Carol Schram: Canucks getting healthier, starting to skate & made some deadline moves Adam Gaudette and Jordie Benn are gone, while Matthew Highmore and Madison Bowey are on their way in as the Vancouver Canucks re-open their facility and start getting some players back into action ahead of Friday's scheduled re-start against Edmonton.

Thanks Carol.

Carol Schram: Canucks getting healthier, starting to skate & made some deadline moves
Adam Gaudette and Jordie Benn are gone, while Matthew Highmore and Madison Bowey are on their way in as the Vancouver Canucks re-open their facility and start getting some players back into action ahead of Friday's scheduled re-start against Edmonton.
- Carol Schram

Hey Carol.

What’s the mood like amongst the reporters and journalists? Are they still motivated or are they kind of going through the motions just to get to the end of season and hope next season is more stable/typical?

Do you remember the glee in here when JB traded for Schmidt? Nucker was beside himself with joy. All our resident experts were.

How times have changed.
- bloatedmosquito

I think we were all happy because on paper they replaced Tanev so they could push for playoffs again. Then we became 2 years away and now everything looks much worse in that context.

Can't remember who posted it, but Yzerman determining Mantha was going to be past his prime when they were competitive again is what is wrong with Schmidt/Myers being $12m cap hit. In 2 years, those guys will be 31 and 33 and not as able as they are today. I think you could stomach a slight overpayment to eat minutes now on a competitive team but it seems silly now to not retool that defense again for the future

Thanks Carol, I sure hope this Washington west thing ends. The last time the Canucks went all in on a past cup champs leftovers we ended up with Messier...

Thanks Carol

I think sekeres is right. If you find out a coworker broke the rules (or maybe didn't, but wasn't as careful as you would hope), contracted covid, and passed it along to you, your family, and your kids, it would be hard not to feel resentment.

Hey Carol.

What’s the mood like amongst the reporters and journalists? Are they still motivated or are they kind of going through the motions just to get to the end of season and hope next season is more stable/typical?
- bloatedmosquito

Do you mean with the Canucks in particular, or the league in general?

I think, for the most part, everybody is just slogging along.

Locally, there has been so much disruption on the sports media scene, which has been a big focal point. The 1040 shutdown has affected almost everyone in one way or another.

Personally — and I've said this before — I have no love for seeing the same teams over and over again. I get why it has to happen this year, but it's part of the reason why I haven't been very interested in seeing live games. I was definitely spoiled last summer in the bubble, getting to see so many different teams.

I think we were all happy because on paper they replaced Tanev so they could push for playoffs again. Then we became 2 years away and now everything looks much worse in that context.

Can't remember who posted it, but Yzerman determining Mantha was going to be past his prime when they were competitive again is what is wrong with Schmidt/Myers being $12m cap hit. In 2 years, those guys will be 31 and 33 and not as able as they are today. I think you could stomach a slight overpayment to eat minutes now on a competitive team but it seems silly now to not retool that defense again for the future
- WhiteLie

I 100% agree. Pearson’s contract is another example of the same problem.

Maybe someone needs to teach JB the significance and repercussion of aging. Hockey players are not like fine wine.

RC - time for a good Marcellus Wallace meme...

Do you mean with the Canucks in particular, or the league in general?

I think, for the most part, everybody is just slogging along.

Locally, there has been so much disruption on the sports media scene, which has been a big focal point. The 1040 shutdown has affected almost everyone in one way or another.

Personally — and I've said this before — I have no love for seeing the same teams over and over again. I get why it has to happen this year, but it's part of the reason why I haven't been very interested in seeing live games. I was definitely spoiled last summer in the bubble, getting to see so many different teams.
- Carol Schram

Thanks Carol.

Yeah, I was asking specifically about the Canucks situation. I’m sensing a lot of apathy amongst the faithful and just wondering if that was the feeling in journalistic circles as well.

I 100% agree. Pearson’s contract is another example of the same problem.

Maybe someone needs to teach JB the significance and repercussion of aging. Hockey players are not like fine wine.

RC - time for a good Marcellus Wallace meme...

- bloatedmosquito

Pliers and a blow torch?

Do you mean with the Canucks in particular, or the league in general?

I think, for the most part, everybody is just slogging along.

Locally, there has been so much disruption on the sports media scene, which has been a big focal point. The 1040 shutdown has affected almost everyone in one way or another.

Personally — and I've said this before — I have no love for seeing the same teams over and over again. I get why it has to happen this year, but it's part of the reason why I haven't been very interested in seeing live games. I was definitely spoiled last summer in the bubble, getting to see so many different teams.
- Carol Schram

It's like the original six all over again.

Edit: In our division's case more like the CFL

Thanks Carol.

Yeah, I was asking specifically about the Canucks situation. I’m sensing a lot of apathy amongst the faithful and just wondering if that was the feeling in journalistic circles as well.
- bloatedmosquito

Honestly, I'm not sure anyone can afford to feel apathetic in such a shifting media market.

I've been hearing Heidi Klum's Project Runway voice in my head over the last couple of days, with the deadline. It applies here, too. "If you're not in, you're out."

That being said, I agree that the fanbase feels checked out and disenchanted. That could be a real issue for the organization going forward in terms of both TV audience and, when fans are allowed to come back, ticket sales.

It'll be interesting to see if the team can do anything on the ice in these last few weeks to draw people back in.

Thanks Carol, I always love to read your take on things. You have an opinion that you can back up without the hyperbole and you are just not repeating the same analysis as the other media.

@whitelie

I stole that information from Friedman, but I agree with him and you on both Myers and Schmidt.
Neither one will be around, hopefully, when this team might start being a legitimate contender.

Pliers and a blow torch?
- 1970vintage

here’s the movie quote:

I think you are gonna find, when this poop is over ... I think you're gonna find yourself one smiling mother****er.

The thing is, Butch, right now, you've got ability. But painful as it may be, ability don't last. And your days are just about over. Now, that's a hard mother****ing fact of life. But it's a fact of life your ass is gonna have to get realistic about.

See, this business is filled to the brim with unrealistic mother****ers. Mother****ers who thought their ass would age like wine. If you mean it turns to vinegar, it does. If you mean it gets better with age, it don't. Besides, Butch, how many fights you think you got left in you anyway? Two? Boxers don't have an "old timer's league". You came close, but you never made it, and if you were gonna make it, you would have made it before now.

Truer words have never been spoken.

Thanks Carol

here’s the movie quote:

I think you are gonna find, when this poop is over ... I think you're gonna find yourself one smiling mother****er.

The thing is, Butch, right now, you've got ability. But painful as it may be, ability don't last. And your days are just about over. Now, that's a hard mother****ing fact of life. But it's a fact of life your ass is gonna have to get realistic about.

See, this business is filled to the brim with unrealistic mother****ers. Mother****ers who thought their ass would age like wine. If you mean it turns to vinegar, it does. If you mean it gets better with age, it don't. Besides, Butch, how many fights you think you got left in you anyway? Two? Boxers don't have an "old timer's league". You came close, but you never made it, and if you were gonna make it, you would have made it before now.

Truer words have never been spoken.
- bloatedmosquito

Ah, I was thinking of the scene with the Gimp.

Ah, I was thinking of the scene with the Gimp.
- 1970vintage

I’ve blocked that from my memory.

I think we were all happy because on paper they replaced Tanev so they could push for playoffs again. Then we became 2 years away and now everything looks much worse in that context.

Can't remember who posted it, but Yzerman determining Mantha was going to be past his prime when they were competitive again is what is wrong with Schmidt/Myers being $12m cap hit. In 2 years, those guys will be 31 and 33 and not as able as they are today. I think you could stomach a slight overpayment to eat minutes now on a competitive team but it seems silly now to not retool that defense again for the future
- WhiteLie

Not necessarily the case that at 30 a Dman declines. Giordano best 6 years from 30-35 where at 35 he had 74 point season.

Jeff petry same thing. At 33 now having his best season ever.

Weber also. Chara etc. This narrative for defensmen isn’t true. Forwards for sure

Weber also. Chara etc. This narrative for defensmen isn’t true. Forwards for sure
- CanuckDon

*most* players drop off significantly. The narrative is absolutely true. Will Myers or Schmidt be an exception? Maybe. Playing a full season with 25 year old Hughes will probably have something to do with it.

Thanks Carol!

Re: above decline for defensemen.

You're finding the outliers, just as you could with forwards (Ovi et al). Most defensemen start to decline by 32. Not saying all do, but on average that's about when.

*most* players drop off significantly. The narrative is absolutely true. Will Myers or Schmidt be an exception? Maybe. Playing a full season with 25 year old Hughes will probably have something to do with it.
- 1970vintage

Your narrative is incorrect. It’s more relevant with forwards. I don’t buy that a d mans peak is 25. Perhaps if you are purely looking at offence

Not necessarily the case that at 30 a Dman declines. Giordano best 6 years from 30-35 where at 35 he had 74 point season.

Jeff petry same thing. At 33 now having his best season ever.
- manvanfan

I'm not suggesting either will see a steep decline, but they have had struggled already and can imagine they would either hold current play or decline. Especially because unlike those two you suggested, Vancouver has Hughes (and potentially Rathbone) to get the better linemates and powerplay time. Cap efficiency is more the issue than their actual play, I think you could keep one, but both are tough when you need to improve

Your narrative is incorrect. It’s more relevant with forwards. I don’t buy that a d mans peak is 25. Perhaps if you are purely looking at offence
- CanuckDon

I still buy peak being 27-30 overall, maybe a bit earlier for forwards. The smarter the player, the longer they can adapt to the physical changes