Canucks Young Guns

[Chef Boi RD]

Doyle do you think the team opting to not do a pre-draft interview on Tkachuck had anything to do with how much Linden despises his old man?

At the end of the day, I think it was JB's call. I think Trev just followed along with whatever JB thought was best. JB seemed to really want a D-man; he said that it was almost impossible to acquire top young D-men and gotta draft them. He probably thought Matty Tkachuk's skating was not good enuff to excel in the NHL.

Apparently the draft committee was quite split on Matt and Oli. The deciding factor seemed to be “need” as the Canucks D prospect pool was quite putrid due to having only drafted one D-man in the first round (Bourdon) since fuck who knows when. Certainly Gillis shit the bed in that department. Also drafting two wingers in the previous two first rounds (Virtanen and Boeser) certainly played a part in it. It was a mistake obviously, you’re not going to hit on every pick ffs.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Yeah they were so split on them that they didn’t even bother to speak to Tkachuk. ‘His dad used to bully my ass all over the ice and fuck Jocelyn Lemieux for that matter’, signed #16.

The draft committee

Gillis !!!!

[Strangelove]

I think I was around 12 at the time, her soapy boobs were very stressful for a young ole RD at the time. It was like a twisted version of The Graduate. “Mrs Robinson I believe you are trying to seduce me”

Christmas brings back happy memories for the Dude and his old friends...

[Chef Boi RD]

I think I was around 12 at the time, her soapy boobs were very stressful for a young ole RD at the time. It was like a twisted version of The Graduate. “Mrs Robinson I believe you are trying to seduce me”

Christmas brings back happy memories for the Dude and his old friends...

Yeah well something like that.

The stage ladder led to a closet off the lobby upstairs and me and my pals used to hang up there watching the strippers from above. One stripper when lying on her back I won’t say here name used to wave at us with her legs spread and such. Anyhow, long story short I was the coolest friend in town for awhile. I think we were like Grade 7 at the time.

Some of my pals Moms in the neighbourhood didn’t think to kindly for my Dads lack of discretion when I brought friends down there, my old man was an East Van wop like out of a Scorsese film living in a middle class urban church going Anglo Saxon neighbourhood trying to fit in horribly, he was a terrible influence, there was no disciplining in my house, but he tried, but my friends Dads were cool, they loved him. In fact most of the Dads in the neighbourhood were regulars down there but that was on the hush hush down low, their wives didn’t know. They just pretended to side with their wives so to avoid the dog house.

[Mickey107]

/Cam Robinson/
Kole Lind with 1+1 tonight. He's up to 24 points (8+16) in 29 AHL games.
https://twitter.com/Hockey_Robinson/sta ... de%3Dfalse
That mark is good for a share of 15th most in the league and T-4th most by U22 skaters. #Canucks
6:42 PM · Dec 18, 2019·

[Chef Boi RD]

This is why you don’t rush to judgement with rookies in their rookie season. An experienced hockey fan should know this. Genius pick

Can’t wait until Madden (apparently will turn pro), Lockwood, Hoglander, Woo and Focht are in Utica next season

[Cousin Strawberry]

Canucks 2019 first rounder declines lucrative KHL offer, wants to play with Pettersson


Vasili Podkolzin may have entered the 2019 NHL Entry Draft as the #2 ranked skater by NHL Central Scouting, but due to contractual obligations keeping him in Russia, he slipped to 10th in the draft, much to the delight of Jim Benning and the Vancouver Canucks.

Unfortunately, Podkolzin remains under contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL through next season, meaning that he is not eligible to come to North America until the 2021-22 season, at which point, he will be 20 years old.

There are risks involved with drafting a player when your organization does not control that player's development, but Podkolzin possesses all of the skills required to be an effective hockey player at the highest level. In fact, TSN's Craig Button called him "a complete winger with all the qualities that you want in a player".

Despite having a very high potential ceiling, Podkolzin has struggled mightily to find the scoresheet this season, not registering even so much as an assist through 14 games with SKA. However, according to KHL reporter Igor Eronko, the 18-year-old is not completely at fault for the lack of production.

“He’s coming to a KHL game and he’s sitting, and then when maybe the score is 5-2 or something like that, then only he’ll have a chance to get on the ice and show some of his skills,” Eronko said. “That was bad for him, and he didn’t like it.”

Podkolzin has averaged below six minutes of ice time per game for SKA, a team that is chock-full of talent, which has relegated the young winger to a diminutive role, limiting his opportunities to really shine. Podkolzin has also been bounced around between all three leagues in Russia (MHL, VHL and KHL).

With his development being compromised, Podkolzin was actually happy to be demoted to the second-tier VHL league (comparable to what the AHL would be to the NHL) in October. It gave him an opportunity to play more meaningful minutes, which, in turn, has allowed him to produce some offense. In 16 games with his VHL squad, the young forward has registered 8 points.

One league source shared his knowledge of how prospects are handled (or rather, mis-handled) in Europe, outlining how difficult it can be for young players to develop throughout many of the European leagues.

“The issues in Russia are no different than other European leagues, especially the Swedish Elite League. Older players play, and it’s tough for kids to get ice time. That does make it challenging from a developmental control perspective, but I can’t emphasize enough that it’s not exclusively a KHL issue. It extends to every league outside of the AHL — NCAA, KHL, SHL, on and on.”

As frustrating as this must all be for Podkolzin and the Vancouver Canucks, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. At the conclusion of the 2020-21 KHL season, Podkolzin will be eligible to come to North America, at which point, the Canucks will be able to evaluate where the Russian is at in his development and then implement a game plan to get him up to speed in Utica, on the smaller ice surface.

But how can we be sure that Podkolzin won't decide to remain in Russia? Well, according to Eronko, Podkolzin was offered a lucrative deal to remain with SKA St. Petersburg for an additional five seasons just 30 minutes before Canucks GM Jim Benning called his name. It did not take the Russian winger much time to mull it over before he rejected the offer and declared his intent to finish out his standard contract and then venture overseas to play in North America.

Now that the draft is out of the way and Podkolzin knows exactly where he is heading, the chances of him having a change-of-heart are slim.

“He doesn’t want to sign any extension, he wants to play for the Canucks,” Eronko said. “He’s excited to play with Elias Pettersson, but he knows he has to earn it to play with him. He knows a lot about the team.”

The Canucks are already on their way to building a quality team around the likes of Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. If Podkolzin can develop into the player that scouts were pining over at the 2019 draft, that could really set the Canucks up to become a legit threat out West, if they aren't already there by then.

-from hockeyrumours FB

[Cousin Strawberry]

I dunno. I kept hitting post...

[Cousin Strawberry]

Multiple times...

[Per]

I dunno. I kept hitting [the] post...

Like oh so many Canuck players...

[ukcanuck]

Canucks 2019 first rounder declines lucrative KHL offer, wants to play with Pettersson


Vasili Podkolzin may have entered the 2019 NHL Entry Draft as the #2 ranked skater by NHL Central Scouting, but due to contractual obligations keeping him in Russia, he slipped to 10th in the draft, much to the delight of Jim Benning and the Vancouver Canucks.

Unfortunately, Podkolzin remains under contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL through next season, meaning that he is not eligible to come to North America until the 2021-22 season, at which point, he will be 20 years old.



The Canucks are already on their way to building a quality team around the likes of Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. If Podkolzin can develop into the player that scouts were pining over at the 2019 draft, that could really set the Canucks up to become a legit threat out West, if they aren't already there by then.

-from hockeyrumours FB

How does it work, can the canucks buy his contract out earlier?

not exactly capgeek over here

[Puck]

Good question. It shouldn't be much, he's an entry-level player.

[ESQ]

I think Pod can maybe buy out his contract, but this is rarely done - and I don't think it's ever been done just to sign an ELC in the NHL. The canucks will need to "negotiate"/bribe his KHL team to let him join the NHL next spring after the Russian season is over, allowing Pod to burn a year off his ELC. If they wait until the off-season to sign him, it's just a normal 3 year elc - which is my preference, but Benning likes to give young guys a shot in the spring. Who knows, at age 20 he could be a secret weapon for the playoffs run next season.

[Mickey107]

The NHL and Russian Hockey Federation does not have a transfer agreement but there is an agreement not to interfere with each other's valid contracts.

Meh! Sounds vague enough...

[ESQ]

According to an Islanders' blog, the KHL buyout process takes 15 months. So there is no reason for Pod to buy out his contract, as it has 15 months or so left.