2013 Canucks Short Preseason/Training Camp

[SKYO]

News & notes about the Canucks:

I'm hearing former #blackhawks #wild #oilers d-man Cam Barker may get a try out at #canucks training camp to earn a 7 or 8 blueline spot.
-sportsnetmurph

PassItToBulis brought up Jim Vandermeer, wonder if he will get a shot with the club?

Eight Canucks skated at UBC today along while still training with the UBC Thunderbirds.

[Hockey Widow]

Vandermeer and the Canucks did talk back in the summer. He was very interested and willing to sign a deal but he wanted slightly more than the league minimum. The Canucks were offering the league minimum at that time. From what I know both parties still have interest but frankly he is not a priority. If he is still around I think the Canucks may take a stab at him but from what I was told last summer they were not prepared to offer more than the minimum.

[$lacker]

Heard from a good source last night that ownership wants to try Kassian on the 1st line with the twins. Obviously subject to change but they will try to make it work.

[SKYO]

Vandermeer and the Canucks did talk back in the summer. He was very interested and willing to sign a deal but he wanted slightly more than the league minimum. The Canucks were offering the league minimum at that time. From what I know both parties still have interest but frankly he is not a priority. If he is still around I think the Canucks may take a stab at him but from what I was told last summer they were not prepared to offer more than the minimum.

Ah thanks, if we deal Ballard for a 3rd line center or picks, Vandermeer would be a solid option to play beside Tanev imho.
Would be nice to get more snarl for our defense, rather than just Bieksa having to be the only tough guy in our top 6 d-corps.

If there are no significant trades that include a center coming back by the time the regular season starts, it'd be an interesting preseason to see all the experimentation for our 2nd line center with Ebbett, Schroeder, Higgins, Burrows, Raymond whom will all probably get a look for that spot.

[CrzyCanuck]

omg finally season's back

Life has been boring without spilling the hate on Luongo, Ballad, Booth, and Kassian
------------------------


What ever happened to Cam Barker? I remember that just a few years ago he was regarded as one of the better young dman in the league?

[Benjo]

Seems he just never "got it" at the pro level despite a 40 pt season on that stacked Hawks team. He was cut from the Texas Stars...the TEXAS Stars, this guy is just filling out an invite slot.

http://www.hockeywilderness.com/2011/6/ ... cam-barker

Seems GMMG is still deciding on inviting Corrado.

[Madcombinepilot]

Vandermeer is a solid Dman, but can he skate?? our D corps is mobile, and I am not sure if ole jimmy boy can keep up....

still, I guess he is just another Rome..

and I would still try a cheap Barker on a 1 year deal....

[Jovocop]

Vandermeer is a solid Dman, but can he skate?? our D corps is mobile, and I am not sure if ole jimmy boy can keep up....

still, I guess he is just another Rome..

and I would still try a cheap Barker on a 1 year deal....

I am not so sure about Barker any more. If he is having problem sticking with the defensive challenged Oilers, I am not so sure he would have a chance with the Canucks unless the contract is somewhere around the league minimum...

[Blob Mckenzie]

I wouldn't mind seeing Arnott as a bandaid. He can play PP........he's big, slow as hell but he played well for the first half of the year last year. Since it's a short season he could be an ok pickup.

Vandermeer can't be any slower and shittier than Alberts and he is a hell of a lot tougher and meaner. I'd take a gamble at league minimum as an 8th d man. He had some decent seasons in Chicago and Calgary recently.

[Benjo]

and I would still try a cheap Barker on a 1 year deal....

Edmontonians are calling him the worst defenseman they have ever seen, which says a lot considering the players that have passed through that roster in recent times. Gillis will obviously wait until he's played in camp before throwing around a 1 year deal and wasting a valuable contract slot. Keep in mind we may still have to sign McNally if he is going to go pro and not sit around for a year to go back to Harvard.

[dbr]

Speaking of McNally I wonder if he can come to camp (on his own dime) and maintain his NCAA eligibility, if that's what he wants.

[SKYO]

Vandermeer is a solid Dman, but can he skate?? our D corps is mobile, and I am not sure if ole jimmy boy can keep up....

still, I guess he is just another Rome..

and I would still try a cheap Barker on a 1 year deal....

I am not so sure about Barker any more. If he is having problem sticking with the defensive challenged Oilers, I am not so sure he would have a chance with the Canucks unless the contract is somewhere around the league minimum...

lol yeah there are some pretty harsh critics on HF and twitterverse about Barker.

He's [Barker] an utterly hopeless player who belongs nowhere near an NHL rink. No quality organization should be giving this guy any sort of a look.

He's a pylon who is clueless defensively, butter-soft, and has completely lost the offensive ability he once showed as a teenager. 8 points in 23 AHL games this season. Just a dumb, dumb, dumb player.
-MS

Oilers fan here. You know how bad our team has been since 06? I have not seen a worse defenseman than Barker. I seriously have no idea how he got drafted 3rd after Malkin and Ovechkin. The only thing he can do is make a good pass. He's slow, terrible defensive awareness, gets walked pretty much every shift, etc.
There were times last season when I was begging for Barker to be scratched in place of guys like Peckham and Potter. Seriously. I have no idea why the Canucks would want him. Maybe he's improved, but what I've seen of him, you'd much rather take a chance with any other defenseman who is a free agent or on waivers.

Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh on him. But I've never seen a worse defenseman at the NHL level.
-Shanahanigans

-Pass it to Bulis: Oh man, he's going to be disappointed. MT @ElliottPap AV confirms Cam Barker to attend camp on PTO but not Jim Vandermeer. Wants puck-mover.

I think we need a rock solid defense dman rather than a soft, defensive liability dman who can pass a little bit.

[Strangelove]

Vandermeer is a solid Dman, but can he skate?? our D corps is mobile, and I am not sure if ole jimmy boy can keep up....

still, I guess he is just another Rome..

and I would still try a cheap Barker on a 1 year deal....

I am not so sure about Barker any more. If he is having problem sticking with the defensive challenged Oilers, I am not so sure he would have a chance with the Canucks unless the contract is somewhere around the league minimum...

lol yeah there are some pretty harsh critics on HF and twitterverse about Barker.

He's [Barker] an utterly hopeless player who belongs nowhere near an NHL rink. No quality organization should be giving this guy any sort of a look.

He's a pylon who is clueless defensively, butter-soft, and has completely lost the offensive ability he once showed as a teenager. 8 points in 23 AHL games this season. Just a dumb, dumb, dumb player.
-MS

Oilers fan here. You know how bad our team has been since 06? I have not seen a worse defenseman than Barker. I seriously have no idea how he got drafted 3rd after Malkin and Ovechkin. The only thing he can do is make a good pass. He's slow, terrible defensive awareness, gets walked pretty much every shift, etc.
There were times last season when I was begging for Barker to be scratched in place of guys like Peckham and Potter. Seriously. I have no idea why the Canucks would want him. Maybe he's improved, but what I've seen of him, you'd much rather take a chance with any other defenseman who is a free agent or on waivers.

Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh on him. But I've never seen a worse defenseman at the NHL level.
-Shanahanigans

-Pass it to Bulis: Oh man, he's going to be disappointed. MT @ElliottPap AV confirms Cam Barker to attend camp on PTO but not Jim Vandermeer. Wants puck-mover.

I think we need a rock solid defense dman rather than a soft, defensive liability dman who can pass a little bit.

I obtained Mr Barker as a last-moment throw-in in a keeper league trade a coupla years ago.

Watched him very closely that season.

His lights are on but HE'S NOT HOME.

Something seriously wrong with that boy, don't even want him in close proximity to my Canucks.

[dbr]

Marc-Andre Gragnani replacement?

[Blob Mckenzie]

Do not want Barker at all.........I heard Gillman or Eye Bags wanted a PMD.....umm hello... your top 6 are ALL PMD. Alberts is the lone stay at home "bruiser" . I would have rolled the dice on Vandermeer or someone who at least would swing a stick at an opposing forward when they crashed the net. I guess # 3 will be the lone guy with a set of balls on the back end.

Has anyone heard anything regarding Jason Arnott ??