Confirmed with Link: Utah signs D Ian Cole to a 1-year contract ($3.1M AAV)
- Thread starter TheLegend
- Start date
Liked most of our moves but not this one. Cole was a net negative to Vancouver from what I saw. Probably a good argument he was the single worst player in the entire NHL playoffs this past year. Oh well, at least it's a one year deal
DustyDangler
Registered User
- Dec 20, 2023
- 1,293
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Excellent question. Would be neat if there was a db that credited who the primary scout was that nabbed a player. FWIW...found the following:
Incoming Freshman Ian Cole Selected In First Round Of NHL Entry Draft
fightingirish.com
kanucks25
Chris Tanev #1 Fan
Cole was a solid bottom-pairing and PK guy for most of the season but he was absolutely horrendous against Oilers. We may have won that series if we had another option but unfortunately our 7th D-man is Juulsen who is not good enough for the NHL playoffs.
Utah pays the "veteran leadership" premium here. By most accounts he's great in the room and has Stanley Cup experience. It's an overpayment but not horrible as long as his legs don't fall off.
Prestigeworldwide
Registered User
- Apr 21, 2017
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I was kind of pulling for Dillon but one year deal isn't bad. Good bridge player for Simashevs arrival maybe.
Mr. Canucklehead
Kitimat Canuck
I wouldn't judge Cole solely on his series against Edmonton (which admittedly, was one of the worst combinations of brain cramps combined with bad luck that I've ever seen a player go through). He lacerated his ankle in Game 1 of Round 2 and could barely get his skate into his boot, and tried to soldier through.
That said - as bad as he was in Round 2, he was vital in Round 1 against Nashville and a big part of our PK. The biggest reason for Vancouver's turnaround last year was the changes on the back end, and Cole was a big part of that. He's a solid veteran, well liked in the locker room, blocks shots, kills penalties, and brings some physicality and grit. He can move up a pair in spot injury relief, but he definitely needs to be load managed over the course of a season.
If Utah can do that, you'll have a solid role player on your hands.
That said - as bad as he was in Round 2, he was vital in Round 1 against Nashville and a big part of our PK. The biggest reason for Vancouver's turnaround last year was the changes on the back end, and Cole was a big part of that. He's a solid veteran, well liked in the locker room, blocks shots, kills penalties, and brings some physicality and grit. He can move up a pair in spot injury relief, but he definitely needs to be load managed over the course of a season.
If Utah can do that, you'll have a solid role player on your hands.
