You can become a better skater, but there isn't a way to increase your foot speed. There's a reason only the top 5% of junior hockey players get drafted and play a regular shift in the NHL. You have to have a certain amount of foot speed or you won't make it.
- DariusKnight

That is such a lie. There are many ways to become a faster skater.

Not true...Cody is a good kid, with poor advice, he'll have a very good career but he'll never be Stamkos. Like I said earlier, if Kass is a big bodied 25 goal scorer. That's perfectly ok with me.
- LeftCoaster

Cody will be a leaf or Sen once he is a UFA .Daddy will make sure.

woah woah woah people thought i was coming in here and trolling? i mean i can troll hard if you want but i was just sharing my opinion in a nice, civil way.
- LizzyJo

Sure troll away. Here, let me get you started...

Why are you posting in a Hockey blog, shouldn't you be worrying about your football team? Cody Hodgson is not the only thing you'll be losing to Toronto in the coming years.

So I was in a bar in Banff and I saw a guy in a Blackhawks shirt with a mullet coming out of his hat who looked like Patrick Kane. I'm terrible with faces, so I couldn't confirm it and I didn't want to be a male groupie for a player I don't like, so I didn't ask. If anything comes out about Kane robbing a cabbie in Banff, let me know.

wouldn't you rather lose to the champs then lose to another team that failed?
At least losing to the champs you don't torture yourself with "FAK, if we could have just got passed the third round we would've totally been able to beat xxx team"

Too many Leafs fans still like to pretend that had they got passed LA that they would've beat MTL in 93....you know, that series from 19 years ago that they still talk about.
- Juice

I find when you make excuses like that it is giving an ok for failing.

Losing is losing.If LA win this year big deal the fact is they kicked our ass and we were not close.

He does seem out to lunch.

For now, I will be gracious and assume it is a combination of being traded to a new team at a trade deadline with little NHL experience, and not knowing the team's system. He still has a long way to develop, but I don't think I can really analyze the guy until the end of next season.
- kent

I look at him as the same as any other prospect on the Canucks ,he is not NHL ready yet.

Tim Wharnsby ‏ @WharnsbyCBC
#Canucks and Alain Vigneault are close to agreeing on an extension. Likely to be announced later this week or next week. #hnic

DCT is excited.
- AlexF

I think there is a great big smile on many of our faces.

He definitely won't even break 20 next year....I bet he is a 10-15 goal guy next year who tops out on the 3rd line. When did everyone start expecting all 21 year old guys to be elite players? There isn't many Stamkos, Crosby's out there....

Watching him play, you can see that this guy has some pretty impressive tools....the question is, can he put them together????
- chompsey

I will be happy if he breaks 20 points next year.Raymond got 20 points on the second line last year so expecting Zach to do it on the 4 th line ,I think some fans are being optimistic.

go to hell. AV is a turd.
- Fidel

You can become a better skater, but there isn't a way to increase your foot speed. There's a reason only the top 5% of junior hockey players get drafted and play a regular shift in the NHL. You have to have a certain amount of foot speed or you won't make it.
- DariusKnight

So a person 5'10 300 lbs who goes on a strict conditioning and diet wont be quicker if he drops down to 180 Lbs?

You can become a better skater, but there isn't a way to increase your foot speed. There's a reason only the top 5% of junior hockey players get drafted and play a regular shift in the NHL. You have to have a certain amount of foot speed or you won't make it.
- DariusKnight

there's lots of training techniques to improve foot speed.

However at everyone has a peak level they can hit, some lower then others.

HE can improve easily, he won't be what grabner or raymond were like though

Well than you don't know hockey and therefor, whatever you say here in the future will be dismissed. Thanks for coming out.
- Boinker

Someone has a different opinion than yours and therefore they don't know hockey? How much arrogance do you have? Kassian has not shown at all that he is an NHL player (in all areas I noted). He may be a fringe player or better in the future, but right now he's AHL level (at best). I challenge you to explain where I "don't know hockey" with some facts. All you've shown is a dismissive, arrogant opinion so far -- not to mention condescending. Grow up. Are you just a little boy?

BTW, if you do counter with something meaningful (not holding my breath), I will respond and attempt to show you how you're incorrect. Kassian didn't play but 3-4 minutes/game in the games he played in the playoffs -- and it was for a reason.

It would be appreciated if you stopped with the idiotic and ignorant comments.

This is a joke right? Ty's blog has been trolled to death for months by fans of a few teams, namely the Canucks. I rarely read the comments on it anymore because it turned into a group therapy trolling session. Please show me this "every single Bruins thread" racist and homophobic comments Bruins fans are making in Ty's blog, love to see it.
- GSDIV

Nothing to do with TY. Read the Bruins forums and you'll see exactly what I've referred to. I can name names but won't here. So, no, it's not a joke. You even state that you "rarely read the comments anymore". I'll add misogynistic to the list as well (forgot that one earlier).

Do I detect some lingering hurt feelings? I'm sorry if I offended you. But someone who says "Mike Gillis is one of the worst gms in the league" with any kind of genuine seriousness is absolutely senseless IMO. Also, anyone that doesn't see the potential in Kassian is the same. Gillis is one of the smartest gms in the league and Kassian has the tools to become a "force"
- Boinker

Every player drafted has potential. Kassian does have potential, but the comments were what he has shown so far -- and you already know my opinion.

As for Gillis: he hasn't shown to be (yet) good at drafting. Hodgson aside because of the external issues all around him.

Goaltenders are too much the story in the playoffs. The NHL needs to do something about the size of equipment, as well as the defensive systems that are in place.
- Scooby_Doo

Or....they could just call penalties as the rule book states they should be called?

While everyone is worried about Kass...

Im a little worried about Coho coming into the next season.

He has the potential to be our number one center. I just don't know if Ruff will play him there...every Sabre fan wants to acquire a proven number 1 but IMO that will be at the expense of Hodgsons development.

Hes going to be working hard this summer and hopefully gives the staff no reason not to have him center Vanek and Pommer.
- HotSauceBlueChs

Coho will be fine. Thing for him is he needs to work on his defensive game more then anything. 2nd line centre might be good for that for a year or two.

Every player drafted has potential. Kassian does have potential, but the comments were what he has shown so far -- and you already know my opinion.

As for Gillis: he hasn't shown to be (yet) good at drafting. Hodgson aside because of the external issues all around him.
- Vagabond

GM's don't generally do any drafting anymore. It's the scouts who take care of that, and the gm just announces the picks.

So a person 5'10 300 lbs who goes on a strict conditioning and diet wont be quicker if he drops down to 180 Lbs?
- VANTEL

how did you know I'm trying to go from 300 to 180? Although you got my height wrong, I'm 6'3"

Kassian will struggle to be a regular contributor this year and likely spend some the in Chicago. There's still some long term upside for him, but I don't think much will happen for him in 2012/2013.

I'm sure Gillia could have gt more for Hodgson, I'm surprised he didn't wait until the draft to trade him.

Every player drafted has potential. Kassian does have potential, but the comments were what he has shown so far -- and you already know my opinion.

As for Gillis: he hasn't shown to be (yet) good at drafting. Hodgson aside because of the external issues all around him.
- Vagabond

Joe Thornton had seven points his first season, 3 goals and 4 assists, there are countless examples of young guys with potential taking a few years to find their game at the NHL level. Is Kass gonna be like Joe, no of course not. But Joe was a first overall pick. I don't understand the high expectations for these kids? Let him grow and develop.

I've read up on him a bit and found out he lost his father (passed away) when he was only eight, basically raised by his mom and older brother. He has some maturity issues for sure, but those should get better with time and being around the right people.

Anyways, don't write him off after 17 games with us!

Mike Gillis on Hiring AV :


AV:"Hey Gillis get your ass over here"

Gillis:"Oh god Head down Gillis Head down"

AV: "Thats right come here B1tch!"

AV : "Get me A 2 year Extension NOW!"

Gillis: "Would you like anything else my grace"
AV: "No get lost"
Gillis: "As you wish my grace"

how did you know I'm trying to go from 300 to 180? Although you got my height wrong, I'm 6'3"
- james

I know when I was younger and was overweight and slimmed down .I turned into grease lightning. I could have had a good race against Mercury Morris

At this stage of Hodgsons career, he is a defensive nightmare period. Esplen loves him, so what! the stats speak for themselves plus/minus sucks. Gillis got tired of having his balls broken by Hodgsons Dad and Agent about giving him more ice time, why? did he earn it? No. I like Hodgson but if I was coaching him I would be concerned. If he ever learns to play a solid two way game he will be a great pickup, but playing on Buffalo's first line, no way! At the end of the day Kassian & Hodgson are work in progress.

At this stage of Hodgsons career, he is a defensive nightmare period. Esplen loves him, so what! the stats speak for themselves plus/minus sucks. Gillis got tired of having his balls broken by Hodgsons Dad and Agent about giving him more ice time, why? did he earn it? No. I like Hodgson but if I was coaching him I would be concerned. If he ever learns to play a solid two way game he will be a great pickup, but playing on Buffalo's first line, no way! At the end of the day Kassian & Hodgson are work in progress.
- VanHockeyGuy

You are wrong. His +/- took a beating at the end of the season only.

Pahlsson and Cody had the same +/- when the trade went down for Kassian (+10/9). If Codys' +/- was so terrible and completely reflective of his defensive game then why the hell was pahlsson such an upgrade?

Cody had to adjust after being traded with negative press and all kinds of pressure. After the trade went down...one by one the Sabres lost D. I think by the end of the season they had 2 or 3 of the top 4 D out. Defesively the Sabres were really bad the last few games.... funny how none of this has been considered. It seems the Canucks core get passes all the time for these same reasons every year in the playoffs...banged up D, goalie breakdowns and poor support. Typical.

You are wrong. His +/- took a beating at the end of the season only.

Pahlsson and Cody had the same +/- when the trade went down for Kassian (+10/9). If Codys' +/- was so terrible and completely reflective of his defensive game then why the hell was pahlsson such an upgrade?

Cody had to adjust after being traded with negative press and all kinds of pressure. After the trade went down...one by one the Sabres lost D. I think by the end of the season they had 2 or 3 of the top 4 D out. Defesively the Sabres were really bad the last few games.... funny how none of this has been considered. It seems the Canucks core get passes all the time for these same reasons every year in the playoffs...banged up D, goalie breakdowns and poor support. Typical.
- boonerbuck

Because he did a good job five years ago. Gillis