Carol Schram: Vancouver Canucks: Linden on "The Turnaround," Bad Feng Shui at the Arena? Trevor Linden graces the cover of this month's BCBusiness magazine, talking about the turnaround of the Vancouver Canucks, while Tony Gallagher ponders possible bad feng shui at Rogers Arena.

http://hfboards.hockeysfu.../showthread.php?t=1907865

If the draft goes like this above, who would you select?



Jansen Harkins for me.

Team: Prince George Cougars
Position: C
Shoots: L
Height: 6’1.25
Weight: 182
GP: 70
Goals: 20
Assists: 59
Points: 79
Pts/Gm: 1.13
PIM: 45

Player Analysis: Jansen Harkins is a smart playmaking centre for the Prince George Cougars…biggest strength is the way he thinks the game and subsequently sees the ice…displays an extremely mature understanding of how to make a difference in all zones…very strong positionally…his hockey smarts and length really show well in the defensive game giving him value as a potential top-end two-way centre at the next level…his hockey sense is matched by his willingness to work hard in all three zones…a blue collar type of forward although he could develop a bit more grit to his game regarding being tough to play against…could also stand to be stronger on his stick during 1 on 1 battles…excels when it comes to offensive timing, arriving at the right spots at the right times…ends up around the net very often, showing versatility in how he arrives there...


.....is long and lean with his extensive reach helping aid him in playmaking…protects the puck well during the playmaking game and takes advantage of his long arms when it comes to putting pucks around or through defenders or under their sticks…is comfortable playing on his backhand…picks his spots when it comes to shooting but could probably stand to put more pucks on net…shot would be classified as only ok for me at this point…doesn’t seem to have the release or the power in his shot to beat goalies from overly deep distances as things stand right now…is definitely a pass-first player in the big scheme of things...

…skating is only slightly above average right now, despite decent fundamentals…has a long stride and a look like he has big feet and skinny legs, leading to a lack of immediate speed out of the gate…top speed is passable once he gets the engine running at full steam and it is surely good in open ice…footwork is a little clumsy and needs to be refined in tighter spaces…skating fundamentals aren’t a huge negative but he needs to improve his lower body co-ordination and edgework especially as he gets taller and heavier…currently lacks that separation gear that you like to see…with that being said, I think his skating would have stuck out far more at the World Under-18’s than it did, had it been a bigger concern…

.....his father Todd played in the NHL and was listed at 6’3 so more growth should be expected…is the kind of player that really grows on you the more you watch him as you start to see the smart little subtleties he brings to the table…

.....was used as the Cougars top centre this season while also being a key player on both the powerplay and penalty kill…spent 14 of their final 15 regular season games on a line with Chase Witala and Zach Pochiro…also had Brad Morrison on his wing fairly frequently this season…set a franchise record for assists this season with 59…would classify him as a bit more of a project than some of the other guys in the draft just due to the amount of height and weight that could still be on the way for him, mixed with his rather unrefined look at times…

....put up 6 points in 5 games at the Ivan Hlinka tournament in 2014 while also captaining Team Pacific at the World Under 17’s…can be seen as fairly raw but definitely had a strong year considering an apparent lack of pure offensive depth with the Cougars this year…showed a nice uptick in production as the year wore on with 1.05 PPG up until December 31st and a 1.17 PPG rate after that point…finished 2nd in primary assists among first-year draft-eligible forwards with 35, trailing only Nick Merkley who had 45…finished 2nd in points among all first-year draft-eligible WHL forwards, once again trailing only Merkley…had the 3rd best PPG rate among that same group of forwards, trailing Merkley and Mathew Barzal…registered 0.74 even-strength points-per-game this year, the 2nd highest mark of any first-year draft-eligible WHL forward…either scored or assisted on 36.24% of all Cougars goals during the regular season, the 3rd best mark among first-year draft-eligible WHL forwards this year…was T-8th in goals among all first-year draft-eligible WHL forwards with 20, with 16 of those coming at even-strength….was recognized as the Prince George Cougars MVP for the 2014-15 season…


...was the 2nd overall pick behind Mathew Barzal in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft by the Prince George Cougars…his style of play regarding his skating, sense, defensive responsibility, playmaking lean and mature attitude remind me a lot of Paul Stastny…while I don’t think he has as high of offensive potential as the 3rd-ranked Nick Merkley does, I think he has more 200-foot tools, projects to play centre 100% (unlike Merkley) and has a more appealing frame…the 3-4 position on this list was one I went back and forth on frequently down the stretch this year, ending up as one of my toughest decisions overall…I think Harkins projects to be a complete second line centre who can play in any situation without hurting you, even though he might take 3-4 years to reach an NHL team’s bottom 6…I expect him to come off the board some time between the 15th and 25th selections in June and will offer a bucket full of value if for some wild reason he falls out of the 1st round…

Klingy

I agree with your pick but it depends on whether we end up acquiring any more picks in the first 3 rounds.

Kylington would be pretty tempting as well.

I hope during the interview process that Benning asks each player how feng shui effects them, but I really think its more of a Gillis thing.

I hope during the interview process that Benning asks each player how feng shui effects them, but I really think its more of a Gillis thing.
- A_SteamingLombardi

That seems more like a Gillis question.

http://hfboards.hockeysfu.../showthread.php?t=1907865

If the draft goes like this above, who would you select?



Jansen Harkins for me.
- Nucker101

Jakub Zboril
We need a high end D

An appropiate Tuesday blog if ther ever was one.

Maybe set up acupuncture, and get in a supply of powdered deer penis and monkey brains and an ancient Chinese apothocary to administer it. That'll set their chakras in order and ying their yangs. The power of the Canuck Wang-Fu is weak and limp.

Maybe set up acupuncture, and get in a supply of powdered deer penis and monkey brains and an ancient Chinese apothocary to administer it. That'll set their chakras in order and ying their yangs. The power of the Canuck Wang-Fu is weak and limp.
- DariusKnight

Don't forget the Rhino horn and gallbladders from bears.

harkins zboril kyllington probably in that order.

Todays lunch is Toad in the Hole with onion gravy.
discuss

Maybe set up acupuncture, and get in a supply of powdered deer penis and monkey brains and an ancient Chinese apothocary to administer it. That'll set their chakras in order and ying their yangs.

The power of the Canuck Wang-Fu is weak and limp.
- DariusKnight

The team needs confidence, a new identity... nothing like men in capri pants and attaches to get your juices working. Don't forget the sweater over shoulder look. How about a Canuck/Abercrombie and Fitch store?

How about a Road Warrior/Canuck cross promo?

Todays lunch is Toad in the Hole with onion gravy.
discuss
- A_Streaminglombardi

had to google that first thing.

Sounds delicious, pair with a pint for the hot afternoon?

An appropiate Tuesday blog if ther ever was one.
- Marwood

My thoughts exactly

The Canucks need to start drafting defensemen in the first round, they can't continually rely on free agency and wishful thinking to land a player like Victor Hedman or Travis Sanheim.

In the past 20 years they've taken three defensemen in the first round, Luc Bourdon 05, Bryan Allen 98 & Brad Ference 97. That's not enough and lends itself to the reason we've never had a Norris caliber dman.

Or a Stanley Cup!!

Bored and because it is Tuesday, I thought I would put my hopeful predictions for this summer while trying to stay within reason.

Trade Bieksa for Clb's 2nd round pick (38) and Dalton Prout.

Trade Markstrom rights to Dal for Oleksiak's rights

Trade Higgins to NJ for Fla 2nd (41)

Resign RFA's Weber, Clendening, Coraddo, Baertschi, Oleksiak, Vey, Kennins and Grenier.

Sedin Sedin Kassian
Baertschi Bonino Vrbata
Burrows Horvat Hansen
Kennins Vey Dorsett
Grenier

Edler Tanev
Hamhuis Weber
Sbisa Clendening
Coraddo Prout

Miller
Lack

Draft Kylington(23), Beauvillier (38) and Andersson (41).

Part II

http://canucksarmy.com/20...lvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

The Canucks need to start drafting defensemen in the first round, they can't continually rely on free agency and wishful thinking to land a player like Victor Hedman or Travis Sanheim.

In the past 20 years they've taken three defensemen in the first round, Luc Bourdon 05, Bryan Allen 98 & Brad Ference 97. That's not enough and lends itself to the reason we've never had a Norris caliber dman.

Or a Stanley Cup!!
- LeftCoaster

In the last 20 years there have only been 6 Norris Trophy winners taken in the first round (Karlsson, Niedermayer, Pronger, MacInnis, Leetch and Coffey).

D are notoriously hard to predict and while those numbers are skewed by Lindstrom being a freak and guys like Doughty not getting a Norris yet, you also see many other elite top pairing D taken in the 2nd or later.

Bored and because it is Tuesday, I thought I would put my hopeful predictions for this summer while trying to stay within reason.
- belcherbd

Trade Bieksa for Clb's 2nd round pick (38) and Dalton Prout.

Columbus would really have to buy into the "intangibles" of Bieksa's game or what's left of it to do this...

Trade Markstrom rights to Dal for Oleksiak's rights

Feels reasonable; chances would increase if they end up trading Lehtonen as some say they are looking to do

Trade Higgins to NJ for Fla 2nd (41)

Don't think this makes much sense for NJ...bring in another aging winger with limited offensive upside?? Lamiorello-old guys joke aside I don't see this. Higgins going direct to FLA though...

So yeah, "hopeful" is the emphasis...they would certainly be good-looking moves to make...

In the last 20 years there have only been 6 Norris Trophy winners taken in the first round (Karlsson, Niedermayer, Pronger, MacInnis, Leetch and Coffey).

D are notoriously hard to predict and while those numbers are skewed by Lindstrom being a freak and guys like Doughty not getting a Norris yet, you also see many other elite top pairing D taken in the 2nd or later.
- belcherbd

I said caliber, not winner, but I get your point. From all that I've researched on this draft it's full of quality defensemen, they should be picking a couple in the first few rounds trying to find a diamond in the rough.

I'm not suggesting picking a dman to simply pick one, I'm saying when they're there for the taking, you've gotta roll the dice and pick one.

In the last 20 years there have only been 6 Norris Trophy winners taken in the first round (Karlsson, Niedermayer, Pronger, MacInnis, Leetch and Coffey).

D are notoriously hard to predict and while those numbers are skewed by Lindstrom being a freak and guys like Doughty not getting a Norris yet, you also see many other elite top pairing D taken in the 2nd or later.
- belcherbd

Todays lunch is Toad in the Hole with onion gravy.
discuss
- A_SteamingLombardi

Speaking of holes. Ben Bishop has been nominated for 2016 best performance of The Illusionist, remake

I said caliber, not winner, but I get your point. From all that I've researched on this draft it's full of quality defensemen, they should be picking a couple in the first few rounds trying to find a diamond in the rough.

I'm not suggesting picking a dman to simply pick one, I'm saying when they're there for the taking, you've gotta roll the dice and pick one.
- LeftCoaster

I agree it sounds like there is a big crop of D available and one of the reasons why I hope Benning can get some 2nds, I just always think you are more likely to get an impact player in the first by selecting a forward as they are generally more NHL ready at that point.