Canucks News and Notes

[BladesofSteel]

If this club intends on riding the Sedins until their contracts expire, they're going to need to acquire a bona fide #2 centre. Bonino is not the answer. Good vision, passing, terrific shot, but he's another average skater who's poor on the draw and far too inconsistent for a player possessed with his ability and experience.

He does however have a very favorable contract and still owns upside. If Benning insists on retaining his prospects and picks this year, Bonino may be one of the best trade chips at his disposal right now.

[Chef Boi RD]

I'd be shopping Bonino as well

[herb]

This franchise desperately needs a top pick in a draft year like this. Were missing a future franchise center

Ideally somebody who could step in, in a year or two. To accomplish that, something unexpected is going to have to happen like Cassels plays lights out in Utica next season or we really draft a gem this draft.

[Per]

The Canucks are fine with the Sedins and Vrbata for the next couple of years. They have enough to make two bottom lines. What they don't have is anywhere near enough to ice a good, competitive second line. WD has been able to roll four lines fairly effectively this season but let's face it, the bottom nine are really the bottom six. We discussed at the start of the year that any team with Higgins in the top six was in trouble. This wasn't so much a knock on Higgins as it was commentary that we didn't have the skill for a top six.

Bonino to me at this point in his career is better suited to the third line, not the second line. Kassian has not yet stepped up to warrant second line duties. Other than those two who is really close? Vey?

We sadly lack any real semblance of a second line. That is showing itself now. We all know with the twins we are one and done. Neutralize them and you shut down our offence. Couple that with a stale, predictable, ineffective PP and we are where we are.

So I'm fine with the twins and Vrbata, pick the best six from the rest to form a third and fourth line. Gut and rebuild a second line please.

On defence, something needs to shift. Perhaps it is as simple as a RHS that can quarter back a PP. In net we are fine.

So not as much of a rebuild but certainly another major overhaul.

Agreed. We need a second line (ready to step up as first line as the twins get older) and a right shooting D-man. That's all we need.

This team is not a contender, but not as bad as some here seem to think.
Some smart trade, a couple of free agents and we are a contender again.
Sure, with the ceiling you can't just go out and by a bona fide second line, but I still think this team is half decent, and there's no need to rebuild from scratch. If the goalie market takes off we could trade either Läck or Markström, and still have decent depth in the crease.

[Island Nucklehead]

In my view, teams are built on top 5 draft picks. All the top teams have at least one high-end first rounder.

This is generally true. And the Canucks will, eventually, get that top-5 pick. That doesn't mean we shouldn't ride the Sedins while we can, stockpile those 10-20 picks, and build a solid stable of depth so when we do get that pick, it's a short stay at the bottom.

[dbr]

Yyyyyyup. Not many teams hit rock bottom with nothing in the cupboard, grab their top five pick and bounce straight back to relevance.

Ask Edmonton or the Panthers how that works.

[Hockey Widow]

My hope is we find that second line before the twins are up, and that line is good enought to take top spot at that point. Then you re-sign the twins on one year deals for chump change and make them the second line while development continues. JK,JK,JK.

Seriously though I think it is time to trade Higgins and Burrows if he will waive, in the least. Perhaps Kassian too if you can get a decent prospect back. The six I'd look to lock up for the bottom two lines would be from these seven.

Matthias
Hansen
Horvat
Vey
Bonino
Richardson
Dorsett

I may look to trade Richardson at the deadline for a draft pick simple because of age and his playing style sees him get more than his share of boo boos. I like Horvat and Bonino down the middle because of their age. But Dorsett may want to return to Columbus in the off season so we will see.

[Chef Boi RD]

In my view, teams are built on top 5 draft picks. All the top teams have at least one high-end first rounder.

This is generally true. And the Canucks will, eventually, get that top-5 pick. That doesn't mean we shouldn't ride the Sedins while we can, stockpile those 10-20 picks, and build a solid stable of depth so when we do get that pick, it's a short stay at the bottom.

Very true, like LA getting Doughty in the top 5 and having a well stocked cupboard of decent prospects and stealing Kopitar in the teens.

This team can't score not just because we lack a second line people, the fact the Sedins are mere shadows of their former selves and can only give you a solid first quarter of a season until their legs give out is reason why we are on the decline. Your second line should not be driving the offence,hence why they are called the 2nd line. It all comes down to your best players and our best players, well, that ship is long gone

[SKYO]

In my view, teams are built on top 5 draft picks. All the top teams have at least one high-end first rounder.

This is generally true. And the Canucks will, eventually, get that top-5 pick. That doesn't mean we shouldn't ride the Sedins while we can, stockpile those 10-20 picks, and build a solid stable of depth so when we do get that pick, it's a short stay at the bottom.

Need Thomas Gradin to hire a couple more Euro scouts to nab those quality late rounders that other teams sleep on.

Datsyuk, Zetter, Kopitar, David Krejci, Tarasenko etc.

[herb]

Seriously though I think it is time to trade Higgins and Burrows if he will waive, in the least. Perhaps Kassian too if you can get a decent prospect back. The six I'd look to lock up for the bottom two lines would be from these seven.

Matthias
Hansen
Horvat
Vey
Bonino
Richardson
Dorsett

I may look to trade Richardson at the deadline for a draft pick simple because of age and his playing style sees him get more than his share of boo boos. I like Horvat and Bonino down the middle because of their age. But Dorsett may want to return to Columbus in the off season so we will see.

I think you're on the right track HW.

If I'm Benning, anybody not named Horvat, Edler or Tanev is available.

Higgins, Hansen, Matthias and Burrows would look good on a contender in need of some middle six depth. Richardson would be a solid fourth line upgrade for most contenders.

I love guys like Dorsett, but he is edging close to 30 and maybe just got a concussion. Guys who play a rough and tumble style and start getting concussions scare me. My thoughts are he is probably looking at a long-term contract to pad the retirement coffers. Do we really want to pay $2M for 4 years on DD?

Hopefully Jensen, Shink, Gaunce and others start pushing themselves onto the big club by next season. Spots should be up for competition and not locked down by veteran utility guys.

[Strangelove]

Adding two $4-5m contracts to the defense simply isn't feasible.

Well that's where you're wrong Dave.

As a matter of fact you proved as much in your very next post.

Do the math David.

Sbisa gone, Weber gone, Franson in, Corrado in, Tanev gets raise...

So, what, we have $1.9m in space right now. $71m ceiling turns that to $3.9m. Let's assume we don't have a one way deal for an AHL goaltender so that's $4.2m.

Sbisa, Weber and Stanton walk and Tanev and Corrado expire so that's about $10.1m.

(These are NHLNumbers figures so I don't know if it's a bit fuzzy).

I bet you could probably get Tanev, Franson and Corrado under contract for about that total AAV, you'd likely have to give them whatever they want term-wise to make it happen.

That would leave us with 0 cap space, 7 defensemen under contract (acceptable but less than we usually carry, and with no obvious candidate for a call-up from the Comets), and - if we could re-sign Matthias, Richardson and Dorsett at the same cap hits - the exact same problems in the forward group that we have struggled with all year.. and that the GM has been trying to address already.

Doesn't seem too realistic to me.

That's because you're not trying hard enough Dave.

FFS I even gave you a hint when I said the answer to your question was in "your very next post".

How disappointing!

Your very next post:

"Maybe Jake Virtanen and one of Gaunce/Shinkaruk make the team next year and are top nine forwards along with Horvat.. a more likely scenario is that we have one of those three in the top nine, one of them on the fourth line"

Yes, and there are other young forwards!

Swap out 3 of the older guys like Burrows/Higgins/Richardson/Hansen and

... down comes the cap which helps alleviate some of the "problems" you say will exist.

You're welcome Dave.

But to cut right to the chase: if you didn't want to play the game you could have just said so.

Sorry Dave, you're gonna hafta come right out and plainly ask the question.

..I thought I did. Am I being trolled here?

No Dave, there were variables at play which made your question unanswerable.

No Dave, The Great Strangelove would never troll anyone.

Hey Doc, if you could only have one of Bieksa or Franson which would it be? If it's Franson does your answer change if you have to throw juice overboard this summer to accomplish it?

Yeah, it was actually 2 questions all along wasn't it Dave?

Thanks for phrasing your question(s) better, Dave!

Answer: Bieksa.

That said, it's a silly question(s) because there is no reason why we can't have both.

But in order to be as clear as possible with you Dave

... and as we all know, the Great Strangelove is all about clarity...

... I will add the following.

I want Bieksa to play out his contract and then be extended on a year-to-year basis with a pay cut.

I would only add Franson within those parameters.

Or without... if Bieksa refused the pay cut and chose to walk as a UFA.

In summary, moving forward, I think this team needs to add a PPQB from the outside.

And rely on emerging young forwards from the inside.

Sound good??

[Blob Mckenzie]

You have to keep some of the bottom six guys . I don't see anyone in Utica ready to step in next season. I guess thats what you get for six years of putrid drafting by both Eye Bags and the cheese burgular .

[herb]

You have to keep some of the bottom six guys . I don't see anyone in Utica ready to step in next season. I guess thats what you get for six years of putrid drafting by both Eye Bags and the cheese burgular .

Well obviously you don't trade everybody, but you make them all available and see who bids what. We have about 10 bottom six guys as it is right now. Surely we can afford to deal one or two of them!

Somebody from the farm has got to be ready by next season. Jensen is putting up good points this season. Kenins was just called up by the big club. Shink has been improving. Gaunce has had a good first pro season.

Bottom six guys can be picked up on the cheap in free agency anyway, so if we ditch a couple at the deadline we can fix those holes easily if need be.

[SKYO]

You have to keep some of the bottom six guys . I don't see anyone in Utica ready to step in next season. I guess thats what you get for six years of putrid drafting by both Eye Bags and the cheese burgular .

Yeah I'd keep Matthias, Hansen, Dorsett, Higgins for our bottom 6 depth.

Let Burrows, Kassian, Richardson go for whatever we can get, then next season...

Sedins Vrbata
______ Bones Vey
Matthias Horvat Hansen
Dorsett Gaunce Higgins

[Chef Boi RD]

Skyo and his weird man love for Higgins