Canucks Young Guns

[Strangelove]

Thatcher Demko, new list

[Strangelove]

Ok, I see what they did there now. Make you flip through 15 pages of ads to get the whole list! Man I hate sites like that.

New top 10 from Canuck Way is:
1 - Thatcher Demko
2 - Olli Juolevi
3 - Brock Boeser
4 - Jake Virtanen
5 - Nikita Tryamkin
6 - Brendan Gaunce
7 - Troy Stecher
8 - Guillaume Brisebois
9 - Jordan Subban
10 - Michael Garteig

So for this game and the new list I take Zalewski.

Thanks Aaron!

Gotta go with CC (Cole Cassels)

[BladesofSteel]

Pedan/Tryamkin
Stecher/Subban
Brisebois/Juolevi

With each pair having similar skill sets/upside, I'm liking the internal competition Benning is mustering on the blueline

[Mickey107]

Thatcher Demko, new list

Your cut off!

It was meant as sarcasm.
Meaning I'd like to be able to not only pick a dark horse from the restricted list but pick one from a unrestricted list too.

[rikster]

Meaning I'd like to be able to not only pick a dark horse from the restricted list but pick one from a unrestricted list too

I was hoping posters would give the reasons why they chose their player...

Years ago a friend of mines kid was in the Flames organization and was a roommate of Marc Giordano during their time playing for the farm team...

Robyn Regehr's kid brother, Ritchie was generally considered to be the next prospect to make it the show but my friends kid kept telling me that Girodano was the player to watch ...

Without revealing why I felt this way, I posted at Calgary Puck that they should watch out for Giordano and that he was a better player than Ritchie Regehr...

My prediction didn't go over to well with the "experts" over there at Calgary Puck who knew nothing about Giordano because he wasn't on the media's radar which to the fans meant he couldn't be a very good player...

Ritchie on the other hand had lots of attention because of his brother and ended up playing just 20 NHL games before he went overseas to play...

Not suggesting that the Canucks have a Marc Giordano hidden in their system, although prior to the end of last season who thought Tryamkin was anything but a wasted draft pick, but for me in the dog days of summer I find it more fun to discuss the unknown players and why we think they have a chance rather than focusing on the prospects everybody is focusing on....

Take care..

[Ronning's Ghost]

I was hoping posters would give the reasons why they chose their player...

Asking for one thing, but carrying an unspoken hope for another. I thought that was something only girlfriends did. Thank you for expanding my horizons.

[Topper]

I was hoping posters would give the reasons why they chose their player...

Asking for one thing, but carrying an unspoken hope for another. I thought that was something only girlfriends did. Thank you for expanding my horizons.

You two would make a cute couple.

[BladesofSteel]

I don't wanna throw my shoulder out, but I never thought Tree was a wasted pick. Quite the opposite in fact.

I look at Cassels because of the roller-coaster he's ridden the past 12 months. I like how Green has taken him under his wing, and am pleased Cass (Utica ftm) gets to work with him for one more year.

Having 5+ months off to train for 100% is all CC needs to make some noise.

[Strangelove]

I chose Cassels because I hear he is an intelligent determined individual.

He progressed extremely well in junior after being drafted by Canucks 85th OA in 2013.

Word was that in order to make it in the pros, he needed to add muscle + work on his skating

... but he wasn't able to train properly last off-season due to injury (hardly at all).

So the Comets gave him the McCann treatment last season

... less icetime, sitting out games... in favour of hitting the gym harder during the season.

I hear he was in rehab mode for the first half of the season and found his legs as the season wore on.

As BoS says, a full off-season of training will bode well for him.

But to be honest... mostly... when choosing my longshot I go with hunch + pedigree.

[2Fingers]

As I said before other than top picks all players success is highly dependent on how the team develops the prospect. I have a hell of a lot of faith in leadership if the goal of the Comets is player development and not winning a nothing AHL championship. Not to take away the work required to win the championship but I don't want to see a 20 year sitting in the stands while a 29 year old gets ice time.

Yes yes yes I know the prospect still needs to do what they need to do to earn ice time.

Good to hear about Cassels

[Mickey107]

As I said before other than top picks all players success is highly dependent on how the team develops the prospect. I have a hell of a lot of faith in leadership if the goal of the Comets is player development and not winning a nothing AHL championship. Not to take away the work required to win the championship but I don't want to see a 20 year sitting in the stands while a 29 year old gets ice time.

Yes yes yes I know the prospect still needs to do what they need to do to earn ice time.

Good to hear about Cassels

Take heart, Reef, it's all good now cause unlike before, the Comets are ours and only ours!
It is now totally designed and coached with the parent team's needs in mind.
For sure a great thing Aquaman did there!
No more conflict of interests...

[Cherry Picker]

I have a hard time picking prospects since Rene Vydareny broke my heart. I was sure he'd be a Bobby Orr like star.
Generally, I like the goalies and defensive prospects. Looks like lots of depth and potential in those positions. Besides BB Gun, there doesn't seem to be much potential for high end forwards. I'll take Abols as my reach prospect pick. He seems to be a fast grinder type who plays a tough 200 foot game. I think he'll end up in the NHL as a 4th or 3rd line checker, but maybe he can develop some more skill and becomes a Hansen or Burrows type who moves up to a top six role some day.

[Hockey Widow]

Abols was my pick too. I was impressed with his prospects camp and found it hard to understand why he was un drafted. The Canucks had their selection down to Abols or McKenzie Stewart and went with Stewart.

I remember commenting last year that they may have the wrong Latvian in Kenins.

I liked Abols speed, finesse with the puck, his drive to the net and his physicality. I thought one of his weaknesses was his back checking but also thought that might have something to do with the transition to the smaller ice. I too see him as third line potential with the sleeper upside being a second line guy. As suggested, an upside of a Burrows/Hansen type.

[damonberryman]

I got to go with Cole as well. Last year was an anomaly and I expect him to blow the doors off this year. I see him as a third line guy with great energy, a chip on his pads and a grinder who can put the puck in the net. Always liked him and am really optimistic about the team JB and Linden are putting together. They are building from the net out. The D is looking much better than one year ago although it still needs to prove itself. Tanev and Hutton are both solid as is EG. The young Fin may make the club but if not we are still a better team than last year. Up front is now the problem but is slowly coming together.

Before I am accused of being a kool aid drinker let me respond to that charge the only way possible......I AM A FAN, not a GM or sportswriter. I love this team and will till I die. They have given me some of the best highs ( all three finals) and worst lows (2011). I follow them completely and even if I live in NY the Canucks are one of my connections to home. Enough said.

[Aaronp18]

Enough said.