One Way Contracts Do Us No Favors Right Now

[ClamRussel]

I'm thinking specifically of Josh Green...Tommi Santala....and to a lesser extent Alexander Burrows. I mean really this was supposed to be a dogfight for the final spots and, even though Nonis & Vaigneault have said the opposite, I highly doubt we'll see any one-ways in the minors. Aside from Schultz, I'd say Reid and Rypien have been excellent but its going to be very expensive to justify them making the team which is a shame. Fine, if Burrows' play last year guaranteed him a spot this year I can live with that....but Green & Santala?!? Santala has only 33 games to his name...but I'm not sure if he came WITH that contract or if Nonis gave it to him. Green just got his deal recently and I fail to see how he couldn't have been handed a 2-way. I just don't see how a one-way deal is justified unless a player is a lock to make the big team.

If Kesler plays RW then there's definitely a spot that Reid should be fighting for, and rightly so....however, I can see Santala or Green getting it for financial reasons. I don't know much about Santala but I hear he's only been so-so thus far....Green I do like but he hardly can bring what Reid can to the table offensively...and we'll be needing that. Is Bouck on a one or two way?

Just consider:

Bulis-Morrison-Naslund
Sedin-Sedin-Kesler
Cooke-Chouinard-Linden
Pyatt-?-?
?

Bouck/Burrows/Rypien/Reid/Santala/Dwyer/Green/Schultz

So lets see.....assuming they keep 22 players on the roster there's 8 players battling for 3 spots...and 3 of them are on one-way deals. It didn't need to be that way.

[MarkMM]

As much as I like Burrows, I was surprised when he got a one-way, same with Green. Thing is, maybe Green wanted a one-way or else he'd sign elsewhere and we were trying to protect our depth, but I really doubt Burrows would have refused to sign a one-way, that was probably just to get him to sign long-term, I would keep him to a two-way even if only for a year. Nonis was really big on Santala at the State of the Forum and maybe a one-way was the only way to get him over here from Europe. Bouck I think is a two-way.

Dwyer I don't think has much of a chance, Schultz seems to be playing himself off the team with each passing day, Burrows basically does Bouck's job and Rypien might only be there for depth, so for the last three spots, I could see Burrows, Santala and one of Reid or Green. If the number of one-ways becomes a problem, I'd expect to see a trade.

[*CanucksForLife*]

The three people I think deserve the spots are
Brandon Reid (I'm a big fan of his.)
Rick Rypien &
Alexander Burrows.

They are always working their butts off and it pays off.
Those are the three I'd pick for those 3 empty spots. Looking at that offensive line, we will be underrated and we will have a good season.
I always love being underrated.

[Fred]

Reid is certainly exciting but is one diamensional, all the other can for want of better words multitask. Green has the addition of strength and reach and will drop the gloves if need be. Burrows the same and Rypien is a human dynamo wanting to challenge every one, but they all can play solid shut down defense, Reid not

[Kel]

One possible explanation is that Nonis is using one-way contracts to get the players to agree to sign with league minimum, in order to save cap space. For example, a player asking for 600k NHL salary on a two-way contract may be willing to accept 450k NHL salary on a one-way. So the Canucks use real money to buy cap space.

[Sid Dithers]

I remember watching Rypien coming to town playing with the Regina Pats. He didn't stand out at all. I'll give him credit for working hard to try and make a pro career for himself, but I'm still skeptical he can do anything significant at the NHL level. I refuse to believe a slightly above average, smallish junior player can suddenly transform himself into a vital NHL player. Sure he's caught the coach's attention in training camp for playing a hustling, robust game. But the road is littered with guys who kicked butt in training camp only to prove they couldn't maintain it longterm. Not to disparage his efforts, but I need to see him be a factor for prolonged period of time. I need to see more, a lot more, before I'm sold on him.

[DavidPratt_]

I remember watching Rypien coming to town playing with the Regina Pats. He didn't stand out at all. I'll give him credit for working hard to try and make a pro career for himself, but I'm still skeptical he can do anything significant at the NHL level. I refuse to believe a slightly above average, smallish junior player can suddenly transform himself into a vital NHL player. Sure he's caught the coach's attention in training camp for playing a hustling, robust game. But the road is littered with guys who kicked butt in training camp only to prove they couldn't maintain it longterm. Not to disparage his efforts, but I need to see him be a factor for prolonged period of time. I need to see more, a lot more, before I'm sold on him.

Anyone here remember a guy named Stu Kulak?

dp

[Fred]

Anyone here remember a guy named Stu Kulak?Yep a guy that should have but didn't the memorible event was Kulak hitting Geordy Howe in the the Hratford bench

[Sid Dithers]

Yep, Kulak would score, hit and fight in training camp. When the reg season started he was saddled on the 4th line and never did anything.
I almost hate to say it, but being a bubble player who kills himself in training camp just to make the 4th line, getting 5 minutes a night doesn't often result in much. Ask Lee Goren. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication in practice to keep improving, keep your confidence up and to give the coaches a reason to give you more minutes. Too many guys almost settle for being pigeon-holed as a low-talent grinder. A guy who can stick it out and manage to grow through such a period like that is a keeper, but it just doesn't happen all that often. Like a Brendan Morrow. Guys like Rypien and Tyler Bouck are, unfortunately, a dime a dozen until they can prove otherwise. Every team has more than enough like them in the system.

[DavidPratt_]

Yep, Kulak would score, hit and fight in training camp. When the reg season started he was saddled on the 4th line and never did anything.

Exactly. Which is why I brought Stu Kulak's name up. Training camp can be deceiving. You hear/see all these guys who have great camps but it rarely materializes into a great regular season - most often due to ice-time or just 'flash-in-the-pan' syndrome. The guys who everyone should be watching are people like Bourdon who the Canucks have to be careful not to rush at this stage of his development.

I sometimes wonder if Vigneault overestimated the value of some of his AHL guys last year. Balej, Schultz, Flaherty played well for Vigneault in Mantioba, but how those guys fare in the 'big show' is a whole different ball game.

dp

[*CanucksForLife*]

I agree. Some prospects have great pre-seasons but then when it comes to the regular season they sit back and do nothing. During preseason, they are not playing their regular squad, half the players are prospects, which, to the best of my experience, aren't as good as teh regular NHL'ers

[MarkMM]

One possible explanation is that Nonis is using one-way contracts to get the players to agree to sign with league minimum, in order to save cap space. For example, a player asking for 600k NHL salary on a two-way contract may be willing to accept 450k NHL salary on a one-way. So the Canucks use real money to buy cap space.

Really good point, and one we might have to resort to in order to hold on to the few NHL calibre (?) players we have due to our lack of organizational depth.

[ClamRussel]

Reid is certainly exciting but is one diamensional, all the other can for want of better words multitask. Green has the addition of strength and reach and will drop the gloves if need be. Burrows the same and Rypien is a human dynamo wanting to challenge every one, but they all can play solid shut down defense, Reid not

Au contraire mon ami, Reid is FAR from a one-dimensional player...in fact, for his 2nd tour of duty at the WJCs he played a more defensive/checking role & exceled. I've always found him to be a solid TWO-way player...not a shutdown type but rather a guy who is very responsible in his own zone & can be an effective penalty killer.