It's Mason Raymond's World and We Just Live In It
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 8:29 AM PST
219 comments
No one in the WHL would touch him.
He almost gave up his hockey dreams for - of all things - archery.
He didn't even watch the 2005 draft he was selected in, opting to go wakeboarding instead.
They said he needed to get bigger. They said he needed a more well-rounded game. They said he couldn't be just a speedster with soft hands, like so many failed prospect before him.
No team was willing to waste a 2nd round pick on a lanky 19 year old, but Vancouver's Chief Scout Ron Delorme said roll the dice. Why? Maybe because of what his coach in juniors said:
What the Canucks will see when he does eventually play for them, is a highly skilled player with amazing speed. He's got high end pro speed, even this year in junior. If you look at a guy who has played in a Canuck uniform, I'd say he's got that Pavel Bure high end type of speed.
Yup, all of this is true about Mason Raymond who is enjoying a resurgent year and has solidified himself as one of the best wingers on Vancouver not named Burrows or of Swedish descent.
Think about just the last two seasons: Raymond was bounced from line to line and suffered a horrendous goal scoring drought that lasted from late December until late March (a stretch where he added only two assists and fell to the fourth line). He was a relative non-factor in the playoffs (2G, 1A, -2) and entered training camp as one of the many bubble players who (at best) could crack the bottom six or (at worst) be cut loose on waivers or dangled as trade bait.
Raymond admitted he needed a big season in 2010 and wanted to develop into a player who - night in and night out - could be counted on by his team. At the risk of sounding like I'm standing on an aircraft carrier with a big banner behind my head, can I say "Mission Accomplished"?
Here's a broad look at Raymond's stats from last year and now (g/t to Frozen Pool and Behind The Net for the numbers):
If you want to go the comparison route, Raymond was originally drafted in the second round (51st) of the 2005 draft. He's currently being outproduced by Anze Kopitar, Paul Stastny and Bobby Ryan from his draft class, but has more points than Gilbert Brule (6th), Devin Setoguchi (8th), Niclas Bergfors (23rd), T.J. Oshie (24th), Andrew Cogliano (25th) and Guillaume Latendresse (45th). Any wonder why the 2nd round pick was the currency of choice this past deadline?
Or how about this: his 22 goals to date has him one behind the likes of Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Corey Perry and Danny Briere and ahead of Patrick Sharp, Eric Staal, Jonathan Toews and Pavel Datsyuk.
Some of this boost is situational. Raymond played the majority of ES last season alongside Kyle Wellwood and Steve Bernier and flanked Ryan Kesler and Bernier on the PP. This year he's spent the vast majority of both ES & PP with Kesler and Mikael Samuelsson. These same three also rank in the top 11 players who exceed their Corsi expectations at 5v5. His zone starts, in both the offensive and defensive zones, are eerily similar (basically six or seventh on the team depending on the circumstances).
Check out his Qualcomp, or the quality of the competition. He's currently second, right behind Willie Mitchell (remember him?) and - if you consider his Qualcomp Corsi - he's still second [note: you can read more about the distinction at Behind the Net; I know enough to explain generally but not enough to teach a class]. The bottom line is he's producing while out there against some of the NHL's best.
Raymond has rounded into a great PK'er as well. Even in the 2009 post season you could see his PK skills developing. He logged 0:47 seconds a game on the PK last year, or about 10.6% of Vancouver's total time shorthanded. This season he's up to 1:19 a game, or about 20.9% of short handed time.
Raymond still has room to develop obviously, but his maturation as a player - while certainly not unique - feels very understated. He's still prone to rookie-esque mistakes if not outright terrible plays (see goal #4 against Colorado on Tuesday), but he's a cut above where he was. Last season we were used to seeing him burn down the ice and head straight for the net; he was essentially nothing but speed. This year it's more common to see him make the tight pass, cut and turn at the top of the circle, use the options he has. Reading the ice and plays around him have made him a better, more dangerous player. Don't forget, this is the same kid that Demitra likened to Gaborik when he showed up in training camp two years ago.
So credit Raymond's training, credit AV's patience, credit hanging around the KesLORD and FU Sweden or credit the alignment of the stars or the TV references, whatever works. The subtle fact is he did what fans of any team wish their young guys would do: learn from the inevitable mistakes and come back stronger. By doing so, he gave the Canucks a top six player literally out of the blue.
The archery world's loss is our gain. You can't say that too often.
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Great read. The stats really tell the tale here, he’s doubled his production from last year in less games.
Playing with Kesler he’s been asked to play a very defensive game, playing nightly against the opponents best players. He’s rounded into a great 2 way player and I would expect we may see more from him in the future.
Now as an RFA I wonder how much he will command? If Gillis is smart he will lock him up quickly as he may be subject to an offer sheet.
Everybody loves Raymond.
He is one of those guys, that even the opposition team’s players cannot dislike. Besides talent, he is also a very classy kid.
Los Angeles, CA
Now if only he can get out of his post-Olympics slump.
by Beantown Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 9:49 AM PST reply actions
My keeper league agree’s! Not a bad lat round pickup by myself if I do say so myself. I just knew Raymond had more to give, I just hope now there is another level, say maybe 60-70+ points
by Jesse Taylor on Mar 12, 2010 9:59 AM PST up reply actions
Great post!
Awesome post, and I have to say that the big difference I’ve noticed between this year and last is how much stronger he is on the puck. How many times did we see him get powered off the puck, or checked onto the ice, and then he would look back like a hurt puppy. This year he fights hard for the puck, and is in the corners, and he’s harder to take out in the offensive zone. Glad to see my eyes are borne out by the stats. I think AV uses PK time to develop players into good, hard, mentally-tough checkers (Burrows, Hansen have gone through this as well, I keep hoping that Rypien will make the jump too). These are skills that are useful in any situation.
But one thing that we saw flashes of even early was how Raymond can control the puck in the offensive zone, and wheel around looking for a pass. He’s a pretty slick stick handler. Somewhere on a canuckscorner forum I even predicted that he’ll get 40 assists some day. I stand by that.
That’s a good point about the PK. I never thought about that, but you’re right that’s where Raymond and Hansen (back in the Jan Bulis days) cut their teeth.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 10:12 AM PST up reply actions
Thanks Yank, I had ALMOST forgotten who Jan Bulis was…
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
Sorry, he’s just so fun to bring up every now and then.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 10:57 AM PST up reply actions
I actually had to look it up to remember when it was we suffered through his presence here.
And holy smokes, it wasn’t THAT long ago. Why we ever thought that was a solution…beyond me.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
MAN did I hate Bulis. Underachieving, lazy, whiney, good for nothin… man…hated him. He’d come on the ice and I’d hear in my head Ferris Bueller’s principal sneering “bulisssss….”
"Hope you like pancakes, Norway..." Morgan Freeman
"you'll be playing in england the rest of your career" Sir Alex Burrows
"hank passes to dank over to bank. Hank and dank go to the bench for tank and jank. Bank to tank over to Bernier, he misses! ooo that stank!"
I love how hes able to use his explosive speed for something now.
He can cut in and score or make the sweet pass (see: goals against Washington and Montreal).
Also, Washington clinched their division with 15 games to go. Sweet Jesus, watch out for them in the post-season.
"But yeah…like CC…I harbour no ill will." - VancityDan
by Chuckles Canuckles on Mar 12, 2010 10:31 AM PST reply actions
The one thing I remember most about him last year was the MayRayBlowout™. There goes raymond burning down the left wing side ahead of everybody…annnnnnd again he blew a tire at the corner and is currently extricating himself from the boards… This year he has all that speed, but rarely does the wipe out. The other thing that wasn’t really touched on is he wins alot more puck battles now…being 15 lbs heavier probably helps that. He’d be a guy I’d hate to see the team lose. Him, Hansen, Hodgson, Grabner, Shirokov, those are the next core for this team as the Sedins and kes/burr start to get older and slower, 3-4 years from now.
"Hope you like pancakes, Norway..." Morgan Freeman
"you'll be playing in england the rest of your career" Sir Alex Burrows
"hank passes to dank over to bank. Hank and dank go to the bench for tank and jank. Bank to tank over to Bernier, he misses! ooo that stank!"
Kes will be 28 in three years. He’s only a year older than MayRay. He has a decade of awesomeness left in him.
by Beantown Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 12:07 PM PST up reply actions
Careful….the way Kesler plays you can’t guarantee he will be effective for that long and we don’t want to jinx it.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
by Section 312 on Mar 12, 2010 12:36 PM PST up reply actions
well, that was meant only in response to the idea that in 3-4 years he will be older and slower… i think in 3-4 he will be in the early stage of his peak
by Beantown Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 12:44 PM PST up reply actions
I think he is in the earl stage of his peak now.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Well then it’s gonna be a loooong peak I hope
by Beantown Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:47 PM PST up reply actions
fingers crossed.
he does sorta seem like the type of player who’ll have chronic injuries catch up with him relatively early.
by Passive Voice on Mar 12, 2010 3:12 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah I kinda worded that poorly. The core of a team is always shifting; 5 years ago it was naslund, bertuzzi, morrison, jovo. Then it was hank and dank plus naslund. Then it was hank, dank and lu…now it’s hank, dank, lu, burrows and kesler. Next it’ll be Lu, Kesler, burrows, raymond, etc. Then I figure it will be Raymond, Coho, Grabner, Shirokov and the like. That’s all i meant, and I didn’t mean to imply that the terror twins are going to fade as soon as the swedish twins will, just that I see Raymond et al as the next wave after that. I could be wrong, maybe Raymond will never be anything more than a strong support guy. I don’t for a second doubt that Kesler will be the Canucks next captain, barring an injury or an ill advised trade.
"Hope you like pancakes, Norway..." Morgan Freeman
"you'll be playing in england the rest of your career" Sir Alex Burrows
"hank passes to dank over to bank. Hank and dank go to the bench for tank and jank. Bank to tank over to Bernier, he misses! ooo that stank!"
I don't have
much faith in Shirokov,
He’s already 24 and ain’t exactly dominating the AHL, may just be too small for the NA game, he’s got some pretty good wingers to leapfrog pretty quick if he’s going to do it at all, I suspect he’ll be back in Russia soon.
Everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well I got the pistols so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah that seems fair
I agree, yoata. Been following his stats in Manitoba and he’s doing nothing to inspire the Canucks to call him up at all
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 13, 2010 12:09 PM PST up reply actions
True…I have to go look up his stats now…but I really can’t remember Kes’ having a MAJOR injury…yet!
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
He missed the end of one season, can’t remember which, with an injury. Then came back for one playoff game and got hurt again. Broke something I believe.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Yeah Kes was gone when we played Anaheim and Dallas in Luongo’s first season I believe.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:44 PM PST up reply actions
Broke his finger…the “just cut it off” comment that made Canuck fans go “holy fuck…you gotta like his compete level…”
I can’t remember the injury, but suspect it was something like a groin or a pull or some such.
So, fairly durable so far. I have always been of the opinion that the hitter gets injured less than the hittee.
Every time he has an especially good game, there is usually a shot of him grimacing at the bench, a shot block or something.
But he keeps jumping over the boards.
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
Via wikipedia
After playing 48 games in the 2006–07 NHL season, Kesler suffered a torn acetabular labrum and missed the remainder of the regular season, finishing the season with sixteen points. Kesler returned to the Canucks lineup for the first game of their quarterfinal playoff series versus the Dallas Stars. While blocking a shot in the fourth overtime of the game, Kesler suffered a displaced index finger. Despite finishing the game, Kesler was forced to undergo surgery to repair the damage and missed the remainder of the playoffs.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:52 PM PST up reply actions
So basicly
The only REAL difference in the statistics is playing time, and shooting percentage. But a nice fluff piece none-the-less! lol
It was very easy to see this coming really..
It errs more towards fluff, yes, but there’s a reason and it has a lot more to do than just playing time involved here. He earned that playing time because the change in his style between last year and now (did you watch him last year?). His stats are one thing, but when put in comparison with others in his draft class and the fact that he’s producing as he is when up against the best of the opposition, there’s a lot more there. Especially when you consider he wasn’t even a lock for the team in the beginning.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 1:15 PM PST up reply actions
I love Raymond, and have for a while, and did enjoy the article.
I have seen the difference but I don’t think it is as pronounced as we believe. Last year while only playing 13:42 per game he had 145 SOG. That is rather impressive. However, he shot 7.59% which is unlucky. If he shot at an 11% clip (realistic) he would have put up 16 goals playing third line minutes. With him playing second line minutes, and shooting a little above the league average in SH%, we see a goal increase. You can see from the stats that his A/G ratio is the same.
That’s fair. He never would have made second line minutes last year either, especially after Sundin joined. But you’re right the A/G is the same.
The biggest difference, IMO, is still that he was more one dimensional last year. I’m tempted to say “confidence” but that’s never a good way to look at things. I go back to the Qualcomp: last year he was damn near damn near last (only Johnson and Hordichuk saw easier lines at a minimum of 30 games) and to jump up to second at just 24 years old is telling.
I also like what antro said above about how AV used him on the PK. Makes me wonder if that’s what future holds for guys like Hodgson, Grabner or Schroeder.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 1:44 PM PST up reply actions
I wonder how many penalties Raymond has drawn this season. I can remember 4 of them off the top of my head, but it’s gotta be double digits.
I hate to say it, but I wonder if Raymond becomes trade bait in the summer. How are we going to afford both him and Kesler? And if we can’t, then Grabner steps into that role.
Losing Raymond is fairly possible due to cap restrictions.
Would you rather keep Grabner and hope he develops as expected or pay market value for Raymond?
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 1:55 PM PST up reply actions
I think that depends. I’d deal with Kesler first and go from there. It’s not going to be easy. Obviously I’d say lose Raymond at the expense of keeping Kesler and trade away Raymond for 3rd line help if it came down to it. But then saying that, where is Grabner going to fit in? On the 3rd line? I wish Grabner never wrecked his ankle(?) in pre game practice. He was playing well with Kesler and Raymond at the time.
I just realized I’m not taking into account that Demitra’s $4 million will probably be gonzo this summer.
UFA’s: Demo, Mitchell, Wellwood, Johnson, Raycroft
RFA’s: Kesler, Raymond, Hansen, Glass, O’Brien, Rome
Oh my…what a summer Gillis has ahead of him.
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:03 PM PST up reply actions
Not that bad
Of the UFA’s, the only one I presume is even being considered being brought back is Mitchell. And that would be at a cheaper rate.
Of the RFA’s, Kesler, Raymond, Hansen are probably going to be targeted, and Glass won’t get much of a raise, if any. O’Brien will likely be replaced by Alberts, and Rome is a spare part.
I sure hope we’re going to have a very cheap Hodgson and Grabner rostered next year. I don’t think we’re going to be in that bad cap shape.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
Hansen...
…also won’t get much of a raise.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
I dunno, he’s a good player who could help a lotta teams. If he’s offered less than $1.5m, then he’s yours for a 3rd rounder and a lotta teams’d take that deal cuz Hansen’s proven and a 3rd rounder is not.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
True...but...
Are they really going to offer Hansen that much? If not, I’ll take the 3rd.
Hansen is never going to crack top 6 on this team, and they have young talent that needs ice time, and too many players already signed to play top 9 minutes. Hansen is, AT BEST, a 8th or 9th best forward on the 2010-2011 Canucks, and that player can’t be earning more than 1.5.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
Hansen is, AT BEST, a 8th or 9th best forward on the 2010-2011 Canucks
Not if we flog Welly and Bernier…
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:13 PM PST up reply actions
Hansen has good upside and all the teams, including the Canucks know this. But the Canucks may feel he’s expendable in a trade as they will be overloaded with offense for the next few years.
by Bobby Canuck on Mar 13, 2010 1:01 AM PST up reply actions
Just FYI, Alberts’ salary goes from $800,000 this season to $1.3 next season.
Mitchell doesn’t deserve a pay cut.
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:08 PM PST up reply actions
Cap wise, though, Alberts is 1.050. Fairly certain that was a large part of why he is here.
Mitchell might not deserve a pay cut, but he’s going to have to take one. He’s 4 years older than when he signed that last deal, and he’s in his mid 30’s. Maybe he gets 3.5 on a 1 year deal, but he’s not getting that for any more than 1 year.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
I think he’s so good that some team will pay him more..for longer
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:11 PM PST up reply actions
Seriously?
Their loss then. Mitchell is on the downturn.
Our loss too, but I don’t see how he’s worth that for the Canucks, considering their other options/commitments.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
I dunno. Ohlund was the perfect Swedish guy to mentor Hedman and that sort of opportunity doesn’t come by often.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
Ohlund’s cap hit is $3.6M cap hit over 7 years.
Willie probably won’t get that term but he can get that type of cap hit somewhere if Regehr can get $4M.
Poutine & Meatballs
my understanding is that regehr signed that when he was about 27, and there was a belief out there (which still hasn’t completely fucked off) that he was theepitome of shutdown defence.
by Passive Voice on Mar 12, 2010 2:55 PM PST up reply actions
basically, teams would be bats to give big thick willie a raise, especially if there was any type of term attached.
by Passive Voice on Mar 12, 2010 2:57 PM PST up reply actions
That’s what she said.
"I was thinking it would be cool to see a game on the road. I have been looking all over this atlas but I don't see Vancouver anywhere. What state is this sh*t in!?"
- Dallas Stars Forum
Well if he gets signed for 5 years they could “front-load his contract” at say, $4 million over the next 2 or 3 years…
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 3:07 PM PST up reply actions
Mitchell’s contract depends on two things. If he wants to stay here and retire a Canuck since he is from BC and if he plays and is effective again this year. If he can’t come back and contribute no one is going to offer him big money and a big term until he has proven he is over his head issues.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Mitchell is at the start of “that age bracket” where we can expect him to decline, even if only a little at first. Other GMs may well take that into consideration … not to mention the concussion this year. Tough call.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
At his age a head injury may accelerate a decline.
by Bobby Canuck on Mar 13, 2010 1:06 AM PST up reply actions
At this point I’d rather keep SOB than Alberts. They’ve already put in a good amount of time developing him, it would be a waste to let him go now. Of course, it’ll all come down to how much he’ll cost ($1.8-2.0M?) and whether they move Bieksa and/or keep Mitchell.
Poutine & Meatballs
I prefer SOB to Alberts as well...
…but I prefer a $1m Alberts to a $2m SOB.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
Move Bieksa and problem solved. I don’t mind SOB as the 4.5th D-man (0.5 for when Salo goes down), he’s done a decent job of stepping up this year.
Poutine & Meatballs
Don't forget
Nucks have some pretty good D prospects like Sauve, Oberg and Connauton who could make the jump.
Everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well I got the pistols so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah that seems fair
I don’t feel that the Canucks will readily part with SOB as they seem to have invested alot of time and patience in him and he seems to have responded positively. Raymond appears to be focused on improving himself every year and you just don’t trade someone who may be a 30 goal scorer next year and years to come. Plus he’s valuable on the PK and has generally become a decent defensive player.
by Bobby Canuck on Mar 13, 2010 12:45 AM PST up reply actions
"I wish Grabner never wrecked his ankle(?) in pre game practice. He was playing well with Kesler and Raymond at the time."
I feel exactly the same about Grabner. The ankle has presumably returned to normal now for some time. Why have they not called him back up yet? I know he probably needed some time on the Moose to get his ankle into gameshape but once that was accaomplished they should have called him up and thrown him back out there with Kes and Raymond. Way too conservative thinking for me, but as they say, “I’m not a gm or coach.”
by Bobby Canuck on Mar 13, 2010 12:58 AM PST up reply actions
He has not been producing very consistently with the Moose
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 13, 2010 3:00 AM PST up reply actions
Needs better
linemates to get the best out of him.
Everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well I got the pistols so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah that seems fair
Grabner
Who, exactly, do we send down (or bump down)? RIght now your third line is Raymond-Wellwood-Hansen. Unless you’re thinking about swapping out Hansen for Grabner, there’s no room for him.
I have said it many times this season and I’m going to say it again. This team needs to make a “quantity for quality” type trade that might look sketchy on the surface. But with Hodgson, Schroeder, Grabner et al. in the system, it’s time to package some pieces for a better piece.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
I agree
but it’s too late now, and this team may not be the same team next year.
Everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well I got the pistols so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah that seems fair
I hope we manage to keep Raymond.
Demitra is off the books this year but Kesler is pretty much getting his salary as a raise.
Ship off Bieksa to clear cap room? If it comes down to having to keep Bieksa and paying Kess 5 mil then the rough decision is do we sign MayRay or Willie Mitchell?
Damn Jannik Hansen is also RFA this year. :P
They’ll also want a bit of extra room if they plan to use Cory Schneider as a backup cuz he costs more the Raycroft, iirc.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
That’s true, though if we can’t trade him I hope the management leaves Schneider in the AHL to continue to develop his game.
Plus the Canucks have a talent for finding under-performing, cheap goaltenders who will overachieve for the Canucks.
If they don’t move Schneider it is a travesty. The kid deserves his shot somewhere and for the good of his career we need to move him.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Totally agree. The draft would be an ideal time too. Get a jump on the free agency parade.
Then again I can see where they bring him up to ride shotgun with Lui for some part of the season and then move him (how he’s replaced I have no idea).
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:24 PM PST up reply actions
I think moving him during the season is the worst idea. Then you have to spend a pick or prospect to bring in a backup when you can do that for free via free agency before the season. That offsets any improvement you make on what you get for CS by waiting.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Right, but in theory his value goes up once people know he has some valid experience. Otherwise you likely need some GM on a non-playoff team (hi Tampa!) who really trusts the scouting reports and needs a cheap netminder.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:30 PM PST up reply actions
I know his value goes up I just said that. But then you have to make other moves to bring in a backup and the gains from giving CS experience are offset by having to trade other assets to provide a backup for Luongo.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Unless we can get a backup in the offseason and park him in MB.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
Right, pretty much what we thought was going to happen with Razor last summer.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:40 PM PST up reply actions
At 24 years of age, and great AHL numbers, Schneider needs more NHL minutes. Gillis nearly has to move him this summer.
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:43 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah, I don’t think another year in the AHL is gonna help him at all.
Gotta move him at the Draft… to Philly is my guess.
Poutine & Meatballs
go back in time and see if we can trade him for upshall…
by Passive Voice on Mar 12, 2010 3:00 PM PST up reply actions
^this
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 3:15 PM PST up reply actions
We have some saving coming up next year: about $1m for Luongo, plus $4m for Demo. That $5m right there prob covers the surcharge for kes & Raymond. If more is needed, then Bernier could be trade bait and/or Johnson, to be replaced w/Hodgson, Grabner, Shirok, Schroeder etc – i.e. the cheaper kids.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
Fortunately, Johnson is a UFA at the end of the season.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
There’s $1.2 mill in savings right there
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:04 PM PST up reply actions
Oh, and Wellwood too.
Altho the absolute savings for either he or Jophnson woouldn’t be that much, cuz they don;t make much, the total might be enough to nudge us just under the cap, and that’s w/out even considering the D.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
i guess the obvious the hope is coho can handle 12 minutes a night or something, but that seems like a risky prop. and 2010 draft-pick-to-be Ryan Johansen (do it, MG!) probably won’t be able to step in right out of junior :P
maybe balls can come back for <1m? doesn’t seem likely at all though…
by Passive Voice on Mar 12, 2010 3:05 PM PST up reply actions
Hodg
and RRumble
Everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well I got the pistols so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah that seems fair
Next year, down the middle:
Sedin
Kesler
Hodgson
Rypien
Hodgson can get some PP time, but that’s what I’d be doing.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
Yeah I’d rather see Bernier moved than anyone else. That experiment hasn’t worked and he’s young enough that someone else will take the gamble on him going into his contract year.
I assume Mitchell and Demo are gone, that’s 7.7 million right there. Move Bernier and you’re close to 10 million.
I think there’s enough there to keep Raymond (give him Bernier money or slightly less), resign Kesler and figure out how to replace Mitchell.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:13 PM PST up reply actions
If we could manage all that and only spend about 5mil upgrading Kesler and Raymond’s pay, Anton Volchenkov is UFA this year.
If only…
My secret wish is this team gets more offensive and less defensive in the coming years. If Sauve or Connauton or Oberg can make some strides, I’d much rather see them go out and get another guy or two like Samuelsson to replace Wellwood and Bernier. Leave the last spot on the third line for the training camp battles.
I’d also like Hordichuk to never step on the ice again for us, but alas…
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:21 PM PST up reply actions
If we win a Cup this year based in part on that production continuing into the post season, then sure I’ll be entertained.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:31 PM PST up reply actions
I’m not worried about the scoring…For me it’s the D and Lou
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:36 PM PST up reply actions
Yank.
Right now, Kevin Connauton is setting offensive records on the defenseman development team that is the Vancouver Giants.
His 23 goals, and 44 assists( so far!) is better than such recent luminaries as … from the Giants ;
Jonathon Blum, Brent Regner, Cody Franson, Andrej Mezaros.
Here are some guys from the WHL and their last year in WHL numbers ;
Alex Edler /05/06-Rockets-13G/40A
Three from 04/05 ; Mike Green – 14G/52A for the Blades, Dion Phaneuf – 24G/ 32A with the Rebels, and Brent Seabrook – 12G/42A in Hurricane colours.
His numbers are highly comparable to all, and yet our Canuckcentric media barely gives him a sniff. I see him as a young defenseman that makes the team next year.
He is second in overall scoring in the WHL, behind Tyson Barrie, but has 4 more goals. That guy was picked 3rd RD-64th by the Avs. We took Connauton 19 spots later.
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
Connauton has gone scoreless in eight I think, but yeah he’s had a great season. I honestly forget what (if any) marks he made in the last training camp.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 3:16 PM PST up reply actions
Has taken a quantum leap this season.
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
how’s KCon’s defence? i know his +/- was fairly low earlier this season for someone with so many goddamn points, but that needs more qualification than i can make…
by Passive Voice on Mar 12, 2010 3:20 PM PST up reply actions
+6
I imagine he could get better. That is the part of young defenesmen that takes the longest. His numbers in comparison to current NHL millionaires that are #1-2 on their respective teams can not be discounted.
He’ll probably step up one league (AHL)…than two (NHL)…but the comparison for those other guys at the same stage of their careers certainly bodes well for the Canucks.
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
oh, absolutely. he’ll always be compared in my mind to Stefan Elliott, whom I really wanted, but yeah; KCon’s certainly looking promising right about now.
by Passive Voice on Mar 12, 2010 3:29 PM PST up reply actions
oops…from a team, the Giants…who, with the Rockets, are the first stop for any scout looking for well coached defensemen that can get up to speed in the NHL quick.
Lots of good D-men from the WHL starring in the NHL from those two teams over the years.
I can see him doing better than those in camp. Connauton was penciled in for the Giants from the start…thats why you saw more of college signee Oberg at camp…
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
Thing to remember though is
he is 20, wasn’t drafted until he was 19.
But still, looks to be a good prospect.
Everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well I got the pistols so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah that seems fair
I didn’t know that…
The NHL is littered with guys that started their climb to stardom at a different age. OUt of college…drafted late, or, like Burr’ , not at all.
I did the research, but didn’t mark down when Green, Dion, and Seabrook moved up to the NHL…but I know that Seabrook played some at Rockford, or whatever the AHL Hawks team is.
I would guess that Dion and Green might have had some time down in the system too.
But I do seem to remember Dion coming straight out of Junior, no?
He does look good, it is true. I would see how he impresses in camp, and then make him a Top 4 guy in Manitoba.
Let him keep up the good production he has now.
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
Might be tough
to find takers for a 3rd/4th liner making that much $
Everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well I got the pistols so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah that seems fair
roughly 1.4 per 60, apparently, which is a pretty solid number league-wide.
by Passive Voice on Mar 12, 2010 2:49 PM PST up reply actions
Using a 20% powerplay efficiency, we get:
82 games * 1.4 penalties = 115 penalties
115 * 20% = 23 goals per year.
OK, that’s just a gross number, cuz we gotta claw back penalties that Raymond takes. He takes about half as many penalties as he draws, so cut those extra goals in half to about 12. He gets us +12 net goals in a year by drawing penalties. That’s still a nice number.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
sorry, should have been more clear. that number’s 1.4 per 60 that Macey plays at 5-on-5. But it’s still a very good number relative to the average NHLer.
by Passive Voice on Mar 12, 2010 3:06 PM PST up reply actions
Which Bieksa? The bad-penalty guy or the hard-hitting smooth skater?
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
you forgot the moron that makes stupid plays in his own end or pinches in the offensive zone too much
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:14 PM PST up reply actions
If SOB can shape up his game, anyone can.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:14 PM PST up reply actions
A turd is a turd. I’ve seen enough BS from Biesuk for long enough
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:15 PM PST up reply actions
When he was playing with Mitchell and shutting down other teams top players Mitchell got all the credit and then when they weren’t playing well Bieksa got all the blame. Strange that.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
My hope is AV and company take him aside and drill into his skull that without Mitchell his role skyrockets.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:16 PM PST up reply actions
I hope he surprises me, don’t get me wrong. But I’ve lost faith in Bieksianity
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:17 PM PST up reply actions
His biggest
problem has always been his nonchalance, gets way too cocky and then makes a bonehead play.
Everybody knows
That the world is full of stupid people
Well I got the pistols so I'll keep the Pesos
Yeah that seems fair
Careful Sean, every time you refer to “pinching the D,” missy sighs and thinks of Edler.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
by casual on Mar 12, 2010 2:15 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I’m not excited that he’s coming back.
Truth be told though, I am kinda excited to see Rome gone. Not a huge fan :P
With all the winning we’ve been doing sans Biesuk, I’m going to give Rome a pass
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:14 PM PST up reply actions
Aaron Rome has been very steady, and will be better as a 6th D man as a result of the confidence and proven ability to get it done as an injury replacement.
He gets a total pass from me!
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
Rome has not been steady. He has had 3 decent games in a row, after being brutal for the better part of 2 months.
I need someone here to back me up. We have been ripping him forever, now he’s “steady”.
Where’s yoata when I need him?
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
we’’ll see how much you’ll be tooting Bieksa’s horn now…we’ll see how steady Bieksa is…
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 9:04 PM PST up reply actions
I wont be sending flowers to either of them for a while. The ONLY good thing about bieksa’s return is it means less rome…
"Hope you like pancakes, Norway..." Morgan Freeman
"you'll be playing in england the rest of your career" Sir Alex Burrows
"hank passes to dank over to bank. Hank and dank go to the bench for tank and jank. Bank to tank over to Bernier, he misses! ooo that stank!"
Its all relative.
I have been here and done a bit of the ripping …at the time.
Canucks fans are among the worst at saying…“aww fuck…he should have done…????”…probably because a lot of Canadians have played some, and think they know.
I get that. He has not been perfect. But to judge his whole season? He HAS been steady. He is a 525,000 waiver wire pickup from Columbus…FFS!!!
For that, we got 4 assists, and mostly not that bad of play…regardless of the standard you employ.
He has been the better of the other guys in his range. Baumer and Luko, Schneider and even Alberts so far.
I think he is cheaper than all those guys too!
Part of the solution more than the problem, and worth his money.
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
agreed. Poor Luko..
He’s out for the rest of the season btw. Shoulder surgery.
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 13, 2010 12:13 PM PST up reply actions
he never reported there because of the injury
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 13, 2010 12:37 PM PST up reply actions
The Canucks also lost depth defenceman Brad Lukowich for the duration as he requires major shoulder surgery. Lukowich was waived after the Olympic break and assigned to the Manitoba Moose but never reported because of the injury.
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 13, 2010 12:38 PM PST up reply actions
Ah, no wonder he was waived in favor for Baumer at the time.
Sucks for Luko that he won’t get to play in the playoffs for his childhood team.
Poutine & Meatballs
I was pulling for him all year. He never had what it took to make the top 6 here. I expected more. Wasn’t he a cap casualty as well? Damn my memory!
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 13, 2010 12:47 PM PST up reply actions
I am thrilled Bieksa is back
No more Rome. Less SOB/Alberts. This is good.
And with a nice finish to the year (he’s certainly motivated, and I expect a good finish), he’d have some nice trade value if they decide to go that route.
Knights, Canucks, Dolphins, Jays and Raptors all the way.
I do believe the majority of us were hating on Bieksa by the time he was injured. Don’t make me find the links, don’t make me do it!
I go fluctuate greatly. Sometimes I’m glad to know he’s back there, in a 3-4 capacity. Other times he scares the shit out of me.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:18 PM PST up reply actions
I go fluctuate greatly.
Today is never ending. Can I go to the bar yet?
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:19 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah, I will say it’s nice to have SOB, Alberts and Bieksa back there to split some skulls when the crease crashers come. Free up Salo, Edler and the Hoff to miss their point blasts get some shots on net.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:23 PM PST up reply actions
So everybody’s agreed, we have a great D;-)
by Bobby Canuck on Mar 13, 2010 1:29 AM PST up reply actions
You know what I love best about Bieksa? It’s that he’s an obvious salary dump for us in the off season. Past that, I don’t see him being anything but easily replaceable.
"Hope you like pancakes, Norway..." Morgan Freeman
"you'll be playing in england the rest of your career" Sir Alex Burrows
"hank passes to dank over to bank. Hank and dank go to the bench for tank and jank. Bank to tank over to Bernier, he misses! ooo that stank!"
So Mitchell and Bieksa are gone our D is Edler, Salo (when healthy), Ehrhoff, SOB, Alberts and Rome….who else do we bring in?
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
I’m not convinced Mitchell will be gone… I imagine MG would let him go for the right opportunity, but like Cory S at the deadline, that opportunity has to actually be there.
"Hope you like pancakes, Norway..." Morgan Freeman
"you'll be playing in england the rest of your career" Sir Alex Burrows
"hank passes to dank over to bank. Hank and dank go to the bench for tank and jank. Bank to tank over to Bernier, he misses! ooo that stank!"
SOB is ok now but we can’t seriously be relying on Alberts on Rome to be top 6 guys. Need to bring back Mitchell and probably pick up another. Maybe Alberts as the 6th defenseman. Hopefully he just needs time to adjust to the new team but he better start adjusting now because we’re gonna need some solid D in the final stretch.
Nice work, Mike.
Coincidentally, I d/l and watched the 2005 Entry Draft this week. At this point, MayRay has outperformed about 3/4 of 1st rounders in terms of overall career points (take with a grain of salt since GP for each player differ greatly). So he is definitely a 2nd round “steal” in hindsight. He does need to play with good players to be effective though, like Demitra, so I wonder how that will affect his bargaining power.
Poutine & Meatballs
It’s what he does with the puck that makes him so valuable. The stats back up that he’s pretty good but the speed combined with his ability to turn on a dime allows him to create room and get away from whoever is checking him. His speed also brings the opponents out of position and causes them to draw penalties. He’s been money in the bank this year and I think he’s a must sign right after Kesler.
Really quickly—I’m not sure about your Salary/Point numbers. I have him at $29782/pt last year, and $16521/pt for this year. Similar difference for CapHit/Point.
I pulled it from Frozen Pool, but I can check again
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:39 PM PST up reply actions
i’m assuming it’s just a straight Salary/Points thing? otherwise, disregard my above comment?
by Passive Voice on Mar 12, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions
I think so, they’re just dividing the base by the points. Hang on lemme go check
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:42 PM PST up reply actions
2008-2009 Salary/Pnt – $52917
2009-2010 Salary/Pnt – $9514
2008-2009 Caphit/Pnt – $73611
2009-2010 Caphit/Pnt – $12269
They don’t give a source.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:49 PM PST up reply actions
Not sure what his market rate is honestly. I need to find a comparable player or two.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:42 PM PST up reply actions
I’d compare him to Versteeg, who got $3.08M. MayRay is probably worth around the same amount.
Poutine & Meatballs
Versteeg has more upside. Raymond is a 2-2.5 or you let him walk.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Really? I like Raymond better.
/down, bias, down I say!
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
I would take Versteeg over Raymond in a heart beat. If Chicago offered that trade straight up I would bite their hand off to take it. Versteeg has better hands and has proven in the AHL and the NHL that he is a 20-30 goal scorer. Raymond hasn’t proven that yet. Versteeg is having a bit of a rough year this year but has more talent.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Good thing I’m not offering you that trade!
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
You like your hands?
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
I’m just remembering that the Hawks overpaid him because of their fuck-up.
So maybe MayRay is more like $2.5M.
Poutine & Meatballs
By how much did they overpay? I’ve forgotten.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
I forget, would have to dig it up. He only put up one 53-point season and played 90 games before getting the raise.
Poutine & Meatballs
Yeah but he had two season in the AHL where he was over a point a game and then continued that into the NHL. He is having a sophomore slump but look out next year when he is getting time with Kane, Toews or Hossa since Patrick Sharp look to be on his way out.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
I don’t think you can put TOO much stock into AHL performance. There’s ton of guys who own the AHL but can’t do much in the NHL for whatever reasons. Thus, Versteeg was definitely overpaid at the time of the contract, even using your logic:
That’s why you don’t pay guys based on one good year when they haven’t done it before cause they might not do it again.
Poutine & Meatballs
Yeah but I just explained that he did it at the AHL level. Some guys do it at that level and don’t transfer it to the NHL. That’s a fair point. But Versteeg already transferred that performance to the NHL so it’s a moot point. So once a guy shows he can produce at the NHL level then you look back and realize that he produced at every other level as well and you realize you have a player on your hands.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Less than Kesler, more than Bernier.
$994,433 or below – No Compensation
$994,434 – $1,506,717 – 2010 3rd round pick
$1506,718 – $3,013,433 – 2010 2nd round pick
$3,013,433 – $4,520,150 – 2010 1st round pick, 2010 3rd round pick
So somewhere between $3,013,433 – $4,520,150 seems like the right range. Go non-insultingly low in that range and see if another team forces you up via an offer sheet.
Full disclosure: I really like Raymond and was the guy who said he’d take off if he could bulk up in the offseason, so I’m finding it hard to be unbiased.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
You don’t pay a one time twenty goal scorer more than 2-2.5 million a season. Especially not when he is restricted unless he is an all-arounder like Kesler. And Raymond is anywhere near as good as Kesler right now. You overpay a guy who doesn’t have a track record and you end up with Jason Blake.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Like I said, I’m having a hard time being unbiased in this case….
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
Somewhere, right now, Jason Blake is crying.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:50 PM PST up reply actions
I’m sure his completely undeserved millions will help him get over it.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
haha! Oh man, that’s some funny shit right there
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 2:54 PM PST up reply actions
Hey Blake is $2 million cheaper than Redden and has 20 more points.
I’m not defending Blake, just couldn’t help but bring up Sather’s mistakes in the conversation.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 2:57 PM PST up reply actions
Time for a new league trophy: The Yashin Award.
The opposite of serious is not funny; the opposite of serious is unserious.
And he still costs Long Island $2.2 million until 2015. In case you needed another reason to not take Milbury seriously.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 3:20 PM PST up reply actions
Ones a forward and ones a D man….not really a fair comparison. Redden is vastly overpaid though and so is Blake. That’s why you don’t pay guys based on one good year when they haven’t done it before cause they might not do it again.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
I’m aware of their positional differences, but if you want to go that route, then Blake can hang out with Gomez…or Cammalleri….or Gionta….
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 3:14 PM PST up reply actions
Cammalleri? Are you joking?
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
Yes, it was a Habs joke. Sheesh.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 3:19 PM PST up reply actions
Yeah well I wasn’t sure since the other two guys are overpaid.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
No worries. It’s been a long day (maybe just for me).
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 3:36 PM PST up reply actions
Friday’s are my busiest day and therefore my worst. I love when they are over.
"We love them, We mourn for them, Unlucky boys of Red" - Morrissey
"Giggs gets past Viera, past Dixon, who comes back at him, it's a wonderful run from GIGGS!!!" - Martin Tyler
"He's got a man deep..wait, no that IS Mandeep!!" - Don Taylor
I took today off
Slept in, yakked on here for a bit and then just got back from cross-country skiing in the middle of nowhere. Saw fresh wolf tracks. Wasn’t scared.
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 6:20 PM PST up reply actions
What’s the protocol if you do see the wolves? Ski away slowly?
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 12, 2010 8:24 PM PST up reply actions
lay down and let them eat you or, take off your skiis and use them as weapons! Go for the eyes!
I’ve never seen a pack of wolves before. Only a lone wolf, and the loners keep to themselves.
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 12, 2010 8:38 PM PST up reply actions
Wolves in general are really only dangerous to people if they’re real hungry, aren’t they? I seem to remember seeing somewhere that they get a bad rap…
"Hope you like pancakes, Norway..." Morgan Freeman
"you'll be playing in england the rest of your career" Sir Alex Burrows
"hank passes to dank over to bank. Hank and dank go to the bench for tank and jank. Bank to tank over to Bernier, he misses! ooo that stank!"
haha, lay down and give up. that’s probably true with for many animals you come across in packs. i think it’s mountain lions you’re supposed to make yourself look bigger for. bears you roll up into a ball and hope they don’t play with you to death (right?!).
and, if in the water and attacked by a shark, you hit them on the gills, not the nose. their nose is all cartilage and they won’t feel it.
thus ends Mike’s wildlife lessons for today.
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 13, 2010 7:08 AM PST up reply actions
Its funny Yank’
The two times I ran across bears, one was Black and one was of the Grizzly variety.
The Black, I was with my dog, and he treed her and her cub pretty damn quick. So, after seeing what was happening, I went toward the kerfuffle.
But I am not too brave to say I was scared when I walked into an alpine meadow and saw a Grizz’ stand up on his back legs over there… from behind an outcrop…
I was far enough away that backing out slowly, going another way and shaking our damn bells like crazy as we made our way…elsewhere, was the best thing to do.
Because it worked!
But we got the feeling that it was just his world, and we were at his sufferance. Huge beast that can go twice as fast as us?
Ummm…no.
I thought with sharks, you went for the eyes…but gills sound good too!
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
I can see where a dog would help against a bear, assuming the bear is skittish enough to fear the barking.
So you ring bells when you see bears? That makes sense I guess. High pitched distraction.
As for the shark…eyes, gills…who are we kidding. If you’re half in a shark’s mouth to begin with, you may be too panicked to remember what part of the damn thing to hit. Instead just be thinking, “today was a shitty day to go surfing…glug glug glug.”
'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.
by Yankee Canuck on Mar 13, 2010 10:54 AM PST up reply actions
yeah.
The bells are more so they hear it and avoid you. Bears don’t usually want to be around humans. If they can avoid them, they will.
Didn’t work perfectly for us huh?
You put one on your pack, but I guess our stride was too “smooth”
Didn’t alert him to us quick enough.
When he stood up, before our retreat…slowly and steadily backing out of the meadow…it was hard not to want to stop for a bit to watch. Fucking beautiful animals…though in a terrifying up close kind of way.
Sort of like sharks! In the mouth…you are done….stab that fucker in the eyes before he gets you…both hands…the “Three Stooges” defense!
About as effective…still…has to of worked at least once for people to say…“do this.”
Murphy ; "You finished with the Twins against Nashville, and AV elected to keep you guys together for today, were you happy with the decision?"
Mikael Samuelsson ; " I was happy with it...Oh yeah. Sure"
I’ve lost all fear with bears. I always take/took a camera along and every one I came across ran away.
It’s the wolverines and cougars that scare me. They are sneaking up on me trying to take a picture, haha
by Sean Zandberg on Mar 13, 2010 12:17 PM PST up reply actions
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