OffThePost.org

After having a bit more time to think on it, I'm coming around on this trade. A good prospect and mid 1st round pick is about right. Beauvillier is just cap management.

Still wanted this to be a quality defensive prospect. Oh well, maybe we can get one of those after trading Boeser, Garland.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

Or Demko....

Beauvillier makes sense when you consider that they've put Mikheyev on LTIR - they need someone to replace his speed on the forecheck (not that we saw much of that to date).

Raty seems ok. immediately leaps ahead of Lekkerimaki on the prospects chart. Heck, Raty is already listed on the roster (https://www.capfriendly.com/depth-charts/canucks... )

Moving out Horvat opens a spot on LW for Podkolzin or Hoglander - let's see which one of them gains Tocchet's trust.

What I don't get is did they trade Horvat because he was a so-called culture carrier of the losing variety? I can't say so - if anything, JTM is more of a cancer - but clearly the management and ownership group believed Miller could replace Horvat in the 2C role and was probably more affordable in the offseason. If this is the return on Horvat during a career-season, I can only imagine the crap offers they received for JTM.

They extend Kuz to pair with Petey for the next two seasons; backfill Mikheyev's spot this season with Beauvillier; try out Raty in the 3C/4C.

Noise around Demko being in-play... Disturbing and interesting all at once. I can imagine Boeser and Garland are also available. Schenn probably will be moved.

Beauvillier / Petterson / Kuzmenko
Garland / JTM / Boeser
Joshua / Lazar / Dries
Podkolzin (or Hoglander) / Raty / Studnicka

Hughes / Bear
OEL / Myers
Burroughs / Schenn

It's also interesting to see how this affects their PP alignment. I'm guessing JTM moves into Horvat's spot and Boeser moves up.

PP1: Kuzmenko
Boeser-JTM-Petterson
Hughes

Boeser needs to work on his one-timer but this alignment has some possibilities.

PP2: Joshua
Garland-Dries-Beauvillier
OEL

Moving Boeser up makes sense, get a few more points to up his trade value. Although I think a lot of his issues are injury related and coming back to soon, keeping him and trading him next year may make sense if that is correct.

Demko should only be traded if they are doing a full rebuild, so far they have described it as a "retool" but we'll see.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

Tank Watch

Vancouver 49 games 43 points
SJose 51 41
Arizona 50 38
Anaheim 50 33
Chicago 48 34
Columbus 51 34

Those wins against Chicago and Columbus last week really hurt. The Nucks would be in good shape if they were still at 39 points and the two bottom dwellers were at 36. At this point I think its going to be impossible to catch Chicago and Columbus but might be able to fall to the #3 spot if management gets aggressive moving out Boeser, Garland, TJMiller, Schenn. Actually any injury to either Bear or Hughes resulting in Myers and OEL getting more minutes might do the trick. A bit ridiculous scenario but the team is going to need a lot of luck to get into the Bedard sweepstakes.

Moving Horvat is certainly a step in the right direction. Now hopefully management moves quick on the rest instead of waiting for the trade deadline.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

Oh if they move Demko it's definitely full on rebuild mode. The Horvat trade indicates the direction of a rebuild but their next move will signal whether they can stay consistent for a proper foundation for a rebuild. What they should be looking for are prospects and draft picks in return for Boeser and Schenn. I heard there was still a lot of interest in Boeser even now. The kid needs a fresh start. I say try and move him now if you can.

Rumors abound about Tocchet liking Schenn. That's great and all, but he simply must be moved by the deadline. He's 33 and has no role in a full rebuild other than leadership. Moving the team captain suggests the leadership torch has been passed to EP40 and Hughes. Sounds like Garland might be buyout material and Myers will need until summer.

The OEL contract is a complete disaster. I guess it beats Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel who are all out of the league now. Oh and our 2nd round pick in last year's draft. Man they truly f-ed things up royally after firing Linden for wanting to do the right thing. Worst owners in the league.

I think they need to pull a Guerin and buy out OELs contract, penalty be damned.

Also, I hear a lot about moving this guy and that guy, but none of it seems in service of team building or rebuilding. The Nucks are still in "get rid of this problem/get rid of that problem" mode.

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The problem is this team is nothing but mixed signals which indicates they have no plan.

Signing TJ Miller meant they couldn't sign Horvat. Which indicates they value Miller more but at 30, he only has 3 more years of high productivity if that, which indicates they think they will be good in the next 3 years vs Horvat who could have been comparative value for the next 6 years. And contra-indicates their claimed desire to get younger.

Signing Kuzmenko also indicates they believe they will be good in the next two years. He's a really good value for two years but if this is a retool as claimed and they hope to be competitive in 3 years both Miller and Kuzmenko signings are the wrong choices.

And OEL contract is not worth buying out based on its structure. Really they should be looking at a 5 year rebuild, that clears Myers, and OEL contracts (meantime their incompetence can be used to tank the team). They must trade Miller while they can before his contract becomes a lodestone in 4-7 years, Kuzmenko, Garland, Boeser, Schenn for picks and prospects. Miller needs to go now, or they'll never get rid of him and........................but I've been hoping for a full rebuild since 2013-14 season so kinda broken record here.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

It utterly defies logic if they don't have a long-term plan by now. After the Benning & Co debacle, there is simply no excuse.

When they signed Miller, my sense was that they thought they could move him with relative ease even if he was under a new contract. Due to the base level of interest in him last season at the deadline, a no-brainer, right? Wrong. This was a stupid gamble. But at least this line of reasoning would lend itself to the awareness that 5 years of rebuilding would be necessary. Unfortunately, it would appear they were thinking more like 2-3 years based on these decisions and the Boudreeau bump. Again, off-base decision-making. The very fact that the Aquilini's would approve the firing of Green prior to firing Benning & Co. is complete ineptitude on so many levels and lacks the fundamental understanding required to operate a franchise.

So the vicious circle continues.

There are plans but then there are bad plans and just plain incompetence. Resting on outdated principles that don't allow your organization to pivot or leave for contingencies in a flat-cap world or other unforeseen scenarios like injuries or fluctuations in performance for 10+ years is utterly inexcusable.

Yes Jim, the cap will go up but throwing money at your problems is not a salient principle for long-term success, because most teams can either do that or if they can't they need to rely on concepts that have proven to work in salary cap league, like drafting and development and a pro scouting ideology that is actually consistent. So many frustrations and so many obvious answers, few of them being carried out.

Fans seem to keep showing up in droves because it's a 'hockey market', compounded by the mere fact that just going to games is a status symbol and a fun 'outing' for fair-weather fans. The money keeps coming in and the band-aid approach continues.

Fuck, I don't even know what I am trying to say here. Rant over.

I want more of this version of LP dude!

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

Wondering if Kuzmenko is regretting signing in Van. Benched in Boston, lowest ice time of any player today in Detroit. Definitely in Tocchet's dog house.

-Kuzmenko leads the Canucks in corsi percentage at 51.62%,
- the Canucks out-attempting their opposition 591-to-554 when he’s on the ice at 5-on-5.
- out-shot their opposition 322-to-303 with Kuzmenko on the ice at 5-on-5, the best shot differential among Canucks forwards,
- Out-scored their opposition 43-to-37

Kuzmenko is getting benched as he doesn't play Tocchet's way. A team with a -32 goal differential wants to reduce the playing time of a positive differential player? How does that pass the common sense test?



I'm all in for the tank, so at least there is that, but c'mon if trade him and really tank it up.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

One thing I'll say about Benning--I don't think he ever hired a truly awful coach. I don't think Travis Green is a bad coach and I certainly don't think Boudreau is either.

Can't say the same thing about Patrik Allvin though.

seems like you forgot about Willie Desjardins, and Benning didn't hire Bruce

I think 3 years is the right target, Petey, Hughes and Demko will all be in their prime, it's really the D that we need to shore up and hopefully we can do that with the deals that remain to be made or the proceeds of them. I like the Kuzmenko signing, dude works so well with Petey but on his own as well. Tocchet wants to make an example of him (I hope) and I think he's a good target for it. It is still his first year and he has been resigned so unless you're worried about him taking his puck and going home....worst case scenario we trade him in his contract year and probably get even more for him.

I mean, he was the GM of record when BB was hired right? Maybe I’m wrong but Rutherford always acted like Gabby was not his guy and never really wanted anything to do with him.

Desjardins wasn’t great but not the disaster he was in Los Angeles.

Vancouver loses 6-1 to Detroit. Ottawa and Arizona both get wins.

Its nice to be able to watch the standings again and care and get that little buzz when ever things go well for the team. Even if its a buzz from watching them tank.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

Read Wagner's article about Kuz who is very obviously in the Tocchet's doghouse, why is not clear - the guy leads all Canucks with a 51% Corsi - granted this means he is the best of the worst, but still. Have to wonder if this is how Tocchet is helping Team Tank down the stretch - keep the most dynamic player off the ice.

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/canu ... rn-6525415

You truly are a Canuck fan, lets find another way to get disappointed.

Hey remember when Torts told everyone on the Canucks they had to block shots? Crank that up to 11, and you have Tocchet.

I have no earthly idea how the hell Adam Foote got roped into this.