The hardest part of moving up is the teams at the top want young players/picks in exchange a team like vancover only offering veteren players mabe not gonna get it done. IMO to move into the top 4 or 3 will take a b+ or A- prospect a top ten pick in this years draft and a top 4 dman or top six forward. Gaunce, Kessler your first this year and next just my opinion Florida Tampa bay and Colorado aren't going to give their picks away for throw away players they need these franchise players the most.
- Mikeflynn3026

I don't know, The Lightning have to be getting a bit ichy to do something. Marty isn't getting younger and they have had what one playoff run in 4 years with Stevie Y?

My guess is he is on the hot seat this year.

I don't see trading one of them for a "better" prospect to be enough of an upgrade to actually change anything. We need MORE prospects coming up, not the same number. So if GMMG is really trying to move up in the draft, he better not do it by sacrificing prospects he has already invested in. I would trade any current roster player for a quality prospect, but as I said, would prefer to keep Schneider and Hansen.

*I'll count Tanev as a prospect, same for Corrado and Schroeder.
- 1970vintage

I still think Canucks will look at taking Rocky D and Nino and buy out Rocky. That would be a good start to a second line if we traded up also. Pile on an Edler Burrows trade for top 6 maybe for Couterier type player

Sedin Sedin Draft
Booth Couturiere Nino
Higgin ? Hansen

Well, we disagree, I believe Schroeder is a better option for 2nd line C than Kesler, at roughly $4m less.
- 1970vintage

What's the rationale behind that? Cause it's ludicrous.

Well, we disagree, I believe Schroeder is a better option for 2nd line C than Kesler, at roughly $4m less.
- 1970vintage

Agree if Kes is still on the roster move him with the Sedins

What's the rationale behind that? Cause it's ludicrous.
- KB3Point0

How many games did Kesler miss enroute to another division title?

What's the rationale behind that? Cause it's ludicrous.
- KB3Point0

Kes is not a puck distributor . He is a better player (no questions asked ) than Schroeder but not a better passer.

Agree if Kes is still on the roster move him with the Sedins
- VANTEL

Wow,that would suggest a full overhaul...I don't think it's neccesary yet, there are plenty of moves to make to improve the team long term without a full scale fire sale.

I still think Canucks will look at taking Rocky D and Nino and buy out Rocky. That would be a good start to a second line if we traded up also. Pile on an Edler Burrows trade for top 6 maybe for Couterier type player

Sedin Sedin Draft
Booth Couturiere Nino
Higgin ? Hansen
- VANTEL

What owner would agree to that?

Ian Esplen: Trading up?
is it worth it and for who?
- IanEsplen

Eklund doesn't break news.

What's the rationale behind that? Cause it's ludicrous.
- KB3Point0

Because the team currently sits above the Salary cap with only 17 players under contract. If they can get rid of Lu, Ballard and Booth that's all good, but Gillis has spent 5 years trying to find wingers that can play with Kesler to no avail, maybe its not the wingers...

I say give up whatever it takes (veteran players/picks) to get the next franchise player. I don't really see a point in dealing guys like Jensen / Gaunce because they are supposed to be future Canucks, but picks and current roster players should all be fair game. Trading one prospect for another doesn't get this team any closer to changing the culture, providing for the future.

Feel free to trade anyone, although I would try and keep Schneider and the Badger, the new core
- 1970vintage

Who is "The Badger"?

Kes is not a puck distributor . He is a better player (no questions asked ) than Schroeder but not a better passer.
- VANTEL

That does not make Schroeder, an undersized player who is not great defensively and has yet to show that he can even contribute at the NHL level (or even with consistency at the AHL level) a better option than Kesler.

I still think Canucks will look at taking Rocky D and Nino and buy out Rocky. That would be a good start to a second line if we traded up also. Pile on an Edler Burrows trade for top 6 maybe for Couterier type player

Sedin Sedin Draft
Booth Couturiere Nino
Higgin ? Hansen
- VANTEL

Personally, I don't give a poop how much money the ownership spends, so if buying out players is the way they decide to go I'm all for it, BUT, as a business person, I doubt that FA agrees to spend this much money to pay a player not to play. There is an incredible amount of risk involved in trading Lu, even though I don't think the whole cap recapture penalty will be enforced, it remains a risk. Kesler, Edler are probably the two most desirable players for other teams and would net the Canucks the best return.

Eklund doesn't break news.
- Marwood

He actually hasn't been too bad with Vancouver in the past.

He had Vancouver in on Booth, Ballard and Sundin right for the most part.

To be honest, look at his record and look at Darren Dreger's record. A lot of the time the crazy talk is just as bad from the TSN insider spreading his cousin's crap.

That does not make Schroeder, an undersized player who is not great defensively and has yet to show that he can even contribute at the NHL level (or even with consistency at the AHL level) a better option than Kesler.
- KB3Point0

He isn't but the team has proved to be competitive with or without Kesler.

He actually hasn't been too bad with Vancouver in the past.

He had Vancouver in on Booth, Ballard and Sundin right for the most part.

To be honest, look at his record and look at Darren Dreger's record. A lot of the time the crazy talk is just as bad from the TSN insider spreading his cousin's crap.
- IanEsplen

Off topic,Ian, but what direction are the Canucks going in? Rebuild,retool, maintaining or going for it(the cup)?

He isn't but the team has proved to be competitive with or without Kesler.
- Jeropotato

Maybe in the old division where our competition wasn't exactly flush down the middle. We're now up against the Sharks, Kings and Ducks. I still believe in Schroeder, but that would be ridiculous to assume he'd be a better fit than Kesler.

He actually hasn't been too bad with Vancouver in the past.

He had Vancouver in on Booth, Ballard and Sundin right for the most part.

To be honest, look at his record and look at Darren Dreger's record. A lot of the time the crazy talk is just as bad from the TSN insider spreading his cousin's crap.
- IanEsplen

I don't consider Eklund a credible source nor do I consider most of the other analysists & talking heads to be that credible either. Bob Mac is probably the only one I pay heed to.

Glen Healy is the most retarded pillow-biter of the whole group with Kyprios being a close second.

Off topic,Ian, but what direction are the Canucks going in? Rebuild,retool, maintaining or going for it(the cup)?
- Jeropotato

I think they are still trying to win a Cup, but they aren't as all in as they maybe have been in the past.

You look at the roster and I think they are still top-10 in the NHL so I don't see how or why you would break everything up to suck for 3-5 years. This team is still pretty darn good in my books and if you're pretty darn good, you're not that far off winning a Cup.

I think you will see a core player or two being moved out and a core player or two being brought in.

Because the team currently sits above the Salary cap with only 17 players under contract. If they can get rid of Lu, Ballard and Booth that's all good, but Gillis has spent 5 years trying to find wingers that can play with Kesler to no avail, maybe its not the wingers...
- 1970vintage

What second line wingers has Kesler played with? He's played with Booth, while healthy, for a couple months only. Definitely not enough time to judge. Apart from that they're consistently attempted to cram 3rd line wingers on his line. Higgins? Raymond? Gimme a break. How is Schroeder going to have MORE success in that role than Kesler???

I don't consider Eklund a credible source nor do I consider most of the other analysists & talking heads to be that credible either. Bob Mac is probably the only one I pay heed to.

Glen Healy is the most retarded pillow-biter of the whole group with Kyprios being a close second.
- Marwood

Yah, I'm with you on that one.

Who is "The Badger"?
- Marwood

Maybe in the old division where our competition wasn't exactly flush down the middle. We're now up against the Sharks, Kings and Ducks. I still believe in Schroeder, but that would be ridiculous to assume he'd be a better fit than Kesler.
- Boinker

Amen.

He isn't but the team has proved to be competitive with or without Kesler.
- Jeropotato

Actually, they've proved that they aren't competitive enough without Kesler. They've proved that without him they are a one line team with sub par special teams. Can they make the playoffs in a weak division? Yes. Unfortunately, playoff success is all that matters. Also, with re-alignment their division will be much stronger next year.

- 1970vintage

Ah, yes, The Great Dane.