Official Training Camp Roster Talk - Part II (The Final Stretch)

[kanucks25]

I think it's pretty evident in how McLellan reacted to that whooping by the Canucks...

It was not "more systems, more positioning, more film, more skill".

It was, "Battle Drills".

It's not the "sexy" thing like dangles, or the "statistical thing" like corsi...but hockey is still a game of battles. Physical battles. It's a physical game. Puck battles are the micro form of the game. It's extremely important.

Sbisa has some clear weaknesses (handling the puck under pressure)...but he has some clear strengths as well (he can skate with and hit with anyone in the league, and he wins puck battles, very consistently). Which is why i've said for a long while now...what he needs as a partner, is someone who can take those pucks he frees up, and transition them.

We really need Sbisa's physical ability to compete in the lineup, like it or not...the best situation is to find the right fit with him who can move the pucks he inevitably frees up and dribbles behind the net or whatever. Hutton actually showed some ability to do that, which is cool imo.

Who rolls with Hamhuis...i guess it's probably Weber, due to his RH PP shot...but i really don't like that much because Sbisa-Hutton is gonna be your "puck-moving offensive pairing". And Weber in any defensive situations is terrible. Corrado has fallen way short of the mark this preseason. Bartkowski has looked...promising, but also looked his worst with Hamhuis. So idk what you do. It's confused.

Try Hutton with Hammer and go back to Sbisa+Bart/Weber as the 3rd pair? Sbisa-Weber has always been a complete disaster. Bart-Weber couldn't move a gnat from the front of the net. We're probably missing a piece...

Here's the problem with what you're saying:

Sbisa's defensive lapses and overall horrible decision making are not worth his physicality. He is not the answer to our soft defense.

I understand physicality is important, but to me what really matters when it comes to D-men (or all players, I guess) is scoring chances +/-.

What does it matter if Sbisa can throw harder hits and cross-checks than other bubble D-men if he's a complete liability defensively? Being physical means nothing when you're constantly chasing in your zone and fishing the puck out of your net.

Considering they are probably both equally unreliable defensively, I'd much rather have Weber in the lineup because he adds the offensive element that Sbisa doesn't.

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

Good thought for the day:

The complete lack of Canuck moves today likely means that every incoming cut involves waivers. Hutton/McCann/Virt may just be on the opening night roster.

 

[VanCanucks53]

Good thought for the day:

The complete lack of Canuck moves today likely means that every incoming cut involves waivers. Hutton/McCann/Virt may just be on the opening night roster.

To add to this John Shannon just tweeted out:

Canucks roster still not finalized, but told that there's a good chance that Virtanen,McCann and Hutton all make the team.

 

[polarbearcub]

boom!

@TSNBobMcKenzie: Looks like Jared McCann, Jake Virtanen, Ben Hutton will open season on VAN roster. Does that mean Vey and Corrado on waivers? See at noon.

 

[ItsAllPartOfThePlan]

wow. can't believe it happened. biege too hopefully

 

[carolinacanuck]

wow, my interest level on this team just sky-rocketed to near excitement/giddiness.

 

[VeteranNetPresence]

boom!

@TSNBobMcKenzie: Looks like Jared McCann, Jake Virtanen, Ben Hutton will open season on VAN roster. Does that mean Vey and Corrado on waivers? See at noon.

This is exactly what I wanted to happen so chalk me up as surprised

 

[polarbearcub]

Me thinks big willie got usurped by managent.

 

[arttk]

This is exactly what I wanted to happen so chalk me up as surprised

Woohoo !

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I happily accept my crow then. Management isn't completely hopeless.

 

[thepoeticgoblin]

McCann, Hutton, Virtanen, Horvat, the Sedins and Marky Mark.. Yeah I can get behind this team for sure. Competitiveness be darned!

 

[Wilch]

Guess the management really wants to make the playoffs.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Reunite the kid line and I'm satisfied. Still would rather see Gaunce up here than Prust plodding around on the ice, but three rookies satisfies me.

 

[JumpierPegasus]

Wonder how Willie is going to break it to Vey. There will be tears from both sides, but in the end I think it will make them both stronger

 

[racerjoe]

I am shocked, and am not going to allow myself to believe it until I see it. As others have said, my interested has spiked.

 

[y2kcanucks]

I am shocked, and am not going to allow myself to believe it until I see it. As others have said, my interested has spiked.

At least until we see someone like Prust on the third line and Virtanen a regular healthy scratch.

 

[DCantheDDad]

boom!

@TSNBobMcKenzie: Looks like Jared McCann, Jake Virtanen, Ben Hutton will open season on VAN roster. Does that mean Vey and Corrado on waivers? See at noon.

Love it.

 

[Nuckles]

I hate to be that guy, but Vey and Prust could possibly not be waived. We could just waive Cracknell and Biega and temporarily send down Hutton or Horvat and call them back up once Higgins is put on LTIR.

sedin sedin vrbata
baertschi horvat virtanen
burrows mccann hansen
prust sutter dorsett
vey cracknell
injured: higgins

edler tanev
hamhuis weber
hutton bartkowski
sbisa corrado biega

miller
markstrom


That's 23.

 

[McHortton]

I don't want to get too excited yet... It hasn't been finalized yet. Im going to wait till I actually see them get waived to get excited. Looking good so far for sure though.

 

[VanCanucks53]

I hate to be that guy, but Vey and Prust could possibly not be waived. We could just waive Cracknell and Biega and temporarily send down Hutton or Horvat and call them back up once Higgins is put on LTIR.

sedin sedin vrbata
baertschi horvat virtanen
burrows mccann hansen
prust sutter dorsett
vey cracknell
injured: higgins

edler tanev
hamhuis weber
hutton bartkowski
sbisa corrado biega

miller
markstrom


That's 23.

I'd still take it.

Having those 3 guys on the team along with Horvat actually makes me very excited to watch this upcoming season.

 

[Scurr]

I'd still take it.

Having those 3 guys on the team along with Horvat actually makes me very excited to watch this upcoming season.

Yeah. If you were willing to stay away from the "they'll never do that!" narratives that are constantly wrong you could see it coming, too. Good times.

 

[GetFocht]

What a beauty of a draft for 2014. Virtanen and McCann both make the team

 

[Zaddy91]

Best part of this is just in terms of personnel outside the rink.

Hopefully Bo has a few 19/20 yr old friends now to enjoy being millionaires with, instead of Kassian or Vey (24)being the closest thing he has to a friend.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Will wait for official announcement, but pretty great if true. I wasn't fussed about McCann either way, but he'll be significantly more interesting to watch than Vey. Virtanen with the big club is good. Hutton with the big club is VERY good, and the one I cared the most about. If this team ever wants to compete meaningfully again we need to completely overhaul that defense, so Hutton and Subban are probably the two prospects I'm the most interested in.

 

[arsmaster*]

What a beauty of a draft for 2014. Virtanen and McCann both make the team

It's a positive right now, but the players have to turn out....it's not about who gets there first, but I'm impressed so far, especially with McCann.