Management Thread | Regular Season Edition

[Lindgren]

The mechanics of the OEL buyout, Petey still being under contract, and getting incredible value out of Miller, Hughes, and Hronek right now do indicate that this season really should be their big push.)

Right now they're basically getting all the benefit of the OEL buyout. After this, they'll have a significant hit on the books. Petey's contract will balloon. Hronek's deal will balloon. And potentially are looking at career seasons for Miller and Hughes. They should be maximizing this season. This is a team that should be a contender now (but isn't, for obvious reasons).

After this season, they're not going to be getting the same surplus value from this group of players. And you're only looking at a few more seasons before Demko and Hughes need new contracts.

And ... all of this should have been clear after the Hronek acquisition. Yet most of the responses to the suggestion that the Canucks at that point should have aggressively followed up, including moving another first rounder (the Willander pick), were aggressively hostile, including some of the most insulting condescension I've seen on the board.

They should use futures to create more cap space. They should spend more futures to acquire something significant for the top of the line-up, not more "tidy pieces of business" for the bottom pairing or the fourth line.

 

[Vector]

Rutherford is a very fun interview.

 

[Peen]

Canucks Q&A: Jim Rutherford on re-signing Elias Pettersson, the salary cap and his future

Jim Rutherford is passionate about making the Vancouver Canucks a contender. Read our Q&ampamp;A with the president of hockey operations.

theprovince.com

Good jr interview.

Some keys imo:

Re: cap management and timeline to contend being now/soon:
“The one area that we’re going to have to be aware of, is years three and four of the OEL (Oliver Ekman-Larsson) buyout.“
“Correct. But I do feel — and it should fall in line with that year three and four of OEL’s buyout — that if these younger players that we have in the pipeline now, if they get to where we’re projecting them to be, that all will fall into place”

Re: analytics

“I remember last week, (head of analytics) Aiden Fox, he was talking about a player that he likes. And I said, ‘Well, you’re gonna have to explain to me why this guy is one of the highest minus players on the team.’
We know what the analytics brings forward, it’s like an MRI compared to an X-ray. Analytics brings everything in, sure. And plus-minus is a little misleading”

 

[Vector]

“I remember last week, (head of analytics) Aiden Fox, he was talking about a player that he likes. And I said, ‘Well, you’re gonna have to explain to me why this guy is one of the highest minus players on the team.’
We know what the analytics brings forward, it’s like an MRI compared to an X-ray. Analytics brings everything in, sure. And plus-minus is a little misleading”

This part is a perfect example of the way front offices should work.

 

[Peen]

This part is a perfect example of the way front offices should work.

I posted it because I’m curious if we can guess who the player is.

 

[Vector]

I posted it because I’m curious if we can guess who the player is.

Ima gonna do some sleuthing on this!

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

Ima gonna do some sleuthing on this!

Good luck! I don't think you can even assume it's an NHL player.

 

[Vector]

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Glad to see that he's talking to the media again.

 

[MarkMM]

If we're searching for who Rutherford was talking to Fox about my starting point would be a cheap (<$1.5M) RHD that is big and mobile, is likely available but has bad +/-.

 

[andora]

If we're searching for who Rutherford was talking to Fox about my starting point would be a cheap (<$1.5M) RHD that is big and mobile, is likely available but has bad +/-.

I would go as high as 4.5

 

[Vector]

 

[wonton15]

Hope we can get a whole TLDR on this interview

 

[Vector]

Hope we can get a whole TLDR on this interview

I'll provide one once it's posted and have it in the Trade Rumours thread.

 

[theguardianII]

A question that has merit.
What is the window of the Canucks?
What is planned by management?

I think both are connected. Without know exactly what is the plan there does seem to be setting up a condition that can go a couple of ways.

Most contracts are ending in 2 years, most of the roster are in their prime right now, they won't be garbage at the end, indeed they might be valuable trade assets at the TDL or later.

Boeser will be going on 30 in 2 years.
Miller 33
Most of the defence will be in their late 20'2 or early 30's
Demko - 31
Pettersson - 28

Rutherford's interview is always refreshingly honest and as open as he can make it without too much drama, he was much more careful this time around but did lay some hints around. The comments about hoping the younger players are ready to step up when OEL's buyout hits the 4+ million mark for a couple of years. Those two years could be the re-tool years. Comments about not getting too close to players, doing what is best for the team, make improvements when they can, the sorts of comments that win championships.

Without any outright statement I think, ME, the window lasts as long as the contracts. Which is this year and next year.

Even IF they did come out and state exactly down to who is working in maintenance there will be fans that read something else into any statement.

This is an opinion but some of it fits my thoughts, could be nothing, could be they just want all the contracts ending at the same time so it makes for more work, maybe it has to do with astrology. Any are as correct as my thoughts. But to me words have meaning and sometimes what is not said can speak volumes, evasion or answering a different question than that asked.

Philly is still selling
Minny is likely selling now
St L was talked about rebuilding last year and this year is worse.
Pitts is getting desperate
Buffalo needs ? well it needs.
Another 15 games and Calgary might be in a full time retooling

Trade Garland for Buchnevich

 

[theguardianII]

Another trade and another win.

Nick Cicek 6'3" 23 yrs old, LHD. and a 6th pick
for
Studnika

 

[God]

Kinda funny that Allvin stood his ground in his first few months because, presumably, most teams were lowballing the shit out of him for our players. Kudos to him for holding firm and sending a message. Seems like GMs are fine with the asks now.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Kinda funny that Allvin stood his ground in his first few months because, presumably, most teams were lowballing the shit out of him for our players. Kudos to him for holding firm and sending a message. Seems like GMs are fine with the asks now.

When your team is winning, you don’t need to listen to lowballs

 

[Vector]

Kinda funny that Allvin stood his ground in his first few months because, presumably, most teams were lowballing the shit out of him for our players. Kudos to him for holding firm and sending a message. Seems like GMs are fine with the asks now.

I wonder if part of it, or all of it, is because Allvin and Rutherford are always calling other teams. We’ve heard from the rumourmongers that the Canucks are one of the most active teams on trade calls. In this week’s interviews Rutherford said Allvin is fielding calls daily.

So when these teams want to quickly get a trade done with minimal back-and-forth they contact Allvin. No haggling or squeezing to extract maximum value. It’s worth it these GMs to pay a little bit extra just to not deal with the bullshit of other GMs.

 

[Vector]

To expand further, Frank Seravalli said that he believes part of the Canucks’ strategy is to stack 5% wins when no one else is able to. He was using the Beauvillier trade that lead into the Zadorov trade as an example. Doesn’t mean that this trade signifies an immediate move but gives them a little bit more ammo, or comfort, in making another move down the line.

We haven’t seen him trading his own drafted/signed players yet. That will be good data point since we don’t have any info there.

It’s also interesting to see how blatant Rutherford’s influence is on Allvin. Allvin presents himself as cautious and calculating but in the NHL that usually means inactivity and he’s anything but.

All in all, I’m extremely excited, from a team building standpoint, for the coming months. Canucks could pull off a significant trade at any time.

 

[arttk]

To expand further, Frank Seravalli said that he believes part of the Canucks’ strategy is to stack 5% wins when no one else is able to. He was using the Beauvillier trade that lead into the Zadorov trade as an example. Doesn’t mean that this trade signifies an immediate move but gives them a little bit more ammo, or comfort, in making another move down the line.

We haven’t seen him trading his own drafted/signed players yet. That will be good data point since we don’t have any info there.

It’s also interesting to see how blatant Rutherford’s influence is on Allvin. Allvin presents himself as cautious and calculating but in the NHL that usually means inactivity and he’s anything but.

All in all, I’m extremely excited, from a team building standpoint, for the coming months. Canucks could pull off a significant trade at any time.

Seems like every trade he makes paves way for the next trade. Makes things a lot more interesting for sure.

 

[theguardianII]

There is something wrong.
Wrong in a weird way.
Tocchet is benching or reducing icetime for no apparent reasons.
All this Kuzmenko crap seems to be personal somehow.
Kumenko's play on the ice doesn't seem to match Tocchets's message.
Look at Kuzmenko's hard stats, giveaways, take aways, minus numbers. Sure goals are down, points are the result of ice time, role and line assignment.
If Tocchets opinion is that Kuzmenko isn't a good boards guy, which he apparently isn't too bad at, or that Kuz isn't a banger then maybe Tocchet has to change his thinking on him.
Nobody expects Pettersson to be a big hitter or forechecker to play like Joshua but it seems that is what Tocchet wants of Kuzmenko.

Kuz scores the winning goal with a deft move and shot last game and is rewarded with reducing his ice time even more.

Boeser for one plays like crap and then the team almost sacrifices a total loss of points trying to set him up at the cost of great shots but Kuz does the same and is benched.

Don't get me wrong it isn't like I like Kuz more than most what I don't like it when a player is targeted without apparent reason.

Some posters will start parroting that Kuz isn't defensively any good or he gave away a puck or lost a puck battle or .... whatever Tocchet says through the media. Through the media because he certainly doesn't detract what they say.

Kuz goals/points are down because his ice time is greatly reduced and his line assignment.

Boeser is making 5 times the errors of Kuz.
Hughes has made more big mistakes per game than him.

Kuz takes heat because he isn't scoring as much as last year.
Garland isn't scoring at all.

I think this is a pretty good team but I am not sure thy couldn't be better.

Maybe Kuz plays down the line up because Boeser can't, maybe all the attention is on Kuz so Boeser's failures are over looked.

Look at the last game, Boeser missed 7 times, gave away the puck and didn't back check on the Minny goal.
Hughes just evaporated in his own zone,
Where was Hronek, Miller?
Boeser was still near the center ice red line, coasting.
But
The center of attention is a 4th line player

 

[Tact]

Lots of key UFA’s this team has to re-sign.

DeSmith, Joshua, Lafferty, Zadorov, Blueger? I would probably let Cole, Myers walk.

Then there’s Pettersson and Hronek. PA will have his hands full this offseason.

 

[RobertKron]

Lots of key UFA’s this team has to re-sign.

DeSmith, Joshua, Lafferty, Zadorov, Blueger? I would probably let Cole, Myers walk.

Then there’s Pettersson and Hronek. PA will have his hands full this offseason.

I think if Cole is enjoying his time here and you can get him at a decent number, then he's a no brainer to retain. Will acknowledge that I've been busy and haven't been watching as much the past couple weeks, so maybe he stinks now, but I think he has consistently been noticeable for me.

 

[LordBacon]

Based on what Ive seen so far, it is fair to say that this management group looks adequate.
I'll gladly eat crow if they do some damage in the playoffs.
Thanks for making my fav team fun to watch again.

However, this off-season should be a very busy one for the canucks with so many expiring contracts and key RFAs to sign.
Looking forward to what they do when offseason comes.