Post-Game Talk: Preseason GM05| Vancouver Canucks lose to Edmonton Oilers in Shootout | 2-3 (Bains & Smith)

[VanJack]

Almost impossible to overstate how important these exhibition games have been for the likes of Lekkerimaki, D-Petey and Kudryavtsev......they played a lot and gained a ton of valuable experience.

Not much question they'll all be in the NHL one day......just a question of 'how soon'.

 

[tantalum]

I think people are being too hard on EP2. For him to make this deep into camp is great progression. He wasn't expected to be anywhere close to being in the NHL yet with a whole 8 North American games under his belt coming into the year. As pointed out he gets caught puck watching and has some skating to work on but I think his camp has been fantastic.

 

[JT Milker]

I’m not sure I could think of a weirder comparison than Bains and Gaunce. Polar opposite players.

 

[tantalum]

I’m not sure I could think of a weirder comparison than Bains and Gaunce. Polar opposite players.

I'd agree. Gaunce from what I've seen is a composed if vanilla player. I'd liken him more to what Aman is. Bubble guy who won't hurt you.

The right words aren't coming to me for Bains...the best I can do is Bains is, I guess, a sloppy player all over the ice.

 

[Bankerguy]

A guy like Gadjovich, who looked far worse & slower than Bains has this preseason when he left us, has gone on to play 40 games three years in a row. And most recently on a cup winning team.

Last season was the first year Zac Dalpe didn’t play a game in the NHL.

Karlsson is another internal example of a player better than those two.

Sometimes it’s just opportunity, luck, timing is my point.

But, I do agree neither of them are there yet. And once they’re down, that’s probably it for Karlsson and he’ll head back to Sweden. And Bains is getting up there in age to where it won’t be long until he’s considered nothing more than a AHL guy.

Especially hard for them given Lekkerimaki will be given preference if a scorer goes down, and Raty/Sasson, potentially Aman if he goes down have center ice call up priority.

maybe i'm just expecting too much but i feel that Bains creates a lot of unforced errors. This isnt something that is actually tracked but i track it. pass hits bains stick and it kind of bobbles 2 feet in front of him, and he has to then catch up to it to then make a play, well guess what, that bobble killed all his time and space. When he goes to dump the puck around for the other winger on the far side but the dump in is too soft - possession lost. I think he does a lot of untracked (not specifically a turnover) type errors that NHL regulars shouldnt do.

I think Karlsson could have a very good career in the SHL. he could go on to play for 8 years or so, making 100k - 200k Euro's per year. it would be nice to see him get called up to the NHL before that and score at least 1 nhl goal, or maybe even an assist. It would be a nice puck to bring back to Sweden.

 

[Peen]

maybe i'm just expecting too much but i feel that Bains creates a lot of unforced errors. This isnt something that is actually tracked but i track it. pass hits bains stick and it kind of bobbles 2 feet in front of him, and he has to then catch up to it to then make a play, well guess what, that bobble killed all his time and space. When he goes to dump the puck around for the other winger on the far side but the dump in is too soft - possession lost. I think he does a lot of untracked (not specifically a turnover) type errors that NHL regulars shouldnt do.

I think Karlsson could have a very good career in the SHL. he could go on to play for 8 years or so, making 100k - 200k Euro's per year. it would be nice to see him get called up to the NHL before that and score at least 1 nhl goal, or maybe even an assist. It would be a nice puck to bring back to Sweden.

Oh I agree with all the Bains deficiencies. I think he’s looked faster this pre-season, but I also agree that he’s still too error prone at NHL game speed and once he’s behind the play, it never seems like he can catch up. He just chases, which is why I think his raw shot metrics were so bad at the NHL level.

But he’s also taken some pretty big leaps 3 years in a row, and the three biggest attribute deficiencies were speed, his shot, and his overall conditioning/strength. Haven’t seen him get into shooting spots much to see if it’s still a total muffin but he does look a bit quicker and a bit more conditioned and strong.

Could just be that he needs NHL reps somewhere else to put it together with a lot or growing pains. To me it doesn’t look like he has “it”. But you never know.

 

[TruGr1t]

Nice to see Suter take lead out there and have a strong game. He's going to be an important utility forward and looked like he's up to playing some tough minutes.

Agree with some others, never saw much in terms of NHL upside for Bains and still don't. Looks like a career AHLer.

Think Raty will start until Blueger is back and then we'll see. Lekkermaki should start on the farm. Also nice to see Lankinen shake the rust off and look as advertised.

I am interested to see how the blueline shakes out heading into the regular season. Kudryavtsev and even Wolanin look like potential upgrades on Juulsen and Forbort. Soucy-Desharnais pairing looks locked. Kudryavtsev spent quite a bit of time with Myers in camp.

 

[Bankerguy]

Oh I agree with all the Bains deficiencies. I think he’s looked faster this pre-season, but I also agree that he’s still too error prone at NHL game speed and once he’s behind the play, it never seems like he can catch up. He just chases, which is why I think his raw shot metrics were so bad at the NHL level.

But he’s also taken some pretty big leaps 3 years in a row, and the three biggest attribute deficiencies were speed, his shot, and his overall conditioning/strength. Haven’t seen him get into shooting spots much to see if it’s still a total muffin but he does look a bit quicker and a bit more conditioned and strong.

Could just be that he needs NHL reps somewhere else to put it together with a lot or growing pains. To me it doesn’t look like he has “it”. But you never know.

if the NHL keeps expanding teams , the talent will be so watered down that Bains might become someones second line playmaker :-D

 

[krutovsdonut]

i saw the second half of the game.

not to pour oil on a fire, but my biggest canucks take away from that game is that bains is not going to make it and it is sinking in for him as he is beginning to panic and flail around on the ice chasing. he just can't play effectively far enough down the lineup for his skillset. not sure if he is strictly speaking a top six or bust because i don't see any signs of a top 6 player at this level. the guy does not create scoring chances for himself or others and he fumbles the puck way too often. he is going to have recalibrate as a true bottom six guy or head for europe. i think the latter.

my second biggest takeaway is that hogs is fading after being shot out of a cannon to start in camp. perhaps he is in the doghouse again, or perhaps lekkermaki nipping at his heels is the problem.

another observation is that sprong is a demanding player to work with who needs good linemates who can anticipate or respond to his unusual style at game speed to be consistently effective. i suspect he will add offence from the bottom six but i think a lot of it will be out of the blue opportunistically rather than when needed. the one wild card to me is what he can do with garland. i want to see that.

my biggest oilers takeaway is that i forgot podz was playing and never once noticed him on the ice to remind me. i really liked that player. what happened?

overall the game was a solid workmanlike effort from a lot of canucks who could play respectable bottom 6 as call ups, including bains. the team has forward depth for days, although waivers may change that.

 

[Brookbank]

Bains will never make it. its done. he wont be an nhl regular. Aman is a n.13 forward.
Wolainen is a no. 8 or 9 guy on ur depth chart. any higher and ur in trouble.

OT was a joke. so many garbage players. couldnt make an 8 foot pass. turnovers and no puck support. send them all away. trim roster now please.
Sherwood, Hoggy, Rats, Sprong looked okay.

Sprong looks like (his body shape, the way he skates, his speed) if u played EA Sports NHL and created a non-unique superstar stat player, thats what spronger looks like - stats check off all the boxes but hes this soulless make believe thing and doenst really move the needle

Whatever. They were a bit stunned in 4 on 4. All the systems went out the window.

Woalanin and Freidman had the highest ice time in the game for God sakes.

And they still survived it

 

[Bankerguy]

i saw the second half of the game.


my second biggest takeaway is that hogs is fading after being shot out of a cannon to start in camp. perhaps he is in the doghouse again, or perhaps lekkermaki nipping at his heels is the problem.

i think part of that, is because Hogs is used to being your teams 5 or 6th threat from a scoring perspective... but last night he was leading the charge against McDavid / Drai and an oilers team that just made it to the finals. Not too surprised that he struggled to move the needle. I suspect that when you have Garly/Dak going, Petey, Miller Boes all playing, he's going to slide in and look pretty good.

 

[VanillaCoke]

I never want to see Lankinen in preds gear again.

Need a non dave art canucks mask asap.

 

[Blue and Green]

Fwiw I’ve been saying for awhile Lind should be in the NHL. Seattle kind of dicked him around and they had too many veteran depth. Lind has looked excellent in pre season with Dallas, I think he might make it.

Bains is more like a Gaunce to me.

Bains is similar in a lot of ways to Lind, main differences being that Bains has shown more defensive and PK acumen in the AHL but is a worse shooter (and it's not as though Lind can strike much fear into the hearts of NHL goalies).

Lind isn't a defensive guy and isn't physical, which puts him at a disadvantage for a 4th-line role, and he doesn't skate well enough to be able to translate his other skills and good offensive vision into a third-line position. If Bains is going to make it in the NHL he'll need to be a respectable defensive/PK/forecheck guy on the fourth line, because a worse-shooting version of Kole Lind isn't going anywhere as an offensive/transitional player.

 

[sting101]

Bains biggest issues are he's weak and not a good finisher. And i say this after a beautiful top shelf finish on last nights PP. To date he's been rubbed out too easily which leads to a lot of the flailing we see and when he gets chances his shot has been more DeGuiseppe than an actual goal scorer and that's been evident by his 13 and 16 goals AHL seasons and lack of an NHL goal in 8 games.

He's still a really good organizational depth player. A smart top line winger for Abbotsford and if called upon should be a decent fill in. To be a NHLer he simply has to find a way to complement top players by being an agitator going to the net being greasy and ultimately enough of a finisher to stay. There is still time but it's running out. When he goes down this year he would be wise to become a little more selfish and when he gets his call he needs to be dirty/greasy in a good way

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

From an Oiler poster who was giving his insights into last nights game..made me chuckle a little bit

“Podz had some better than I expected moments in preseason but was really just nothing yesterday. I suspect the nerves of playing with the great one got to him? Interestingly Petterson from Vancouver was invisible in the same game. Man, Petey didn't look any different than any of the scrubs Nucks were playing. Thats gonna be a terrible contract.”