How would you rebuild the Canucks' defence next offseason?

[vanuck]

What do people see as rafferty's upside?

I see him as a 3rd pairing guy who can probably contribute on the PP but would need to be heavily sheltered defensively based on reports from Utica.

 

[Bob Long]

What will our D look like next season, especially considering the cap stagnating. It’s going to be young. And a guy like Rathbone could definitely be playing top four minutes very quickly.
Hughes Myers
Edler Tryamkin
Juiolevi Rafferty
Rathbone

I really hope they get something done soon with Rathbone, the kid could conceivably crack the top 8. Rathbone has produced as well as McAvoy did in college, and proved it wasn't a fluke after Fox left Harvard. That plus his skating being good I think gives him a real shot given how cap crunched we are likely to be.

He's not the biggest guy but having another good puck mover will help a lot to take the load off Hughes.

 

[Fatass]

It could be three steps backwards soon if none of Utica guys can contribute legit minutes. This still relies so much on Edler and Tanev

And if Rathbone stays in school. He would make our D better right away. Plus, he’s an ELC. We need the cap room.

 

[Fatass]

I really hope they get something done soon with Rathbone, the kid could conceivably crack the top 8. Rathbone has produced as well as McAvoy did in college, and proved it wasn't a fluke after Fox left Harvard. That plus his skating being good I think gives him a real shot given how cap crunched we are likely to be.

He's not the biggest guy but having another good puck mover will help a lot to take the load off Hughes.

100% agree about Rathbone. He makes our D better, and cheaper. He’s shorter, at 5’11”. But he’s built solidly at 190. Plus, he’s one of those guys who carries his weight in his lower body. Lower centre of gravity, so he plays heavier than his size on and off pucks.

 

[Fatass]

IF we re-sign Toffoli, I'd look at trading Virtanen, a guy like Caleb Jones from the Oilers, Jake Bean from the Hurricanes would be targets, I'd also try and sign Tim Heed as a solid 3rd pairing RHD

I don’t know if Virtanen is used in a direct trade to improve our D. I think Jake would be used as sweetener to dump a contract (Loui?) which would allow us room to resign Tanev. So Virtanen indirectly in trade helps shape our future D.

 

[tradervik]

What do people see as rafferty's upside?

Yannick Weber.

 

[Fatass]

Yannick Weber.

Yuk.
How about similar offence, but in a much bigger (and less fearful) body?

 

[tradervik]

Yuk.
How about similar offence, but in a much bigger (and less fearful) body?

Sorry to harsh the Rafferty buzz.

Weber isn't the worst you can do for a third pairing guy. He's been a steady presence in Nashville although it looks like he's had some injuries.

 

[Fatass]

Sorry to harsh the Rafferty buzz.

Weber isn't the worst you can do for a third pairing guy. He's been a steady presence in Nashville although it looks like he's had some injuries.

Oh that guy! I’m confusing Weber with that little D man we had one year, that went to the KHL. (Who was that guy? He played like he was always scared) Weber is a good little player. If Rafferty has that kind of career, that’s just fine.

 

[Bob Long]

Oh that guy! I’m confusing Weber with that little D man we had one year, that went to the KHL. (Who was that guy? He played like he was always scared) Weber is a good little player. If Rafferty has that kind of career, that’s just fine.

you're thinking Larson. The one that tough guy Hall nearly took his head off with that cheapie behind the net.

 

[Bob Long]

100% agree about Rathbone. He makes our D better, and cheaper. He’s shorter, at 5’11”. But he’s built solidly at 190. Plus, he’s one of those guys who carries his weight in his lower body. Lower centre of gravity, so he plays heavier than his size on and off pucks.

it looks like we're shaping up to have speedier puck movers on the left side, bigger stay at home bodies on the right in a couple of seasons maybe.

Hughes - Woo
Rathbone - Myers
Juolevi - Tryamkin

 

[Fatass]

it looks like we're shaping up to have speedier puck movers on the left side, bigger stay at home bodies on the right in a couple of seasons maybe.

Hughes - Woo
Rathbone - Myers
Juolevi - Tryamkin

I like this top six. Talented and not easy to play against too. But would really like to see Ristolanen beside Hughes. Like the potential in Woo, but think we are in win now mode, and he’s a few years away. Woo and Jake for Risto?

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

I like this top six. Talented and not easy to play against too. But would really like to see Ristolanen beside Hughes. Like the potential in Woo, but think we are in win now mode, and he’s a few years away. Woo and Jake for Risto?

The biggest red flag is the lack of defensive defencemen. Who is going to defend and play the PK. Myers and Tryamkin? Yikes.

 

[Bob Long]

I like this top six. Talented and not easy to play against too. But would really like to see Ristolanen beside Hughes. Like the potential in Woo, but think we are in win now mode, and he’s a few years away. Woo and Jake for Risto?

I'd do that.

The biggest red flag is the lack of defensive defencemen. Who is going to defend and play the PK. Myers and Tryamkin? Yikes.

Yup, it would be Myers and Tryamkin as the top PK guys. Benning has already said earlier this year that he see's Nik in more of a PK role. Nik is a pretty scary mo-fo in front of the net, if he's willing to play that way.

 

[Fatass]

The biggest red flag is the lack of defensive defencemen. Who is going to defend and play the PK. Myers and Tryamkin? Yikes.

Woo is a defensively minded guy, who would PK. But I’d rather have Risto in that #2 spot. He’s a minute muncher, who plays PK, and on a crappy teams with not very good goaltending, which makes PK very hard on D.

 

[Fatass]

I'd do that.



Yup, it would me Myers and Tryamkin as the top PK guys. Benning has already said earlier this year that he see's Nik in more of a PK role. Nik is a pretty scary mo-fo in front of the net, if he's willing to play that way.

Tryamkin would certainly allow Marky to see more pucks.

 

[sandwichbird2023]

Woo is a defensively minded guy, who would PK. But I’d rather have Risto in that #2 spot. He’s a minute muncher, who plays PK, and on a crappy teams with not very good goaltending, which makes PK very hard on D.

Woo is years away, his biggest challenge is to prove he can play in the pros. He needs at least 2 full seasons in the AHL before he can step onto NHL ice, if at all.
Ristolainen is not somebody you want on the PK or the defensive side of the game. He is a lot like Myers to me, big guy that skates well, but their talent is on the offensive end of the ice. Somehow (I guess since they are big and skates well) people always assume they'll eventually develop their defensive game to the point where they can be relied on to play shutdown minutes. I don't think that's the case.

Yup, it would be Myers and Tryamkin as the top PK guys. Benning has already said earlier this year that he see's Nik in more of a PK role. Nik is a pretty scary mo-fo in front of the net, if he's willing to play that way.

Show him more Pronger's videos

 

[zcaptain]

No one gives Brisebois any respect..........I think he was a +21
That is a pretty good indication he can play Defence

Hughes - Myers
Rathbone - Tryamkin
Brisebois - Woo

Juolevi has one leg out the door!

 

[VanJack]

Sportsnet replayed a Canucks game from early in the season, a 5-2 win over Detroit with Horvat registering a hat-trick. All five goals came in the third period.

It's amazing how you tend to look at the game more analytically and focus on individual players, when you already know the outcome.

Detroit of course had a legendarily bad season, one of the worst in the salary cap era. But in this game, the Canucks simply don't win if Markstrom isn't absolutely brilliant. The Canucks coughed up at least three or four eyeball-to-eyeball chances in every period. My gawd they were an awful defensive team last season, and in this game their 'big three' of Edler, Tanev and Myers might have been their worst.

I worry about both Edler and Tanev....both now over 30 who've played a ton of minutes and endured injury plagued seasons.....just not sure you can rely on them going forward for top-four minutes.

So this blueline does need some sort of major makeover.....it needs more mobility, more physicality and players with fewer brain-cramps. Maybe part of it is coaching and the system they're trying to play, but who knows?