I can't see how people do not see Horvat's ultimate upside. Yes, the Centre position is pretty logged jammed at the moment but I am pretty sure every other team would want him. He is far from over.
- Beatle_john

There's just no way he's not better than Sutter?

Right?

There's just no way he's not better than Sutter?

Right?
- Scabeh

Your not so subtle trolling is annoying....get lost

There's just no way he's not better than Sutter?

Right?
- Scabeh

He's clearly better.

Sutter needs to put on 20ibs at least if he wants to be effective in the west.

cody 2.o
- hillbillydeluxe

Horvat's Dad is calling Canucks mngt offices today to air his concerns about Bo's demotion to the 4th line in preseason.

This expansion draft is throwing a much bigger wrench in things than I would have expected. I hope Pedan clears. If so, this could prove to be pretty brilliant trying to get Spisa and Biega qualified. If one or the other had a major injury and fell short.... losing one of the main 3 D for nothing would be horrible.

Thanks Carol! Horvat is a bust, Erikkson has been brutal so far and Virt will never make it oh, and Sbisa is our new #3 dman! Thanks for stopping by fellas
- CanuckDon

Then you must be ecstatic that LV will be getting such a high ranking Dman for your new team.

They are screwed if he got injured.
- Beatle_john

They are screwing themselves if the actual goal is playoffs and not putting together the best roster possible. If Biega plays the first 18 games just to hit his threshold, that could be a season lost.

“I don’t believe you can make the playoffs in the first 20 games. But I do believe you can miss the playoffs in the first 20 games,”

http://globalnews.ca/news...pse-of-stanley-cup-teams/
http://nhl.nbcsports.com/...s-thanksgiving-standings/

American Thanksgiving, which is around 20 games into the season, has shown teams in a playoff position hold it 81% of the time. Biega might be fine, but if youre waiting until after game 20 to get Stecher in, you might've tossed a season in the garbage

Then you must be ecstatic that LV will be getting such a high ranking Dman for your new team.
- Makita

I feel so blessed. What a wonderful day for all of Las Vegas

This expansion draft is throwing a much bigger wrench in things than I would have expected. I hope Pedan clears. If so, this could prove to be pretty brilliant trying to get Spisa and Biega qualified. If one or the other had a major injury and fell short.... losing one of the main 3 D for nothing would be horrible.
- djlarose

i think every team is doing backflips to avoid losing players in the draft... imagine what's gonna be happening the year after when Quebec or whoever else joins and the young players that are currently unavailable will become available (ie: 3rd year players like Horvat)... etc... Teams won't be able to protect all the players they want to protect like they are right now....

i think every team is doing backflips to avoid losing players in the draft... imagine what's gonna be happening the year after when Quebec or whoever else joins and the young players that are currently unavailable will become available (ie: 3rd year players like Horvat)... etc... Teams won't be able to protect all the players they want to protect like they are right now....
- kaptaan

I don't think Quebec is going to be the following year. I think they wait at least one more. It will still throw a wrench in the plans even then.

I don't think Quebec is going to be the following year. I think they wait at least one more. It will still throw a wrench in the plans even then.
- djlarose

I thought Carolina was going to move North? Was it was a lot cheaper for Quebec to just buy an existing team that is tanking financially.

I thought Carolina was going to move North? Was it was a lot cheaper for Quebec to just buy an existing team that is tanking financially.
- DuranDuran

That would be great. Move them to QC and expand to Seattle. Keep 16 in both conferences. Best move the NHL could make. So, that means it probably wont happen that way

That would be great. Move them to QC and expand to Seattle. Keep 16 in both conferences. Best move the NHL could make. So, that means it probably wont happen that way
- djlarose

Seattle won't happen, they want their NBA franchise back first, then maybe the NHL. There's 3 junior teams in the Seattle area or nearby including the Thunderbirds (Tri-Cities, Everett) that doesn't do that great financially or attendance-wise, that's not a good sign for an NHL team in Seattle.

Seattle won't happen, they want their NBA franchise back first, then maybe the NHL. There's 3 junior teams in the Seattle area or nearby including the Thunderbirds (Tri-Cities, Everett) that doesn't do that great financially or attendance-wise, that's not a good sign for an NHL team in Seattle.
- DariusKnight

Ya Seattle is a tough call. At one time I thought they would be a lock for an NHL franchise, but after spending a week there during playoffs a few years back interest in NHL was pretty damn low.

Then you must be ecstatic that LV will be getting such a high ranking Dman for your new team.
- Makita

Sbizza on PP1 for the las vegas black aces?

#loveit

Sbizza on PP1 for the las vegas black aces?

#loveit
- LordHumungous

Tough call for LV to pick between Sbisa and Gaunce, Gaunce could be their #1C and Sbisa their #1D, that could be the difference between the President's Cup and Stanley Cup right there.

They are screwing themselves if the actual goal is playoffs and not putting together the best roster possible. If Biega plays the first 18 games just to hit his threshold, that could be a season lost.



http://globalnews.ca/news...pse-of-stanley-cup-teams/
http://nhl.nbcsports.com/...s-thanksgiving-standings/

American Thanksgiving, which is around 20 games into the season, has shown teams in a playoff position hold it 81% of the time. Biega might be fine, but if youre waiting until after game 20 to get Stecher in, you might've tossed a season in the garbage
- WhiteLie

useless stat, Vancouver was in playoff spot by that time and missed out. Stuff happens and teams that are in get the wrong injuries, and teams that are out get a nice hot streak. You can't be planning based on this fact. heads will roll faster and farther if we lose one of Edler,Tanev,Guddy to LV because we pushed for the playoffs from the begining. I would also assume priority would be to play Sbisa over Biega to get his 29 games, Biega slots on once Sbisa is injured and gets his 19 games.

Tough call for LV to pick between Sbisa and Gaunce, Gaunce could be their #1C and Sbisa their #1D, that could be the difference between the President's Cup and Stanley Cup right there.
- DariusKnight

Quite the dilemma, indeed.

useless stat, Vancouver was in playoff spot by that time and missed out. Stuff happens and teams that are in get the wrong injuries, and teams that are out get a nice hot streak. You can't be planning based on this fact. heads will roll faster and farther if we lose one of Edler,Tanev,Guddy to LV because we pushed for the playoffs from the begining. I would also assume priority would be to play Sbisa over Biega to get his 29 games, Biega slots on once Sbisa is injured and gets his 19 games.
- Retinalz

useless stat, Vancouver was in playoff spot by that time and missed out. Stuff happens and teams that are in get the wrong injuries, and teams that are out get a nice hot streak. You can't be planning based on this fact. heads will roll faster and farther if we lose one of Edler,Tanev,Guddy to LV because we pushed for the playoffs from the begining. I would also assume priority would be to play Sbisa over Biega to get his 29 games, Biega slots on once Sbisa is injured and gets his 19 games.
- Retinalz

Its hardly a useless stat if its well documented that over 80% of the time those teams make the playoffs in the past 10 years - it signifies the importance of a good start and getting points early. But really my point is that if they are making lineup decisions based on expansion draft ahead of the playoffs that they have been advocating for, brings more confusion to the situation. I have understood and support their competitive while retooling scenario, but this seems like an odd way to start a season

Its hardly a useless stat if its well documented that over 80% of the time those teams make the playoffs in the past 10 years - it signifies the importance of a good start and getting points early. But really my point is that if they are making lineup decisions based on expansion draft ahead of the playoffs that they have been advocating for, brings more confusion to the situation. I have understood and support their competitive while retooling scenario, but this seems like an odd way to start a season
- WhiteLie

It could also be a combination of trying to get players who are replacement level some ice time in the minors in order to have them ready for injuries. Let's not forget that in the first 3 months of the season alone, we have several long road trips back east that are prime candidates to play havoc with our opening night roster. If you're planning on making the playoffs then it just makes sense not to stuff your roster with talent and then waste the best talented of your AHL-level players in the press box when you can have them playing big minutes in the AHL and keep your AHL roster mostly competitive. Last year Utica got decimated by all the call-ups, keeping that to a manageable level will help the prospects and fringe players all get needed experience and improvement that might just make them that much better and able to keep spots in the NHL.

I don't get all this commotion to protect players.

Vegas takes one player from the team not half the roster.

Grandlund, Dorsett Sutter that could be exposed if they had bad years . Hansen also .the obvious for me would be Dorsett. Having a guy like Burrows play out his last year is stupid. That spot could be used for a two year deal for Ruutu @ 1 mil per year and expose him.

Bachman will be the goalie exposed.

If you kept Biega or Sbisa and exposed one ( not two) then vegas would take one of our forwards anyways. Even Vegas would be smart enough to know don't take Sbisa.

Build a team to win and screw the expansion draft

It could also be a combination of trying to get players who are replacement level some ice time in the minors in order to have them ready for injuries. Let's not forget that in the first 3 months of the season alone, we have several long road trips back east that are prime candidates to play havoc with our opening night roster. If you're planning on making the playoffs then it just makes sense not to stuff your roster with talent and then waste the best talented of your AHL-level players in the press box when you can have them playing big minutes in the AHL and keep your AHL roster mostly competitive. Last year Utica got decimated by all the call-ups, keeping that to a manageable level will help the prospects and fringe players all get needed experience and improvement that might just make them that much better and able to keep spots in the NHL.
- DariusKnight

For sure, I posted earlier that I would rather Biega be the in the pressbox in the NHL and have Pedan playing in the AHL than vice versa. I just hope that this narrative regarding Biega's eligibility is a guess and not the true reason he is still on the roster

I don't get all this commotion to protect players.

Vegas takes one player from the team not half the roster.

Grandlund, Dorsett Sutter that could be exposed if they had bad years . Hansen also .the obvious for me would be Dorsett. Having a guy like Burrows play out his last year is stupid. That spot could be used for a two year deal for Ruutu @ 1 mil per year and expose him.

Bachman will be the goalie exposed.

If you kept Biega or Sutter and exposed one ( not two) then vegas would take one of our forwards anyways. Even Vegas would be smart enough to know don't take Sbisa.

Build a team to win and screw the expansion draft
- VANTEL

The only commotion is that there are requirements for who must be exposed, but Sbisa should easily play 30 games this year making it a null point. If Sbisa gets injured at any point for any length of time, then there would be plenty of time for Biega to get into 20 games before the season ends

I don't get all this commotion to protect players.

Vegas takes one player from the team not half the roster.

Grandlund, Dorsett Sutter that could be exposed if they had bad years . Hansen also .the obvious for me would be Dorsett. Having a guy like Burrows play out his last year is stupid. That spot could be used for a two year deal for Ruutu @ 1 mil per year and expose him.

Bachman will be the goalie exposed.

If you kept Biega or Sbisa and exposed one ( not two) then vegas would take one of our forwards anyways. Even Vegas would be smart enough to know don't take Sbisa.

Build a team to win and screw the expansion draft
- VANTEL

This 1000x's over ..... you only lose 1 player ..... plus by the way some are going on (1040 crew) you would think we will be losing the last piece to the puzzle for that future President Trophy team ...