Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign D Akito Hirose to 1-Year ELC

[Shareefruck]

I don't know, I think there's plenty of reasons to feel that Hirose is different from the AHLers that look great for a few games and then fizzle out. It's very rare that they look great in quite that way without making it (calmly being two steps ahead of the play and rarely making the wrong decision through poise and composure rather than simply being really engaged and "on" all the time).

Even a guy like Stecher was not doing it this way (Rathbone definitely wasn't)-- he was far more about being effective through what felt like chip-on-his-shoulder willpower and work ethic combined with some raw ability, which warrants a bit more hesitation, I feel.

It's no reason to think that Hirose is an absolute slam dunk of course, but I think there's reason to be a little more optimistic than usual. His performance has reminded me more of Tanev or Edler's early stints than these other guys (not saying he'll be anything close to that good, but making it as a #6 is a conservative estimate at this point, IMO).

Usually it's the other way around, but every once in a while people can be a little overly conservative and restrained about their optimism, I feel. There's nothing wrong with tentatively feeling like he's likely making it in some capacity until proven otherwise. I almost get the sense that it has something to do with bracing for the worst case scenario because "burned by canuck luck" or something, but that's really not necessary, IMO.

 

[IComeInPeace]

I don't know, I think there's plenty of reasons to feel that Hirose is different from the AHLers that look great for a few games and then fizzle out. It's very rare that they look great in quite that way without making it (calmly being two steps ahead of the play and rarely making the wrong decision through poise and composure rather than simply being really engaged and "on" all the time).

Even a guy like Stecher was not doing it this way (Rathbone definitely wasn't)-- he was far more about being effective through what felt like chip-on-his-shoulder willpower and work ethic combined with some raw ability, which warrants a bit more hesitation, I feel.

It's no reason to think that Hirose is an absolute slam dunk of course, but I think there's reason to be a little more optimistic than usual. His performance has reminded me more of Tanev or Edler's early stints than these other guys (not saying he'll be anything close to that good, but making it as a #6 is a conservative estimate at this point, IMO).

Usually it's the other way around, but every once in a while people can be a little overly conservative and restrained about their optimism, I feel. There's nothing wrong with tentatively feeling like he's likely making it in some capacity until proven otherwise. I almost get the sense that it has something to do with bracing for the worst case scenario because "burned by canuck luck" or something, but that's really not necessary, IMO.

I think you could make a pretty good arguement that Jalen Chatfield had an initial short spell of games that looked similarly impressive.

Going back a little further Frankie Corrado was very much the ‘next Chris Tanev’…until he wasn’t.

I think some of us were really stoked that Mike Gillis might have unearthed a gem in Lee Sweat when he put up a goal and an assist in his first (and only) 3 Canuck games.

I’m excited about Hirose. Some people are getting way ahead of themselves though.

 

[Shareefruck]

I think you could make a pretty good arguement that Jalen Chatfield had an initial short spell of games that looked similarly impressive.

Going back a little further Frankie Corrado was very much the ‘next Chris Tanev’…until he wasn’t.

I think some of us were really stoked that Mike Gillis might have unearthed a gem in Lee Sweat when he put up a goal and an assist in his first (and only) 3 Canuck games.

I’m excited about Hirose. Some people are getting way ahead of themselves though.

I just don't agree with that at all, which was my initial point. They looked conservatively safe and solid (as well as physically ready) right away in a Tanev-esque way, sure, but that's not what I'm talking about-- they didn't show anything resembling that hockey IQ and ability to process the game in the same high level way, which is the thing that Hirose is showing that is much more eye-opening to me (and more importantly, less fakeable) when it comes to promise, in my opinion.

I'm not saying that he couldn't still bust or that he'll end up high end or anything, but I don't agree with the parallels people are drawing to other much more limited, run-of-the-mill fringe-NHLer players who have failed in recent memory. What's being shown just looks different (not even necessarily immediately better or more directly effective, yet), and I'm not sure I can think of a good comparable that failed here (although I'm sure there are tons of examples across the NHL).

Maybe I should have just used Edler's first few games as a comparable instead rather than Tanev (who played a little safer and has been absurdly compared to every good story reliable defensemen, ad-nauseum). In his first few games, Edler was actually effortlessly making skilled, high-IQ plays that made everyone stupidly go "Lidstrom Lidstrom Lidstrom"-- it's more that type of thing that's impressing me about Hirose at the moment, which guys like Chatfield or Corrado have never even remotely shown at any point. Hell, I'm pretty sure nobody has ever had any illusions about Chatfield or Corrado being "puck-moving" defensemen to begin with, even at the height of our hopefulness (Corrado was always more of a jack of all trades, master of none type).

 

[MS]

Chris Tanev doesn't really count here, He was an oddity because when it mattered for being scouted as a prospect he was like 5'8" or something. After being passed over then he had a very late growth spurt giving him NHL size, and it wasn't long before he was playing pro hockey. I don't know the specifics off the top of my head but when he was 12 or something before the size discrepency kicked in he was playing on an elite Toronto area youth team with a bunch of future NHL stars.

Tanev played on the same team as Subban and Stamkos as kids.

As for Hirose, there's a lot to be encouraged about there. Players who make it adapt to new levels and move up levels quickly and he did that and looked comfortable, skated and passed the puck at an NHL standard. Knew where to be on the ice. I think the OMG FREE TOP 4D stuff is kind of nonsense but he certainly looks like he could be a 3rd pairing puck mover option for next year.

McWard I think it's 50/50 whether he played his last NHL game last night. Same for McDonough.

 

[tradervik]

Hirose isn’t a lock but he has a very good chance at making the team full time next season. That puts him miles ahead of the likes of Rafferty or Teves who got their garbage time cups of coffee but never looked like NHLers.

 

[Blue and Green]

Hope I'm wrong but I don't see what the hype is about. In my opinion he doesn't defend anywhere near NHL level and is overwhelmed in physical battles. He skates alright and is calm with the puck but he doesn't seem like any kind of play driver or big offensive threat. A better decision maker than Rathbone but not as talented/dynamic-- and they're only a month apart in age, Hirose having just turned 24.

 

[credulous]

Hope I'm wrong but I don't see what the hype is about. In my opinion he doesn't defend anywhere near NHL level and is overwhelmed in physical battles. He skates alright and is calm with the puck but he doesn't seem like any kind of play driver or big offensive threat. A better decision maker than Rathbone but not as talented/dynamic-- and they're only a month apart in age, Hirose having just turned 24.

the style he played in college isn't going to work in the nhl unless he gets a lot stronger. he'll either have to do that or learn to defend a different way if he's gonna succeed in the nhl. the rest of his game is very polished though and is definitely nhl quality. not good enough to make up for his deficiencies yet but good enough that you can see a path to him having a quality nhl career

i think the best thing for him is probably to go to the ahl to start next season and just play a ton of minutes and get comfortable playing against bigger, faster, stronger players. it would be a tragedy to throw him into the deep end of the nhl, have him struggle and never really get a chance to adapt

 

[VanJack]

Hirose is already 24, not 20.....if his play slips in training camp, and he's forced down to the AHL, then it would be a huge disappointment.

 

[arttk]

Hirose is already 24, not 20.....if his play slips in training camp, and he's forced down to the AHL, then it would be a huge disappointment.

I think it’s super likely he will start in the AHL and that won’t be his fault.

We really can’t start the season with Hughes, OEL and Hirose because the PK is going to be really really bad.

He will probably be the first Gallup when OEL gets injured.

 

[Mudshark50]

Did they make this kid available to Abbotsford for the playoffs?

 

[MS]

Did they make this kid available to Abbotsford for the playoffs?

He's not eligible because they burned a year of his NHL deal this year.

 

[Diversification]

I think it’s super likely he will start in the AHL and that won’t be his fault.

We really can’t start the season with Hughes, OEL and Hirose because the PK is going to be really really bad.

He will probably be the first Gallup when OEL gets injured.

Hirose was killing penalties.

 

[arttk]

Hirose was killing penalties.

He’s not a #1PKer and you don’t want Hughes, OEL and Hirose as your pk options

 

[Diversification]

He’s not a #1PKer and you don’t want Hughes, OEL and Hirose as your pk options

I would assume that the PK responsibilities will primarily fall to Hughes and Hronek, provided we can turf Myers. Guys like OEL and Wolanin or Hirose would be on the 2nd unit PK.

Penalty killing is about making astute reads and being in good position to take the puck out of dangerous areas. That's why Myers sucks at it.

The team ended the season (yeah, garbage time, I know) on an 83.5% clip over the last 24 games of the season.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Hope I'm wrong but I don't see what the hype is about. In my opinion he doesn't defend anywhere near NHL level and is overwhelmed in physical battles. He skates alright and is calm with the puck but he doesn't seem like any kind of play driver or big offensive threat. A better decision maker than Rathbone but not as talented/dynamic-- and they're only a month apart in age, Hirose having just turned 24.

He defends pressure at an NHL level, but not physical battles. So there is a gap in his defense there. That said, the net effect of his play helps get the play going the other way well. And so, I would not overemphasize his weakness in battles to say he can't defend overall, he clearly can.

 

[VanJack]

I realize it would probably never work, but I'm intrigued by the thought of what could happen if the Canucks loaded up every d-pairing with at least one point-producing de-man.

Hughes of course is good for 70-80 points a season; but maybe guys like Hirose or Rathbone might be good for 35-45 points. And of course Hronek hit the 40 point plateau despite missing the last month. And Christian Wolanin, the reigning AHL d-man of the year, might have hit 70 points if he hadn't been called up.

If would probably be a defensive disaster, but it would exciting as hell. Getting 200 points or so from the back end, would take a lot of scoring pressure off the forwards, if nothing else.

 

[Vector]

But for the younger Hirose – who experienced all of those things – the realization that he was NHL-bound came much more recently.

“Probably when I signed the contract (with Vancouver),” Akito said. “I mean, up until probably Christmas, I was fully intent on going back to school for my senior year.”

But as they did for Taro, NHL teams came calling for the smooth-skating, puck-moving defender from Minnesota State University. And one call from a certain front office executive — Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin — left a particularly strong impression.

“I think the biggest thing was the fact that he’s the one that made the pitch compared to other organizations who had other people that weren’t as high up kind of make the pitch,” Akito said.

---

Though the defender didn’t record a point in his debut like Taro, Akito did notch two assists in his third game with Vancouver. And the importance of being a player of East Asian heritage playing in a city with such a sizable East Asian population is not lost on the younger Hirose.

“I have a lot of friends that are from Vancouver, so I always knew it was a very diverse community… it’s cool, I’ve definitely felt the impact from the fans,” Akito said.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

But for the younger Hirose – who experienced all of those things – the realization that he was NHL-bound came much more recently.

“Probably when I signed the contract (with Vancouver),” Akito said. “I mean, up until probably Christmas, I was fully intent on going back to school for my senior year.”

But as they did for Taro, NHL teams came calling for the smooth-skating, puck-moving defender from Minnesota State University. And one call from a certain front office executive — Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin — left a particularly strong impression.

“I think the biggest thing was the fact that he’s the one that made the pitch compared to other organizations who had other people that weren’t as high up kind of make the pitch,” Akito said.

---

Though the defender didn’t record a point in his debut like Taro, Akito did notch two assists in his third game with Vancouver. And the importance of being a player of East Asian heritage playing in a city with such a sizable East Asian population is not lost on the younger Hirose.

“I have a lot of friends that are from Vancouver, so I always knew it was a very diverse community… it’s cool, I’ve definitely felt the impact from the fans,” Akito said.

Good work by Allvin making the pitch personally - glad to have Hirose in our system.

 

[VanJack]

Hopefully the auditions for blueline positions on the Canucks are totally 'open' and truly competitive at training camp in September.

Coming off such dismal year in both GAA and the PP, no jobs other than Hughes and maybe Hronek should be safe.

The only concern might be 'size' for Hirose. The Canucks have a lot of 6' sub 6' foot d-man.

 

[Fedz]

and maybe Hronek should be safe.

You can't be serious? I understand and completely agree with your overall point but to suggest Hronek isn't an absolute immovable object as our #1 RHD at season's start (barring injury) is extreme hyperbole.

 

[Raistlin]

Based on the small sample size we saw at the tail end of the season, where do you project Hirose to play next year? did he show enough to pencil him for regular duty in the top 5? or is he looking like a regular depth signing for now.

 

[strattonius]

Based on the small sample size we saw at the tail end of the season, where do you project Hirose to play next year? did he show enough to pencil him for regular duty in the top 5? or is he looking like a regular depth signing for now.

I think it will largely depend on how OEL plays.

 

[Diversification]

Based on the small sample size we saw at the tail end of the season, where do you project Hirose to play next year? did he show enough to pencil him for regular duty in the top 5? or is he looking like a regular depth signing for now.

I suspect that he'll start the year in Abbotsford due to waiver status. But Tocchet is going to come to the realization that Hirose provides a combination of puck movement and low event play that is too useful to pass up. I expect him to be cemented as a bottom pairing dman as the season progresses, likely alongside Myers since we're unlikely to move his crappy contract with its late bonus payout.

 

[tradervik]

Based on the small sample size we saw at the tail end of the season, where do you project Hirose to play next year? did he show enough to pencil him for regular duty in the top 5? or is he looking like a regular depth signing for now.

OEL is pretty much locked into the 23 man roster, leaving one or two spots for the remaining left side defence: Wolanin, Rathbone, Brisebois, Hirose. Wolanin has to be the favourite. Unless Hirose has an amazing pre-season, he'll start the season in Abbotsford and maybe get some callups when the inevitable injuries happen.

 

[Raistlin]

OEL is pretty much locked into the 23 man roster, leaving one or two spots for the remaining left side defence: Wolanin, Rathbone, Brisebois, Hirose. Wolanin has to be the favourite. Unless Hirose has an amazing pre-season, he'll start the season in Abbotsford and maybe get some callups when the inevitable injuries happen.

yeah thats what I believe is most likely, surprised some of the fanbase is exceptionally bullish on him.