is OJ eligible for the A next year? ed willes wrote that he won't be eligible so he'd have to go back to jr.

does this mean that the team would loan him out to a euro club?

what are your thoughts? would it help his development going to europe or should they wedge him into the nhl? i'm assuming that the ohl would be a waste of time and could possibly be detrimental to his development.
- RealityChecker

It's a tough call.


I really think Europe might actually hut his game, he's already a little too patient/passive at times and the bigger ice will only encourage more of that. It's a tough call, I'd rather have him in the OHL than rushed into the NHL if he's not ready and isn't going to play enough. I think he'll be good enough next year to play a bottom pairing role if he adds strength over the summer. He has the skill, hockey sense and skating to play in the NHL.

I am a big fan of the development side of the NCAA and the style they play. The next generation of players is more aware there is a life beyond hockey and unless they expect to be a top prospect, want something to fall back on. Any NCAA freshman that is draft eligible I would give more credit to (like McAvoy last draft), the high school or BCHL type ones are a little more risky but they give you time
- WhiteLie

I feel like American hockey in general is closing the gap on Canada(not as good as Canada yet so don't kill me here), the NCAA/USHL draft pools recently have been as deep as ever.

I feel like American hockey in general is closing the gap on Canada(not as good as Canada yet so don't kill me here), the NCAA/USHL draft pools recently have been as deep as ever.
- Nucker101

agreed and it has been for a few years now.

bigger pool of kids playing hockey in the us leads to improvements everywhere. thanks gretzky!

I feel like American hockey in general is closing the gap on Canada(not as good as Canada yet so don't kill me here), the NCAA/USHL draft pools recently have been as deep as ever.
- Nucker101

Yup.

I feel like American hockey in general is closing the gap on Canada(not as good as Canada yet so don't kill me here), the NCAA/USHL draft pools recently have been as deep as ever.
- Nucker101

This is definitely true. You look at things like the beanpot and start to realize that hockey has definitively sunk into US culture. You grow up in Boston,Ohio, Michigan New York (state not city) and Minnesota and there is a real hotbed of developed and fairly old hockey roots. I will enjoy our dominance for another decade or so, but we might not be able to keep up soon.

CHL provides i believe 50% of the players in the NHL atm.
Team Canada might always be a force but mostly due to we have a longer history & deeper pool to draw from. When it comes to the NHL its irrelevant of a players nationality as pertaining to winning. Simple enough to say but talent & team play in the end separates teams. We may not have as much as we would like but we don't waste what we have nearly or even close to many other teams do. A team like Ottawa can survive in a small market & don't cease to surprise ppl. The Jets r real conundrum & Buffalo not far behind. The Av's well they just suck & we all know D is at the root of it.

Where do we stand & where r we at?
Transitioning from an old & cup contender with no prospects to a stuggling team thats building up the prospect pool & seeing some real gains from current yutes.
It is seemingly a going forward rebuild but still years away fruition.
Are we making real headway?

With all due respect, I'll stick to the evaluation of the scouts.
- neem55

Hey, hey have some faith in him he thinks he really knows his stuff.

http://canucksarmy.com/20...us-of-goldobin-and-dahlen

Good read & states Goldy is on an ELC til 23yrs old.
Smooth move JB👍👍

I feel like American hockey in general is closing the gap on Canada(not as good as Canada yet so don't kill me here), the NCAA/USHL draft pools recently have been as deep as ever.
- Nucker101

Agreed.

They are drawing a lot of kids from Canada as well,because of the improvements to the quality of competition. The fact that only CHL route is the only path that disqualifies a player to play in US colleges may end up being the downfall of the CHL.
Also a player being drafted out of USHL or high school can go to AHL before age 20, so players may see that as an advantage.

http://canucksarmy.com/2017/3/6/contract-status-of-goldobin-and-dahlen

Good read & states Goldy is on an ELC til 23yrs old.
Smooth move JB👍👍
- Nighthawk

Thanks for the share

CHL provides i believe 50% of the players in the NHL atm.
Team Canada might always be a force but mostly due to we have a longer history & deeper pool to draw from. When it comes to the NHL its irrelevant of a players nationality as pertaining to winning. Simple enough to say but talent & team play in the end separates teams. We may not have as much as we would like but we don't waste what we have nearly or even close to many other teams do. A team like Ottawa can survive in a small market & don't cease to surprise ppl. The Jets r real conundrum & Buffalo not far behind. The Av's well they just suck & we all know D is at the root of it.

Where do we stand & where r we at?
Transitioning from an old & cup contender with no prospects to a stuggling team thats building up the prospect pool & seeing some real gains from current yutes.
It is seemingly a going forward rebuild but still years away fruition.
Are we making real headway?
- Nighthawk

I'd say yes, three 20 goal scorers under 25 is not something I would have predicted before this year. Bo's at 20, Granlund 17, Bae 15. Some good looking young d pieces, if we are lucky we already have a top2 guy in one of them. Were a few years away, but if these guys continue to improve like they are we are on the right track. JB just brought in two more prospects with legit chance. Two more drafts of top5(this year and next), I think we are in very good shape.

can we all get off this notion that anyone is advocating only one thing or the other.

tankers don't say that all you have to do is draft!!! good drafting + good development + good coaching + good complementary players (through trades and free agent signings) = a good chance to becoming a legitimate contender.

i would just like the team to build a young core through the draft. while there are some decent pieces, the team is still multiple impact players away. in my view, the easiest (most probable statistically speaking) way (but certainly not the only way) is through the draft.

there is no one advocating a draft only model.
- RealityChecker

That's great. What loses people is the notion that you need the team to not win. In order to draft a rebuild. So the tank issue is doing it on purpose. Stacking the deck with deployment and a subpar roster. Where as trying to win but not achieving is just showing the holes on the roster plus issues with coaching. The development model of rebuilding. Maybe people's interpretations get confusing. For me tanking means to purposefully lose by design.

Show me players & a coach willing to tank & I'll show u a rec league slopitch team any beer garden would luv to have. 😜😂🍺

I'd say yes, three 20 goal scorers under 25 is not something I would have predicted before this year. Bo's at 20, Granlund 17, Bae 15. Some good looking young d pieces, if we are lucky we already have a top2 guy in one of them. Were a few years away, but if these guys continue to improve like they are we are on the right track. JB just brought in two more prospects with legit chance. Two more drafts of top5(this year and next), I think we are in very good shape.
- neem55

It's a tough call.


I really think Europe might actually hut his game, he's already a little too patient/passive at times and the bigger ice will only encourage more of that. It's a tough call, I'd rather have him in the OHL than rushed into the NHL if he's not ready and isn't going to play enough. I think he'll be good enough next year to play a bottom pairing role if he adds strength over the summer. He has the skill, hockey sense and skating to play in the NHL.
- Nucker101

I'd say yes, three 20 goal scorers under 25 is not something I would have predicted before this year. Bo's at 20, Granlund 17, Bae 15. Some good looking young d pieces, if we are lucky we already have a top2 guy in one of them. Were a few years away, but if these guys continue to improve like they are we are on the right track. JB just brought in two more prospects with legit chance. Two more drafts of top5(this year and next), I think we are in very good shape.
- neem55

I think we're a bit further away than that myself, a lot is riding on Demko developing into an elite or at least an above-average starter. All signs are positive but if he doesn't reach his potential or takes too long to do so, we could be in a world of hurt. I'd love it if Benning could get another goalie prospect with the potential of being an NHL starter, just to hedge his bets.

I think we're a bit further away than that myself, a lot is riding on Demko developing into an elite or at least an above-average starter. All signs are positive but if he doesn't reach his potential or takes too long to do so, we could be in a world of hurt. I'd love it if Benning could get another goalie prospect with the potential of being an NHL starter, just to hedge his bets.
- DariusKnight

After seasons end maybe resign Miller to a nice 1yr deal.
Stop gap somewhat but keep the team together with a solid keeper while Marky fits in to lighten the load. If Marky proves solid & holds his own 1yr is bought to plan more moves or drafting.

The teams future is more about a place for players seeing competition.
Let the wins & losses happen as they may. Continue developing players on the team & Utica as normal. WD & JB will face a new challenge roster wise next year & with that new expectations & goals. Goals r not about the cup or PO's. More so about overall team & organizational growth. WD if resigned will be riding on a harsh & simple agenda in my mind which is simple enough...force results from the youth good or bad but make it so every player knows he has opportunity & its there if u take it.

I've been looking at some more video of him, I still like Necas better by a bit
- Nucker101

Haven't really looked deep into Necas past the one video I watched where they seem to show the same jump-cut between defenders that leads to an assist like 20 times... so I won't be judgy just yet

I just think Mittelstadt is underhyped. The amount of video that exists on the WHL/OHL/QMJHL guys is insane & gives them some extra hype on message boards/social media/around the water cooler while equally/more talented guys who play elsewhere fly relatively under the radar.

Haven't really looked deep into Necas past the one video I watched where they seem to show the same jump-cut between defenders that leads to an assist like 20 times... so I won't be judgy just yet

I just think Mittelstadt is underhyped. The amount of video that exists on the WHL/OHL/QMJHL guys is insane & gives them some extra hype on message boards/social media/around the water cooler while equally/more talented guys who play elsewhere fly relatively under the radar.
- DrChristianTroy

My own viewings & readings makes me like Mittelstadt a lot.
He'd be very good for us the way he plays & his work ethic clinches it.

Glass & Makar r my other prospects i'm high on.

I'm not nearly high enough on Patrick or Hischier to hope we waste our luck winning this year's lotto... Why couldn't we have started selling off vets LAST YEAR
- DrChristianTroy

Not like they didn't want to. The difference this season was we had vets willing to work with Benning at the TDL.

Which projections/rankings/mocks are you looking at... Mittelstadt at 11
- DrChristianTroy

I've yet to see him ranked outside the top 10... no lower than 7 I think. I'm only looking at 4 or 5 different rankings though.

I have seen him go lower in mock drafts...

https://www.draftsite.com/nhl/mock-draft/2017/


They were pretty close with thier rankings last year

https://www.draftsite.com/nhl/mock-draft/2016/
- VANTEL

... that's where I thought you grabbed that number...

I understand they have been close,,,, but it's weird that you would dismiss the legitimate rankings for a mock...

I'd thought you would stop reading Ek's clueless tales when he praised JB for hiring a great coach in WD
- Nuck4U

ya no kidding....pretty sure it was lindens doing getting wd tho

ahaha
I miss Wellwood.
What a dude.

Remember that faceoff move he'd do where he'd block the opponents stick with his skate?
Classic.
- dbot

ya I do....actually I think about that move frequently. Never seen anyone else do it. Think someone would have adopted it by now