Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign D Matt Bartkowski to 1-Year Deal ($1.75m AAV)

[Drop the Sopel]

I'm a bit surprised they didn't move Hamhuis at the draft, yeah.

IMO you can't move Hamhuis coming off a 100 point season - with training camp held in his home town of Prince George.

But if this team falls out of playoff contention, which is pretty likely, I think we see Hamhuis dealt for a 1st Rd pick near the deadline.

Still think we go into the 2016 draft stocked with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Rd picks. Benning appears to be stepping into a scouting role pretty much immediately - probably realizes just how big this draft could be for re-shaping the franchise going forward. Getting 3 pending UFA's to deal in Weber, Bartkowski and Prust could also be part of the plan.

 

[me2]

IMO you can't move Hamhuis coming off a 100 point season - with training camp held in his home town of Prince George.

But if this team falls out of playoff contention, which is pretty likely, I think we see Hamhuis dealt for a 1st Rd pick near the deadline.

Still think we go into the 2016 draft stocked with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Rd picks. Benning appears to be stepping into a scouting role pretty much immediately - probably realizes just how big this draft could be for re-shaping the franchise going forward. Getting 3 pending UFA's to deal in Weber, Bartkowski and Prust could also be part of the plan.

Changing a 101 point team to point it fell out of playoff contention would be terrible, sackable offense.

 

[Proto]

IMO you can't move Hamhuis coming off a 100 point season - with training camp held in his home town of Prince George.

But if this team falls out of playoff contention, which is pretty likely, I think we see Hamhuis dealt for a 1st Rd pick near the deadline.

Still think we go into the 2016 draft stocked with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Rd picks. Benning appears to be stepping into a scouting role pretty much immediately - probably realizes just how big this draft could be for re-shaping the franchise going forward. Getting 3 pending UFA's to deal in Weber, Bartkowski and Prust could also be part of the plan.

Sure you can. They traded Bieksa and their best goaltender. Not moving Vrbata and Hamhuis now just leaves the team open for a fluke result that harms the team moving forward. What if they're within 5-6 points of a playoff spot at the deadline -- hold on to Vrbata and Hamhuis and forgo the picks you'd garner for them? That's probably a couple late 1st rounders if they're having decent seasons.

And, back to Bartkowski, I still don't know where he slots in on this team. If I'm not mistaken, Benning has referred to Sbisa as Bieksa insurance and to Bartkowski as a guy they had to bring in to replace Bieksa's minutes. I don't really see how this works when both Bartkowski and Sbisa are typically left side defenders.

But, again, I don't mind the Bartkowski value on that contract. It makes him an easy guy to flip for a 3rd/4th rounder at the deadline.

 

[Drop the Sopel]

Changing a 101 point team to point it fell out of playoff contention would be terrible, sackable offense.

Unless you knew there wasn't guy on the team that finished top 10 in points that was under the age of 27. When you have to go back 9 years to find a roster player other than Bo Horvat that the Canucks drafted, you should know you're headed for trouble.

If you knew that, and how much parity there is in the West, you would expect it's very likely the aging core can't get it done.

 

[me2]

Unless you knew there wasn't guy on the team that finished top 10 in points that was under the age of 27. When you have to go back 9 years to find a roster player other than Bo Horvat that the Canucks drafted, you should know you're headed for trouble.

If you knew that, and how much parity there is in the West, you would expect it's very likely the aging core can't get it done.

All of that was fixed by clearing out the cancers, signing excellent young age gap players, toughening up with character players. No excuses, 101 point team should make the playoffs the next year if it is trying to and it is trying to.

 

[Drop the Sopel]

Sure you can. They traded Bieksa and there best goaltender. Not moving Vrbata and Hamhuis now just leaves the team open for a fluke result that harms the team moving forward.

Bieksa was a #6-7 defenseman with a huge cap hit. Dealing him doesn't hurt your chances at the playoffs IMO. Losing Lack could hurt the team, though it wouldn't be surprising if Miller/Markstrom provide adequate to good goaltending.

Hamhuis on the other hand is a guy you would be hard pressed to survive without for an entire season. With ownership wanting playoffs, he's a guy you need to bring back.

Not sure how Bart and the defense shakes out, but if I had to guess, Elder/Tanev form the 1st pairing, with Hamhuis/Weber on the 2nd pairing again. That top 4 played well together during the regular season. Then you have 4 bottom pairing guys fighting for bottom pairing minutes.

Ideally, Bartkowski outlpays Sbisa and you retain $1mil on Luca and deal him to a team desperate for defensemen when injuries hit. Though we know that won't happen.

 

[Drop the Sopel]

All of that was fixed by clearing out the cancers, signing excellent young age gap players, toughening up with character players. No excuses, 101 point team should make the playoffs the next year if it is trying to and it is trying to.

So dealing 4 veteran players for mostly draft picks is supposed to make up for having a 9 year gap between drafted players on your roster?

Yeah, that's not a very convincing argument.

Show me another team with similar draft results as the Canucks over the last 6-8 years that will make the playoffs next season and you might be on to something. Though ideally, I would like to see 5-6 teams in your example.

Good luck!

 

[me2]

So dealing 4 veteran players for mostly draft picks is supposed to make up for having a 9 year gap between drafted players on your roster?

Yeah, that's not a very convincing argument.

Show me another team with similar draft results as the Canucks over the last 6-8 years that will make the playoffs next season and you might be on to something. Though ideally, I would like to see 5-6 teams in your example.

Good luck!

Be right back, building a time machine.

 

[Proto]

Bieksa was a #6-7 defenseman with a huge cap hit. Dealing him doesn't hurt your chances at the playoffs IMO. Losing Lack could hurt the team, though it wouldn't be surprising if Miller/Markstrom provide adequate to good goaltending.

Hamhuis on the other hand is a guy you would be hard pressed to survive without for an entire season. With ownership wanting playoffs, he's a guy you need to bring back.

Not sure how Bart and the defense shakes out, but if I had to guess, Elder/Tanev form the 1st pairing, with Hamhuis/Weber on the 2nd pairing again. That top 4 played well together during the regular season. Then you have 4 bottom pairing guys fighting for bottom pairing minutes.

Ideally, Bartkowski outlpays Sbisa and you retain $1mil on Luca and deal him to a team desperate for defensemen when injuries hit. Though we know that won't happen.

I don't think a team in the league takes Sbisa even a 2.6 million.

But I don't see how this is a solution, because that would mean Corrado and Clendening don't play all year. I doubt the Canucks waive them, and Willie doesn't play his press box D at all if this past season was any indication.

I just don't see the fit for Bartkowski, but Benning talks about him like he's an essential part of the top 6. Maybe they're planning to move Hamhuis.

 

[DL44]

All of that was fixed by clearing out the cancers, signing excellent young age gap players, toughening up with character players. No excuses, 101 point team should make the playoffs the next year if it is trying to and it is trying to.

You kinda say that like you expect the Canucks to miss next season..
Like Bieksa can't be replaced...
Or like 40 some gms of Richardson can't be replaced.. Or 40 some gms of Kassian...

I don't see a big drop off from last yr... And if the kids step up and progress from last yr, there won't be much one of at all.

I did a run down on the personnel changes of the teams in our conference... And we are still right overall. I'll post a lil later... But a for example... kings have lost Sekera and Regher.. But Voynov may be back.. But when he returns he'll be returning after one yr off, and 90 days in jail where I'm pretty sure he won't have any ice time.
Dal still haven't addressed thei D. Was Hudler crushing his career pt total an aberration, a one off?
Col lost Stastny and dropped them to depths of the West.. And now ROR. Their centre depth will be tested. San Jose's biggest move - their coach... Who exited ala AV, I.e. Great coach, needed to leave for the sake of leaving.

Actual personnel In vs Out is also quite interesting when look at the big picture of our competition.
People are used to microanalysizing their own team... Well other teams... Relatively speaking have been on par.

Basically.. Chill.. Enjoy another 82 gm playoff clinching season...

 

[TheWanderer]

Calgary got way better. LA is always a bubble team that just plays well in the play-offs. Anaheim got better.

Colorado shot themselves in the foot, and I don't know what is going on with St Louis. Dallas is toiling away, taking equal steps forward and in reverse.

San Jose keeps trying to put bandaids on everything and it is not working out for them.


It's hard to say. We'll see how players play, next season compared to last. I'll tell you one thing: I doubt Willie gets any smarter - I will be pleasantly surprised if he does.

 

[alternate]

To be fair, Willie was a rookie coach. You have to hope he's had an honest performance review and realizes now that rolling 1-2-3-4 in the playoffs is going to a knife fight with bare knuckles and one hand tied behind your back. After AV schooled him in the regular season, Willie did make some adjustments, to his credit. If we are in the playoff race, it will mean Willie has improved as a bench boss.

Looks like there will be some competition for playing time on the back end. The "talent" is all pretty comparable behind the top 3. Sbisa is most likely locked into a top 6 spot when healthy, be interesting to see how the other 4 are used. Does Willie deploy them strategically d3pending on the match up, does he use a predetermined rotation, or does he pick a top 6 and ride it until there's an injury. Odds are there's almost always an injury anyway.

Bart helps Benning reach his goal of being 10 deep. A goal he's reached now, if you include Pedan and the ufa they signed. Say what you will about the quality of the 4-8 guys, but there's at least some upside left in all of them (no need to rehash Sbisa for the upteenth time). Other than Sbisa, they're all in favourable contract situations.

My guess is they look at Bart as the 3LD, with Sbisa moving up beside Hamhuis. Iirc they tried that pairing for a stretch last season. That would leave the 3 righties,with Corrado having the ability to play either side, in the mix with Bart on the 3rd pairing.

 

[me2]

You kinda say that like you expect the Canucks to miss next season..
Like Bieksa can't be replaced...
Or like 40 some gms of Richardson can't be replaced.. Or 40 some gms of Kassian...

I don't see a big drop off from last yr... And if the kids step up and progress from last yr, there won't be much one of at all.

I did a run down on the personnel changes of the teams in our conference... And we are still right overall. I'll post a lil later... But a for example... kings have lost Sekera and Regher.. But Voynov may be back.. But when he returns he'll be returning after one yr off, and 90 days in jail where I'm pretty sure he won't have any ice time.
Dal still haven't addressed thei D. Was Hudler crushing his career pt total an aberration, a one off?
Col lost Stastny and dropped them to depths of the West.. And now ROR. Their centre depth will be tested. San Jose's biggest move - their coach... Who exited ala AV, I.e. Great coach, needed to leave for the sake of leaving.

Actual personnel In vs Out is also quite interesting when look at the big picture of our competition.
People are used to microanalysizing their own team... Well other teams... Relatively speaking have been on par.

Basically.. Chill.. Enjoy another 82 gm playoff clinching season...

Indeed. Just need to get DTS to join us on the no excuses the team should make playoffs wagon.

 

[me2]

To be fair, Willie was a rookie coach. You have to hope he's had an honest performance review and realizes now that rolling 1-2-3-4 in the playoffs is going to a knife fight with bare knuckles and one hand tied behind your back. After AV schooled him in the regular season, Willie did make some adjustments, to his credit. If we are in the playoff race, it will mean Willie has improved as a bench boss.

Looks like there will be some competition for playing time on the back end. The "talent" is all pretty comparable behind the top 3. Sbisa is most likely locked into a top 6 spot when healthy, be interesting to see how the other 4 are used. Does Willie deploy them strategically d3pending on the match up, does he use a predetermined rotation, or does he pick a top 6 and ride it until there's an injury. Odds are there's almost always an injury anyway.

Bart helps Benning reach his goal of being 10 deep. A goal he's reached now, if you include Pedan and the ufa they signed. Say what you will about the quality of the 4-8 guys, but there's at least some upside left in all of them (no need to rehash Sbisa for the upteenth time). Other than Sbisa, they're all in favourable contract situations.

My guess is they look at Bart as the 3LD, with Sbisa moving up beside Hamhuis. Iirc they tried that pairing for a stretch last season. That would leave the 3 righties,with Corrado having the ability to play either side, in the mix with Bart on the 3rd pairing.

Edler Tanev
Hamhuis Weber
Sbisa Bartkowski
Clendening Corrado
-------------------
Pedan ???Biega???

 

[PM]

That defense is an injury away from Sbisa - Weber as our second pairing. Might be the worst Canucks blue line in over a decade, even if Edler and Tanev can replicate last season.

 

[a Fool]

That defense is an injury away from Sbisa - Weber as our second pairing. Might be the worst Canucks blue line in over a decade, even if Edler and Tanev can replicate last season.

It'll be hilarious looking at the stats after next season: Edler-Tanev +1, everyone else -39.

 

[nameless1]

That defense is an injury away from Sbisa - Weber as our second pairing. Might be the worst Canucks blue line in over a decade, even if Edler and Tanev can replicate last season.

Sweet baby Moses.
I am legitimately scared.

 

[VC]

That defense is an injury away from Sbisa - Weber as our second pairing. Might be the worst Canucks blue line in over a decade, even if Edler and Tanev can replicate last season.

Didn't that happen for stretches last season?

 

[Barney Gumble]

Didn't that happen for stretches last season?

Not the same goalie taking up a number of those starts anymore on the team.

We have a guy that might have greater upside than Lack but a heckuva lot more downside (Markstrom). Not the greatest thing to boost a goalie prospects confidence (eg., a pairing of Sbisa-anybody but Tanev)

 

[Bad News Benning]

I'm comforted by the thought of Chychrun patrolling our defense for 15 years.

 

[VC]

Not the same goalie taking up a number of those starts anymore on the team.

We have a guy that might have greater upside than Lack but a heckuva lot more downside (Markstrom). Not the greatest thing to boost a goalie prospects confidence (eg., a pairing of Sbisa-anybody but Tanev)

That was mostly in the first half of the season when Hamhuis was out. So yes it is the same goalie though that is not even my point. We don't know who will stepup and what kind of adversity the team will face this year. There are too many variables and unkowns at play. The only thing that I'm really concerned about is Henrik, he goes down and so does the season.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I don't think a team in the league takes Sbisa even a 2.6 million.

But I don't see how this is a solution, because that would mean Corrado and Clendening don't play all year. I doubt the Canucks waive them, and Willie doesn't play his press box D at all if this past season was any indication.

I just don't see the fit for Bartkowski, but Benning talks about him like he's an essential part of the top 6. Maybe they're planning to move Hamhuis.

Let me be facetious. "Hey, don't worry about it. They will get an NHL paycheck, bigger meal allowances, stay in top shelf hotels. So what if they don't play. They won't be concerned about it. They're in the NHL!"

This is the blather I got over Corrado sitting there last season. This year they have to stay there because of the waiver rule keeping them from being shipped to Utica.

If you have a guy who can get the job done more efficiently than someone on the ice, that guy should be in the the lineup and the other guy belongs in the pressbox. It doesn't happen under WD. The line is that Vancouver is trying to get younger. It doesn't look that way to me.

Willie also plays the guys he has developed a loyalty to and the guys his regime has brought in. Thus Clendening who **** the bed in Utica will play ahead of Frankie who clearly outplayed him in Utica, both regular season and the extended playoff run.

You'll be real happy with his flatfooted stance behind the net followed by a blistering head high pass to nowhere that ends up icing. The majority of forwards in the NHL will blaze by him to the outside and directly to the net because he can't turn fast enough nor skate fast enough to stay with them. His PP work will thrill you as his idea of walking the line to create space and passing lanes is four steps left and retrace those steps back to the right and fire a wrist shot wide of the net and hope it's retrieved by a Canuck. Meanwhile Frank will be eating popcorn.

We won't even talk about the Canucks' poster child D-man Sbisa.

There are 6 D-men ahead of these two guys. They will play until an injury pushes one of the pressbox twins into the lineup. You want to get younger? Play them both and live with the errors (it's the philosophy with Sbisa). When it becomes obvious that improvement can't happen, get rid of them. Gee, that should have happened with the Pizzaman, but he got moved up to the top 4, then got a raise and an extended contract.

Clendening is in business. Too bad Frankie.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I think Bartkowski is fine and this contract is fine, but where does he play? Does he move to the right side -- and if so, why? It would mean one of Clendening or Corrado not playing. If he stays on the left, I presume he would be behind Sbisa on the depth chart (lmao) so...

I wouldn't be surprised to see Sbisa moved to the right side to play in the top 4 with Hamhuis, which would be... not the best way to raise Hamhuis' value before trading him.

Weird. I have to think they just find a way to get Bartkowski in the line-up and then move him at the deadline. I sure hope Benning is planning to move all these pending UFA's.

Corrado was played on the left side in Utica for Clendening's entire stay. That allowed the traded for chosen one to play his natural side in an inferior league where he was once an All-Star. Could have fooled me.

 

[RandV]

IMO you can't move Hamhuis coming off a 100 point season - with training camp held in his home town of Prince George.

But if this team falls out of playoff contention, which is pretty likely, I think we see Hamhuis dealt for a 1st Rd pick near the deadline.

Still think we go into the 2016 draft stocked with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Rd picks. Benning appears to be stepping into a scouting role pretty much immediately - probably realizes just how big this draft could be for re-shaping the franchise going forward. Getting 3 pending UFA's to deal in Weber, Bartkowski and Prust could also be part of the plan.

Okay it's official you have no idea what you're talking about. Hometown? Hamhuis home town is a good 4 hour drive away from PG

 

[canucksfan]

Clendening is in business. Too bad Frankie.

Even if Clendening was sent down I am not sure if any team would pick him up.