Well said....but people want to label because they have expectations not being met
- Nuck4U

it comes with the job. If you get picked 6th overall with scouts raving about your tenacity, speed, grit, shot, and scoring ability and you come in and not bring any of that on a regular basis then you WILL be scrutinized. Nobody is asking Jake put up 30 goals or 60 points. People want Jake to develop his overall game. To not have "run over the guy with the puck" mentality one shift, then "I must back-check or the coach will sit me" mentality the next shift. Jake CAN be and will be a fantastic player. People here are certainly not calling him a bust, people are just asking that he be given the opportunity to develop properly and not rush him. Sheltered minutes on the 4th line is not what the Canucks envisioned when they drafted him. Certainly his potential is top 6. His resume and accomplishments suggest he has more to give. He has had opportunities to prove those and has not yet been able to do so. I think it is a favour to Jake to send him down, give him top minutes, offensive zone starts, PP time, PK time, you name it, give him every opportunity to get special teams and offenseive/defensive zone starts under his belt. I am getting the impression that you think we all want Jake to go down because he is not better than some of our players on our team, and that he is the low man on the totem pole for skill on our roster. That isn't the case. We know he has more to give than Burrows/Dorsett/Gaunce. We just want to see Jake at his best.

The worry was not that Biega would necessarily get snagged. Biega is a contingency plan in case Sbisa is for whatever reason unable to play his quota of games to be exposed for the LV draft. If something happened to Sbisa and we didn't have Biega in to play his quota, we would be forced to expose one of our top 4.
- NorthNuck

Yes that was part of the worry... other teams might take him for same reason

That's the point he's not a skill only scorer who can't stick like Tatar etc unless he produces. He is able to bring other aspects to the NHL game and while playing his minutes learn how to up the offense like Burr, Hanson and Kesler did before him. They were pegged 4th line guy's at the NHL level until they learned to be reliable scorers at the NHL level playing the minutes they got. That's the maturation process and well JV may not get that if other players can do more then what he is able to bring so then he'll be sent to the AHL to bide his time until the next opportunity.
- Nuck4U

I would rather see JV in the AHL able to develop all facets of his game at once, rather than in the NHL with far too little ice time, only honing his skills as a 4th line grinder. Play him more with Horvat, or send him down.

If it were not for injuries, I think they would have sent JV down by now.
- boonerbuck

very possible.

That's the point he's not a skill only scorer who can't stick like Tatar etc unless he produces. He is able to bring other aspects to the NHL game and while playing his minutes learn how to up the offense like Burr, Hanson and Kesler did before him. They were pegged 4th line guy's at the NHL level until they learned to be reliable scorers at the NHL level playing the minutes they got. That's the maturation process and well JV may not get that if other players can do more then what he is able to bring so then he'll be sent to the AHL to bide his time until the next opportunity.
- Nuck4U

Kesler was a 1st round pick by Burkie and was not pegged as a 4th line center at all lol. Hansen being drafted 2000th overall and Burrows being undrafted, I don't even think management had any expectations with them, other than hope that they would some day mold into something, which obviously they have exceeded that hope. Again. No one wants Jake sent down for any other reason than to have Jake become a better player for our future, and not have him play such limited and sheltered minutes while skating on eggshells, scared to make a mistake and be benched.

Nothing wrong with it unless the expectation is that JV score the same at NHL like AHL right away which wasn't what Kesler did until years of playing in the NHL.
- Nuck4U

I really dont think anyone is expecting it to be an immediate translation, just they want to see that improve. 13 points in 59 games for the 6th overall pick, who's playing about 10 minutes a night in his sophomore season is not good. Kesler in his first 30 games plus full season had a higher scoring rate than JV is on now

RE: Jake being injured

There was a quote from someone the other day, I can't remember who that said he was 100% and that there was no health excuses.
- belcherbd

The quote was from me I saw WD say it in one of the post game pressers. I still wasn't totally convinced though. He looks like he's still not 100% out there.

Perhaps, but if he's as good as you suggest they wouldn't be worrying about Biega and if Pedan went unclaimed you really think Biega gets snagged?
- belcherbd

I think the only reason Biega is here is because Tree can't play and wont go to the A.

That's the point he's not a skill only scorer who can't stick like Tatar etc unless he produces. He is able to bring other aspects to the NHL game and while playing his minutes learn how to up the offense like Burr, Hanson and Kesler did before him. They were pegged 4th line guy's at the NHL level until they learned to be reliable scorers at the NHL level playing the minutes they got. That's the maturation process and well JV may not get that if other players can do more then what he is able to bring so then he'll be sent to the AHL to bide his time until the next opportunity.
- Nuck4U

There is no reason he cant stickhandle like Tatar, its a skill you develop. Currently his focus isn't on that, because in his current role he needs to hit and grind. JV was scouted as potentially being a top 6 power forward, and I would rather see him take baby steps to achieving the goal in the AHL than one big marathon at the NHL level.

As for the others you mentioned, Burrows and Hansen have been lauded for their work ethics (and not to mention, have excellent hockey IQ's) and Kesler was a lower first round pick than Jake. Not really comparable as all three had their career years (like many others did) playing with the Sedin's

Kesler was a 1st round pick by Burkie and was not pegged as a 4th line center at all lol. Hansen being drafted 2000th overall and Burrows being undrafted, I don't even think management had any expectations with them, other than hope that they would some day mold into something, which obviously they have exceeded that hope. Again. No one wants Jake sent down for any other reason than to have Jake become a better player for our future, and not have him play such limited and sheltered minutes while skating on eggshells, scared to make a mistake and be benched.
- Codes1087

Yes we all want that ... but he will be exactly in the same position with WD coming back up and having to prove it at the NHL level ....

Example only....look at Shinky he proved it at the AHL level showed the confidence there but once here had to prove that with the minutes he got ... the egg shell feeling is there until the coach believes you have proved it at the NHL level consistently.

So back to where we are now. JV is seen as good enough to play so he's got to learn the offensive side of the game at the NHL level and that just takes time.

on a different note , with megna and virtanen on his wings maybe we'll see a bit more out of gaunce tonight. he seems to be a good steady player , but slow, and with some faster wingers maybe we'll get a similar effect, albeit with less talent, that pittsburg saw with bonino with kessel and hagelin

RE: Jake being injured

The quote was from me I saw WD say it in one of the post game pressers. I still wasn't totally convinced though. He looks like he's still not 100% out there.
- NorthNuck

I think I heard I-Mac on the radio saying it but perhaps it was WD. Regardless I doubt they have him playing if he isn't healthy.

Yes we all want that ... but he will be exactly in the same position with WD coming back up and having to prove it at the NHL level ....

Example only....look at Shinky he proved it at the AHL level showed the confidence there but once here had to prove that with the minutes he got ... the egg shell feeling is there until the coach believes you have proved it at the NHL level consistently.

So back to where we are now. JV is seen as good enough to play so he's got to learn the offensive side of the game at the NHL level and that just takes time.
- Nuck4U

patience talk to me at the 40 game mark if he's still getting 8-12 mins and is ineffective , until then i believe that practicing proper habits and learning professional hockey from some very good professionals will pay off

I think I heard I-Mac on the radio saying it but perhaps it was WD. Regardless I doubt they have him playing if he isn't healthy.
- belcherbd

Well I think the real context was a couple games ago when he was scratched WD was asked by someone "Is the reason Jake was scratched tonight because he still has lingering effects of injury?" and WD said "No, he's healthy."

I think the only reason Biega is here is because Tree can't play and wont go to the A.
- A_SteamingLombardi

I get that and I agree but I was commenting more on the opinion that the only reason Stecher wasn't here was because they were worried Biega gets snagged, which I don't buy. If the prerogative is to win games you dress your best roster and deal with the repercussion of that moving forward.

on a different note , with megna and virtanen on his wings maybe we'll see a bit more out of gaunce tonight. he seems to be a good steady player , but slow, and with some faster wingers maybe we'll get a similar effect, albeit with less talent, that pittsburg saw with bonino with kessel and hagelin
- onesmallleap

Gaunce to me looks slower than last year. I would say Gaunce needs to step up a bit with a little production...he has had plenty of time in the A to get his game ready.

Well I think the real context was a couple games ago when he was scratched WD was asked by someone "Is the reason Jake was scratched tonight because he still has lingering effects of injury?" and WD said "No, he's healthy."
- NorthNuck

I think the talking heads on 1040 were suggesting that same thing he didn't look healthy and I-Mac came on and straight up said he had asked and was told, completely healthy and couldn't use it as an excuse.

I-Mac tends to be a parrot for the team so I wouldn't be surprised if the team was trying make a point.

I really dont think anyone is expecting it to be an immediate translation, just they want to see that improve. 13 points in 59 games for the 6th overall pick, who's playing about 10 minutes a night in his sophomore season is not good. Kesler in his first 30 games plus full season had a higher scoring rate than JV is on now
- WhiteLie

Right ... isn't that where we are at now ...? It's a small sample size and he still can add in the points... we want early success but sometimes it takes time. Guance the other rookie has zero expectation to score cause he's been stuck in the minors for so long ... so he will develop that aspect of his game or not with the playing time he gets. The JV expectation is higher given draft position and well that other players near him in his draft are producing. But they aren't power forwards Andy like Neely, Bertuzzi etc needed time to learn it at the NHL level cause they did other things better.

But if the Canucks have a better option then JV they will send him down and keep him there until they don't. That's where this team is at. What works for JV is anyone's guess. Because if his confidence erodes then he won't get the minutes and get sent down. If he learns to do it he will get more minutes and improve.

Gaunce to me looks slower than last year. I would say Gaunce needs to step up a bit with a little production...he has had plenty of time in the A to get his game ready.
- LordHumungous

I think he needs slightly more skilled linemates to see points start coming in at a better clip.

Gaunce to me looks slower than last year. I would say Gaunce needs to step up a bit with a little production...he has had plenty of time in the A to get his game ready.
- LordHumungous

i agree to me he looks like he can make good plays with the puck but never seems to be able to "chase" it down

I think the talking heads on 1040 were suggesting that same thing he didn't look healthy and I-Mac came on and straight up said he had asked and was told, completely healthy and couldn't use it as an excuse.

I-Mac tends to be a parrot for the team so I wouldn't be surprised if the team was trying make a point.
- belcherbd

The segments with him and Valk during intermissions make me on a consistent basis.

I don't understand why they don't just play Tryamkin because
a) they are probably disenfranchising him by having him sit there
b) They need a body on D right now
c) He must know full well that if he is refusing to go down to the A or was promised not to be sent down...he is going to get pretty much one crack at proving himself on the team. If he can't play at the NHL level he has no leverage as far staying on the roster.

It's pretty much a one shot deal for him so put up or shut up. Next stop is the KHL.

The segments with him and Valk during intermissions make me on a consistent basis.
- NorthNuck

Yup but at least it isn't Drance anymore, Kirk Maclean is brutal whenever they have him on as well.

I don't understand why they don't just play Tryamkin because
a) they are probably disenfranchising him by having him sit there
b) They need a body on D right now
c) He must know full well that if he is refusing to go down to the A or was promised not to be sent down...he is going to get pretty much one crack at proving himself on the team. If he can't play at the NHL level he has no leverage as far staying on the roster.

It's pretty much a one shot deal for him so put up or shut up. Next stop is the KHL.
- docmorgan

I think it comes down to WD making it really clear that his singular goal this year is to win games and he doesn't think Tryamkin is better than anyone on the left side. His only option would be playing him on his offside.

I think the talking heads on 1040 were suggesting that same thing he didn't look healthy and I-Mac came on and straight up said he had asked and was told, completely healthy and couldn't use it as an excuse.

I-Mac tends to be a parrot for the team so I wouldn't be surprised if the team was trying make a point.
- belcherbd

Like they did with Coho and his back lol. Maybe part of the knock on young kids is to learn to produce or be effective even if not feeling 100%.... we have seen JV lay the body before. But he is either not sure of his body right now from the injury or scared not to over due it to get a penalty or be out of position. So is playing more cautiously... which we don't want ... we want him to be a terror and make power moves to the net ... so there's the knock he's got to learn to do that while not exposing his defensive responsibilities