Speculation: Radim Vrbata

Ace of Hades

#Demko4Vezina
Apr 27, 2010
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Oregon
Two years ago, he had a 30+ goal season, and has dropped off last year since for some reason.

Any team willing to take him on a reclamation project, provided he's willing to take a discount or something? Veteran second line forward with immense skills (especially on the shootout).

I'm surprised to not hear any news on him.
 

tyflames

Registered User
Jul 4, 2010
1,843
26
Wasn't the knock on him that he became completely disinterested almost all of the season? I'm not a Canuck fan but if I'm not wrong there wasn't there the belief he just gave up once the Canucks starting losing.

If that's the case I could see why a team wouldn't be crazy about him, especially with the drop in production.
 

Adam Michaels

Registered User
Jun 12, 2016
77,586
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Montreal
Not sure I would want him signed by Habs. I wouldn't cry if they did. But I'd rather we sign Hudler from the unsigned UFAs who are in their 30s.
 

EP to Kuzmenko

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Dec 5, 2015
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He may be done in this league. He went on record to state that he purposely made sure that Van couldn't trade him at TDL as he did not want to make the playoffs due to wife being pregnant. Kind of deters teams from wanting to sign someone that would purposely become a slouch on the ice because they needed the summer off.
 

lanky

Feeling Spicy
Jun 23, 2007
9,105
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Winnipeg
He may be done in this league. He went on record to state that he purposely made sure that Van couldn't trade him at TDL as he did not want to make the playoffs due to wife being pregnant. Kind of deters teams from wanting to sign someone that would purposely become a slouch on the ice because they needed the summer off.

I'd be very interested to read that quote, if it could be dug up. I'm guessing you mis-interpreted it, just because that would be such a damaging thing to say.
 

ziploc

Registered User
Aug 29, 2003
6,398
4,570
Vancouver
Two years ago, he had a 30+ goal season, and has dropped off last year since for some reason.

Any team willing to take him on a reclamation project, provided he's willing to take a discount or something? Veteran second line forward with immense skills (especially on the shootout).

I'm surprised to not hear any news on him.

He was straight up awful last year. I'm not at all surprised that nobody is beating down his door. I wouldn't take him back on the Canucks for free.
 

JA

Guest
I'd be very interested to read that quote, if it could be dug up. I'm guessing you mis-interpreted it, just because that would be such a damaging thing to say.
http://vancouversun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/botchford-if-the-canucks-moved-earlier-they-could-have-traded-radim-vrbata
Botchford: If the Canucks moved earlier, they could have traded Radim Vrbata
Jason Botchford
Published on: April 13, 2016 | Last Updated: April 13, 2016 5:40 PM PDT

...

Take Vrbata. By the time the Canucks asked him for his list of eight teams he was contractually obligated to waive his no-trade clause for, he was in an impossible situation. Turns out, so were the Canucks.

Vrbata and his wife, who have no other family living in Canada, were expecting their baby in May, a timeline that left him loathe to switch hockey teams.

Choosing family first, Vrbata gave the Canucks a list with three playoff teams, understanding it meant finding a fit would be like finding someone to like on the New England Patriots.

“I don’t think I handcuffed them, but I knew what I was doing,” Vrbata said this week. “I could have given a lot more (options) and I would have moved.

“If I wanted to get traded, I would have been traded.”

But that list, Vrbata said, would have looked entirely different if the Canucks had asked him about a potential trade in June or July, instead of February.

“There would have been a lot more teams interested,” Vrbata said. “If they said, after last season, ‘You know what, next year, we’re going young. We have a 19-year-old centreman for you to play with.

“‘Do you want to do something else?’

“Then I think I would have jumped at — considered something different, even though last year was great.”

Of course, the Canucks couldn’t have known then Vrbata would spend more time this season playing at even strength with Jared McCann than Henrik Sedin.

...

“At my age, I know what my game needs to be successful,” Vrbata said. “That’s why I signed here in the first place, to play with Hank and Danny.

“This year it was a different story. Nothing really clicked. It’s so hard to be successful if you don’t have chemistry. There just wasn’t the right chemistry.

“The only players that had chemistry were Danny and Hank together, and with Jannik Hansen. And maybe Bo (Horvat) with Sven (Baertschi).

“Other than that, it was hard to find chemistry.”

...
 

WrinkledPossum

Play Dead
Apr 23, 2016
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Family first, I don't think any team has an issue with that. He did sign to play in Vancouver and had NTC to prevent a potential move that would hurt his family.
 

Elvs

Registered User
Jul 3, 2006
12,284
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Sweden
If he wants to stay in the NHL, he will find a team eventually. He's getting old but he's gonna get offers, even if the $$$'s might be low. He can probably find a sweater deal in Europe though, if he wants to go that route. Similar situation as Martin Erat was in last year.
 

CanuckGame39

Registered User
Oct 13, 2006
4,145
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Vancouver, B.C.
Could see him possibly signing a one year deal with us again, hypothetically if we managed to trade for Kane,

Kane-Sutter-Vrbata, I like it.

Dude. Wtf. No.

1) no way Vrbata will sign back here. He a a crybaby who gave up on the team last year. He is a selfish **** who only cares about himself.

2) hell no to Kane. I wouldn't touch that dude with a 10 foot pole. He is a lost cause.
 

Homesick

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Aug 2, 2005
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Calgary
Dude. Wtf. No.

1) no way Vrbata will sign back here. He a a crybaby who gave up on the team last year. He is a selfish **** who only cares about his family

2) hell no to Kane. I wouldn't touch that dude with a 10 foot pole. He is a lost cause.
Fixed it for you.

He didn't want to be away from his pregnant wife just so the Canucks could acquire a couple mid round picks. Sounds like some Canucks fans are a little selfish.
 

CanuckGame39

Registered User
Oct 13, 2006
4,145
3,761
Vancouver, B.C.
Fixed it for you.

He didn't want to be away from his pregnant wife just so the Canucks could acquire a couple mid round picks. Sounds like some Canucks fans are a little selfish.


I actually wasn't talking or insinuating about the trade deadline. In fact since he had a no trade clause it was his damn right to refuse a trade. I don't hold that against him.

I was just talking in general. He was a complete baby last year when he wasn't put on the Sedin line. He packed it in as soon as he was taken off.

That makes him selfish. Loved the guy in year one. Year two I was supportive through his offensive struggles until he started acting like a self entitled *******.
 

Seanaconda

Registered User
May 6, 2016
9,576
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Well that quote supports the "didn't want to be traded" claim, but Retinalz added "someone that would purposely become a slouch on the ice because they needed the summer off", which looks pretty baseless.
Yeah I would assume he would wanna either be close to his wife/ not make her move while she's very pregnant.

Not that he wouldn't wanna be in the playoffs with Vancouver if they made it.
 

Bourne Endeavor

Registered User
Apr 6, 2009
37,564
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Montreal, Quebec
Wasn't the knock on him that he became completely disinterested almost all of the season? I'm not a Canuck fan but if I'm not wrong there wasn't there the belief he just gave up once the Canucks starting losing.

If that's the case I could see why a team wouldn't be crazy about him, especially with the drop in production.

To the point he publicly blasted Bo Horvat, saying, "I didn't expect to be playing with a twenty year old." Bear in mind, Horvat and Baertschi went on a hot streak that saw them collect sixteen points each. In that span, Vrbata-- while playing with them -- put up two. He basically wanted to play with the Sedins exclusively and pouted each and every time he didn't get to despite the Sedins outright asking Hansen be promoted because they felt he fit their line better.

With the way he acted and how abysmal his season is, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he doesn't get a single offer. Good riddance.
 

David71

Registered User
Dec 27, 2008
17,077
1,471
vancouver
van should have traded him after his 31 goal outburst. 2nd year he was awful. +playoff series against calgary that was probbaly the last straw vrbata did. he wanted to play with the twins. and when he was reunited it was too little too late.
 

Red

Registered User
Dec 14, 2002
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VanCity
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He looked done last season. Lazy, disinterested, couldn't shoot, I think a team is in trouble if they give him anything more than a $2m 1 year deal.
 

SnapIt

Registered User
Feb 19, 2013
750
0
Really too bad he wasn't traded after the first season. And that Botchford article really makes me loathe Vrbata. Talking down your linemates when you're dragging them down is pathetic.

I'm guessing Benning has been called by teams and Jim's been pretty open about him. Or so I hope.
 

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