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Cootes 8 games. 4 goals, 10 points.

He is tied for goals, and 1 assist short of tying for team points. Not bad for a loaded team.

Yeah. Cootes looked good last night. Had a great 2nd period

I am pretty happy with the Canucks D depth but forward, ouch. It is Coates and …….. Sushi boy can’t stay healthy, is there anyone else?

Really hope the Canucks land one of the top 2 picks, they need one of those wingers.

Not too worried about G, yet. See if that Russian can rebound from a disappointing season.

theman wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 8:57 am Not too worried about G, yet. See if that Russian can rebound from a disappointing season.

Apparently he was rocking it as the #1 until some point in mid-season when the wheels fell off. Haven't seen any explanations for it. On the plus side, he's played better in the playoffs, getting in two games with a GAA of 2.05 and a sv pctg of .906, which is better than his 3.26 GAA and .891 sv pctg. Hopefully some time with Torenius and (hopefully) Clark in the offseason will raise his post-draft trajectory.

We need a replacement for Demko sooner rather than later. Medvedev could fit the bill, but I hope management drafts another goalie this year. YOu can never have too many irons in that fire.

Oh I thought you meant that Russian guy playing in Russia at centre.

Goalies are so unpredictable that one should be drafted every year, they can come out of nowhere.

That being said, focus should be on forwards this draft but yeah some D and G need to be picked too. I think the Canucks have 10 picks this draft.

theman wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 12:15 pm Goalies are so unpredictable… they can come out of nowhere.

Which makes them tough to draft efficiently.

Yes, in many ways the goaltender is the most important player on the team:
It’s hard to win with bad goaltending.
OTOH, if goaltending is the only area of excellence on your team, you still have a fighting chance.
The goaltender probably leads the team in TOI.
Goalies are well-represented amongst Conn Smythe winners.

But I would say that there is a smaller drop-off from the best to the 25th best goalie in the NHL than there is at centre, wing, or on defence. And it seems to me that at least one better-than-average goaltender is available in free agency every year. Goalies don't seem to hold much value in trade, either, and can usually be picked up for spare parts or late picks. In spite of the way the current Oilers management team makes it look, generally speaking, competent NHL goaltending isn't that tough to come by.

So I think it's only worth drafting a goalie if one you had ranked much higher falls to you, and you're not terribly enthused about any other players who are left, or as a late-round lottery ticket -- when you also probably aren't terribly enthused about any of the other players who are left.

Marc-Andre Fleury was a very fine goalie, but I'd have rather had Staal, or Getzlaf, or Weber, or Bergeron...

I mean Kippersoff was had for a 2nd round pick wasn't he? The one Burke wouldn't pay to land so Calgary traded for him. Point is there are always ways to land goalies. There are some FA NCAA goalies on the market as well. For sure if the goalie is seen as a franchise player and you have a chance to land him ya you go for it.

We have been blessed since Luongo with very good goaltending. If Demko bounces back and can play a full season he will give us a chance to win every game. But in three years when his contract is up we need to have a replacement ready to go so we have time.

Hockey Widow wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2026 11:35 pm I mean Kippersoff was had for a 2nd round pick wasn't he? The one Burke wouldn't pay to land so Calgary traded for him. Point is there are always ways to land goalies. There are some FA NCAA goalies on the market as well. For sure if the goalie is seen as a franchise player and you have a chance to land him ya you go for it.

The only reason Calgary spent a 2nd on Kiprusoff was because Daryl Sutter knew about him from his time in San Jose. You don’t see may moves like that, and off the top of my head I can’t think of too many goaltenders who have been relatively unknown, but that good and acquired for a 2nd or less.