Confirmed with Link: Canucks sign D Tucker Poolman to 4-Year, $10M Deal ($2.5M AAV)

[F A N]

I’m maintaining he’s going to prove a lot of people wrong. I really like this player and think he’s going to be a good fit with our team.

I still don't like the contract, but I like the player as a defensive bottom pairing guy. My expectations for him is to be a steadying presence for Rathbone, and to be able to keep his head above water when injuries hit. If he can do that for the duration of his contract he will earn his contract, or at least most of it.

I'm optimistic that if he can stay relatively healthy he'll be a solid bottom pairing Dman who contributes on the PK.

 

[Oliewud]

Huge analysis on tucker poolman if anyone wants to read:

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Watching his Uni highlights i'm surprised he doesn't have more NHL goals. His shot is actually pretty good.

 

[F A N]

Huge analysis on tucker poolman if anyone wants to read:

Thanks. That was a pretty good read albeit with a lot of arguments included. Hope the analysis is correct.

 

[Zippgunn]

Guy has just over one season’s worth of time in the NHL. Might be a good thing to dail back expectations. DimJim of course gives him a four year deal.

Sort of like Thatcher Demko...

 

[F A N]

Sort of like Thatcher Demko...

If he played more games he could have gotten 6 like Jason Garrison.

 

[MarkMM]

Huge analysis on tucker poolman if anyone wants to read:

Wow, first, appreciate the work that went into that, and second, we should crowd-fund for him to get a streaming subscription so he could see the other 65%.

The analysis gives me a good chunk of hope that Poolman is being under-estimated and if so, he could fill a huge gap as a shut-down top-four. Still probably means Hamonic will be asked to play above his pay grade but an OEL - Poolman pairing that can hold its own would dramatically change the make-up of our defence in the right way, and I'd be happy to eat crow and say that Benning got this one right.

Fingers crossed.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Brad Shaw better be a f***ing magician because any dman playing under Green couldn’t play defence to save their life.

That includes Mother Tucker, Q Tip and I Havent Tried In 4 Years

 

[bertuzzi2bure]

Dunno why you guys are so against this.

He is a guy who can comfortably play in the NHL. Was sick of seeing tweener clowns like Biega, Chatfield, Benn, Fentenberg etc etc. He will be a solid bottom pairing dman who can move up if needed... 2.5mil is nothing. Del Zotto somehow got 2.

 

[WTG]

I thought Poolman was good in college, slightly better than LaDue and Wolanin. Stetcher was better than him forcing him to play further down the lineup. He was also older than Stetcher by one year and left a year later. That UND team was so strong for those years. Loved the way they played. Hope Brad Berry gets an NHL gig. Berry is one of the best NCAA coaches imo.

 

[F A N]

Watching his Uni highlights i'm surprised he doesn't have more NHL goals. His shot is actually pretty good.

This past season was probably more of a blip for him (he literally doubled his point production in the playoffs). Two seasons ago he did put up 4 goals 16 points in 57 games which seems more in line for a defensive Dman with his skillset.

 

[F A N]

Hope Brad Berry gets an NHL gig. Berry is one of the best NCAA coaches imo.

Maybe if the Jets come calling? I'm not so sure that he wants to leave. UND is his alma mater and including his playing days he's been at UND for like 18 years. I mean ya he might have an itch to try coaching in the NHL before he's done, but that college gig is a pretty sweet gig. He's near the top of his profession, probably has a great relationship with the athletic program directors and benefactors, and given his success he can probably coach and run that UND program as he see fits until retirement. He has to ask himself whether he wants to bother signing a 4-5 year contract to coach in the NHL with the possibility of being fired 2-3 years in where instead he can stay at a place he has called home for the past 9+ years.

 

[WTG]

Maybe if the Jets come calling? I'm not so sure that he wants to leave. UND is his alma mater and including his playing days he's been at UND for like 18 years. I mean ya he might have an itch to try coaching in the NHL before he's done, but that college gig is a pretty sweet gig. He's near the top of his profession, probably has a great relationship with the athletic program directors and benefactors, and given his success he can probably coach and run that UND program as he see fits until retirement. He has to ask himself whether he wants to bother signing a 4-5 year contract to coach in the NHL with the possibility of being fired 2-3 years in where instead he can stay at a place he has called home for the past 9+ years.

I think money also can play a huge factor. Giving your kids a good life and leaving them with something matters too. If he does go into the NHL that means an NHL paycheck too.

Idk, I just hope to see him make the jump. I think he is one of the coaches that can make it. However with the low turnover in the NHL I could see it being very long till that opportunity arrives.

 

[F A N]

Wow, first, appreciate the work that went into that, and second, we should crowd-fund for him to get a streaming subscription so he could see the other 65%.

The analysis gives me a good chunk of hope that Poolman is being under-estimated and if so, he could fill a huge gap as a shut-down top-four. Still probably means Hamonic will be asked to play above his pay grade but an OEL - Poolman pairing that can hold its own would dramatically change the make-up of our defence in the right way, and I'd be happy to eat crow and say that Benning got this one right.

Fingers crossed.

Agreed. I don't have much faith in the Canucks' pro scouts when it comes to identifying Dmen, but there might be something here.

It has been discussed, but I think few acknowledge the restructure the Canucks have undergone starting with the OEL trade. The Canucks' cap structure now looks close to the way it should be. Up front, there's Pearson making a "middle 6" salary but it is the role he is expected to play. Otherwise, there aren't any bottom 6 players making $3M or more. On D, I mean yes, OEL is likely going to be overpaid for the rest of his contract but I think that he is still a legitimate top 4 Dman and he is expected to shoulder first pairing defensive minutes. We were paying Edler $6M AAV to play that role. There is a chance that OEL declines further and doesn't even play at a top 4 Dman level of course.

Anyways, the point is that ya it would be great if we can find a 27-28 year old Hamhuis or Tanev in here playing the right side for ~$5M AAV. Outside of that the Canucks are going cheap. Hamonic is making $3M but he only has an 8 team no trade and it's only for this season. Poolman, even if he's an upgrade over Benn, he is fine for his AAV.

 

[RobertKron]

I think money also can play a huge factor. Giving your kids a good life and leaving them with something matters too. If he does go into the NHL that means an NHL paycheck too.

Idk, I just hope to see him make the jump. I think he is one of the coaches that can make it. However with the low turnover in the NHL I could see it being very long till that opportunity arrives.

Dude's on a 5 year deal for 400k+ per season signed in 2018, and made 300k+ per season the three years before that. Pretty substantial bonuses on both deals, and also penalties if he leaves UND.

Obviously he's not making NHL money, but he's doing pretty well for himself.

 

[F A N]

I think money also can play a huge factor. Giving your kids a good life and leaving them with something matters too. If he does go into the NHL that means an NHL paycheck too.

Idk, I just hope to see him make the jump. I think he is one of the coaches that can make it. However with the low turnover in the NHL I could see it being very long till that opportunity arrives.

Ya you are right about the money. He is under contract with UND though. As for coaching vacancy, the relatively low turnover in previous years does mean there will likely be a few firings coming soon. All coaches have a shelf life.

 

[WTG]

Dude's on a 5 year deal for 400k+ per season signed in 2018, and made 300k+ per season the three years before that. Pretty substantial bonuses on both deals, and also penalties if he leaves UND.

Obviously he's not making NHL money, but he's doing pretty well for himself.

Damn really? Didn't realize NCAA coaches made that much.

 

[F A N]

Damn really? Didn't realize NCAA coaches made that much.

It's nothing compared to basketball and football coaches. NCAA coaches can also get a lot of perks and benefits. It's a red carpet treatment.

Keep in mind that NCAA coaches pretty much call the shots. Other than answering to the athletic director and the rich donors/benefactors of the team, the coach calls the shots. They're effectively the GM, coach, and scout and the good ones can easily coach for over a decade to as long as they want. And they're teaching kids who are more likely to love them as a teacher.

 

[Hit the post]

Damn really? Didn't realize NCAA coaches made that much.

Sports is/was big money in college. Think of all that gate revenue where the student athletes, other than their scholarships, don’t get paid (like free labor).

 

[Canucks LB]

Everybody should read this

 

[logan5]

It is important to know who he was matched up against. I actually don’t know. Was he defending the best players on the opposing team night after night?

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Everybody should read this

That’s an interesting read. Think I’ll keep an open mind on him.
I did watch the Jets in the playoffs and he was playing big minutes and looked quite solid. Other than that I haven’t seen him play a lot.

 

[beachcomber]

Unbelievable! Some objectivity slowly creeping into these threads? A good sign!

 

[MarkMM]

Dunno why you guys are so against this.

He is a guy who can comfortably play in the NHL. Was sick of seeing tweener clowns like Biega, Chatfield, Benn, Fentenberg etc etc. He will be a solid bottom pairing dman who can move up if needed... 2.5mil is nothing. Del Zotto somehow got 2.

Oh I don't think anyone would argue that he's not an improvement from a lot of the junk Benning has brought in, I think the immediate reaction was that from what Winnipeg fans were saying as well as general NHL commentators it looked like an overpayment. Not huge, maybe $500k and a year, but just, why would it be necessary or worth it, when we'd gotten a couple other decent value signings that day on RHD's (Schenn and Hamonic). No disagreement that Del Zotto was gross, but I'd want our bar to be higher than going from terrible to just bad.

The day of the signings Benning's deals were largely received well, but the Poolman one was singled out and widely panned from every commentator on the air I heard, and that was validated by Winnipeg fans by and large (a decent player but we overpaid).

But if that analysis quoted above turns out to be true, then this could turn out to be a bargain and I'm hoping for that.

 

[VanJack]

So the Canucks have basically traded four years of Schmidt at close to $6m a season for Poolman, at $2.5m over four years.

Obviously the Jets figure they're getting the far better d-man.....but is the difference worth $3.5m more a season? I guess we're about to find out.