Player Discussion Loui Eriksson

[Pip]

Well a 30 goal scorer while also being the best defensive forward on the team is worth 6 million

Teams almost always regret signing these deals and for a team that is not going to compete during Eriksson's likely best years as a Canucks it was a terrible signing from the moment it happened.

 

[Hit the post]

Well a 30 goal scorer while also being the best defensive forward on the team is worth 6 million

Too bad he's neither (at least no more proven than Higgins as a 20 goal scorer)

 

[Bad Goalie]

Too bad he's neither (at least no more proven than Higgins as a 20 goal scorer)

And with another year still o his contract, Higgins became the Comets most highly paid player in history. He played very well and said he was once again having fun playing hockey.

As the years drag on is it possible Eriksson takes over the title of the highest paid Comet in history? LOL

 

[Cupless44]

Teams almost always regret signing these deals and for a team that is not going to compete during Eriksson's likely best years as a Canucks it was a terrible signing from the moment it happened.

It absolutely was a terrible misguided signing, but that doesn't excuse Eriksson for bringing little or no game this year while collecting 6 mil.

 

[Knight53]

It absolutely was a terrible misguided signing, but that doesn't excuse Eriksson for bringing little or no game this year while collecting 6 mil.

Just absolutely brutal signing by Jimbo. Yikes.

 

[Pip]

It absolutely was a terrible misguided signing, but that doesn't excuse Eriksson for bringing little or no game this year while collecting 6 mil.

I agree, I just have a difficult time pinpointing why he's had such a terrible year. His effort level and two way play has been good, he's just somehow lost the ability to be any kind of a threat offensively. Part of that I'd put on deployment and a significant down year for the Sedins and there's gotta be some confidence issues with how poor of a start he had. I thought his powerplay usage was extremely questionable as his strength is supposed to be around the net and I don't believe he was ever really tried there.

What's been the most puzzling to me is that when I watch he seems to have serious issues receiving passes and controlling the puck in general which is unacceptable for a player of his caliber and paycheque. Hopefully a fresh start next season will do wonders for him.

 

[MikeK]

And next year he's another year older. Call me a pessimist but I cannot believe he's going to magically become somebody he's not. Age effects us all and I'm of the opinion that he's started his decline. This contract was a disaster from the start and is bordering on embarrassment.

 

[Cupless44]

I agree, I just have a difficult time pinpointing why he's had such a terrible year. His effort level and two way play has been good, he's just somehow lost the ability to be any kind of a threat offensively. Part of that I'd put on deployment and a significant down year for the Sedins and there's gotta be some confidence issues with how poor of a start he had. I thought his powerplay usage was extremely questionable as his strength is supposed to be around the net and I don't believe he was ever really tried there.

What's been the most puzzling to me is that when I watch he seems to have serious issues receiving passes and controlling the puck in general which is unacceptable for a player of his caliber and paycheque. Hopefully a fresh start next season will do wonders for him.

really have to disagree with you about his effort being good. I am with Botch 100% who has publicly questioned his level of engagement. it doesn't really get softer on the boards and puck than Eriksson.

 

[mathonwy]

Well... at least he looks more engaged than Vrbata last season?

Right guis?

 

[Pip]

really have to disagree with you about his effort being good. I am with Botch 100% who has publicly questioned his level of engagement. it doesn't really get softer on the boards and puck than Eriksson.

I could definitely be wrong on this as I've sparsely watched the latter half of the season due to other commitments and the team generally being trash so I'm evaluating him more based on his first half of the season where I thought he tried and played well defensively but was completely invisible offensively on most nights.

 

[scorvat53]

I'm not going to claim special insight into thinking it was a bad signing at the time. Heck, I'm not afraid to say I thought he would've worked well with the Twins (wished Willie though gave it much longer look....). At the time he was signed, I thought contract would only look bad near the end (by then, we would've had enough solid seasons to offset that - much like Burrows).

He needs to play with players that have speed and skill and use the open space he creates to succeed here. The sedins aren't that type of player.

 

[F A N]

Eriksson should play with Horvat and Baertschi. They were good in their limited time together.

 

[Verviticus]

im gonna take the wild opinion that he improves next year

 

[scorvat53]

Eriksson should play with Horvat and Baertschi. They were good in their limited time together.

I really like him there too. If he bounces back next year it will be playing with those 2.

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Thread not updated since March 2017.

What is your opinion on Eriksson now?

 

[sting101]

Massive improvement.

Still hugely overpaid. At least he's producing like a top6 forward right now.

 

[elitepete]

He should be a top 6 forward for 2 more years atleast.

Still overpaid, and given way too much term though.

We may be able to LTIR him if he wants to retire before his contract is over, he has had a lot of injuries throughout his career.

 

[F A N]

We may be able to LTIR him if he wants to retire before his contract is over, he has had a lot of injuries throughout his career.

Not sure how many injuries he has suffered over the years, but Eriksson has managed to stay healthy throughout his career until he got to Boston, and even then his last two season there he played 81 and 82 games. I mean it's possible that his body has broke down. But if you are suggesting that Eriksson has had many injuries that has caused him to miss games over the years, that's simply not true.

In fact, I'm not even sure if it's a Vancouver thing. Look at Hamhuis, he was known to not miss too many games until he got to Vancouver. He goes to Dallas and thus far he has like missed 5 games between last season and this season so far. So who knows.

 

[Peter10]

Massive improvement.

Still hugely overpaid. At least he's producing like a top6 forward right now.

Not sure yet if I would speak of a "massive improvement" after 5 good games. If he can sort of keep it up and be a solid player consistantly then sure why not but maybe we should wait a bit to see if that is just a little hot streak or indeed a sign of improvement.

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Is he playing with the fire hydrants, or on another line?

 

[HSD19]

He looked good for a few game and then just disappeared. Now he's gone pointless in last 6.

Only four more years of him after this one tho.

 

[Wo Yorfat]

Just one of many massive JB gaffes. 6M for a guy you routinely forget is on the team.

 

[elitepete]

CBA can’t end soon enough...

 

[MikeK]

Yep. His best days are clearly behind him. If the Canucks were a contender and every penny mattered this contract would look even worse.
Just an absolutely brutal signing.

 

[The Extrapolater]

Still the same opinion: the wrong player at the wrong time at the wrong price. He's a solid 2-way player, but the Canucks long-term would be better off with the cap-space. At the very least, they should've waited on signing him, working on driving down both term and price.