Not only a strong finish last season but he also racked up points in pre-season. I don't think his game there was deserving of those points but surely it wouldn't have had a negative impact on his confidence.
Sven "Only Needs Love" Baertschi
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Not only a strong finish last season but he also racked up points in pre-season. I don't think his game there was deserving of those points but surely it wouldn't have had a negative impact on his confidence.
He's pretty much had all his NHL success in a Canuck uniform against the Oilers whose defense is not far off an AHL level. There's a big step up when you play most Western Conference teams. They're mostly heavy, well coached teams that don't give you much to work with offensively.
Grabner
Baer is a playmaker that needs to have a sniper on his line. He has been offering nice saucer passes, only to have them misfired by the receiver. Vrbata is still in rust mode and Horvat is overwhelmed with carrying the weight for his soft wingers. The only other option is to play him with McCann and add some toughness on RW (Dorsett maybe).
It's early days, so people should cut him some slack for a bit.
Laterade
Registered User
Pip
Registered User
I got this crazy idea that we should try Baertschi-Horvat-Virtanen for a game or three. crazy I know.
me2
Go ahead foot
vanuck
Now with 100% less Benning!
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Yeah, agreed. In a way I'd also like to see Virtanen with those two, but it's never a good sign when a guy seemingly needs a specific type of player on their line just to succeed.
Intangibos
High-End Intangibos
Whoa slow down that's crazy talk. Lets try Dorsett or Prust up there first to get some hardworking grit to give Baertschi that boost.
Tim McCracken
Good loser = LOSER!
Absolutely. Vrbata has no future here and they're a bubble team at best so why not?
Hit the post
I have your gold medal Zippy!
He seems to have taken a "Mason Raymond" type of development/progression since that 34 goal season...Grabner
Jack Tripper
Vey Falls Down
most players would love to play with a center like bo horvat who covers for so many defensive errors and does all the dirty work along the boards
Eddy Punch Clock
Jack Adams 2028
I suppose if there is a bit of a silver lining with Sven's play this season it's that it's becoming more likely that he'll pass through waivers.
Nucker101
Foundational Poster
- Apr 2, 2013
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It's only 3 games in and I really think he's a player who's feast or famine when it comes to chemistry with linemates.
The talent and upside is still there but man he looked way more explosive when he first came up in this league.
Baertschi is a setup type winger. Bo can score, but he also has to help get the puck. The other winger needs to be fast, a go to the corner guy as well, and have a scoring touch (e.g. Virtanen). Once either Bo or Baert are in possession in the offensive zone passes from and to Baertschi will be turned into setup passes. He piles up assists a la Edmonton. He scores when he has an open path to the net which will only occur when the other two start creating havoc and Baert is less dangerous to the opponent. Baert is not a board mucking, puck battling, physical, banging, power forward. His game is really a form of finesse that melds with two good skating, hard working mates who use all parts of the zone and are not glued to their spots based on line titles (C/RW/LW). That's why Virtanen and Bo worked so well with him.
His setups for Vrbata are going for Naught and Vrbata is too soft to get the puck in the corners. Two softies with Bo won't cut it and no offside crasher hurts Baert. Many NHL lines are created by guys who fit with each other. All players can't just be stuck on a line and produce no matter the style of their line mates. Baert is one of those guys. Give him the right mates and you will be very happy. WD has to stop trying to make him a round peg. The square peg won't fit into the round hole. He must be hockey wise enough to know that.
His setups for Vrbata are going for Naught and Vrbata is too soft to get the puck in the corners. Two softies with Bo won't cut it and no offside crasher hurts Baert. Many NHL lines are created by guys who fit with each other. All players can't just be stuck on a line and produce no matter the style of their line mates. Baert is one of those guys. Give him the right mates and you will be very happy. WD has to stop trying to make him a round peg. The square peg won't fit into the round hole. He must be hockey wise enough to know that.
me2
Go ahead foot
I am toxic
. . . even in small doses
Article in Province, WD's comments on the treatment of Bae.
Only forward on ice for more shot attempts for than against, sets up Vrbata for 2nd highest shot total in NHL, gets sat for not having "history".
It is sad to see such poor coaching. Not unexpected, but sad.
Only forward on ice for more shot attempts for than against, sets up Vrbata for 2nd highest shot total in NHL, gets sat for not having "history".
It is sad to see such poor coaching. Not unexpected, but sad.
I thought he played pretty well against Anaheim both ways but against LA he didn't seem to have any confidence to actually make a play with the puck.
polarbearcub
Registered User
@taj1944: LMAO RT @patersonjeff: #Canucks Benning tells @TSN1040 he talked to Baertchi's agent for an hour this morning explaining team's thinking
VanillaCoke
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Ryp37
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WTG
December 5th
If I was Baertschi's agent I would be pretty pissed that my client is getting sat out for Prust.
Best possession forward on the team getting sat our for a face puncher.
Best possession forward on the team getting sat our for a face puncher.
Breakers
Make Mirrored Visors Legal Again
So weird that a GM would have to take time out of his day to tell some agent about how average his client has been playing.
Sven never goes into the corners, and he shy's away from any sort of contact.
Definitely not a western conference player.
Pip
Registered User
He has not played well. Quoting possession stats over such a small sample size doesn't change that.
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