Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign Brandon Sutter to 5-Year, $21.875M Deal ($4.375M AAV)

[Horse McHindu]

He sounds like the worst possible fit to play beside Vrbata. Hopefully they move Vrbata back up with the Sedins so his value doesn't tank.

Edit: sorry have no idea how this got posted again...

I agree with you about Vrbata. Ditto for Baertschi.

I said this in another thread, but I'd be interested to see how Burrows-Sutter-Hansen would do on a line together. I think they would have the potential to be one of the best shut down lines in the NHL.

Burrows, Hansen, Prust, Dorsett, Kenins, and Higgins, are guys that I see being decent linemates for Sutter. Even guys like Gaunce, Grenier, and Virtanen if they make it up here.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

We have the flat-out worst defensive depth in the NHL.

3 competent players ... and then Luca Sbisa as a #4, Taylor Fedun as a #8. I don't even know who the #10 guy would be, to be honest.

Past the top 3 guys, the Las Vegas expansion team will have better depth 4-10 going into their first training camp. It's absolutely amazing how Benning has destroyed this blueline in two years.

I think we have a legit chance at having a defense that scores fewer than 30 goals over a full season for the first time since 1988-89.

 

[arsmaster*]

I agree with you about Vrbata. Ditto for Baertschi.

I said this in another thread, but I'd be interested to see how Burrows-Sutter-Hansen would do on a line together. I think they would have the potential to be one of the best shut down lines in the NHL.

Burrows, Hansen, Prust, Dorsett, Kenins, and Higgins, are guys that I see being decent linemates for Sutter. Even guys like Gaunce, Grenier, and Virtanen if they make it up here.

This coach doesn't use shutdown lines. The new regime has brought in a 1-2-3-4 philosophy, where every player is made to feel important.

Regularly a 4th line LW will play more 5on5 than Daniel Sedin. So while that may look like a really good shutdown line, you also don't want that line playing 16 minutes against the other teams best players, because then you're dipping into the icetime for guys you want the other team to have to shutdown.

If I'm an opposition coach, I just make sure my 3rd or 4th line is matched up against that line....we've seen just how easy it is to get your matchup against this coach.

*edit* I'd like to see Sutter between Dorsett and Prust. Start every period with that line. Show the other team who is the boss.

 

[LeftCoast]

I think we have a legit chance at having a defense that scores fewer than 30 goals over a full season for the first time since 1988-89.

I agree that scoring from the D is a concern, and we don't really have anyone in the system that is positioned to dramatically improve this. But we should do a bit better than last year.

Weber only played 61 games, and was not really utilized on the PP until the 2nd half of the season and still put up 21 points and 11 goals. With Bieksa gone, Weber will get both more ice time and more PP time. With a full season, 30+ points and 15 goals is not out of the question. Weber should get a tonne of PP time because the Sedins are much better when there is a threat from the point so that teams can't just collapse down to the slot and protect the low cycle.

Edler is usually good for 30+ points, but he doesn't score a lot - maybe 8 goals.

Corrado and Tanev will combine for another 8 to 12 goals. Tanev has increased his point production every year, but his shot is pretty weak. Corrado just needs to earn are full time role and he will produce. But if he's playing 8 to 10 minutes per game with no PP time, he's not likely to score much - but who else is going to get the 2nd unit PP time? Hamhuis? Bartkowski? Sbisa? They are capable passers and skaters, but scoring goals for each is an even worthy of marking on a calendar.

So reasonably - 35 to 45 goals from the back end? Not good enough, but better than 30.

Unfortunately, we don't have any push from below. Corrado (7 goals) and Sanguinetti (16 goals) accounted for just about all of the scoring from the D in Utica last year. With Sanguinetti and Clendening gone and Corrado with the Canucks (and waiver eligible) there will be little help from the farm. In fact, Utica is going to have to rely on a number of AHL rookies (Hutton, McNally, Subban, Sautner) to generate any scoring themselves from the back end.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

*edit* I'd like to see Sutter between Dorsett and Prust. Start every period with that line. Show the other team who is the boss.

agents.

gillis wins again****

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

I agree that scoring from the D is a concern, and we don't really have anyone in the system that is positioned to dramatically improve this. But we should do a bit better than last year.

Weber only played 61 games, and was not really utilized on the PP until the 2nd half of the season and still put up 21 points and 11 goals. With Bieksa gone, Weber will get both more ice time and more PP time. With a full season, 30+ points and 15 goals is not out of the question. Weber should get a tonne of PP time because the Sedins are much better when there is a threat from the point so that teams can't just collapse down to the slot and protect the low cycle.

Edler is usually good for 30+ points, but he doesn't score a lot - maybe 8 goals.

Corrado and Tanev will combine for another 8 to 12 goals. Tanev has increased his point production every year, but his shot is pretty weak. Corrado just needs to earn are full time role and he will produce. But if he's playing 8 to 10 minutes per game with no PP time, he's not likely to score much - but who else is going to get the 2nd unit PP time? Hamhuis? Bartkowski? Sbisa? They are capable passers and skaters, but scoring goals for each is an even worthy of marking on a calendar.

So reasonably - 35 to 45 goals from the back end? Not good enough, but better than 30.

Unfortunately, we don't have any push from below. Corrado (7 goals) and Sanguinetti (16 goals) accounted for just about all of the scoring from the D in Utica last year. With Sanguinetti and Clendening gone and Corrado with the Canucks (and waiver eligible) there will be little help from the farm. In fact, Utica is going to have to rely on a number of AHL rookies (Hutton, McNally, Subban, Sautner) to generate any scoring themselves from the back end.

The thing is that you are being quite optimistic and you still only got to 35 goals, so that's saying something.

I am a bigger Weber fan than most, but last year was certainly a bit of a fluke and he had a couple EN goals and other weird things (Calgary scoring on themselves, etc.) I think 15 goals is a bit too high of an expectation and it's entirely possible he gets fewer than last year IMO. I think 12 goals from Corrado+Tanev is also quite the stretch as Corrado didn't look like an NHL player last year and Tanev's career high is 6.

And of course, there will be injuries and we have absolutely zero depth in terms of D who can step in and fill that role.

It's definitely possible that we are in the range that you suggest, but just as likely to me is that Edler+Weber combine for 15 goals, and we get 3 combined from Sbisa+Bartkowski+Hamhuis, leaving the rest of the D production up to Tanev and whatever dreck from the farm gets ice time. Yuck.

 

[arsmaster*]

Corrado looked better than #5. Hopefully he's gotten stronger physically.

I think he's still got potential.

 

[Addison Rae]

Corrado looked better than #5. Hopefully he's gotten stronger physically.

I think he's still got potential.

To be fair an average AHL d-man can look better than #5

 

[absolute garbage]

To be fair an average AHL d-man can look better than #5

Biega looked better than Corrado last year.

 

[biturbo19]

I said it when the rumor was "just under $4.4M" and i'll say it again now that it's "official"...

I don't particularly like the dollars, and i don't particularly love Sutter as a player. But there are a few reasonably possible situations where this works out fairly well.

1)Sutter plays Hard Minutes, freeing Bo up to develop the offensive side of his game with a better opportunity.
-One thing Sutter can do...is generate shots at a very high rate, despite poor linemates and relatively poor opportunities.
-Pair Sutter up with any 2 of Higgins/Burrows/Hansen and i think it may be a perfect fit...guys who can help drive possession, move the puck in the right direction, crash the net and see what happens, and guys you don't mind having out against opposing top lines. If you put a trio of those guys together and they can grind out 12-14 of the hardest even strength minutes you ever done seen...and basically saw them off while producing some actual points "by volume" of pucks on net, maybe there's something to that. That lets you run guys like Bo and Bae vs softer opportunities.

2)Sutter finds insane chemistry with a playmaking winger like Baertschi.
-Sutter as a "high volume shooter", and a defensive conscience on paper at least...is an intriguing Center to play with Bae. Much like Baertschi would have been an interesting fit with KesKes. Sutter has played most of his career with guys who don't have half the playmaking ability of Baertschi...if we were to happen upon a formula where Sutter is the guy who works down low defensively to obtain possession of the puck, move it up ice expediently, and join the play offensively as the "3rd man high and/or trigger-man", that might not be bad at all, IF Baertschi proves to be a player. If Baertschi becomes a real player though...whether it's in finding chemistry with Sutter as a shooter, or simply in Sutter being able to help "shelter" Baertschi's minutes...if he becomes a player, it would help the Sutter acquisition make a ton of sense. And by "become a player" i mean, legit top-6 production - some are skeptical, i'm hopeful on that. And i think one way or another, Sven and Sutter are kind of inextricably linked for this coming season...whether Sven's success comes with, or apart from Sutter...that's the play.


I think there's also some interesting overlap potential between the two. If you can get Sutter to mostly fill out option #1, but find that chemistry of option #2 as a PP Unit with Baertschi that improves our "2nd Unit" and gives it a coherent purpose...that could work as well.


I don't like that we're paying a #3 Center with a bit of "tweener" upside $4.375M per year for the next 5 years But...

-we have tons of contracts coming off the books over the next 5 years, and for better or worse...young players on ELCs are going to sink or swim for us. Cap space is going to be..."available" should we need it...even if we have an overpaid 3rd line Center.
-over those 5 years of Sutters contract...we're going to be losing almost all of our "leadership core"...Sutter is clearly intended to help bridge that gap.
-looking at contracts around the league...it's clearly a premium type of player, and we're paying a lot for that. But...Anisimov is the comparable i'd most defer to as a UFA who just signed his extension @$4.55M per for similar term. Other comparables...you've got Eller @$3.5M but signed under RFA status and in "cash money", making $2.5M this year, but $4.25M and then $4.75M as he crosses the same age-threshold as Sutter. You've got Berglund, who again...is on a deal signed as an RFA under a different cap scenario @$3.7M with the cash seemingly even throughout. I think that having Sutter fall somewhere between Anisimov (who is a slightly better player) and Berglund (who is on an earlier signed RFA deal)...and right in line with where Eller's actual cash-money payout lands is not "ideal", it's not great "value". But it's also not horrendously out of reach with "market value" on a player of Sutter's ilk and role. It's a type of player that yields a significant compensation because there just aren't an endless supply of players who fill that specific niche.

And if it helps you sleep at night...i'd say you can pretend $1M of that salary is going to Bo Horvat who will hopefully be taking on a greater offensive role as a result of Sutter being here instead of Bonino. And just be ecstatic that we're not paying Dave Bolland a million dollars more than Sutter is set to make...to be old, fragile and overrated for us - as per the UFA market prices on "premium 3rd line Centers".

 

[arsmaster*]

Biega looked better than Corrado last year.

I disagree.

In the AHL he looked better for stretches, but Corrado I feel breaks the puck out of his end better. Has a better ability to discern when to skate and when to pass it up, and his passes are better.

 

[Win One Before I Die]

I disagree.

In the AHL he looked better for stretches, but Corrado I feel breaks the puck out of his end better. Has a better ability to discern when to skate and when to pass it up, and his passes are better.

I liked Biega in his time up here last year. He got sent back even though he was playing extremely well.

 

[tantalum]

I liked Biega in his time up here last year. He got sent back even though he was playing extremely well.

It was a feel good story but ultimately from what I recall he was the Dorsett of the blueline. Full of try and hustle...short on actual hockey results. I'd imagine the possession stats would indicate the same.

 

[MS]

I disagree.

In the AHL he looked better for stretches, but Corrado I feel breaks the puck out of his end better. Has a better ability to discern when to skate and when to pass it up, and his passes are better.

Corrado has more ability than Biega and has showed more in the past, but he utterly stunk when given a chance last year.

Looked like a deer in the headlights. Not sure what has happened to the player who looked so calm moving up levels at age 19-20.

 

[Dissonance]

Corrado has more ability than Biega and has showed more in the past, but he utterly stunk when given a chance last year.

Looked like a deer in the headlights. Not sure what has happened to the player who looked so calm moving up levels at age 19-20.

I'm still pretty optimistic about Corrado, though agree there's definitely some concern here.

In fairness to him, he was in a nightmare situation last year — all through the first half of the year he kept getting bounced between Utica and Vancouver's pressbox with minimal playing time. When he finally got a chance to play, he had a very good four-game stretch paired with Hamhuis against Tampa/Anaheim/Buffalo/Minnesota. Looking back at the GDT reports, reviews were quite favorable.

But then he got injured against Minnesota, caught the flu, and completely lost momentum. Was absolutely terrible in March coming back from injury (which maybe isn't surprising) and then at least settled down to be a key part of Utica's run.

Will be interesting to watch this year. We could really use the guy who looked like a 10-year vet playing 20 minutes against the Blackhawks as a 19-year-old.

 

[arsmaster*]

Corrado has more ability than Biega and has showed more in the past, but he utterly stunk when given a chance last year.

Looked like a deer in the headlights. Not sure what has happened to the player who looked so calm moving up levels at age 19-20.

I don't think utterly stunk is fair or the deer in the headlights either. I think he had some good games and bad, which is understandable.

I thought he showed better than some other guys who got more opportunity.

 

[tantalum]

Corrado has more ability than Biega and has showed more in the past, but he utterly stunk when given a chance last year.

Looked like a deer in the headlights. Not sure what has happened to the player who looked so calm moving up levels at age 19-20.

He was wide eyed in shock that Sbisa was getting so much time....

 

[MS]

Disagree on Corrado.

I was probably this guy's biggest supporter here coming out of junior, and anyone who's been around this board for awhile knows I rarely pump the tires of any prospect.

The player I've seen dressing in the NHL for the last two years has looked tentative and insipid defensively, has struggled moving the puck, and is of course somewhat undersized and non-physical. Worse than Sbisa last year, which takes some doing.

I hope he can come to camp, perform well, and earn a spot. But his development over the past two seasons has been very disappointing. The confidence and poise he showed 2-3 years ago looked shot in his NHL games last year. Was hard to believe it was the same player who was arguably our best defender in training camp in 2013.

 

[tantalum]

I hope he can come to camp, perform well, and earn a spot. But his development over the past two seasons has been very disappointing. The confidence and poise he showed 2-3 years ago looked shot in his NHL games last year. Was hard to believe it was the same player who was arguably our best defender in training camp in 2013.

I'd agree. I think his development has stalled. A few years ago playing at the level he is was promising and exciting, but he has seemed to plateau. It is no longer nearly the same level of promise. Hopefully he gets back on track but right now it looks like he stopped developing at 19/20. Honestly, not much different than Sbisa in that respect. The difference is Corrado is still a fantastic pick in the 5th round. Sbisa as a top 20 pick not so much.

 

[MS]

I'd agree. I think his development has stalled. A few years ago playing at the level he is was promising and exciting, but he has seemed to plateau. It is no longer nearly the same level of promise. Hopefully he gets back on track but right now it looks like he stopped developing at 19/20. Honestly, not much different than Sbisa in that respect. The difference is Corrado is still a fantastic pick in the 5th round. Sbisa as a top 20 pick not so much.

It's very frustrating because he seemed to show all the same high-IQ attributes as Tanev at age 19-20. Watching him step into the AHL and NHL, he was calm under pressure, took his time to make the right plays, attacked the play at the right times, and looked like a 10-year vet straight away. It seemed to bode incredibly well for when he added 20 lbs. of weight and gained some experience.

Fast-forward two years, and he's looking super-tentative, his gap control is lousy and conservative, and he seems to want the puck off his stick ASAP when he gets it. It isn't like he 'stopped developing', it's like he's completely lost all his confidence and regressed.

 

[arttk]

It's very frustrating because he seemed to show all the same high-IQ attributes as Tanev at age 19-20. Watching him step into the AHL and NHL, he was calm under pressure, took his time to make the right plays, attacked the play at the right times, and looked like a 10-year vet straight away. It seemed to bode incredibly well for when he added 20 lbs. of weight and gained some experience.

Fast-forward two years, and he's looking super-tentative, his gap control is lousy and conservative, and he seems to want the puck off his stick ASAP when he gets it. It isn't like he 'stopped developing', it's like he's completely lost all his confidence and regressed.

Might be due to the fact they keep on bouncing him around. Play well and still get demoted, play bad and get demoted, it messes with your head. Then you see Sbisa who is playing like utter crap get unlimited opportunities and Clendenning come in and knock you down despite playing not that great.

 

[arsmaster*]

Might be due to the fact they keep on bouncing him around. Play well and still get demoted, play bad and get demoted, it messes with your head. Then you see Sbisa who is playing like utter crap get unlimited opportunities and Clendenning come in and knock you down despite playing not that great.

Yup, the kid got dicked around as far as I'm concerned. Also hurts to lose an excellent developmental coach in Alain Vigneault as well. Knows how to coach, knows how to run a bench, knows how to put kids in good situations.

Torts and WD...leave a lot to be desired there.

 

[PM]

Corrado only played 45 games last year, 10 in the NHL and 35 in the AHL. That is a really low number for a player that should be on the cusp of breaking out. I know some people got annoyed with BG's Corrado counter of how many games he sat in the press box for but really he was right.

Horrible way to graduate a player from the A to the big leagues. And acquiring Clendening is even more ridiculous given that he immediately got NHL time over Corrado only to be thrown away for nothing this summer (not to mention also losing Forsling).

We can throw "learning by osmosis" on the pile of garbage along with "high-end intangibles", "throw-back defenseman", "good in scrums", "mentorship" and "meat and potatoes".

 

[Jyrki21]

Corrado only played 45 games last year, 10 in the NHL and 35 in the AHL. That is a really low number for a player that should be on the cusp of breaking out. I know some people got annoyed with BG's Corrado counter of how many games he sat in the press box for but really he was right.

Horrible way to graduate a player from the A to the big leagues. And acquiring Clendening is even more ridiculous given that he immediately got NHL time over Corrado only to be thrown away for nothing this summer (not to mention also losing Forsling).

I'm sure he was getting some hard-core "mentoring" from Ryan Miller and Derek Dorsett, though. So it was no doubt an amazing experience.

We can throw "learning by osmosis" on the pile of garbage along with "high-end intangibles", "throw-back defenseman", "good in scrums", "mentorship" and "meat and potatoes".

Oh.

 

[biturbo19]

It's very frustrating because he seemed to show all the same high-IQ attributes as Tanev at age 19-20. Watching him step into the AHL and NHL, he was calm under pressure, took his time to make the right plays, attacked the play at the right times, and looked like a 10-year vet straight away. It seemed to bode incredibly well for when he added 20 lbs. of weight and gained some experience.

Fast-forward two years, and he's looking super-tentative, his gap control is lousy and conservative, and he seems to want the puck off his stick ASAP when he gets it. It isn't like he 'stopped developing', it's like he's completely lost all his confidence and regressed.

Yeah. It really is weird and unfortunate the way Corrado's development has gone.

Set such a high bar coming into the league initially, looked very promising. Since then though, it's been largely a slide away from what made him so promising initially.

Hopefully knowing that he's got a roster spot this year that's basically his to lose, will help get his confidence back on track and get him playing like he showed signs of being able to in his early pro career.