Is this the most optimistic you've been about the Canucks since 2011?
- Thread starter Elias Pettersson
- Start date
Wo Yorfat
dumb person
- Nov 7, 2016
- 2,962
- 3,924
Absolutely. Watching Boeser light it up the way he has with Bo and Bae has me very excited. I still think this year will turn out perfectly for us: We are playing above the teams current ability and I think that we will end a bottom 5 team in the league which is excellent (this year). If we get a top 5 pick this year, potentially have Petersson, Gaudette, Juolevi and that pick with our team next year, we could be well on our way with the rebuild. Other than the top guys (Dahlin, Svech etc) I'd love a guy like Brady Tkachuk on our team (grit + skill).
I'd re sign the Sedins in a tertiary scoring role (see third/fourth line minutes with tons of powerplay time and offensive zone starts). Boeser, Horvat and Baertschi will continue to improve. I'd try to sign Evander Kane personally (I know that's a controversial signing). Obviously make a run at something like Tavares (0.0000001% he's leaving NYI, much less coming to Van I know).
Attempt to offload Gagner, Sutter, Vanek, Dorsett, Granlund and potentially even one of Del Zotto/Hutton/Edler for any picks we can get in the next two drafts. Perhaps in two years convince Tryamkin to return? Lots off potential and possibilities with our young guys. This doesn't even account for Lind, Demko, DiPietro and some of the wildcards like Virtanen, Gaunce, Subban etc.
Looking forward to seeing the next couple years in Van
I'd re sign the Sedins in a tertiary scoring role (see third/fourth line minutes with tons of powerplay time and offensive zone starts). Boeser, Horvat and Baertschi will continue to improve. I'd try to sign Evander Kane personally (I know that's a controversial signing). Obviously make a run at something like Tavares (0.0000001% he's leaving NYI, much less coming to Van I know).
Attempt to offload Gagner, Sutter, Vanek, Dorsett, Granlund and potentially even one of Del Zotto/Hutton/Edler for any picks we can get in the next two drafts. Perhaps in two years convince Tryamkin to return? Lots off potential and possibilities with our young guys. This doesn't even account for Lind, Demko, DiPietro and some of the wildcards like Virtanen, Gaunce, Subban etc.
Looking forward to seeing the next couple years in Van
Paulinvancouver
Gas station in Carbondale did not have fresh yams!
- Dec 19, 2015
- 4,001
- 1,024
clearly, yes. How could anyone say otherwise?
In 12 and 13 we were easily on the very beginning of a downslope with no prospects in the cupboard. The assets we did have, we waited too long to move them bc ownership refused to rebuild even though the sedans were 32 in 2012.
Now, our future looks bright.
In 12 and 13 we were easily on the very beginning of a downslope with no prospects in the cupboard. The assets we did have, we waited too long to move them bc ownership refused to rebuild even though the sedans were 32 in 2012.
Now, our future looks bright.
Hit the post
I have your gold medal Zippy!
edit:
Actually in a sense one could say that after finishing first overall in the league at the end of the regular season, the Canucks had nowhere to go but down. As well, after finishing SECOND LAST in the league, the Canucks had now to go but up.
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David Bruce Banner
Nude Cabdriver Ban
I've been a fan for a while and this team reminds me somewhat of the '88-'89 squad. It had some young, up and comers like Linden and McLean... some older former 1st rounders like Bridgeman and Smith... a top pairing, yet injury prone defenceman in Reinhart and a Sutter. They weren't a super good team, but they played a good system and could often win a game just by outworking their opponents. They even gave the eventual SC winners (Calgary) a good scare in the first round (I still say Otto kicked it in).
That said, they took a step backwards they next season as some of their old guys just got older and their young guys didn't take the next step... but they were on to something good and just needed a couple of, albeit major, moves to turn into a contender. So if we can just trade Gudbranson (Butcher) for some solid 2nd line depth and have Petersson (Bure) come over and tear the league a new one, we might be good to go in 3 or 4 years.
That said, they took a step backwards they next season as some of their old guys just got older and their young guys didn't take the next step... but they were on to something good and just needed a couple of, albeit major, moves to turn into a contender. So if we can just trade Gudbranson (Butcher) for some solid 2nd line depth and have Petersson (Bure) come over and tear the league a new one, we might be good to go in 3 or 4 years.
I'll be optimistic when Jim Benning is no longer the GM of this team. Until then, this team is going nowhere. It doesn't matter how good Pettersson is, he'll still be Tavares on the Islanders (or any of the elite young players on the Lowe/Tambellini-era Oilers) as long as these idiots are running the team. Jim Benning is not going to build a competing team in the best hockey league in the world. The guy is an abject idiot.
Also, if you're more optimistic now than you were in 2012 when this team was winning a President's Trophy ... your grasp on reality is non-existent.
Also, if you're more optimistic now than you were in 2012 when this team was winning a President's Trophy ... your grasp on reality is non-existent.
Hollywood Burrows
Registered User
Obviously the team was much better and closer to success in the couple years after 2011 than now. If they had pulled off the Jeff Carter deal with Columbus who knows what might have happened in 2012? And if you thought the team was on the downslope then, they were still well positioned for their successful and respected GM to rebuild it. Then he was fired and replaced by a paste eater.
I will just echo MS's comments that there's no point in any optimism while Benning is running the team. There is still so, so much to do to before this team takes the next step, and you would have to be just blindly, shockingly naive to have watched this guy's work for the past three years and believe he's up to the task.
I will just echo MS's comments that there's no point in any optimism while Benning is running the team. There is still so, so much to do to before this team takes the next step, and you would have to be just blindly, shockingly naive to have watched this guy's work for the past three years and believe he's up to the task.
2012 was pretty cringeworthy. We basically sleepwalked into 1st overall. That wasn't reason to be optimistic, add the fact that we had Daniel injured by that Keith guy, it was pretty bleak looking.
This isn't a thing and it's ludicrous that it keeps getting repeated. You don't finish in 1st place in the best league in the world if you're 'sleepwalking'.
The team was just a bit less dynamic than the 10-11 team which arguably was the best regular season team of the last 40 years, and spoiled fans built this BS narrative.
We just weren't quite as good/talented. Kesler, Burrows, Raymond, and Malhotra were all way down in level of play after suffering major injuries/surgeries in the offseason. Our PP was less dynamic with the loss of Ehrhoff. Sedins were now into their 30s and starting to decline slightly.
If anything, I think that team was actually harder-working than the 10-11 team and were gutting out a lot of workmanlike 3-2 and 2-1 wins instead of blowing teams out 5-1 and 6-2 every night. But spoiled fans who got used to the dominance of the 10-11 team mistook that as 'sleepwalking' or 'not trying' when it was the exact opposite.
The season ended badly with the Daniel Sedin cheapshot injury and then running into the red-hot LA locomotive. But that was still a great team that was a legitimate Cup contender if a few things had gone differently.
Hit the post
I have your gold medal Zippy!
Daniel was still a LEGIT 1st line winger then. Imagine if that puke Keith took out one of the B's with a similiar move - imagine how that would effect the Canucks.
thepuckmonster
Professional Winner.
Goddamnit I had almost forgotten about Keith’s flying elbow and now I’m salty
y2kcanucks
Le Sex God
That team lacked offense. Daniel's offensive production was slowing down even before that Keith hit, though no doubt that didn't help things. Gillis did not address our lack of offense that was exposed in the 2011 playoffs, and the team flamed out.
With Boeser and Pettersson I’m probably the most optimistic I’ve been about young players since I started following the team closely 15 years ago. As a whole though, the team has a long way to go to project to be as good as they were even in 2011-12 and I have no faith in management to get there.
You can't unload the guys with larger contracts for nothing. Canucks can only retain 2 contracts after this season.
Sutter you can retain and get assets for. At $2.75 mill I think you get calls on him. Granny, you'd be selling low. Gagner, again retention cause he's been so so here. Eriksson no chance. He's likely a 40 point guy now so, a pretty significant retention to move him.
I wouldn't let brocks season cloud the analysis of the team. They are still very weak on D going forward when they finally move gudbranson and move on from Edler.
Tanev, Stecher, pouliot, maybe tryamkin on the right.
Juolevi, Hutton, brisebois, chatfield on the left.
Doesn't scream cup Calibre defense.
So, they still need major moves to bolster the d core.
Plus, all forward prospects must hit. Need pettersson, and two of dahlen, gaudette, lind, Goldy to be legit offensive producers to form a top 6.
krutovsdonut
eeyore
- Sep 25, 2016
- 16,901
- 9,574
boeser, petterson and even juolevi makes me optimistic.
the rumours we're going to get saddled with the likes of ken holland in the middle of this makes me sad. you can almost see the big names who wouldn't answer acquilinis calls 3 years ago because they didn't want the pain of a rebuild, now looking at what benning has lined up and suddenly being willing to swoop in and take over and ride this horse. however, they should also make all of us optimistic that hockey people see what we see.
the rumours we're going to get saddled with the likes of ken holland in the middle of this makes me sad. you can almost see the big names who wouldn't answer acquilinis calls 3 years ago because they didn't want the pain of a rebuild, now looking at what benning has lined up and suddenly being willing to swoop in and take over and ride this horse. however, they should also make all of us optimistic that hockey people see what we see.
2012 was a very good team (obviously with a President's Trophy). I wouldn't say we backed into the playoffs, but after a really hot February (9-1-4) we were 9-5-1 in March and 2-1-0 in April. Duncan Keith's flying elbow on Daniel was a huge factor, but I think it was just a tipping point. We simply lost too much scoring that could not be replaced and losing a 30 goal scorer in Daniel was the last straw.
Kesler was shadow of his former self after the hip flexor surgery. His production went from 41 goals and 73 points to 22 goals and 49 points. David Booth was no Mikael Samuelsson. Sammy Paulson was no Manny Malhotra. Burrows after a great regular season went cold in the playoffs with only 1 goal in 5 games. Raymond, whose production was already in decline before his back injury, was not much of a factor in the offense either. On the back end, Edler and Bieksa had a career seasons with 49 and 44 points respectively, but that couldn't make up for the loss of Ehrhoff.
The other big factor was that the league basically reversed the "new standard of enforcement" for obstruction and allowed big, slow teams like Boston and LA to hook, hold, grope, grab and interfere their way to success. The Canucks power play was not as potent as 2011-12, but it got way fewer chances.
That said - these are encouraging times. We have enough young talent in the system to compete soon. I think we need more depth and talent on defense, but the 2018 draft is really deep in quality defensemen, with guys like Bode Wilde, Jett Woo and Evan Bouchard projected to go in the middle of the 1st round. How does a reunion - Juolevi and Bouchard pairing sound? But I'm not going to start projecting playoff runs yet. Everyone in the hockey world thought Edmonton would be not just be a playoff team, but a conference finalist this season - that looks to be a long shot at this point.
Kesler was shadow of his former self after the hip flexor surgery. His production went from 41 goals and 73 points to 22 goals and 49 points. David Booth was no Mikael Samuelsson. Sammy Paulson was no Manny Malhotra. Burrows after a great regular season went cold in the playoffs with only 1 goal in 5 games. Raymond, whose production was already in decline before his back injury, was not much of a factor in the offense either. On the back end, Edler and Bieksa had a career seasons with 49 and 44 points respectively, but that couldn't make up for the loss of Ehrhoff.
The other big factor was that the league basically reversed the "new standard of enforcement" for obstruction and allowed big, slow teams like Boston and LA to hook, hold, grope, grab and interfere their way to success. The Canucks power play was not as potent as 2011-12, but it got way fewer chances.
That said - these are encouraging times. We have enough young talent in the system to compete soon. I think we need more depth and talent on defense, but the 2018 draft is really deep in quality defensemen, with guys like Bode Wilde, Jett Woo and Evan Bouchard projected to go in the middle of the 1st round. How does a reunion - Juolevi and Bouchard pairing sound? But I'm not going to start projecting playoff runs yet. Everyone in the hockey world thought Edmonton would be not just be a playoff team, but a conference finalist this season - that looks to be a long shot at this point.
Yes Juolevi made my list. 12pts in 14 games in SM-liiga is nothing to scoff at. Salo is fixing him.
thepuckmonster
Professional Winner.
I just remembered that we played Raymond at centre at one point in 2012 or 2013 and now I really need a drink
NoShowWilly
Registered User
There has been a looming sense that no one is safe long-term for the last number of years.
The defense still has that with every player.
At forward there is definitely reason to be optimistic.
The defense still has that with every player.
At forward there is definitely reason to be optimistic.
BROCK HUGHES
Registered User
At this time things are looking promising. We are starting to get some nice young kids on the team.Brock is the show right now..Add Pettersson and Demko soon.Lind is looking great.So very optimistic right now.Jimbo is getting better.But at the same time he makes some dumb moves.But over all..not looking to bad.
I was way more optimistic in 2012. We still don’t even have a fully built team here. It is nice to have a couple of guys who could be stud players down the road, but you know how that goes getting excited about half a season with a couple of guys. Even if we have a total 40 goal stud in Boeser, it is just the start.
