[Signing] Canucks sign Vrbata (2yrs, $5mil AAV, limited NTC)

[wingmaker]

Originally Posted by Read Only

Says it will be tough not because other teams are bad not that they will make it.

The implication is that the Canucks will be better than one of San Jose or Anaheim, which is what you were looking for examples of. Personally, I think the idea that the Canucks will be better than San Jose or Anaheim seems very hopeful. Could happen, but definitely feels like a homer pick.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Read Only

Says it will be tough not because other teams are bad not that they will make it.

New user name, same insistence on arguing just for the sake of mooning things up.

[Vinny01]

Is there some credit that should be given to AV here? Under him the Canucks were always a top team. He leaves they go to pure crap and in his first year with the rangers he gets them to the finals.

I am guilty of being a hater but having said that I have never been overly impressed with the Canucks roster. The twins, Kelser, Luongo etc were lights out in 2011 that is hard to argue but for the most part I felt it was a roster that overachieved for the past few years.

Many Canuck fans would tell me Kesler was their best player and the heart of the team. Replacing him with lesser pieces and signing a couple UFA's is not going to bring the team from the gutter to contention.

Benning made some big changes but at the end of the day of there are not multiple bounce back years (Twins, burrows, Edler) then this team is 10-14th in the west

From 10-12 there was always the "bounce back" hopes that is flames fans would cling to in order to believe we had a shot at the dance. Didn't work out here and doubtful of works out in Van considering the twins are older than our core in the 10-12 years

[Read Only]

Originally Posted by wingmaker

The implication is that the Canucks will be better than one of San Jose or Anaheim, which is what you were looking for examples of. Personally, I think the idea that the Canucks will be better than San Jose or Anaheim seems very hopeful. Could happen, but definitely feels like a homer pick.

I think it is ridiculous as well but in the context of thread I think there is a difference between the additions of the Canucks make them good enough to compete with the top teams in West and what diane is saying in that Canucks not that great but SJ might gut the team enough that someone had to fill that spot.

[wingmaker]

Originally Posted by Read Only

I think it is ridiculous as well but in the context of thread I think there is a difference between the additions of the Canucks make them good enough to compete with the top teams in West and what diane is saying in that Canucks not that great but SJ might gut the team enough that someone had to fill that spot.

6 to one, half a dozen to the other. It is the same thing. Is San Jose really going to gut their team so badly that the Canucks will be a playoff team and they won't? I don't see how. Even without Marleau or Thornton, they are loaded with emerging young talents. Or the other thought diane had was that Anaheim has been lucky two years in a row because of a high scoring % and will somehow come back to earth so much so that the Canucks might overtake them. Really? That would have to be a major regression, and this after they added a superior player. So any way you want to spin it, the idea that the Canucks might make the playoffs seems to be fairly optimistic on the Canucks part, either by overrating their own talent or suggesting that the Pacific division will suddenly become the metropolitan.

[GoJetsGo]

How is it that Moon was finally given a lifetime suspension for dragging the entire forum down with his incessant "mooning" and he just comes right back with a new username and is permitted to continue doing it like nothing happened?

[Calgary4LIfe]

I, for one, really hope that Vancouver is good enough to make the playoffs. Not just the 'almost' team at that 9th spot that is the supposed worst spot to finish. I want them to make it in the 8th spot, and lose in the first round.

The more often this happens, the more time it will take for that franchise to start rebuilding. If they finish 9th, suddenly they might become more cognizant of the fact that they need to do so. Besides, it is always fun to watch them lose as they get matched up with a competent western team.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I, for one, really hope that Vancouver is good enough to make the playoffs. Not just the 'almost' team at that 9th spot that is the supposed worst spot to finish. I want them to make it in the 8th spot, and lose in the first round.

The more often this happens, the more time it will take for that franchise to start rebuilding. If they finish 9th, suddenly they might become more cognizant of the fact that they need to do so. Besides, it is always fun to watch them lose as they get matched up with a competent western team.

Agreed. Watching LA and Chicago sweep them for years in a row would be excellent.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Is there some credit that should be given to AV here? Under him the Canucks were always a top team. He leaves they go to pure crap and in his first year with the rangers he gets them to the finals.

I am guilty of being a hater but having said that I have never been overly impressed with the Canucks roster. The twins, Kelser, Luongo etc were lights out in 2011 that is hard to argue but for the most part I felt it was a roster that overachieved for the past few years.

Not really. In the last 2 years under Vigneault the team relied on elite goaltending for pretty much all the success that they had. You give the 11-12 and 12-13 teams the goaltending that the 13-14 team had and they'd have finished far lower.

Many Canuck fans would tell me Kesler was their best player and the heart of the team. Replacing him with lesser pieces and signing a couple UFA's is not going to bring the team from the gutter to contention.

Benning made some big changes but at the end of the day of there are not multiple bounce back years (Twins, burrows, Edler) then this team is 10-14th in the west

From 10-12 there was always the "bounce back" hopes that is flames fans would cling to in order to believe we had a shot at the dance. Didn't work out here and doubtful of works out in Van considering the twins are older than our core in the 10-12 years

Anyone saying Kesler was the heart of the team was simply wrong. The Sedins (Henrik in particular) are what drives the Canucks. Kesler missed most of 12-13 and the team didn't miss a beat even though they replaced him with junk like Lapierre, Schroeder, and Ebbett. Henrik goes down to injury in the 2nd half of 13-14 with Kesler there to replace him and they turn into the worst team in hockey. That said I absolutely agree that the Canucks don't have a hope in hell of competing. Too many holes and the players that drive their team are too old to do that anymore. They'd be much better served to focus on the long term but it sounds like ownership has other ideas.

The only solace for Canucks fans vis a vis the Flames comparison is that they've been better with their future assets than the Flames were in that period. The first year the Flames missed the playoffs they'd traded away their 1st and 2nd round picks. The Canucks on the other hand have had four 1st round picks in the last 2 years. Whether that'll have a material difference remains to be seen, but I certainly like the Canucks' current prospect pool far more than I did the Flames one coming out of the 2010 draft, even if it is lacking in high end talent.

[Meers]

I understand what Benning is trying to do with stopgap signings like Miller and Vrbata, while the Canucks' prospects mature. And frankly, it's not all that bad an approach. He's greatly improved the depth on Vancouver's bottom six, which was an issue last season. They've also got quality goaltending both in the big club and in the pipeline now. The loss of Kesler's 200 foot game is huge, but Bonino and Vrbata may well generate more points than the departed diver.

It's nice to see a franchise trying to improve - rather than simply tanking. (Not that that has ever happened in Alberta.)

That having been said, Vancouver is clearly just a bubble team.

Could the Canucks snag the 7th or 8th playoff spot? It's not inconcievable. Remember that just back in December they were in a solid playoff position before Torts self-destructed and lost his room. Chances are that Vancouver will be better coached this season, and that's worth a handful of wins (I can't, for the life of me, see Desjardins asking the Sedins to kill penalties, block shots and take starts in the defensive zone). And if the Sedins, Edler and Burrows have modest bounce back seasons and Kassian continues to improve, they might make things close.

But I see them as 9th or 10th in the West.

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

Why does it always seem that the Flames post 2004 are used as the template to describe the current Canucks?

Not that I'm terribly optimistic about next season but the last 2 times the Canucks dipped out of the playoffs, they were back in the next season. This season was a hell of a dip, though.

[skeena1]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Who were his linemates (primarily) last year?

He pretty much always played with Hanzal, and the third guy was Kennedy, Korpikoski or Doan.

Source:

http://www.nhllinecombinations.com/i...=evf&range=ALL

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Super Nintendo Chalmers

Why does it always seem that the Flames post 2004 are used as the template to describe the current Canucks?

Not that I'm terribly optimistic about next season but the last 2 times the Canucks dipped out of the playoffs, they were back in the next season. This season was a hell of a dip, though.

They had more coming up then though. The last time they dipped they had the twins ready to emerge as elite players. They don't have that this time

[GoJetsGo]

You can liken it to the recent Flames or not. Either way, it's a team with a fading core that are hanging on to a hope that isn't there. Keeping middle of the road picks to get moderate prospects is all well and good, but it's not going to make way for a bright future.

They're a below average team now, and they're only going to get worse. Keeping the Sedins and adding players like Vrbata and Miller are only going to keep them in that limbo area just outside the playoffs.

[d_phaneuf]

middle of the road picks?

they have had two top 10 picks the last two years

whether they were rebuilding or not, they have accrued assets at a higher amount than most 'rebuilding' teams do

[Fire]

Originally Posted by Super Nintendo Chalmers

Why does it always seem that the Flames post 2004 are used as the template to describe the current Canucks?

Not that I'm terribly optimistic about next season but the last 2 times the Canucks dipped out of the playoffs, they were back in the next season. This season was a hell of a dip, though.

The Canucks will improve a bit just because they got rid of that idiot coach, but I wouldn't be too excited about the new coach either. I'd say about 5% chance of a playoff spot.

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

middle of the road picks?

they have had two top 10 picks the last two years

whether they were rebuilding or not, they have accrued assets at a higher amount than most 'rebuilding' teams do

The chances of those picks turning into top line game breakers is slim to none.

Like I said, enjoy hovering around that area that's not good enough to make the playoffs and just outside where elite players are typically chosen in the draft. That seems to be the plan for the next few years for Vancouver.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

The chances of those picks turning into top line game breakers is slim to none.

Like I said, enjoy hovering around that area that's not good enough to make the playoffs and just outside where elite players are typically chosen in the draft. That seems to be the plan for the next few years for Vancouver.

most people wait at least a 3-5 years to judge a draft, but you have it figured out 1 year after one, and 6 days after the other

Bravo

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

most people wait at least a 3-5 years to judge a draft, but you have it figured out 1 year after one, and 6 days after the other

Bravo

Sorry to crush your illusions. Maybe those guys will turn out to be top line players. Just like you guys might make the playoffs and compete with teams like LA and Chicago with the plan to plod on.

Just keep those goggle on and I'm sure it will all turn out to be the best case scenario.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by GoJetsGo

Sorry to crush your illusions. Maybe those guys will turn out to be top line players. Just like you guys might make the playoffs and compete with teams like LA and Chicago with the plan to plod on.

Just keep those goggle on and I'm sure it will all turn out to be the best case scenario.

you seem to have a real personal stake in 'crushing illusions' soothsayer

I don't have any goggle's on, I have no clue whether those picks or any of the others made by any of the other teams, no one does, that's why half the best players in a draft end up being picked after the 1st round