It Is Time To Stop Expectations Of Instant Gratification.

[Reverend Mayhem]

Excellent thread. Love it.

I believe our path forward ought to be to compete in the near future. I've never seen a player like Quinn Hughes. We must build the team around him and keep him happy at all costs. Everyone else is more or less periphery but I'd like to keep EP if that's possible as well. I'm not confident about that, but that's in God's hands now.

I'd also if we haven't already, start looking at some real long-term options for Demko. I'd shut him down for the season and let him rehab. But I think he just cares too much and won't quit on a save, which means our defensive outlook needs to change.

I believe Tortorella (paraphrasing) said your defense is like your heart. It keeps everything moving. If your defense isn't great, you'll be doing a lot of defending. We were great at containment last year, keeping pressure to the outside ice but we got burned on the cycle far too often for my liking. Some days you have the horses, but you can't get them to water, after awhile you start to consider if you even have the horses which is where we've been for a decade now. Curious that we haven't been able to find much success.

The only reason we look any good in transition is because of Quinn Hughes. When he isn't carrying it out like a madman, he's launching Sedin-like passes right on the tape with gusto. He's improved a f*** ton since his rookie season especially with his passing which I really appreciate. He must have that Gretzky time loop cracked where you just see everything slower.

Players I'd like to see more of: VD, Debrusk, Sherwood, Sasson, Hronek, Joshua, Brannstrom. I need to see more, I'm nearly sold on Debrusk, though. I'd like to see more of DJ, but his health should be his priority right now.

Answer: More or less mitigate losses this season with an eye on the future. That OEL deal really f***ed/f***s us though. Benning

 

[iceburg]

Not quite. Back in the day, most players usually broke out in their 4th-6th (full) NHL season which often coincided with their aged 24-26 seasons. Nowadays, players break out earlier but you still see players breaking out in that time frame. Naslund's breakout fits that time frame. Money was also a big factor impacting the Canucks' ability to be contenders for some of Naslund's years.

The Sedins I think benefited from the rule changes. They also broke out in their 5th full season when they were 25.

Petey's 102 point season came in his 5th season. Hughes as well. Last season was his 5th season.

More importantly, Naslund and Sedins post-breakout took another step forward as their teams got better around him. They didn't suffer performance issues in the middle of their primes.

Sure, that's why I elaborated on the various stages. There's confirming the core (when players "breakout") and then there's getting that core to win. These are two different things. The core in Vancouver has been established for a couple of years and now they just need to get that consistency to be perennial contenders. They are on the cusp.

The 25 year old Sedins matches with Vigneault's assessment as I stated. There was still some doubt after that as per Gillis but in Vancouver the org became convinced before the rest of the league.

In the season that the WCE was established and the team was winning, Naslund was 27, Morrison and Bertuzzi were 25. Naslund had a couple of good seasons before that but they hadn't come together as a winning team.

this is my point. The core can be identified and established a year or two, maybe 3, before the team legitimately becomes a contender.

I think there is an argument that the core of a team is now establishing them selves a little earlier but it is a case-by-case thing.

In Edmonton, with the two all world talents at the top of the line-up they showed elite skill and production right away. But I could argue this is an exception rather than a rule because of their elite talent. It still took them two or three years to figure out how to win, depsite having 100 pt+ seasons.

Stamkos was 24 when Tampa made it to the finals in the 14/15 season. Hedman was 23. Two years later they missed the playoffs. When they won their first cup, Stamkos was 29 and Hedman was 28. Kucherov was 26. That was their peak. An arguement can be made that Tampa's 14/15 season was comparable to Vancouver's season last year. They showed they had the skill to win an extended stretch of games but there were still bumps ahead on their way to becoming a championship team.

 

[F A N]

Sure, that's why I elaborated on the various stages. There's confirming the core (when players "breakout") and then there's getting that core to win. These are two different things. The core in Vancouver has been established for a couple of years and now they just need to get that consistency to be perennial contenders. They are on the cusp.

The 25 year old Sedins matches with Vigneault's assessment as I stated. There was still some doubt after that as per Gillis but in Vancouver the org became convinced before the rest of the league.

I am not aware of AV's assessment so I can't comment. IIRC, most of us disagreed with Gillis' questioning of whether the Sedins were "front-line players." I don't think anyone of us predicted that the Sedins would win the Hart/Pearson/Art Ross but they were certainly 1st line players.

In the season that the WCE was established and the team was winning, Naslund was 27, Morrison and Bertuzzi were 25. Naslund had a couple of good seasons before that but they hadn't come together as a winning team.

this is my point. The core can be identified and established a year or two, maybe 3, before the team legitimately becomes a contender.

I don't disagree with this. I do think going through playoff battles is part of the process of learning to win hence I have supported making a push to make the playoffs once it appears that our core has been established: for instance when we acquired Miller. At some point you got to believe in the players that you have and the players you drafted, otherwise something is wrong and trades should be made to rectify.

 

[krutovsdonut]

View attachment 958774

beat me to it