Canucks News N Notes 25-26

[Meds]

We need a pit bull or two.

+1

[2Fingers]

Joshua’s wasn’t much of an agitator. He threw the odd body once in awhile when he felt up to it and rarely dropped his mitts. Garland is an agitator, practically every time he steps on the ice, Hoglander agitated more than Joshua.

Agree with this, I know last year he was coming back from a major injury but I did not see anything special from him. He was adequate in his role but the team can get someone else at a lower cost for what he brought.

[Lancer]

Basically, it will be Karlsson replacing Joshua. Karlsson plays naturally grittier than Joshua, but probably won’t fight. I don’t know if Karlsson can play as well as Joshua did two years ago, but I don’t know if Joshua can play as well as he did that season again either. They’ve spent most of their cap space on wingers this off-season, so moving out someone made sense. It would have been a nice to keep Joshua around, but we won’t know if it was a good move until we see what they do with his cap space.

Karlsson may agitate more than Joshua, but that's it in terms of what he does in any way better than Joshua. I loved the kid's performance in the Calder Cup playoffs, but IMO his ceiling is on the 4th line by his fingernails/Nils Aman-level. That's Joshua's floor.

There was no magical way around management's challenge of creating cap space to make moves; we knew somebody was going to go among the bottom-6 forwards. Would it have been easier to see them find a new home for Bluegers instead of Joshua, hell yeah. I love the guy and all, but if clearing cap allows management to get that 2C which pushes Chytil down the order, I would rather management deal Bluegers for 'future considerations' than pay $3.6 million for him to centre the 4th line.

Evidently wasn't happening. Considering the return for Joshua, I can imagine how soft the market would have been for Bluegers. It is what it is.

Even so, the forward corps - already the glaring weak spot on the team - got smaller and cheaper, but not better.

Alright Allvin, let's see what you got.

[Chef Boi RD]

Basically, it will be Karlsson replacing Joshua. Karlsson plays naturally grittier than Joshua, but probably won’t fight. I don’t know if Karlsson can play as well as Joshua did two years ago, but I don’t know if Joshua can play as well as he did that season again either. They’ve spent most of their cap space on wingers this off-season, so moving out someone made sense. It would have been a nice to keep Joshua around, but we won’t know if it was a good move until we see what they do with his cap space.

Great post PoC. Well said, agreed.

[Chef Boi RD]

Regarding Joshua’s return, it tells you how the “market” “currently” feels about him. Players are mostly judged on their recent game, not yesteryears game, which may explain the less than flattering interest in Elias Pettersson and JT Miller, “recently”.

Joshua sucked last year, plain and simple, I could care less if he can “drop the mitts”. He never seems overly eager to do so. Give me the agitators with motors and consistent compete level any day of the week over a sleeping player like Joshua, a player who only exerts energy when he feels up for it.

The leaves are taking a risk on him and that contract with hopes of him returning to how he was before he signed his new contract. Mind you, the leaves have the money (cap), to take on such a risk.

[Cousin Strawberry]

Picker I disagree "Karlsson plays naturally grittier than Joshua"

Comparing the 2 I'd say DJ is quite decidedly the better player at every facet of the game including bringing grit and scoring.

The question is about risk and return on your cap investment. In this sense, considering DJ's play post nut removal, the value/return on cap investment is a wash or even leaning in Karlssons favour .... especially when you factor in that Dakota may never recover from said nut removal

[Picker of Cherries]

Their grit is different. Karlsson is more the stinky mitt face rub, cheap stick between the nut sack from behind kind of infuriating player. Joshua is more the, “Why I oughta” and on the rare occasion he backs it up. But most of Joshua’s scoring success ran through Garland. Perhaps if Karlsson plays with Garland he can do as well…with the cap savings, Karlsson is worth a try at replacing Joshua.

[Cousin Strawberry]

I agree with you that its a justifiable move to carve out some space. The way DJ returned warranted the move plus Karl deserves the shot

[Chef Boi RD]

Joshua blows, he’s a lifeless lump of shit most the time. I could care less if he drops the mitts, which only occurs as often as Punxsutawney Phil comes around.

[Blob Mckenzie]

He got his ass beat by 40 year old Mark Giordano.

[Chef Boi RD]

It basically boils down to having to much of the cap allocated to wingers and needing some dough to solve the centre. Joshua was the sacrificial lamb. A combination of items made Joshua expendable:

The signing of Kane
The emergence of Sherwood
The signing of Boeser
The extension of Garland
The rise of Karlsson
Lekkerimaki is close
You got DeBrusk
You got Hoglander
You got O’Connor
Throw ins/extras - Sasson and Bains

That’s 9 wingers. Yes Lekkerimaki may need more cooking, but the rising Karlsson and the need to shore up the centre position the team needed to prep the space for such and Joshua is that lamb. No Kane and no Karlsson. I imagine he’s still here.

[Meds]

He got his ass beat by 40 year old Mark Giordano.

Old man strength is a thing.

[Chef Boi RD]

So is this what we have for 2025-26 season? It’s a middle of the pack team. Wildcard Racer. Keys - Pettersson and Demko and Hughes has a healthy season.

Kane - Pettersson - DeBrusk
Hoglander - Chytil - Boeser
Sherwood - Blueger - Garland
O’Conner - Raty - Karlsson

Lekkerimaki
Sasson
Bains

Hughes - Hronek
Pettersson - Myers
D. Pettersson - Willander

Forbert
Mancini

Demko
Lankinen

[Cousin Strawberry]

So is this what we have for 2025-26 season?

Clearly not done yet. Judge their work in October

[Hockey Widow]

So is this what we have for 2025-26 season?

Clearly not done yet. Judge their work in October

Or June