Vancouver Canucks Messageboard

ESQ wrote: ↑Sat Jul 20, 2019 11:30 am

RoyalDude wrote: ↑Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:32 am

micky107 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:29 pm

Rick Dhaliwal
@DhaliwalSports
I asked Milan Lucic if he was asked to waive his NTC in last year to go to the #Canucks : “No never. There was never a trade to Vancouver as far as I’m concerned.”

Doesn’t sound like Eriksson - Lucic swap ever got serious.
4:54 PM · Jul 19, 2019 ·

Reckon it was the media that started the rumors, mm?

The media here starts a lot of false rumours.

Canucks Army wrote:Two weeks ago, Jason Gregor of TSN 1200 appeared on TSN 1040 and said a source told him that Benning and company talked about swapping Eriksson for Lucic

Dude, care to share your thoughts with Halford and Brough?

Talked

Benning and company at a bbq picnic - “hey Brackett toss me a tall one from the cooler will ya? So, Wesibrod, what about an Eriksson for Lucic deal?” - “not sure Loui will waive, Jimmy”. “Well, at least we talked about it. Steamer tell Gregor we talked about it”

Coyotes getting a lot of love.

Yes, they added the biggest name in the Pac with Kessel, but their leading scorer got 47 points, and nobody got 20 goals.

And that was a season with almost no injuries.

ESQ wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2019 2:30 pm Coyotes getting a lot of love.

Yes, they added the biggest name in the Pac with Kessel, but their leading scorer got 47 points, and nobody got 20 goals.

And that was a season with almost no injuries.

Who cares.

You can have 3 guys who produce at better than a point per game and still get bounced in the 1st round of the playoffs.

Just ask Dubas.

Mëds wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2019 5:06 pm

ESQ wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2019 2:30 pm Coyotes getting a lot of love.

Yes, they added the biggest name in the Pac with Kessel, but their leading scorer got 47 points, and nobody got 20 goals.

And that was a season with almost no injuries.

Who cares.

You can have 3 guys who produce at better than a point per game and still get bounced in the 1st round of the playoffs.

Just ask Dubas.

And Tuna!

Mëds wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2019 5:06 pm
Who cares.

You can have 3 guys who produce at better than a point per game and still get bounced in the 1st round of the playoffs.

Just ask Dubas.

ok ok, fair point! I suppose they could wind up like the Islanders and come out of nowhere to make the playoffs, led by Captain Phil the Thrill

ESQ wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2019 2:30 pm Coyotes getting a lot of love.

Yes, they added the biggest name in the Pac with Kessel, but their leading scorer got 47 points, and nobody got 20 goals.

And that was a season with almost no injuries.

Lacked injury... sarcasm?

Nick Schmaltz missed half the season. He was brought in to be a top line player. He had better work; the Coyotes gave up Strome and Perlini to get him.

Chychrun missed almost half the season. He is a top 4 defenseman with #1 overall potential (all situations, 25+ minutes a game, match up against top lines) who reminds me of Edler -- the size, the physicality when used (and not used), the offensive potential, and, yes, his familiarity with medical doctors. Chychrun is only 21 years old -- greatness is still possible; the floor (barring career ending injury) is an oft-injured quality player.

Their #1 goalie was injured for the whole season. Kuemper did fine, but it the Coyotes got lucky there.

Jason Demers tore his ACL and missed more than half the season. He's a decent second pairing player, no worse than a # 5 guy.

Grabner also missed half the season. He's the kind of depth that you use to move around the offense when your plan A doesn't work because of injury.

Stepan, Galchenyuk, and Histronoza all missed 10 games -- all top 6 on the Coyotes. Most teams experience that, but when you are marginal offensively (as the Canucks know), it can make a huge difference.

If you look at $$ lost, one might conclude that the Coyotes didn't have it so bad. But Schmaltz and Chychrun were on ELC's. The Coyotes were ravaged with injuries -- in the same general tier as the Canucks in the bad luck department.

The Coyotes are competing every bit as much with the Canucks to get a top 3 spot in the Pacific or a wild card. Their improvements from health + personnel will arguably be as great as the Canucks. But I think Kuemper is a big question mark, I am not sold on Schmaltz, they still are going to struggle to score enough (unless Keller truly breaks out), and the Coyotes need to adjust OEL's usage to match his on-ice play and not his reputation. But if things break, they also could be a 100 point team.

The main reason that I have them "out" and the Canucks more likely to be "in" is that (1) I expect the Canucks best forwards are better players, (2) I think Kuemper's likelihood on playing poorly is greater than Marky's, (3) the Canucks additions have the effect of removing their worst players (Guddy, Pouliot, to a lesser degree Hutton, Leivo (from a top 6), whereas the Coyotes only addition was to replace one of their best players (albeit with a better player), and (4) the Coyotes seem to have a destiny to be on the outside looking in.

On the flip side, a healthy Coyotes defense corps better than Vancouver's healthy defense corps.

NJD give up a 2nd + 3rd for Gusev.

The Golden Knights have acquired a 2020 third round pick and a 2021 second round pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Nikita Gusev.

They sign him to $9 million over two years (4.5 AAV).

Not too shabby for the NJD, albeit we don't how he'd perform in the NHL.

UWSaint wrote: ↑Mon Jul 29, 2019 8:05 am

ESQ wrote: ↑Sat Jul 27, 2019 2:30 pm Coyotes getting a lot of love.

Yes, they added the biggest name in the Pac with Kessel, but their leading scorer got 47 points, and nobody got 20 goals.

And that was a season with almost no injuries.

Lacked injury... sarcasm?

When I look at their injuries, I don't see any significant injuries to players I consider Key. Of course, that's partially because they don't have any key players other than OEL.

They had the 3rd-worst offence in the league. Soderberg might be their new #1 center, which pretty much sums up their off-season. Kessel was a good addition, but he's going from playing most of his shifts with Malkin or Crosby. They needed another top-3 forward, instead of another 2nd/3rd line tweener.

Just bumping this thread, biggest surprise for me thus far is Edmonton, but IMO their early success is 100% driven by James Neal.

ESQ wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:02 pm Just bumping this thread, biggest surprise for me thus far is Edmonton, but IMO their early success is 100% driven by James Neal.

I think it’s more tippet has them playing a system that really supports the dmen. Also Ethan bear looks like he may be the real deal.

Richardstroker69 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 4:17 pm

ESQ wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:02 pm Just bumping this thread, biggest surprise for me thus far is Edmonton, but IMO their early success is 100% driven by James Neal.

I think it’s more tippet has them playing a system that really supports the dmen. Also Ethan bear looks like he may be the real deal.

Ya they finally have structure to their game

Richardstroker69 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 4:17 pm

ESQ wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:02 pm Just bumping this thread, biggest surprise for me thus far is Edmonton, but IMO their early success is 100% driven by James Neal.

I think it’s more tippet has them playing a system that really supports the dmen. Also Ethan bear looks like he may be the real deal.

You could be right, but imo they've had defense-first/trap coaches before. Right now they're 3-0 and a guy that they acquired for a bum has 6 goals out of 14, and they've given up 9 goals in 3 games. While Ethan Bear is a -2 with 0 points and 17 min/gp.

ESQ wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 10:11 pm

Richardstroker69 wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 4:17 pm

ESQ wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:02 pm Just bumping this thread, biggest surprise for me thus far is Edmonton, but IMO their early success is 100% driven by James Neal.

I think it’s more tippet has them playing a system that really supports the dmen. Also Ethan bear looks like he may be the real deal.

You could be right, but imo they've had defense-first/trap coaches before. Right now they're 3-0 and a guy that they acquired for a bum has 6 goals out of 14, and they've given up 9 goals in 3 games. While Ethan Bear is a -2 with 0 points and 17 min/gp.

Have you watched the games though? Ethan looks good

Looks like Arizona is starting to fade, and I seriously question the timing of the Gallant firing in Vegas.

Could the Pac go all-Canadian for the 1-2-3 seeds?

For most of the year I thought the central would have the two wild card spots, so best seeding is 2nd or 3rd. But right now it looks like any seed in the pac could go to the WCF.

I'm also looking at Calgary's -12 in goals for/against and wondering how sustainable that is over another 32 games.