Post-Game Talk: Devils 2 @ Canucks 1 | Sunday. Hometown Hockey. CBC.

[Hit the post]

Competing hard and drafting another Horvat.

We were only able to draft Horvat because we dealt a guy that looked like he could win a Vezina in his career.

 

[geebaan]

Benning seems to have more success with later picks anyways (i.e. Demko, Boeser, etc., seem to be trending upwards).

Will Juolevi be as good or better than Tkachuk? The jury is still out on that one.

Even with Virtanen, it's still too early to tell whether he'll be a bust or not. PWF's typically take longer to develop.

I think my point still stands though. Given the emergence of Horvat, the Canucks shouldn't be trying to tank and pray. Compete as hard as you can, instill work ethic and drive in the players, and draft another Kesler/Horvat type guy in the draft with a mid 1st.......or dare I say, a Giroux/Kopitar kind of guy if you get lucky.

None of this hocus pocus tanking. We don't need it, given the emergence of Horvat. If this team gets another Bo Horvat calibre guy at center, we're set.

Horvat, the guy Benning didn't even draft. I'm sure not trying to have the best odds to get the best player, will go swimmingly for us.

 

[The Stig]

We were only able to draft Horvat because we dealt a guy that looked like he could win a Vezina in his career.

Not lately he hasn't

 

[The Stig]

Horvat, the guy Benning didn't even draft. I'm sure not trying to have the best odds to get the best player, will go swimmingly for us.

Well to be devils advocate....last year when we were in a good position odds wise....it went horribly.

 

[geebaan]

Well to be devils advocate....last year when we were in a good position odds wise....it went horribly.

getting a top 5 pick isn't horrible. Getting 12th overall pick, relative to what this team needs, would be horrible.

 

[The Stig]

getting a top 5 pick isn't horrible. Getting 12th overall pick, relative to what this team needs, would be horrible.

Depends really. There isn't any true game changers in the top 10 like last year. Some good players no doubt. But picking high is no sure thing. Gudbranson was picked 3rd overall. Columbus picked Pierre-Luc Dubois last year and Tkachuk fell. The draft is a gamble no matter where you pick unless you get a world class talent like McDavid. There have been many top picks that amounted to nothing, and many late picks that have flourished into stars. Unless he's a Laine/McDavid/Matthews that are an obvious natural talent, proper development is as key as anything. You're not getting a bad player in the first round. And if you're patient, and willing to let them progress at a proper pace, chances are you'll get a good player at 12th.

 

[geebaan]

Depends really. There isn't any true game changers in the top 10 like last year. Some good players no doubt. But picking high is no sure thing. Gudbranson was picked 3rd overall. Columbus picked Pierre-Luc Dubois last year and Tkachuk fell. The draft is a gamble no matter where you pick unless you get a world class talent like McDavid. There have been many top picks that amounted to nothing, and many late picks that have flourished into stars. Unless he's a Laine/McDavid/Matthews that are an obvious natural talent, proper development is as key as anything. You're not getting a bad player in the first round. And if you're patient, and willing to let them progress at a proper pace, chances are you'll get a good player at 12th.

I'd rather have a better chance at a player like Hirschier or Tolvanen, or Liligren, even a Patrick. Wouldn't you? The higher we pick we get, the more risk you take out.

and you are right, you can't eliminate risk, but why let it get more risky to take a lower pick, with a lower upside player? Wouldn't you want the best possible odds?

 

[Hit the post]

I'd rather have a better chance at a player like Hirschier or Tolvanen, or Liligren, even a Patrick. Wouldn't you? The higher we pick we get, the more risk you take out.

and you are right, you can't eliminate risk, but why let it get more risky to take a lower pick, with a lower upside player? Wouldn't you want the best possible odds?

How about something truly innovative like......acquiring more picks?

Nah, who needs to mitigate the risk when you're a superscout?

 

[Horse McHindu]

We were only able to draft Horvat because we dealt a guy that looked like he could win a Vezina in his career.

Oh.

Well that's that I guess.

Apparently, the Canucks will never draft a Bo Horvat calibre guy again at the #9 spot.

Zero chance of finding 'gems' like Kopitar, Giroux, and Kesler with our own mid-to-late 1st round picks unless we trade potential Vezina candidate goalies for said picks.

 

[Horse McHindu]

I'm sure not trying to have the best odds to get the best player, will go swimmingly for us.

Like I said - Boeser, Demko, just to name a few. Benning already seems to be picking players in later rounds that look like they'll be better than originally projected (time will tell obviously).

That's besides the point however.

The fact of the matter is that very good players are often picked up in any part of the 1st round, whether that's #1, #9, #17, etc.

I DON'T want the Canucks to tank via veteran firesale. I want the Canucks to compete hard, and I want the Canucks' young core to become conditioned to competing hard for something (in this case, a playoff berth).

-If they make it.......great!
-If they fall a bit short, atleast they competed hard all year......and they'll get a mid 1st round pick (i.e. Maybe an Anze Kopitar type 'steal').

-If the Canucks compete hard and still end up sucking........then they get a high end pick.

All I want from this Canucks team, is to compete hard and to not tank. Period. Let the chips fall where they may, and condition the kids to compete hard every night. Get the vets to lead by example and hold the kids accountable. That's all I want.

Even though the Canucks have been tough to watch much of the time this season, I'm proud to call myself a Canucks fan because these guys are giving it 100%.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Cause Bennings track record has been great at that so far.

http://www.foxsports.com/nhl/story/...ing-off-011317?cmpid=feed:-sports-CQ-RSS-Feed

Sorry, I don't understand the point of your link.

The article in your link praises Bo Horvat (yes, a Gillis pick), but the author of the article also goes on to express his excitement over the idea of Baertschi and Boeser playing alongside Horvat. Boeser is someone that Benning drafted (a late 1st round pick), and Baertschi is someone that Benning traded for.

Just because I'm a fan of Benning, doesn't mean that I don't acknowledge some of the significant positive impacts that Mike Gillis had on this current core.

 

[Hit the post]

Zero chance of finding 'gems' like Kopitar, Giroux, and Kesler with our own mid-to-late 1st round picks unless we trade potential Vezina candidate goalies for said picks.

hmmm...what happened to a couple of fairly recent of our own mid-to-late 1st round picks? They were dealt.


I wouldn't call a #9 pick equivalent to a mid-to-late 1st round pick...agree to disagree.

 

[Horse McHindu]

hmmm...what happened to a couple of fairly recent of our own mid-to-late 1st round picks? They were dealt.

A couple?

The only Benning 1st round pick that was traded away was McCann (for former, yet still young, 1st round pick Erik Gudbranson).

Virtanen is still here, and Boeser is still here. Although time will tell, Boeser looks like an absolute steal at #23.

Jensen, Shinkaruk, and Hodgson were drafted by a previous regime (if that's what you're getting at?). The previous regime, for the most part, were incompetent at drafting players. Hence - the age gap problem that existed when the current regime took over (and their subsequent dealings of 2nd round picks in order to fill the void and correct the mistakes made by the previous regime).

Time will tell if this current management group are good at drafting and developing players.

 

[Hit the post]

The previous regime, for the most part, were incompetent at drafting players.
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Time will tell if this current management group are good at drafting and developing players.

Funny you how expect people to give the current management group time to see whether their drafting is any good while you already declared Shinkaruk a bust after being dealt when he had but a SINGLE NHL game at that point.

Agree to disagree.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Funny you how expect people to give the current management group time to see whether their drafting is any good while you already declared Shinkaruk a bust after being dealt when he had but a SINGLE NHL game at that point.

Agree to disagree.

I haven't declared Shinkaruk a bust.

However - given how Shinkaruk was performing in Utica last season, MANY posters on here expected Shinkaruk to make the leap to Vancouver this season, and were extremely ENRAGED by the Granlund deal.

Obviously, Shinkaruk is still young enough to turn things around (as is Granlund), but as of this writing, Granlund has taken a leap in his game while Shinkaruk is still biting boners down on the farm.

 

[Hit the post]

I haven't declared Shinkaruk a bust.

However - given how Shinkaruk was performing in Utica last season, MANY posters on here expected Shinkaruk to make the leap to Vancouver this season, and were extremely ENRAGED by the Granlund deal.

Obviously, Shinkaruk is still young enough to turn things around (as is Granlund), but as of this writing, Granlund has taken a leap in his game while Shinkaruk is still biting boners down on the farm.

Which incidently was exactly what Granlund was doing in the year he was dealt.

Guy wasn't given any chance IMHO.

 

[Mal Reynolds]

Anyone goin to the game - could you chant "Schnuuuuuu" whenever Cory makes a save?

(Sorry, something of a rather lame inside joke :p)

 

[Hit the post]

Anyone goin to the game

 

[Paulinvancouver]

Time to get a win. This seems like a great time hockey wise to get Boucher in. A couple days of practice and settled in for a home game after hopefully getting settled a bit.

Yeah what is the plan for him? Have heard nothing since the pickup. Not expecting him to light the world on fire but my expectation is to see him tomorrow... or even Thursday. Hope he's in.

 

[RobertKron]

I haven't declared Shinkaruk a bust.

However - given how Shinkaruk was performing in Utica last season, MANY posters on here expected Shinkaruk to make the leap to Vancouver this season, and were extremely ENRAGED by the Granlund deal.

Obviously, Shinkaruk is still young enough to turn things around (as is Granlund), but as of this writing, Granlund has taken a leap in his game while Shinkaruk is still biting boners down on the farm.

So you're saying that Shinkaruk still has two years, then?

 

[Paulinvancouver]

This is the worst of recent draft years to tank.

Benning had a talent gap and an age gap by trading for a few former first round picks. If only one of those projects pan out, I think the strategy was worth it.

Now that we have closed the age and skill gaps a bit, id like to see three things:

Concentrating on bennings strength and acquiring as many picks as possible
Turning some of our "quantity" into "quality"
Using waivers and summer free agency to fill depth, rather than sign big names.

I'm still pissed with linden and the owners, I think we need to move some players at the deadline and address our ntc and nmc issues. I don't think linden has the balls to go in that direction tho.

 

[Nick Lang]

Yeah what is the plan for him? Have heard nothing since the pickup. Not expecting him to light the world on fire but my expectation is to see him tomorrow... or even Thursday. Hope he's in.

They've been real quiet on that front. I think it's due to the busy schedule they have and these last two days at practice will come into WD's decision tomorrow.

The only problem I see is that all the player's including Megna, Chaput, and maybe Skille have put in comparable efforts, and have all played fairly good hockey overall. It may be hard to take one of them out, especially Megna after a 2 point game.

I hope he's in to but like you said we may have to wait until Thursday.

 

[PG Canuck]

Konecny is having a pretty decent start to his career.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

I don't know about Boeser, but Hodgson couldn't be saved from having stumpy legs.

What really surprised me about Hodgson was how wrong we were about his character. The Canuck screening process seems to leave something to be desired.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Oh yeah, game thread...

2-1 Canucks
Horvat and Sutter