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And if we have less injuries due to teams not clobbering our D-men around the ice like Indian rubber balls as often, then three years at 750 is a cheap price to pay. At least Hordichuk is somewhat of a dterrent. Cowan was a punching bag that few were scared of.

That is about 60% of the reason why we had so many injuries last year. Team toughness was a joke last year, right up there with our group of top 6 forwards. Something that Nonis did little, if anything to improve since he took over. If we stay relatively healthy, that could be a playoff spot right there thanks to the face that it appears that MG has addressed team toughness.

randymeeks wrote:

And if we have less injuries due to teams not clobbering our D-men around the ice like Indian rubber balls as often, then three years at 750 is a cheap price to pay. At least Hordichuk is somewhat of a dterrent. Cowan was a punching bag that few were scared of.

That is about 60% of the reason why we had so many injuries last year. Team toughness was a joke last year, right up there with our group of top 6 forwards. Something that Nonis did little, if anything to improve since he took over. If we stay relatively healthy, that could be a playoff spot right there thanks to the face that it appears that MG has addressed team toughness.

There was a time when people were saying the same things about Cowan and even Brookbank before him. Hordichuk didn't play very much on a heavily stripped down Nashville roster last year. That throws up a red flag for me. What's the use of having a goon who can win a few more fights than he loses if he's going to let the other team score whenever he's on the ice? Fighters are great so long as they can play hockey, and it's a stretch to say that Darcy Hordichuk is a skilled winger. Hell I'd love to see him prove me wrong, but I get the feeling he won't.

As for the crazy defensive injuries we've had that problem ever since the lockout (and to an extent before as well). Last year was just the perfect storm scenario if you will. I highly doubt one player that steps on the ice for 4 minutes a game is going to somehow magically prevent Salo's shoulder from exploding or Mitchell and Ohlund from finding new and creative ways of taking themselves out of the lineup. I still firmly believe that having a goon for the sole purpose of fighting is highly overrated. Just cause it worked for the ducks doesn't mean it'll work for everyone.

Do I think that having a legit enforcer will ensure that our D will stay healthy. Not a chance. We've got a few D with glass joints and paper groins.

Am I excited about the prospect of having a player on the roster who will throw down with anyone, toss them like he means business and win more fights than he loses? Hell yah!

Since the days of Gino, Brash or maybe Langdon we haven't had a real presence in the line up who can play semi regular minutes.

Thank you Mr. Gillis for giving me one more reason to watch this year!

I think Hordichuk was a good pickup. But other teams paste us to the wall because we have the Sedin's to kill the ensuing penalties for them by endlessly cycling in the corner for 2 minutes during the powerplay. So teams are not too worried about taking penalties.

Detroit has no team toughness but at least they make you pay for your transgressions.

Hordichuk will help act as a deterrent but we still need a powerplay.

dr.dork wrote:I think Hordichuk was a good pickup. But other teams paste us to the wall because we have the Sedin's to kill the ensuing penalties for them by endlessly cycling in the corner for 2 minutes during the powerplay. So teams are not too worried about taking penalties.

Detroit has no team toughness but at least they make you pay for your transgressions.

Hordichuk will help act as a deterrent but we still need a powerplay.

Strange how we percieve things differently. As I recall during the season Downey and McCarthy were pretty prominent, in fact the Wings started a scuffle during the pre game warm up in Vancouver either that or it was a mirage I was looking at. Neither Draper or Maltby come under the term angels

I think Hordichuk is a good pick up, not sure if he can be classed as a heavy weight though

Blob hit the nail on the head with the Hordichuck Cowan comparison. Darcy is not the kind of guy that will watch Ohlund and Salo get run through the end boards without making someone pay! I don't think Ohlund has lost a step I think he is just sick and F@#king tired of getting nailed when he goes back for a puck by the same guy 3 times a game and nobody does shit about it!

I think Luongo's rasonably priced for one of the best players in the league. To get rid of him would be insane. If we had him when we had the wce the Canucks would have a cup. If the media picks Lou as a kicking boy this season( we saw the start of this at the end of last season) MG had better not pull a Nonis and stick his head in the sand.

Bertuzzi gets 5 mill and 71 pionts andf is run out of town by retards. The same retards want to sign Sundin and his 78 pionts for 10 mill. Thats 5 mill for 7 pionts. If the Canucks are going to rebuild then rebuild don't do it half-assed as we have seen in the past.

Joe Rockhead wrote: If the Canucks are going to rebuild then rebuild don't do it half-assed as we have seen in the past.

I agree whole-heartedly. We're stuck in organization limbo. If Sundin doesn't sign I say forget about the playoffs, let's use this year to really evaluate our players and where our team is at. If playoffs aren't within a game's reach I say trade the Sedins and replenish the cupboard with prospects and picks.

levelheaded wrote:

randymeeks wrote:

And if we have less injuries due to teams not clobbering our D-men around the ice like Indian rubber balls as often, then three years at 750 is a cheap price to pay. At least Hordichuk is somewhat of a dterrent. Cowan was a punching bag that few were scared of.

That is about 60% of the reason why we had so many injuries last year. Team toughness was a joke last year, right up there with our group of top 6 forwards. Something that Nonis did little, if anything to improve since he took over. If we stay relatively healthy, that could be a playoff spot right there thanks to the face that it appears that MG has addressed team toughness.

There was a time when people were saying the same things about Cowan and even Brookbank before him. Hordichuk didn't play very much on a heavily stripped down Nashville roster last year. That throws up a red flag for me. What's the use of having a goon who can win a few more fights than he loses if he's going to let the other team score whenever he's on the ice? Fighters are great so long as they can play hockey, and it's a stretch to say that Darcy Hordichuk is a skilled winger. Hell I'd love to see him prove me wrong, but I get the feeling he won't.

As for the crazy defensive injuries we've had that problem ever since the lockout (and to an extent before as well). Last year was just the perfect storm scenario if you will. I highly doubt one player that steps on the ice for 4 minutes a game is going to somehow magically prevent Salo's shoulder from exploding or Mitchell and Ohlund from finding new and creative ways of taking themselves out of the lineup. I still firmly believe that having a goon for the sole purpose of fighting is highly overrated. Just cause it worked for the ducks doesn't mean it'll work for everyone.

Here's Jeff Cowan in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twQlOieFH_c

Now Darcy Hordichuk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ktGeiHdFmo

Now who do you think you would rather face in an on ice confrontation? If Detroit carried Downey all of last season and McCarty for the last part of the season, don't you think they saw some value in carrying deterrents against other teams' transgressions? Hordichuk isn't Cam Neely but he's not a bad skater and is a much better player than Boogard or McGratton. He's also been in the league 8 seasons.

As far as injuries on defence, it wouldn't matter if Pronger and Niedermayer were on the Canucks blueline, as long as Viggy Stardust continues to play dump the puck into the other team's zone, not chase the puck and change the lines so his forwards come out at center ice, the other teams having 100 feet to move the puck up the ice, dump the puck into the Canucks zone and at full speed slam our defence and forwards along the boards, this team will continue to be injury plagued. That's what happened to Viggy's teams in Montreal and the same pattern is emerging here. I don't have problems with him wanting the team to be defensively responsible, it's his aversion to puck possession and constantly surrendering the puck to play defence that pisses me off. I think it got to Naslund last season and it will get to Demitra and Sundin (if he signs here) this season if things don't change.

Oh, and one more with Hordichuk for good measure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE4liywE ... re=related

He does lose some but he wins more than he loses. The same can't be said for Cowan.

dump the puck into the Canucks zone and at full speed slam our defence and forwards along the boards, this team will continue to be injury plagued.

Strangely enough Taht's what the Canucks used to do, they had a real big guy with great speed........ but he was never appreciated and eventually run out of town.... Brashear. It's not enough to have a big guy , he must have speed. Frankly this is one of the reasons Kesler is disliked so much by opponents, except Kesler could be a little bigger. If Hordicuk can skate and get in the heavy fore check ( like Cowan is SUPPOSED to ) then he'll do fine. Throwing a big hit is a specalty ( remember Smyl)

As to fighting I think it adds some thing to the entire bench, every one plays bigger. I don't know what happened to Cowan, maybe hiding an injury but he'd start a fight and then immiediatly drop to the ice. I just hope AV lets Hordichik go occassionally or he will be wasted

I,m looking forward to a little more " in your face " hockey from the Canucks this year.. Team toughness and size has increased with Hordichuk and Johnson . Kesler proved how effective he can be as an agressive player... I'd like to see more of it on other lines.. Hopefully this is the direction MG Is taking..

as long as Viggy Stardust continues to play dump the puck into the other team's zone, not chase the puck and change the lines so his forwards come out at center ice, the other teams having 100 feet to move the puck up the ice, dump the puck into the Canucks zone and at full speed slam our defence and forwards along the boards, this team will continue to be injury plagued. That's what happened to Viggy's teams in Montreal and the same pattern is emerging here.

If we wouldn't have been injury plagued in the last couple years of the crow, I would tend to agree... as it is, while playing AV's style does have our D getting hammered more, I think that might be simply adding to another problem, a problem somewhere on the training staff. Not sure what that is though...

Madcombinepilot wrote:

Mr. P wrote: as long as Viggy Stardust continues to play dump the puck into the other team's zone, not chase the puck and change the lines so his forwards come out at center ice, the other teams having 100 feet to move the puck up the ice, dump the puck into the Canucks zone and at full speed slam our defence and forwards along the boards, this team will continue to be injury plagued. That's what happened to Viggy's teams in Montreal and the same pattern is emerging here.

If we wouldn't have been injury plagued in the last couple years of the crow, I would tend to agree... as it is, while playing AV's style does have our D getting hammered more, I think that might be simply adding to another problem, a problem somewhere on the training staff. Not sure what that is though...

Didn't the league also start clamping down on interference by forwards during this time?

The Wing's just resigned Downey

Madcombinepilot wrote:

as long as Viggy Stardust continues to play dump the puck into the other team's zone, not chase the puck and change the lines so his forwards come out at center ice, the other teams having 100 feet to move the puck up the ice, dump the puck into the Canucks zone and at full speed slam our defence and forwards along the boards, this team will continue to be injury plagued. That's what happened to Viggy's teams in Montreal and the same pattern is emerging here.

If we wouldn't have been injury plagued in the last couple years of the crow, I would tend to agree... as it is, while playing AV's style does have our D getting hammered more, I think that might be simply adding to another problem, a problem somewhere on the training staff. Not sure what that is though...

Didn't AV promise to implement a new system?

I'd take Hordichuk over Cowan just because he's the better player. Better fighter? Maybe, but Cowan's useless as a heavyweight because he can't take the Boogaards or Parroses.

Johnson and Hordichuk will give us one of the best fourth lines in the league, bar none.