Around the league (signings, RFAs injuries)

[SKYO]

Not angry,

just taking this way too....

[Strangelove]

If we're going to dump big money into the free agency pool, I'd target any one of Johnson, Seabrook, Byfuglien, Coburn, Yandle that don't get re-upped. Someone that can help with our pathetic defence.

Now that I can agree with, Seabrook and/or Byfuglien would definitely solidify our defense.

I'd prefer Buff only because he can put up points which we need more of from our back end, imo he and Hamhuis would be a solid duo.

Unlikely either of those two would choose your Vancouver Canucks.

Now our homie Looch on the other hand...

[SKYO]

If we're going to dump big money into the free agency pool, I'd target any one of Johnson, Seabrook, Byfuglien, Coburn, Yandle that don't get re-upped. Someone that can help with our pathetic defence.

Now that I can agree with, Seabrook and/or Byfuglien would definitely solidify our defense.

I'd prefer Buff only because he can put up points which we need more of from our back end, imo he and Hamhuis would be a solid duo.

Unlikely either of those two would choose your Vancouver Canucks.

Now our homie Looch on the other hand...

EastVan bro Lucic would wreak havoc on the Oilers/Flames, he's everything we all hoped Kass would be like.

[Hockey Widow]

Before the trade to LA he was told he was going to Vancouver and he agreed to waive to Vancouver. But LA stepped up at the last minute and made an offer Vancouver could not/would not match. This caught him by surprise. He had already started texting people that he was coming home. When he found out LA made an offer he agreed to waive to go there and was thrilled at a chance for another cup.

Point, if Vancouver makes the best offer should he make it to market he will have no problem playing here. Lucic is a Benning believer. They have a good relationship and his wife wants to be here. However, that was before LA traded for him. He may get snake bit in LA and want to stay but can they afford him? I think they are gearing up for another cup and he is part of that. But whether they will have the cap to keep everyone has yet to be seen.

[Hockey Widow]

If we're going to dump big money into the free agency pool, I'd target any one of Johnson, Seabrook, Byfuglien, Coburn, Yandle that don't get re-upped. Someone that can help with our pathetic defence.

Now that I can agree with, Seabrook and/or Byfuglien would definitely solidify our defense.

I'd prefer Buff only because he can put up points which we need more of from our back end, imo he and Hamhuis would be a solid duo.

Unlikely either of those two would choose your Vancouver Canucks.

Now our homie Looch on the other hand...

EastVan bro Lucic would wreak havoc on the Oilers/Flames, he's everything we all hoped Kass would be like.

Ya but Kassian, Lack, Bonino and Stanton are a lot cheaper than, Lucic, Miller, Sutter and Sbisa. Give your head a shake.

[Chef Boi RD]

One would think that with Looch in a Canuck uni next year would make everything all right in Blobby's world

[Puck]

My gut feeling is in the IN, Topper camp on this one. No to Looch.
Asshole on the ice? Sure, a little of that works. Asshole off the ice? Bad.

[Chef Boi RD]

Depends on how this season goes and how badly Lucic wants to be here me thinks, but throw in the friendship between Benning and Lucic and the hometown thing, I think it's a very real possibility of him signing here and why not? He's got 3-4 years of prime hockey left in him.

It's obvious the kind of team Benning wants - Truculence. Hell, after the Sedin era, I welcome it

[Blob Mckenzie]

It's obvious the kind of team Benning wants - Truculence. Hell, after the Sedin era, I welcome it

It is obvious . Guys like Sutter , Baertschi , Vey and Bartkowski are bruisers one and all .

[Zedlee]

Depends on how this season goes and how badly Lucic wants to be here me thinks, but throw in the friendship between Benning and Lucic and the hometown thing, I think it's a very real possibility of him signing here and why not? He's got 3-4 years of prime hockey left in him.

It's obvious the kind of team Benning wants - Truculence. Hell, after the Sedin era, I welcome it

If Benning wants Lucic, fine with me, but at a reasonable cost please. I don't know what FMV is for Lucic, but if the Canadian dollar stays near $.75 or thereabouts league revenues and the cap will not go up, so don't blow it all on one player. We need defencemen too.

[SKYO]

Ya but Kassian, Lack, Bonino and Stanton are a lot cheaper than, Lucic, Miller, Sutter and Sbisa.
Give your head a shake.

hah now now HW, taker' easy.
Too lazy to go in-depth on all players, but remember people trying to trade Kassian for Lucic? that was laughed at by everyone last year, Lucic is more talented/skilled in all facets of the game compared to Kass - the low-key alleged hardcore party fella that willie never really trusted it appeared.

Looch and Sutter would probably our highest goal scorers for awhile, along with Danny boy.
I'd include Vrbata but who knows if he will re-sign here or be traded at the TDD.

As for points, Lucic had great chemistry with Krejci, it was pointed out that ML decline in production was the result of Krejci's injuries..

Lucic has had one major and consistent factor in his game since 2010-11, and that is being saddled with the talented centerman David Krejci. Unfortunately for Milan, last year Krejci dealt with a groin injury early on, and a knee injury that essentially obliterated his second half of the year. All in all, Krejci was only able to play 47 games this season.

That was a huge, huge, blow to Lucic. Since 2010-11, he has played 3008 of his 4013 even strength minutes alongside Krecji. Over that time the duo held a nice 54% corsi for, and a goals for percentage around 58.6. Excellent numbers.

With his regular Czech centerman out of the lineup more often than not, Lucic had no consistent centerman or winger for that matter. As we have stated before on this very blog, duos matter more than lines. The Krejci-Lucic duo was fantastic, and when the latter was paired up with Ryan Spooner, Seth Griffith, and/or David Pastrnak in an effort to get the ship righted, the results were not so strong.

Anyways I imagine he can do the same with Horvat who has above average playmaking/passing ability.

As for cash, imo I think Vrbata bolts or is traded at the deadline, there's a few extra bucks $5M to sign Lucic.

And as much as we all love Burrows, I wouldn't mind seeing his $4.5M cap hit leave for picks to a contender, he's a PK machine who can chip in with 15+ goals, however we get a few of those guys now who all make less money/cap than Burr, in Hansen, Sutter and Higgins.

[Chef Boi RD]

Ya but Kassian, Lack, Bonino and Stanton are a lot cheaper than, Lucic, Miller, Sutter and Sbisa. Give your head a shake.

Brilliant!

[Chef Boi RD]

It's obvious the kind of team Benning wants - Truculence. Hell, after the Sedin era, I welcome it

It is obvious . Guys like Sutter , Baertschi , Vey and Bartkowski are bruisers one and all .

Well, unless you are like Don Old Time Hockey Cherry where you believe that every man on the 20 player starting line-up roster has to play that way and is Caucasian from North America, ya you got a point. But we all know, ya just can't win on Truculence alone. Ya just need some of it like Dorsett, Prust, Virtanen, Cassels, Burrows, Hansen and your favourite - Sbisa.

[damonberryman]

If we're going to dump big money into the free agency pool, I'd target any one of Johnson, Seabrook, Byfuglien, Coburn, Yandle that don't get re-upped. Someone that can help with our pathetic defence.

Yandle is not what we want. Living in NY I get to see all the Ranger games and he sucks on D.

[Chef Boi RD]

LOL at IN's list of D-men. Disaster UFA signing contracts waiting to happen especially Sesbrook who looks great lost in the Blackhawk dynasty and riding shotgun with Keith. Over rated, same goes with the others, Byfuglien is probably the best of the bunch but he can be high msintenance as well. LOL at damonberrys thoughts on Yandle, I agree