Los Angeles @ Vancouver 7:00Pm PMT SN,FS-W

[Cousin Strawberry]

My take is that once the playoffs start, top lines are a wash, the difference is in depth and what role players step up. Several years ago during the rein of the WCE, Scotty Bowman did an assessment of playoff teams and his critique of the Canucks was their fourth line of unknowns and reclamation duds.

And this is likely why our line up this year has kept us competitive. Mattias is a pretty good depth forward and so is Richardson. I think we can disregard last year and blame angry Fonzie for turning the team into a circus....will he ever coach an NHL team again? I doubt it

[herb]

I agree with TopTop and RD.

Mondi and OKC, it's not about losing one game. Sure that was a minor disappointment, but when the best years of nearly half your team are more than likely behind them, then you better be looking towards replacing them within 2 or 3 years.

Hank, Dank, Vrbata, Burrows, Higgins, Bieksa, Hamhuis and Miller are all on the wrong side of 30. No they're not washed up, but their best playing days were years ago. That's damn near half our lineup! Even Richardson and Hansen are rapidly approaching 30.

Yes, it looks like the team will compete for a playoff spot (barring a major collapse, which I hope does not happen). That doesn't mean Benning and Linden shouldn't be looking towards the future. The plan should be to have 2 or 3 young players make the team out of camp next year. Those spots have to come from somewhere, and that means moving guys out.

[ukcanuck]

^ yes

I see 3-5 years of scraping by to get into the playoffs while the talent emerges to replace the Sedins on the top line.

I said when Nonis took over from Burke that his hardest task would be replacing the WCE and he did that with the surprising emergence of the Sedins. (I say surprising because I don't think anyone predicted they would be as good as they have become).

Gillis never attended to that issue though you could argue that Kesler was expected to assume the mantle. Benning has brought in hard working stop gap players in Miller and Verbata on deals that will expire as the kids come online with a vengeance.

You can see a secession plan in place and it is not far fetched. There will be deals made to add to the picture, both roster players and picks in and out. Those are the deals I see happening at the deadline as serious contenders look to add reliable depth. I look forward to seeing it unfold.

I was impressed with Benning and his deal making this summer. I hope to be even more impressed with his body of work this spring at the dead line.

For the first time since maybe Pat Quinn it feels like we have a GM that knows what's out there in the other team's systems and what's coming out of the amateur ranks. I think Linden hired a true hockey personnel guy and one that's connected to the hockey world.

This deadline I'll be very interested to see where he goes.

[BurningBeard]

Toews elevated his game in 09-10 when he won a cup and the legend was born.

For all the jerk off sessions Captain Serious has inspired, he scored his second goal of the 2013 playoffs in his 21st game that off season. He finished with 14 points in 23 games during the playoffs. If Hank had that sort of production, half the fan base would be asking for his head on a plate.

[2Fingers]

I agree with TopTop and RD.
Yes, it looks like the team will compete for a playoff spot (barring a major collapse, which I hope does not happen). That doesn't mean Benning and Linden shouldn't be looking towards the future. The plan should be to have 2 or 3 young players make the team out of camp next year. Those spots have to come from somewhere, and that means moving guys out.

I agree with this, get a couple vets in here to keep the team wining and then bring in the young guys with proper development. I am really hoping to see 2 more young prospects on the team next year plus Horavt, hell I would be happy with 1 guy.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Zamboni Driver, Stanton is a minor leaguer. If we had proper depth on D he'd be in Utica.

This is bullshit . Stanton is fine on the third pairing . He is now playing top 4 minutes anchored to a struggling Bieksa. Think of it as you cruising the Dufferin Hotel with Pauser as a wingman .

[Blob Mckenzie]

Yeah Calgary Canuck you must be reading too many of pausers shitty posts. The twins are top 20 in LPG in the playoffs since 2008 . Wake up .

And okcanuck there is nothing wrong with dumping one or two vets for picks or prospects , regardless of where the team sits in the standings . If it is a good return ship out a Higgins or two . Then again according to you Horvat wouldn't have made Team Canada .

[Meds]

Zamboni Driver, Stanton is a minor leaguer. If we had proper depth on D he'd be in Utica.

This is bullshit . Stanton is fine on the third pairing . He is now playing top 4 minutes anchored to a struggling Bieksa. Think of it as you cruising the Dufferin Hotel with Pauser as a wingman .

Laughed out loud at work when I read that one. Getting some odd stares.

That was fucking gold Blobby.

[Zamboni Driver]

Toews elevated his game in 09-10 when he won a cup and the legend was born.

My take is that once the playoffs start, top lines are a wash, the difference is in depth and what role players step up. Several years ago during the rein of the WCE, Scotty Bowman did an assessment of playoff teams and his critique of the Canucks was their fourth line of unknowns and reclamation duds.

Very true, in most later round playoffs I've seen there are often questions about the top line, when we played Boston it was "Where's Lucic/Krejci?", and so on.

Correct. Teams that win it all have depth. The 2011 Canucks had depth, until guys like Kesler (Groin), Hamhuis (Hernia), Edler (fingers), Ehrhoff (Shoulder) and to a lesser degree Raymond (back) and Rome (Suspension), Bieksa (MCL) were either out of the lineuup or battling fairly serious injuries. It's true that injuries happen to all teams, but when you look at how crippled the Canucks were after winning the Western Conference and the first couple games against Boston, it's not surprising they lost that final series.

Actually the problem with the 2011 playoff Canucks was lack of depth.
Lapierre wasn't really capable of generating much offence on the 3rd line, and the 4th line was a revolving door of ineffective fringe players, Glass, Tambellini, Oreskovich, Hodgeson - in a total of 57 playoff games between them they generated a total of - - wait, let me get my calculator - - oh hey, zero goals, zero points.

[Calgary_Canuck]

Yeah Calgary Canuck you must be reading too many of pausers shitty posts. The twins are top 20 in LPG in the playoffs since 2008 . Wake up .

I agree they are fine in the playoffs but they don't have another gear like most elite players. I think my original post is being taken the wrong way. I was trying to convey that they are the best most consistent top line that we have ever had and I would be happy if they retire as Canucks.

[Island Nucklehead]

Correct. Teams that win it all have depth. The 2011 Canucks had depth, until guys like Kesler (Groin), Hamhuis (Hernia), Edler (fingers), Ehrhoff (Shoulder) and to a lesser degree Raymond (back) and Rome (Suspension), Bieksa (MCL) were either out of the lineuup or battling fairly serious injuries. It's true that injuries happen to all teams, but when you look at how crippled the Canucks were after winning the Western Conference and the first couple games against Boston, it's not surprising they lost that final series.

Actually the problem with the 2011 playoff Canucks was lack of depth.
Lapierre wasn't really capable of generating much offence on the 3rd line, and the 4th line was a revolving door of ineffective fringe players, Glass, Tambellini, Oreskovich, Hodgeson - in a total of 57 playoff games between them they generated a total of - - wait, let me get my calculator - - oh hey, zero goals, zero points.

Again, my point was we weren't deep enough to overcome the injuries we faced. Lapierre wouldn't have been our third line C if Manny hadn't taken a puck to the face. How many games do Oreskovich or Bolduc get if Samuelsson isn't hurt in the second round? The Canucks went through 27 roster players on their playoff run, the Bruins only had to use 21. Any team that gets to a one-game contest for the Stanley Cup is probably deep enough.

[Zamboni Driver]

Correct. Teams that win it all have depth. The 2011 Canucks had depth, until guys like Kesler (Groin), Hamhuis (Hernia), Edler (fingers), Ehrhoff (Shoulder) and to a lesser degree Raymond (back) and Rome (Suspension), Bieksa (MCL) were either out of the lineuup or battling fairly serious injuries. It's true that injuries happen to all teams, but when you look at how crippled the Canucks were after winning the Western Conference and the first couple games against Boston, it's not surprising they lost that final series.

Actually the problem with the 2011 playoff Canucks was lack of depth.
Lapierre wasn't really capable of generating much offence on the 3rd line, and the 4th line was a revolving door of ineffective fringe players, Glass, Tambellini, Oreskovich, Hodgeson - in a total of 57 playoff games between them they generated a total of - - wait, let me get my calculator - - oh hey, zero goals, zero points.

Again, my point was we weren't deep enough to overcome the injuries we faced. Lapierre wouldn't have been our third line C if Manny hadn't taken a puck to the face. How many games do Oreskovich or Bolduc get if Samuelsson isn't hurt in the second round? The Canucks went through 27 roster players on their playoff run, the Bruins only had to use 21. Any team that gets to a one-game contest for the Stanley Cup is probably deep enough.

A strong team should realistically expect to be down two forwards and 1 top-4 defenceman without a serious loss of capability.
Sadly, once Lapierre & Torres were bumped up to the 3rd line (with Malhotra & Samuelsson out) - there was nothing left on the 4th line.
If we were to lose 2 forwards from last night's lineup we'd have Vey, Jensen or Shinkaruk, (Maybe Virtaanen next year) which I believe is a step up from Glass, Tambellini, Oreskovich, Hodgeson et all

[Island Nucklehead]

A strong team should realistically expect to be down two forwards and 1 top-4 defenceman without a serious loss of capability.
Sadly, once Lapierre & Torres were bumped up to the 3rd line (with Malhotra & Samuelsson out) - there was nothing left on the 4th line.

And the Canucks DID advance to game 7 of the Cup finals without those guys. Malhotra was gone for nearly all the playoffs and was playing half-blind the 6 games he was in. Samuelsson was hurt banged up going in and finished off in the second round.

Not really sure how you can argue the Canucks DIDN'T overcome the injuries to those guys when they got to 60 minutes of a Cup. The one's we really had trouble with were Kesler, Edler, Hamhuis, Ehrhoff, and no team is overcoming that.