Canucks News N Notes 24-25

[Cornuck]

It's amazing how this team dropped from last year - how much of that is on management, and how much of that is on players underperforming / injured. Definitely a combination. This off-season will be the turning point for this management crew. More trades? Boeser re-signed (or walks)? I don't have nearly as much faith in them these days.


In other news: Vancouver Canucks General Manager announced on Friday morning that the organization has agreed to a one-year, $775,000 one-way contract with forward Linus Karlsson.

[rats19]

Back 2 back back 2 backs….

[Topper]

Back 2 back back 2 backs….

Followed by a long road trip. How fit and focused are they this late in the season? We will know soon.

[rats19]

Better away record… but I think a lot depends on our health.

[rats19]

Myers
DPetey
Demko

All at practice today Demko left early as was planned

No Hronek or Garland today… maintenance?

[Cornuck]

D-Petey is a "full go" for the Chicago game - great news!

Myers is 'probable'.

[Chef Boi RD]

Doug MacLean is on the radio now all irritated by how there is only one Canadian on the team. I gotta agree. It’s disgusting.

[JelloPuddingPop]

Doug MacLean is on the radio now all irritated by how there is only one Canadian on the team. I gotta agree. It’s disgusting.

Why does it matter where your passport is from? FFS, doesn't Florida have the least amount of N.A. skaters on their roster? They are a damn wagon.

The Oilers have the most Canadians, and they are a terrible team beyond one Canadian, and one German. Same goes for the Canadiens, who have been terrible for years, most of amount of Maple Syrup in their bloodlines - tied with the Oil.

The Wild, Avs and Panthers all have the most Swedes, and Fins respectively and are three of the best teams in the league.

[UWSaint]

It's amazing how this team dropped from last year - how much of that is on management, and how much of that is on players underperforming / injured. Definitely a combination. This off-season will be the turning point for this management crew. More trades? Boeser re-signed (or walks)? I don't have nearly as much faith in them these days.


In other news: Vancouver Canucks General Manager announced on Friday morning that the organization has agreed to a one-year, $775,000 one-way contract with forward Linus Karlsson.

I think the decline is mostly a factor of underperformance and injuries -- and its compared to a season filled with overperformance. Having said that, in the last half of last season, the Canucks looked sort of mediocre but won a lot. This year, they looked mediocre and lost a lot.

The underperformers are obvious.

Miller, when he was here, played a game as pouty as Petey with the added demerit of not playing defense and being the absolute worst player on the ice for many of those OTLs.

Petey, as pouty as Miller, has gone from a star to a two way center who contributes secondary scoring. Not good.

Boeser looks a lot more like the years preceding last year than last year. Sad, because the corner he turned last season seemed to be a lot more than lucky breaks.

Hoglander, what can you say? Can't catch a pass, the situation says shoot he passes, says pass he shoots. Last year may very well be his high water mark.

Joshua plays like the kind of guy you sign in the offseason for near league minimum. Which is how he's always played until last season.

Soucy became a caricature of his worst attributes.

All of these guys were major contributors last year -- a little drop off was expected, but the fall for each was dramatic.

As for injuries, when a team is just decent, its goaltending needs to be outstanding. Lankinen was a great signing, but the guy is at best average as a starter. Demko's injury has cost the team numerous points in the standings -- the Canucks went from top quarter in save percentage to bottom quarter. Outside of the messy first month, I am just not seeing a higher number of high danger chances. Goaltending is the difference. Insofar as management's received a ton of blame for letting Z go (and some blame for letting Cole go), it is going from very good goaltending to okay goaltending that's been the primary factor to giving up more goals against. To be sure, management made a bad choice when it replaced a 4-5 (Z) with two 6-7s (Desharnais and Forbort) -- two guys who count success as not being a healthy scratch do not add up to one legitimate NHL defenseman. But it's been a secondary problem, in my view. (And the good news is some of the corner is turned with the MP acquisition and unexpectedly decent DEP development).

Other injuries have mattered, but while the Canucks have had a lot of missed games, they've been relatively fortunate in that they have not "stacked" on a position.

The bigger problem than the underperformance is that what remains is simply not as good as what the Canucks came into the season with. An enhanced set of complementary players with a depleted core isn't a good formula. Having the league's best defenseman on the ice for nearly half the game is always going to keep a team out of the dregs of the league. But I do not have optimism.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Doug MacLean is on the radio now all irritated by how there is only one Canadian on the team. I gotta agree. It’s disgusting.

[MOD EDIT: Post removed for over the top trolling]

[Meds]

Petey, as pouty as Miller, has gone from a star to a two way center who contributes secondary scoring. Not good.

As I have previously said, an 80 point Pettersson probably wins the Selke (provided he doesn't lose his defensive game to produce offensively).

Boeser looks a lot more like the years preceding last year than last year. Sad, because the corner he turned last season seemed to be a lot more than lucky breaks.

I think he needs a change. Love the person, mostly like the player, but he needs to turn the page for his own sake. I think Brock is a 30G/60PT player if he's paired with any legit top-6 centerman. More than that with the right guy as his linemate. His skating is average, but he still plays a smart 200 foot game and isn't afraid of the boards or the front of the net. I personally don't think his skating will drop off, I think he has that "steam engine" quality that just keeps chugging.....never blows you away but also doesn't just quit. If his ask is too high, well the team needs to move on because of our internal cap recapture problems and greater needs.

Joshua plays like the kind of guy you sign in the offseason for near league minimum. Which is how he's always played until last season.

In fairness, he actually did lose a nut. Then an upper body injury shortly after returning. He also returned to a team in massive turmoil. Last year he played like the money he's currently making. Next year is when you make this decision on him.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Doug MacLean is on the radio now all irritated by how there is only one Canadian on the team. I gotta agree. It’s disgusting.

Why does it matter where your passport is from? FFS, doesn't Florida have the least amount of N.A. skaters on their roster? They are a damn wagon.

The Oilers have the most Canadians, and they are a terrible team beyond one Canadian, and one German. Same goes for the Canadians, who have been terrible for years, most of amount of Maple Syrup in their bloodlines - tied with the Oil.

The Wild, Avs and Panthers all have the most Swedes, and Fins respectively and are three of the best teams in the league.

You won't get an honest answer from him. He is here to do nothing more than needle people and lob shitballs and gas rags on a fire and then say 'it wasnt me'


Him whining about a lack of Canadians on the roster is rich. He HATES this country when it plays hockey. Cheers against them all tournament long and then when they win, he says 'I knew they could do it'

[Meds]

Doug MacLean is on the radio now all irritated by how there is only one Canadian on the team. I gotta agree. It’s disgusting.

Why does it matter where your passport is from? FFS, doesn't Florida have the least amount of N.A. skaters on their roster? They are a damn wagon.

The Oilers have the most Canadians, and they are a terrible team beyond one Canadian, and one German. Same goes for the Canadians, who have been terrible for years, most of amount of Maple Syrup in their bloodlines - tied with the Oil.

The Wild, Avs and Panthers all have the most Swedes, and Fins respectively and are three of the best teams in the league.

I do think those are exceptions rather than the rule. Florida is the 2nd team with a predominance of European players to be this good in big games, Detroit was the first.

Edmonton is a culture problem. They have a losing tradition.....it is Vancouver's problem too. Edmonton is also a 2-horse team that has not had reliable goaltending in over a decade. Think of the Canucks this year.....Lankinen good, but only average. Demko hurt and unreliable when in. Night and day difference (UW detailed this nicely). When a team does not trust their goaltender they tighten up and play on edge, sticks get gripped too tight and they second guess decisions and eventually each other. Morale bottoms out and effort wanes.

However, in general, European players do not have that second gear for the playoffs, and they are rarely the player to put the team on their shoulders when the chips are down. They make excellent support players, they can score and make plays, but it's rare they play with the same level of passion as North Americans.....and when it comes to Canadians, the highest idol in all the land is the Stanley Cup.

[Nuckertuzzi]

As for injuries, when a team is just decent, its goaltending needs to be outstanding. Lankinen was a great signing, but the guy is at best average as a starter. Demko's injury has cost the team numerous points in the standings -- the Canucks went from top quarter in save percentage to bottom quarter.

Thank you...applause!!

Just baffling to me how readily this market has made Demko an afterthought for reasons beyond his control. I for one have not taken his importance for granted and insist on betting on his health (though admittedly not a very safe bet) over moving off of him. I like Lankinen and am thankful for the find. He saved their asses and kept the team afloat. But, come on folks, he ain't no Demko!! We've been spoiled by great goaltending for so long now that this market has completely taken it for granted.

Coming in as a relative unknown, Lankinen had the luxury of less pressure and reasonable expectations. Fast forward to next year if Demko's gone. Just signed a big multi-year deal and now he's THE guy with no safety net. Now there's big-time pressure and no room to fail. A soft goal or two early can get into his head and plant a seed, then it snowballs from there and next thing you know it's a struggle all year to find past form (look no further than Silovs for that familiar scenario). Then the team flails with no answer in sight. One hit wonders in goal are a dime a dozen. Demko's are a rare find, you do everything you can to keep them when you have 'em. If the injuries are what keeps him out, then so be it. I'll take that risk over the alternative all day long.

[Nuckertuzzi]

When a team does not trust their goaltender they tighten up and play on edge, sticks get gripped too tight and they second guess decisions and eventually each other. Morale bottoms out and effort wanes.

More applause.

So nicely explained how goaltending affects skaters. Couldn't agree more.

Luongo's playoffs were a great example. When he was on, the team was so poised defensively throughout. When he wasn't on, the structure collapsed so easily and everybody looked lost and out of position almost as if they knew no matter what they did wasn't going to work, thus snowballing those classic meltdowns. Completely different looking teams from one day to the other all depending on how Lu performed.