Player Discussion Brendan Gaunce (Canucks will not extend qualifying offer - Dhaliwal)

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Jay Cee

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May 8, 2007
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I often think people pick lazy arguments to pick on why a team isn't winning, like blaming the team's worst players. Gaunce hasn't been the reason why the Canucks are losing -at all- and you can say that his play away from the puck is ok, and he is an ok player in all three zones.

That being said, he has 7 points and one lowly goal in almost 100 games in the NHL. He is a bust, and is not showing much promise for the future. Guys like that are dime a dozen in the NHL and there will come a day where there is a roster crunch where a guy who produces like that will get a hard look at getting waived. It's not all bad news for Gaunce though, he was kept on the team ahead of guys that can produce, and coaching and management decided he has a place...for now.
 

Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
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That Ferraro argument is such an overly simplistic and black and white way of looking at player evaluation, though. You can't just go "This guy is good defensively, but doesn't chip in offensively. You can obtain players who are good defensively but are also able to chip in offensively. Therefore, this guy is a replacement level player." The goal isn't to try to check off as many binary checkboxes as possible. The only thing that should matter is the net outcome from the degree which a player is good defensively vs. bad offensively.

Players who are solid defensively and can chip in a few goals are a dime a dozen, sure. But a player capable of playing tough shutdown minutes effectively is valuable/irreplaceable and can turn into key players on a contender even if they NEVER score a goal or an assist. Ignoring the optimism people have about his untapped offense, I think the people who like Gaunce see potential in his ability to play that role.

Suggesting that Gaunce is actually not good enough defensively to overcome zero offense (due to his lack of lateral mobility) is a significantly better argument than suggesting that a player who is effective defensively but has zero offense is doomed to be a nothing player, ignoring all other factors.
 
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m9

m9
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Jan 23, 2010
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I think that while Gaunce may not be a regular on a good team, this is supposed to be a young, rebuilding team. He fits that. So while he may be a replacement level player now, you hope at the very least he improves enough to be a contributor on a good team. Having his spot filled by a guy that is already a good player will inevitably cost more money as a free agent, have an acquisition cost via trade, or will be an older player that will not be useful for when the team is supposed to be 'good'.
 

RobertKron

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Sep 1, 2007
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Furthermore, I like how Gaunce can't possibly be in the lineup because he's apparently too one-dimensional to be a 4th liner in the modern NHL, but it was a f***ing great trade to dump McCann and a second for Gudbranson, who sucks at pretty much everything, because you need him in the lineup specifically to occasionally push someone over near the net.
 

iceburg

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Aug 31, 2003
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Gaunce does a lot of things that are necessary on a winning team. Would be nice if he could score a few but that's not where his primary value is.
 
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Cupless44

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Jun 25, 2014
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A few bounces, better linemates or more icetime, and this exact player, with the same skills, would have scored a couple last year, and might have 1 or 2 this year, and nobody would be hair-splitting like this.

He's spent his entire NHL career on one of the worst and lowest scoring teams in the NHL. He's played most of those games with AHL fodder for linemates. Despite this he's put up excellent results in almost every way except by the counting stats. His coach trusts him and is using him in crucial situations.

Jake Virtanen, by the way, has exactly 10 more NHL goals in the same number of career games, despite being handed many, many prime opportunities. But he's going to break out any minute right?
Many, many prime opportunities for Virtanen? You mean like 9-10 minutes or less, 3rd period benching s, no power play time and no overtime to utilize the best skater on the team?
 

Cupless44

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Jun 25, 2014
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That Ferraro argument is such an overly simplistic and black and white way of looking at player evaluation, though. You can't just go "This guy is good defensively, but doesn't chip in offensively. You can obtain players who are good defensively but are also able to chip in offensively. Therefore, this guy is a replacement level player." The goal isn't to try to check off as many binary checkboxes as possible. The only thing that should matter is the net outcome from the degree which a player is good defensively vs. bad offensively.

Players who are solid defensively and can chip in a few goals are a dime a dozen, sure. But a player capable of playing tough shutdown minutes effectively is valuable/irreplaceable and can turn into key players on a contender even if they NEVER score a goal or an assist. Ignoring the optimism people have about his untapped offense, I think the people who like Gaunce see potential in his ability to play that role.

Suggesting that Gaunce is actually not good enough defensively to overcome zero offense (due to his lack of lateral mobility) is a significantly better argument than suggesting that a player who is effective defensively but has zero offense is doomed to be a nothing player, ignoring all other factors.

Much rather have a player like Mathieu Perreault Adam Lowry on my 4th line, looking at the team we just played, for example.
 
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Cupless44

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Again, I actually have always pulled for Gaunce and would rather have him playing than players like Dowd, but lets not act like he is not a totally replaceable player when some prospects are ready.
 

rune74

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Oct 10, 2008
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Furthermore, I like how Gaunce can't possibly be in the lineup because he's apparently too one-dimensional to be a 4th liner in the modern NHL, but it was a ****ing great trade to dump McCann and a second for Gudbranson, who sucks at pretty much everything, because you need him in the lineup specifically to occasionally push someone over near the net.

That has zero bearing on Gaunce, it's more deflection then anything else.
 

rune74

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Oct 10, 2008
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Many, many prime opportunities for Virtanen? You mean like 9-10 minutes or less, 3rd period benching s, no power play time and no overtime to utilize the best skater on the team?

I was wondering about that. Obviously, I would rather have Virtanen on ice then Gaunce. 10 goals for a player who is younger and been up and down on the lineup is pretty good.

100 games with1 goal is bad no matter how you spin it. I am having a hard time trying to figure out why this player is so important, if he was drafted in the last few years he would already have the bust label.
 
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rune74

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Oct 10, 2008
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They don’t even play the same position.

Really? I though center and wing were the same....:sarcasm:

I meant as his center, he is holding him back as the plays that Virtanen could capitalize on die on his stick.

I guess I would like to see Virtanen with a better center.
 

RobertKron

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Sep 1, 2007
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Really? I though center and wing were the same....:sarcasm:

I meant as his center, he is holding him back as the plays that Virtanen could capitalize on die on his stick.

I guess I would like to see Virtanen with a better center.

Gaunce isn’t Virtanen’s centre.
 

rune74

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Oct 10, 2008
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I could have sworn he was centering the 4th line....goes to show I shouldn't read M2B game day threads.
 

RobertKron

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charlie-brown.jpg
 

Shareefruck

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Apr 2, 2005
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Vancouver, BC
Again, I actually have always pulled for Gaunce and would rather have him playing than players like Dowd, but lets not act like he is not a totally replaceable player when some prospects are ready.
If you think that because he isn't good enough defensively to be valuable despite his lack of offense, I think that's a valid opinion. If you think that because zero goals is bad no matter what, I don't.
 

Verviticus

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Jul 23, 2010
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Much rather have a player like Mathieu Perreault Adam Lowry on my 4th line, looking at the team we just played, for example.

lmao yeah i mean, id also like a first liner on my 4th line. i dont want the dumbass coach that put him there but yknow
 

Verviticus

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Jul 23, 2010
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just think, when we traded for sbisa, perrault literally walked off the ducks for nothing almost immediately after. we probably could've had him in trade
 

Melvin

21/12/05
Sep 29, 2017
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My favourite part of this never-ending circle jerk is the obvious overlap between the posters who crap on analytics and tell people you need to watch the games to appreciate players, that you can't judge based on numbers, and the ones who are are telling us that Gaunce sucks because lol no goalz.

Gudbranson and his zero points while allowing his goalie to face a barrage of shots every night is totally valuable for some reason, but Gaunce cannot possibly deliver value without scoring a goal.
 

rune74

Registered User
Oct 10, 2008
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My favourite part of this never-ending circle jerk is the obvious overlap between the posters who crap on analytics and tell people you need to watch the games to appreciate players, that you can't judge based on numbers, and the ones who are are telling us that Gaunce sucks because lol no goalz.

Gudbranson and his zero points while allowing his goalie to face a barrage of shots every night is totally valuable for some reason, but Gaunce cannot possibly deliver value without scoring a goal.

Gee that's exactly what everyone is doing:help:.....once again another post bringing up Gudbranson, who is a defenceman as somehow showing the worth of Gaunce. It's a deflection at best.

He has value, but it is very limited if you cannot get any offence from Gaunce.
 
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