Canucks News N Notes 25-26

[UWSaint]

Maybe watching the how the Canes have won the tortoise race, slow, steady and persistent have convinced TNFGs to finally do it properly.

No problem moving Boeser and EP40 for a return, but I am having trouble connecting this to the Canes approach.

The Canes were blessed by several draft picks playing well above their draft station: Aho, Slavin, Blake. Give me two top six forwards and a first pairing D from outside the first round and you have a hell of a head start.

Beyond that, it is a team built mainly on trades. What the Canes did was move on from almost all of the high draft picks from the days they weren’t good, exchanging value. They moved on from Hanifin, Necas, and we are going further back, but Skinner and Lindholm. Not all these moves worked, btw, but the strategy to learn is don’t let players get past their due date. When they made moves, they didn’t get too sentimental about it — every decision was calculated; they never fell pray to the sunk costs fallacy and moved on quickly when things didn’t work (Rantanen). They drove hard bargains at the negotiating table. Even one of the two remaining home grown high draft picks that lifted the Cup (Jarvis) wasn’t the product of a tank and draft and build strategy (they were already good), but the product of weaponizing cap space (taking Marleaus contract) and fabulous luck (covid creates enlarged playoff group, Laffs stun their toe on prelims).

Just as the Canes didn’t overvalue their own players, they were constantly bargain shopping for players the market undervalued. This is why they are a bit small in the forwards group. But guys can be undervalued in other ways. Taylor Hall, for example, but I think Ghost and Walker fit too. Don’t have an all situations #1D? No problem, prioritize the defense part and pay cheap for the PP1.

They also didn’t overvalue their picks. Have a need, see an opportunity, use the picks for the trades. Look for chances to pick picks up, too (they love their second-fourth rounders), but all as a constantly churning set of assets to deploy where best deployed at the moment to fit the vision of that moment.

It’s crazy how Vegas is like the Empire and the Canes get a pass. They are actually quite similar in approach, but maybe Vegas cheats a bit and the Canes don’t; Vegas spends every penny and the Canes pinch them (but to be deployed when the time is right).

I think there is a ton to learn from the Canes about how they run their organization. But I don’t think a lesson to learn is to trade guys at the low end of their value. I also don’t think it’s a blueprint for rebuilding; it is a blueprint for staying competitive. Most of what was important to their success was what they did *after* they turned the corner.

[Lancer]

I think with the Canes, they decided on the kind of player that fits their play style and go out and get them - either through trade or the draft. Some of those undervalued players were nabbed by Carolina because they fit their play style kind of player they wanted - as opposed to grabbing players based off historical stats and talent alone. What’s key is having scouts, management and coaches who all know the style of fame and style of players they want. It may lead to some whiffs on the draft board, but as Saint says, don’t be afraid to let them go before they start to sour.

And yes, finding gems outside the first round is also key. Most championship teams have those “found money” types either as nobody UFAs or in the later rounds of the draft.

[Todd Bersnoozi]

For sure Snooz. Will do.

Thnx man.

Tell Blobby I say to lay off the sauce and pizza dips, and tell Chef to quit snorting drywall dust with Rosie.

Tell them to get a VPN and slide back in as socks

(But this time behave!)

*LOL* Doc used to do it back in the day. There must be a way.

We respect the mods for whatever reasons they may have, but at the end of the day we are all "Vancouver Canucks" and just want the same thing, just 1 damn Cup. Even though we find our mates annoying sometimes, they bleed blue and green just like us. We won't give up on the team and teammates like JT and Huggy; through good times and bad, we'll support our team and our Nucklehead broskis.

[Topper]

What’s key is having scouts, management and coaches who all know the style of fame and style of players they want.

I was told a while back that there is no need for communication between scouting and development. Posters here were very adamant that these roles be separately siloed.

[donlever]

Yeah....clearly the management group has to and does work together.

If not it is a completely dysfunctional excercise and doomed to continued mushyocrity/failure.

Also...

I mean.

If they're looking for "style of fame" (sic) type players more ScooterDoodles are certainly on the way....

[Lancer]

If they're looking for "style of fame" (sic) type players more ScooterDoodles are certainly on the way....

Ducking autocorrect…

[Madcombinepilot]

I think with the Canes, they decided on the kind of player that fits their play style and go out and get them - either through trade or the draft. Some of those undervalued players were nabbed by Carolina because they fit their play style kind of player they wanted - as opposed to grabbing players based off historical stats and talent alone. What’s key is having scouts, management and coaches who all know the style of fame and style of players they want. It may lead to some whiffs on the draft board, but as Saint says, don’t be afraid to let them go before they start to sour.

And yes, finding gems outside the first round is also key. Most championship teams have those “found money” types either as nobody UFAs or in the later rounds of the draft.

Canes analytics team just moneyballed a championship.

Good on them.

[Ronning's Ghost]

Tell them to get a VPN and slide back in as socks

(But this time behave!)

I love that plan. It would be a fun game to see how long it took until we could spot them, but new members are so rare they would likely stick out.

Best case scenario is if they were slick about it, they could make it hard to tell which one is which.

[Ronning's Ghost]

Canes analytics team just moneyballed a championship.

Good on them.

The prospect of "moneypuck" was one of the things that had me initially enthused about the Gillis administration, way back when.

I like the idea that it worked for someone else, even if MG couldn't execute it as well.

[donlever]

Brian Burke to the Hall of Fame.

(...also in the '26 class Bergeron, Price, Rinne, Tkachquits old man and some gash named Cindy Curley).

[Carl Yagro]

Sounds like UFA BlueManGroup won't be playing gigs at Roger's anymore.

I'm sure Ted is more than happy to sign elsewhere on July 1st.

[Kenji]

Brian Burke to the Hall of Fame.

(...also in the '26 class Bergeron, Price, Rinne, Tkachquits old man and some gash named Cindy Curley).

Burke might be responsible for my hockey interest. Sports talk with Dan Russell had his hit on Wednesday nights which was production night at the SFU peak and we listened to that for some reason. That led to writing jobs and Canucks fandom (and beer league). I got to speak to Jim Robson! I recognized The Pauser from his voice in a restaurant!

Anyway Burke was great to listen to and made an all time trade sequence to get the twins. Hope this is auspicious for draft week. I want the new regime to flash some skills off the ice so we might get some on the ice shortly

[Todd Bersnoozi]

Brian Burke to the Hall of Fame.

Congratz to Burkie! He was great, but his downfall here.

1) His faith in Clouts39

2) Failing to find a true #1 centre for the WCE. No offence to BMo7, but he was really a #2. He did have Hank33 coming, but the Sedins were green and they took kinda long to take their games to all-star lvl.

[Meds]

Brian Burke to the Hall of Fame.

Congratz to Burkie! He was great, but his downfall here.

1) His faith in Clouts39

2) Failing to find a true #1 centre for the WCE. No offence to BMo7, but he was really a #2. He did have Hank33 coming, but the Sedins were green and they took kinda long to take their games to all-star lvl.

I would reverse the order of those two items and make a change.

I don't know that they needed a true 1C for the WCE.....I think they needed a guy better than BMo who could lead the charge on a 1B line.

Also, you're right about Hank. He was a 3C at that time.

[Topper]

I get Bergeron and Burke but the rest?

Burke is sort of iffy but his combined League office, and variety of GM positions ok. But I bet he lobbied hard for it.