Canucks News N Notes 2020-2021

[Blob Mckenzie]

Agree about the lack of speed and skill on the D, but I’d also apply it to the bottom six as well. Keep Motte and MacEwen and take a blowtorch to that group. They couldn’t get out of their own end against Vegas.

[Chef Boi RD]

Agree about the lack of speed and skill on the D, but I’d also apply it to the bottom six as well. Keep Motte and MacEwen and take a blowtorch to that group. They couldn’t get out of their own end against Vegas.

Yeah for sure our bottom 6 is/was atrocious from everything to not skilled enough to not fast enough. It’s all speed now combined with a high compete level, grit and smarts and skill. Roussel is gritty and competes but has terrible hands and is a choppy skater whom sometimes runs around with his head cut off.

I’m seeing a very affective bottom 6 player in MacEwan, I love Motte, I still feel Gaudette will get better as he ages. Lockwood is fast and very competitive, he could potentially be a very good bottom 6 energy player. I see a very good 3rd line player in Lind as well but currently at the end of last season our bottom 6 is fucking awful in the whole

[Mickey107]

I just want to see the Canucks get a lot faster, more mobile. The Golden Knights exposed that weakness in us with their speed in the playoffs. The addition of Schmidt goes a long way to fixing that but we need more of that. Rathbone and Juolevi have more upside in puck movement than Hamonic foes who is basically old school hockey

My observation of the Knights series was they exposed a lack of skill on D. Our guys could get to the puck first, and chip it out, but they couldn't do anything better than that under the unrelenting forecheck.

At times, it was as much Hughes as Tanev getting hemmed in and turning over the puck, and the D - from age 19 to 36 - all ran out of gas.

That's why I'd rather see players who can make a play over defensive stalwarts. IMO, improving puck skill level over guys like Stecher and Benn is critical. I see a better chance of that with Juolevi and Rafferty instead of Hamonic. Vatanen would be good, but I'm also in favour of keeping away from injury-prone players for a change.

Edler and Myers are not ever going to super fast or agile. They did an OK job skating the puck out. Tanev was good at skating it out but didn't always make the right decisions after center ice. By my read, we are already much better. Troy, and his entitlement? is gone. The mighty Fantenberg is gone.
Nate is in and that makes for one of the better top four then we've seen in years.
Really would like to use as many of our own prospects as possible. If Jim does bring in someone cheap short term with a proven track record, I just hope after the seasons over, a big push to resign for a longer term doesn't happen. Probably would though. Gotta get younger.

[SKYO]

I just want to see the Canucks get a lot faster, more mobile. The Golden Knights exposed that weakness in us with their speed in the playoffs. The addition of Schmidt goes a long way to fixing that but we need more of that. Rathbone and Juolevi have more upside in puck movement than Hamonic foes who is basically old school hockey

My observation of the Knights series was they exposed a lack of skill on D. Our guys could get to the puck first, and chip it out, but they couldn't do anything better than that under the unrelenting forecheck.

At times, it was as much Hughes as Tanev getting hemmed in and turning over the puck, and the D - from age 19 to 36 - all ran out of gas.

That's why I'd rather see players who can make a play over defensive stalwarts. IMO, improving puck skill level over guys like Stecher and Benn is critical. I see a better chance of that with Juolevi and Rafferty instead of Hamonic. Vatanen would be good, but I'm also in favour of keeping away from injury-prone players for a change.

This was the Dallas Stars defense that murked the Knights.

Lindell - Klingberg
Heiskanen - Oleksiak
Hanley - Sekera
Fedun

depth: Johns/Harley

Heiskanen and Klingberg were the pillars to that defense scoring monster points, while humongous Oleksiak surprisingly had a strong scoring playoffs (playing with Heiskanen will do that) with the two-way Lindell to round it off of the top 4.

Hanley is a smaller dman at 5'11 but is speedy - doesn't score much, 34yrs / 6'0 Sekera is the old man on the team, is mobile but is injury prone.

Thus my vote goes to signing 29yrs Vatenen he'll be our younger more talented version of Sekera to play likely with OJ & Sami can move up into the top 4 if needed.

[Cherry Picker]

You sign Vatanen, Green’s affinity for playing veterans will show itself again. Look at the playoffs. Even when the Canucks had been hemmed in all series against Vegas, Green had no thought of taking out Benn or Fantenberg and trying Juolevi. If Benning signs Vatanen we’ll see most of the minutes go to:

Myers Hughes
Schmidt Edler
Vatanen Benn

Benning needs to see what he has with his defensive prospects this season because in six months Edler, Benn and Vatanen (if he signed) have a good chance of being gone as UFAs. With Vatanen signed it’ll take an injury to get Juolevi in the line-up, so he’ll get limited minutes. And multiple injuries to give any minutes to Rafferty or any other prospect. Perhaps Benning is aware of how much Green loves his veterans and would rather not give him the option of ignoring the prospects. It might also be why Green doesn’t have a new contract yet. Benning might want to see how well Green does at coaching the defensive prospects he thinks are ready for the show. And also Benning may want to see if there is progress with the talent that has grown in the system or will Green continue to rely on Loui, Roussel and Sutter over developing players like McEwen, Lind and Jake. Jake seems to be the one player who might benefit the most from a Vancouver coaching change.

[Madcombinepilot]

You sign Vatanen, Green’s affinity for playing veterans will show itself again. Look at the playoffs. Even when the Canucks had been hemmed in all series against Vegas, Green had no thought of taking out Benn or Fantenberg and trying Juolevi. If Benning signs Vatanen we’ll see most of the minutes go to:

Myers Hughes
Schmidt Edler
Vatanen Benn

Benning needs to see what he has with his defensive prospects this season because in six months Edler, Benn and Vatanen (if he signed) have a good chance of being gone as UFAs. With Vatanen signed it’ll take an injury to get Juolevi in the line-up, so he’ll get limited minutes. And multiple injuries to give any minutes to Rafferty or any other prospect. Perhaps Benning is aware of how much Green loves his veterans and would rather not give him the option of ignoring the prospects. It might also be why Green doesn’t have a new contract yet. Benning might want to see how well Green does at coaching the defensive prospects he thinks are ready for the show. And also Benning may want to see if there is progress with the talent that has grown in the system or will Green continue to rely on Loui, Roussel and Sutter over developing players like McEwen, Lind and Jake. Jake seems to be the one player who might benefit the most from a Vancouver coaching change.

But Green did bench Little things Loui... so there is hope.. and he played a younger Fatburger over Benn last year as well.

Every coach gets his favourites, it can’t be helped. They are the players that coaches feel they can win with, play the coaches system and (most importantly) the intangible things that fans outside the locker room don’t see. Green at least has made progress when it comes to benching guys - young or old.

[SKYO]

True Cherry, but Green's eyes (see what I did there ayee), were opened watching Juolevi improve in the 2020 preseason, I think he'll want a good look at Juolevi this season, it's time ffs lol, what helps is Juolevi has good mobility now, can play special teams and be held accountable at both ends of the ice, + has far more talent than Jordy - for which more talent is what we need on D, since our forward group lost Toffoli.

Juolevi penalty kill/powerplay/passing skill ability > Rafferty one-way skill & Jordy's brawn.

Benning thinks Olli is ready as well, so it'll be interesting to see what TG does.

[Strangelove]

I want one of Hamonic/Vatanen signed on the cheap because there will be injuries.

Vatanen has more skill but I prefer Hamonic due to his grit and character.

I figure Hammer is lovely if you limit his minutes by playing him on the 3rd pairing.

[Hockey Widow]

With the compressed schedule we need extra D. Getting another vet on the cheap is a smart move but overall I agree we have to let the kids play. I agree with Doc, Hamonic brings grit. Something we need. Too many liberties taken with young superstars, on all teams. We need players who are willing to have a jaw broken and to step up.

[Cousin Strawberry]

there will be injuries..

This is 100% guaranteed especially with these small groups and all the back to backs. They will be heated, physical games that take their toll on a teams depth. Meyers and Edler are always banged up...imagine throwing your Rafferty's and Juolevi's into 20+ minute rotations and expecting them to hold the fort.

Without at least 1 more addition to that defense this team will be overpaying mid-season for emergency relief where Benning gets plowed from behind while squeeling like a pig.

[Strangelove]

They will be heated, physical games that take their toll on a teams depth.

It's going to be a bloody fucking war out out there, I want Hamonic.

plowed from behind while squeeling like a pig.

Deliver us from evil.

[Chef Boi RD]

Haven’t we been down this road with “gritty old school” D-man before? Gudbranson? Benn? I got news for you - they don’t work in today’s NHL.

[ESQ]

You sign Vatanen, Green’s affinity for playing veterans will show itself again. Look at the playoffs. Even when the Canucks had been hemmed in all series against Vegas, Green had no thought of taking out Benn or Fantenberg and trying Juolevi.

Good point - and to the Dude's point, it wasn't just the bottom 6 getting hemmed in, it was the top 6.

Which also makes me question the coaching. There didn't seem to be injury issues, but the Canucks just could not adjust to the Knights forecheck. They won a couple thanks to unreal goaltending, but the coaches don't get credit for 50-save performances.

Maybe green would have done better if he wasn't shamed into leaving his clipboard in the office, instead of drawing up new plays on the bench...?

[Cousin Strawberry]

Haven’t we been down this road with “gritty old school” D-man before? Gudbranson? Benn? I got news for you - they don’t work in today’s NHL.

Hamonic can skate far better than either of those 2 retreads. He was a top pairing calibre player for years before cowgrease sucked his lifeforce dry.

[Strangelove]

Haven’t we been down this road with “gritty old school” D-man before? Gudbranson? Benn? I got news for you - they don’t work in today’s NHL.

Well teams are still picking up guys like this at the deadline for the rough n tumble playoffs

... and this coming season will be like an extended playoffs.

I just want the Hammer for one year.

Hammy's not a goon, he can move the puck well enough...