Recalled/Assigned: Canucks recall D Jack Rathbone (Apr 16)

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

If the team was already pot committed to playing Juolevi next year, they shouldn't have traded for OEL. Rathbone is an NHL D right now, and probably a top 4 guy at that. In my view, he makes QH43 expendable for the right return. He can run a powerplay at an elite level and shut down top players as well. He is the full package.

A bit 'keejerk' if you ask me...A small sample of Rathbone last season (who is going to be good), suddenly makes QH expendable..?..If you're going off last seasons uneven performances (by nearly everybody) as the gospel..maybe we should consider moving EP 'for the right return' as well.

The whole LHD thing will play itself out at camp, and pre season..

 

[bossram]

The guy that Rathbone was paired with at Harvard--Adam Fox--just won the Norris Trophy. And some Harvard observers claimed that Rathbone might have actually been the more complete d-man of the two.

If he fails to stick with the Canucks after training camp, it'll be a travesty.

I like Rathbone a lot, but this is an impossibly high standard. He should be in the lineup, but let's just let the kid play.

If the team was already pot committed to playing Juolevi next year, they shouldn't have traded for OEL. Rathbone is an NHL D right now, and probably a top 4 guy at that. In my view, he makes QH43 expendable for the right return. He can run a powerplay at an elite level and shut down top players as well. He is the full package.

Interesting idea that I've spitballed over in my head too. I think Rathbone will be a top-four calibre player by the end of the year, leaving Vancouver with three similar offensively-oriented defensemen.

Gotta wonder if Fitzgerald would go a little overboard to unite all the Hughes brothers.

 

[clay]

A bit 'keejerk' if you ask me...A small sample of Rathbone last season (who is going to be good), suddenly makes QH expendable..?..If you're going off last seasons uneven performances (by nearly everybody) as the gospel..maybe we should consider moving EP 'for the right return' as well.

The whole LHD thing will play itself out at camp, and pre season..

This is based off his impressive progression through Harvard as a dominant NCAA player, his dominance in the AHL during his small sample there, and the dynamic ability he showed in his small NHL sample.

The return QH would garner makes this worth exploring in order to allow Rathbone to blossom into the elite two-way top pairing defenceman I and many others believe he is capable of becoming. This is of course dependent on what the return would be. I have seen enough to conclude Hughes is a special player offensively, but has significant ugly warts on the defensive side of the puck. One or two more seasons of these warts showing themselves on a consistent basis like they did last season could very well plummet the very high trade value he has right now.

 

[alternate]

I mean it would be a ballsy move for sure. Can't see it happening as Hughes could lead the NHL in scoring from the blueline, and as much as I like Rathbone, he doesn't have that kind of upside. Could maybe be the more complete player in 3 years though.

If Hughes was on the market, what would be the expected return? A comparable young C? A couple first round picks?

 

[logan5]

Probly don't want Rathbone playing too well this year, in order to keep his contract manageable with the flat cap. A key injury though, and I think this guy is capable of being a top rookie in the league. Maybe not Calder finalist because of his position, but up there.

 

[Gstank]

I mean it would be a ballsy move for sure. Can't see it happening as Hughes could lead the NHL in scoring from the blueline, and as much as I like Rathbone, he doesn't have that kind of upside. Could maybe be the more complete player in 3 years though.

If Hughes was on the market, what would be the expected return? A comparable young C? A couple first round picks?

Top 4 RHD Dman with top pairing upside and a top prospect

 

[VasilyHoglander]

Thicker but is he more fluid in skating?

Different types of skater. Hughes is smooth not as explosive but his edge work is top 3 in the league. Rathbone is like Makar explosive can beat people in a straight line picks up speed with his cross overs. His edge work especially tight turns is no where near Hughes’ level. I’d say Hughes got higher IQ but Rathbone got harder shot. Rathbone is a poor man’s Makar.

 

[VanJack]

Comparisons between Rathbone and Makar are interesting.....but the guy I really want to see him compared to is the guy he played a season on the Harvard blueline and who won the Norris Trophy last season--Adam Fox.

Almost identical sizes and stats at Harvard not too disparate. If Rathbone could become 'a poor man's Fox', now that would be something!

 

[Aqualung]

Comparisons between Rathbone and Makar are interesting.....but the guy I really want to see him compared to is the guy he played a season on the Harvard blueline and who won the Norris Trophy last season--Adam Fox.

Almost identical sizes and stats at Harvard not too disparate. If Rathbone could become 'a poor man's Fox', now that would be something!

Context though is that Fox led his team in scoring, Rathbone was 4th I believe.

 

[GetFocht]

Hughes is a phenom and will never be expendable. You won't ever see a defenceman skate and move the puck like he does in a long time. It just took Canucks 51 years to get a defenceman like him, nbd.

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

He should be playing with the big club this season. Perfect situation for him as the bottom pairing left side dman. Sheltered and can learn from OEL and Hughes.

OEL and Hughes need sheltering as well, unfortunately.

 

[Grantham]

Hughes is a phenom and will never be expendable. You won't ever see a defenceman skate and move the puck like he does in a long time. It just took Canucks 51 years to get a defenceman like him, nbd.

I don't think you'll see many people disagreeing with you there. Pointing out his flaws doesn't mean he isn't exactly what the Canucks have always wanted and needed.

I really think he can clean up the defensive part of his game. I don't know if that will be this upcoming season as we've grown even weaker defensively on the back end, and that will continue to put Hughes into even tougher matchups than last season. He pleaded for Tanev to be resigned. I think that was a colossal mistake by Benning, and last season IMO it hurt Hughes. But I know its in the past and I hate dredging it up.

I'm an optimistic person by nature, but it has to be based on solid evidence and realistic.

 

[MarkMM]

Probly don't want Rathbone playing too well this year, in order to keep his contract manageable with the flat cap. A key injury though, and I think this guy is capable of being a top rookie in the league. Maybe not Calder finalist because of his position, but up there.

Thoughts on his long-term upside? Top four? Top two? I'm assuming a two-way top-four is his upside but I might be underestimating him.

 

[canuckking1]

This thread is hilarious. Rathbone is older than Hughes but can blossom into a top pairing D because he destroyed the NCAA in his D+3/D+4? Hughes was better in the NCAA at 18 than Rathbone was at 21.

 

[F A N]

This thread is hilarious. Rathbone is older than Hughes but can blossom into a top pairing D because he destroyed the NCAA in his D+3/D+4? Hughes was better in the NCAA at 18 than Rathbone was at 21.

Is it not possible to think that Rathbone can develop into a top pairing Dman while at the same time think Hughes will still be better?

 

[canuckking1]

Is it not possible to think that Rathbone can develop into a top pairing Dman while at the same time think Hughes will still be better?

I think both can happen. Just find it amusing that Rathbone (22) can grow at a rapid pace and Hughes (21) will not and never reach the level of his rookie season which was a good top pairing D.

 

[logan5]

He’s at least a top 4, even right now. Stecher was our bottom 6 guy, and rathbone is way better. At least in the small sample size of nhl games I saw, but you can see the talent. And it’s not even close between him and Juolevi.

Sure he could be a top pairing guy with the right partner. He’s obviously not a traditional number 1 d man though. Like Hughes.

 

[F A N]

I think both can happen. Just find it amusing that Rathbone (22) can grow at a rapid pace and Hughes (21) will not and never reach the level of his rookie season which was a good top pairing D.

You do realize that Rathbone is less than 5 months older than Hughes right? Rathbone played an extra year of high school hockey (for family reasons) so he hasn't had the same type of development as Hughes has. Plus, Hughes was ahead of the curve among his age group while Rathbone was not. It shouldn't be that surprising that Rathbone has a longer runway for development than Hughes who has already shown what he can do at the NHL level and is closer to a finished product.

 

[Dural]

Comparing Rathbone/Hughes is far less relevant than comparing Rathbone/OEL. There's a good chance Rathbone outplays OEL this year, which puts the team in an interesting position on the left side until 2027.

 

[701]

Comparing Rathbone/Hughes is far less relevant than comparing Rathbone/OEL. There's a good chance Rathbone outplays OEL this year, which puts the team in an interesting position on the left side until 2027.

That's what I've been wondering about too. OEL's pace is in decline, and Rathbone's speed is bordering high-end. Also there's no doubt that one of those guys is way hungrier than the other. Third-pairing OEL would seem impossible, given his contract and management's need to stay employed. They can stash Rathbone in Abbotsford for maybe one year, but after that, what's the
plan? Trade a much-needed young D man with serious NHL talent just to cover their mistake?

 

[GetFocht]

lol this conversation has devolved into thinking OEL could be a bottom pairing defenceman. Absolute terrible take.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

My only concern with Rathbone is does he even see the ice. OEL will be the #1 guy to start the season. He's the big offseason acquisition who Benning's been chasing for more than a year (sigh), so we know he'll be given at least 10 or 15 games as the top minute guy. Hughes will be #2 behind him, and if they haven't given up on Juolevi yet, they'll still probably give him another shot. So I could easily see Rathbone as a healthy scratch to start the season.

 

[clay]

My only concern with Rathbone is does he even see the ice. OEL will be the #1 guy to start the season. He's the big offseason acquisition who Benning's been chasing for more than a year (sigh), so we know he'll be given at least 10 or 15 games as the top minute guy. Hughes will be #2 behind him, and if they haven't given up on Juolevi yet, they'll still probably give him another shot. So I could easily see Rathbone as a healthy scratch to start the season.

This is my concern as well. I have little doubt he's already a top 4 D. I just don't know that he'll get the opportunity.

 

[zcaptain]

I keep having the voices in my head ask, why not play Hughes as the starting right side defenseman?

I mean, he plays in 2 different scenario's, either PP or even strength

So on the PP, he gets his obvious start on the first unit

At even strength, does it matter what side and whether he is on the 2nd unit? I mean, Hughes can play both sides, and gets the majority of his points off the power play.

OEL ............................Poolman
Rathbone ...................Hamonic
Hunt ...........................Hughes
Juolevi.........................Schenn

Not saying this is how it plays out, just that Hughes is dismal at even strength and the truth is that if any other Dman played like that at even strength, he would find himself exactly there.

12 to 14 minutes even strength and 4 to 6 minutes PP time, probably makes Quinn a much better Dman. At least until we get that #1/#2 RHD to play with him.

 

[zcaptain]

Just a little further to my comments above.

People get so excited about Offensive Dmen, but that fact is, if the coach can not find a way to keep his +- in the positive, then it does not matter what his over all contributions are......meaning is he on for more goals for than against.

If it is the later, it does not matter how many points he gets