Vigneault Expects More From Grabner / Shirokov Injured
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 19, 2009 10:15 PM PDT
in Preseason
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PrintIn his post game interview, Alain Vigneault called out Michael Grabner, basically saying that he is going to have to play better if he is going to make the team. Grabner continually looks lost out there in the offensive zone especially. At this point it's almost fair to say that he will not make the team this year, barring an insane turnaround in his play / output over the remainder of preseason.
AV mentioned that Sergei Shirokov has a mild knee? sprain and won't be available until next weekend. Bummer.
The Canucks-Oilers game was rather boring to say the least, but at least we got a good look at Cody Hodgson (who looked like it was his first game), Tanner Glass, Evan Oberg (who I thought was terrific). Only Bieksa played more minutes than Oberg. Vigneault had good things to say about him.
A couple more points from the game:
-Mikael Samuelsson seems like a guy who slowly gets better as the game goes along. I'm not overly impressed with him yet though.
-Alexander Edler was a beast out there. He cranked the puck any chance he could and scored the opeing goal. All this talk about getting a good puck-moving defenceman and here we have Edler who can skate with speed, confidence and poise out of his own zone. He can also quaterback a power play with ease. He will make us forget about Mattias Ohlund I'm sure.
-Jannik Hansen was great. Period.
-Brad Lukowich continues his steady play. I hope this guy makes the team. We need that calming effect back there.
-OK, who put the crack in Ryan Johnson's cereal? This guy is skating faster than I've seen him skate before. Ballsy. Tenacious. Great player.
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I agree with you on all the players Sean.
Shirokov, he said knee in the presser I watched on Canucks.com…he didn’t say which one.
Oberg makes how much? Awesome…another guy making it tough to cut him.
Edler=awesome tonight.
So, Grabs was the one called out hmmm? Thats fair, he does look on the wrong side of things. Had a better game this one, but…not really.
Not sure I totally agree on Sammy. I thought his game was OK. Looks like he has more to give though. And looks great on the forecheck.
Just not this game. Was a bouncing…beat the shit out of the puck game sometimes…preseason…gotta love it.
RJ has been cranking guys too. He had a monster hit and a few other great foerchecks in this one.
I thought the Canucks iced a grinding lineup and ground out a win.
vancitydan
Meanwhile, we have this to look forward to next week too…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mrfqn7QsILE
Best prison street hockey team in Nova Scotia…
vancitydan
"I saw him last year in Manitoba and he was a dominant player in that league [AHL] with his speed and being able to use his shot to create scoring opportunities," said Canuck head coach Alain Vigneault. "He hasn’t been able to do it so far at our level.
"He’s played in three of our first four games and, if his expectations are to be with us this year, he’s going to have to have a better week."
Vigneault on Grabner
Dangnabbit!
I do hate working until 9 at night Friday and Saturday…
Going by comments here and in MediaLand, it’s good to have a reminder that Hordichuk has some skills and not-bad speed to go with the fisticuffs… I’ll give props to Oberg, too: he’s looking better than I thought he would so far. I’m gonna be happy if I have to pay up on Edler getting 50 points! (Or was it 45? If it’s 45, I’m hosed…)
All this talk about getting a good puck-moving defenceman and here we have Edler
Gonna tell me you regret picking up Schneider? 8)
Looking for the line times to be: 18 minutes for the 1st, 15 minutes for the second and third, 12 minutes to the fourth with specialists in and out for special teams work and specific assignments. The way AV likes working his players, that could mean Kesler draws in for the third line plus shadowing duties, so he could get 20 minutes one night, 15 the next.
We’ll see.
True, that… Although this is the highest-pressure training camp/pre-season I can remember the Canucks having. I’ve never seen this much competition for so many spots! The money matters have me a little curiou, though: I’m actually holding off on doing a full team-by-team preview/prediction thing until after the next trade…
Exactly. Hey, let me just toss this out there…Lukowich is better than Mitchell? Is that possible? Or, it looks more and more like O’Brien could be the guy who gets traded. We can’t get rid of Luko.
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 19, 2009 11:07 PM PDT up reply actions
If they’re looking to unload, then Mitchell could certainly go. I think it would be a shame, being a (semi-)local boy and a great shut-down guy. I don’t think Lukowich is a better player than Mitchell, but he might be close enough for a couple million dollars…
Of them all, I expect SOB is out. He has an upside, sure; but we’ve reached a point where we’re going to have to move a bit of that if we’re going to step up to the next level.
Sean, I was thinking you trade one of your 3. something D’men to keep two of your 1.5 guys…or whatever Luko makes with OB’s 1.6.
The only one without a NTC is Bieksa, no? Maybe Ehrhoff?
Some how, I don’t see him trading any of them. I like Juice, and I really see this team carrying 7 D,2 G, and 12 forwards. with Schneider and Demo starting on the IR.
You can keep a guy like Luko in the box, with an extra forward until those two are eligible. A move in the early season as they make it into the season and guys come back.
Did I hear on the broadcast Shorty saying Schneider had cleared himself to practice?
Maybe that deal comes sooner after all…
Trade Demo is the easiest way on the Cap.
vancitydan
Trading Demo won’t get Vancouver a lick back (unless Gillis has pictures in his Blackmail pile), but would get us some room. Be a pain losing a 60 point man, but again if Shirokov (“Shark”?) looks capable, let’s talk to Atlanta, see if the owners their have got their shit together enough to keep Kovachuk and want some extra scoring.
If Gillis gets a 5th round pick back it is still better then nothing when they can’t resign him at the end of the year. He has benefited from one salary dump, if he needs to be on the losing end of another so be it.
by Zombie Jesus on Sep 20, 2009 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Nah, I think he has more value than that and someone would antie up.
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 20, 2009 2:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Trading Demo would be genius but does anyone really think Gillis can pull it off? As for losing the 60 points…I think that we have some players coming into the system an developing that can fill that void. Moving Salo would make me a very happy man. Before anyone gets too upset I think Salo is a very good Dman. Salo is far too injury prone for my liking and I would love to see the back of him for that reason. The problem is his NTC. I don’t think SOB is a real candidate to be moved or else I can’t see why they would have re-signed him to begin with. As for Bieksa, when he is on his game I think he might be our best all around D man. He hits, fights, plays good D, makes a good first pass and scores 10 plus goals. When he is on his game he is a difficult player to play against. Plus a friend of mine who used to spend time in that room as a reporter told me once that Bieksa was the future captain of this team. I have no reason to doubt that he is a good leader and the players in that room love him. Can we trade a guy like that? To me Mitchell is the prime candidate to be moved.
This is why I am so very interested to see what MG does with all the extra players we seem to have. Will he make a move? Who will go? Anyone making predictions is a braver man than I.
ps. Sauve, Oberg, Shirokov, Hodgson etc etc….how good are we going be in 2 years? Kesler and Edler in their prime, great young players, goaltending…sadly if there is one franchise that can screw this up…(I have faith in Gillis but I have been fooled too many times in the past)
by Section 312 on Sep 20, 2009 1:21 AM PDT reply actions
Best Canuck preseason ever period.
We are agonizing over who to cut because they guys that are on the bubble really deserve to playing in this league. That is far cry from previous years were we filling out the roster with minor leaguers and has-beens. (98.3 percent of previous seasons)
How do your id the weak d-man on a team that has allowed 4 in 4 games? This group is playing air tight hockey and Schneider the elite d-man who signed to come here for peanuts has not even played a shift. I think that we will go this 8 d-men on the roster and and start the season with Eldler, Michell, Ehroff, Lucowich, SOB, Bieksa, Salo, and name the new guy either Oberg or Rome. When Schneider is ready to come likely someone else is injured (Salo?). That is what i see Gillis doing if he can manage the cap.
I don't know where
the secondary scoring will come from without replacing Demitra, I mean we can HOPE Sammy, Bernier, Wellwood all have career years, and Kes and Burr duplicate theirs, and/or Shirokov and Hodgson are RoY candidates, but that’s a lot of IFs.
Say what you will about Demo, he’s been a consistent producer for years and imo that production has to be replaced if they lose him, I’m all for the youth movement, but are we rebuilding or trying to contend?
Besides, carrying 8-9 quality NHL dmen is a tad silly, one or two have to go and hopefully a top 6 forward comes back, esp if Demitra goes too.
I just don’t equate Demitra to a Cup-winning roster. Same with Salo. Both get hurt when it matters most. They can’t handle the grind. I wish they would both just go away. I’m tired of relying on Salo especially, as talented as he is.
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 20, 2009 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I’ll never forget about mattias ohlund. NEVER. How can you say such a thing?
by Beantown Canuck on Sep 20, 2009 9:49 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
I mean that in a different way than you think. I mean that the current group will play well enough that we aren’t thinking that…damn I wish we had Ohlund back.
Ohlund is a Canucks legend. He is never to be forgotten.
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 20, 2009 2:01 PM PDT up reply actions
If they retire #2, then they’d have to retire #19.
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 20, 2009 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah and they should have retired 21 for Lumme first. Number retirement is a bit much, but ohlie and nazzy in their prime shall be forever etched into this Canuck fan’s memory. You’re forgiven Zan.
by Beantown Canuck on Sep 20, 2009 3:55 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I didn’t say they should, either, but I’d like to see it. Quiet guy who routinely got the job done. Class act. Not unlike #12 and #16.
M’eh. I’m not so sure of that. Just my opinion. Smyl and Linden were in a whole different class
by Sean Zandberg on Sep 20, 2009 9:07 PM PDT up reply actions
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