Getting Ready For Grabner
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 15, 2009 8:55 AM PDT
in Prospects
88 comments
See this is what happens when you stop a team from playing for five damn days: a first round pick, last seen teetering on the brink of bust city, gets called up because of a slew of injuries and it's a 24 hour media pile on.
In a way this is good stuff. With two forgettable preseasons under his belt, we've wondered if Grabner would ever make his presence felt at the NHL level. After practicing on the first line and with second power play unit yesterday, Grabs said:
I’m just going to try and go out and do what I do in Winnipeg. I’m playing with great players and I have to take the chance. They are great set-up guys so it’s going to be a lot of fun to play with them.
AV played along as well:
Grabs was the best player the last three games Manitoba played and, obviously with two of our top six forwards out in Demitra and Daniel [Sedin], we needed someone to be able to step into that role and assume that job...Michael is an offensive player with great speed and a pretty good touch around the net so we’re hoping he’ll be able to fill that role for us.
This could be the first time I've heard AV say something positive - even neutral - about Grabner. Miracles can happen.
Though always subject to change, the new lines in practice looked like this:
Burrows – H. Sedin – Grabner
Raymond – Kesler – Samuelsson
Bernier – Wellwood – Johnson
Hordichuk – Rypien – Glass
Bieksa – Mitchell
O’Brien – Ehrhoff
Rome – Edler
At least that fourth line will be unpleasant for Calgary. But that third line doesn't inspire too much confidence (certainly not until Wellwood finds his offensive game). So if the second line hits a wall, then the SwedeAlexGrab line will have even more pressure, if not outright end quickly if the Flames take it to 'em.
But let's not be negative. Besides, how often can we celebrate a heralded Vancouver draft pick making their grand entrance onto the hockey stage? A brief history:
- Shirokov was also selected in 2006 (sixth round, 163 overall) and his first game (also against Calgary) he finished with no points and a -1.
- Luc Bourdon's first game in 2006 was against Minnesota and he also didn't register a point, but was even on the scoresheet.
- In 2007 Mason Raymond (2nd round pick, 51st overall in the 2005 draft) notched an assist on three shots in his first NHL start (and coincidentally he played on the top line with the Sedins).
- Cory Schneider lost his NHL debut (also against Calgary!) last November in a 3-1 loss. Other picks from 2004 and their first game results: second round pick Alex Edler was pointless in a loss to Colorado back in 2006, fifth round pick Mike Brown was scoreless but received five minutes for trying to destroy Aaron Voros and ninth round pick Jannik Hansen was scoreless in a 3-0 loss to Nashville in 2007.
- Ryan Kesler, first rounder in 2003, was scoreless and only registered one shot in his first game, a losing effort to Toronto in November of that year. Nathan McIver, 8th round selection from 2003, was a -3 with 7 PIMs during an Anaheim 6-0 romp in November 2006.
- I had to stop at the 2002 draft year because it's so terribly depressing to look at.
So, no pressure at all Mr. Grabner. Hockey history awaits you. How do you think our newest savior will do tomorrow?
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I went for the high hopes, low payout bet!
First star of the night, we all lose our minds!!!
…and crowd @ Nucks Misconduct goes wild!
/crossfingers.
Hey crazier things have happened right?
….right??
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 15, 2009 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions
If ti wasnt for all these injuries
I would say this schedule is complete bum. But the days off to are probably a good thing?
Grabner has been given opportunities in the past, but this is a real chance for him. Top line minutes, and PP time… we’ll get to really see what he’s got.
So, “SwedeAlexGrab” eh? Maybe we should just abbreviate it to SAG.
Gas?
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 15, 2009 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions
GAS Line! haha
Great post, Mike. I like the history lesson there.
I am so unimpressed with Grabner at the NHL level, but, if the Canucks can avoid falling behind 2-0 early so that AV doesn’t shuffle the lines, I think he has a real shot at scoring one if he stays on that line.
I’ve got Grabner with a goal and an assist. How’s that for optimistic?
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions
I just saw a tweet that suggests Gillis is rolling Grabs out now to showcase him for a trade.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 15, 2009 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh yeah..I’m sure they are dangling Grabner! I’ve thought that all along.
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 12:53 PM PDT up reply actions
The thing is, I think we all believe Grabs has talent. He can skate and seemingly has some finish as well. We are all just skeptical that he can translate that to the NHL level. The list of guys who can play at the AHL level, but can’t take it to the next level, Jaffray, is long. Will Grabner be able to take his game, which is successful at the AHL level, and adjust it to the NHL style and level of play? I for one wouldn’t be surprised if he figures it out. I would be surprised if AV gives him the time it might take to figure it out.
On another note. The schedule is really annoying me. There is an Olympics this winter, in case you hadn’t heard (I think Pierre Maguire has just put the finishing touches on his Team Canada Roster Version 17.8), and we have to go on something like an 43 game road trip. So why are we getting so many days off now? Instead of during that abomination of a road trip? It doesn’t make sense to me. Like if we had played 2 or 3 more games already this year we could have a few more days off as a team during that road trip and help off set the grind that the Canucks have to go through during that time. But then I guess that would be the NHL being smart and helping a Canadian team have a better chance to compete and let’s face it, they hate doing that. We have by far the toughest schedule of any team this year, so why wouldn’t the NHL have tried to make it as fair as possible?
Knowing Bettman...
…he’d probably just use that as another opportunity to blame the Olympics, and suggest that the Olympics need the NHL.
bingo!
Right on Jevant…that is definitely the little gnome’s next move…
Fuck ’em. We have a few injuries early, gel as a team on the big Olympic trip, and have enough depth to kick some ass in the second half. Guys get healthy and get back, and there is a possible trade for whatever the team might need at that point.
I agree though Section, it does not seem that logical. Those days off in the midst of that trip might be crucial…
I agree with yoata below too. Great comment. It seems some young guys get a pass and some don’t. Maybe Grabner was talked up as a “Top 6” player too much too early. White would have been fucked if he ever played here anyway, he was already a bust in ALL our minds…which is pretty early to give up on a big centre.
( I know…I know…just sayin…)
Or maybe its just that we could see the progression of Kes and Edler. Burrows too of course. The Sedins were always touted as big time players, and endured enough guff from fans before proving their worth.
Tough town…
Ahhhhh well, we have the sked we have…no sense railing against it. Maybe this will be how all those sleep and diet studies the team has done to improve performance have some hidden benefits…
vancitydan
I’m not going to judge Bettman for our current week layoff. You guys ever run a schedule at work? It sucks ass. There must be several reasons beyond your Bettman conspiracy theories as to why this week off happened. I blame the fucking NBA. There, I said it. That’s my conspiracy theory.
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 12:59 PM PDT up reply actions
Sean you are probably right. Maybe there are reasons behind the seemingly irrational nature of our schedule. But the NHL schedule is put together by a computer. The just feed in the parameters, what days they can access what buildings and so on and the computer spits out a schedule. My question is do they then look over the schedule to make sure it makes sense for every team or do they just go with it? Cause out schedule seems like the kind of thing a computer might spit out and then a human would look at it and go, hold on, let’s put a couple extra games at the beginning of the season for the Canucks and then it won’t be so hard at Olympic time. But like I say, maybe there are reasons. I just wish I could figure out what they were.
But the NHL schedule is put together by a computer. The just feed in the parameters, what days they can access what buildings and so on and the computer spits out a schedule.
No fucking way! What? Give me a link to prove that. That sounds too nonchalant to me.
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions
I can’t find a link. I will keep looking. I am sure that is how they do it though. Probably use The Bettman Schedule Builder 3000.
It probably has to be approved by Brian Burke and Ken Holland before it ever sees the light of day though.
I really don't understand
why most are so quick to judge young talent. These are kids with their first experience at the highest level of the sport, few impress right off the bat, and a lot that do, do so only briefly. Most need a real opportunity of length in positions where their abilities can come to the fore.
Just look at how long the current best Canucks took to become impact players, Kesler, Burrows, Edler, the Sedins, hell go back to Markus Naslund’s time in Pitt, look at the vast majority of NHLers, there’s a learning curve and a development trajectory that takes years for most.
But they have to be first given a real opportunity, instead of being expected to be good/great NHLers before they’ve even been NHLers at all.
That’s why I pulled together what a few of our last relevant picks have done. No one comes barnstorming out of the gate. I was at Crosby’s first game against Jersey and though I think he got a point he looked completely lost out there.
I believe in Grabner like I believe in Shirokov. Just have to give them both time.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 15, 2009 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree. It does take more patience and time. I just get too impatient too soon sometimes.
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm guilty of it too
I thought Kesler was highly overrated and actually thought Nonis should let him go for the pick at the time of that Boob Clarke offer sheet, thankfully Nonis knew better.
I couldn’t agree more yoata. It seems Canuck fans are quick to judge players and then have a hard time changing their minds. The Sedin twins for instance were still being called the sisters as recently as early last year. They were still being judged by their play in their first 2-3 seasons. Like I said above I think Grabner needs time to figure out how to play at this level as most players do, but AV doesn’t seem to give a lot of players that time. 3 games for Shirokov to adjust to the NHL level of play. That’s piss poor management if you ask me.
Well that also depends on team depth as well doesn’t it? Prior to the Sedin injury, where did Grabner fit in? Should we have skipped acquiring Samuelsson and given Grabner a fair shot? We are in “win-now” mode. Gotta go with a proven guy don’t you think?
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 1:35 PM PDT up reply actions
I don’t think developing players properly and winning now are mutually exclusive. Otherwise the Detroit Red Wings wouldn’t exist. I have said it before and I will say it again. I would rather be playing a Shirokov/Grabner/Hodgson than a Tanner Glass. I think we still have a team to win now with one of those guys in the lineup instead of Glass and then we would be developing players for the future as well. And Burrows doesn’t need to be on the top line if there are other more skilled guys developing who can play with the Sedins.
I might be wrong though. Truth be told I have never been in charge of the day to day operations of an NHL team. I just think I could do the job.
Well you make a good point with the Detroit comparison, but I’m still pondering it. Many of the Detroit kids were brought up behind guys like Shanny, Yzerman, etc. They had better depth than we do now because they draft better. Right now I can’t say that Shirok and Grabner are sure shots in the NHL. Could that ever have been said about Datsyuk or Zetterberg?
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 1:48 PM PDT up reply actions
Zetterberg was a 7th round pick. If you had asked people at the time he would have been an extremely long shot to make the NHL. He played two more years of pro hockey in Sweden before coming to the NHL. It was in that time that Detroit developed him but at the same time he still only had 22 goals in his first full season. I am sure there was still a lot of doubt about him developing into the player he is now. Datsyuk was a 6th round pick. So again these are players that Detroit obviously scouted better than anyone else but they weren’t locks to be great players. Detroit developed them properly, and probably got a little lucky considering how rare it is for a 6th or 7th rounder to crack a lineup.
“He (Datsyuk) was put on a line with Brett Hull and Boyd Devereaux and had a moderately productive first year. The length and difficulty of the NHL season got to him eventually, causing him to sit out a clump of games at the end of the year in preparation for the playoffs. He contributed three goals and three assists to the Red Wings’ Stanley Cup run.”
They let this guy play on a team that was winning a cup even though he was moderately productive because they new that was the best way to develop him and then he eventually became a star and led them to another cup.
Luck
If the Wings were so smart, they would have taken Zetterberg and Datsyuk much higher. They deserve credit for spotting them and getting them late, but they also passed on both of them multiple time.
Have to
take issue somewhat with the draft order, yes one can look at individual picks and say they got lucky, but the Wings have done so over and over to the point that one simply can’t call it luck. They simply know how to make the most of their later round picks, as in, first, don’t draft a 3rd liner from the CHL that might one day be a plugger, draft a diamond in the rough with upside because you don’t have much to lose. But also, don’t draft your rough diamonds when there are still pretty shiny gems to sparkle not only your eyes but everyone else’s, as in, just because that rough gem is on your list doesn’t mean he’s on everyone else’s, so why not get him later after all the sparkly stuff is gone. And lastly, Detroit absolutely know how to develop talent, give them real opportunities, and mentor them along, though they have had the luxury of a lot of great leadership to provide that.
Aside from that, I agree with the rest of your post.
so why not get him later after all the sparkly stuff is gone.
Hey, we agree on something…haha
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 6:43 PM PDT up reply actions
I agree yoata. I do see this regime doing more in player development than the previous ones.
Guys like these three…http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=502170
And the Wings have had that great scouting for years.
The team of Scouts that somehow still includes Delorme has Mellanby. A full time Russian scout, Thomas Gradin and Lars Lindgren, amongst others.
Smyl was a big part of getting Shirokov over here. He found Oberg and Walsky, I seem to remember the media telling us. For some reason I don’t see him on the coaches and staff roster at CDC though.
If the Canucks can continue to draft smart and get guys that are percolating in Sweden and Russia over as well ( Like Rodin/2nd, and Peter Andersson/5th…suddenly the depth chart gets even more crowded.
vancitydan
Exactly
the Sedins had what it took long before they got the opportunity to show it, Crawford kept them on the 3rd line and their biggest role was on the PK, so, like some others, they were being judged on lack of production but not being put in a position to produce.
I guess the other side of the coin is that coaches would play guys if they would help the team because they need to win to keep their jobs. Maybe players need to be put in roles they aren’t best suited for until they develop to a point where they will produce in their best role. I still think that means that guys like Grabner should be allowed to develop at the NHL level now that he seems to be at the top of the AHL level of play.
I agree 100% with yoata on this one.
And perhaps something had to happen with Grabner, in particular, one way or another. If he’s being showcased for a trade, so be it. But if he wasn’t gonna get the chance otherwise, we might have lost him cuz he couldda given up on the Canucks.
For whatever reason, most of the better Canuck developmental players of late have been developed right in front of our eyes, in the NHL, not in the minors: Kesler, Burrows, Raymond, Hansen, the Sedins, Edler … that last step from Grabner’s level to the NHL level was done by playing in the NHL itself. All of them are far better players now than when they first made the team.
If I were Grabner’s agent, I might be be telling him that this year you make the Canucks, kid, or, asap (when is his contract up, btw?) we start shopping you around, cuz you’re just not progressing enough with the Moose and there are other big league teams who want young snipers like you on their roster to rebuild with.
Given his talent, he might be just a breakthru game away from making the team. I hate to trade him away at such a young age – 22 – when he could be on the cusp, and I hope he gets a really good chance to show his stuff this time. Call it a hunch, but once he gets past his current mental hurdle, I don’t think he’ll ever look back.
Oh, and re Detroit, I ask again: do they draft better or are they better at player development? Maybe a bit of both? I really don’t think it’s all in the drafting. You wouldn’t wait till rounds 6/7 for guys like Datysuk & Zetterberg and risk losing them if you thought they were gonna be as good as they are now. They were good young players, that’s all, that the Red Wings thought could be developed properly cuz they had the skills and the attitude … kinda like Grabner?
"....there are other big league teams who want young snipers..."
Snipers, that’s the word. Grabs is potentially one and I don’t see any other ‘snipers’ in the Canucks’ farm system or on the Canucks’ team. Give him some time in the NHL.
by Bobby Canuck on Oct 15, 2009 3:23 PM PDT up reply actions
Possibly Shirok has some sniper in him, but he kinda landed in the team’s lap, as it were, in that his drafting was a bit of a flyer on mgmt’s part and they never really expected to land him. And other than he … no, I know of no other snipers in the system who are even close to being NHL-ready.
Yeah, you kinda hit the nail on the head there. Maybe that’s why I’m so leery of not giving Grabner more of a chance, cuz he’s the only young sniper prospect that we’ve got. Hodgson seems more the playmaker, the setup guy who can net a few of his own but will more often set it up for someone else. Shirok … we’ll see.
Grabner could be a real finisher, instead of a guy you hold your breath for when he gets the puck in the slot but really you’re just expecting him to bag another logo and put the opposing goalie on the hilite reel.
And Schroeder’s potential seems to be similar to Hodgson’s.
by Bobby Canuck on Oct 15, 2009 4:38 PM PDT up reply actions
I appreciate all your guys’ input. You say a guy like Grabner needs time to develop? Even after being THAT BAD during preseason? He was f*cking terrible! At what point was it wrong for Gillis to say that Grabner wasn’t ready? I wouldn’t reward a terrible performer when our team had the depth it has.
All Grabner had to do was show us maybe a couple of goals for starters in preseason and perhaps we wouldn’t be having this convo.
The powers that be make the decision on who to develop and when. They see things that maybe we don’t see. They obviously saw something in guys like Burrows, Edler, hell, even O’Brien. I do believe that Kesler, Burrows and Edler were all sent up and recalled earlier in their stages.
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions
I’m saying give the sniper some time to see if he can snipe, during the regular season, if you’re missing 5 mostly regular players.
by Bobby Canuck on Oct 15, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh, you have a fair point, Sean. It’s a judgment call really, not a simple formula.
But why did Grabner show so poorly? If he’s so good in the AHL, and he is, and he’s got lots of talent, and he does, and he works hard, and he does that too … doesn’t that suggest by now a guy who is not making that last step by playing for the Moose? And maybe won’t?
Either he ain’t gonna make it … or he’s one of those guys who needs to develop – if we can hang in there with him thru his learning curve (well, hopefully it curves!) – into a good NHL’er by playing in the NHL.
Isn’t that possibility, esp for a team needing scoring punch and who have a dearth of young snipers in their system, worth the pain?
Like I say, it’s a judgment call. Hey, we gotta make the playoffs first, right, so there’s only so much pain we can take. But if Grabner can at least be OK for the club while he develops “the right stuff” to make that last jump, it’d be a huge boon to the team.
Call it a calculated risk, and there’s no purely right or wrong answer at this stage. I lean towards giving him a series of games, provided he’s not flat-out awful (he was just meh during preseason, not “THAT BAD”, IMHO). But I ain’t AV and I don’t see as much as he does.
For tomorrow, Grabner’s lined up with arguably the best setup man in the league right now (one of them, for sure) so if he can just patrol his wing effectively and shoot the puck he should be alright.
Hope he’s ready so that he can avoid the usual “shit, that was the puck!” moments that a lot of guys get when they first play w/the Sedins and they just aren’t ready for puck when it comes cuz, hell, who could make that pass?
For tomorrow, Grabner’s lined up with arguably the best setup man in the league right now (one of them, for sure) so if he can just patrol his wing effectively and shoot the puck he should be alright.
Your right casual Henrik is up there in terms of set up men although I think Getzlaf is in a class all his own in terms of pure playmaking centers. IMHO
Guys like Spezza, Savard, Hank are in the next class.
Don't forget
Thornton.
IMO, he is still #1, then there’s Dats, Crosby, Malkin, etc, I would actually put Getzlaf behind that group myslef, and probably Hank too.
Yeah I did forget Thornton. I was just watching the Lightning and Sens and noticing how hopeless and lost Cheechoo is and Joe made him score 50. But for me because of size, strength, playmaking ability and the ability to finish himself if he needs to I will go with Getzlaf. He may have more upside than anyone in the league. I have heard people say before that he could be as good as he wants to be. Datsyuk is too good all around to be put on a play makers list. And I don’t think either Malkin or Crosby is primarily a setup type guy either.
Ohlund and co look like hell tonight. Yikes!
That Hedman kid is a Lidstrom in the making perhaps?
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 6:52 PM PDT up reply actions
No love for Savard there yoata? I have to say, Getzlaf is pretty good, but if we are going by “right now”, Henrik is playing better. Grabner just has to bury his one or two chances that Burr and Hank will get for him tomorrow.
You are right though cas’…he better have his head up and stick down. Sedin passes come from the most unlikely places.
Thorton and Spezza are overrated. Hard to go wrong with Dats, Sid, and Gino in whatever order as the top 3 though.
Hank,Getz’ and Joe and the Spaz are below those three. (Zetterburg can dangle too…and Kane and Toews…ah hell…list keeps getting bigger!)
Joe gets his points it seems, but they never seem to be “important points”…ya know?
vancitydan
Joe gets his points it seems, but they never seem to be "important points"…ya know?
Like in the playoffs, where Joe is a suck!
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 7:50 PM PDT up reply actions
myth
Thornton is ~ppg in all but 2 of his nine years in the playoffs, Hank has acheived that kind of ppg in only 2 of his 6 years in the playoffs.
Thought the topic was pure playmaking centres, which Joe is, so yeah, I’ll take the guy that’s lead the league in assists 3 of the last 4 seasons.
Savard and Spezza were mentioned before, I intended that they were implied with the top group of that kind.
Maybe
he showed poorly because again he wasn’t put in a position to showcase his ability for any length of time?
I mean when has AV ever kept anybody together long enough to gel, aside from Burr and the twins, Burr and Kes the year before, and Kes, Demo and Soup for a while at least? And lo and behold all were successful once he did!
Oh, and besides looking comfy on the PP in preseason, one other thing I thought Grabner did well was draw penalties. With his kind of speed, he should be able to do that regularly, and the Canucks’ PP has been pretty good this year, so … hey … hang on a minute … hold it … um, is this what confirmation bias looks like?
This is what I don't understand
What great depth?
The Canucks have a decent top 6 when healthy, but there’s still some question marks within them, and a lot more beyond those six.
Fact is there are no noticable improvements on paper over last year’s roster, so progress will have to come from those same players taking steps forward, not from any real potential from new blood, because none is being given a chance.
The depth on the back end maybe has some Canucks fans not really noticing that the likes of Bernier, Wellwood, Rypien, Raymond etc aren’t good enough to claim that we have great depth up front?
That's what I think too.
Almost too much depth on D, depth up front, but not great quality depth, until one or more of Bernier/Wellwood/Raymond take a step forward.
I mean ever since we got all this depth on D we have been wondering who we will trade for a top 6 forward so we all knew the need was there, even before the injuries. It would be pretty cool if we could develop another top 6 forward from within like we did with the Sedins, Kes and Burrows. All of a sudden there wouldn’t be many players with more home grown, or developed, players in their top 6. Come on Grabs!!!!
So, you didn’t like Burrows-Sedins, Sammy-Kesler-Demitra as the top 6?
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 6:53 PM PDT up reply actions
I was under the impression that those were the top 6 and that we’d be flogging a defenceman for cap space and draft picks.
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 6:54 PM PDT up reply actions
I think it remains to be seen
whether those guys are all top 6 material, and even if they are, that doesn’t mean they are the best top 6 we could ice. I still think a true sniper is lacking.
Yeah. There’s nothing pure about Sammy or Demitra, that’s for sure. Not sure if I can see Gillis trading either one though…
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 7:01 PM PDT up reply actions
Don't have to be traded.
Just moved down in the depth chart in favour of someone better. Sammy’s been there before, expensive 3rd liner but a rental could displace him.
Even Burr, hard to imagine him dropped 2 lines with his start and year last, but go back 12 months and it’s not, love the guy, but if a Kovalchuk type were added, it’s a no brainer who would play with the twins, and you know Burr on a 3rd line would give you an extra threat and bigtime spark to some guys that seem to sorely need it.
OK, but if you moved them down, where do we get the $$$$ for a bonafide second liner?
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 7:51 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, we were. I wonder if a $3.5 D plus Bernier would be enough even. Gotta crunch some cap numbers. Somehow I think that’s not enough liquidating!
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 15, 2009 7:57 PM PDT up reply actions
Sean, I think that is our top 6 right now, I don’t think it’s a good enough top 6 to win a cup. There have been a lot of good teams that needed one good sniper, a trigger man if you will, and that’s what we need. They are expensive though and hard to find.
And Sean you keep telling me, and I am not saying you are wrong, that we are in a win now situation so I ask you this. If we are in a win now situation what the hell do we need with draft picks and cap space?
I don’t think it’s a good enough top 6 to win a cup.
Never say never….but believe me, I more agree with that statement.
If we are in a win now situation what the hell do we need with draft picks and cap space?I’m just saying that as we stand right now, when Demo comes back we will be over the cap. Since I don’t believe Gillis will trade him, then a trade has to be made to get us under the cap, and I’m predicting that means trading away a 3 million guy for draft picks…a salary dump if you will. Don’t get me wrong though, I wish he’d flog Demo. I just don’t see it happening.
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 16, 2009 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions
Do you seriously think Demo is going to come back and be productive at all? I severely doubt it.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 16, 2009 11:30 AM PDT up reply actions
I also don’t think a team with Demo in the top 6 can win the Cup…there I said it.
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 16, 2009 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree about Demo and the Cup. And to be honest, if MG trades a valuable asset from the back end in order to simply get under the cap (draft picks are great but this year is going to be a fairly weak draft so if we move a D man like a Bieksa or Salo we need to get a good young forward back) so that Demo can come back I will be organizing rallies with yoata to get “Gillisgan” out of town.
by Section 312 on Oct 16, 2009 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions
With luck, Demo sits on the sideline until January, comes back and plays well and we move him at the deadline for a pork loin. Or a fifth round pick. Whatever. Demo may do fine on a team that isn’t as aggressive and he can be a third liner, special teamer.
Get Sather on standby.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Oct 16, 2009 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions
If we run the numbers, then to make cap for a healthy team we gotta lose either Demo or Bieksa … or Demo doesn’t play at all and, barring another rash of injuries, stays LTIR for the rest of the year, which is where I suspect we’re headed.
Sedins and Luongo obviously stay. No other fw makes enough money to help w/the cap unless we lose a raft of them and replace them all with min wage guys. So it’d have to be a d-man who goes.
Of the D-men, there are 5 who make 3.5-4.0 mil or so. Of those, 2 (Mitchell & Salo) are NTC guys. That leaves Edler , Bieksa and Ehrhoff. Edler’s our young stud D-man for the future, so we’re down to Bieksa or perhaps Ehrhoff as the odd man out.
I think the Canucks really wanted Ehrhoff and he’s progressing well w/the team. But Bieksa’s much beloved in Vancouver and if the SJ deal turns out to be basically a Bieksa for Ehrhoff swap the fans will be none too pleased.
So we end up keeping Demo on LTIR, which sounds like where his injury is at anyway. Frozen shoulder can take a year or two to heal properly, and sports can really aggravate it.
Don’t see how we can trade him in his current state. To trade him, he’s gotta play first and show the world he’s healthy (plus he’s another NTC guy, I think). You sure don’t wanna mess up the roster to clear cap space for a guy who might only last a few games, so unless we take a lot of other injuries, he stays LTIR, I think, all year. Can they buy him out?
i think they can buy him out…but the salary still counts against the cap. That wouldn’t help us. He needs to be flogged by trade.
by Sean Zandberg on Oct 17, 2009 5:21 PM PDT up reply actions
From the esteemed Mike Keane
Via the Winnipeg Sun on what to expect from Grabner:
“He has big league skill and big league talent, so it’s a matter of him doing the right things to make him an NHL player…He’s honed his skills down here. Obviously, he has big league speed. Everyone knows that. It’s up to him to make the adjustment.”
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
Just curious...
how often is an awful “Grabner? I hardly know ’er!” joke being made these days?
I could probably just go over and look at a copy of the Province…
Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.
how often is an awful "Grabner? I hardly know ’er!" joke being made these days?
First time I’ve heard that one. Hopefully the last.
by Bobby Canuck on Oct 15, 2009 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions
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