Was going to say it would be tremendous if he pulls a Benson and enters the league right away. That said, I wonder if the Sabres would've been better served giving him a little more seasoning. There's no harm in taking time, there can be if you do the opposite. Benson looks poised to breakout though ...

Yeah my mention of Lekkerimaki wasn't a direct comparison in terms of player profile but simply expectations given where he/they were drafted. I do get that Lekk should be expected to take longer given his physical limitations. And I mentioned Cootes could/should have an edge there to help him ...

Draft +1 or even +2 is probably unrealistic. Not impossible but not something we should expect. We could maybe look no further than our last 10-15th OA picks as parallels. Although Willander is a little different given he's a D, who normally take longer, and amateured in college. Whereas Lekkerimaki ...

Hey Petey, learn something from your country brethren on discipline, old man Sedins gave the Canucks whipper snapper prospects a 10 minute head start on the grouse grind and beat them all. Can we not just suit up the Twins this year? We're not scoring any goals anyway, they can just cycle the life ...

All projections I've heard/read on Cooties sound remarkably similar to those of Kesler, Hodgson and Horvat. Not so much style of player (tho some comparisons with all three can be made) but rather their realistic expectations in terms of floor and ceiling. All middle six, more likely solid 3C than ...

Based on their play in the AHL playoffs, I’m much more interested in Mueller getting a look than Lekkerimaki. Lekkerimaki has more offensive upside, but Mueller looks far more ready and plays a more vital position for this club. If they are going with one top line centre and three third line c ...

Willander can steal a job if he comes as advertised. College standouts have made the jump before and he seems like he might be a gem Loved what I saw at both WJCs. Not a standout offensively but a very reliable, no-nonsense defender with a great first pass and big wheels. I can see him earning a ...

There are a few other dirt cheap guys who could provide surplus value. I’m eyeing Karlsson as a dark horse. He’s too slow for a top six role, but middle six may be within reach. Or worst case 4th line, power play specialist (speed isn’t as essential on the PP)? I love his hands down low and in tight ...

6. D-Pete continues to impress, evolve 8. Lekkerimaki takes a step 10. Willander has an impressive rookie season Cap wise over the next few seasons positive progression from these 3 will be key for the Canucks. Absolutely. Capitalizing on ELC value is essential in the next couple years with OEL's ...

On D I think Kudryavtsev has surpassed Mancini on the depth chart. I was so impressed with Kuds in their run that I also have him surpassing Mancini. That said, I caution against making too much out of a two month stretch, and because he's two years younger we can totally afford to slow cook him in ...

theman wrote: ↑Wed Jul 02, 2025 12:01 pm I guess depth is always good. A bit of a strange signing though.

You always need depth on D. With this team running a couple of young and relatively unknown guys you're going to need some insurance in case they falter. Also could be insurance for a possible trade.

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 ...

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 ...

Cornuck wrote: ↑Tue Jul 01, 2025 6:06 pm Blais is gone.

Ah, missed that one today. Would've liked to give him another shot. Oh well.

Makes sense for the Habs with their small, soft lineup.

We kept our three Americans up top, and added three new Americans in Abby. Happy Canada Day :hmmm: I believe the proper term today is sub-Canadians. :D Happy Canada Day! At least they drafted several Canadians and signed another one this past week. Good start to filling the lineup with homegrowns ...