Soucey Myers

Desharnais would be one of the assets dealt to bring in DSc. Forbort would stay as a #7.

it's up to the pro scouting to find that bargain DSc for Hughes. A guy who can skate, has a bit of size, a good IQ, doesn't put up points, doesn't drive a pair. He should cost less than a puck-mover for the second pairing.

I've mentioned the DSc before. He makes even more sense now that Hughes is being compared to Orr.
 

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