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

You need to look at this from all angles though. Shinkaruk had a breakout season in Utica there is no doubt. He always ran 1st PP, and had 90% of his zone starts in the offensive zone. You are going to put up numbers being handed those types of opportunities as a skilled player. The difference between Calgary and Shinkaruk and Vancouver and Virtanen is that Shinkaruk was given top line, 2nd line, 3rd line, and 4th line opportunities and wasn't ready. Virtanen has skated 1st line, 2nd line, 3rd line and now 4th line the exact same. Shinkaruk has more skill than players like Ferland and Bouma, he has more skill than other roster players but he isn't quite ready, so they sent him back down in his last year of ELC. That is our point. It isn't so much about the label of being a 1st round pick playing big minutes, it is about developing your game and being responsible. Shinkaruk needs to prove that in the NHL but first proving that in the AHL, and the Flames see no purpose in giving him 4th line minutes.

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
- onesmallleap

YEs definate bonus there learning the game from Sedins and others they cited Linden and Naslund as their teachers

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.
- Nuck4U

If 13 points in 59 games and still on the 4th line is good enough for you, then so be it. I expect more offense and so do a lot of others, not only because of his draft status but he has the tools to be really good. Bertuzzi had 18goals and 39 points in his 76 game rookie season, and Neely had 16 goals and 31 point in his 56 game rookie season. His production is more along the rates of Kassian and thats what scares me more

If 13 points in 59 games and still on the 4th line is good enough for you, then so be it. I expect more offense and so do a lot of others, not only because of his draft status but he has the tools to be really good. Bertuzzi had 18goals and 39 points in his 76 game rookie season, and Neely had 16 goals and 31 point in his 56 game rookie season. His production is more along the rates of Kassian and thats what scares me more
- WhiteLie

It's pretty sad to think that instead of Virt and MCann we could've had Larkin and Pastrnak or even Ehlers and Fabbri but in the words of Randy Travis "they say hindsights 20-20"

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

It took a lot to get him to come here so they won't rush him back to the KHL and take their time getting him ready for NHL action. Besides he's also insurance to what they have playing. Look if we get 2/3 D going down he will slot in. And who wants him to be in the KHL if that happens. That being said if he remains out of games for months he'll have to accept some AHL games for timing before getting into the line up

YEs definate bonus there learning the game from Sedins and others they cited Linden and Naslund as their teachers
- Nuck4U

exactly right.

just for shoots and giggles lets say they send JV to Utica and when he goes there Green sees something in his game that he wants to fix or make better so he plays him less minutes on the 3-4 line in Utica , is the development going to be better then the limited minutes here?
Utica has a winning mandate as a franchise too , so saying you can send JV there and he'll be HANDED top minutes without earning them is false.
Just sending him to the AHL for minutes sake isn't really feasable, especially if he hasn't lost his spot here due to poor play


and if the whole argument is mins played and deployment , like the idiot Botch beats to death, then it all about willie D and not JV .

i believe JV was also one of the youngest in his draft calss and just had his 20 b-day 2 months ago

If 13 points in 59 games and still on the 4th line is good enough for you, then so be it. I expect more offense and so do a lot of others, not only because of his draft status but he has the tools to be really good. Bertuzzi had 18goals and 39 points in his 76 game rookie season, and Neely had 16 goals and 31 point in his 56 game rookie season. His production is more along the rates of Kassian and thats what scares me more
- WhiteLie

I hear you... but those guys got playing time from the beginning of the season to put up the points given the teams they were on. JV really didn't get much playing time or games until after the TDL when they were out of it and his production went up.

Kassian had other issues that derailed him and he had spent time in the AHL already but didn't show consistent game at NHL level. That's the whole point it doesn't matter what he does in the AHL he's got to learn how to show it at the NHL.

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.
- Codes1087

Well said.

what the heck guddy ? wearing a redblacks hat on gameday? dude! get some leos gear

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

You are back thank heavens...


The narrative coming from Benning was about making Biega available for the expansion draft. They could have kept up Pedan and not waived him to be "Tree insurance".

You need to look at this from all angles though. Shinkaruk had a breakout season in Utica there is no doubt. He always ran 1st PP, and had 90% of his zone starts in the offensive zone. You are going to put up numbers being handed those types of opportunities as a skilled player. The difference between Calgary and Shinkaruk and Vancouver and Virtanen is that Shinkaruk was given top line, 2nd line, 3rd line, and 4th line opportunities and wasn't ready. Virtanen has skated 1st line, 2nd line, 3rd line and now 4th line the exact same. Shinkaruk has more skill than players like Ferland and Bouma, he has more skill than other roster players but he isn't quite ready, so they sent him back down in his last year of ELC. That is our point. It isn't so much about the label of being a 1st round pick playing big minutes, it is about developing your game and being responsible. Shinkaruk needs to prove that in the NHL but first proving that in the AHL, and the Flames see no purpose in giving him 4th line minutes.
- Codes1087

Right. Why JV is playing NHL minutes and Shink is not cause he doesn't have those aspects to his game. Offense gets developed at the NHL level either you learn to do or not .... many power forwards like Stewart etc. don't do it and stay in defensive roles only. JV may show he can do more with games ahead or not and get bumped by other players and be sent to AHL. Making that argument now is premature

You are back thank heavens...


The narrative coming from Benning was about making Biega available for the expansion draft. They could have kept up Pedan and not waived him to be "Tree insurance".
- boonerbuck

Sounds about right ....plus they rather the younger Pedan develop his game then sit like Biega

Thanks Carol!

Kind of feel for Biega. Signing a 1 way and sitting in the press box is not ideal. Tryamkin migh be a bit put off by the fact that Stecher joins top pairing with Edler while him and Biega sit waiting for injuries to occur.

I am curious to know if Labate would have been first call up had it not been for suspension.
- Codes1087

Isn't he getting paid $550,000 to sit in a press box and watch hockey? Sign me up!

Isn't he getting paid $550,000 to sit in a press box and watch hockey? Sign me up!
- CanuckDon

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.
- belcherbd

I don't buy it either

what the heck guddy ? wearing a redblacks hat on gameday? dude! get some leos gear
- onesmallleap

Lol he is supporting his hometown team just not in hockey tonight where his other homy and paired partner are hoping to light it up on the Sens

Lol he is supporting his hometown team just not in hockey tonight where his other homy and paired partner are hoping to light it up on the Sens
- Nuck4U

i guess maybe , but with the media in this town it'll probably turn into a "we won't be able to re-sign him-we lost the trade " tirade that will have the fanbase up in arms

shoot! I probably just gave Botch his next article with no commission

I don't buy it either
- A_SteamingLombardi

Stecher would have been sitting not playing unless there was an injury like now. So they wanted him playing to keep his timing and because of ELC could be sent easily to AHL to do that. He was technically the 7 D out of camp. That's why he's playing now with first injury. Seems Tree would have been there too why he said no thanks I got the KHL if you don't want me here.

i'm surprised that Subban's name hasn't been brought up and how this call-up effects his "feelings"

Right. Why JV is playing NHL minutes and Shink is not cause he doesn't have those aspects to his game. Offense gets developed at the NHL level either you learn to do or not .... many power forwards like Stewart etc. don't do it and stay in defensive roles only. JV may show he can do more with games ahead or not and get bumped by other players and be sent to AHL. Making that argument now is premature
- Nuck4U

LOL you and I are bound to have some good conversations moving forward bud.

"Offense gets developed at the NHL level either you learn to do or not .... " There are sooooo many examples of players I could name that counter this claim.

JV is playing in the NHL right now strictly because of injuries. Rodin is healthy, Virtanen is sitting 100%. Burrows and Dorsett out, Virtanen plays.

I am not sure how this argument is premature lol. This isn't main camp in the summer. The season has started and Virtanen is a sophomore and is either in limited minutes/benched/ or a healthy scratch. This is all very relevant and present.

Isn't he getting paid $550,000 to sit in a press box and watch hockey? Sign me up!
- CanuckDon

i'm surprised that Subban's name hasn't been brought up and how this call-up effects his "feelings"
- onesmallleap

Because men in sports having feelings, that's unacceptable!

I hear you... but those guys got playing time from the beginning of the season to put up the points given the teams they were on. JV really didn't get much playing time or games until after the TDL when they were out of it and his production went up.

Kassian had other issues that derailed him and he had spent time in the AHL already but didn't show consistent game at NHL level. That's the whole point it doesn't matter what he does in the AHL he's got to learn how to show it at the NHL.
- Nuck4U

4 points in the 19 games after the TDL, including pointless in the last 12 games of the season, is an increase in production? Its actually on par with his career point totals of .22 points per game. He isnt developing beyond the hitting game he started in the NHL with is why people are saying to send him down. Clearly the jump from WHL to NHL is a massive one to a lot of players, its not a bad thing to take a step back and get a new footing from where to step up from.

For what its worth, Kassian also out produced Virtanen in juniors and didnt do that great in the AHL before he was rushed out of there. He wouldve been better served to spend more time there IMO

i'm surprised that Subban's name hasn't been brought up and how this call-up effects his "feelings"
- onesmallleap

He will get his chance, especially if he keeps putting the puck in the net.