Recalled/Assigned: Michael Chaput recalled

[MS]

Have to man up and admit when you're wrong.....hard to think of a single Canuck who's improved as much as Chaput in his first full season in the NHL.....Sedins have said he kind of reminds them of a young Alex Burrows, and I can see the comparison.

Definitely playing with more pace and his motor never stops.....seems to be another late bloomer from the Q, after both the Flyers and the Jackets basically gave up on him.

Can definitely see a future for him in VanCity as a fourth-line centre, but a guy who can also shift to the wing if needed....still only 24 and could continue to get better....looking like a nice add, when at the start of the season he was being written off as basically a depth piece for Utica.

Yup. I hope he's a regular next season. Perfect cheap 4th line center. Has been a very nice find.

It's BS when people keep lumping him in with Megna.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Yup. I hope he's a regular next season. Perfect cheap 4th line center. Has been a very nice find.

It's BS when people keep lumping him in with Megna.

Where do you see Gaunce then?

 

[jeromemorrow]

Chaput earned a contract for next year from his play this year. I think he has Burrows-like capabilities ... and in addition to that, he also plays center.

 

[Pastor Of Muppets]

Chaput earned a contract for next year from his play this year. I think he has Burrows-like capabilities ... and in addition to that, he also plays center.

Agreed..I thought he was a better fit on the Sedin line than Granlund..He had a boatload of chances in the Pittsburgh game.

 

[VanJack]

Guy won a Memorial Cup in Drummondville; and a Calder Cup with the Lake Erie Monsters; and was a key contributor on both teams.....can't beat that championship experience for development....good on him for taking what might have been his last shot at the NHL, and running with it.

 

[y2kcanucks]

I'm not big on Chaput at all. Dime a dozen player.

 

[VanJack]

Interesting.....Burrows scored four times in his first year with the Canucks, and went to every training camp under AV basically hanging on to an NHL job by his fingernails....Chaput is obviously bigger and can play centre......not saying he's necessarily on the same career improvement path as Burrows, but if he improves next year as much as he's improved this year, the Canucks still might have something.

 

[MS]

Where do you see Gaunce then?

Ideally as the 3rd line center, but unfortunately I think it's overwhelmingly likely he'll be in Las Vegas.

 

[Mal Reynolds]

I'm not big on Chaput at all. Dime a dozen player.

I'm not as gung-ho on him as some but he's shown well enough that I'd offer him a new one-way contract (at a low enough caphit it could be buried without any repercussions). And nothing would be etched in stone with regards to a spot. He'd have to come in & earn it again

Worse case scenario, you have a pricey vet to help on the farm

 

[Nucker101]

Ideally as the 3rd line center, but unfortunately I think it's overwhelmingly likely he'll be in Las Vegas.

Man that'd be a low scoring bottom 6 center duo.


I just see Chaput as a safe player, I just don't like the guys who bring little to no offense. You're basically applauding him for being a 5v5 PK'er. I mean, if he can do that against top 6 forwards then there's some value in that but I don't think he's that good.

 

[MS]

Man that'd be a low scoring bottom 6 center duo.


I just see Chaput as a safe player, I just don't like the guys who bring little to no offense. You're basically applauding him for being a 5v5 PK'er. I mean, if he can do that against top 6 forwards then there's some value in that but I don't think he's that good.

Every 4th line is basically like this now. Chaput might have more skill than most - he was lighting it up in the AHL to start the season.

I think Gaunce will score 20 ES points as soon he's given the actual opportunity.

 

[denkiteki]

Ideally as the 3rd line center, but unfortunately I think it's overwhelmingly likely he'll be in Las Vegas.

Most mock draft seems to leave a LOT of decent forwards (as in better than Gaunce) but not as many NHL level D so Sbisa is likely still the favorite to be picked.

Remember pretty much every player that qualifies with the draft will need to clear waivers (since players with 2 year or less are exempt from the draft, players with 3 year experience will need to clear waivers next year). That means someone like Gaunce really doesn't have that much value if you can pick up someone like Hansen, Yakupov, etc.

Take a look @ SJS for example...

They will pretty much by default be protecting Couture, Pavelski, Boedker, Hertl leaving either 3 more or 4 D. If they go with the 3 extra forwards, then its between Ward (i doubt they pick him but its possible), Hansen, Karlsson, Sorensen, Tierney (and maybe others).

STL would be similar with
Tarasenko, Stastny, Steen, Perron, and Schwartz as 5 likely protects leaving one of Yakupov, Berglund, and Lehtera as an odd man out. Any one of them likely have much more value than Gaunce (and you'll more than likely find 14+ situations that are the same).

Most teams will do everything in their power to protect Ds since they are much harder to find and quite a few will consider protecting 4 (exposing even more quality forwards).

Back on topic of Chaput, if we do lose Gaunce, Chaput will likely be a locked next year. Even if we don't lose Gaunce, its likely Chaput will be back due to his RFA status and our lack of forwards. Even if its a 2 way deal, it'll help Utica.

 

[Red]

Definitely like the idea of Chaput as a 13th forward. He seems more able to play up and down the lineup as required to me than Megna. Could be on the 4th line but I think he fits the role of a 13th forward really well.

 

[MS]

Most mock draft seems to leave a LOT of decent forwards (as in better than Gaunce) but not as many NHL level D so Sbisa is likely still the favorite to be picked.

Remember pretty much every player that qualifies with the draft will need to clear waivers (since players with 2 year or less are exempt from the draft, players with 3 year experience will need to clear waivers next year). That means someone like Gaunce really doesn't have that much value if you can pick up someone like Hansen, Yakupov, etc.

Take a look @ SJS for example...

They will pretty much by default be protecting Couture, Pavelski, Boedker, Hertl leaving either 3 more or 4 D. If they go with the 3 extra forwards, then its between Ward (i doubt they pick him but its possible), Hansen, Karlsson, Sorensen, Tierney (and maybe others).

STL would be similar with
Tarasenko, Stastny, Steen, Perron, and Schwartz as 5 likely protects leaving one of Yakupov, Berglund, and Lehtera as an odd man out. Any one of them likely have much more value than Gaunce (and you'll more than likely find 14+ situations that are the same).

Most teams will do everything in their power to protect Ds since they are much harder to find and quite a few will consider protecting 4 (exposing even more quality forwards).

Back on topic of Chaput, if we do lose Gaunce, Chaput will likely be a locked next year. Even if we don't lose Gaunce, its likely Chaput will be back due to his RFA status and our lack of forwards. Even if its a 2 way deal, it'll help Utica.

If you take Sbisa over Gaunce, you have **** scouting.

If you take Yakupov or Lehtera over Gaunce, you have **** scouting.

 

[denkiteki]

If you take Sbisa over Gaunce, you have **** scouting.

If you take Yakupov or Lehtera over Gaunce, you have **** scouting.

Its not just me, you can look at just about every mock draft and you'll find Sbisa being drafted.

Also Gaunce has done a lot less than the other forwards mentioned. A former 1st overall pick will sell more tickets for Vegas than an unknown in Gaunce (even if he's pretty much a bust, you can market him much better right now). Remember Gaunce only has 6 points in basically 1 full season of games. Sure he has played well but you can find similar players on just about every single team (and sometime even in waivers). Even in the AHL his career high is 38 points (tho in 46 games, about a 66 point pace).

Sbisa might not be a good D but he's fine as a 3rd pairing D and compared to the other non UFA Ds, he probably would be 1 of the 6 best (that aren't protected). That won't even make him a top 120 (top 4) D in the NHL since there are other players like Stecher, Hutton, Tryamkin, etc who don't even need to be protected (or UFAs that could be signed by Vegas after without using a pick, Vegas has a 3 day window to talk to RFA/UFA that aren't protected so they quite likely could make deals to UFA without even drafting them and signing the deal 10 days later) + the 90 (or more) that are protected.

 

[y2kcanucks]

Ideally as the 3rd line center, but unfortunately I think it's overwhelmingly likely he'll be in Las Vegas.

Fair enough.

I could be OK with Horvat-Sedin-Gaunce-Chaput as my C's. Ideally would like an upgrade on Chaput, but it is looking like a weaker FA class, and we don't have anyone young coming up the pipeline.

 

[MS]

Its not just me, you can look at just about every mock draft and you'll find Sbisa being drafted.

Also Gaunce has done a lot less than the other forwards mentioned. A former 1st overall pick will sell more tickets for Vegas than an unknown in Gaunce (even if he's pretty much a bust, you can market him much better right now). Remember Gaunce only has 6 points in basically 1 full season of games. Sure he has played well but you can find similar players on just about every single team (and sometime even in waivers). Even in the AHL his career high is 38 points (tho in 46 games, about a 66 point pace).

Sbisa might not be a good D but he's fine as a 3rd pairing D and compared to the other non UFA Ds, he probably would be 1 of the 6 best (that aren't protected). That won't even make him a top 120 (top 4) D in the NHL since there are other players like Stecher, Hutton, Tryamkin, etc who don't even need to be protected (or UFAs that could be signed by Vegas after without using a pick, Vegas has a 3 day window to talk to RFA/UFA that aren't protected so they quite likely could make deals to UFA without even drafting them and signing the deal 10 days later) + the 90 (or more) that are protected.

I could care less what bad mock drafts from journalists who don't understand hockey or fans who don't watch Vancouver say. Sbisa is the 'biggest name' likely to be unprotected from Vancouver so he's the guy listed.

Again, if Vegas is stupid enough to take a mediocre, overpaid 3rd pairing defender a year away from UFA ahead of Brendan Gaunce, then that's absolutely ****ing awful scouting.

You're vastly under-rating Gaunce's offensive ability and AHL production, and if you think Nail Yakupov will sell tickets for anyone you're just dead wrong.

 

[BROCK HUGHES]

Fair enough.

I could be OK with Horvat-Sedin-Gaunce-Chaput as my C's. Ideally would like an upgrade on Chaput, but it is looking like a weaker FA class, and we don't have anyone young coming up the pipeline.

i am not really,ok with our centers at all.until sedin is gone they will ride him as 1st.

 

[Jyrki21]

If Las Vegas is analytically inclined they should be interested in Gaunce. But I don't imagine George McPhee is very much on the analytics train, and just the nature of a team being in Las Vegas might suggest they'll go for flash over substance.

 

[HighAndTight]

I'm not big on Chaput at all. Dime a dozen player.

Enough of these players already.

 

[BROCK HUGHES]

Enough of these players already.

Yeah im so tired of these types also,,,just get us a true 1 center
Might have to wait until the ax falls on bennings knob first.

 

[BassMason]

Yeah im so tired of these types also,,,just get us a true 1 center
Might have to wait until the ax falls on bennings knob first.

Excuse me?

 

[denkiteki]

I could care less what bad mock drafts from journalists who don't understand hockey or fans who don't watch Vancouver say. Sbisa is the 'biggest name' likely to be unprotected from Vancouver so he's the guy listed.

Again, if Vegas is stupid enough to take a mediocre, overpaid 3rd pairing defender a year away from UFA ahead of Brendan Gaunce, then that's absolutely ****ing awful scouting.

You're vastly under-rating Gaunce's offensive ability and AHL production, and if you think Nail Yakupov will sell tickets for anyone you're just dead wrong.

Its marketability... being a 1st overall pick (fairly recent) can be marketed. Gaunce doesn't bring anything that can be marketed (again for an expansion franchise). Fans would NOT have followed either players (or most fans wouldn't have). Someone who was a 1st overall pick can be marketed a lot better than someone who really hasn't done anything in professional hockey.

As far as being overpaid... its debatable mostly due to the inflated contract you see. With Vegas' expansion, its basically another 73 million into annual salaries so there will be more inflated salaries. I'm not saying Sbisa's deal is good (i've actually said multiple times that its bad) but its not actually all that bad anymore due to salary cap going up.

Example from last year, Lovejoy got 3 years @ 8mil as a 33 year old UFA. Bottom pairing and older than Sbisa. Polak got 1 year @ 2.25. They are less than Sbisa but not much less and play pretty much a similar role. You could find replacements @ ~1 mil but they generally won't have the same level of experience. There are of course examples of better deals but most of those are RFAs.

If you look at the players that likely will be exposed, you won't find many NHL level D and Vegas needs to field a team next year. Taking Sbisa as an "experience" member makes sense Its not like they'll be favorites to sign Shatternkirk and there really isn't too many "top 4" level D as UFA next year. Kulikov is another one if he doesn't get a contract (tho if he gets signed, Buffalo will likely protect 4 D). You really won't find many D that are better than Sbisa as UFA or unprotected. The ones that are better likely will sign with a contender and Vegas won't be overpaying for 35+ (and most of the decent depth option would be in that category).

As far as drafts from journalist goes... some of them don't know anything or are random. Others sometime actually have sources as in they actually talk with people who make these decisions and might have an idea. Are they going to be 100% accurate? of course not but i expect the likes of TSN/Sportsnet/etc to at least get 40% of the 30 right. Its the same thing with mock NHL drafts... are they going to be always right? Not even close but they will get a decent number of picks correct (near the top).

 

[me2]

I could care less what bad mock drafts from journalists who don't understand hockey or fans who don't watch Vancouver say. Sbisa is the 'biggest name' likely to be unprotected from Vancouver so he's the guy listed.

Again, if Vegas is stupid enough to take a mediocre, overpaid 3rd pairing defender a year away from UFA ahead of Brendan Gaunce, then that's absolutely ****ing awful scouting.

You're vastly under-rating Gaunce's offensive ability and AHL production, and if you think Nail Yakupov will sell tickets for anyone you're just dead wrong.

I disagree for two reasons.

* Vegas is going to need to take on a certain amount of cap and they might be need some players that can help them meet requirements.

* Vegas could be planing on not winning and being seller's at the deadline and flipping Sbisa at the deadline for a 2nd or 3rd.

Ordinarily you wouldn't want Sbisa on your team at his contract if you could help it, but Vegas has certain criteria to meet. Alternatively they could take Gaunce and spend the $3.6m on some UFA and get a better player but maybe not on one year deal, or they could use that $3.6m as a part towards a much more expensive player as a UFA or taking a cap dump. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[vancityluongo]

I disagree for two reasons.

* Vegas is going to need to take on a certain amount of cap and they might be need some players that can help them meet requirements.

* Vegas could be planing on not winning and being seller's at the deadline and flipping Sbisa at the deadline for a 2nd or 3rd.

Ordinarily you wouldn't want Sbisa on your team at his contract if you could help it, but Vegas has certain criteria to meet. Alternatively they could take Gaunce and spend the $3.6m on some UFA and get a better player but maybe not on one year deal, or they could use that $3.6m as a part towards a much more expensive player as a UFA or taking a cap dump. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

Yeah. They should hoard assets by taking on bad contracts (Dustin Brown, Bobby Ryan, etc.) I take Brendan Gaunce + a 1st + Andrew Macdonald every day of the week over Luca Sbisa.

Cap space is an asset. Just because Jim Benning does not understand this doesn't mean we should hope that other teams won't either.