Player Discussion Erik Gudbranson

[timbermen]

The Gudbranson fans are now resorting to still pictures to point to why he's good? Yikes, talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel.

More of those facts,stats and concrete evidence, huh?
Facts are stupid things -
Ronald Reagan 1988

 

[DL44]

EN goal.

Sutter goal where Tanev-Edler had a stellar PK shift and changed 2 seconds before the goal as Sutter was about to shoot.

Pettersson's first goal where Gudbranson came out of the penalty box, the puck never went anywhere near him, and Pettersson scored about 10-15 seconds later.

In other words, mostly dumb luck. And incredibly soft minutes.

The actual impressive part about his plus minus at this point isn't the dumb luck pluses he's gained.... it's the lack of minuses he's yet to pile up.

Matter of time before his line is lit up.. but he's clear ES in 2 outta 2.. 80 to go.

 

[Peter10]

Even the boards fear his hard hits...

 

[Horse McHindu]

Even the boards fear his hard hits...

Lol. Even #25 has a, "what the hell is he doing?" look on his face.

 

[krutovsdonut]

his actual dman play so far has included some poised play to offset the familiar headless chicken shifts, and he has looked way better in the offensive zone. i also think he is skating better.

his physical presence has been positive.

if he plays like this all season we will be a better team for it in spite of the inevitable running around. i am just doubtful on past performance that he lasts the roadtrip.

 

[geebaan]

his actual dman play so far has included some poised play to offset the familiar headless chicken shifts, and he has looked way better in the offensive zone. i also think he is skating better.

his physical presence has been positive.

if he plays like this all season we will be a better team for it in spite of the inevitable running around. i am just doubtful on past performance that he lasts the roadtrip.

I just am not seeing what you are seeing.

I see a guy with the exact same problems as last year, but Markstrom has bailed out that pairing an enormous amount already. Gudbranson must ice the puck 6 times a game, and take out his own goalie at least once or twice.

Sure, hes definitely hit better, but to me, that wasn't worth a raise, and its not worth having him on the team.

 

[Fire Benning]

Still laughing at this

 

[PuckMunchkin]

his actual dman play so far has included some poised play to offset the familiar headless chicken shifts, and he has looked way better in the offensive zone. i also think he is skating better.

his physical presence has been positive.

if he plays like this all season we will be a better team for it in spite of the inevitable running around. i am just doubtful on past performance that he lasts the roadtrip.

I don't understand how you can come to these conclusions watching the games...

 

[krutovsdonut]

I don't understand how you can come to these conclusions watching the games...

it is relative. the headless chicken part is very real. however, the physicality adds something positive we lack and there were definitely moments of poise in the first two games. can't speak for yesterday but on the radio it sounded like he crapped the bed.

my take on this player is that if he can stay healthy enough to be physical and find a veteran partner with complimentary skills he might settle down and show something. i am skeptical he can stay healthy or it will happen even if he is healthy, but it is possible. i would not have re-signed him.

 

[pgj98m3]

Gudbranson (and Pouliot) has underachieved considering his draft position..nobody is going to argue that..

However,even anything he does do well is greeted here with saltiness...Preconditioned bias' are alive and well .

When the bad, by a large margin, is bigger the good tends to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[Diamonddog01]

After last night's debacle, does anyone on here genuinely believe this is a better player than Andrew Alberts? I'm legitimately curious if posters feel that way.

 

[RobertKron]

it is relative. the headless chicken part is very real. however, the physicality adds something positive we lack and there were definitely moments of poise in the first two games. can't speak for yesterday but on the radio it sounded like he crapped the bed.

my take on this player is that if he can stay healthy enough to be physical and find a veteran partner with complimentary skills he might settle down and show something. i am skeptical he can stay healthy or it will happen even if he is healthy, but it is possible. i would not have re-signed him.

That’s the faintest, reachiest, most pointless praise. You could say that about likely just about every player to ever play 30 NHL games.

That this is the best you can say for a player that they decided to acquire at the cost of significant assets, who clearly perceives himself to be quite good, and that the team has re-signed at a raise is, in itself, a pretty solid indictment of management’s judgement.

 

[krutovsdonut]

That’s the faintest, reachiest, most pointless praise. You could say that about likely just about every player to ever play 30 NHL games.

That this is the best you can say for a player that they decided to acquire at the cost of significant assets, who clearly perceives himself to be quite good, and that the team has re-signed at a raise is, in itself, a pretty solid indictment of management’s judgement.

well, it's better than what i had to say about him when they resigned him.

 

[Melvin]

Even given everything else, his physical play is extremely overrated. Is there any value to a hit that does not result in a change of possession? I am asking earnestly. Last night I remember him throwing two hits. Neither of them resulted in Vancouver getting the puck, and on one of them Carolina managed a great scoring chance out of it.

Overall he's been credited with 3 hits in 3 games, which is fewer than Derrick Pouliot. Even if his "physical play" brings something, it is pretty overrated and underwhelming imo.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

That’s the faintest, reachiest, most pointless praise. You could say that about likely just about every player to ever play 30 NHL games.

That this is the best you can say for a player that they decided to acquire at the cost of significant assets, who clearly perceives himself to be quite good, and that the team has re-signed at a raise is, in itself, a pretty solid indictment of management’s judgement.

You bring up an interesting point.

If he seemed humble and presented him self defending players like Hutton et co instead of coming off as arrogant and lambasting his younger team mates, I would probably have a more positive tint on my glasses when I watched what he does.

Even given everything else, his physical play is extremely overrated. Is there any value to a hit that does not result in a change of possession? I am asking earnestly. Last night I remember him throwing two hits. Neither of them resulted in Vancouver getting the puck, and on one of them Carolina managed a great scoring chance out of it.

Overall he's been credited with 3 hits in 3 games, which is less than Derrick Pouliot. Even if his "physical play" brings something, it is pretty overrated and underwhelming imo.

This I brought up in the last thread. With the Canucks he averages roughly the same number of hits as Alex Edler. So... There is that too.

 

[F A N]

After last night's debacle, does anyone on here genuinely believe this is a better player than Andrew Alberts? I'm legitimately curious if posters feel that way.

Alberts was a very good Dman in his era held back by his lack of talent. If he could skate like Gudbranson he would have been a top 4 Dman.

 

[krutovsdonut]

Is there any value to a hit that does not result in a change of possession? I.

well there is value in the same way there is value in having a fleet of ballistic missile submarines that never get used.

 

[Melvin]

well there is value in the same way there is value in having a fleet of ballistic missile submarines that never get used.

Do you really believe this?

I am extremely sceptical that any sizeable percentage of NHL players are so afraid of getting hit that it has a tangible impact on the game. Players who are afraid of being hit don't make the nhl, just ask juolevi.

 

[Hit the post]

Alberts was a very good Dman in his era held back by his lack of talent. If he could skate like Gudbranson he would have been a top 4 Dman.

That might be the key "fit" for a player like Gudbranson. On a deep team with 5 or more top 4 D using him in a depth role/#6 or #7 (like Alberts was with the Canucks - his career only ended early because of an unpenalized headshot by a Flames player).

 

[Canucks1096]

He likes icing the puck.

Clutch and grab era he would of been a good defensemen. But it's not 1998 anymore.

I can't believe Benning gave up pretty much two 1st for him. They had Tryamkin and they could of just resign Hamhuis. Hamhuis at 35 right now is 3rd on the depth chart behind Edler and Tanev if he was on the team.

 

[krutovsdonut]

Do you really believe this?

I am extremely sceptical that any sizeable percentage of NHL players are so afraid of getting hit that it has a tangible impact on the game. Players who are afraid of being hit don't make the nhl, just ask juolevi.

afraid is an oversimplification and so is the idea that it's just about doing the math on whether you will get hit if you make a particular hit. a physical player on the other side impacts the decision making more subtlely. to take a simple example, if you think a guy like tkachuk does not pay attention to whether a gudbranson is on the ice before he takes a liberty you are crazy. he might still do it, but he thinks about it.

and sometimes you clearly need it. calgary needed it when hamonic had to step up and get his face broken (something we've seen canucks do before). not only did they get an injured dman but it deflated the team for a while. good chance we're 0-3 without it.

as to how much politer it makes the opposition, that will vary game to game and team to team, but yes i do believe it makes a difference.

 

[Hit the post]

(something we've seen canucks do before)

Who really did that on a consistant basis though on the Canucks? Might be my memory failing but the last guy I could think of is Craig Coxe (ie., 'taking one for the team').

 

[Melvin]

afraid is an oversimplification and so is the idea that it's just about doing the math on whether you will get hit if you make a particular hit. a physical player on the other side impacts the decision making more subtlely. to take a simple example, if you think a guy like tkachuk does not pay attention to whether a gudbranson is on the ice before he takes a liberty you are crazy. he might still do it, but he thinks about it.

and sometimes you clearly need it. calgary needed it when hamonic had to step up and get his face broken (something we've seen canucks do before). not only did they get an injured dman but it deflated the team for a while. good chance we're 0-3 without it.

as to how much politer it makes the opposition, that will vary game to game and team to team, but yes i do believe it makes a difference.

I respectfully disagree.

 

[RobertKron]

I simply love the idea of a very good player who is held back by their lack of talent. That’s absolutely adorable.

 

[krutovsdonut]

Who really did that on a consistant basis though on the Canucks? Might be my memory failing but the last guy I could think of is Craig Coxe (ie., 'taking one for the team').

bieksa did it for a long time, usually with help.