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

[bandwagonesque]

Yeah, it's hard to say what would have happened in a normal situation. Obviously the uncertainty surrounding everything does make it more attractive to get paid sooner and give yourself more of a chance of playing hockey in 20-21.

I'm fascinated to see that some of the usual suspects are angry at me for congratulating management on making a tough signing.

No one has said anything resembling that. It was more about choosing a position, shopping for an argument for it, then ending up with one that didn't make sense or line up with precedent. The last undersized offensive college D who chose his own destination did exactly what you've claimed no player in that position would be likely to do and it's had no effect on his career.

 

[MS]

No one has said anything resembling that. It was more about choosing a position, shopping for an argument for it, then ending up with one that didn't make sense or line up with precedent. The last undersized offensive college D who chose his own destination did exactly what you've claimed no player in that position would be likely to do and it's had no effect on his career.

My bad on Fox but my Barrie example was 100% correct. Guy was a complete bust until Rielly gets hurt and he gets slotted in his normal position/role and scores 15 points in 23 games.

In this age of 4-forward sets in the PP it is very rare to have a situation where multiple defenders on a team have big offensive seasons because there just aren’t the PP minutes to go around.

Moreover, do you think Travis Green is actually ok with a defensive group that looks like this next year?

Hughes-Myers
Edler- Rafferty
Rathbone-Benn

He’s going to be in very tough to make this team, which badly needs to sort some defenders who can play defense and PK and don’t need another PP guy at all.

 

[F A N]

Great news for the team, although I've never watched him play and hope that the promising predictions are right.

And for those trying to thump their chests, the issues that @MS and others have raised are absolutely very real considerations, and you can't simply say "other guys signed, so he was always going to as well". You can't pretend that, if not for the cancellation of the NCAA season, everything would have been the same. That's obviously a huge factor here that may have really bailed the team out by tipping the scales. Nothing wrong with acknowledging that.

Recent big-name Harvard grads did not end up signing with teams that drafted them. So can we assume that outside of being a hometown boy all prospects playing in Harvard is unlikely to sign with the teams that drafted them then? Otherwise, the Canucks have not failed to sign their NCAA draft picks since Umberger and that was due to Burke's stubbornness and vindictiveness. Benning even managed to sign Lockwood when he completed his college degree.

It would be unreasonable to assume that the Canucks would be unable to sign their NCAA draft picks when there's virtually no history of it. If you single out prospects playing in Harvard then that's more reasonable and credit should go to Benning for getting it done whether there were extenuating circumstances or not.

 

[tantalum]

Obviously a promising prospect and good to get him signed. Until we see him in NHL camp it'll be hard to see where he is going to slot in Now (now being next season of course) and the future.

 

[Bankerguy]

Need to see how his game adjusts to the speed and timing of the NHL.
If his game translates without issue, we'll have a very good player to slot in 3LD behind Hughes and Edler.
Puck moving Dmen are the thing now

 

[F A N]

My bad on Fox but my Barrie example was 100% correct. Guy was a complete bust until Rielly gets hurt and he gets slotted in his normal position/role and scores 15 points in 23 games.

Your Barrie example is wrong. Barrie turning his season around coincided with a coaching change. Barrie had 4 goals 16 points in 22 games following the Jan. 8th game under Keefe (one game before the game in which Reilly got hurt). Of course if you don't utilize a player to his strengths you may get bad results.

 

[ChilliBilly]

I imagine that having Harvard's fall sports semester cancelled is a big factor for the agent. His earning potential would, arguably, go down if forced to sit idle for the equivalent of an entire season. Essentially, they have several million guaranteed now, an opportunity to go to the safest place in North America, and participate in the abbreviated NHL camp.

You do realize that if assigned to Utica, he only gets $70K a year. Don't know how they are going to deal with this with covid 19, I think the league is going to have to allow teams to have their farm team play with NHL team and figure out what the paycheck will be, cuz I can't see there being AHL hockey without gate income.

 

[Breakers]

For those that arent familiar and haven't seen harvard games as they wouldn't show up in Canada, as they arent broadcast that much.
Daniel Gee has some nice videos showing you his playing style
The hughes comparison's arent great, as hughes had maybe 4 hits on the year, Rathbone throws hits substantially more, and his passing isnt even in the same realm as Hughes.

DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS - 2 video's



SKATING HIGHLIGHTS - 3 videos

https://twitter.com/DanielGScouting/status/1238882448500375554
https://twitter.com/DanielGScouting/status/1238882451016937474

OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS - 2 videos
https://twitter.com/DanielGScouting/status/1238474654408302593
https://twitter.com/DanielGScouting/status/1238474657168109570

 

[sting101]

Thanks @Breakers

some impressive stuff. kids legit

 

[Seattle Totems]

And Cam Robinson said he likely would not sign.

so, with Lockwood who could have gone ufa signed and Rathbone signed is this fanbase finally going to allow the ghosts of RJ Umberger to die?

It’s like this market was scorned 15 years ago when someone broke their heart that they can’t let themselves get close to someone else for fear of being dumped.

RJ Umberger expected to sign in Vancouver. He didnt because their blowhard GM decided to be a jackass and quibble over a petty amount on an ELC.

 

[FreeMcdavid]

We have 5-7 years to make Rathbone fall in love with the city, fans and team because this guy is a Boston dude through and through lol!

Favorite NHLer: Tory Krug
Favorite Athlete : Tom Brady
College: Harvard
Dad's College: Boston College
Favorite Movie: Good Will Hunting

He does love fishing, golf and the outdoors so i have no worry at all that this guy will love Vancouver and all it has to offer. Here's to hoping that Rathbone can be to us what Lucic was for Boston. An import sticking it to his hometown city year after year.

 

[Blue and Green]

You do realize that if assigned to Utica, he only gets $70K a year. Don't know how they are going to deal with this with covid 19, I think the league is going to have to allow teams to have their farm team play with NHL team and figure out what the paycheck will be, cuz I can't see there being AHL hockey without gate income.

Probably the non-roster guys with NHL contracts would be carried as a taxi squad and paid according to their AHL salaries if the contract is 2-way.

 

[dombrova22]

I don't see how this kid gets into the lineup over guys like Rafferty/Woo/Juolevi etc.. but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[ziploc]

So, does Rathbone or Podz get the Calder nod next year?

 

[Jyrki21]

Recent big-name Harvard grads did not end up signing with teams that drafted them. So can we assume that outside of being a hometown boy all prospects playing in Harvard is unlikely to sign with the teams that drafted them then? Otherwise, the Canucks have not failed to sign their NCAA draft picks since Umberger and that was due to Burke's stubbornness and vindictiveness. Benning even managed to sign Lockwood when he completed his college degree.

King of nuance, aren't you? Saying "there were real factors at play which indeed meant it wasn't automatic, and it probably makes a major difference that his college season is cancelled" does not mean anything like what you're suggesting "we can assume". Besides, the only other Harvard prospect I can remember the Canucks having recently - Patrick McNally - did indeed lead to complications.

 

[ziploc]

We should be looking at several years of two legit PP QBS, elite defensive to offensive zone transitions, and yet another deadly 3 on 3 player. This is huge.

 

[ChilliBilly]

So, does Rathbone or Podz get the Calder nod next year?

Pod is still a year away ...

 

[ziploc]

Pod is still a year away ...

Ah, so Rathbone THEN Podz. Got it.

 

[WhiteCurse]

So glad this kid signed, LD should be set if all goes well for a long time.

Hughes is gonna be the guy everything flows through.

OJ I still have hopes for him. Think we will be a guy who is sent out for more of a shutdown roll. Can make a nice pass up ice

Rathbone hopefully can come in play some of the easier minutes. Also see him ending up on the 2nd PP long term.

Curious who makes the team first Rathbone or OJ

 

[RandV]

Recent big-name Harvard grads did not end up signing with teams that drafted them. So can we assume that outside of being a hometown boy all prospects playing in Harvard is unlikely to sign with the teams that drafted them then? Otherwise, the Canucks have not failed to sign their NCAA draft picks since Umberger and that was due to Burke's stubbornness and vindictiveness. Benning even managed to sign Lockwood when he completed his college degree.

It would be unreasonable to assume that the Canucks would be unable to sign their NCAA draft picks when there's virtually no history of it. If you single out prospects playing in Harvard then that's more reasonable and credit should go to Benning for getting it done whether there were extenuating circumstances or not.

I haven't really been following the Rathbone situation but while it's good we got him signed unlike most other things it's not really the fault of the GM if he walked. That's just the nature of the situation, every other year a good college player walks, it's typically situational for the player and has little to do with the GM's competence. The one exception of course being when Burke needlessly ****ed it up with Umberger. And damn could we have ever used him those years.

 

[Breakers]

Who knows if he works out.
He has high upside and showed well in the NCAA in my opinion, and most other people’s opinion.
He didn’t get to free agency and he came from the Americans scouts, and not our atrocious CHL scouting.

that to me is all good.
So now you hope for the best, and that he develops properly.

 

[bandwagonesque]

King of nuance, aren't you? Saying "there were real factors at play which indeed meant it wasn't automatic, and it probably makes a major difference that his college season is cancelled" does not mean anything like what you're suggesting "we can assume".

This is a deliberate misrepresentation of what the posters you're paraphrasing were saying. Multiple posters said they were convinced he was likely to sign elsewhere, not that theyre was a possibility he wouldn't sign here.

Besides, the only other Harvard prospect I can remember the Canucks having recently - Patrick McNally - did indeed lead to complications.

The two situations have virtually nothing in common. The team chose not to sign McNally due to injuries and defensive shortcomings. They never offered him a contract.

 

[ziploc]

So glad this kid signed, LD should be set if all goes well for a long time.

Hughes is gonna be the guy everything flows through.

OJ I still have hopes for him. Think we will be a guy who is sent out for more of a shutdown roll. Can make a nice pass up ice

Rathbone hopefully can come in play some of the easier minutes. Also see him ending up on the 2nd PP long term.

Curious who makes the team first Rathbone or OJ

A future of:

Hughes Woo
Rathbone Tryamkin
Juolevi Rafferty

I know that isn’t what is going to happen, and it’s ridiculous to project all of our prospects hitting the mark. But it’s fun to dream.

 

[iceburg]

A future of:

Hughes Woo
Rathbone Tryamkin
Juolevi Rafferty

I know that isn’t what is going to happen, and it’s ridiculous to project all of our prospects hitting the mark. But it’s fun to dream.

Yeah, no, that's not going to happen but it would be a fun group to watch. That said, by this time next year we will be in much better position to project how much of this will actually come true.

 

[Seattle Totems]

So no team to play on due to a pandemic which would seriously harm his development and future NHL status. He had to sign with the Canucks. Lest to go the Patrick McNally route which was utterly stupid.