Trevor Linden Speaks: on China, Jayson Megna, Desjardins, and Off-Season Goals
By Vanessa Jang
7 years agoAs the season winds down, Canucks president Trevor Linden made what will likely be his last in-game intermission appearance on TSN 1040 yesterday.
After a few months of rumours, the NHL officially announced the plan for Vancouver and LA to play a few pre-season games in China. They will be playing on Thursday, Sept. 21st in Shanghai, then on Saturday, Sept. 23rd in Beijing as part of the plan to “Inspire generations of Chinese players and fans to enjoy our sport.” When the announcement was officially made, it was met with mixed (but mostly negative) feedback.
- “This is so pointless.”
- “They’re not even interested.”
- “Why did they choose these two teams out of everyone else?”
Both Vancouver and LA have a prominent Chinese population, so my guess is the league is trying to create some sort of connection between our hockey-crazed market and their unfamiliarity with the sport. Let’s be honest, the Canucks and Kings makes a lot more sense than sending Carolina and New Jersey. The league has held these international pre-season games in the past, sending teams off to Prague, Bratislava, London, and Puerto Rico amongst many other locations.
Linden on China: “Our plan is to take our veteran group. We’ll have a group here playing games simultaneous to those games. It’s an opportunity for our players to have a unique experience. It’s at the front-half of training camp so it gives us that second week back here at home, and then another full week before we start the regular season.”
Prior to yesterday’s game, the Canucks announced this bombshell:
To be frank, it wasn’t well received. Jayson Megna has been an easy target for Canucks fans this season. Having been signed as what was thought to be a depth forward who would spend most of the season in Utica, Megna went from the Comets’ leading scorer to a scapegoat. He, specifically, hasn’t done anything wrong this season – it’s about how he’s been deployed. For some reason, Willie Desjardins has placed him in positions when better players were available, and he’s done it on a consistent basis. If he were playing for another city, I find it hard to believe that Megna would’ve been in the same position he was in this season. A potential off-season coaching change may bring it into fruition that his role on the team is not as significant as it once seemed. He’s not supposed to be an NHL regular, but it just so happened that Desjardins deployed him as if he were. $675k is not much on the salary cap, and it could’ve been a lot worse than a one-year deal. The one-way part is a little thought-provoking, but our own Ryan Biech did point this out:
Sidenote: Megna got engaged over the weekend, so congratulations to him and his fiancé!
Linden on Jayson Megna: “We targeted him last year at free agency based on his ability to anchor Utica. Due to injuries, he’s had an expanded role here and brings us speed. We like him. Whether he’s here the whole year next year or not, we’re not sure – that’ll be determined at training camp. He brings us speed and adds depth to our group. Obviously when the team struggles, people point fingers. He been a lightning rod with your folks. What he brings to the table, we’re happy with.”
Speaking of Desjardins, it’s been an interesting season. There’s no doubt that deployment has been his main cause for scrutiny. An extensive list could be made of all the questionable decisions he’s made, and it would include the likes of Anton Rodin, Michael Chaput, Jayson Megna, Reid Boucher, Ryan Miller, and Nikolay Goldobin amongst many others. Goldobin came into Vancouver with the first-round pick reputation and potential, and we’ve definitely seen it at some points. He lost 15 lbs when he was sick, and he hasn’t looked very dangerous on the ice. When Jeff Paterson asked Linden about Goldobin, his answer appeared to focus more on Desjardins rather than the player himself. I’m simply speculating, but this might be the first obvious hint that Linden is just as curious/disappointed in some decisions as most of us are.
Linden on Goldobin: “I think at the end of the day, coach makes the decisions on some of these things. Whether you or I have a different opinion on it is one thing. I think the way you handle players early on is important. I’m sure we’ll see him back in next game, but It’s been an up and down year for him. He’s very skilled and he brings an element that we need. Having said that, coach makes the line-up card and he knows what he wants. It’s in his hands.”
As of today, the Canucks have scored 170 goals-for this season (2.18 GF/GP), and that ranks us at a laughable second-last in the league after the Colorado Avalanche. Bo Horvat is the Canucks only 20-goal scorer, with Markus Granlund (19) and Sven Baertschi (18) right behind him. As if our scoring woes weren’t obvious already, the Sharks were kind enough to post this yesterday:
Since the start of this season, Jim Benning made it known that the Canucks were in the market for a goal-scorer. He’s frequently mentioned the team’s depth on defense, and he’s said he is willing to trade a piece for a bonafide scorer. Of all the defensemen on the team, valid points can be made as to why the Canucks should (or may be forced) to keep them:
- Edler: No-move clause; seems obvious that he isn’t willing to waive
- Tanev: Our best defenseman; brings stability but arguably the highest return
- Gudbranson: Benning just acquired him; would be silly to trade him right away and basically admit that it was a bad trade
- Sbisa: Bound for Las Vegas?
- Hutton, Tryamkin, Stecher: Young
Linden on goals: “There’s no question that, heading into this season, goals was a concern for us. Markus Granlund’s season was exciting and a breakthrough and Bo’s had a good year. We fell short in other areas. I look for some advances from some other players and young players next year. We’re going to try and address some of that this summer. In what way? We’re not sure. We’re going to have to hope to see the advancement of Ben Hutton and Troy Stecher and Nikita and some of our young players so bring some of that.
And lastly, as Canucks management appear to do after every media appearance, we are left with a concluding statement through which they preach patience and optimism.
Linden: “It’s frustrating (to lose). We’ve got some work to do. Obviously we want to have a good draft and add to our prospect pool. There’s definitely going to be some bumps in the road ahead of us. We just have to stick with it, stick with the plan, keep building. We’ve got no choice. I think our fans are going to enjoy growing with these players. It’s going to take patience and that’s what we’re hoping for.”
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