Does this team have enough meat and potatoes?

[CanaFan]

See below:



Not that it's happening in this thread, but I saw a couple comments on Twitter about how Maroon, Kassian, Lucic, etc. have given the Oilers this new found toughness and therefore the JV pick is somehow justified because there's this new supposed proof that toughness is important. Certainly don't disagree that the Oilers have a new identity, but it's because they landed a generational player and another franchise piece in Draisaitl, not because of how they rounded out their roster. Ottawa is another example of a team that rounded out their roster with players like Stalberg and Burrows to complement their franchise talent in Karlsson.

Of course, Benning seems to have the opposite view where he's looking to plug in tough, "heavy" players with lower offensive upside in the top-6 and weak, skilled tweeners in the middle-6. Foundational over franchise.

Ya people who say this are ... not bright. You build a core with skill, then add complimentary pieces like Maroon, Lucic last. You don't expend assets trying to acquire them before you have your McDavid, Draisaitl, etc core in place.

Like I get why they traded 16th + 33rd for Griffen Reinhart back in 2015. It was a dumb move because they mis-evaluated Reinhart but it was the right *idea* for where they were at the time. They eventually got it right trading Hall for Larsson. Expensive but it was what their team needed to move out of "rebuilding" into "competing".

It's also why I have no ****ing idea why we traded McCann + 33rd for Gudbranson before our rebuild had even started.

 

[Bad News Benning]

Then you should be on team Owen Tippett for fifth overall, plus he's 6'2 - 200lbs, and he could have provide a bit of meat/potatoes down the road.

There is a lot of elements that go into scoring goals.

You need puck moving defenseman that can skate,score goals, and make the players around them better.

You need playmaking centers that can find seams, thread passes in tight spaces, and make the players around them better.

Simply looking at our goal scoring totals and saying "we need players who can rip the puck" such as tippett is completely ignoring all the components of a successful offense.

I'd say this organization has more guys that can "rip the puck" than playmaking centers/defenseman combined. That's not a healthy balance for a team that is starved offensively.

 

[Hit the post]

Like I get why they traded 16th + 33rd for Griffen Reinhart back in 2015. It was a dumb move because they mis-evaluated Reinhart but it was the right *idea* for where they were at the time.

Much like essentially replacing Garrison with Sbisa.

 

[Nuckles]

It's funny how when Benning first got here all he would talk about was bringing in more meat and potatoes, he made a bunch of moves to try to improve it, and we end up with one of the softest/weakest teams in the league (along with one of the least skilled).

Drafting Virtanen, swapping out Garrison for Sbisa, trading for Dorsett and giving him a huge contract, trading Kassian for Prust, trading Bonino for Sutter (he called him "gritty"), trading McCann and a very early 2nd for Gudbranson.

And now that Tryamkin had enough of their **** and we moved Hansen and Burrows, we're going to be even softer/weaker and worse defensively than last season.

 

[Bad News Benning]

It's funny how when Benning first got here all he would talk about was bringing in more meat and potatoes, he made a bunch of moves to try to improve it, and we end up with one of the softest/weakest teams in the league (along with one of the least skilled).

Drafting Virtanen, swapping out Garrison for Sbisa, trading for Dorsett and giving him a huge contract, trading Kassian for Prust, trading Bonino for Sutter (he called him "gritty"), trading McCann and a very early 2nd for Gudbranson.

And now that Tryamkin had enough of their **** and we moved Hansen and Burrows, we're going to be even softer/weaker and worse defensively than last season.

This team is just bungled parts. It's what happens when an organization has no long term vision or identity. I still don't know what exactly these clowns are trying to accomplish or what identity they are going for. There is no cohesion with any moves they make. I fully expect them to trade a draft pick or prospect/young player for another prust or dorsett or gudbranson and thus eliminate any goodwill gained from the trade deadline.

 

[PM]

It's probably or second biggest problem after "who's gonna score goals?" This team in its current form looks softer than the Dallas Eakins era Oilers with less scoring. We might have one single forward over 200 lbs in Bo and no puck hounds with Burrows and Hansen gone.

No idea what we can do about it at this point either. We've squandered away so many guys that would help in this department and we can't spend assets replacing them. The third line of Matthias - Richardson - Kassian we had in Jimbos first year is gone along with a pick for a few months of Brandon Prust. Hopefully sign a couple guys in free agency but I'm worried that a) no one good is going to want to play here, b) anyone that would play here will get massively overpaid.

We are basically an expansion team in terms of roster and assets right now. Sad panda.

 

[xtr3m]

The age of meat and potatoes lasted exactly seven games during the 2011 Cup finals in which the leaders of this team let themselves be ragdolled and slapped around hoping the refs would finally call it, so everyone thought that's how you counteract skill. We don't need new Burrows and Hansen, we need leaders that won't take crap from the likes of Marchand.

Watch Nashville, Pittsburgh. Speed and skill. Linden said as much at the draft lottery. Benning was too busy eating his birthday cake.

1. Speed
2. Skill
3. Don't leave it in the hands of referees

 

[VanJack]

Do the Canucks have enough grit and sandpaper in the lineup?....in a word "no"....of course the problem was exacerbated when both Dorsett and Gudbranson went down last year.

But if Green's teams in Utica are any guide, they'll be much tougher physically this year.....I think they'll give a guy like LaBate a long look on the fourth line; and maybe a guy like Cramarossa, if they decide to sign him....of course there's still hope that Virtanen will bring some physicality.... And then there's Darren Archibald, arguably Utica's most effective and physical forward last year.....maybe Green finally gives him a shot, but they also would have to sign him first.

 

[JuniorNelson]

Canucks are systemically stupid. There is no strength in any area. They do not have an offense. They do not have six NHL defensemen. The apparent starter has confidence issues. A rookie coach is going to fix everything?

Canucks braintrust, whomever they actually are, suck. Fix this! Canucks will never stumble upon a winning formula or feasible plan set with these idiots.

They have failed to address the same issues that have sunk them for years. Of course they are soft. They cannot attract non losers. Big tough useful players go elsewhere. If Canucks happen to get a useful player, they ruin his game and he goes away.

 

[mathonwy]

Left gritty ball Sutter and right gritty ball Gudbranson will be sufficient.

 

[vanarchy]

Anchoring this crew...

1. Henrik Sedin, who has the heart of a lion but is pushing 40 and starting to get buried defensively.
2. Brandon Sutter, who isn't pushing 40 but still gets buried defensively.

Made me literally lol

 

[member 105785]

plenty of meat and potatoes in the bottom 12

 

[VanJack]

plenty of meat and potatoes in the bottom 12

Trouble is, both Sutter and Gudbranson came in touted as 'meat and potatoes' type of players.....but unfortunately so far they've morphed into 'mashed potatoes'.

 

[Cancuks]

Virtanen, Dorsett, Labate, Camarossa. We've got some serious chuck and Yukon Golds going on here. Other teams should be terrified.

 

[Chubros]

If we're going to suck, we might as well ice a goon squad.

The team should be locating the Enrico Ciccones of the day.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Canucks are systemically stupid. There is no strength in any area. They do not have an offense. They do not have six NHL defensemen. The apparent starter has confidence issues. A rookie coach is going to fix everything?

Canucks braintrust, whomever they actually are, suck. Fix this! Canucks will never stumble upon a winning formula or feasible plan set with these idiots.

They have failed to address the same issues that have sunk them for years. Of course they are soft. They cannot attract non losers. Big tough useful players go elsewhere. If Canucks happen to get a useful player, they ruin his game and he goes away.

Can't often say this about your posts, but I agree with every word. That's exactly it.

No, the team doesn't have enough meat & potatoes, just like it doesn't have enough anything else. Skill? Size? Speed? Toughness? No, no, no, nope. Literally nothing about this team is good.

 

[iFan]

We lack everything

 

[RobertKron]

This is kind of bound happen when you assemble a team based on players' one or two notable skills and jettison just about every player on the roster who brings any versatility.

 

[Jack Tripper]

If we're going to suck, we might as well ice a goon squad.

The team should be locating the Enrico Ciccones of the day.

mike keenan?

 

[Jake Skille]

I think this a troll thread but the answer is yes. We also lack skill.

 

[Hit the post]

mike keenan?

Oddly enough, one of the few coaches (if any) that has won the Stanley Cup & Gagarin Cup as a head coach.

 

[mathonwy]

Without strong leadership, literally nothing else matters.

We are in limbo right now.

It makes me want to do something.

 

[TheWolf*]

It really is impressive that a forward group this small/soft/poor defensively is also so talent-deprived and terrible offensively.

LOL, so true.

 

[F A N]

Of course, Benning seems to have the opposite view where he's looking to plug in tough, "heavy" players with lower offensive upside in the top-6 and weak, skilled tweeners in the middle-6. Foundational over franchise.

I don't know where this is coming from. When did Benning try to plug in tough "heavy" players with lower offensive upside in the top 6? Because he drafted Virtanen who some scouts thought had one of the highest upsides in the draft and one of the top goal scorers? Because he tried to sign Lucic, who was/is? considered a 1st line winger? Heck, after signing Eriksson he was looking into signing Hudler. Even at the draft last season, Benning bypassed Tkachuk who played a "heavy" game for Juolevi.

Kind of like Gillis when he first took over, Benning was kind of desperate to add skill to the lineup and usually that means guys who are lacking in the size and toughness department.

I think D is a completely different animal. I don't think you can have a team full of small, skilled puckmovers on D, at least I haven't seen any team attempt such a build, not to mention succeeding in winning with that build. I think you need some size on the backend (not necessarily toughness in the way of heavy hits or fighting).

 

[VanJack]

We lack everything

Things would be so much different if Sutter and Gudbranson had really turned out to be 'foundational' players