Carol Schram: Vancouver Canucks Place Emerson Etem on Waivers, Will Sign PTO Jack Skille The Vancouver Canucks are finalizing their 2016-17 opening night roster, putting Emerson Etem on waivers and signing PTO candidate Jack Skille. Brendan Gaunce and Jake Virtanen will start the season with the Canucks.

For Virtanen's sake, I hope he can develop on a steeper incline. Not that I dislike Jake, because I clearly don't, but Nucker may have been right in that #Benningsucks should have drafted Ehlers.

Thank You Carol!! Great work as usual!

I expect Jake to be on an insanely short leash. I would not be surprised to see Etem the first forward call up when injuries start to happen as well.

What is the over/under on how long Willy will be coach if the season starts bad. 10 games? 15 games? 20 games?

For Virtanen's sake, I hope he can develop on a steeper incline. Not that I dislike Jake, because I clearly don't, but Nucker may have been right in that #Benningsucks should have drafted Ehlers.
- LeftCoaster

You know what they say about Hindsight.

Thank You Carol!! Great work as usual!

I expect Jake to be on an insanely short leash. I would not be surprised to see Etem the first forward call up when injuries start to happen as well.

What is the over/under on how long Willy will be coach if the season starts bad. 10 games? 15 games? 20 games?
- Codes1087

I think he'll get at least 15 games even if it goes poorly. If it's a really rough start I'd guess around the 20 game mark is where he'd get pitched.

As always, well done Carol. I don't usually feel the need to say it because the first 5 comments often take care of it.

That being said, I found this link in the Columbus blog. Check it out.
http://hockeyviz.com/txt/preview1617

https://www.nhl.com/canuc...d-predictions/c-282584178

Worth a bit of a read.

$69.8 million spent on a bottom 5 team?

YIKES!

I remember back in the days before the salary cap, If you were gonna be a bottom 5 team, at least you only had to spend in the neighborhood of $20 million....

I was wanting Ehlers but JV was quite fine in my books.

@ Retinalz..

Pretty bold prediction there. Most of which I really can't see happening

#glasshalfempty

Thank You Carol!! Great work as usual!

I expect Jake to be on an insanely short leash. I would not be surprised to see Etem the first forward call up when injuries start to happen as well.

What is the over/under on how long Willy will be coach if the season starts bad. 10 games? 15 games? 20 games?
- Codes1087

Xmas is sink or swim big injuries aside maybe.

Thank You Carol!! Great work as usual!

I expect Jake to be on an insanely short leash. I would not be surprised to see Etem the first forward call up when injuries start to happen as well.

What is the over/under on how long Willy will be coach if the season starts bad. 10 games? 15 games? 20 games?
- Codes1087

You should start a pool.

JV will be fine.
There is no rush for him to stick in the NHL, he just turned 20.
If the rules were different, him and McCann would have been on Utica last year and he would be merely fighting for a spot this year.
Similar to Gaunce, who took 3 years before he stuck with the club, i have no problem with JV taking 2-3 years in the AHL to develop.

For Virtanen's sake, I hope he can develop on a steeper incline. Not that I dislike Jake, because I clearly don't, but Nucker may have been right in that #Benningsucks should have drafted Ehlers.
- LeftCoaster

PHuck that...

$69.8 million spent on a bottom 5 team?

YIKES!

I remember back in the days before the salary cap, If you were gonna be a bottom 5 team, at least you only had to spend in the neighborhood of $20 million....
- TheGame316

Quit living in the past...😜
Gas was $.59 a gallon, so what

https://www.nhl.com/canuc...d-predictions/c-282584178

Worth a bit of a read.
- Retinalz

That's the most optimistic article I've read this year, because it's on NHL.com. The majority of sports writers and bookmakers suggest otherwise. Either way it's not the kind of press that sells tickets. It's prove them wrong time now.

https://www.nhl.com/canuc...d-predictions/c-282584178

Worth a bit of a read.
- Retinalz

Miller with 30 wins...

sorry just getting up off the floor...fell out of my chair...

Miller with 30 wins...

sorry just getting up off the floor...fell out of my chair...
- LordHumungous

bold

Wtf is with all these ads spamming?

Miller with 30 wins...

sorry just getting up off the floor...fell out of my chair...
- LordHumungous

He'll probably play about 45 games if he's lucky. He did have 29 wins in 45 games in his first season. But I think this roster is not as good as that one.

I think it would be amazing if Miller could get 30. Give us a great chance to make the playoffs but I don't see it happening.

That's the most optimistic article I've read this year, because it's on NHL.com. The majority of sports writers and bookmakers suggest otherwise. Either way it's not the kind of press that sells tickets. It's prove them wrong time now.
- VanHockeyGuy

The "prove them wrong" cheer only works during the playoffs. I don't think you can stick that on the bulletin board all season and expect the guys to rally around it.

The canucks will not be as bad as most predict but it is an ugly roster. If the majority of hockey writers could see a discernible plan then I think they would be a bit more merciful in their predictions. But I get the feeling they don’t like what JB has done therefor the predictions are a bit venomous.

Thank You Carol!! Great work as usual!

I expect Jake to be on an insanely short leash. I would not be surprised to see Etem the first forward call up when injuries start to happen as well.

What is the over/under on how long Willy will be coach if the season starts bad. 10 games? 15 games? 20 games?
- Codes1087

When do the leafs come to town

If the majority of hockey writers could see a discernible plan then I think they would be a bit more merciful in their predictions.

There is a reason why hockey writers aren't GMs. If they actually were capable of assembling a real life SC winning team, someone would have hired them to do that already

So I let writers write (or wrong ) and then have my own faulty opinion.

And of course I believe that the Nuckheads will confuse the stupid pundits and will the SC in 2017, with the result that all teams boot their stats guys off the team jet at 20000 ft, while telling them that they don't have the slightest idea what they are talking about

The "prove them wrong" cheer only works during the playoffs. I don't think you can stick that on the bulletin board all season and expect the guys to rally around it.

The canucks will not be as bad as most predict but it is an ugly roster. If the majority of hockey writers could see a discernible plan then I think they would be a bit more merciful in their predictions. But I get the feeling they don’t like what JB has done therefor the predictions are a bit venomous.
- bloatedmosquito

There r reasons why writers r writers...
One notch below analytic nerds.
Carol excluded that is.

Miller getting 30 wins is possible, but only with a decent 2nd defensive pair...I'm not sure that Gudranson/Hutton would qualify. Though, if they don't, someone could have a good season from the logjam on defense...not a bad strategy by Benning there...took me a while to figure out what he was doing.

On another tangent - can anyone tell me why in gods name Tom Nillson is still on the roster and hasn't been waived? If Pedan makes it through I don't see why he wouldn't, and I can't understand why he would still be there...though I assume there's some kind of NHL rule or something prompting this...