Canucks Army Monday Mailbag: October 9th – Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, I would have played Brock Boeser on Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers, were I in Canucks head coach Travis Green’s shoes. I would’ve played Boeser ahead of Derek Dorsett (though I’m not entirely sure where I’d put him in the lineup) and he’d probably have a spot on the top unit power play.

Is this a question?

I would love to see that protest spread, but I’m not holding my breath. On a related note, I think you should read this piece by Chris Wilkin’s (could be wrong, but I think that’s his actual name) on Brown’s protest and the symbolism and history behind it.

Canucks fans shouldn’t leave that game thinking that their team can surprise the league and be more competitive than everyone gives them credit. They’re not that team. The only hope to draw from that game is that Green’s system is going to make this team way, way more entertaining. And that’s great!

First unit: Sven Baertschi, Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, Markus Granlund, Ben Hutton

Second unit: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Thomas Vanek, Sam Gagner, Troy Stecher

That’s a hard one to answer. The Canucks were willing to trade Erik Gudbranson to the Florida Panthers for Jason Demers. Demers nixed that trade with his no-trade protection, then two months later Florida sent him to the Arizona Coyotes for Jamie McGinn, in what basically amounts to a salary dump.

If one were to connect the dots and use a little deductive reasoning, it wouldn’t be difficult to assess that chain of events and leave thinking that Gudbranson doesn’t hold a tonne of value. Then again, the Canucks fielded offers on the draft floor in June centred on futures and draft picks, and while we don’t know the specifics, it’s safe to assume they were probably similar to what the Canucks paid to acquire Gudbranson — Jared McCann, a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick.

If Gudbranson is having a good year, and the Canucks are willing to trade him for futures, I can imagine a scenario where they recoup similar value to what they surrendered to acquire Gudbranson. The Panthers seem to have consistent interest, so perhaps the Canucks can turn that into a Denis Malgin or Jace Hawryluk at the trade deadline.

Funny, that I should have to field this question. I was what some might call an “Eeli Tolvanen truther” insofar as I had concerns about how high he was ranked based on my evaluations of the player. Yeah, that take isn’t ageing so well.

Even as Tolvanen’s hot start has made me question my evaluation of the Finnish sniper pre-draft, I still don’t think I would take him alone ahead of Kole Lind and Jonah Gadjovich. I think the Canucks did a bang-up job in the second round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. No need to toy with it.

I very much doubt that Travis Green reads Canucks Army.

Apparently, the Detroit Red Wings are offering Andreas Athanasiou close to $1.9-million a year on a two-year deal, and the player wants something closer to $2.5-million. The Canucks don’t have that cap space, but if they did, they could just offer sheet Athanasiou for a figure closer to what the player wants and just part with a second-round pick for the privilege.

It’s hard to say where Athanasiou would fit on the Canucks roster. He would probably fit well in the Canucks bottom-six, given the emphasis on speed in that part of the lineup.

As for what it would cost to acquire him in a trade with the Red Wings, I honestly haven’t a clue. The Red Wings cap outlook is so screwy, and they’re kind of in that awful middle ground where they’re neither contending nor willing to plunge into a rebuild.

I can’t comment on my own status, but they’ve made some awesome additions this year, particularly when they’ve drawn from Canucks Army talent pool.

Satiar Shah is as good a person you’ll ever meet in this industry and talented as all hell — my only surprise is that it took this long for someone to give him a shot as a host, where he’s killing it. Ryan Biech is another great person with a work-ethic that’s unmatched in this or perhaps any other industry, and I know he’s going to shine with his new role on Sportsnet.

That’s where I would set the over/under for Jake Virtanen’s goals this season. I take the under, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him cross that threshold.

Derek Dorsett.

Sure.

It’s too early to draw any sweeping conclusions, but it’s fairly clear at this stage that the Canucks are going to play a faster brand of hockey. Less time spent deliberating in transition and far more movement.

That will depend on how the season unfolds. If the Canucks are even vaguely close to a playoff spot, you better believe he’s not making any seller moves. If they’re totally out of it, perhaps the Canucks are a reluctant seller.

Obviously, neither Sam Reinhart nor Sam Bennett has had the careers that Canucks Army envisioned for them at the time of their draft. I wasn’t contributing to draft content at that time, but if I had been, I probably would’ve had them in those same spots, too.

In both cases, though, they’re really good players, and both are trending up at that. I think they’ve been held back a bit by the quality of linemates they’ve had to play with, and as they get more help around them their counting stats will start to reflect their ability more accurately. As for their positions, they’ve both played a lot on the wing, but neither team has given up on the prospect of Bennett or Reinhart being an NHL centre. In fact, when I last checked, Bennett was playing centre for Calgary this season.

I thought that what J.T. Brown did required a lot of courage, and I commend him for his bravery and leadership on the issue of systemic oppression and police brutality against African Americans in the United States. I wish more NHL’ers would join him.

My ideal Thanksgiving dinner includes turkey, mashed potatoes, a massive heap of stuffing, candied yams, brussel sprouts and an extra heap of stuffing. I’ve never smoked a turkey, but I’d love to try. Maybe one day.

I’d take the personality that NFL players showcase and inject that into hockey intravenously.

I think the answer to both questions is essentially the same. For Derrick Pouliot to be in a position to succeed, he needs to be sheltered and play a third pairing role with power play minutes. And that’s exactly what I’d consider a successful first season with the Canucks for Pouliot.

I’d play Boeser on Horvat’s power play unit. I’d probably take off Loui Eriksson for him.

Check back Tuesday morning at about 8 AM Pacific for an update on the future of the show. This week, I promise, I’ll have something. Something big, at that.

So Bo Horvat is going to lead the Canucks in goals? Interesting. I’m not sure I agree with that assessment, though he’s off to a pretty great start. As an aside, I genuinely mean that when I say “I’m not sure I agree with that assessment”. I honestly have no idea or opinion as to who will lead the Canucks in scoring. And we’ll update the poll weekly during the season.

I felt terrible about not being able to release that exciting news last week. I am absolutely certain this time around that I can release those details to the public as early as Tuesday morning at 8 AM though, so don’t fret.

I really appreciate the interest in the Podcast from everyone. It means a lot to me. Similarly, I appreciate your patience in waiting for a launch date for this season. It hasn’t been an easy process, but it will be hugely rewarding when I can let everyone know what’s been going on behind the scenes with the show. Some big things on the horizon.