logo
CanucksArmy has no direct affiliation to the Vancouver Canucks, Canucks Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
CanucksArmy Monday Mailbag: December 18th – Part Deux
Vancouver Canucks mailbag
Photo credit: Matthew Henderson
J.D. Burke
Dec 19, 2017, 01:04 EST
Comments
Either one of Evan Bouchard or Nick Merkley would make sense. I might lean towards Bouchard if it comes down to it, if for no other reason than Olli Juolevi was his primary partner for most of last season with the London Knights.
From a merit-based outlook, the Canucks probably shouldn’t play Erik Gudbranson ahead of any defenceman other than, maybe, Alex Biega. Gudbranson’s numbers are awful and if you’re looking for things that matter like the ability to transition play through the neutral zone or take away space in the defensive zone he doesn’t look any better. It’s just been another bad year for Gudbranson.
Even so, they have to play him. The Canucks don’t have a choice here. If they healthy scratch Gudbranson it put a dent in his trade value and make recouping the value they surrendered to acquire him an even more difficult exercise than it already is.
Whether Elias Pettersson is better suited to centre or the wing is a question I’m not entirely qualified to answer. I think he’s probably going to be a winger in the NHL, based on everything I do know and the conversations I’ve had with people in the know. If that’s where he should play or not is beyond my pay grade.
Regarding obvious options, Adam Gaudette is probably their best bet for a long-term centre at the NHL level.
Some of it is systems-based, but a lot of it has to do with the personnel. Finding a way to get the puck to Brock Boeser as often as they have has probably been the biggest boon, and they finally have him in a position where he can capitalize on his shot.
I would think so, yes.
Team Canada’s fetishization of role players has plagued them for years now, and it will at this tournament, too. I don’t get it. It’s not like players like Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki or Owen Tippett don’t kill penalties on their teams — it’s just not one of their primary skills. And that’s how you end up with players like Maxime Comtois on this team ahead of them.
This isn’t the NHL and there isn’t a salary cap. Why Canada doesn’t just roll out four lines of the most skilled players they can find is beyond me. It’s not like their current plan of settling for lesser talents because of their defensive skill has been working for them. They’ve won one gold medal in the last eight years. It’s madness.
All three of Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Owen Tippett would be on that team. That’s where I would start. And probably in that order in terms of priority, too.
Alexander Burmistrov: a fifth or sixth-round pick.
Thomas Vanek: a third-round pick or a B-grade prospect.
Ben Hutton: a mid-round draft pick.
Erik Gudbranson: a first-round pick and a prospect.
I’m a big Boston Terrier guy.
And I wouldn’t look into Nikolay Goldobin’s expression on the ice too much. Markus Naslund used to score goals, and when the camera would pan to him, it looked like someone had shot his dog.
I don’t think so, no.
I haven’t heard these rumours, to be honest, so it’s hard for me to comment on them.
No.
One could argue, fairly convincingly, that that has been the problem for this franchise for three years running. I get the sense that there is a plan at Rogers Arena this season that’s much more focused than it has been in recent years on the future. Certainly, for the Canucks’ sake, I hope that’s the case.
It’s probably equal parts affordability, inaccessibility and disinterest. The Canucks still do relatively well in terms of attendance compared to most teams in this part of their competitive arc. I’m not too concerned about this issue, though, that’s easy for me to say since I don’t cut the cheques, etc.
There could be an impact on this team’s fortitude at the deadline if they remain relatively competitive through this hellish run of injuries. It might embolden them to either stand pat or even make minor additions at the deadline.
The fans should still want an all-out rebuild, no matter what happens in the short-term.
You could make an argument that Sven Baertschi and Derrick Pouliot alone will compensate for a lot of what the Canucks lost in Gustav Forsling and Jared McCann, and the draft picks too, I guess.
Quinton Hughes.
There’s probably a 50/50 chance of that.
You’ll be surprised (maybe, maybe not?) to find out that I make an exception for the Sedins on the asset management front. At some point in life, there are things that are sacred and not subject to the usual rules of engagement. In this case, the Sedins are those players for the Canucks.
I don’t think anyone involved has an appetite to see the Sedins in another uniform, even if they could find a way to put together a trade involving the two of them. And I’m perfectly okay with that, even from an asset management perspective.

Uncategorized

Breaking News