2016 Training camp

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Hockey Widow
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Hockey Widow »

sagebrush wrote:Final 6 cuts to be made from 29 remaining.

F: Baertschi, Burrows, Dorsett, Eriksson, Etem, Gaunce(E), Granlund, Hansen, Horvat(E), Rodin, D. Sedin, H. Sedin, Sutter, Virtanen(E), Ruutu(PTO), Skille(PTO)

D: Biega, Edler, Gudbranson, Hutton, Larsen, Nilsson, Sbisa, Stecher(E), Tanev, Tryamkin(E)

G: Bachman, Markstrom, Miller

Likely candidates to go (subject to trades): Etem, Gaunce, Ruutu, Skille, Stecher, Biega, Tryamkin, Bachman.

It's complicated.

(E) = waiver exempt, (PTO)=...
Biega and Trymakin are not getting cut. Biega is staying to help the Canucks get expansion draft compliance. If Trymakin is cut he goes back to Russia. Stetcher will be the outlyer.

Bachman will get waived.

2 of Virtanen, Gaunce, Etem, Skille or Ruutu will stay. But colour that with Benning saying he feels comfortable this season assigning NHL ready players and having depth in the system because he is anticipating injuries in the first 10-20 games.

The easy decision I guess is to not offer contracts to either Skille or Ruutu and assign one of Virtanen or Gaunce. That means Etem stays, for now, and will be given a chance to play the way they want him to. Benning says they will assess that after Ruutu gets a chance tomorrow to showcase himself one final time.
Last edited by Hockey Widow on Fri Oct 07, 2016 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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sagebrush
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by sagebrush »

^^
Benning may try to sneak another through waivers, or come to a compromise with Tryamkin, or trade, or .... injure someone. :look:

That's why ...

it's complicated.
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Hockey Widow
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Hockey Widow »

sagebrush wrote:^^
Benning may try to sneak another through waivers, or come to a compromise with Tryamkin, or trade, or .... injure someone. :look:

That's why ...

it's complicated.
Of course, but barring a trade, it isn't complicated anymore.
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Iceman2014
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Iceman2014 »

Stecher has done well but I think he should start in Utica. He can get prime minutes there and get called up later in the season. I don't think Etem has earned a spot. Virtanen should start in Utica. Gaunce looks good to go and Skille and Ruutu have been decent.

So, Etem, Stecher and Virtanen should head to Utica.

Gaunce and Skille may stick. Ruutu probably is out and maybe gets sent to Utica...maybe...

Still some tough calls here.
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Hockey Widow
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Hockey Widow »

Iceman2014 wrote:Stecher has done well but I think he should start in Utica. He can get prime minutes there and get called up later in the season. I don't think Etem has earned a spot. Virtanen should start in Utica. Gaunce looks good to go and Skille and Ruutu have been decent.

So, Etem, Stecher and Virtanen should head to Utica.

Gaunce and Skille may stick. Ruutu probably is out and maybe gets sent to Utica...maybe...

Still some tough calls here.

Ya, I think, just my thoughts nothing Benning has said, that Gaunce and Ruutu bring a similar game. Both can play wing or centre. So I think depending upon how Ruutu plays tomorrow there may be a choice there.

I think Skille, Etem and Virtanen bring a similar game, albeit with differing skill sets and up side. Virtanen has the obvious upside. But what the team seems to want for that roster spot, right now, is a player that drives to the net and is physical every shift. Skille has, to me, out played Etem for that spot but the question in my mind has he done enough to cause Benning to waive Etem?

Given Virtanen's upside and skill set they just seem to want more from him by way of consistency and the question I have is he better served, or is the team better served, having him share the 13th forward spot or playing top six in Utica?

Again all of this presupposes that the trade off between those five, having to pick two, is not that great at the present point in time. And if parking Virtanen and Gaunce allows us to to keep vets that can be, brace for it, "placeholders" for one more season, is it bad.

Last year we signed Cracknell with the intention of assigning him to Utica but he became a safer option/placeholder because Vey humped the dog. This year Gaunce has not coasted or humped the dog like Vey did so it really boils down to can Ruutu step up and be a glimmer of his former self. He can be waived at a future date keep in mind, so it is about creating NHL ready depth to protect against injuries.

Remember Benning said one of the biggest problems last year was lack of NHL ready depth to have to call up in case of injuries and he said the blame rests totally with him for not acquiring the depth. Perhaps that is playing on his mind.
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by SKYO »

Willie was saying about Etem et al, if you are not scoring you better bring other parts to the game to help win.

Etem doesn't do much else if he's not scoring, waived to Utica, Virtanen has to work more on the two-way game, can do that in Utica.

It is why I think Gaunce makes it and we sign one of Ruutu or Skille to a cheap one year contract.

Both provide quality depth as checkers, saavy pro's, reliable, smart, do whatever it takes to help your team.
Last edited by SKYO on Fri Oct 07, 2016 7:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Strangelove »

Any chance Canucks sign Ruutu/Skille only to waive down as a callup option?
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by SKYO »

Strangelove wrote:Any chance Canucks sign Ruutu/Skille only to waive down as a callup option?
I'd say they get the 13th spot, no waivers.

Sedins Eriksson
Baertschi Horvat Rodin
Granlund Sutter Hansen
Dorsett Gaunce Burrows
13th man (Skille or Ruutu)

Virtanen/Etem to Utica.

Stecher and Virtanen first callups, as CHERRY said, shouldn't be long till a injury happens aha :mad:
*knocks on wood*
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Hockey Widow
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Hockey Widow »

Strangelove wrote:Any chance Canucks sign Ruutu/Skille only to waive down as a callup option?

Absolutely there's a chance, if those players are willing to sign under that understanding. If they think they can land somewhere else they may balk at that. Or they may want a one way deal. Similar to most PTOs they may just be happy with a one way pro contract.

Re Skyo's comment about WD on Etem, that's why I say I think he has out played Etem for that spot. Neither is producing offence but Skille is bringing it every shift. Still, is it enough to waive Etem?
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Cherry Picker »

SKYO wrote:
Strangelove wrote:Any chance Canucks sign Ruutu/Skille only to waive down as a callup option?
I'd say they get the 13th spot, no waivers.

Sedins Eriksson
Baertschi Horvat Rodin
Granlund Sutter Hansen
Dorsett Gaunce Burrows
13th man (Skille or Ruutu)

Virtanen/Etem to Utica.

Stecher and Virtanen first callups, as CHERRY said, shouldn't be long till a injury happens aha :mad:
*knocks on wood*
Rodin's spot may be already open if his knee doesn't settle down. That may be enough to keep Virtanen up.
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Puck »

I worry about the PTO guys bringing it once they've been signed. Sure, Skille looks good now, but will he still be better than Etem in 6 months?
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by SKYO »

Hmm good points, looking at Skille stats last year is pretty concerning, at least last year with Ruutu you can blame his foot injury for a poor season, I think Ruutu holds more value with his skill set as a depth guy, as he plays a much more rugged game, more versatility, plus he sniped a top shelf goal which helped his cause ha.



Ruutu like his bro plays a in-your-face game, fearless and has a sneaky decent shot, a one year 700K contract?
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Mickey107 »

I have to point out that there are some inherent dangers in sending some players to "The Minors".
No matter how good the coach may be, it's still "The Minors"
It is NOT the glorious development garden that people are led to believe.
It's the minor league and, from a player's perspective, not where you want to be, so your angry.
What do you have to deal with when your there?
Other players around your age that want out as bad as you do.
Team mates or your enemies?
Then there are the "Lifers". Guys in their 30s that still pray for a miracle but deep down they know this is their only party and quite frankly, they are good at it and a huge part of the dressing room.
Last but not least there are the "Up and Downers". Guys that get called up for a short term reason, then, alas, back they go.
My point is that if you have an NHL level talent like Stecher, his skills will not improve much, if any, at the minor league level.
Most don't.
How many times have people thought when a talented player is sent down, he'll really rip it up, and yet that doesn't happen very often, does it?
It is what it is and can be used as a holding ground for a while. Most certainly for conditioning. Even punishment, (harsh word but why sugar coat it).
At the end of the day, you want your best talents on the big stage.

I want to see Virtanen at the NHL level as you all know but I'm really pissed off with his conditioning and now in favor of a month in the dog house to fix it.
His poor shape isn't because of a sore shoulder, it's a poor conditioning selection, one that he needs to change, (weight, diet, carbs/protein).
Too many players are being talked into crazy programs from personal trainers or just simply fads.
Look at how ridiculous many of the men's and women's tennis players look these days.
During breaks in a match they drink the green stuff then the pink stuff then the yellow stuff then munch on some kind of bar. Then they go back out and sweat all over the court, cramp up and call for a medical time out.
Any ways, I always liked a big steak about 4 hours before a game. Not so popular now I guess.....
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Hockey Widow »

I guess at the end of the day it depends upon whether they keep either Skille or Ruutu. If they waive by to both, which in the grand scheme is not a bad thing, then either Virtanen or Gaunce go to Utica. I just think the internal dialogue is about not repeating last season when they were forced to play so many kids. At the end of the day they will select the 13 forwards that they think make them the most competitive right now.
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Re: 2016 Training camp

Post by Lancer »

Hockey Widow wrote:
Strangelove wrote:Any chance Canucks sign Ruutu/Skille only to waive down as a callup option?

Absolutely there's a chance, if those players are willing to sign under that understanding. If they think they can land somewhere else they may balk at that. Or they may want a one way deal. Similar to most PTOs they may just be happy with a one way pro contract.

Re Skyo's comment about WD on Etem, that's why I say I think he has out played Etem for that spot. Neither is producing offence but Skille is bringing it every shift. Still, is it enough to waive Etem?
Reading HW's summary of Benning's comments, he could be pumping the PTOs' tires in hopes they get contracts elsewhere if they don't get signed in Vancouver. I wouldn't necessarily call the guy a softie towards players, but I can see it as a means of nurturing his reputation among agents and players as a guy who's fair.

Maybe Benning has a straight heart-to-heart with either or both about where they sit in the organization, offer them fair one-way deals and tells them it's up to them whether they play in Vancouver or not. Having guys in the minors - young or old - who can play the NHL game is going to be important. Either Skille and Ruutu accept another year of NHL paycheques from Benning either playing in Vancouver or Utica, or their egos drive them to see if they can score an NHL contract elsewhere. Given what they've provided in pre-season, I don't know what odds I'd give them with other teams.

Injuries are going to be a real thing this season, just like last season. Having kids like Gaunce, Virtanen and Stetcher in Utica getting big minutes will be important come December, and they likely have been told to be ready to come back at some point - a carrot to hold in front of them in Utica and give them hope.
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