Player Discussion Tanner Pearson

[VanJack]

Canucks may have something in Pearson....had productive years in L.A. and won a Cup, but game completely imploded this season. But then LA. completely sucked this year and they were coached by Willie, so he gets a pass. Not sure what happened in Pittsburgh, other than the fact that he might have been ill-equipped for the role of third-fourth line winger on a team with a lot of speedy forwards.

But he fits in nicely with the Canucks. A bigger bodied forward who wins his share of board battles and has formed some real down-low chemistry with Bo. Above all else, can get to the net for garbage goals and deflections. And still only 26, so he's not an older player by any means.

I know some will discount his offense in garbage time, but he showed a lot more than Virtanen, Goldy, Spooner or any other winger not named Boeser.

 

[Fatass]

Canucks may have something in Pearson....had productive years in L.A. and won a Cup, but game completely imploded this season. But then LA. completely sucked this year and they were coached by Willie, so he gets a pass. Not sure what happened in Pittsburgh, other than the fact that he might have been ill-equipped for the role of third-fourth line winger on a team with a lot of speedy forwards.

But he fits in nicely with the Canucks. A bigger bodied forward who wins his share of board battles and has formed some real down-low chemistry with Bo. Above all else, can get to the net for garbage goals and deflections. And still only 26, so he's not an older player by any means.

I know some will discount his offense in garbage time, but he showed a lot more than Virtanen, Goldy, Spooner or any other winger not named Boeser.

All true, but would you trade him fo s high second? I know I would.

 

[BeardyCanuck03]

Of course we’re happy about the emergence of Pearson. He’s not the play driving winger that we really need though. If we could trade him for a second I would in a heartbeat, just to get that small chance to draft that much needed core piece. That’s not saying Pearson is bad. He’s actually a good player.

If it's an early 2nd I'd listen. Unfortunately, I think Benning has missed the window to acquire picks that can realistically help the Canucks current young core (Unless they get real lucky). That doesn't mean I don't think the Canucks shouldn't look to acquire picks but they have to use the right players to do so. For me Pearson is one player I'd like to keep around as a supporting piece. There are other players that should be shopped for picks

 

[DownGoesMcDavid]

Dont be surprised if Pearson gets a call from Team Canada.

He definitely looks like a core player.

If nothing else he will return something at a trade deadline worth more than Guddy. Hes a scoring winger that has won a cup.

 

[Fatass]

If it's an early 2nd I'd listen. Unfortunately, I think Benning has missed the window to acquire picks that can realistically help the Canucks current young core (Unless they get real lucky). That doesn't mean I don't think the Canucks shouldn't look to acquire picks but they have to use the right players to do so. For me Pearson is one player I'd like to keep around as a supporting piece. There are other players that should be shopped for picks

That’s s good point about needing those picks over the last few drafts as opposed to now. I see your point that guys drafted outside of the top few picks often need several years to develop, and by then our current young core’s window will likely be closed.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Granlund never scored an end to end goal like Pearson just did. Sutter neither.

I think he'll be a useful player going forward. I like him with Horvat, but as many others have said, Canucks need a better player than Eriksson on the other wing.

 

[bandwagonesque]

Garbage time hero 2019. Watch him have ten points by March next year.

That's never happened in his career, so it's unlikely to happen next year, unless you know something we don't.

 

[VanillaCoke]

Better than grandlund and a decent winger for horvat, could still use a big upgrade but he's been better than expected

 

[thecupismine]

He had a nice end to the year, but he's not going to maintain a 21% shooting percentage with the Canucks. Despite his low points total, this late flurry has him at the 2nd highest goal total of his career at 18.

Realistic expectations are likely 35-45 points, 15-20 goals next year while playing on the 2nd line with Horvat + 2nd unit PP time. He's a decent middle-6 guy, but he can't be the 4th best forward on this team next year unless we're tanking again.

 

[F A N]

Being traded twice in a season can be a wakeup call. I am hoping that Pearson's resurgence here alongside Horvat is for real. With Baertschi's health being a big question ? having a productive and healthy Pearson here would be a big help.

 

[polarbearcub]

Really liking this acquisition . He’s a proven 20 goal guy and I think we should expect 20 from him next year.

Ideally he’s a third line guy so I hope we can acquire a legit winger like panarin still .

I also think leivo and Pearson combined make Virtanen redundant. I think selling Jake now would be a good time to do so.

 

[Fire Benning]

Canucks fans need to stop overhyping garbage time performers.

 

[Raistlin]

I just like the fact that this guy can go hot late in the season. I remember in the Kings cup run, he was very effective, and the Carter Toffoli Pearson line was a possession monster. For whatever reason he started off the season ice cold, gradually gained traction in Pittsburgh until their whole blue line moved into IR and he was sacrificed to us for Guddy. I believe he can be a 20/25 guy on Horvats wing next year.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Gudbranson always was, and always will be a 'complimentary d-man'. He's never going to be the 'top-four' guy Benning thought he was acquiring. But I'm still not surprised his play has picked up dramatically in Pittsburgh. The Pens are actually a 'puck possession' team.

All the guy has to do is win a puck battle and pass it to somebody like Crosby or Malkin....and presto, zone exits are easy. On the Canucks, I lose track of the number of times the forwards get the puck to within a foot of blueline, but can't get it out. Than the endless 'spin cycle' in the Canuck zone starts all over again.

I don't know if it's Green's system they just can't play....but it seems to me the Canucks d-men end up eating the puck with their face pressed up against the glass, or just throwing it out of the zone desperately.

But I guess that's the problem when you're just a bad hockey team. At any given time, just about anybody in the lineup is going to look bad.

He can win puck battles?

That is news to me... Im baffled that he has been decent for the pens tbh. I would have to watch a game and just follow what he is doing to understand how this is possible. I did that once with thr Canucks, never again.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Canucks may have something in Pearson....had productive years in L.A. and won a Cup, but game completely imploded this season. But then LA. completely sucked this year and they were coached by Willie, so he gets a pass. Not sure what happened in Pittsburgh, other than the fact that he might have been ill-equipped for the role of third-fourth line winger on a team with a lot of speedy forwards.

But he fits in nicely with the Canucks. A bigger bodied forward who wins his share of board battles and has formed some real down-low chemistry with Bo. Above all else, can get to the net for garbage goals and deflections. And still only 26, so he's not an older player by any means.

I know some will discount his offense in garbage time, but he showed a lot more than Virtanen, Goldy, Spooner or any other winger not named Boeser.

TP mostly played with Malkin and/or Kessel in pit.

 

[Canucks1096]

Really liking this acquisition . He’s a proven 20 goal guy and I think we should expect 20 from him next year.

Ideally he’s a third line guy so I hope we can acquire a legit winger like panarin still .

I also think leivo and Pearson combined make Virtanen redundant. I think selling Jake now would be a good time to do so.

Pearson only had one 20 goal season. Don't think that is proven.

Yes I hope those two make Virtanen redundant too. I think Benning kind of gave up on Virtanen and he will be traded this off-season.

 

[F A N]

I just like the fact that this guy can go hot late in the season. I remember in the Kings cup run, he was very effective, and the Carter Toffoli Pearson line was a possession monster. For whatever reason he started off the season ice cold, gradually gained traction in Pittsburgh until their whole blue line moved into IR and he was sacrificed to us for Guddy. I believe he can be a 20/25 guy on Horvats wing next year.

Pearson was reportedly playing with a fractured thumb for a month while with the Penguins. It was very much a write off season until he got to Vancouver.

He has scored 24 goals before so he's capable of doing so. But his last two seasons hasn't really been good yet he has managed to put up 15+ goals. It does look like that if he manages to stay healthy he can put up solid 2nd line production.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

View attachment 210143 TP mostly played with Malkin and/or Kessel in pit.

Just read this on The Athletties:


“I didn’t feel good in Pittsburgh, it was about stickhandling for me and shooting the puck. The legs have been fine all year,” Pearson said.
“I had a month span, actually longer, where I could not feel my hand at all when I was playing.
“I played through it and no one (outside the team) knew until the end.
“It was a broken thumb and I had to get it frozen before games. It was weird because I couldn’t feel my top hand so I never felt like I had a full grip of my stick.

 

[Get North]

This year. Who knows what those players are next year. Is this a blip for Markstrom and he goes back to average? Does Pearson over a full season play more like the player in Pittsburgh? After a couple injuries is Roussel gonna be the same player? Can Stecher and Demko continue to get better or will they stagnate?

Just saying, oh yea we good with these players is disingenious at best.

You could ask the same questions about any other team. Nobody knows who is going to have a bad or good season, you are right.

Of course we’re happy about the emergence of Pearson. He’s not the play driving winger that we really need though. If we could trade him for a second I would in a heartbeat, just to get that small chance to draft that much needed core piece. That’s not saying Pearson is bad. He’s actually a good player.

I would not trade a second for Pearson. He was a back to back 40 point player before this season started. Boeser, Horvat, and Pettersson were the only forwards with 40+ points on this team this season. Not to mention, Pearson is a healthy player, he's played 79+ games every season since 2014-15. That is especially, something we have to consider because our roster is full of glass players (Baertschi, Sutter, Tanev, Edler).

He played on the 2nd line when he won a Stanley Cup. That's good enough to be a 1st line player on our team. Not every player in your top 6 needs to be a "play driver", I'd say you need 3-4 play drivers in your top 6. Look at the Kings, Capitals, Pens. You can really only afford 3-4 because those players are elite level and you still have to pay your defencemen. That's why the Leafs won't win unless they move someone like Nylander, no cap for defence. Marner, Matthews, and Tavares is enough "play drivers".

 

[mriswith]

Just read this on The Athletties:


“I didn’t feel good in Pittsburgh, it was about stickhandling for me and shooting the puck. The legs have been fine all year,” Pearson said.
“I had a month span, actually longer, where I could not feel my hand at all when I was playing.
“I played through it and no one (outside the team) knew until the end.
“It was a broken thumb and I had to get it frozen before games. It was weird because I couldn’t feel my top hand so I never felt like I had a full grip of my stick.

What is the point in playing through that with several months to go before playoffs?

 

[PuckMunchkin]

What is the point in playing through that with several months to go before playoffs?

Fear of losing your spot and getting traded to a bottom feeding team.

 

[Svencouver]

He's played well to round out the season. Let's hope he starts strong next season, he's a great fit for Bo on the wing if he can keep playing like this, even if his SH% drops (which it will).

 

[PuckMunchkin]

He's played well to round out the season. Let's hope he starts strong next season, he's a great fit for Bo on the wing if he can keep playing like this, even if his SH% drops (which it will).

In a perfect world he is part of our 3rd line, ready to step up the lineup when injuries happen.

But need to jettison garbage from our bottom 6 and add talent on top for that to be possible.

 

[Svencouver]

In a perfect world he is part of our 3rd line, ready to step up the lineup when injuries happen.

But need to jettison garbage from our bottom 6 and add talent on top for that to be possible.

I mean he was a 2nd liner on a cup winning team. It's not unreasonable to think that he could be a genuine 2nd line player.

 

[DarrenX]

Welp, I think the people (like y2k) who were angrily insisting that they would rather have had a 6th round pick in the Gudbranson trade rather than Pearson need to tentatively eat a bit of crow here. 9 goals in 19 games is pretty solid. 20 goals is not at all an unreasonable expectation for next year, and that's legit top 6 production. (by definition there are 186 "top 6" forwards in the NHL, but only about 100 forwards got 20 goals or more this year).