Which C's do u suggest next draft?
- Nighthawk

He'd probably say Tkachuck. Who looks more to be a winger with skating issues. Plus as one of the oldest players in draft class is set to drop in rankings.

The 2018 draft seems D and Wing loaded up top. There are centers to watch like Veleno and McLeod. But if JB wins the lotto or gets a top 5 pick I see him going with D for 2018.

I see BO as a 65-70pt C getting PP time & the Rough minutes.
I detest comparisons but anyways he is Trottier like in build & smarts.
Once he gets 2 wingers of talent then his potential will occur.
Saying he is a shoot 1st is incorrect at this time when Sven was developed & RW really not filled til BB arrived. Say keeping those 3 together & BO will get 60+ nextvyear.
- Nighthawk

Baertschi is not a top 6 player

building a champion, EP #1C BO #2 C GAUDETTE #3 C and a d that every team would envy and demko goaltending.
- Bettmanhatesus

Champion seems too presumptive but that looks to be a competitive core if you add Dahlin as the envy D. Oh cruel hockey gods give Nuck Nation a lotto win for once.

We don't know who the Canucks will be able to draft in top rounds in the future. Equally we don't know the ceilings of our top young players. Development is funny that way.

It would be great to have a center rich problem where some will play wing even in the top 6. But not at the expense of not having a top caliber D. So balance is what a team should strive for when building to be compete for the Cup.
- Nuck4U

The hunt is always for Elite D followed by 1C. The problems as we all know is D is hard call & takes longer. Therefore BPA tends to be the go to. Adding that 18yr olds can be a crapshoot to some degree i'd lean on smarts & character as a decider on close calls. Next i take Dahlin as an elite D & need mainly cuz Svechnikov as a winger dynamic who needs to be a playmaker ala Kane. If both r gone then its Tkachuk Veleno or Merkley to choose from maybe Quinn. I lean towards Merkley unless Tkachuk or Veleno goes crazy.

Are you denying the working relationship and team work between management and coaching on setting the roster?
- Nuck4U

Are you denying my response last blog?
If u prefer i can reword the same reply to mean the same.

We do know we will be drafting top 10 for at least the next three years. You can also be sure it will be a center or a top Dman .

You are right that you don't know how our prospects are going to turn out so why would you want to pay them top money when you don't really know what you have?
- VANTEL

Please point out where I said to pay prospects top money?

We don't know beyond this season what to expect. Things can change quickly with prospect development, trades and chemistry. Something you used to say until you got this notion that the Sedins won't ever retire and will get all the top playing time.

Looking at 2018 draft it has better D then C at the top so hopefully there's a lotto win.

Baertschi is not a top 6 player
- VANTEL

On this roster he is & who BO plays with.
IMO for him to be a true top 6 for us it will take 25 goals.

Are you denying my response last blog?
If u prefer i can reword the same reply to mean the same.
- Nighthawk

Not clear from what you said before. Do you get the GM and Coach work together with coaching staff giving list of who they want for GM to work out?

While we're all getting high and fantasizing....

If Crosby was our 4lc then we'd have a cup team.....

Also I'd love to have Doughty and Karlson as our bottom pairing defence.

How good would our team be!

(frank), let's play price as our backup! How good would our goaltending be then?
So good.

I am being rapaciously facetious buy the way, but no team has a 53 point 20 goal scorer as their 3lc.
- Pres.cup

Wasn't Staal a 50 pt 3LC on the 2009 Pens cup team?

Please point out where I said to pay prospects top money?

We don't know beyond this season what to expect. Things can change quickly with prospect development, trades and chemistry. Something you used to say until you got this notion that the Sedins won't ever retire and will get all the top playing time.

Looking at 2018 draft it has better D then C at the top so hopefully there's a lotto win.
- Nuck4U

Next year the Cs will rise to the top. As 16-17 year old kids it is hard to gauge how a player will play their final year like Patrick and Liljegren . Both players the year before were forecasted as must take players .

Ask me half way through next year who I think the top players are.

Secondly if your team doesn't know how to project more than one year at a time you are in deep trouble

Not clear from what you said before. Do you get the GM and Coach work together with coaching staff giving list of who they want for GM to work out?
- Nuck4U

Orders go downhill.
JB might ask for opinions.
JB is a rink rat & sees & knows everything going on.

Wasn't Staal a 50 pt 3LC on the 2009 Pens cup team?


- LordHumungous

He had 49 sorry

Next year the Cs will rise to the top. As 16-17 year old kids it is hard to gauge how a player will play their final year like Patrick and Liljegren . Both players the year before were forecasted as must take players .

Ask me half way through next year who I think the top players are.

Secondly if your team doesn't know how to project more than one year at a time you are in deep trouble
- VANTEL

Agree projections r more than for one year. Scouting staffs are mainly the reason for this & possibly why we had an overhaul amongst other reasons.


I'll guess Veleno & Merkley have great years.
Dahlin will simply be crazy good.
Svechnikov the great consolation prize after filling the net.
After those 4 its very good talent no doubt but hoping we pick top 4.
Still on my mission we get another 1st at some point.

The hunt is always for Elite D followed by 1C. The problems as we all know is D is hard call & takes longer. Therefore BPA tends to be the go to. Adding that 18yr olds can be a crapshoot to some degree i'd lean on smarts & character as a decider on close calls. Next i take Dahlin as an elite D & need mainly cuz Svechnikov as a winger dynamic who needs to be a playmaker ala Kane. If both r gone then its Tkachuk Veleno or Merkley to choose from maybe Quinn. I lean towards Merkley unless Tkachuk or Veleno goes crazy.
- Nighthawk

That pretty much sums the top5 up, but hard to say what kind of year they actually have. Valeno could end up outside of the first round if he doesn't improve drastically, he didn't have that great of a year. I really like Dahlin and Merkeley, hope we D again next year.

He had 49 sorry
- VANTEL

Nice to be insulated by Crosby & Malkin.
What other C ever had that luxury?
Who was 3C after Gretzky/Messier Sakic/Forsberg?

Agree projections r more than for one year. Scouting staffs are mainly the reason for this & possibly why we had an overhaul amongst other reasons.


I'll guess Veleno & Merkley have great years.
Dahlin will simply be crazy good.
Svechnikov the great consolation prize after filling the net.
After those 4 its very good talent no doubt but hoping we pick top 4.
Still on my mission we get another 1st at some point.
- Nighthawk

He had 49 sorry
- VANTEL

lol

Orders go downhill.
JB might ask for opinions.
JB is a rink rat & sees & knows everything going on.
- Nighthawk

You seem to be discounting the process of team work in carving out the roster.

That pretty much sums the top5 up, but hard to say what kind of year they actually have. Valeno could end up outside of the first round if he doesn't improve drastically, he didn't have that great of a year. I really like Dahlin and Merkeley, hope we D again next year.
- neem55

Agree about Veleno but he will get on fire IMO.
I to like us getting either D u speak of.
We never had elite D & time we get 1.

You seem to be discounting the process of team work in carving out the roster.
- Nuck4U

Nah u simply repeat yourself as if i will change my mind.

Did you say PLAYOFFS
- CanuckDon

via GIPHY

Nice to be insulated by Crosby & Malkin.
What other C ever had that luxury?
Who was 3C after Gretzky/Messier Sakic/Forsberg?
- Nighthawk

Mike Krushelnyski whom I went to school with was Oilers 3C. His first year with them he scored 88 pts 43 goals.

They also had Craig MacT and Keith Acton

He's 22.... why can't he be a very good 1c? There are plenty of 1cs that don't win a scoring title. My mind goes to Patrice Bergeron or Kopitar.

It seems pretty foolish to write off Horvat's development when hasn't even turned 23 yet, that's just my opinion though. Horvat has the drive and the talent to develop into a 1c, he was our leading scorer this season. I can see him being the all around 1c (like toes, taking important draws, big points at big moments), and Petterson being the flashy, production centre on the 2nd line

You win cups by developing the players you have, not trying to get fictional "better players"
- Crazybagoham

He can be and that isn't the argument right now. Right now Horvat is a 3rd line centre. Right now he is the best we have and he is a 1st line centre. On a SC winning team that is all he is the fact that he is a #1 centre is because he is on a $hitty team.

The 5th player I omitted was Tkachuk.
With the knock on his skating his pedigree & moxy will decide his fate.
Quinn is the other curiosity & not too shabby is he.
Top 6 is pretty solid all in all with it separating as the season goes on.
Dahlin could step right in if luck is on our side.
That means a D trade would have to happen if we get 1OA.
If we r simply horrible still then Dahlin would stay in the SEL 1 more season.
We could trade sooner & roll the dice which works for me also.
Yes i am saying it....Tanev days r dwindling.

Mike Krushelnyski whom I went to school with was Oilers 3C

They also had Craig MacT and Keith Acton
- VANTEL

Good memory & thx 👍