absolutely. He was thrown to the wolves this year and didn't have a partner like Suter to back him up. I think he should have been a sheltered 4/5 this year as most standout rookie Dmen should be. To think he's trash based on his +- is Esplen-level stupid
- TheNugeIsHuge

I don't think anyone is calling him trash, we all know he is coveted, and one of the best offensive dmen in the league, he will be a top pairing guy 9I think), but he needs some steady veteran guys back there to teach him the ways, and sharpen up his d zone play.

1. Vancouver
2. LA
3. Phoenix
4. San Jose
5. Anaheim
6. Calgary
7. Edmonton
- hankthetank

thats quite harsh...i love it

I'm late to the party here, but from what I gather people are suggesting Schultz is a top pairing d-man?!

Ahhhh that's good stuff.
Canucks have the deepest D group in the division by far. Other teams may have one d-man that is more top end, but the Canucks back end is quite impressive. Hamhuis, Bieksa, Garrison, Edler is one of the best top 4's in the league.

I'm late to the party here, but from what I gather people are suggesting Schultz is a top pairing d-man?!

Ahhhh that's good stuff.
Canucks have the deepest D group in the division by far. Other teams may have one d-man that is more top end, but the Canucks back end is quite impressive. Hamhuis, Bieksa, Garrison, Edler is one of the best top 4's in the league.
- hankthetank

YOU'RE SUCH A HOMER...wait hmm GO THRASHERS...wait that doesn't work either...

alright so 1P in 3GP. Not in any way bad especially considering it includes his first NHL game.

20:52, 27:49, 19:36. Wouldn't call that sheltered. About 22:45 each game. Certainly wasn't playing 3rd lines in the first 2 games
- TheNugeIsHuge

Actually, with Kesler and Booth hurt, if he wasn't playing against the Sedins he was playing against the 3rd line (or potentially 4th).

YOU'RE SUCH A HOMER...wait hmm GO THRASHERS...wait that doesn't work either...
- annoyance_101

Oh right, having an opinion around here makes you a homer. Forgot about that. Who in the division has a better top 4 than that?

likely because you watched 3-4 oiler games. he didn't for a lot of the season, but not many rookie Dmen partnered with someone as good as N Schultz do

I'm a huge fan of Dillon's. Don't have to talk him up to me. I hope you know PK doesn't affect one's +-. And +- is irrelevant too.

I mean I guess you could say it's like the Edler situation. Plays 5th toughest comp among VAN Dmen with over 20GP. Was a -5 on a team that was +6. For an offensive Dman didn't even have as many points as rookie Schultz

Is Mike Green a bad Dman? Played 5th toughest comp and only 27 more seconds of PK time than Schultz
- TheNugeIsHuge

Where are you getting your info that Edler plays against the 5th toughest competition?

Last time I checked behindthenet, Edler played against the toughest competition of all the Canucks, with Hamhuis catching up at the end of the year.

I'm late to the party here, but from what I gather people are suggesting Schultz is a top pairing d-man?!

Ahhhh that's good stuff.
Canucks have the deepest D group in the division by far. Other teams may have one d-man that is more top end, but the Canucks back end is quite impressive. Hamhuis, Bieksa, Garrison, Edler is one of the best top 4's in the league.
- hankthetank

I'd put LA as having the best D in the West followed by Van. I'm not in love with our forward core these days but D is definitely something we've done well over the past few years.

Oh right, having an opinion around here makes you a homer. Forgot about that. Who in the division has a better top 4 than that?
- hankthetank

No ones, but it still makes you a homer...

Actually, with Kesler and Booth hurt, if he wasn't playing against the Sedins he was playing against the 3rd line (or potentially 4th).
- KB3Point0

He had great numbers playing against Raymond, but Raymond falling down a lot doesn't mean he's a great defenseman.

No ones, but it still makes you a homer...
- annoyance_101

Exactly.
Canucks have some holes but they boast one of the best defensive units in the NHL. People are quick to write them off, but I think they'll be top 5 in the NHL this season.

Exactly.
Canucks have some holes but they boast one of the best defensive units in the NHL. People are quick to write them off, but I think they'll be top 5 in the NHL this season.
- hankthetank

I'm not sure who is seriously writing the Canucks off for the regular season. Though I'm not as bullish as previous seasons I'd agree that top 5 is achievable. But for the playoffs to be a success a lot has to go right for this unit to succeed IMO.

I'm not sure who is seriously writing the Canucks off for the regular season. Though I'm not as bullish as previous seasons I'd agree that top 5 is achievable. But for the playoffs to be a success a lot has to go right for this unit to succeed IMO.
- AlexF

Yesterday I saw a hockey magazine predicting the Canucks would finish 6th in their division this coming season. Had to laugh at that.

I'm late to the party here, but from what I gather people are suggesting Schultz is a top pairing d-man?!

Ahhhh that's good stuff.
Canucks have the deepest D group in the division by far. Other teams may have one d-man that is more top end, but the Canucks back end is quite impressive. Hamhuis, Bieksa, Garrison, Edler is one of the best top 4's in the league.
- hankthetank

No one said he IS a top pairing D man. He can and likely will become.

I agree. I'd give my left nut for Hamuis in EDM. Huge fan of his

Where are you getting your info that Edler plays against the 5th toughest competition?

Last time I checked behindthenet, Edler played against the toughest competition of all the Canucks, with Hamhuis catching up at the end of the year.
- Fosco

?
Send me the link to where it says toughest. If you go by QoC he's 5th. Corsi Rel QoC he's 4th

Yesterday I saw a hockey magazine predicting the Canucks would finish 6th in their division this coming season. Had to laugh at that.
- hankthetank

finishing below Calgary and Phoenix and even Edmonton would surprise the hell out of me...I would say top 3...not sure about 5th overall in the league but really...having Detroit in the east is going to make things a lot easier for the western teams and a lot harder for the eastern teams...they will realize it soon enough in the east So I think the eastern conference is going to be extremely different than previous years...extraordinarily different and exciting to watch how it unfolds

Yesterday I saw a hockey magazine predicting the Canucks would finish 6th in their division this coming season. Had to laugh at that.
- hankthetank

I think, unless the sedins break their legs, VAN SJ and LA are locks for 1, 2, and 3(no order)

Yesterday I saw a hockey magazine predicting the Canucks would finish 6th in their division this coming season. Had to laugh at that.
- hankthetank

Same one that picked the Penguins to win the Cup?

I think, unless the sedins break their legs, VAN SJ and LA are locks for 1, 2, and 3(no order)
- TheNugeIsHuge

thats how i see it too

finishing below Calgary and Phoenix and even Edmonton would surprise the hell out of me...I would say top 3...not sure about 5th overall in the league but really...having Detroit in the east is going to make things a lot easier for the western teams and a lot harder for the eastern teams...they will realize it soon enough in the east So I think the eastern conference is going to be extremely different than previous years...extraordinarily different and exciting to watch how it unfolds
- annoyance_101

How long will it take before fans in the East are up in arms about 8 of 16 teams making the playoffs instead of 8 of 14 in the West?

Esplen is a different Cloutier.

My order:

1 Los Angeles
2 Phoenix
3 San Jose if Burns is among them, else Vancouver
4 Vancouver/San Jose
5 Anaheim
6 Edmonton
7 Calgary

Your just biased agaonst edmonton. I agree about the other d but j schultz played the hardest minutes on the team and did quite well. His plus minus was bad but that was more of a product of the oil sucking as a team last year.
- BleedOil06

Remember he does live in the Cowtown

How long will it take before fans in the East are up in arms about 8 of 16 teams making the playoffs instead of 8 of 14 in the West?
- KB3Point0

I personally think its a cluster(frank), this set up absolutely needs 16 or 14 teams in both conference...

Yesterday I saw a hockey magazine predicting the Canucks would finish 6th in their division this coming season. Had to laugh at that.
- hankthetank

That's when you realize that even "legitimate hockey journalists" are just trying to drum up controversy like Cloutier.

Yesterday I saw a hockey magazine predicting the Canucks would finish 6th in their division this coming season. Had to laugh at that.
- hankthetank

Probably the same people who predicted Edmonton would finish 3rd in the LEAGUE last year.