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Southern_Canuck wrote:
As for adding a veteran with a mean streak, I would add decent skater to that characteristic list... maybe Pedan will surprise and make the big club next season.
Not out of the realm of possibility... I keep hearing he's having a great season.
Per wrote:Re: assholishness. Douglas Murray spent this season in Germany, but has already returned to North America with the pronounced goal of returning to the NHL. Not the best blue liner there is, but extensive NHL and international experience and a mean streak a mile wide. Could he be of interest?
I've always liked Murray... I think we've had this conversation before amirite Per?
BUT... omg he was bad in Montreal last season.
Yeah, he's always been slow, but that was ridiculous .
I can't remember was it injuries?
Not any major ones that I can recall, but yes, he has always been slow, and aging hasn't made him faster. He was not offered a contract by any SHL team this season, but speed is even more important for a blueliner on the wider ice surface we have here, and "physical play" is less tolerated, so his style is a very poor fit for SHL hockey.
Shrug. Guess he probably won't get to play in any major league again, but guess his name recognition may help him land contracts in the lesser European leagues. Too bad.
Whatever you do, always give 100 %!
Except when donating blood.
Per wrote:Re: assholishness. Douglas Murray spent this season in Germany, but has already returned to North America with the pronounced goal of returning to the NHL. Not the best blue liner there is, but extensive NHL and international experience and a mean streak a mile wide. Could he be of interest?
The Canucks will have a cap issue if they qualify all of their RFAs, and a cheap bridge vet to hold them over until some of the actual prospects from the Farm are ready for bigger roles (I don't consider Stanton or Biega a prospect, Clendening and Corrado still haven't hit their ceiling).
Murray could probably be the cheapest Dman on the team, as well as the biggest and meanest (and slowest, but Bieksa might have something to say about that). That's a pretty valuable combo, and worth a shot IMO.
Canucks in it's entire history with zero Cups have never had a #1 dman, and EVERYONE knows that is wtf you need to get a Cup....so with that in mind like last year when I was gung-ho in trying to get the team to move up to draft Ekblad (whose tearing it up right now at 18 years of age), I'm at it again..
Trade Lack for a 1st, YES someone will pay that especially with his great performances vs Cup contending teams..
combine that 1st with our 1st to move up to at least #10 and try to draft Oliver Kylington, a Tanev like skillset with smart scoring plays, a future Lidstrom light...3x better than Edler.
Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
After spending the fall at home in Stockholm, where Murray practiced with Djurgården's juniors, he launched his comeback in the German league with Cologne after the new year.
But his goal the whole time has bern to return to North America and the NHL, and when Calgary suffered an injury to their captain and star blueliner Mark Giordano Douglas found the opening he's been looking for.
He landed in Canada Thursday evening, had his first practice with the Flames in Calgary yesterday, and after their home ice victory against Toronto, he flew with the team to Colorado, where they face the Avalanche on Saturday night.
"Calgary hasn't promised me a contract, but I have a good feeling about this. They wouldn't have brought me over if they weren't prepared to give me a fair shot."
Dougie is known as a big, heavy, tough D-man from his years in San Jose, Pittsburgh and Montreal, but to earn a spot as a 35-yo in the NHL today he has had to reinvent homself.
"My strength is still the physical play, but the game has changed over the past few years and I realize I have to adapt. D-men today are skilled skaters and contribute on the offense. So I'm a dying breed, so to say."
You've lost a lot of weight?
"Yes, I've lost some six-seven kg (13.2-15.4 lb for those into medieval measurements) and it feels good. I may have been too set in my eays earlier, but the game has changed. I know what the teams are looking for today. The trend in hockey is for more speed."
Your goal is to show to Calgary as well as other teams that you can still cut it in the NHL?
"Exactly. I feel that I still have many years left in me."
Whatever you do, always give 100 %!
Except when donating blood.
I'd trade BXA too. Sbisa hits hard, but is a turnover machine. BXA is just past his best before date, and is starting to smell. He's lost a bit of foot speed, but would be a solid guy for a rebuilding team for a few years.
The more defencemen Benning can retain the better. They've needed every one of them, and none have been hugely disappointing.
Sbisa is the only one I would try and upgrade and I doubt that happens because he seems to be favorable to Willie even though he's not with a lot of the fans.
dangler wrote:The more defencemen Benning can retain the better. They've needed every one of them, and none have been hugely disappointing.
Sbisa is the only one I would try and upgrade and I doubt that happens because he seems to be favorable to Willie even though he's not with a lot of the fans.
If Sbiza was half the price he might make some sense. Having to qualify a bottom-pairing guy at $2.9M is too much. I'd rather keep all of Weber, Clendenning and Stanton, and that's probably what our options are when it comes to cap. Can probably get all of them for around $3M.
I'd also be keeping Bieksa. The guy bleeds Canucks colours and none of those d-men are ready to step into his role. Don't see much sense in trying to force him to waive for what would likely be a small return. (his 15/16 salary is also only $2.5M... savings for a Canucks team with attendance issues )