Post-Game Talk: Canucks 5, Kings 7 in Salt Lake City

[Canuckle1970]

Have to agree that Hughes was in good form tonight.

I'll be charitable about the rest of the team.....they were pacing themselves. Pre-season strategy.

 

[docbenton]

They have guys who are solid NHL players who might not make the team like Motte and Eriksson even if Gaudette goes down. How is that not competition for spots? If you expect bottom of the lineup players to make consistent impacts you're going to be disappointed.

 

[JumpierPegasus]

Gaudette plays very manic, that's his biggest problem. He swings wildly at pucks, and he shoots from terrible spots on the ice, and plays with a crazed style on defense. Works fine in a less structured game like college, but dang does he look poor in the NHL. Hopefully it is a style of play that can be coached out of him and his game can be fine tuned. The tools are there

Green seems to like him, playing him a lot, giving him opportunities. I think he may start the season in the NHL

Goldobin should be waived, he has no value at this point, he's not going to ever be an NHL regular

 

[krutovsdonut]

hughes just fantastic.

graovac has some unexpected game and should be a good ahl guy

gaudette will make the team. defence can be taught. maybe shoukd be in the ahl but he's doing enough.

leivo will make the team. that shot.

pearson is a one event per game guy

myers is bizarro. not sure if he is trying stuff at team request or a loose cannon.

 

[Peen]

They have guys who are solid NHL players who might not make the team like Motte and Eriksson even if Gaudette goes down. How is that not competition for spots? If you expect bottom of the lineup players to make consistent impacts you're going to be disappointed.

Sorry, you have created a strawman here by implying that I'm expecting "consistent impacts".

The point here is that none of the guys who have something to prove or fight for to secure their place in the NHL have done anything to cement their place.

Do you disagree with the above statement?

 

[Hoghandler]

My point was very clearly aimed at the bubble players and those looking to make an impression for consideration moving forward. The depth of the organization so to speak. That contingent has put in a brutal camp thus far.

Who exactly did you think was going to be making a case for being on this team that hasn't performed?

Most of the Canucks top prospects either aren't playing in the pre-season or you have excluded from the list because they are too good...

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

Gaudette plays very manic, that's his biggest problem. He swings wildly at pucks, and he shoots from terrible spots on the ice, and plays with a crazed style on defense. Works fine in a less structured game like college, but dang does he look poor in the NHL. Hopefully it is a style of play that can be coached out of him and his game can be fine tuned. The tools are there

Green seems to like him, playing him a lot, giving him opportunities. I think he may start the season in the NHL

Goldobin should be waived, he has no value at this point, he's not going to ever be an NHL regular

Have to agree with Green here

 

[NuxFan09]

Hughes was by far the best Canuck on the ice tonight.

Gaudette will probably remain on the team for now because of the two goals but overall has not had a great camp..clock remains ticking for him.

Goldobin's time is up I think.

Graovac has been queitly impressive so far and tonight especially, but is realistically best suited as Utica depth fodder.

I'm not too sure where Leivo fits on this roster if at all, even after the offseason additions the wing depth on this team is still pretty questionable..especially on the right side.

Agreed, and the other thing too is Graovac is a great guy to have in the system. He's one of those types who's a proven productive top 6 centre at the AHL level, and how long have we been clamouring for at least one of those since Cal O'Reilly left?? If Gaudette is also sent down - which I wouldn't be opposed to - the Comets would have a really strong 1-2 punch at centre.

 

[VanJack]

Pretty typical sloppy exhibition game.....looked to me like the tough camp the Canucks have gone through, caught up with them in this game. Hughes looks like he'll be as dynamic offensively on the back-end as Pettersson was up front last season.....just some filthy dangles.

A couple goals for Gaudette but pretty pedestrian defensively on a couple of the goals. And I'm still trying to understand why guys like Chatfield and Sautner got one more exhibition game than Rafferty, who's been far better all camp.

And finally the goaltending. I'm still struggling to understand why the Canucks went out and signed McIntyre in the off-season, unless somehow they were convinced that Bachman couldn't come back from his injury.

Now they've got a dilemma. It would make zero sense to utilize two, undersized AHL-lifer veterans as their goaltenders this season in Utica. One of their young goaltenders needs the AHL development time. So one of those veterans needs to go elsewhere.

 

[Scumbag Frank]

IMO:

Cut:
Graovac - Too slow
Boucher - Watch his coverage on the Hutton goal. Just standing in the middle of nowhere. Will never be an NHL player.
Chatfield - This was probably his last NHL game
Bachman & McIntyre - Self-explanatory

Almost cut:
Sautner - Got worse as camp went on. Would like to see him given a chance away from Chatfield
MacEwen - Not showing much
Goldobin - Nothing going on here
Gaudette - 2 goals but abysmal defensive coverage tonight. Needs to go to the AHL and work on things

Definitely on the team:
Hughes

I think should be on the team:
Leivo - The goal he scored - No one else on the bubble can shoot like that

Cut one of Schaller/Eriksson/Motte

I hope Myers fixes his defensive coverage by the time the season starts. So many times he's on the wrong side of the ice leaving a winger on his side all alone for a breakaway. Or caught pinching at center ice while wingers break into the Canucks zone.

 

[Peen]

hughes just fantastic.

graovac has some unexpected game and should be a good ahl guy

gaudette will make the team. defence can be taught. maybe shoukd be in the ahl but he's doing enough.

leivo will make the team. that shot.

pearson is a one event per game guy

myers is bizarro. not sure if he is trying stuff at team request or a loose cannon.

1. Agree.
2. Agree, but sadly the player has shown no upside. Same player as he was years ago. Fan of the signing as a depth guy, though.
3. I'm debating if this is the right move. Gaudette seems to be trying really hard to make the team, but it's erratic. I still think he can be a really good player, but he needs the right coach and linemates. I think Roussell on a line with him would be great. He has to play more than 12 minutes a night.
4. Leivo should make the team as a fourth line RW'er based off his advanced stats historically in bottom six roles. A net positive player, although he hasn't had a good preseason.
5. Hope Pearson gets it going more consistently otherwise he'll look really behind Miller and Horvat. Probably the best option they have in terms of offensive production for that spot right now.

 

[krutovsdonut]

Have to agree with Green here

yep

 

[Peen]

Gaudette seems to be trying really hard to make the team, but it's erratic. I still think he can be a really good player, but he needs the right coach and linemates.

The point here is that none of the guys who have something to prove or fight for to secure their place in the NHL have done anything to cement their place.

Alright, Green is seeing the same thing.

That makes me happy.

 

[CherryToke]

I feel bad for Utica fans. Not much going on down there lol

 

[Peen]

I feel bad for Utica fans. Not much going on down there lol

I think they'll have Goldobin, Virtanen, Eriksson, and Schaller as things stand.

 

[polarbearcub]

I get the feeling Virtanen will be traded. I think the team and green is at wits end with this guy

 

[Peen]

I get the feeling Virtanen will be traded. I think the team and green is at wits end with this guy

I would be satisfied with a fourth.

 

[krutovsdonut]

I think they'll have Goldobin, Virtanen, Eriksson, and Schaller as things stand.

goldy, motte, schaller and fantenberg

 

[krutovsdonut]

I get the feeling Virtanen will be traded. I think the team and green is at wits end with this guy

that could happen

 

[Peen]

goldy, motte, schaller and fantenberg

I thought they wanted to keep 8D? and you would keep Virtanen and Eriksson over Motte? How would you structure your lines?

 

[krutovsdonut]

I thought they wanted to keep 8D? and you would keep Virtanen and Eriksson over Motte? How would you structure your lines?

just my prediction. eriksson has not been outplayed by the guys i named. he's a vet. so they have to keep him.

 

[orcatown]

Easy to make cuts after this game. Announcer kept making the point that many King players were fighting for spots - maybe someone should have given that message to some of the Canuck hopefuls. Very sluggish effort by most everyone outside of Hughes

Good

Hughes - just so much to like. Sees the ice so well and so quick and smart with the puck. Plays like this and he's an immediate Calder consideration.

Bad

Edler - looked like Edler of a couple of years ago. Always the worry that he put out hard last year for the contract and now will revert back to the more lethargic player of the past. Did not work very well with Myers

Pettersson - not having a good pre-season. Went to the ice far too easily and got tied in traffic all game. Did little with offensive chances.

Boeser - without good service can be a no show and was one in this game

Gaudette - despite getting the two "being in the right place and the right time" goals, he really laboured. Again chasing the play in his end and totally unable to break up the LA cycle. Coverage on the PK was poor and at one point left a player open to walk right into the lower part of the circle for goal. Had tunnel vision on his passing which led to bad turnovers. Gaudette is not, presently, an NHL center.

Virtanen - did nothing. Everything he does is a one off. So little flow in his play. Trade bait????

Cuts (rather than say Ugly just say Cuts)

Sautner - given a chance and crapped the bed. No longer a prospect. Hopefully helps Utica

Boucher - whole lot of nothing. Skating isn't good enough. Nor does he have any defensive game. Sinking below the water line for the third or fourth or fifth time or who knows how many times. NHL dream is kaput.

MacEwen - amazing how he never can get on the right side of the +/- ledger. Only time he looks good is when he just tries to blow thru the other team with speed and dangles. Can work at the AHL level but no here. Hasn't got the skill to play controlled or systematic hockey. Too bad b/c the Canucks could use his toughness.

Goldobin - put a big fork in him. Terrible effort in this game. Does not appear to have the right mentality for this level of hockey. Some other team might be doing the Canucks a favour if they pick him off waivers.

Chatfield - had some decent moments and, overall, has done himself some good this pre-season. But whenever, he tries to step up his game, he ends up making the bad pinch or the bad over-commit and puck ends up in his net.

McIntyre - got ventilated in this one. Looked like there was lots of room on lots of the goals

Bachman - Very weak. Goalies in this game highlighted how important good goaltending, or bad goaltending, is.

Others

Sutter - floated thru another one. OK on the PK.

Levio - at times has you pulling your hair out with his attempt to dangle thru traffic at his blue line (and, of course gives up a massive chance) or when he passes to someone who is already in traffic. But then he makes a play, like his goal in this game, and you think there is something there. Overall, Levio is probably a liability but just as probably he isn't the liability some of the other players are.

Pearson - my advice would be not to use Pearson on the PK. Doubt we are seeing the same things we were seeing late last year with this player.

Myers - pairing of him and Edler still a work in progress. Uneven effort by Myers in this game.

Graovac - actually showed good speed on his goal and had as many good shifts as bad.

Time to get this team together and get organized.

 

[Lemmiwinks]

No...all the other prospects should be looking to measure themselves, or rather you’d hope after 6 drafts you would have some more than they do that are able to.

Gaudette despite 2 a few goals has not been good. He has shown himself to be overmatched on the defensive end of things. Until he sorts that out he’ll struggle to get a regular shift in the NHL.

Hughes and Demko were always in the team even if they were brutal they weren’t losing a spot. They aren’t actually trying to prove something. And I’ve already said Hughes was good tonight.

My point was very clearly aimed at the bubble players and those looking to make an impression for consideration moving forward. The depth of the organization so to speak. That contingent has put in a brutal camp thus far.

Meh, bubble players are bubble players for a reason. We have other prospects worth keeping an eye on who weren’t playing tonight. The only guy who played noticeably under expectations (and has a realistic shot at playing NHL games this year) was McEwan.

 

[Fire Benning]

I think Goldobin is done. Cut tomorrow.

 

[VanJack]

Disappointed in Goldy, Virtanen and MacEwen.....really thought they'd be pushing hard for spots. Mostly a big fat zero from all three.

I know there were posters at the time who were underwhelmed with the trade of Vanek that netted only Tyler Motte from the Jackets, but you can't help but love the way this guy plays. Might have a low ceiling as an offensive player, but gives you every ounce of everything he has on every shift. Impossible again to keep him off this team.

He has a fraction of the talent of guys like Goldy and Virtanen, but his will and motor just never stop.