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JOSHUACANADA
PickupHockey Veteran
Canada
2308 Posts |
 Posted - 10/02/2015 : 20:49:42
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Poll Question:
If you talk with most hockey fans there is an expectation that the Sedins will eventually stop playing like allstars and that the remainder of the team with a few exceptions is midpack role playing talent. So far the Sedins are still Top 6 players, the Canucks are decent defensively from the forwards to the defenseman and they always seem to get top end goaltending, even when there is a self inflicted goaltending controversy. I guess the question is always gonna be "is this years Canucks team still a playoff team or is this the year they finally lose convincibly enough to force the rebuild".
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n/a
deleted
4809 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2015 : 22:23:31
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I voted middle of the pack, but it's likely upper middle. Solid playoff spot.
Goaltending.
Still OK D.
Very solid F core, albeit they can be a one line team sometimes.
But yeah . . . goaltending.
Don't Leaf me hanging, Buds! |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2015 : 10:12:05
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| I don't see the Canucks making the playoffs myself. I think too many teams around them have improved enough to surpass them. I think the Sedins have some gas left but as the youngsters learn on he job (assuming 2-3 make the team), i think this team slips and misses the playoffs. Don't think we're talking rock bottom but i could see a finish around 9-11? |
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nuxfan
PickupHockey All-Star
3670 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2015 : 12:50:16
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Toss up on the playoffs, bubble team at best.
Agree with Alex, its not so much that the Canucks got worse, but that other teams around them got better. CGY, DAL, and EDM will no longer be easy points, WPG has emerged as a tough team to play against. The conference is full of elite teams like ANA, CHI, STL, LAK that will always be hard points to earn.
They're well rounded, in that they have above average goaltending, a good top-4 on D, and scoring punch with the Sedin's. Slozo - I hear you about the one-line-edness of this team, it has hurt them in the past. The youth movement has to step up and provide that secondary scoring that is needed.
The wildcard for the Canucks this year is that youth - Horvat, Virtanen, McCann, Hutton on D. If those guys make the team, and can have solid seasons and contribute, along with some 2-way play from Sutter and the Sedin's playing like they're 5 years younger, the Canucks could surprise once again. |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2015 : 23:51:06
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quote:
Originally posted by nuxfan
The wildcard for the Canucks this year is that youth - Horvat, Virtanen, McCann, Hutton on D. If those guys make the team, and can have solid seasons and contribute, along with some 2-way play from Sutter and the Sedin's playing like they're 5 years younger, the Canucks could surprise once again.
Is there any scenario where the Canucks keep all four 3 of these guys? I'd love to see it, but I really doubt it. I'm predicting a few 9 game tryouts and maybe two of these guys sticking? |
Edited by - Alex116 on 10/05/2015 11:10:48 |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2015 : 11:15:35
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Looks like McCann, Virtanen and Hutton are all getting the 9 game tryout. It's up to them to earn their spot and be kept up at the NHL level.
A small surprise sees the Canucks put Frank Corrado on waivera in an effort to send him to the minors. This guy was expected to earn a spot however he apparently didn't play well enough in the preseason to warrant a spot on this team? Not a sure thing that he'll be picked up on waivers considering all the teams are in the same boat as far as trimming rosters but he very well could be grabbed by someone else? He's prob not a future all star but he could be a pretty decent dman for an NHL team. |
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nuxfan
PickupHockey All-Star
3670 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2015 : 11:27:20
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quote:
Originally posted by Alex116
Looks like McCann, Virtanen and Hutton are all getting the 9 game tryout. It's up to them to earn their spot and be kept up at the NHL level.
A small surprise sees the Canucks put Frank Corrado on waivera in an effort to send him to the minors. This guy was expected to earn a spot however he apparently didn't play well enough in the preseason to warrant a spot on this team? Not a sure thing that he'll be picked up on waivers considering all the teams are in the same boat as far as trimming rosters but he very well could be grabbed by someone else? He's prob not a future all star but he could be a pretty decent dman for an NHL team.
Yep, looks like they're making room for the 3 best from camp, which I think is a great idea. Honestly, if they continue to play like they have in the pre-season, it will be a no-brainer to keep them on the team for the season past 9 games.
I'm also surprised by Corrado, perhaps they are anticipating him making it through waivers? He didn't have a great camp, but has shown promise in other games with the team, and has long been considered an "up and comer" within the Canucks organization for defensemen. It was a busy day on the waiver wire today, could be an interesting couple of days seeing if anyone gets picked up. |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2015 : 12:31:07
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Nuxfan.....Blake Price and Matt Sekeres have been discussing this all morning (Corrado). Sekeres thinks they should have put Higgins on IR (has to miss first 10 games or 24 days? something like that?) then use that roster spot to "recall" Hutton (no waivers to send him down) and keep Corrado with the team? What I assume is if Corrado continues to struggle, and they try to send him down 3 weeks from now, he'd then have to clear waivers? I'm guessing they think it's safer to try to slip him through now when most teams are dealing with similar issues? In 3 weeks, a team like Philly could have 2 dmen injured and snap up Corrado in an instant whereas right now, maybe he's not quite proven enough for a team to take a chance on him? Just something I was thinking about but don't know if it's the reason or not?
He's really not improved much since that excellent playoffs he had a couple years ago. He just didn't earn his spot this time around, however, I'd hate to lose him for nothing? |
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nuxfan
PickupHockey All-Star
3670 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2015 : 12:56:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Alex116
Nuxfan.....Blake Price and Matt Sekeres have been discussing this all morning (Corrado). Sekeres thinks they should have put Higgins on IR (has to miss first 10 games or 24 days? something like that?) then use that roster spot to "recall" Hutton (no waivers to send him down) and keep Corrado with the team? What I assume is if Corrado continues to struggle, and they try to send him down 3 weeks from now, he'd then have to clear waivers? I'm guessing they think it's safer to try to slip him through now when most teams are dealing with similar issues? In 3 weeks, a team like Philly could have 2 dmen injured and snap up Corrado in an instant whereas right now, maybe he's not quite proven enough for a team to take a chance on him? Just something I was thinking about but don't know if it's the reason or not?
He's really not improved much since that excellent playoffs he had a couple years ago. He just didn't earn his spot this time around, however, I'd hate to lose him for nothing?
I agree, he didn't have a great camp but he's only 22, one bad camp should not be the end of it. I suspect you're right about the timing - every other team is trying to get their roster DOWN to 23, so picking someone up means you have to send someone else down, not easy to do. It would likely be a lot harder in 3 weeks time when Higgins is back.
Fingers crossed that he clears.
I'm excited about starting the season with McCann, Virtanen, Hutton. All 3 of them showed real promise in the pre-season, and I think all have a legitimate chance of staying with the team past 9 games. Its been a while since we had this many rookies to start the season, this team has benefitted from the youth injection. |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2015 : 09:53:59
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So much for "sneaking" Corrado down. Just heard, the Leafs grabbed him off waivers. Linden's comments on sending him down rather than going the Higgins to LTIR route were a little surprising too.
Trevor Linden was on TSN 1040 and Matt Sekeres asked him about the risk and keeping both Hutton and Corrado. His response? “We obviously could have done that, but we decided not to.” Linden explained that, “Keeping a player here just to have him here is not serving that player well either,” and said that they wanted to get Corrado more time in the AHL.
Not sure I like that route. How about worrying about what's best for your team, not just the player? Toronto may have a bit of a steal here. Leaf fans, don't get carried away or anything, but Corrado could be a stable dman in your 2nd or 3rd pairing for the next number of years. He is limited offensively, but is pretty good all around. If nothing else, the price was right, unless whoever the Leafs waived to make the move turns out better of course?  |
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just1n
PickupHockey Pro
282 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2015 : 11:42:49
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| They did the same thing last year with Markstrom and were successful. |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2015 : 16:03:15
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quote:
Originally posted by just1n
They did the same thing last year with Markstrom and were successful.
True, though I don't recall if they had the same opportunity last year as this year. You do understand the opportunity they had with Higgins' injury, right? I don't recall if they had an injury they could have used to make the same move last year that was suggested this time around? |
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just1n
PickupHockey Pro
282 Posts |
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Alex116
PickupHockey Legend
6113 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2015 : 15:32:24
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quote:
Originally posted by just1n
They could have just sat Corrado because of Higgins injury? I don't really know, but I'm just saying that they put Markstrom thru waivers last year and he was passed up. Bigger salary though.
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Markstrom+clears+waivers+teams+pass+Canuck+goalie/10242413/story.html
The leafs did did waive Panik to pick up Corrado I think.
The loophole was the Higgins injury. By putting him on IR, they open up a spot to keep both Corrado AND Hutton. Yes, he may have had to sit in the press box and find his way into the lineup but the Canucks could have had a few weeks to see what happened injury-wise. If another guy is/was lost to injury, that would open up a hole perhaps? May not have worked and they might have had to send him down but the popular opinion was the Canucks basically gave him away for nothing after spending a few years developing him. Prob would have been even tougher to slip him through waivers a few weeks into the season as I mentioned as well.
The other thing I guess would be he'd have taken up a roster spot to start the year and one of the current Canucks would have had to been sent down (some risk for the waiver eligible guys) or one of the youngsters would have had to been cut and sent back to junior?
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nuxfan
PickupHockey All-Star
3670 Posts |
Posted - 10/14/2015 : 16:23:21
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quote:
Prob would have been even tougher to slip him through waivers a few weeks into the season as I mentioned as well.
I'm guessing this is exactly why they did what they did. The best time to put any player on waivers is when every team is waiving players to get down to 23 man roster and/or 50 contracts. Risky move and didn't work out, but hindsight is always 20/20.
That being said, so far so good for the Canucks this year. Only 4 games in, but I've already been more impressed with increased toughness and a more balanced game through the lineup. They managed to physcially hold their own against heavyweight teams ANA and LA which is no small feat. Prust has as many assists as Daniel, and 2 goals from Cracknell already, go figure. The Sedin's don't have a lot of points, but have looked dangerous on the ice and have been robbed a couple of times. I'm not sure if like the Sutter experiment, but I'd like to see the team settle on a linemate and move forward with it, too much rotating Sutter/Burrows/Vrbata onto their wing.
Overall, I'm more optimistic than I was a couple of weeks ago. Still think they're a bubble team in the conference, but I think they might end up on the right side of the bubble this year. |
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Vancouver Canucks Good bad or ugly 
