Canucks Army Monday Mailbag: May 28th

You must not have listened to last week’s episode of the Canucks Army Podcast. We discussed this topic at length on the last show. Call me biased, but I think it’s an alright podcast and you should probably give it a try. Here’s a link to our iTunes page.

I don’t want to spoil the episode, but I absolutely believe the Canucks should shop both Alexander Edler and Chris Tanev. Sure, moving one or both of those defencemen would put a dent in the Canucks’ defence corps. However, it’s not like having the two of them is making much of a difference. They did for most of last year, and they were still terrible.

I haven’t heard anything since TSN’s Bob McKenzie said that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Tampa Bay Lightning dealt him. We’re on the same page here. The Canucks would be better off for a move to acquire Drouin, though. For it to happen, the conversation starts with Chris Tanev going the other way and Vancouver probably taking Ryan Callahan and his albatross of a contract back.

It’s not the pick that I would make were I in their shoes, but I’d think it a defendable decision. Basically, a lot like how I feel about the Olli Juolevi pick. Speaking of, they’d make a damn good first pair to build around. Talk about getting the blue line in order.

I can’t tell you how that affects perception from onlooking general managers elsewhere in the league. That would just be lying. If pressed, I’d probably suggest they don’t have anywhere near the impact some would like to ascribe to this kind of stonewalling.

On the other hand, Canucks General Manager Jim Benning secured Jonathan Dahlen and Nikolay Goldobin in return for Alex Burrows and Jannik Hansen in separate trades just months after going public about his outright refusal to deal any veterans. Maybe it’s different on a per case basis? Or perhaps he could’ve got those players anyways. It’s a neat example to support your point, though.

I have no damn clue. That would be a solid add though.

It’s not a trade that I would make, but dealing Ben Hutton for Ryan Spooner wouldn’t be the death knell of the Canucks rebuild-like-thing. I say this now, but if Ben Hutton gets any better than he already is, which is a distinct possibility, it’s a move that could look really ugly really fast.

I’m not a huge fan of how this one is worded, but I certainly understand where the angst is rooted. Again, I’m not a fan of advocating for people to lose their job. That’s just not how I roll.

If the Canucks front office has another season like the last two, I think a lot of people will be having that conversation among themselves though — whether that’s cool or not.

I feel like this is great material for a Benning on Empty.

Sweden.

I’ll give full credit here to Eknoor. I hadn’t even put Nikita Filatov on my radar to this point. Now that I’ve had to do some research, it seems like a savvy enough move. That’s especially true if he’s willing to play an AHL deal. Hell, why not? Maybe he can be a mentor to Goldobin, catch fire and recoup serious value at the trade deadline. Worst case scenario? He’s gone by November like Alex Semin from his try with the Montreal Canadiens.

I can’t help but like a player like Sean Dhooghe. He’s 5’3″, if memory serves, and played for the USNTD last season. He acquitted himself fairly well, too. The only problem is he’s 5’3″. I’d take a look at Dhooghe in the seventh round. I mean, why not?

I give more weight to primary assists than secondary in every situation. That said, secondary assists are less volatile for defencemen, if memory serves.

He’s a bit younger, but I’d see if the Detroit Red Wings are willing to part with Andreas Athanasiou. That guy is so, so damn fast, and they just don’t seem sold on him. He’s a bit younger at 22-years-old, but he’s got a pretty high ceiling. The Red Wings need cheap defencemen, too. Maybe there’s a fit?

I think there’s something to the notion that teams can develop a losing culture over time. How much of a something, I’m not certain. All I know is the Canucks way overvalue the impact of winning. Besides, even if they value creating a winning environment for their prospects, they’ve been trying for two seasons and finished in the bottom three each time. Let’s get real. Benning can value it all he wants; I just don’t think he has it in him to create that environment.

Whether it’s avoiding overage players at the draft or comparing scoring among first-time draft eligible players, age is something we place a premium on at Canucks Army. It’s something that played a significant role in the PCS draft analytics and pGPS that followed in its stead.

When you’re talking about prospects, usually you’re talking about players in the 18-20 range. A difference of even six months in development is huge. It can have a significant impact on a prospect’s ability to produce.

Markus Granlund.

I’m starting to lean towards the latter of those two options. We’ll get a better idea of what their plan is in time.

It should be scorched earth. Anyone under 25 should be a tradeable asset for the Canucks right now. That applies to their blue line, certainly. Rebuilding teams, usually, follow a similar course of action. Look at the Toronto Maple Leafs. They traded everyone deemed expendable, and that seems to have worked out fairly well for them.

From what I can gather, it doesn’t sound like the Canucks have interest in taking Gabriel Vilardi with their first round pick. They want a player who can skate reasonably well. That’s something they seem to place a premium on. I think concerns about Vilardi’s skating are overblown but rooted in reality all the same.

I might write an article on this topic in the summer.

Owning a smoker. Cooked one in there for seven hours on Saturday. It was delicious.

It’s always the coaches choice as to who plays at any position. That includes Ryan Miller. In Miller’s case, he wants to be close to his wife who lives in Southern California. Vancouver offers that to him.

I like Jalen Chatfield’s game a fair amount. He’s a great skater who sees the ice well and does great work at attacking and defending the neutral zone. I think he’s going to struggle a bit physically based on his size. His offensive game needs polishing. I wouldn’t be surprised if he one day carves out a low-end NHL career though.

Ben Hutton probably won’t be one of them. Beyond that, who knows?

Rasmus Dahlen and Andrei Svechnikov come to mind.

There isn’t even a hope in hell that would happen.

We don’t.

I haven’t followed Derrick Pouliot closely enough the last year to give you a worthwhile answer. It’s not looking good for Pouliot, though. I wonder if maybe getting him back with Travis Green would help. The two were together in Portland with the Winterhawks at one point.

Andrei Loktionov, Nikita Filatov and Evgeni Dadonov come to mind.

Henri Jokiharju at 33rd overall. I’ll go with three defencemen overall.

That’s between Timothy Liljegren and Cale Makar.

I think he’s stepping out of prospect territory and into useful depth territory. I wouldn’t hate the signing, but I’m not going to advocate for it either.

Probably Cody Glass.