Friedman on NCAA FA and West Van-native Alex Kerfoot: "If he decides to test the market, his hometown #Canucks are expected to take a look."
- LeftCoaster

His dad owns the whitecaps. Don't think he will be an nhler from what I've heard, but at least he has something to fall back on.

Weak draft I view. Backed up by just about every sports analyst that has said this is a weaker then normal draft. I don't have time to write an essay about it. All I can suggest is go to hockey dB. Com look at the 2011, 2012, 2013 nhl entry drafts. Sort of points column, then at the bottom of the draft and see games average and points average. There are noticeable differences in drafts when you don't have elite talent. Outside my personal top 3 this year. I would take anyone from 4-12 then 13-20. Wherever Van ends up. I can't predict how any of these prospects will end up. No one can. Outside my top 3 I don't think anyone is going to step in and help the team next season. Yes Van needs an elite player bit honestly I'd prefer the rest of the team have experience before we get a game changer type.
- manvanfan

The first statement is accurate. The second one isn't. Some people are very good at predicting, JB for example has been a scout for 20+ years before being in management. You might even say, it's the entire reason Canucks have employed him. I'm willing to bet, with pick number 4 or 5 the player he picks will be much better than the player at pick 11. In fact, I'd wager that in any draft as statistics show that the vast majority of top 6 and top4 guys are picked in that range. This isn't to say that you can't find or wont find good picks later, but it seems to me that if a draft is weak there are less good players correct? so if there are less good players, maybe it is even more important to get a pick that it statistically likely to get you a good roster player... like say, a top5 pick (the statistically most likely picks to land such players in ANY draft)!

edit. I went to hockeydb, looked up the 2011, 2012, 2013 drafts. What I noticed is, it's super crazy, after the players in the top 10 there is a significant dropoff of guys that make the NHL lineups!

His dad owns the whitecaps. Don't think he will be an nhler from what I've heard, but at least he has something to fall back on.
- Scooby_Doo

our AHL team is deprived of AHL talent...

As all conversations turn to trades, I get the feeling that people are expecting WAYYYYY too much from trading Burrows, Hansen and Miller plus..... player A or B as it speeds up the Canuck's rebuild. There will be improvements but still.... baby steps.

2018 LW UFA's

Nash
Sedin
Kane
Neal
JVR

Nice group all in all when Tavares is up for a UFA.
Nothing to speak of for 2017 except RFA LW's.
2017 is a crappy UFA pool. 2018 though could be interesting.
So we tread water & play it smart & save cap room & with a lil luck from our prospects we could be a player in the UFA frenzy providing it makes sense.
If the timing is not right we continue status quo building up from within.
If our D corps can continue improving & in goal we r solid then we may afford ourselves a legit UFA signing. Expectations of the prospects development is high but within reason if the team works hard collectively.
- Nighthawk

You know why 2017 is bad cause it's coming up. Plus more would have been signed if it wasn't for Vegas protection factor. Why I doublt any of the 2018 players mentioned will hit UFA. Especially JT. Maybe, big if here that Kane will want out of Buffalo if not traded. If he's traded he likely signs with new team.

Ya, now that Don pointed out he's exposed to the e-draft I agree he's not worth the risk.
- neem55

I don't think there is any realistic way that we can ensure that none of our players we value (even a little) will get picked up.

Unless any are moved, we will lose just one of:

Sbisa, Granlund, Hansen, Sven, or someone new acquired.

It's ok.

Could just think of it as they left as a UFA.

Morning!

New blog has the latest on the tradewinds, plus a VERY cute puppy...

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...aheim-a-partner/194/83241

Hutton is e-draft exempt, trade or shouldn't be traded?

Could he get a 1st?
- neem55

Why trade a young, proven NHL player for the possibility of drafting a young NHL player?

Hey we only have three of them. Nighthawk, Dragon and Nuck4u.
- Scooby_Doo

excuse me? Watch your words there. Ive been in medical practice for many years now and even teach it to medical students, Im far, far from stupid. Speak for yourself

and all Just because you cant follow along

our AHL team is deprived of AHL talent...
- Codes1087

That's because half of them have been up playing for the Canucks all season long.

That 34% is totally subjective, you understand that...right? We agree, for the most part, on what each other is saying, however, if I was gonna choose a player to build around as my star piece, I'd be choosing Crosby, Toews, P. Kane, Stamkos, Malkin, Tavares etc. before I picked PK Subban or Brad Marchand.

That's all I'm saying.
- LeftCoaster

See any of those in top 5 of this draft?

Francis is doing things right over there.

Aho, Faulk, TT, Gauthier, Roy, Hannifan, Fleury, Mckeown and now a bunch of picks. Selling off Hainsey for a 2nd is a incredible move, Even with retaining salary. Those are the moves Jim Benning needs to make.
- Codes1087

They have amassed a lot of picks and prospects. Good young base there. Which one of the rebuilds is this since their Cup win?

Marner no, he's good but not build around good(personally) I like the list, Eichel replaces Marner IMO and Seth Jones is added. What do all these players have in common... hmm
- neem55

A: never won a cup

Yup, I agree in principle I just can't stand the ďiscussion when people say that you need several top 5 picks, like it is some guarantee that you will win the cup. Nor do I think that a "majority" of the top players come from the top 5.
As with any discussion of ranking players, draft position, quality of competition and analytics, all are "subjective" and will debate these when people try to ram them down my throat.

I am still hoping for the luck of ping pong balls & we get Patrick.
I think we both want what is best for the Canucks and have several similar views, we will get to where we want to be it is just a few years away & our patience will be tested during these transitional years.
- Reubenkincade

Some not all ppl who don't believe in a GM & rather use high top 5 draft picks to remove them from the equation to foolproof it easier & then call it luck later on if a good player is found. U listening Scooby?

Benning has amassed some good pieces, just like to see him go for a star quality kid in the next three years, which means give yourself the best odds, draft nearest you can get to #1

I think we can all make or find a list to suit our argument. Hart Trophy and Lester B Pearson Trophy winners over the past 25 years.

2016 - P Kane/P Kane
2015 - Price/Price
2014 - Crosby/Crosby
2013 - Ovechkin/Crosby
2012 - Malkin/Malkin
2011 - Perry/D Sedin
2010 - H Sedin/Ovechkin
2009 - Ovechkin/Ovechkin
2008 - Ovechkin/Ovechkin
2007 - Crosby/Crosby
2006 - Thornton/Jagr
2004 - St Louis/St Louis
2003 - Forsberg/Naslund

I'm getting tired of typing but you get the idea, these are guys I wanna build with and only Perry, Naslund and St Louis were taken outside the top six.
- LeftCoaster

So in year 4.5.6 of JB's tenure he tanks in the slim hope of a superstr at the top.
All the while here the whiney deama queens spew away. Suicide & not happening.
It happens if destined to happen with JB's current drafting an absolut & utter failure.
He would no longer be the GM here in that case.

our AHL team is deprived of AHL talent...
- Codes1087

Our NHL team is deprived of NHL talent as well....lol hell it's devoid of AHL talent too

See any of those in top 5 of this draft?
- Nuck4U

Patrick could be as good as Tavares or Stamkos...maybe.