Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Tue Jul 01, 2025 5:26 pm
We kept our three Americans up top, and added three new Americans in Abby.
Happy Canada Day
I believe the proper term today is sub-Canadians.
Happy Canada Day!
At least they drafted several Canadians and signed another one this past week. Good start to filling the lineup with homegrowns, now just need more. Outside chance of Bains and Blais making the lineup could bring the number up. Otherwise currently...
Canucks: 3 (if you count Myers)
Whitecaps: 9 (let that sink in)
I feel remarkably good tonight as I head to bed. I cannot remember the last FA frenzy or draft day, combined, where I felt good about what the Canucks did and did not do. There have been good drafts and good FA periods but both in the same year?? I know for the most part the Canucks were forced into this position. They had to draft because they could not make a trade and give up another 1st rounder. They had to re-sign their own FA and soon to be FA because there was shit on the market. But still it has left me feeling good.
I'm OK with how this week went. Would've been nice to land a 2c, but we had a good draft, didn't OD on the UFAs and kept some consistency with the team.
Demko's health and Petey’s brain will decide the season.
Can't disagree. Not sure it makes up for the TDD fiasco but keeping Brock helps take the sting away a bit. And I still hate our lack of impact up front that still needs a ton of work, but all in all could've turned out to be a much worse week for the team than it ended up being. The main thing is Quinn's likelihood to stay didn't take a hit, I wouldn't think.
As it stands I feel pretty positive about the upcoming season. The two big question marks alone, if they can be answered positively I think we can have a good year. Petey returning to form and Demmer's health.
A perfect season is a Cup win. That ain't happening, but a realistic perfect season for me looks something like this:
1. Petey's back to being the alien we all fell in love with before whatever took possession over his body & mind.
2. Demmer puts his health issues behind him and returns to optimal form for the entire season.
3. A couple of the young guys on D (D.Petey, Willander, Mancini) take a giant step forward.
4. Chytil stays healthy and has a fairly productive year (not expecting much more tbh).
5. A couple of wingers who lost their mojo last year, Dak and Hogs, find their hands from two years ago.
6. A couple from the group of AHL hopefuls (Raty, Karlsson, Sasson, Bains, etc.) bring their game to the bigs and earn regular spots on the bottom six.
7. Lekk spends the first half in the A to hone his game, then comes up halfway into the season and produces like a bonafide top or middle six winger.
8. Now this one is the big one for me and is tied together with points 3 and 4. If they're successful my master plan would be to move Hronek (+ Chytil in a package if need be) to land a true top line or top 6 center that may shake loose before the deadline.
9. Quinn sees enough positive steps forward to ink in the Summer.
The last point would be icing on the cake. Barring the big trade for a center, if many of the other points are successful I fully believe we can make an 8-12 point improvement from last year's debacle of a season. A 98 to 102 point season could/should be within reach I would think. Getting us comfortably into the playoffs and hopefully a round or two deep. This is important mostly to retain Quinn and for me personally I'm dying to see Demmer back in the playoffs more than anything (I need to see this before his career ends or leaves the team, whichever comes first).
Chef Boi RD wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 6:33 am
If Willander and Mancini make big strides, Hronek could be the piece to move for top 6 help, if needed.
For management to fit Hughes' next contract under the cap while leaving scope to improve the top-6, two of D. Petey, Willander and Mancini have to hit on their potential by the end of the 26-27 season. By that time Myers will be off the books. Having the kids earn their way into the top-4 allows management to look at moving Hronek for an asset, but more importantly being able to absorb Quinn's new cap (even with the cap going up) and have room to fit a top-6 contract.
The nice thing is I can see both D. Petey and Willander doing it. Mancini may have more to give, but he's looking more like a good option on the 3rd pairing.
Chef Boi RD wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 6:33 am
If Willander and Mancini make big strides, Hronek could be the piece to move for top 6 help, if needed.
The way the team is constructed it reminds me of those very competitive Nashville teams where they had strong goaltending and a deep and talented blueline...
Scoring was their achillies hee, never having their top scorer reach 65 points....
The system has 2 players in Raty and Sasson who I assume the organization is expecting to fill the 3rd and 4th line centre position and if needed one of them can move into the 2 slot...
I'm curious how Safonov is doing at development camp and if he gets signed .... In a perfect world him and Ravinskis and Klimovich form the Eastern European line, a big and heavy 4th line...
Take care...
Last edited by rikster on Wed Jul 02, 2025 10:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
Chef Boi RD wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 6:33 am
If Willander and Mancini make big strides, Hronek could be the piece to move for top 6 help, if needed.
For management to fit Hughes' next contract under the cap while leaving scope to improve the top-6, two of D. Petey, Willander and Mancini have to hit on their potential by the end of the 26-27 season. By that time Myers will be off the books. Having the kids earn their way into the top-4 allows management to look at moving Hronek for an asset, but more importantly being able to absorb Quinn's new cap (even with the cap going up) and have room to fit a top-6 contract.
The nice thing is I can see both D. Petey and Willander doing it. Mancini may have more to give, but he's looking more like a good option on the 3rd pairing.
You hope that one or both of Mynio and KK also develop into NHL players and for strategic reasons Celebrini as well....
It's remarkable the depth that the organization finds itself with on the blueline and in net...
And its well organized in terms of age...
Makes sense why they went heavy on centres at this years draft...
Nuckertuzzi wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 1:28 am
perfect season for me looks something like this:
1. Petey's back to being the alien we all fell in love with before whatever took possession over his body & mind.
2. Demmer puts his health issues behind him and returns to optimal form for the entire season.
3. A couple of the young guys on D (D.Petey, Willander, Mancini) take a giant step forward.
4. Chytil stays healthy and has a fairly productive year (not expecting much more tbh).
5. A couple of wingers who lost their mojo last year, Dak and Hogs, find their hands from two years ago.
6. A couple from the group of AHL hopefuls (Raty, Karlsson, Sasson, Bains, etc.) bring their game to the bigs and earn regular spots on the bottom six.
7. Lekk spends the first half in the A to hone his game, then comes up halfway into the season and produces like a bonafide top or middle six winger.
8. Now this one is the big one for me and is tied together with points 3 and 4. If they're successful my master plan would be to move Hronek (+ Chytil in a package if need be) to land a true top line or top 6 center that may shake loose before the deadline.
9. Quinn sees enough positive steps forward to ink in the Summer.
Agree,but i suspect Lekkerimaki will need at least another full season in the AHL, he's got some catching up to do after having mono. and injuries, plus not used to the longer season.
Can't see them trading Hronek if they're in the running to make the playoffs.
I'm hoping Kudryavtsev improves in the A .
Would like to see Klimovitch get a few NHL games
On D I think Kudryavtsev has surpassed Mancini on the depth chart. But neither are penciled in the top six. One of D-Petey or Forbort will likely play the right side, probably D-Petey, since he can get more ice time with Hughes hogging all the left side minutes.
The number seven guy might change week to week, so they all stay active in Abby. Could be Willander, Kudryavtsev, Mancini, Woo, or even Mynio, maybe be even Breeeeebois if the job is stand by injury replacement and designated popcorn eater. That’s a very good defensive core at both NHL and AHL levels.
Forbort and Myers better not take a step back because there are a lot of youngsters who may be better then them already just waiting for an opportunity.
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