CanucksArmy Monday Mailbag: November 13th

I would keep Sam Gagner around right to the end of his contract. It would be difficult to do given Brandon Sutter’s no-trade clause and the $4.375-million owed to him annually for another three seasons after this one, but his is the contract I would look to move for a fair return.

I’m unsure of which of the two would secure the better return in a vacuum. Sutter is playing huge minutes, is getting remarkably lucky at even strength and is on pace for 24 points over 82 games. And yet, Canucks head coach Travis Green seems to be a big fan of Sutter’s, a year after Willie Desjardins deployed him like a first line centre. Whether it’s the Sutter brand or otherwise, Sutter’s reputation seems to consistently outweigh his actual on-ice value, which would bode well for the Canucks if they were to try and move him, in theory. The only problem is those on-ice results are hard to ignore.

The league, rightly or wrongly, I tend to think, sees Gagner as a dime a dozen player. Gagner’s career path seems to suggest as much.

In no particular order: Elias Pettersson, Kole Lind, Olli Juolevi, Adam Gaudette, Thatcher Demko

Nation Network Radio, hosted by Jon Abbott and me, is the CanucksArmy Podcast of this season, and we’re on TSN 1040 most Saturdays from 3-5 PM. You can download both hours of the program on iTunes or go to the blog post that follows each episode.

I could see a scenario where the Canucks keep 14 forwards with a rotating cast at the bottom of the lineup, i.e. Jake Virtanen and Brendan Gaunce coming in and out of the lineup depending on the makeup of the Canucks opponents. If the Canucks need to send a forward down, I’d have to think they’ll send Virtanen down just because he’s waiver exempt.

No.

I don’t think you need to worry about “over-ripening” Thatcher Demko in the AHL. This is literally his second professional season. He’s young. Time is on his and the Canucks’ side.

And yes, Chris Tanev will probably be a Canuck at the end of the trade deadline, whether he should or shouldn’t be one.

I would be surprised if Pettersson played centre for Sweden at the Olympics. If he’s there, it’s almost certainly on the wing.

I’ll answer this with the five players I’d want on the first unit, and avoid getting into the details of how I would use them. Thomas Vanek, Bo Horvat, Sam Gagner, Brock Boeser, Derrick Pouliot.

Derrick Pouliot’s game is really starting to grow on me. There’s been a lot to like. I think the same thing about Alex Biega that I’ve always thought: he’s a useful sixth or seventh defenceman, and nothing more.

I expect he’ll get there around mid-season-ish.

First of all, you’re most welcome. Second of all, I watch very little compared to Ryan Biech or Jeremy Davis, so let’s clear that up. I’d say that Biech especially is almost always watching hockey. As hard a working person as you’ll find in the industry.

Sven Baertschi – Bo Horvat – Brock Boeser

Daniel Sedin – Henrik Sedin – Thomas Vanek

Jake Virtanen – Alexander Burmistrov – Markus Granlund

Brendan Gaunce – Brandon Sutter – Loui Eriksson

Alexander Edler – Derrick Pouliot

Ben Hutton – Alex Biega

Michael Del Zotto – Erik Gudbranson

Anders Nilsson

Be careful what you ask for — it just might happen at this rate.

Yes. Fighting has no tangible, worthwhile benefit to the game of hockey. It alienates a lot of people who the game should be marketing itself to and forces people out of the game who’d otherwise like to stick around. It’s hard to watch. And with good reason. It’s needless violence that has a real, tangible negative impact on the quality of these fighter’s lives. Watch “The Last Gladiators” on Netflix. You’ll want fighting out of the game, too.

If the Canucks are bent on using Sutter as a defensive, shutdown forward, why not go all the way? Put Loui Eriksson on one wing and Brendan Gaunce on the other. That line might stand a chance. Maybe. And move Granlund up to the third line with Alexander Burmistrov and Jake Virtanen.

Will Lockwood is a far better prospect than most gave him credit for at the time he was drafted, but I think that the way people reacted to his first university season is still hilarious. His draft-plus-one year had a 10% xSucc by pGPS, if memory serves. Lockwood just isn’t that good of a prospect. He might be a third line player one day. Maybe.

One year for $1-million.

The long-term cap space that the Canucks save by not signing Gudbranson to a long-term contract extension. This is to say, just about anything would be a win for the Canucks. Hell, even Alex Petrovic, one-for-one, is a win for Vancouver.

By a lot of metrics, Pouliot is just that, yes.

I don’t hate the idea. And it would be hard for them to perform any worse than the current shutdown line.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to think Pouliot could be a competent second-pair defenceman at this stage.

I’ll assume that you’re asking this question from the perspective of someone looking at a healthy Canucks blue line and wondering where Nikita Tryamkin would fit. Where should he fit? On the third pair, in Gudbranson’s stead. In reality, he’d probably be the seventh defenceman, bouncing in and out of the press box.

Man, I don’t have a damn clue.

It’s funny, I’ve been asking myself this same question with alarming regularity of late, and honestly, I find myself leaning towards Luca Sbisa.

I don’t see that as a possibility, no.

Stubbornness. There isn’t any other field except sports where data is so scrutinized and generally feared. It isn’t like this in any other field, of which I am aware.

I’ve thought about this many, many times. I used to think a lot of it stemmed from his inability to create offence off of sustained zone time, instead opting for one-and-done rushes that more often than not went right back to the Canucks’ zone. I’m starting to think it’s just that he’s far, far too aggressive in the defensive zone. He’s so easy to take out of position. Horvat bites on the first move, and bites hard, every time.

It misses Chris Tanev.

I might be writing about Jake Virtanen, who knows?

I think it’s personnel and tactics. Mostly tactics, though.

I’d rather expansion if I have to choose between these two options. I’d hate for a fan base to lose their favourite team. That can’t be a lot of fun, frankly.

Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk, Nigel Dawes, Linden Vey, Elias Pettersson… and Andrew Mangiapane as an honourable mention.

Best pick: Adam Gaudette

Worst pick: Jake Virtanen

The Colorado Avalanche have a tonne of cap space for the foreseeable future. Don’t rule them out.

Most don’t, but from what I can gather, there’s one who does every now and then. I remember Anton Stralman being interested in that sort of stuff.

We’re getting there.