The New York Islanders Model - circa 1973

[Southern_Canuck]

This all started because Brock Boeser reminds me of Mike Bossy.

If you disagree with that comparison --- well, the rest of the post will be worthless to you.

So, if you look at the Islanders team that eventually won 4 consecutive cups - who were their key players? How did they assemble the team? Could the Canucks do something similar, and is the combination of players still relevant in 2018?

Key/Star Players:
G - Billy Smith - 4th overall in NHL Expansion Draft 1972
D - Denis Potvin - 1st overall in 1973
W - Clark Gillies - 4th overall in 1974
C - Bryan Trottier - 22nd overall in 1974
W - Mike Bossy - 15th overall in 1977

Supporting Roles:
W - Bob Nystrom - 33rd overall in 1972
D - Dave Langevin - 112th overall in 1974
D - Stefan Persson - 214th overall in 1974
C - Bob Bourne - traded from Kansas City Scouts for Larry Hornung and Bart Crashley in 1974
D - Ken Morrow - 68th overall in 1976
C/W - John Tonelli - 33rd overall in 1977
W - Duane Sutter - 17th overall in 1979
D - Tomas Jonsson - 25th overall in 1979
C - Butch Goring - traded from Los Angeles Kings for Billy Harris and Dave Lewis in 1980
C - Brent Sutter - 17th overall in 1980

Clearly NYI acquired most of their Stanley Cup winning teams through the draft.

Is it possible that the Canucks could do a "NYI-oriented" team build?

The Bossy = Boeser
The Trottier = Horvat
The Smith = Demko
The Gillies = ?
The Potvin = ?

Maybe Juolevi could be a Persson, Virtanen a Nystrom, and Gadjovich a Tonelli?

Maybe Rathbone is a Ken Morrow - and Pettersson is a LaFontaine?

If the Canucks could be lucky for once, and end up drafting Dahlin (Potvin), I think this whole theory could start to build steam...



S_C

Click to read more...

 

[PhilMick]

Nice post It was before my time but my dad has talked about those guys many times. A guy like Potvin would be franchise changing, that's for sure.

Maybe we'll fluke out and Virtanen will pan out as a modern Clark Gillies

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

We are a ways from that. Lots more D needed.

 

[Nomobo]

Bang on with your comparison to Mike Bossy. Haven't seen anyone that reminds me of him like Boeser does. We'd be very fortunate if he turns out like that.

 

[vancityluongo]

I agree that we're 2-3 top-50 of all-time players away from winning a Cup.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

The Trottier = Horvat

ok now but i mean...

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

otoh, if bossy = boeser, and why not, then...

smith = demko, after dan cloutier is done a clockwork orangeing him
torrey = benning’s replacement
sutter(s) = anyone but sutter
gillies = kassian... oops

 

[Hit the post]

Bang on with your comparison to Mike Bossy. Haven't seen anyone that reminds me of him like Boeser does. We'd be very fortunate if he turns out like that.

Maybe Tanti?

 

[Nomobo]

Maybe Tanti?

Yes, another great sniper but I think (hope) Boeser will be better yet.

 

[Hit the post]

Yes, another great sniper but I think (hope) Boeser will be better yet.

If Horvat wasn't a Canuck - I'd say maybe even a future Captain of the Team (course, it never hurts having more than one player that seems to have leadership qualities - just my own opinion though).

 

[Dissonance Jr]

Much love to Horvat, but Trottier walked into the NHL at the age of 19 and was instantly a top 5-10 center in the league.

Also, the Isles had another key ingredient: Bill Torrey was a brilliant GM in the '70s/'80s who had a clear vision for the team and stuck with it. Something we're noticeably lacking right now...

----

(That said, if this is just another "Brock Boeser is amazing" thread then I am 100% here for it.)

 

[Southern_Canuck]

I agree that we're 2-3 top-50 of all-time players away from winning a Cup.

Haha! Very true - but I couldn’t help but think of Bossy when I look at the goals Boeser scores. Trying to shoehorn in the rest!

S_C

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

Sorry, but Bill Torrey wasn't an ex-player or the son of an NHLer or NHL executive. We can't be hiring someone on the basis of ability. It's name recognition only.

 

[Nomobo]

If Horvat wasn't a Canuck - I'd say maybe even a future Captain of the Team (course, it never hurts having more than one player that seems to have leadership qualities - just my own opinion though).

Yes, he has that quiet leadership air about him and he seems to be a good person ala Horvat and Henrik.

 

[Hit the post]

Yes, he has that quiet leadership air about him and he seems to be a good person ala Horvat and Henrik.

Guy won me over when I read this:

Canucks top prospect Brock Boeser takes fan with Down syndrome to prom

 

[Southern_Canuck]

By the way, I don't think you absolutely "need" a Clark Gillies anymore - he was a talented, big, tough winger who could retrieve pucks and score - but he was also a "policeman" for his line, and that late 70's need for protection has diminished in today's NHL - at least in the top 6.

S_C

 

[Nomobo]

By the way, I don't think you absolutely "need" a Clark Gillies anymore - he was a talented, big, tough winger who could retrieve pucks and score - but he was also a "policeman" for his line, and that late 70's need for protection has diminished in today's NHL - at least in the top 6.

S_C

Very few wanted a part of Gillies, one of the toughest in the league and he could play too.

 

[Southern_Canuck]

Much love to Horvat, but Trottier walked into the NHL at the age of 19 and was instantly a top 5-10 center in the league.

Well - Trottier was drafted in 1974 - NYI first Stanley Cup in 1980. And they already had Smith (1972), Potvin (1973), and had just drafted Gillies (1974).

The Canuck stars are being drafted in a different order - with Horvat drafted in 2013 and Demko in 2014 and Boeser in 2015 - should we expect a Stanley Cup in 2021 if the Canucks get Dahlin in 2018?

S_C

 

[Blue and Green]

Boeser sure looks like a Bossy-calibre guy. (Tanti?? Boeser's already a better player than Tanti ever was.) Boeser is better defensively than the rookie Bossy.

Horvat's a good young player but nowhere near Trottier. Would need Pettersson to excel in a big way to have a player that is comparable in value to Trottier.

Would need to win the lottery and draft Dahlin to have any prayer of matching Potvin, truly one of the greatest defencemen ever to play the game and probably the best of the Isles' big three.

And on top of that, a very good #1 goalie, a very good #1 LW, and more depth.

Piece of cake.

 

[Hit the post]

Boeser sure looks like a Bossy-calibre guy. (Tanti?? Boeser's already a better player than Tanti ever was.) Boeser is better defensively than the rookie Bossy.

Horvat's a good young player but nowhere near Trottier. Would need Pettersson to excel in a big way to have a player that is comparable in value to Trottier.

Would need to win the lottery and draft Dahlin to have any prayer of matching Potvin, truly one of the greatest defencemen ever to play the game and probably the best of the Isles' big three.

And on top of that, a very good #1 goalie, a very good #1 LW, and more depth.

Piece of cake.

I have no doubts Boeser likely will be better than Tanti - however you do underrate what Tanti accomplished here (even in the inflated goal scoring in his time).

 

[Blue and Green]

I remember Tanti very well and I think Boeser is better already. Tanti was a legit but not top-notch goal scorer (never cracked the top 10 in a season), nothing special as a playmaker and mediocre without the puck. Boeser already asserts himself in ways that Tanti never did.

 

[Hit the post]

I remember Tanti very well and I think Boeser is better already. Tanti was a legit but not top-notch goal scorer (never cracked the top 10 in a season), nothing special as a playmaker and mediocre without the puck. Boeser already asserts himself in ways that Tanti never did.

Pretty close though two times - 86-87 season (tied for 11th) & 12th in the 83-84 season.

 

[supercanuck]

Well - Trottier was drafted in 1974 - NYI first Stanley Cup in 1980. And they already had Smith (1972), Potvin (1973), and had just drafted Gillies (1974).

The Canuck stars are being drafted in a different order - with Horvat drafted in 2013 and Demko in 2014 and Boeser in 2015 - should we expect a Stanley Cup in 2021 if the Canucks get Dahlin in 2018?

S_C

I like the cut of your jib!

 

[BlueGreen]

This all started because Brock Boeser reminds me of Mike Bossy.

If you disagree with that comparison --- well, the rest of the post will be worthless to you.

So, if you look at the Islanders team that eventually won 4 consecutive cups - who were their key players? How did they assemble the team? Could the Canucks do something similar, and is the combination of players still relevant in 2018?

Key/Star Players:
G - Billy Smith - 4th overall in NHL Expansion Draft 1972
D - Denis Potvin - 1st overall in 1973
W - Clark Gillies - 4th overall in 1974
C - Bryan Trottier - 22nd overall in 1974
W - Mike Bossy - 15th overall in 1977

Supporting Roles:
W - Bob Nystrom - 33rd overall in 1972
D - Dave Langevin - 112th overall in 1974
D - Stefan Persson - 214th overall in 1974
C - Bob Bourne - traded from Kansas City Scouts for Larry Hornung and Bart Crashley in 1974
D - Ken Morrow - 68th overall in 1976
C/W - John Tonelli - 33rd overall in 1977
W - Duane Sutter - 17th overall in 1979
D - Tomas Jonsson - 25th overall in 1979
C - Butch Goring - traded from Los Angeles Kings for Billy Harris and Dave Lewis in 1980
C - Brent Sutter - 17th overall in 1980

Clearly NYI acquired most of their Stanley Cup winning teams through the draft.

Is it possible that the Canucks could do a "NYI-oriented" team build?

The Bossy = Boeser
The Trottier = Horvat
The Smith = Demko
The Gillies = ?
The Potvin = ?

Maybe Juolevi could be a Persson, Virtanen a Nystrom, and Gadjovich a Tonelli?

Maybe Rathbone is a Ken Morrow - and Pettersson is a LaFontaine?

If the Canucks could be lucky for once, and end up drafting Dahlin (Potvin), I think this whole theory could start to build steam...



S_C

Cool post. I would say that Pettersson = Gillies, and if we were to magically get the 1st OA and draft Dahlin, well there's our very own Potvin. I like how you've included all of the draft positions here. It's not a coincidence that the core of the team was drafted mostly in the top 4 of the draft. We need that #1 OA this draft and by getting Dahlin we would drastically fast-forward this rebuild. The cool thing is we have some of this supporting players coming up, Lind, Gaudette, Juolevi, Dahlen and even Virtanen, but a core group of Horvat, Boeser, Pettersson, Demko, and Dahlin would be incredibly solid. I'm afraid without that #1 dman though that has eluded us since our very existence we prob won't ever win a cup.

That's why I'm on team tank rn and praying for Dahlin. Even if we don't get RD there are still some really good dmen in this draft so we can continue to build. You've just illustrated how important it is to build through the draft by acquiring high picks and even low picks for that matter. Tanking rn gets you those high picks. By building a strong core through the draft the team can be highend for a long time and win multiple cups, but If we just make it into the playoffs or just miss them we'll always be a mediocre team that will never win anything. I should also point out that all of this means nothing if the organizations management sucks as they will mess up the progress of the team moving forward and set it back even. High draft picks, good coaching and strong, competent management = success = Stanley cups.

 

[Hit the post]

Cool post. I would say that Pettersson = Gillies

I don't see the comparison. Gillies was like a quiet bear that you didn't provoke - else he could get mean (not unlike our own Curt Fraser - on a smaller scale obviously). Guy could play in any style game (whether it be against the hall of fame skating 70s Habs teams or the "Broad Street Bullies" Flyers). I'd think a closer comparable might be Brent Sutter maybe?