Official Training Camp Roster Talk - Part II (The Final Stretch)

[DL44]

I don't think Virtanen, Hutton or McCann are going to play 82 games even if healthy. These rookies are going to rotate regardless.

In fact, I wouldn't even count Baertschi out of this group. He'd likely rotate out of the lineup if he has a bad stretch.

It'd be best for the rookies.

100% agreed on all accounts.


Also consider that Higgins is returning to the lineup... so that will be the next pressure point for Benning's next tough decision.

a- bouncing one of the Jr. players back (if one shows not quite ready once all the big boys are playing)
b- waiving Cracknell (if both Jr players hold strong)
c- trading a vet (very unlikely, since depth will come in handy later)

Strictly positionly speaking... Higgins (winger) comes back, bounce the winger (Virtanen) back to Jr...
But we're lined up with Sutter as a winger right now... So it essentially means, whichever Jr player proves more NHL ready will stay.

Virtanen is already physically ready to stay and take a depth spot... so i think McCann gets the initial evaluation to further gauge how he looks and how effective he can be vs the full pro lineups.

 

[Sharpshooter]

As a supporter of Virtanen, I suspected he wasn't NHL ready, but hoped he would be, and needed another year of development. Nothing wrong with that.

If however, being 'penciled' in, means that he can make the case to stay after a few games in the first 9, then i'd be just as pleased that he's staying, as I would be if he doesn't, and gets another year under his belt, developing.

 

[God]

Virtanen looked lost for massive stretches of pre-season. He did some good things, but the majority came with Bo.

You don't pencil guys in. It's not sensible IMO.

I think you're being over the top dramatic in your last paragraph. EVERY SINGLE POSTER HAS APPLAUDED KEEPING THE KIDS UP.

It's the thinking behind those moves that I take issue with, namely Virtanen being penciled into the lineup. If the 3 point night never happened, there would be absolutely no leg for management to stand on keeping him up, other than being physically ready.

Physically he's ready, but he's also got tons of things to work on.

Thank you. On preseason play alone, Virtanen should have been sent back to junior, and the cuts should have been Sbisa, Prust, and Vey. But Biega was always "pencilled in" as a Comets signing, so it didn't matter if he was one of the best defensemen this preseason. And Virtanen was the first pick of this regime at 6th overall, so he couldn't be sent back, especially not if the 24th overall pick badly outplayed him and made the team.

 

[crazyforhockey]

Keep in mind we penciled in Kassian for a few years...expecting his fitness regime to improve each year....expected him to be that power forward who could skate and handle the puck......we had no other option in the ranks.

When he didnt pan out as consistency was an issue and not able to knock big dmen or forwards off the puck.

Jake is showing way more potential and consistency than Kassian.....

When is the last time we have had a huge bodied super skating power forward????

 

[GetFocht]

Higgins and Burrows need to go, they're only blocking better players to fill in that role.

 

[Trelane]

Not convinced Horvat between Baertschi and Vrby is a defensively viable trio against some of the better 2nd lines in the league. Bo was minus playing with Hansen and Dorsett against bottom sixers last year, the few much publicised showcase shifts against Thornton and Crosby notwithstanding. Want him and Bea to pile up points and succeed but foresee a problem D wise. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Sedins and Sutter the other night was not as bad as many seem to think. Brendan had a couple of grade A chances and made a good play or two himself. A couple here or there and he would have had two points. Thing is NOBODY truly looks like they belong with the twins. Even Burrows is often a fifth wheel and the "fit" may be, in part, duo to us being habituated seeing him there. So Sutter with the Sedins might actually make some sense, especially if Willie goes power v power, as a younger and faster Burr, just as competent defensively and capable of taking draws. But I still wouldn't do it cuz:

1) See 1st paragraph/Sutter can handle tough match ups with. With Bo I'll wait until I see it
2) Can't afford to have Vrbata have a bad year. Writing is on the wall. Won't be here passed this season. Need a solid return

McCann is the obvious beneficiary. Potentially starting with 3rd liners, unlike Horvat last year. I'm guessing they really want to speed his development. Endure the so-so first season and have him producing offensively, hopefully by the time the Sedin contracts are up.

 

[fancouver]

100% agreed on all accounts.


Also consider that Higgins is returning to the lineup... so that will be the next pressure point for Benning's next tough decision.

a- bouncing one of the Jr. players back (if one shows not quite ready once all the big boys are playing)
b- waiving Cracknell (if both Jr players hold strong)
c- trading a vet (very unlikely, since depth will come in handy later)

Strictly positionly speaking... Higgins (winger) comes back, bounce the winger (Virtanen) back to Jr...
But we're lined up with Sutter as a winger right now... So it essentially means, whichever Jr player proves more NHL ready will stay.

Virtanen is already physically ready to stay and take a depth spot... so i think McCann gets the initial evaluation to further gauge how he looks and how effective he can be vs the full pro lineups.

I think so too. It's really going to be what McCann can do at the 3rd line position. He's put in a really good position with Burrows and Hansen.

Virtanen has his physicality going for him. So even if he doesn't produce right away...being a wrecking ball and crashing guys is going to extend his stay. Whereas with McCann, he's got to produce or create chances in the O-zone.

 

[CanaFan]

lol, pretty sure they had Linden Vey more than just "penciled" in and he's currently on waivers. People saying that Linden's comment about Jake means they were putting him on the roster regardless of performance should give their head a shake. Teams have to forecast what their line up will "likely" look at long before training camp. No team goes into camp saying we'll just take the 23 best skaters at the end of camp. They obviously "expected" Virtanen to look ready for a spot, likely based on his play in Utica and how his off-season was progressing.

Not sure what the fuss is about.

 

[polarbearcub]

Oh dear god... Edler/sbisa?

@HockeyAbbs: refresher on #Canucks lines 22-33-21/47-53-17/14-91-36/9-24-15 D' 23-5/60-8/2-44 extras appear to be Virtanen/Weber with both 30/25 in nets

 

[MS]

Saying that Virtanen was penciled in probably wasn't the right thing to say but when one says penciled in, I think that means that you can rescind that decision does it not? It's not like he said it was written in stone that Virtanen would be on the team. I think if Virtanen was horrible in the preseason, the team would have had to make the hard decision of sending him back to juniors for one more year. They just WANTED Virtanen to play his way on the team. Does it show bias? Yes. But bias does not preclude someone from making the right decision.

To be fair, Virtanen had 1 really good game and about 5 games where he was a complete non-factor and showed little.

That said, that one good game was impressive and I wouldn't have minded seeing more of him on the Horvat line for 9 games.

I'm not sure what being with Prust for 9 games is going to accomplish.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I think you're being over the top dramatic in your last paragraph. EVERY SINGLE POSTER HAS APPLAUDED KEEPING THE KIDS UP.

He's not being dramatic. If you haven't noticed the volume of the negativity in here the last few months, you either approve or haven't been paying attention.

I'm a cynical person by nature and given to expecting worse-case scenarios, and I find reading this forum both depressing and annoying. The former because the negativity spiral people are engaged in paints the most hilariously hopeless picture imaginable (just yesterday I was reading about how "Golden Boy" Vey would be gifted scads of ice time and block the progression of youth for years), the latter because outside of a very few people the vast majority of it is poorly thought out, poorly expressed, and veritably thundering with confirmation bias and well poisoning. It's the hockey equivalent of going to a photography forum to listen to a bunch of people howl about how someone took a picture and stole their soul.

To suggest every single posted has "applauded" this news is disingenuous. Quite a few paid it lip service before launching into yet another refreshing spiel about the evils of management. Linden's comment regarding Virtanen is already considered fresh evidence of their almost limitless appetite for crimes, as he was "clearly not ready". At the same time, people are blasting the fact he's presently the 13th forward.

Now naturally a forum is comprised of many individuals, and I don't pretend this is evidence of hypocrisy in any one of them. It's more an overall pattern of "Find something, ANYTHING, to ***** about, no matter what the situation". It's exhausting.

 

[MS]

Oh dear god... Edler/sbisa?

@HockeyAbbs: refresher on #Canucks lines 22-33-21/47-53-17/14-91-36/9-24-15 D' 23-5/60-8/2-44 extras appear to be Virtanen/Weber with both 30/25 in nets

Oh dear.

 

[ahmon]

Hutton and Tanev. oh yeah.

Time for Edler to pass the Sbisa test.

 

[Jay Cee]

Edler/Sbisa sounds like a recipe for turnover city.

 

[fancouver]

McCann is the obvious beneficiary. Potentially starting with 3rd liners, unlike Horvat last year. I'm guessing they really want to speed his development. Endure the so-so first season and have him producing offensively, hopefully by the time the Sedin contracts are up.

Another thing is McCann showed more offensive potential in his first NHL preseason than Horvat did in 2013. Horvat had a rebound goal against SJ that year, but McCann sniped both goals cleanly on NHL-calibre goalies.

Looking at his shot, the Canucks probably want him to be more offensive than Horvat when he came into the league.

 

[Catamarca Livin]

Thank you. On preseason play alone, Virtanen should have been sent back to junior, and the cuts should have been Sbisa, Prust, and Vey. But Biega was always "pencilled in" as a Comets signing, so it didn't matter if he was one of the best defensemen this preseason. And Virtanen was the first pick of this regime at 6th overall, so he couldn't be sent back, especially not if the 24th overall pick badly outplayed him and made the team.

On preseason alone Why Prust? Why not Burrows? Is it because Burrows is a Icon here and Prust is a new guy. Prust played 82 games for a top Montreal team last year and we traded for him but we should waive him before game one base on preseason?

Is McCann not Bennings pick? I would say more so as Benning traded for that pick. Virtanen looked good to me in the last preseason game as a 4th liner. He skated through the zones with the puck very well. He is fast, physical and showed puck skill. Did Cracknell outplay him? No. I am sure Benning/Linden are thrilled with McCann's play and very happy with Virtanen's. It would have surprised everyone if Jake was returned to Junior without seeing 9 games. What is the risk of giving Virtanen 9 games, maybe just maybe he progresses. Once in Calgary he cannot return so you better be sure him being there is the right decision.

 

[fancouver]

Hutton and Tanev. oh yeah.

Time for Edler to pass the Sbisa test.

47 - 53 - 18
27 - 8

#youthmovement

 

[Nuckles]

Oh dear god... Edler/sbisa?

@HockeyAbbs: refresher on #Canucks lines 22-33-21/47-53-17/14-91-36/9-24-15 D' 23-5/60-8/2-44 extras appear to be Virtanen/Weber with both 30/25 in nets

And all the happy feelings with Vey being waived are gone. Back to reality, this organization is still a joke.

 

[arsmaster*]

He's not being dramatic. If you haven't noticed the volume of the negativity in here the last few months, you either approve or haven't been paying attention.

I'm a cynical person by nature and given to expecting worse-case scenarios, and I find reading this forum both depressing and annoying. The former because the negativity spiral people are engaged in paints the most hilariously hopeless picture imaginable (just yesterday I was reading about how "Golden Boy" Vey would be gifted scads of ice time and block the progression of youth for years), the latter because outside of a very few people the vast majority of it is poorly thought out, poorly expressed, and veritably thundering with confirmation bias and well poisoning. It's the hockey equivalent of going to a photography forum to listen to a bunch of people howl about how someone took a picture and stole their soul.

To suggest every single posted has "applauded" this news is disingenuous. Quite a few paid it lip service before launching into yet another refreshing spiel about the evils of management. Linden's comment regarding Virtanen is already considered fresh evidence of their almost limitless appetite for crimes, as he was "clearly not ready". At the same time, people are blasting the fact he's presently the 13th forward.

Now naturally a forum is comprised of many individuals, and I don't pretend this is evidence of hypocrisy in any one of them. It's more an overall pattern of "Find something, ANYTHING, to ***** about, no matter what the situation". It's exhausting.

I think it's over the top, there is certainly middle ground, but there are just as many "can do no wrong" posts.

I have yet to see anyone state that the players on waivers and the kids making the team is an issue, maybe I've ignored those posters.

I think there are plenty of reasonable opinions by critical posters and optimistic posters and a **** pile or crap in between.

I'd definitely call that over the top sensationalism. But whatever.

I'm hopeful the kids are up, and I hope they get chances to play important minutes.

 

[Jay Cee]

Also, it is not enough now for the narrative people have been spewing about how Benning has to justify his bad moves by doubling down (even though he has potentially bled a 2nd and 3rd already on his mistakes), now his own picks are supposedly involved with this narrative by the order they are picked?

 

[Saturated Fats]

New numbers also came in today.

Virtanen - 18
Hutton - 27
McCann - 91

Loving the 91. But not very 'meat and potatoes' of ya, Jared.

 

[rune74]

He's not being dramatic. If you haven't noticed the volume of the negativity in here the last few months, you either approve or haven't been paying attention.

I'm a cynical person by nature and given to expecting worse-case scenarios, and I find reading this forum both depressing and annoying. The former because the negativity spiral people are engaged in paints the most hilariously hopeless picture imaginable (just yesterday I was reading about how "Golden Boy" Vey would be gifted scads of ice time and block the progression of youth for years), the latter because outside of a very few people the vast majority of it is poorly thought out, poorly expressed, and veritably thundering with confirmation bias and well poisoning. It's the hockey equivalent of going to a photography forum to listen to a bunch of people howl about how someone took a picture and stole their soul.

To suggest every single posted has "applauded" this news is disingenuous. Quite a few paid it lip service before launching into yet another refreshing spiel about the evils of management. Linden's comment regarding Virtanen is already considered fresh evidence of their almost limitless appetite for crimes, as he was "clearly not ready". At the same time, people are blasting the fact he's presently the 13th forward.

Now naturally a forum is comprised of many individuals, and I don't pretend this is evidence of hypocrisy in any one of them. It's more an overall pattern of "Find something, ANYTHING, to ***** about, no matter what the situation". It's exhausting.

So refreshing to see this...I agree. Very hard to read stuff on here lately...

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Edler/Sbisa sounds like a recipe for turnover city.

On the flip side, playing with Tanev would be fantastic for Hutton.

 

[Canucks LB]

Edler sbisa what

That being said, Tanev Hutton will be beautiful together.

 

[Intangibos]

Edler Sbisa isn't the best pairing, but it's better than Hutton Sbisa. Hutton with Tanev could be excellent, Tanev makes everyone better, no harm in trying that for a few games. If it doesn't work, though, we should go back to Edler Tanev since they were one of the best D pairings last year.