Canucks need SNIPERS

[Vankiller Whale]

I agree with the OP. Just getting bigger and/or younger players will do absolutely nothing for this team.

We are both younger and more physical than the Sharks. They went 7-0-0 against us this year.

 

[iFan]

The reason we won't be getting young skilled sniper is because teams don't give them up, Gillis plan sounds like to take a hit in skill, as in we won't have league top offensive players, but bring size grit and a deep roster as this is a system you can win with and maintain easier, replacing players like the Sedins you would need to tank for years and draft them. It's a very solid plan and one I agree with, this team has been skilled but small and soft for along time and what did that do? Teams who are winning are bigger grittier teams, now we might not get to see pretty goals but it would be fun watching a team that hits hard.

IMO Oilers are in tough, their team is built around skill and little grit and what has that done for them? Now their going into a much bigger and tougher division. Canucks are similar in the sense we count on our scoring and skill but the problem is now there's too many tough big gritty defensive teams who can easily shut us down and we have no answer back.

It's going to be interesting how Gillis moves us there as you have to trade off the Rwins, it's time for us to part ways, and find gritty big top 6ers, possibly trade Edler but hard to trade him as he's our biggest top 4 D man and the rest of the top 4 isn't overly big and this could be a problem when big teams like the Blues, kings, sharks, ducks, Yotes go hard on the forecheck.

 

[Rick Rocket]

After watching a lot of other teams play recently...

Its our playing style. The cycle game has become far too predictable.
Even Naslund claimed AV didn't allow for much creativity. He just happened to be on the decline. Also AV playing 4th liners in key offensive zone situations is crazy.

 

[NoRaise4Brackett]

A coaching change would go a long way. AV is not a defensive coach because our shutdown game sucks - too many mistakes and too much blown coverage in our own end. AV isn't an offensive coach either, because all we do is cycle for a point-shot then have nobody (sometimes 1 guy) in front for a tip/screen/rebound... its point shot and cross-crease tap-ins, or nothing. AV is a puck-possession style coach that relies on winning the draws and controlling the boards; he wins by having the puck more. A different coach could make all the difference, one that encourages shooting the puck. Teams know the Canucks won't "waste" puck possession by shooting from anywhere, so it becomes much easier to predict what the offense is trying to do. Whatever new coach, they need to establish a shooter's mentality, which would make the other team play differently - thereby opening other options. Canucks offense is just too predictable. SJ would have 4 sharks within arms-reach of each other on their own PK battling along the boards, because they knew the Canucks would do nothing even if they got the puck to the open guy on the other side of the rink. Point-shot, cross-crease tap in, or nothing. AV tried a physical, defensive style, and it was a boring season and a terrible playoff. Took 3 losses before activating the D-men in the offensive zone; terrible coaching to wait until game 4 to make the adjustment, only to be let down by our inability to shut the game down and play error-free defense - which seemed like AV's plan all along this season. If that is the style Gillis wants, AV is not the guy to get it done.

 

[canucksfan100]

what we need is someone whod fit nicely with Hansen+ Higgins like Couturier or Henrique.

And someone who'd fit with Kesler like Weiss.

Those Henrique/Couturier and Weiss fit our 2nd and 3rd lines playing styles.

 

[ColumbusNucksFan]

I suggest GMMG should go after Cam Atkinson. He's 23 years old. Underrated player as he is playing in Columbus and was playing under Nash when he was there and now Gaborik. The guy is a sniper, someone we need desperately. Some may say he's a small guy and we don't need it but he's a player that has a nose for the net and works hard. Fast and plays really well in all 3 zones.

I'm sure he'd do well in our Top 6 and no one really brings he puck hard to the net.

CBJ is not letting go of Atkinson easily. He's a fan favorite for his speed and hard work.

 

[Henrik To Daniel]

Should have signed Semin in the off season or made a move for Gaborik or Carter

 

[DennisReynolds]

Raymond is a chest sniper

 

[biturbo19]

Not that i'd be opposed to bringing in more natural goal scorers here...we could use that as well...the 'snipers' of the NHL.

But from where i stand, the problem is less on the 'shooters' and more on the people passing them the puck (or lack thereof). It's no secret that great playmakers can make 'scorers' out of mediocre shooters. We have ONE (1) legitimate set up man on this team. Hank...and he goes about his business in a very specific manner, which isn't exactly suited to just anyone being on his wing. Also consider, Daniel is a permanent fixture there...and realistically, we have ZERO top-6 NHL calibre playmakers on this team. Just a boatload of grinders and the oddball Raymond who does...ugh idk, skates real fast and passes to the point nicely sometimes.

The thing is, not all shots are created equal, and this team is the king of wasted shots. Stupid pucks thrown at the net from terrible places on the ice, over and over again. We may 'outshoot' the opponent, but very few on this team have the patience and vision to actually hold the puck for a second and let a play develop, and dish the puck to the stick of a potentially more dangerous 'shooter'. Instead...we get guys rifling pucks at goaltenders from wherever they happen to be.

Basically...while getting natural goal scorers would be great, more than 'Snipers', this team is starved for 'playmakers' and 'passers' with great vision.

 

[canucksfan100]

lol Raymond would be clarified as a sniper i think lol All he does is skate around and shoot from bad areas.

 

[pahlsson]

sniper no sniping

 

[JA]

CBJ is not letting go of Atkinson easily. He's a fan favorite for his speed and hard work.

Atkinson and Calvert are two of the Jackets' brightest prospects. The former impressed last season with his first career hat trick and has since been a very good player for them. He stands at 5'7'' but plays a gritty game and utilizes his speed and skill to his advantage. He'll be 24 years old next month.







He really likes to use that subtle backhand-forehand deke. It's very reminiscent of Bure's go-to breakaway move:

 

[RobertKron]

I don't get why so many people take so much Gillis says at face value. He's not going to have a press conference and come out and lay out, in detail, his plans for improving the team.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Eh. One shot scorers are always nice, but they're way down the list of concerns for this particular squad, IMO.

THE BIG NEEDS

1. Defensive consistency. Particularly if they want to continue pinching and attacking with the defense. The Canucks demand a lot from their blue line, and the personnel just has not been up to the task in recent years. When we've lost big in the playoffs, the defense has always been in tatters, usually due to injury but occasionally due to poor play. We have a couple of defensively suspect swashbucklers playing big minutes, and there's a steep drop off outside of the top 4. Much is made of our lousy offensive showing, but you're not going to score a lot of goals when you're chasing the puck around in your own end, or when half of your blue line can't make a break out pass or effectively transition to offense.

2. Size in the top six. Outside of Kesler, we have no one who can score consistently if the game turns physical and the whistles get swallowed (which is every Stanley Cup final and more recently virtually every playoff series period). We have a few greasy tweeners like Higgins and Hansen, but they are complimentary players or most comfortable in a third line supporting role, not the kind of guys you count on for big goals. In 2011 we got by on waiting for PP opportunities, and the strategy eventually fell apart (along with the defense). Like Gillis, I am not terribly confident in forging ahead with that same outlook. I suspect the next 2-3 years are going to be very rewarding to smash mouth teams who can win board and crease battles.

3. The 3C. Given how the team utilizes Kesler (both as their prime defensive forward and as the trigger man on the #1 PP unit) there's a big void when it comes to picking up those secondary offensive duties. We've auditioned various people there over the last few years, including a succession of skilled hobbits in Hodgson, Schroeder and Roy, and no one has really clicked. You either need to free Kesler up by replacing his defensive duties (the Malhotra effect) or you need a puck mover in there who actually fits in with the team and isn't a black hole defensively that needs to be hidden.

Take care of those three things, and then you can go out and chase a "sniper".

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

What young snipers are options in trades... I'm thinking Connlly from TB or Niederritter from NYI. If we are willing to trade a top 4 dman, we may be able to get one of these guys plus a first (in the case of TB, likely not this year).

Welcome to why I think we should shop Schneider over Luongo. He might just ask us that player, especially with how well Long Island is playing. Put Schneider in nets over Nabokov and just might topple the Penguins. Alternatively, we could deal them Edler, but I would rather Strome in that scenario. Point reasons, we are going to have to deal one of the players we don't necessarily want to in order to address any of these needs. Quality snipers do not come cheap and if the organization thinks Luongo or Bieksa is going to net them one, they're be sorely disappointed.

Incidentally, I agree with your point and I have been vehemently opposed to this supposed "toughness" mentality. We are a skills team that should decimate you with procession puck play and specialty team dominance - what we once did. Our deviance from that philosophy has largely contributed to the downturn of the team and I am hopeful Gillis realizes this. Even if we trade no one, so long as we revitalize the old system and improve upon it. We will be a competitive team.

 

[RobertKron]

If Kassian comes back from the summer with a consistent desire to drive to the crease, separate defensemen from the puck, and play a dish-and-drive game off the rush, he goes a long way to making some other forwards look a lot better. If, through a combination of development and him going into a contract year, he shows up consistently next year, that could really change the way this team's forward group looks.

 

[Nucker101]

I agree with the OP that this team lacks gamebreakers. What I mean by that is one shot scorers, also known as snipers. Players who also fall into that category are ones with the ability to deke or stick-handle around defenders, one-on-one. The Sedins are kind of funny to watch on a one-on-one since they just curl back to the blue line and wait for the other one to get into the zone, clearly they're not very confident in those situations. Kesler is probably the only player on this team with that kind of ability, and as the OP also stated, he's been streaky with that stuff. The rest of the team does seem to lack creativity when it comes odd man rushes and also lack the ability to beat goalies with their shot, the whole team seems to just try the "dump and chase, cycle, throw the puck to the net with traffic" game.

I think it has to do with the coaching staff and system, plus the actual lack of that type of ability from this forward group.

 

[RandV]

Not that i'd be opposed to bringing in more natural goal scorers here...we could use that as well...the 'snipers' of the NHL.

But from where i stand, the problem is less on the 'shooters' and more on the people passing them the puck (or lack thereof). It's no secret that great playmakers can make 'scorers' out of mediocre shooters. We have ONE (1) legitimate set up man on this team. Hank...and he goes about his business in a very specific manner, which isn't exactly suited to just anyone being on his wing. Also consider, Daniel is a permanent fixture there...and realistically, we have ZERO top-6 NHL calibre playmakers on this team. Just a boatload of grinders and the oddball Raymond who does...ugh idk, skates real fast and passes to the point nicely sometimes.

The thing is, not all shots are created equal, and this team is the king of wasted shots. Stupid pucks thrown at the net from terrible places on the ice, over and over again. We may 'outshoot' the opponent, but very few on this team have the patience and vision to actually hold the puck for a second and let a play develop, and dish the puck to the stick of a potentially more dangerous 'shooter'. Instead...we get guys rifling pucks at goaltenders from wherever they happen to be.

Basically...while getting natural goal scorers would be great, more than 'Snipers', this team is starved for 'playmakers' and 'passers' with great vision.

I think when it comes down to it we simply need another offensive weapon period. Doesn't really matter if he comes in the form of a playmaking center, sniping winger, or some variety of power forward. Right now the Canucks basically have 3 - Sedins and Kesler. Booth could be close but he barely seems to play for us, Roy whether it was from the coach or just himself didn't really work out, and other forwards like Burrows/Higgins/Hansen are great but they're more complementary players.

In comparison, San Jose has Thornton/Marleau/Pavelski/Couture. LA has Kopitar/Carter/Richards/Brown/Williams. Boston has Krejci/Lucic/Seguin/Bergeron/Horton. Chicago has Toews/Kane/Hossa/Sharp.

In our losses we've always been outgunned up front. What we need is another offensive weapon for teams to worry about, maybe someone that could play with Kesler to make his line a legit 1st line for when the Sedins aren't going.

 

[Hal 9000*]

I agree with the OP that this team lacks gamebreakers. What I mean by that is one shot scorers, also known as snipers. Players who also fall into that category are ones with the ability to deke or stick-handle around defenders, one-on-one. The Sedins are kind of funny to watch on a one-on-one since they just curl back to the blue line and wait for the other one to get into the zone, clearly they're not very confident in those situations. Kesler is probably the only player on this team with that kind of ability, and as the OP also stated, he's been streaky with that stuff. The rest of the team does seem to lack creativity when it comes odd man rushes and also lack the ability to beat goalies with their shot, the whole team seems to just try the "dump and chase, cycle, throw the puck to the net with traffic" game.

I think it has to do with the coaching staff and system, plus the actual lack of that type of ability from this forward group.

I think we all know what a gamebreaker (or sniper) is, but thanks.

As for Kesler, If I'm a defender on a one on one with Kesler, I don't break right or left I slow down and wait for the inevitable wrister from just inside the blueline and from there watch the shot go high and wide or see my goalie make the save.

 

[RobertKron]

Do people want more goals, or just more spectacular goals?

I don't understand people complaining about a team's inability to score goals through the mud of the playoffs while simultaneously disparaging the strategy of putting the puck to the net and sending bodies there to bash in some garbage.

 

[Hal 9000*]

Do people want more goals, or just more spectacular goals?

I don't understand people complaining about a team's inability to score goals through the mud of the playoffs while simultaneously disparaging the strategy of putting the puck to the net and sending bodies there to bash in some garbage.

Obviously, we want more spectacular goals. Y'know, the ones that don't have to be scored as own goals from other the teams players.

 

[RandV]

Do people want more goals, or just more spectacular goals?

I don't understand people complaining about a team's inability to score goals through the mud of the playoffs while simultaneously disparaging the strategy of putting the puck to the net and sending bodies there to bash in some garbage.

Nothing wrong with that type of play but you're putting all your hopes on a low percentage lucky bounce. When you're in the playoffs and the games on the line you need those skill players who can step it up and make things happen. With those key playoff goals even if it is a lucky bounce that ends up going in, the chance is often created by the skilled play of talented players.

During the WCE we seemed to have bad luck getting beat by these sorts of teams (Minnesota, Calgary), but when's the last time one of them actually one the Stanley Cup?

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Welcome to why I think we should shop Schneider over Luongo.

So your suggestion is Lack as the starter next year? Or you've seagulled a free agent goaltender you think might be a good fit?

Because Luongo has asked for a trade. He won't be returning as the starter, and if he does for some reason it's going to be extremely uncomfortable for everyone involved.

 

[biturbo19]

I think when it comes down to it we simply need another offensive weapon period. Doesn't really matter if he comes in the form of a playmaking center, sniping winger, or some variety of power forward. Right now the Canucks basically have 3 - Sedins and Kesler. Booth could be close but he barely seems to play for us, Roy whether it was from the coach or just himself didn't really work out, and other forwards like Burrows/Higgins/Hansen are great but they're more complementary players.

In comparison, San Jose has Thornton/Marleau/Pavelski/Couture. LA has Kopitar/Carter/Richards/Brown/Williams. Boston has Krejci/Lucic/Seguin/Bergeron/Horton. Chicago has Toews/Kane/Hossa/Sharp.

In our losses we've always been outgunned up front. What we need is another offensive weapon for teams to worry about, maybe someone that could play with Kesler to make his line a legit 1st line for when the Sedins aren't going.

That's pretty fair. Ultimately you're right...we just need players who can stand on their own as scorers/offensive weapons. But i do still think that we're missing that 'playmaking' component more than anything. Lucic isn't anywhere near the same offensive force without Krejci going, Carter looked lost without Richards, San Jose has those sort of guys as well.

I just don't see anyone outside of Henrik who is going to get the puck to a power winger like a hypothetical 'Lucic-type' on this team for example. It boils down to...there's 1 puck on the ice, and you need to find ways to get it to places where it can be put into the net by something other than a fluky bounce or crashing the entire opposing team in with it.

 

[Shareefruck]

I definitely think that the Sedins and the defense are the biggest problem.

XX - XX - Kesler
XX - XX - Burrows
Higgins - XX - Hansen
XX - Lapierre - Kassian

Hamhuis - XX
Garrison - Tanev
XX - Corrado

Schneider
XX

are the only pieces I'm interested in keeping.

I don't think we need snipers, we just need more well-rounded players.

I would trade the Sedins, Edler, and Luongo for 3-4 well-rounded 60 point forwards.