Prospect Info: Jett Woo, Pt. II

[Nick Lang]

Asking in general, why is no one selecting Kole Lind, is absolutely a sign of arrogance. It’s stating that he knows more than everyone else and is shocked by the player not being chosen. Woo was very likely “Benning’s guy” too. Sadly Romanov was chosen next. Maybe our scouts (like Bracket) preferred Romanov but Benning insisted on “his guy”?

What if he just thought Lind should have been drafted higher and was surprised by that? Sounds a lot more logical than some guy just proclaiming his superiority to anyone who would listen. You also throw a 100% negative spin speculation into the rest of your post as well. It's easy to see why these stories wrongly get the rolling ball momentum they do.

 

[VanJack]

Assuming Woo will need waivers to be sent back down......does he likely clear, or would some other team take a flyer on him?

 

[Hoglander]

Assuming Woo will need waivers to be sent back down......does he likely clear, or would some other team take a flyer on him?

Its possible. I could see a rebuilding team claiming him as a 7/8 dman, with the mindset of "if he stinks, then we just put him on waivers too".

Wouldn't surprise me at all, as we've seen at least 3 players claimed from us in the last few years, albeit all forwards.

I'd personally keep him as a 7/8. Enough flushing assets down the drain. I say give him a try at the very least. Would be a cheap Myers replacement a year from now, if he can handle it.

 

[F A N]

What if he just thought Lind should have been drafted higher and was surprised by that? Sounds a lot more logical than some guy just proclaiming his superiority to anyone who would listen. You also throw a 100% negative spin speculation into the rest of your post as well. It's easy to see why these stories wrongly get the rolling ball momentum they do.

Yep. In every draft there is a GM/head scout who declared that they were surprised that the player they drafted were still there. When they show their surprise on camera it's "absolutely a sign of arrogance."

Assuming Woo will need waivers to be sent back down......does he likely clear, or would some other team take a flyer on him?

I think it depends on how he shows at camp? I was surprised that Gadjovich got picked up.

 

[HairyKneel]

Asking in general, why is no one selecting Kole Lind, is absolutely a sign of arrogance. It’s stating that he knows more than everyone else and is shocked by the player not being chosen. Woo was very likely “Benning’s guy” too. Sadly Romanov was chosen next. Maybe our scouts (like Bracket) preferred Romanov but Benning insisted on “his guy”?

Benning is a lot of things. Arrogant isn’t one of them. He can’t even spell the word. He absolutely ignorant though. Dumb as a bag of hammers. He’s like Lennie Small, Gomer Pyle and Karl Childers rolled into one. I can’t stand the guy but I’m thrilled he is gone. Why does his name or what he did need to pollute every thread? I have PTSD from that asshole. I would prefer not to read about JEB and Jethro Bodine etc in every single thread. There’s got to be a way to filter out that mongoloid’s name.

 

[Nick Lang]

Yep. In every draft there is a GM/head scout who declared that they were surprised that the player they drafted were still there. When they show their surprise on camera it's "absolutely a sign of arrogance."



I think it depends on how he shows at camp? I was surprised that Gadjovich got picked up.

arrogance = surprise for some I guess

As for being picked up on waivers any player can be nabbed but like Gadjovich, as we've seen, it doesn't pay to reserve a roster spot for someone who hasn't earned it. At the end of the day these types of players tend not to make any difference at all.

Benning is a lot of things. Arrogant isn’t one of them. He can’t even spell the word. He absolutely ignorant though. Dumb as a bag of hammers. He’s like Lennie Small, Gomer Pyle and Karl Childers rolled into one. I can’t stand the guy but I’m thrilled he is gone. Why does his name or what he did need to pollute every thread? I have PTSD from that asshole. I would prefer not to read about JEB and Jethro Bodine etc in every single thread. There’s got to be a way to filter out that mongoloid’s name.

Exactly. I find all GM's make mistakes and go in directions not everyone agrees with. I just don't even understand holding such a grudge as to be bitter after they're gone. Just about every GM has reasons they were hired and almost all have negative reasons for which they were let go. It's all in the past and has no bearing on the future. Talk about living in the past and in one's head rent free. What does bitching incessantly accomplish? Especially when half of it is stuff made up in people's minds.

The same as Gillis. I was very excited by our team spending to the cap, and the revolutionary way he was running the club in the beginning, as well as our performance obviously. I was equally dismayed by his dear in the headlights approach after the Cup run and all of his needless NTC's, and failure to find a wingman for Kesler, or on a personal note an attempt to put a proven sniper with the Sedin's. I couldn't care less now though. It's a near impossible job, just about everyone gets stuff wrong. Might as well focus on now and not two years ago.

 

[Grantham]

Assuming Woo will need waivers to be sent back down......does he likely clear, or would some other team take a flyer on him?

I think we will 100% lose him if he doesn't make the roster out of camp. A 6' 200lb RHD that plays with a punishing style and still has room to grow is going to be a easy claim for many teams.

I really loved this pick when it was made, and despite some growing pains Woo has finally starting to prove naysayers wrong. I hope he has a great camp and makes a case to stay with the big club.

Also, Jett Woo is a badass name!

 

[VanJack]

Breaking down the Canucks blueline, I just can't see any room for him. So rather than losing him for nothing on the waiver wire, maybe there's a deal to be made with another team. Young d-men are always in vogue.

 

[F A N]

I think we will 100% lose him if he doesn't make the roster out of camp. A 6' 200lb RHD that plays with a punishing style and still has room to grow is going to be a easy claim for many teams.

I really loved this pick when it was made, and despite some growing pains Woo has finally starting to prove naysayers wrong. I hope he has a great camp and makes a case to stay with the big club.

Also, Jett Woo is a badass name!

Breaking down the Canucks blueline, I just can't see any room for him. So rather than losing him for nothing on the waiver wire, maybe there's a deal to be made with another team. Young d-men are always in vogue.

Is there no room for Woo though? Assuming Hughes, Hronek, Soucey, Cole, Myers have roster spots and Poolman is on ITIR, that still leaves 2 spots if the team was to carry 7 Dmen.

A lot of people want to pencil in Hirose into the lineup but he's waiver exempt. Irwin, Rathbone, Wolanin, Juulsen, BREEZEBois, and Woo would require waivers.

Honestly, I can see all of these players clearing waivers. There might be some risk with Rathbone and Woo (depending on how they play at camp/preseason) and Irwin (he's a vet who has been an NHL player) clearing waivers

 

[VanJack]

You can't carry a player on the big league roster simply because he isn't waiver-exempt. Woo will have to earn his spot in training camp and the exhibition schedule.

Might happen......but wouldn't bet on it happening. But I guess that's why they have waiver eligibility for young players. If he can't make it in Vancouver, maybe he can do it elsewhere.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

This upcoming training camp is going to be huge for Woo.

Is he an NHL caliber player? I really liked him when he was drafted and thought he had top 4 upside. If he becomes a steady 5/6 on a cheap contact that's still a win IMO.

 

[HairyKneel]

You can't carry a player on the big league roster simply because he isn't waiver-exempt. Woo will have to earn his spot in training camp and the exhibition schedule.

Might happen......but wouldn't bet on it happening. But I guess that's why they have waiver eligibility for young players. If he can't make it in Vancouver, maybe he can do it elsewhere.

Really cutting edge analysis right here.

 

[Nick Lang]

Really cutting edge analysis right here.

The poster makes one good point though. You can't just keep players on the roster simply because you are afraid to lose them on waivers. You see posters say this type of stuff from time to time. They need to be able to play, and with all the new faces on D we need to make sure we have a RD capable of jumping in. Whomever performs better will win the job and we may have to risk Woo getting claimed.

 

[biturbo19]

Assuming Woo will need waivers to be sent back down......does he likely clear, or would some other team take a flyer on him?

Unless he comes to camp and absolutely blows expectations away, i don't think you can afford to keep a player like that on the roster just because you're afraid of waiver claims. He's not a really special player. There will be dozens of same or better defencemen on waivers around that time. Pretty much every team has a fringe guy like Woo on the cusp, that they'll be trying to slip down through waivers because they also don't have room for them.

Yes, it's a risk that he gets claimed...but if you're serious about competing, you can't be so lost in the minutia of "asset management" that you keep inferior players around. It's really not even a productive thing, to keep a still developing player like Woo around as an 8th D who spends all his time in the press box. He needs to continue to play and get minutes if he's going to be anything.

It's unfortunate that we haven't even really had a look at Woo at the NHL level before he hits waivers...but that's just the nature of slower developing prospects.

You ultimately just have to run with the idea that if he's not good enough for our defence, he's not going to be good enough for other teams either...and they're all dealing with their own little projects that they want to keep. Sometimes it ends up like Gadjovich...but more often, they just get lost in the shuffle and nobody even looks twice at them.


If you do lose him...that sucks, but you can probably find a replacement on the waiver wire who is just as good, if you need one. He's not a guy with huge "upside" even if he "hits" at the NHL level. Like...realistically, Juulsen is a better, more proven player at this point...and he's cleared waivers how many times now?

 

[F A N]

You can't carry a player on the big league roster simply because he isn't waiver-exempt. Woo will have to earn his spot in training camp and the exhibition schedule.

Might happen......but wouldn't bet on it happening. But I guess that's why they have waiver eligibility for young players. If he can't make it in Vancouver, maybe he can do it elsewhere.

I don't disagree. If Woo isn't legitimately contending for a spot you waive him without hesitation and if the team loses him then that's on him. But in a situation where it's close between him and a guy who is waiver-exempt or a player who has cleared waivers before, there's good arguments to be had keeping Woo up on the roster. I also don't think it hurts a waiver-exempt player to start their pro careers in the AHL/get more seasoning.

With that said, remember the uproar over cutting Corrado when Hutton played his way onto the team? It is even more hilarious in hindsight.

 

[mossey3535]

Issue is, what other defenceman do we have that plays like Woo projects to? Maybe Soucy?

Having said that, I was impressed by him last year but he was also just figuring things out. Lots of great stretches of play followed by bonehead, miscalculated brain farts. Probably needs another year in Abby with a bigger role now that Wolanin is probably promoted, he'll get his chances on emergency call ups.

 

[DFAC]

Issue is, what other defenceman do we have that plays like Woo projects to? Maybe Soucy?

Having said that, I was impressed by him last year but he was also just figuring things out. Lots of great stretches of play followed by bonehead, miscalculated brain farts. Probably needs another year in Abby with a bigger role now that Wolanin is probably promoted, he'll get his chances on emergency call ups.

Maybe Cole too?

I think the best outcome for Woo is a 3rd pairing guy who is solid defensively but not a huge point producing guy. Maybe Jordie Benn/Alex Biega as a comparable?

 

[racerjoe]

Seems pretty clear they are hoping Woo can be the new Burroughs. He hasn't earned the job that will come in training camp, but there is a hope he will be that.

 

[VanJack]

I suppose the only ray of hope is that most NHL teams have a lot of prospects in the pipeline like Jett Woo, and are within $1m or so of the cap ceiling.

So if he doesn't blow the doors off in training camp, they could put him on waivers early and hope he clears. Seems to me a lot of decent prospects end up on waivers in September, and most clear.

 

[Nick Lang]

Seems pretty clear they are hoping Woo can be the new Burroughs. He hasn't earned the job that will come in training camp, but there is a hope he will be that.

Burroughs is a real good dude. I liked his game, compete, and attitude but he had some pretty big holes in his game too. I'm comfortable moving on and I'm happy he got a 3 year deal and should get some minutes in SJ. We need to aim for better depth anyways imo.

We've got bottom pairing LD coming out of the yin yang so really we need RD depth after Hronek, Myers, and Cole (?). Juulsen, Johanssen, Woo, and even McWard should be fighting for a spot. I'm guessing we'll keep 8 D, and 13 F. Also I wouldn't be surprised at all if they are still looking to add a RD somehow ... maybe even a claim on another teams waiver wire players.

 

[F A N]

Issue is, what other defenceman do we have that plays like Woo projects to? Maybe Soucy?

Having said that, I was impressed by him last year but he was also just figuring things out. Lots of great stretches of play followed by bonehead, miscalculated brain farts. Probably needs another year in Abby with a bigger role now that Wolanin is probably promoted, he'll get his chances on emergency call ups.

Luke Schenn was the draft comparison? Woo is shorter but a better skater.

I think if we can get value out of Woo as a 6th/7th Dman for cheap RFA years it’s a win.

 

[MS]

Benning is a lot of things. Arrogant isn’t one of them. He can’t even spell the word. He absolutely ignorant though. Dumb as a bag of hammers. He’s like Lennie Small, Gomer Pyle and Karl Childers rolled into one. I can’t stand the guy but I’m thrilled he is gone. Why does his name or what he did need to pollute every thread? I have PTSD from that asshole. I would prefer not to read about JEB and Jethro Bodine etc in every single thread. There’s got to be a way to filter out that mongoloid’s name.

???

Jim Benning was absolutely dumb as rocks, but what made him the worst GM in NHL history was that he was an incredibly arrogant ass on top of that.

Didn't listen to his scouts, fired people who disagreed with him, never admitted mistakes and repeatedly doubled down on them. Would watch a junior player play once and then write off the opinions of scouts who watched him play 50 times.

If Jim Benning was stupid but humble and delegated to his staff and listened to what others were telling him, the disaster wouldn't have been 1/10 as bad.

 

[TomWillander1RD]

If I were to conduct an interview, Benning wouldn't even have been my choice for a scout position due to his evident lack of communication skills. It's truly perplexing why the owner believed he'd make a good GM. Despite Benning's lack of confidence in appearance, he must have possessed great self-confidence in his overall capabilities. That was indeed a scary combination.

 

[MS]

If I were to conduct an interview, Benning wouldn't even have been my choice for a scout position due to his evident lack of communication skills. It's truly perplexing why the owner believed he'd make a good GM. Despite Benning's lack of confidence in appearance, he must have possessed great self-confidence in his overall capabilities. That was indeed a scary combination.

It was a perfect storm to have something like Benning's hiring happen.

You had a rookie President who know nothing about anything and he's interviewing a former teammate who was a veteran leader on the Canucks when he was a rookie. And according to Linden he was 'blown away' by the fact that Benning could talk about individual goals that some of the prospects for the 2014 draft had scored and that 'draft knowledge' seemed to be what got him hired.

Absolute idiocy.

Anyhow, I don't think Jett Woo makes it through waivers. I think Winnipeg in particular would probably claim him - he's a hometown kid for them, is a RHS and they only have 2 natural RHS on their roster (Pionk and Demelo) and he absolutely lit it up in games against the Moose last year when their staff would have been watching/scouting him.

 

[Bougieman]

I don't know what to think of Woo.

Right after drafting him, seemed like this kid had the makings of an NHL player. He said the right things and had the right attitude, and the base skills seemed to be there. Then he got injured a lot and really disappeared from the depth chart whenever Canucks prospects were discussed. Then he roars back years later, proving himself in junior and showing that he deserves another chance.

So now we're in a position where we need to decide if we're going to make room for this kid -- and it all depends on how he shows at this one camp, or we likely lose him. The reason I really don't know what to think is because he's never set foot on NHL ice. Ideally, they would have given him a game or two here and there in some of those mean-nothing games towards the end of the year in the last couple seasons, ala Jack Rathbone, and we could maybe have a better sense of what we've got in Woo. But now the Canucks are kind of flying blind in this particular situation. It's frustrating, because it comes down to asset management. It wouldn't have been that hard to do, especially with Hronek injured.