You sure do a lot of crying about other commenters wanting different types of players than the ones you like.
- Reubenkincade

It is the worst thing i tend to complain about: complaining. I prefer to just talk hockey, but dont mind taking shots at the babies. Off to ribfest baby!

Wow...that LA Rams stadium is unreal

It is the worst thing i tend to complain about: complaining. I prefer to just talk hockey, but dont mind taking shots at the babies. Off to ribfest baby!
- neem55

Sure.

Thank you Carol

Gauging interest for the annual Canucks HB hockey pool on Yahoo. I’ll figure out a prize for the pool winner, most likely a cash prize that you can use for charity or beer money and maybe involving something with avatar bets as well to keep it fun

PM if interested.

Gauging interest for the annual Canucks HB hockey pool on Yahoo. I’ll figure out a prize for the pool winner, most likely a cash prize that you can use for charity or beer money and maybe involving something with avatar bets as well to keep it fun

PM if interested.
- Nucker101

if there is enough people, I would love to join.

if there is enough people, I would love to join.
- Codes1087

“PM if interested.”

Sure.
- Reubenkincade

If watching female doges like you and driftty moan on here meant i coud have ribfest everyday. I would honestly pay that price

You sure do a lot of crying about other commenters wanting different types of players than the ones you like.
- Reubenkincade

Wow...that LA Rams stadium is unreal
- LeftCoaster

6 Billion.

Wow...that LA Rams stadium is unreal
- LeftCoaster

That above field jumbotron thingy

Another component of the stadium's design is the Infinity Screen by Samsung—an ovular, double-sided 4K HDR video board, the first of its kind, that is suspended from the roof over the field. Formerly known as "the Oculus" before a name change, the structure weighs 2.2 million pounds (1,000 t), and displays 80 million pixels. The Infinity Screen also houses the stadium's 260-speaker audio system as well as 56 5G wireless antennas.

Article from Harman Dayal on the Athletic...just the defensive part.

---------------------------------------------------

Bo Horvat’s Olympic odds? Vasili Podkolzin in the top 6? 1 big question for every Canucks skater this season


Defence:

Quinn Hughes: Is he an elite No. 1 defenceman or just a top power play quarterback with even strength issues?

Hughes will always be an elite offensive talent. What’s less certain is how effective he’ll fare defensively. As a 20-year-old rookie, he impressed by playing matchup minutes, limiting turnovers despite all his fancy plays with the puck and driving excellent two-way results at five-on-five. He made few defensive mistakes and learned to use his skating and stickwork to compensate for his smaller stature.

Last year, on the other hand, the wheels fell off the bus with Hughes’ defensive performance.

The point totals might look similar but the discrepancy between his rookie and sophomore value can’t be overstated. As a rookie, Hughes was a star No. 1 defenceman. As a sophomore, Hughes was a top power play quarterback but not much else. It’s no question that the Canucks will need something closer to the former to field a blue line stable enough to make the playoffs.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Is he the X-factor for the Canucks’ playoff push … and if so, how can the team put him in a position to succeed?

If Jim Benning’s rhetoric following the club’s blockbuster trade with the Coyotes is any indicator, the Canucks are going to lean hard on Ekman-Larsson. Benning referred to Ekman-Larsson as a bona fide top pair blueliner and went as far as to say that “he’ll be our No. 1 defenceman” in his media availability.

Vancouver’s playoff aspirations could thus hinge on Ekman-Larsson’s ability to bounce back this season. The Canucks don’t need him to be the elite all-around defenceman he once was but they’re going to be in trouble if he can’t provide genuine top-four value.

Escaping Arizona’s defence-first system plus the psychological factors of the fresh start should help him. But the Canucks have to be cognizant to do what they can to put him in a position to succeed as well. The team might be asking for too much, for example, if they expect him to log 24-25 minutes per game and match up against the other teams’ best players with a partner like Tucker Poolman who probably isn’t best suited to that kind of high leverage role.

It’s a delicate balancing act, though, because it’s not as if the Canucks have many other options for how they can use him.

Travis Hamonic: Can Hamonic be a competent partner for Hughes?

The Hughes-Hamonic pair had a rocky start last season. They started clicking a bit better by the end of the campaign — Hughes certainly emphasized that in the media — but the underlying results still left something to be desired. Hughes’ inconsistent two-way play from last season stems far beyond who his partner was as his numbers were pretty similar with or without Hamonic, but none of that changes the fact that the club still doesn’t have a high-end partner for their ace defender.

With Poolman and Myers appearing like suboptimal fits on the surface, Hamonic likely has the inside track to land the spot next to Hughes. It’s not an ideal spot for him to play at this point — he’s closer to being a No. 5 defenceman than he is a genuine top-four one — but he has the experience doing it and was at least improving in that role over the course of the season.

Hamonic doesn’t need to be a world-beater but with Hughes’ own game in need of a bounce-back, it’s imperative for Hamonic to hold his own and not look out of place.

Tucker Poolman: Will he be the Canucks’ go-to matchup defender on the right side?

Those who followed the Jets closely last season will tell you that Poolman’s performance fluctuated quite heavily based on his deployment. He looked solid on the third pair but struggled when he had to defend top players in a matchup role. It doesn’t help that Poolman was assigned to the tough matchups role next to Josh Morrissey, who isn’t a strong enough play-driver to carry a pair, but the impression of the Canucks’ free-agent signing in that role was unfavourable regardless — he was being asked to do a bit too much.

The Canucks lack a right-handed defenceman who’s really suited for that tough matchups responsibility this season. Poolman may earn an edge on his recent experience alone. Based on the signing, the Canucks are likely betting that a new environment can help Poolman hold better serve in a high leverage minutes role.

Tyler Myers: Can his defensive game rebound or at least stabilize?

In Year 1 with the Canucks in 2019-20, Myers was arguably the team’s most effective right-handed defender. Sure, the point totals weren’t quite there due to some unfortunate puck luck but he was genuinely helping the team drive play in the right direction.

In Year 2, the bottom fell out on his defensive profile. The Canucks leaked high danger shots when Myers stepped over the boards, controlling just 42.7 percent of five-on-five scoring chances. It was the opposite scenario — the points rate improved but the two-way value depreciated significantly.

Myers should retain his puck-moving and offensive value but there were too many defensive warts in his game last year. The defensive side of his game is another factor to watch for this season if the blue line hopes to improve on its performance from last year.

Jack Rathbone: Is there any chance he can surprise and follow the rookie path of John Marino?

The right side of the Canucks’ blue line is still a significant problem. Hamonic, Poolman and Myers can all be useful to some extent but they’re not true high-end top-four performers at this stage in their respective careers.

That places the burden on the left side of the defence. Hughes and Ekman-Larsson are the obvious ones under pressure but it’d also be a huge help if Rathbone could break out. In an absolute best-case scenario — and maybe this is wishful thinking — one wonders if Rathbone could have a similar rookie impact as another former Harvard defenceman. In 2019-20, John Marino delivered excellent value in the middle of the lineup when the Penguins were expected to struggle with back end issues.

Rathbone probably needs more time before he can play as prominent of a role as Marino did for the Penguins but with his excellent skating and slick puck-moving skills, the potential is there for him to be a difference-maker on defence.

Article from Harman Dayal on the Athletic...just the defensive part.

---------------------------------------------------

Bo Horvat’s Olympic odds? Vasili Podkolzin in the top 6? 1 big question for every Canucks skater this season


Defence:

Quinn Hughes: Is he an elite No. 1 defenceman or just a top power play quarterback with even strength issues?

Hughes will always be an elite offensive talent. What’s less certain is how effective he’ll fare defensively. As a 20-year-old rookie, he impressed by playing matchup minutes, limiting turnovers despite all his fancy plays with the puck and driving excellent two-way results at five-on-five. He made few defensive mistakes and learned to use his skating and stickwork to compensate for his smaller stature.

Last year, on the other hand, the wheels fell off the bus with Hughes’ defensive performance.

The point totals might look similar but the discrepancy between his rookie and sophomore value can’t be overstated. As a rookie, Hughes was a star No. 1 defenceman. As a sophomore, Hughes was a top power play quarterback but not much else. It’s no question that the Canucks will need something closer to the former to field a blue line stable enough to make the playoffs.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Is he the X-factor for the Canucks’ playoff push … and if so, how can the team put him in a position to succeed?

If Jim Benning’s rhetoric following the club’s blockbuster trade with the Coyotes is any indicator, the Canucks are going to lean hard on Ekman-Larsson. Benning referred to Ekman-Larsson as a bona fide top pair blueliner and went as far as to say that “he’ll be our No. 1 defenceman” in his media availability.

Vancouver’s playoff aspirations could thus hinge on Ekman-Larsson’s ability to bounce back this season. The Canucks don’t need him to be the elite all-around defenceman he once was but they’re going to be in trouble if he can’t provide genuine top-four value.

Escaping Arizona’s defence-first system plus the psychological factors of the fresh start should help him. But the Canucks have to be cognizant to do what they can to put him in a position to succeed as well. The team might be asking for too much, for example, if they expect him to log 24-25 minutes per game and match up against the other teams’ best players with a partner like Tucker Poolman who probably isn’t best suited to that kind of high leverage role.

It’s a delicate balancing act, though, because it’s not as if the Canucks have many other options for how they can use him.

Travis Hamonic: Can Hamonic be a competent partner for Hughes?

The Hughes-Hamonic pair had a rocky start last season. They started clicking a bit better by the end of the campaign — Hughes certainly emphasized that in the media — but the underlying results still left something to be desired. Hughes’ inconsistent two-way play from last season stems far beyond who his partner was as his numbers were pretty similar with or without Hamonic, but none of that changes the fact that the club still doesn’t have a high-end partner for their ace defender.

With Poolman and Myers appearing like suboptimal fits on the surface, Hamonic likely has the inside track to land the spot next to Hughes. It’s not an ideal spot for him to play at this point — he’s closer to being a No. 5 defenceman than he is a genuine top-four one — but he has the experience doing it and was at least improving in that role over the course of the season.

Hamonic doesn’t need to be a world-beater but with Hughes’ own game in need of a bounce-back, it’s imperative for Hamonic to hold his own and not look out of place.

Tucker Poolman: Will he be the Canucks’ go-to matchup defender on the right side?

Those who followed the Jets closely last season will tell you that Poolman’s performance fluctuated quite heavily based on his deployment. He looked solid on the third pair but struggled when he had to defend top players in a matchup role. It doesn’t help that Poolman was assigned to the tough matchups role next to Josh Morrissey, who isn’t a strong enough play-driver to carry a pair, but the impression of the Canucks’ free-agent signing in that role was unfavourable regardless — he was being asked to do a bit too much.

The Canucks lack a right-handed defenceman who’s really suited for that tough matchups responsibility this season. Poolman may earn an edge on his recent experience alone. Based on the signing, the Canucks are likely betting that a new environment can help Poolman hold better serve in a high leverage minutes role.

Tyler Myers: Can his defensive game rebound or at least stabilize?

In Year 1 with the Canucks in 2019-20, Myers was arguably the team’s most effective right-handed defender. Sure, the point totals weren’t quite there due to some unfortunate puck luck but he was genuinely helping the team drive play in the right direction.

In Year 2, the bottom fell out on his defensive profile. The Canucks leaked high danger shots when Myers stepped over the boards, controlling just 42.7 percent of five-on-five scoring chances. It was the opposite scenario — the points rate improved but the two-way value depreciated significantly.

Myers should retain his puck-moving and offensive value but there were too many defensive warts in his game last year. The defensive side of his game is another factor to watch for this season if the blue line hopes to improve on its performance from last year.

Jack Rathbone: Is there any chance he can surprise and follow the rookie path of John Marino?

The right side of the Canucks’ blue line is still a significant problem. Hamonic, Poolman and Myers can all be useful to some extent but they’re not true high-end top-four performers at this stage in their respective careers.

That places the burden on the left side of the defence. Hughes and Ekman-Larsson are the obvious ones under pressure but it’d also be a huge help if Rathbone could break out. In an absolute best-case scenario — and maybe this is wishful thinking — one wonders if Rathbone could have a similar rookie impact as another former Harvard defenceman. In 2019-20, John Marino delivered excellent value in the middle of the lineup when the Penguins were expected to struggle with back end issues.

Rathbone probably needs more time before he can play as prominent of a role as Marino did for the Penguins but with his excellent skating and slick puck-moving skills, the potential is there for him to be a difference-maker on defence.
- LeftCoaster

Good work on the trigger warning.

Decent article, defense is going to make or break the Canucks this season.

Good work on the trigger warning.

Decent article, defense is going to make or break the Canucks this season.
- Marwood

I mean, absolutely nothing new in there, other than maybe the Marino comp…

Article from Harman Dayal on the Athletic...just the defensive part.


Jack Rathbone: Is there any chance he can surprise and follow the rookie path of John Marino?

The right side of the Canucks’ blue line is still a significant problem. Hamonic, Poolman and Myers can all be useful to some extent but they’re not true high-end top-four performers at this stage in their respective careers.

That places the burden on the left side of the defence. Hughes and Ekman-Larsson are the obvious ones under pressure but it’d also be a huge help if Rathbone could break out. In an absolute best-case scenario — and maybe this is wishful thinking — one wonders if Rathbone could have a similar rookie impact as another former Harvard defenceman. In 2019-20, John Marino delivered excellent value in the middle of the lineup when the Penguins were expected to struggle with back end issues.

Rathbone probably needs more time before he can play as prominent of a role as Marino did for the Penguins but with his excellent skating and slick puck-moving skills, the potential is there for him to be a difference-maker on defence.
- LeftCoaster

i'm really excited to see rathbone this season. based purely on hope and blind optimism, i think he develops into a solid 2nd pairing d in a couple of seasons.

i'm really excited to see rathbone this season. based purely on hope and blind optimism, i think he develops into a solid 2nd pairing d in a couple of seasons.
- RealityChecker

Who does he bump down the depth chart?

i'm really excited to see rathbone this season. based purely on hope and blind optimism, i think he develops into a solid 2nd pairing d in a couple of seasons.
- RealityChecker

I have been following Rathbone since before the Canucks drafted him and believe he will be a good defenseman, once he learns to play against bigger and stronger players.
IMO, he should be spending some time in Abbotsford learning the heavier game and have Juolevi and/or Schenn playing until he is ready.

Whenever I got a chance to see clips of him, I always thought of Duncan Keith, without the nastiness.

I have been following Rathbone(limited clips and reports) since before the Canucks drafted him and believe he will be a good defenseman, once he learns to play against bigger and stronger players.
IMO, he should be spending some time in Abbotsford learning the heavier game and have Juolevi and/or Schenn playing until he is ready.

Whenever I got a chance to see clips of him, I always thought of Duncan Keith, without the nastiness.
- Reubenkincade

Oops

Who does he bump down the depth chart?
- 1970vintage

that's the 6 million dollar question.

i'm optimistic about rathbone but you want to un-do all that pom pom waving by talking about the seasons beyond the next.

btw, removing the giraffe doesn't mean you take out the toughness. there's ways to address things even by having both rathbone and hughes in the lineup (that's for reuby).

that's the 6 million dollar question.

i'm optimistic about rathbone but you want to un-do all that pom pom waving by talking about the seasons beyond the next.

btw, removing the giraffe doesn't mean you take out the toughness. there's ways to address things even by having both rathbone and hughes in the lineup (that's for reuby).
- RealityChecker

It is an easy fix, play Hughes as a forward and get a defenseman who can actually play defense.
(That's for most, that think Hughes is Norris calibre)

It is an easy fix, play Hughes as a forward and get a defenseman who can actually play defense.
(That's for most, that think Hughes is Norris calibre)
- Reubenkincade

i'm not as hardboiled on my opinion on hughes as you. i still think he can be an elite piece for this team. he just needs a system and coaching that will allow him to develop into one.

i'm not in the camp of "he's young and developing so the defence will come." i don't think it's necessarily a certainty that he develops his defensive side which could see him turn into what i keep fearing.... mike green.

i'm not as hardboiled on my opinion on hughes as you. i still think he can be an elite piece for this team. he just needs a system and coaching that will allow him to develop into one.

i'm not in the camp of "he's young and developing so the defence will come." i don't think it's necessarily a certainty that he develops his defensive side which could see him turn into what i keep fearing.... mike green.
- RealityChecker

Agree with this point.
Sometimes players think they are doing a decent job on the defensive side of things, yet are terrible at it and don't put in the work to improve.
I always get a kick out of it when people say offense can't be taught, but defense can be, which is a load of bs. A lot of both offense and defense comes down to positioning and willingness to battle, especially for those not gifted with certain attributes like size, skill or whatever.

Also, Mike Green is a pretty good comparable.

Article from Harman Dayal on the Athletic...just the defensive part.

---------------------------------------------------

Bo Horvat’s Olympic odds? Vasili Podkolzin in the top 6? 1 big question for every Canucks skater this season


Defence:

Quinn Hughes: Is he an elite No. 1 defenceman or just a top power play quarterback with even strength issues?

Hughes will always be an elite offensive talent. What’s less certain is how effective he’ll fare defensively. As a 20-year-old rookie, he impressed by playing matchup minutes, limiting turnovers despite all his fancy plays with the puck and driving excellent two-way results at five-on-five. He made few defensive mistakes and learned to use his skating and stickwork to compensate for his smaller stature.

Last year, on the other hand, the wheels fell off the bus with Hughes’ defensive performance.

The point totals might look similar but the discrepancy between his rookie and sophomore value can’t be overstated. As a rookie, Hughes was a star No. 1 defenceman. As a sophomore, Hughes was a top power play quarterback but not much else. It’s no question that the Canucks will need something closer to the former to field a blue line stable enough to make the playoffs.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson: Is he the X-factor for the Canucks’ playoff push … and if so, how can the team put him in a position to succeed?

If Jim Benning’s rhetoric following the club’s blockbuster trade with the Coyotes is any indicator, the Canucks are going to lean hard on Ekman-Larsson. Benning referred to Ekman-Larsson as a bona fide top pair blueliner and went as far as to say that “he’ll be our No. 1 defenceman” in his media availability.

Vancouver’s playoff aspirations could thus hinge on Ekman-Larsson’s ability to bounce back this season. The Canucks don’t need him to be the elite all-around defenceman he once was but they’re going to be in trouble if he can’t provide genuine top-four value.

Escaping Arizona’s defence-first system plus the psychological factors of the fresh start should help him. But the Canucks have to be cognizant to do what they can to put him in a position to succeed as well. The team might be asking for too much, for example, if they expect him to log 24-25 minutes per game and match up against the other teams’ best players with a partner like Tucker Poolman who probably isn’t best suited to that kind of high leverage role.

It’s a delicate balancing act, though, because it’s not as if the Canucks have many other options for how they can use him.

Travis Hamonic: Can Hamonic be a competent partner for Hughes?

The Hughes-Hamonic pair had a rocky start last season. They started clicking a bit better by the end of the campaign — Hughes certainly emphasized that in the media — but the underlying results still left something to be desired. Hughes’ inconsistent two-way play from last season stems far beyond who his partner was as his numbers were pretty similar with or without Hamonic, but none of that changes the fact that the club still doesn’t have a high-end partner for their ace defender.

With Poolman and Myers appearing like suboptimal fits on the surface, Hamonic likely has the inside track to land the spot next to Hughes. It’s not an ideal spot for him to play at this point — he’s closer to being a No. 5 defenceman than he is a genuine top-four one — but he has the experience doing it and was at least improving in that role over the course of the season.

Hamonic doesn’t need to be a world-beater but with Hughes’ own game in need of a bounce-back, it’s imperative for Hamonic to hold his own and not look out of place.

Tucker Poolman: Will he be the Canucks’ go-to matchup defender on the right side?

Those who followed the Jets closely last season will tell you that Poolman’s performance fluctuated quite heavily based on his deployment. He looked solid on the third pair but struggled when he had to defend top players in a matchup role. It doesn’t help that Poolman was assigned to the tough matchups role next to Josh Morrissey, who isn’t a strong enough play-driver to carry a pair, but the impression of the Canucks’ free-agent signing in that role was unfavourable regardless — he was being asked to do a bit too much.

The Canucks lack a right-handed defenceman who’s really suited for that tough matchups responsibility this season. Poolman may earn an edge on his recent experience alone. Based on the signing, the Canucks are likely betting that a new environment can help Poolman hold better serve in a high leverage minutes role.

Tyler Myers: Can his defensive game rebound or at least stabilize?

In Year 1 with the Canucks in 2019-20, Myers was arguably the team’s most effective right-handed defender. Sure, the point totals weren’t quite there due to some unfortunate puck luck but he was genuinely helping the team drive play in the right direction.

In Year 2, the bottom fell out on his defensive profile. The Canucks leaked high danger shots when Myers stepped over the boards, controlling just 42.7 percent of five-on-five scoring chances. It was the opposite scenario — the points rate improved but the two-way value depreciated significantly.

Myers should retain his puck-moving and offensive value but there were too many defensive warts in his game last year. The defensive side of his game is another factor to watch for this season if the blue line hopes to improve on its performance from last year.

Jack Rathbone: Is there any chance he can surprise and follow the rookie path of John Marino?

The right side of the Canucks’ blue line is still a significant problem. Hamonic, Poolman and Myers can all be useful to some extent but they’re not true high-end top-four performers at this stage in their respective careers.

That places the burden on the left side of the defence. Hughes and Ekman-Larsson are the obvious ones under pressure but it’d also be a huge help if Rathbone could break out. In an absolute best-case scenario — and maybe this is wishful thinking — one wonders if Rathbone could have a similar rookie impact as another former Harvard defenceman. In 2019-20, John Marino delivered excellent value in the middle of the lineup when the Penguins were expected to struggle with back end issues.

Rathbone probably needs more time before he can play as prominent of a role as Marino did for the Penguins but with his excellent skating and slick puck-moving skills, the potential is there for him to be a difference-maker on defence.
- LeftCoaster

Very fair questions, Myers needs to be sheltered from.tough match ups. The right side is the big questionmark.

that's the 6 million dollar question.

i'm optimistic about rathbone but you want to un-do all that pom pom waving by talking about the seasons beyond the next.

btw, removing the giraffe doesn't mean you take out the toughness. there's ways to address things even by having both rathbone and hughes in the lineup (that's for reuby).
- RealityChecker

Gretzky, McDavid, Crosby, Chelios, Lidstrom... 0 Calders.

Tyler Myers... 1 Calder.

The guy gets bashed so much, but when those other players win a Calder, maybe we can talk.

Agree with this point.
Sometimes players think they are doing a decent job on the defensive side of things, yet are terrible at it and don't put in the work to improve.
I always get a kick out of it when people say offense can't be taught, but defense can be, which is a load of bs. A lot of both offense and defense comes down to positioning and willingness to battle, especially for those not gifted with certain attributes like size, skill or whatever.

Also, Mike Green is a pretty good comparable.
- Reubenkincade

So you're saying neither can be taught?