Who's Your Vancouver LVP So Far?

Sammy is actually on a higher PPG pace than last year at the moment (.727 vs .646) and Raymond is not that far off last year (.59 vs .646) – just they’re both getting more assists and less goals

it’s weak to judge him in any sort of final sense
but it’s fair to say so far he has been clearly disappointing
and we anxiously await him turning that around, which he has started to the last couple games… at which point we can all happily eat crow

Which is why I added the so far on the end of my post.

it’s weak to trade away a 1st round pick for a guy coming off serious injury and have the expectation that he’s going to be the immediate big improvement to the blueline he was supposedly to be.

Its specious reasoning.

It’s the salary cap; it’s a zero-sum game. Pre-lockout I’d agree with you, but at the time of his acquisition he became the highest paid defenseman in franchise history, before Hamhuis obviously. I think the paycheck brings with it a certain level of expectations, not the least of which is being able to crack the line-up.

As I said below, it’s not all his fault. Injuries happen, but then it’s how they dealt with the injuries that was frustrating. You can easily point the finger at Gillis for some of the handling here too. But in the strict terms of who’s been disappointing this far in, I don’t know how you don’t include Ballard.

As YC said, in a cap era, a player’s importance cannot be separated from their contract. It’s not necessarily blaming him that he has (by far) the biggest contract of the group, but it must be taken into consideration. Was Nylander the worst Cap when he played for them? No, but his contract was easily the worst on the team, and the Caps did everything they could to move him despite his being better than other players on the team.

Being least (or most) valuable goes beyond their play on the ice, and includes things like their contract. Which is why I voted Ballard.

if Luongo gave up as few juicy rebounds as Schneider.

Well, you’re not going to waive your brand new 4.2M defenseman…

Win interpretation of the day!

on pk subban

Malhotra doesn’t deserve to be in this discussion. You can make a case I suppose for Luongo or Raymond but they’re more underperforming to my eye than flatly disappointing.

We traded a prospect and a first rounder for Ballard and he ends up being outplayed by Rome. That’s disappointing, full stop. Yes injuries factor in but that doesn’t negate the disappointment. If you want to spread the blame around then people can be disappointed in Gillis for getting him, both Gillis and Ballard for downplaying the hip surgery and Vigneault and Gillis for not admitting he’s been dogged by injuries when Rome won the spot. And we’ve all seen him play enough to see he’s getting a bit better, but he’s made just as many mistakes that we crucify Bieksa for.

Don’t get me wrong, I think he’ll be fine in the long run (I said that in the post). But at this stage there is more disappointment surrounding him than positivity. My opinion anyway.

I don’t think that Ballard should be here on the basis of his cap hit alone, unless it can be shown that he is keeping someone who will bring more to the team than him for the same or less cap hit off the roster. Given that the Canucks didn’t give up all that much in the trade and only increased their cap hit by about 2MM, I don’t know what you could do better, except a cap dump, which then reliess on the farm to improve your roster. Would a rookie have been all that much better? Rome has looked like a solid Seventh-man, but not a top 6 guy.

I don’t think disappointing play is also a good criteria, since its connection to value is not the strongest. For example, Luongo has been disappointing this season, but he has still been valuable to the Canucks in a lot of games, and also in certain intangible ways. What about Ehroff? He has been a HUGE disappointment for me, considering he is a shell of what he was last year. Or even Burrows? I think that this is not a good criteria.

If we think of value as a semi-objective criteria, Ballard has given the Canucks an inconsistent, but steadily improving defenceman. Overall, Ballard’s cost, relative to what we could have is about a wash to a small plus.

I chose Schaefer, because his cost was BMO, who I think would have brought a lot more to the third and fourth lines. He didn’t really bring very much to the team to outweigh this cost. To me, he had negative value and thus is the team’s LVP so far.

Technically, that’s what “Other” is for.

It’s the multiple personalities kicking in again!

But I agree Sean, we don’t need goons who don’t bring anything else.

haha! Oracle I bow to thee!

I was thinking the same thing… at the same time – he did get sound down because he wasn’t that valuable to the team according to management.

Not convinced. Rypien is LVP. Mwahahaha

They do.

you aren’t the only one

Wooo’s

or the sound of a pin dropping. Your choice :)

The music definitely needs work. The woo can go. Otherwise I have no complaints (from the one game I’ve seen live)

why would that impress me? it’s abso-fucking-lutely DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!

Could also help the Panther’s PP. And you don’t even have to trade for him!

Hordi and Bernier aren’t helping? That’s weird…

;)

but it’s -4 if we take out the SJ game…

I think it may have to do with them being streaky scorers mostly, bust also a little bit of AV not using them entirely to their skills. When they were put out as checkers, they were a tough line which caused turnovers and then made you pay. Once they exploded, I noticed them being rolled out more as a third scoring line, playing in more offensive zone situations, and playing more often overall, which didn’t feel like it suited them as much. Meh, I think the new line combos are better anyways. I like Sammy on the third line giving up his checking instincts with a lazer beam shot, working with Manny and Jank/Glass. Torres on the third line has give the line with great checking and a scoring punch. Obviously Burrows with the Sedins is money to watch and Tambo seems to be a good fit with the second line, speed and skill matching up with MayRay’s and Kesler’s ability to dominate the ice.