WWYDW: Jacob Markstrom
5 years ago
Jacob Markstrom has been playing like a Vezina-calibre goalie since roughly the start of the new year. There’s just no other way to put it. Meanwhile, backup Thatcher Demko has started just 5 games this season and while he appears to be developing at a steady pace, still looks be a long way off from being the Canucks undisputed #1 goaltender. Markstrom has just one year left on his contract, and looks to be in line for an extension; but when Mikko Koskinen costs three years at 4.5 million dollars AAV, you have to think he’ll be worth a pretty penny. He’s also going to turn 30 midway through next season, and there’s no guarantee his strong play will continue.
How would you handle the goalie situation next season? Would you sign Jacob Markstrom to an extension?
Last week I asked: Are you satisfied with the way the Comets have handled their youth this season? If not, what would you change?
Killer Marmot:
The Dahlen incident alone doesn’t mean much. There were hints before this that Dahlen was high maintenance, so who knows what really went on?
But when combined with Palmu returning to Finland, it doesn’t look good. Vancouver and Utica should definitely talk over the summer about how to improve player development.
Rusty Bucket:
Its hard to comment on how satisfied I am with how the Comets training staff has developed its youth when all we see is what media shows us, the rare time a player speaks his mind (Dahlen – and the loss of words from translation), and the insight that Comet Cory has provided us. Even harder when we the AHL doesnt post ice-times.
Coming from a hockey fan, not a coach, its easy for us to question why for example Arseneau was getting shifts over Gadjovich, but it seems like Cull likes to insulate his rookies with solid vets. As Cory has commented, he puts the young players in big time situations. Early in the season there were just simply too many young players for Cull to fit all in. All in all, from the information I have, I feel they are doing an adequate job. If I was in the room, I might have a different story, but we just do not know.
Coming from a hockey fan, not a coach, its easy for us to question why for example Arseneau was getting shifts over Gadjovich, but it seems like Cull likes to insulate his rookies with solid vets. As Cory has commented, he puts the young players in big time situations. Early in the season there were just simply too many young players for Cull to fit all in. All in all, from the information I have, I feel they are doing an adequate job. If I was in the room, I might have a different story, but we just do not know.
North Van Halen:
It sounds to me like Dahlen is used to be the best player on his team and allowed to ‘cheat the details’ Now that he’s not and being told to play a responsible 200 foot game first and worry about offence second he’s not used to it. Cull came from the Tampa system which seems to have a pretty good handle on the way to develop players on the farm, so you’d think he’d know a successful process for developing youth.
Maybe Cull has an abrasive manner that’s rubbing some kids the wrong way, maybe the Canucks are just dumb and don’t want their prospects to develop, maybe Dahlen is a entitled whiner. We really don’t know. Since this is really the first time since Edler, Bieksa, Hanson, Burrows & Kesler were in the minors we’ve had any prospects of note playing or on their way to our minor league affiliate, it’s really too early to tell what is going on.
If more prospects speak out or ask out, we’ll know there’s a problem. If things settle down and prospects start rising though the ranks then it’s business as usual, nothing to see here.
Maybe Cull has an abrasive manner that’s rubbing some kids the wrong way, maybe the Canucks are just dumb and don’t want their prospects to develop, maybe Dahlen is a entitled whiner. We really don’t know. Since this is really the first time since Edler, Bieksa, Hanson, Burrows & Kesler were in the minors we’ve had any prospects of note playing or on their way to our minor league affiliate, it’s really too early to tell what is going on.
If more prospects speak out or ask out, we’ll know there’s a problem. If things settle down and prospects start rising though the ranks then it’s business as usual, nothing to see here.
TheRealPB:
Perhaps what the Canucks need is an assistant coach who is familiar with developing players coming out of European systems? Because the main issue seems to have been with Dahlen and Palmu (although Palmu played in the OHL). It’s not as simple as saying that there’s a problem with Utica, any more than looking at the players who’ve graduated to the NHL or had a cup of coffee and saying that everything’s fine. It is the case that we’ve had a substantial number of players who seem to have developed well — Gaudette didn’t have much time in Utica but he seems to have been fine, same with Demko and Juolevi. MacEwan and Sautner also clearly improved.
It’s hard to know what exactly went wrong with Palmu and Dahlen. I do wonder sometimes about the broader games management strategy of the Canucks. I think both of them played 60-ish games in the Swedish and Finnish leagues before coming over — I don’t know if the strategy is to limit games. Until we get a better read on how they’re developing (or not) it’s not clear where the blame lies.
Me:
I remember a time when Virtanen got upset with the Canucks org because he felt hard done by. If he hadn’t been a local boy, who knows? Maybe he’d have asked for a trade too. If being tough on players is what turns Virtanen from an on-again off-again player to someone who shows up every night ready to work, then isn’t scaring a few players away worth that price? Especially if said players aren’t ready and willing to dig deep and give the effort coaches expect.
Maybe Dahlen will figure it out at his next stop. Maybe it’ll take a few trades before he realizes how much effort coaches expect from players in the pros. I hope he makes it, but there’s still a pretty good chance he won’t, and coddling him because he has “potential” doesn’t do any favours to anyone.
Maybe Dahlen will figure it out at his next stop. Maybe it’ll take a few trades before he realizes how much effort coaches expect from players in the pros. I hope he makes it, but there’s still a pretty good chance he won’t, and coddling him because he has “potential” doesn’t do any favours to anyone.
Hockey Bunker:
The Utica team is currently too old. It is a symptom of years of nearly zero effective drafting, predating JB and during his first two years during the win for the Sedins misguided attempt. Utica is primarily populated by other teams castoffs. Over next three years it should trend younger and real development will begin. Utica has two roles, develop for the future and have NHL ready players now to step in when there are injuries.
Those NHL ready players in the future will increasingly be Canucks picks.
Those NHL ready players in the future will increasingly be Canucks picks.
Defenceman Factory:
There is one change that should definitely be made in Utica. The organization needs to do a better job evaluating if young players are ready to play there. If not leave them in Europe or Junior or the ECHL. The roster had too many wingers all season. If they are close (Dahlen) make sure he is pushed and can be given the ice time to develop. I really wonder if Dahlen isn’t destined to be a Ried Boucher or Linden Vey who develops into a good AHL scorer but can’t turn the corner.
I am not surprised about how the year has gone for Gadjovich or Lind. Gads skating just is not good. I watched Lind all through his junior. He was along way from pro ready at the end of his draft +1 year. He weighed a skinny 170 and had no clue how to use a physical check to gain puck possession. He way too often went out of his way to avoid any contact. He was always chippy, slashing and punching after the whistle, running his mouth. His skating was above average for the dub which equates to just adequate in the pros. Don’t forget Linden Vey and Emerson Etem had very similar PPG rates in junior. Lind was always a decent 200 ft player so if he puts in the work he’ll make it. If not he won’t.
