Everytime Eriksson has changed clubs he has been a notoriously slow starter...he'll pick it up. might be too late for this club by then tho...
- LordHumungous

Yeah he only scored 10 in his entire first year in boston soo...

Yeah he only scored 10 in his entire first year in boston soo...
- NorthNuck

There's always next season.

Everytime Eriksson has changed clubs he has been a notoriously slow starter...he'll pick it up. might be too late for this club by then tho...
- LordHumungous

Eriksson's start has been disappointing but he is hardly this teams biggest issue.

I don't know if he ever earns that contract, whatever that means, but I have no doubt he will be an effective player over the majority of its term.

He is a really good complimentary player. Hopefully someone within this mgmt group realizes that Horvat is likely the guy who needs that type of player most.

Well if anyone was wondering if WD was ready for the NHL I guess the last two years of proving that he can't produce offense answers the question. This team has some scoring weapons but not enough to justify spending $36,000,000 over 6 years on a forward who's best years are behind him, I see this as another Sundin or Messier signing where we're left with a lottery team but make all these moves to make us just good enough to miss the playoffs and give us a draft pick in the 8-12 range rather than 1-5 range.

There has to be a breaking point where either management goes to willie and tells him you have to change ...or he has to himself see his line combos need to change
- Redmile247

WD isn't going to change his lineup decisions. He didn't when he was criticized about it for the first two seasons and it looks like he is willing to live or die with what he wants to do.

Changing the subject now.

Virtanen still out (based on Jim Benning saying he needs to score goals) which is comical because the team can't score period.

Stecher in on top pairing with Edler.

Everything else the same.
- Codes1087

FFS! Just send Virtanen to Utica already. it's not doing him, any good sitting in the press box in the NHL

.....(frank) that, I hate the Leafs, I'll say this though, I admire their commitment to a rebuild and sucking hard because they have the foresight to see what it can bring in the future. Look at the results, they've got a good young exciting team that's a helluva a lot better than ours, and trending upwards, not downwards.

Sure they have a ways to go but a least they're in hockey games and playing an exciting brand of hockey, as opposed to the poop we're subject to.
- LeftCoaster

No team in history has failed at committing to re-build as long as Toronto did. The only way we could be worse is to never do it. The facts are we only missed the playoffs a whole 1 year in a row and had 101 points two years ago. If you want to admire the Canucks for the same reason, I guess we have to suck for 50 years first. Great plan.

It should be the coach but here it is most likely the owners.
- Marwood

I don't think it really matters who's picking who plays, if the coach can't teach them to play together the team will continue to struggle. Why did we hire a rookie coach when we were trying to make the playoffs, why not hire an offensive minded coach to help with our obvious scoring problems? Instead we hire a defensive minded coach who likes to start our best offensive players on the PK (the Sedins) and our best young offensive player on the 4th line with Burrows and Dorsett.

FFS! Just send Virtanen to Utica already. it's not doing him, any good sitting in the press box in the NHL


- PetrolSexual

I would've thought they would play him tonight to see if the pressbox added jump to his step. That way if he still looks like he isnt playing the way they want, they can leave him in Utica. Instead I imagine his next game will be back at Rogers Arena

No team in history has failed at committing to re-build as long as Toronto did. The only way we could be worse is to never do it. The facts are we only missed the playoffs a whole 1 year in a row and had 101 points two years ago. If you want to admire the Canucks for the same reason, I guess we have to suck for 50 years first. Great plan.

- boonerbuck

Which also proves WD can coach in the NHL with the right personnel.

No team in history has failed at committing to re-build as long as Toronto did. The only way we could be worse is to never do it. The facts are we only missed the playoffs a whole 1 year in a row and had 101 points two years ago. If you want to admire the Canucks for the same reason, I guess we have to suck for 50 years first. Great plan.

- boonerbuck

It took them a long time to finally admit they needed to abandon the "make the playoffs and we'll see " approach. It is laughable that it took them that long but also have to give them credit for finally putting an emphasis on acquiring talent or the opportunity to acquire talent above everything else.

Until this team makes the same decision they will not be able to get any better and it will become more and more laughable that this team isn't willing face those same realities.

I don't think it really matters who's picking who plays, if the coach can't teach them to play together the team will continue to struggle. Why did we hire a rookie coach when we were trying to make the playoffs, why not hire an offensive minded coach to help with our obvious scoring problems? Instead we hire a defensive minded coach who likes to start our best offensive players on the PK (the Sedins) and our best young offensive player on the 4th line with Burrows and Dorsett.
- HaidaGwaii16

I think you're confused or I'm confused reading this. The Sedins don't play on the PK, Burrows, Hansen yes but the Sedins, no.

And playing Horvat, for one game and a total of 17mins, was probably the best coaching decision made this year. They won that game remember, but then out comes the whiny, sniveling I know what's best crowd (1040 is lumped in there also), and man they sure know what's best, cause this team is rockin right now..

Changing the subject now.

Virtanen still out (based on Jim Benning saying he needs to score goals) which is comical because the team can't score period.

Stecher in on top pairing with Edler.

Everything else the same.
- Codes1087

So WD singles out Virtanen for not scoring when he's playing 8-10 mins a night with the fourth line and in defensive situations but has no issue with the rest of the team? Playing him on the 4th line is crippling his development and does nothing, if he's not ready to play in the NHL, send him to the AHL to get first line minutes and some PP time. What's the point of letting him sit on the 4th line?

- dshiddy

...now I'm blind too...

It took them a long time to finally admit they needed to abandon the "make the playoffs and we'll see " approach. It is laughable that it took them that long but also have to give them credit for finally putting an emphasis on acquiring talent or the opportunity to acquire talent above everything else.

Until this team makes the same decision they will not be able to get any better and it will become more and more laughable that this team isn't willing face those same realities.
- belcherbd

The Toronto Model.


We really need to wait 50 years to talk about the Toronto Model.

WD isn't going to change his lineup decisions. He didn't when he was criticized about it for the first two seasons and it looks like he is willing to live or die with what he wants to do.
- belcherbd

Yeah your probably right .

So WD singles out Virtanen for not scoring when he's playing 8-10 mins a night with the fourth line and in defensive situations but has no issue with the rest of the team? Playing him on the 4th line is crippling his development and does nothing, if he's not ready to play in the NHL, send him to the AHL to get first line minutes and some PP time. What's the point of letting him sit on the 4th line?
- HaidaGwaii16

WD doesnt send players to the farm...that is JB. All WD can do is tell the GM the kid isnt ready and is not going to be in the line-up. Looks like that happened. WD should finally admit it and follow through. The Canucks and Jake will both be better for it.

It looks now to me that Jake should have been sent back to junior last season. I don't buy that he wouldnt have improved down there.... in hind sight.

WD doesnt send players to the farm...that is JB. All WD can do is tell the GM the kid isnt ready and is not going to be in the line-up. Looks like that happened. WD should finally admit it and follow through. The Canucks and Jake will both be better for it.

It looks now to me that Jake should have been sent back to junior last season. I don't buy that he wouldnt have improved down there.... in hind sight.
- boonerbuck

Well said. I watched Jake a lot in his final year junior in WHL and it was apparent then that he had effort and attitude issues. Obviously that has not been corrected jumping to the NHL level. It's Utica time.

WD doesnt send players to the farm...that is JB. All WD can do is tell the GM the kid isnt ready and is not going to be in the line-up. Looks like that happened. WD should finally admit it and follow through. The Canucks and Jake will both be better for it.

It looks now to me that Jake should have been sent back to junior last season. I don't buy that he wouldnt have improved down there.... in hind sight.
- boonerbuck

Yup, I agree. I think Ferrero said it best when he said he has never heard of a player getting worse by being send back to Juniors. The argument that Jake wouldn't of improved or that they needed to keep an eye on his work in the gym was always a joke.

WD doesnt send players to the farm...that is JB. All WD can do is tell the GM the kid isnt ready and is not going to be in the line-up. Looks like that happened. WD should finally admit it and follow through. The Canucks and Jake will both be better for it.

It looks now to me that Jake should have been sent back to junior last season. I don't buy that he wouldnt have improved down there.... in hind sight.
- boonerbuck

Yep...

I think you're confused or I'm confused reading this. The Sedins don't play on the PK, Burrows, Hansen yes but the Sedins, no.

And playing Horvat, for one game and a total of 17mins, was probably the best coaching decision made this year. They won that game remember, but then out comes the whiny, sniveling I know what's best crowd (1040 is lumped in there also), and man they sure know what's best, cause this team is rockin right now..
- Makita

lol fair points to be sure. But you have to admit it was one of the dumbest head scratching decisions to start the year. You don't take your leading offensive scorer from the last half of last season and put him on a line with Burrows/Dorsett...regardless of trying to fix the 'defensive ineptitude' of the club. We were also damn lucky to win that game. Even Kypreos (and he's an idiot) was scratching his head over that one. It was kind of a good thing there was a public uproar about it as Horvat would probably still be stuck there if no one said anything.

Yup, I agree. I think Ferrero said it best when he said he has never heard of a player getting worse by being send back to Juniors. The argument that Jake wouldn't of improved or that they needed to keep an eye on his work in the gym was always a joke.
- belcherbd

lol fair points to be sure. But you have to admit it was one of the dumbest head scratching decisions to start the year. You don't take your leading offensive scorer from the last half of last season and put him on a line with Burrows/Dorsett...regardless of trying to fix the 'defensive ineptitude' of the club. We were also damn lucky to win that game. Even Kypreos (and he's an idiot) was scratching his head over that one. It was kind of a good thing there was a public uproar about it as Horvat would probably still be stuck there if no one said anything.
- LordHumungous

Come on... he wasnt even s
"stuck there" in the single game in question. It was less than half the ice time he had that night and did get shifts 5 on 5 with other line mates.

I thought you were over "The 7.5 Minutes That Shook the World!"

Yup, I agree. I think Ferrero said it best when he said he has never heard of a player getting worse by being send back to Juniors. The argument that Jake wouldn't of improved or that they needed to keep an eye on his work in the gym was always a joke.
- belcherbd

I haven't been paying attention but is that what canuck management is saying in regards to Virt not playing in the AHL?

lol fair points to be sure. But you have to admit it was one of the dumbest head scratching decisions to start the year. You don't take your leading offensive scorer from the last half of last season and put him on a line with Burrows/Dorsett...regardless of trying to fix the 'defensive ineptitude' of the club. We were also damn lucky to win that game. Even Kypreos (and he's an idiot) was scratching his head over that one. It was kind of a good thing there was a public uproar about it as Horvat would probably still be stuck there if no one said anything.
- LordHumungous

We won that game and the Flames failed to score a single goal. Horvat's line had a +87 corsi.

Looking at what has happened the last 9 games....