Canucks have asked about Jonathon Blum

[vancityluongo]

There's no room for him on Nashville's roster after they drafted Jones. With Weber, Jones, Klein and Ellis ahead of him on the depth chart, there is no way they were ever going to be able to keep him.

Josi too.

Hey, a couple people said they'd have kept Ballard if he was making less money. Enter Blum. Fast skating, puck rushing defenceman who's weak defensively. Sounds familiar. Much less physical than Ballard, but at least he can play the right side and cost less.

Yeah, this could be a good Ballard replacement at hopefully a fifth of the cost.

I don't follow Nashville much, is Blum simply a guy that couldn't make the transition to the NHL? This place was crazy about him and Franson like three years ago.

 

[Wisp]

You guys are always crying for "MOAR GIANTZZZZ!!!!21211" too.

 

[Ziostilon]

Yeah, this could be a good Ballard replacement at hopefully a fifth of the cost.

I don't follow Nashville much, is Blum simply a guy that couldn't make the transition to the NHL? This place was crazy about him and Franson like three years ago.

remember the Blum - Klein pairing in that Preds - 'Nucks playoff series
when he was playing the left side

and it didn't look out of place at all

but that was then, now Victor Bartley has surpassed him on the depth chart. Blum is another project. I'd take Alberts ahead of him, at least Alby can stay in the big leagues

 

[MS]

I don't follow Nashville much, is Blum simply a guy that couldn't make the transition to the NHL? This place was crazy about him and Franson like three years ago.

Pretty much.

His first 2 pro seasons were very good, he reached the NHL and played well at the end of the 2010-11 season ... and his last couple seasons have been awful.

He's kind of a poor man's Lukas Krajicek - smooth skater, good outlet pass, but no size or grit and his skills don't really translate to points.

 

[Ziostilon]

 

[canuck4life16]

and Blum was a 2007 first round pick

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

nm..

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

and Blum was a 2007 first round pick

Ballard and Barker were first round picks too.

Still, at 24 and coming to a place where he'd have some extra incentive to stick; worth the risk for a little above minimum.

 

[alternate]

On a one year deal he'd be great as a 6/7th depth signing.

Hamhuis Bieksa
Edler Tanev
Garrison Corrado/Blum

With the cap as it is this is about the best we can expect on defense.

Really doubt Garrison is on the third pairing. Hamhuis-Garrison was too good not to continue. The focus should be finding Bieksa a partner.

I could see Blum signed though as a #8...someone to complement a steady veteran #7 (ie Alberts role the past couple years). My only issue would be taking time away from Corrado. If we need a RH guy because of injuries, I'd rather call-up Corrado...but Vancouver can never have too many adequate dmen though, so I wouldn't complain about a cheap, short-term deal.

 

[Free Edler]

Normally, I would agree with you, but in this case we're pretty much talking about our last $1M. Is Blum the guy we want to spend that on?

I'm a 'no' vote. I wouldn't spent $1M on Blum.

 

[denkiteki]

Great for competition for Corrado and also adds depth since Corrado could play in Utica and doesn't need to pass waivers in case of injuries (bound to happen). Not to mention we don't even have a 7th dman at this moment (aka Alberts spot) so we probably need to sign at least 2 depth dman anyways. Taking a 24 year old who just a couple years ago looked like a sure thing top 4 dman is never a bad idea (more so when it cost nothing but a contract spot and probably just a bit over min. salary).

 

[MS]

As an aside, if we're going to look at a younger UFA with a WHL connection to this city, Nick Holden is a guy I'd take a very long look at, well ahead of Blum.

Was probably one of the 5 best defenders in the AHL this year and actually has size and can play defense.

 

[Castle1*]

I'm a 'no' vote. I wouldn't spent $1M on Blum.

I'm with you on this. We have taken on other projects that didn't pan out that have the same background (barker). Give one of our young guys the chance or find a 7th D at a reasonable hit who knows he is a 7 D and does his job there (hmm...like Alberts?).

 

[Castle1*]

As an aside, if we're going to look at a younger UFA with a WHL connection to this city, Nick Holden is a guy I'd take a very long look at, well ahead of Blum.

Was probably one of the 5 best defenders in the AHL this year and actually has size and can play defense.

This sounds like a much better idea than Blum imo.

 

[keslerburrows]

Always liked this kid. Really we hope we can get him on like a 2 year 2.4M contract.

 

[Nuckles]

Always liked this kid. Really we hope we can get him on like a 2 year 2.4M contract.

As others have said, he isn't worth more than $1M per year. I'd aim for a 1 year, 800k contract to let him prove himself.

 

[Free Edler]

As an aside, if we're going to look at a younger UFA with a WHL connection to this city, Nick Holden is a guy I'd take a very long look at, well ahead of Blum.

Was probably one of the 5 best defenders in the AHL this year and actually has size and can play defense.

Holden would also probably be more amenable to a two-way deal than a guy like Blum, although I never really understood why he wasn't able to crack the defensive corps full-time in Columbus after such a standout junior career.

 

[Burke's Evil Spirit]

Columbus has a pretty deep blueline. The top end isn't particularly good but there are a lot of NHL level players.

 

[denkiteki]

Holden would also probably be more amenable to a two-way deal than a guy like Blum, although I never really understood why he wasn't able to crack the defensive corps full-time in Columbus after such a standout junior career.

Not sure if he's more amenable... he probably is only interested in 1-way deal at this point given he already showed he's capable in the AHL level. He probably would only take a 2 way deal if he can't get a 1-way. There might be a team willing to give him a 1-way deal.

 

[Free Edler]

Columbus has a pretty deep blueline. The top end isn't particularly good but there are a lot of NHL level players.

Yeah, that's fair. Taking a second look, Columbus had a fair bit of depth among their 5-7 defensemen last season. More than a few of their posters were really bullish on David Savard last offseason.

 

[MarkMM]

Any concerns that an organization that really knows D-men just let him walk as a 24 year old? I suppose 2-way at league minimum can't hurt anything...

I follow Nashville pretty closely, jury is out with many there who feel that a year or two ago he was developing nicely and it's just as likely his dip is an aberration as it is that his early promise was a mirage. But at the end of the day, they simply had too many promising prospects coming up (but read the threads about his not being qualified, a lot of Pred fans feel he's still an asset that should have been kept, and is only being lost because even if he does improve, they've got too many guys just like him).

Anything under $900k I'd grab him, if he works, awesome, mobile, potentially offensive blue-liner young enough to have potential that's a right-hand shot looking for a new opportunity, if he doesn't work, then send him down and we lose the cap hit but keep him for the playoffs for call-up depth.

 

[Jack Tripper]

any signing of a 24-year old former 1st round pick on a sub-million dollar deal is going to have question marks, otherwise the player would obviously never be available at that value to begin with

i guess the question is whether the signing is worth the risk and how much responsibility is asked of the player...if he's signed as a 7-8 d-man at 900k, i suppose it's worth a flyer even if the chance of success is just as likely as the chance he'll turn into ryan parent

i mean this team relied on cam freaking barker for long stretches last season, hard not to improve on that

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

As others have said, he isn't worth more than $1M per year.

And as someone pointed out, his qualifying offer would have been even less than that.

If someone wanted him bad enough they could have just given the Preds a seventh round pick at the draft and qualified him themselves for 2-3 hundred thousand less.

If Poile knew he wasn't going to retain him, I'm sure he let it be know at the draft.

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

As an aside, if we're going to look at a younger UFA with a WHL connection to this city, Nick Holden is a guy I'd take a very long look at, well ahead of Blum.

Was probably one of the 5 best defenders in the AHL this year and actually has size and can play defense.

Good call on Holden, 6'4- 210 lbs... 40 points AHL last season, Played on Chilliwack Bruins a few years back.

 

[Free Edler]

Good call on Holden, 6'4- 210 lbs... 40 points AHL last season, Played on Chilliwack Bruins a few years back.

Holden was a leader from day one on the Bruins. He'd be a nice pickup here but with how crappy our pro scouting seems to be, I'd be shocked to my very core if the Canucks even tendered him an offer.