Canucks Young Guns

[Cornuck]

Show your math

The only math that matters...

[Blob Mckenzie]

[Per]

This is an even more detailed version of what Dahlen has been saying and his thought pattern;
https://canucksarmy.com/2019/03/05/jona ... ucks-fans/

As for development, Dahlen is quoted in that article as saying, "I have not been able to do anything offensive without being afraid of being benched if I make a mistake."

I think this is an issue with Green and Goldobin as well. The goal in hockey is not to eliminate errors. It is to score more goals than the other team. And the best way to do that isn't a secret: (1) create more chances than the other team and (2) have a good keeper. Errors can contribute to chances by the other team. Making only safe plays reduces chances you get.

Of course, with Dahlen, I'm thinking, if you aren't scared of leaving and playing in Europe, why don't you just play your game? The worst thing that can happen to you by continuing to play a offensive minded game is that you get cut and go to Europe, just like you are doing. Apprehension and its consequences, though, are not the stuff of rational thought.

I think there may also be a bit of a culture clash involved.

Traditionally, in Sweden we focused a lot on systems and error minimization. The focus was always on the team, not on the individual, and virtually all teams played the trap. It worked fairly well, but we ended up with mostly Samuel Påhlsson type of guys; shutdown centres, stay-at-home d-men, unselfish players. The peak was Sweden's world championship gold in 1998. That year the final was played in two games, with the combined score determining the winner. In game one Sweden and Finland played 0-0. In game two Sweden won 1-0, to win the championship on a combined score of 1-0 over six periods of hockey in the final.

Gradually people started to worry about hockey becoming boring, and that we needed to develop more star players. As a result the Swedish Hockey Federation initiated a programme basically turning the whole youth programme on its head. The new idea was to focus on skill and individual development. Learning to play it safe and to strictly follow a system could be left to the later stages of development. As a result deking and taking chances is now encouraged in junior hockey, and to get there, coaches have had to stop yelling at players taking risks. More praise and encouragement and less critique and punishment. The criticism given should be constructive and help the player develop his game.

The idea being that it is easier to teach a skilled player when to use caution than to teach a cautious player skill.

The rewamped system is working. Especially when it comes to developing offensive d-men, which has become something of a Swedish specialty (Gustafsson, Hedman, Karlsson, Klingberg, Dahlin, Ekholm, Ekman-Larsson...). But forwards have also become more skilled and selfish. We are developing more of a shoot first mentality, which has traditionally been our Achilles heel. But this has come to fruition through a change in coaching, and I think in North America there is still more of a traditional take on this.

Now, when you have a player like Petey, who is so skilled he makes people's jaw drop, of course the coach will accept the risk taking involved in his style of play. Anything else would be lunacy. But for someone who is not really superstar quality, but still pretty good, like Dahlén, the failed attempts might piss the coach off more than the succesful attempts please him.

I think it is quite likely that this is what happened hear. Cull has called Dahlén out for stupid risk taking, and punished him for it, and Dahlén not being used to this coaching style has not really been able to get to grips with what he has done wrong and how to correct it. The same stuff that earned him praise in Sweden is suddenly getting him benched. This has messed with his confidence, and when you don't feel confident on the ice, you start to hesitate, and in the fast paced hockey of today there is no room for that. This then becomes a viscious circle, leading to more criticism and lower confidence and more mistakes.

If it is also true, as has been suggested, that Cull likes grinders better than skill players, then maybe Utica wasn't the best spot for Dahlén to be.
I still think he has the capacity to play in the NHL, and I feel the Canucks wasted a good prospect here, but I guess it is what it is.

People in Timrå are thrilled to have him back though. While he was gone they got demoted from the SHL again, and they now hope he will once more lead them to the promised land; or at very least the SHL...

[2Fingers]

Cull has 1 job, develop players for the NHL. If he likes grinders then he is the wrong coach.

[theman]

Cull has 1 job, develop players for the NHL. If he likes grinders then he is the wrong coach.

So much this.

[Mickey107]

If it is also true, as has been suggested, that Cull likes grinders better than skill players, then maybe Utica wasn't the best spot for Dahlén to be.
I still think he has the capacity to play in the NHL, and I feel the Canucks wasted a good prospect here, but I guess it is what it is.

People in Timrå are thrilled to have him back though. While he was gone they got demoted from the SHL again, and they now hope he will once more lead them to the promised land; or at very least the SHL...

We may well need an upgrade on Cull in Utica. If Benning thinks so, I don't think the Owners will bitch about terminating him early.
I wish we had better access to Comet games but unless you want to pay the world, we don't. In fact, availability is very poor. Unfortunate.

Sounds to me, Dahlen had his mind made up to return to Sweden. Maybe the NHL is a little intimidating for him.
His concerns, if accurate, IMO, would have been better served had he contacted Mr. Benning. Don't know if he did that or tried that or not.

I will be curious to hear Jim's take on it.

[5thhorseman]

People in Timrå are thrilled to have him back though. While he was gone they got demoted from the SHL again, and they now hope he will once more lead them to the promised land; or at very least the SHL...

If Dahlen is such a great prospect, shouldn't he be playing in the SHL this upcoming season, Timrå be damned? Sounds like a nice fairytale story but his time would be better spent playing against better competition.

[Cousin Strawberry]

Whats the guys name we got for Dahlen? Whats he been doing? Who cares about ulfs mattress stain

[Hockey Widow]

Dahlen’s problem, twice, was being unable to adapt to the AHL. His also did not relate well with Cull. But I think it was his agent who blew it by sounding off to Benning too much. Dahlen apparently didn’t sound off to anyone other than his agent. When his agent threatened NHL or back to Sweden Benning traded him.

I guess the SJS AHL team didn’t goes as well for him either though so I wouldn’t be so quick to put it all on Cull. He choose to go home instead the Shark’s camp. That one I find strange, no.

[Mickey107]

Dahlen’s problem, twice, was being unable to adapt to the AHL. His also did not relate well with Cull. But I think it was his agent who blew it by sounding off to Benning too much. Dahlen apparently didn’t sound off to anyone other than his agent. When his agent threatened NHL or back to Sweden Benning traded him.

I guess the SJS AHL team didn’t goes as well for him either though so I wouldn’t be so quick to put it all on Cull. He choose to go home instead the Shark’s camp. That one I find strange, no.

Doubt it was much of a conversation between Benning and J.P. Barry.

Probably too much written though; https://www.vancourier.com/pass-it-to-b ... 1.23647695

Wids; I agree. Damned weird he had no interest in trying again with the Sharks. Guess he's the best judge of his own compete level.

[Per]

People in Timrå are thrilled to have him back though. While he was gone they got demoted from the SHL again, and they now hope he will once more lead them to the promised land; or at very least the SHL...

If Dahlen is such a great prospect, shouldn't he be playing in the SHL this upcoming season, Timrå be damned? Sounds like a nice fairytale story but his time would be better spent playing against better competition.

I definitely agree that he’d be preparing himself better for the NHL by playing in the SHL.
Petey did that. He left Timrå to play for an SHL team instead, and I think that’s partly why he had an easier time adjusting to the NHL. Dahlén attempted to go straight from the Swedish second tier league to the NHL, and that’s a huge leap to take.

[Per]

Dahlen’s problem, twice, was being unable to adapt to the AHL. His also did not relate well with Cull. But I think it was his agent who blew it by sounding off to Benning too much. Dahlen apparently didn’t sound off to anyone other than his agent. When his agent threatened NHL or back to Sweden Benning traded him.

I guess the SJS AHL team didn’t goes as well for him either though so I wouldn’t be so quick to put it all on Cull. He choose to go home instead the Shark’s camp. That one I find strange, no.

Yeah, he should have given the Barracudas a shot. Or join an SHL team.
Going back to Timrå is probably not the smartest career at this point.
But I guess he was feeling home sick...

[Mickey107]

.
Nils Höglander ranked 2nd best junior player in th shl, Broberg comes in at 8

https://www.expressen.se/sport/hockey/b ... -juniorer/

hahahahaha

[Blob Mckenzie]

.
Nils Höglander ranked 2nd best junior player in th shl, Broberg comes in at 8

https://www.expressen.se/sport/hockey/b ... -juniorer/

hahahahaha

What’s funny here?

[ESQ]

Dahlen’s problem, twice, was being unable to adapt to the AHL. His also did not relate well with Cull. But I think it was his agent who blew it by sounding off to Benning too much. Dahlen apparently didn’t sound off to anyone other than his agent. When his agent threatened NHL or back to Sweden Benning traded him.

I guess the SJS AHL team didn’t goes as well for him either though so I wouldn’t be so quick to put it all on Cull. He choose to go home instead the Shark’s camp. That one I find strange, no.

Yeah, he should have given the Barracudas a shot. Or join an SHL team.
Going back to Timrå is probably not the smartest career at this point.
But I guess he was feeling home sick...

Timra get demoted last season? I thought Dahlen got them through promotion before he came over?