Yup. The canucks really have not had a great deal of luck in that regard eh?
- lumlums

Same can be said for the leafs. 10 yearss of on average top 7 pick. And little too show for it

LOL. I wake up this morning, check my inbox, and find 20 Yahoo Fantasy Hockey posts of absolute drivel. Well done guys.
- AlexF

Our drafting has been historically bad, almost as bad as the Leafs, Benning will change that I hope!!!
- LeftCoaster

Last 2 drafts have been solid

Late start for me. Busy weekend with some late nights—gotta sleep sometime!

Anyway, the new blog is now up. I won't be at the game tonight but it should be a good one:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com...gers-AV-Returns/194/64781

Better than Housewives of Vancouver
- VANTEL

No kidding. For what it's worth Vantel I think you can do whatever the hell you want. Anyone who claims some inherent advantage to sucking for a season in a free league needs their head examined and their panties straightened.

I will be at the game tonight... they better not let me down
- kneughter

Same

Same can be said for the leafs. 10 yearss of on average top 7 pick. And little too show for it
- Bieksa#3

Kadri coming into his own. Schenn was a mistake, but we got JvR for it. Rielly and Nylander will be beauts.

The problem with the Canucks more than anything (and other teams too) is an inability to pick NHL talent beyond the first round. Leafs are lucky to have a great Euro scout who has picked guys like Stralman, Gunnarsson, Komarov all in the 6th or 7th rounds (and a few with promise like Nilsson, Granberg, Loov who have all represented Sweden at various levels). Our main problem comes from mismanagement of talent rather than an inability to identify it.

Kadri coming into his own. Schenn was a mistake, but we got JvR for it. Rielly and Nylander will be beauts.

The problem with the Canucks more than anything (and other teams too) is an inability to pick NHL talent beyond the first round. Leafs are lucky to have a great Euro scout who has picked guys like Stralman, Gunnarsson, Komarov all in the 6th or 7th rounds (and a few with promise like Nilsson, Granberg, Loov who have all represented Sweden at various levels). Our main problem comes from mismanagement of talent rather than an inability to identify it.
- lumlums

Are other teams allowed to have Euro scouts?


"Our main problem comes from mismanagement of talent rather than an inability to identify it" Chicken or the egg you have to ask yourself, was it a great pick and mismanagement or not such a great pick afterall?

Are other teams allowed to have Euro scouts?


"Our main problem comes from mismanagement of talent rather than an inability to identify it" Chicken or the egg you have to ask yourself, was it a great pick and mismanagement or not such a great pick afterall?
- hillbillydeluxe

Great pick (i.e. getting solid NHLers from 6th and 7th round picks), but then mismanagement in terms of not getting value for players and allowing them to leave for nothing. Stralman is a great example there, he was traded with others for Primeau ( ) and a second. That second was then flipped to Chicago who drafted Saad with it

Other examples being MacArthur, Kulemin, Raymond; all guys who should have gotten us something, anything in return but were allowed to leave for nothing...

Kadri coming into his own. Schenn was a mistake, but we got JvR for it. Rielly and Nylander will be beauts.

The problem with the Canucks more than anything (and other teams too) is an inability to pick NHL talent beyond the first round. Leafs are lucky to have a great Euro scout who has picked guys like Stralman, Gunnarsson, Komarov all in the 6th or 7th rounds (and a few with promise like Nilsson, Granberg, Loov who have all represented Sweden at various levels). Our main problem comes from mismanagement of talent rather than an inability to identify it.
- lumlums

You can speculate all u like but Nylander, Rielly, kadri could all be busts. Given how horid his 2 way game is, its hard to call kadri a 2nd liner

But you can argue the leafs have picked great all u want. Picking that high for that long you should have a stacked line up.

Great pick (i.e. getting solid NHLers from 6th and 7th round picks), but then mismanagement in terms of not getting value for players and allowing them to leave for nothing. Stralman is a great example there, he was traded with others for Primeau ( ) and a second. That second was then flipped to Chicago who drafted Saad with it

Other examples being MacArthur, Kulemin, Raymond; all guys who should have gotten us something, anything in return but were allowed to leave for nothing...
- lumlums

Sorry, I was trying to jab your Euro scout comment... A lot of Canucks fans and media trumpet Tomas Gradin as being our great Euro scout and helped in identifying and drafting Edler. Even if you don't draft the guy the Euro scout is high on, the team can look back later and see who was recommended and how they turned out.

But yeah, you guys have drafted some good Euros. Much of the issues with the Canucks over the years has been with development and not having our own/controlled farm team until recently. Guessing some of these guys may have developed under different situations.

But when it comes to letting guys walk for nothing, you often don't have much of a choice except keep for the playoff run, extend contract, or trade away for a late round pick if they aren't worth much. Pisses fans off if you are close to making the playoffs and trade away a player that you would need to make the push. Damned short term or long term.

You can speculate all u like but Nylander, Rielly, kadri could all be busts. Given how horid his 2 way game is, its hard to call kadri a 2nd liner

But you can argue the leafs have picked great all u want. Picking that high for that long you should have a stacked line up.
- Bieksa#3

Kadri has come a long way in his defensive game. There's no question in my mind that he's a good second line player, and has been heating up with 10 in 10 recently. Nylander is currently doing very well in Sweden, going at a point per game in the Swedish elite league. Rielly has already shown himself to be very useful, and given his speed and size (6'1, 205 lbs) he should be more than fine in the league.

We'll be fine, just need to sort out the D. We're second in the league in scoring, the problem has always been keeping the puck out of our net.

Sorry, I was trying to jab your Euro scout comment... A lot of Canucks fans and media trumpet Tomas Gradin as being our great Euro scout and helped in identifying and drafting Edler. Even if you don't draft the guy the Euro scout is high on, the team can look back later and see who was recommended and how they turned out.

But yeah, you guys have drafted some good Euros. Much of the issues with the Canucks over the years has been with development and not having our own/controlled farm team until recently. Guessing some of these guys may have developed under different situations.

But when it comes to letting guys walk for nothing, you often don't have much of a choice except keep for the playoff run, extend contract, or trade away for a late round pick if they aren't worth much. Pisses fans off if you are close to making the playoffs and trade away a player that you would need to make the push. Damned short term or long term.
- hillbillydeluxe

Sorry, missed that

The key when you're in limbo at the TDD is to let go of players who are on expiring contracts for assets (picks etc), and try and bring in a couple of guys with additional term (a year or two) to replace them.

Sorry, missed that

The key when you're in limbo at the TDD is to let go of players who are on expiring contracts for assets (picks etc), and try and bring in a couple of guys with additional term (a year or two) to replace them.

- lumlums

That has to be a hard sell for a market like Toronto.

The guys you are lucky to pickup that have term are likely not as good as the guy on the expiring contract you are trading away. So you are telling the fans- we likely won't make the playoffs this year but have picked up players that will help us make the playoffs next year or after that.

I agree with the strategy, how I'd approach it too, but playoff revenue at the end of the present season is hard for teams/ownership to take a pass on.

That has to be a hard sell for a market like Toronto.

The guys you are lucky to pickup that have term are likely not as good as the guy on the expiring contract you are trading away. So you are telling the fans- we likely won't make the playoffs this year but have picked up players that will help us make the playoffs next year or after that.

I agree with the strategy, how I'd approach it too, but playoff revenue at the end of the present season is hard for teams/ownership to take a pass on.
- hillbillydeluxe

The key is to make smart choices for the good of the franchise, and not listen to what all the talking heads have to say. That's very tough in markets like TO, Vancity etc though...

The key is to make smart choices for the good of the franchise, and not listen to what all the talking heads have to say. That's very tough in markets like TO, Vancity etc though...
- lumlums

It is the right strategy, but you know team management just hate answering the, "so you are throwing in the towel this year by trading away...?"

Media don't want to just report the story, they always want to shape it.

It is the right strategy, but you know team management just hate answering the, "so you are throwing in the towel this year by trading away...?"

Media don't want to just report the story, they always want to shape it.
- hillbillydeluxe

That pisses me off so much, and the TO media is (frank)ing horrific for it. Bastards like Steve Simmons and Dave Feschuk want to be the story, not report it

That pisses me off so much, and the TO media is (frank)ing horrific for it. Bastards like Steve Simmons and Dave Feschuk want to be the story, not report it
- lumlums

They like looking at all these story lines and wouldn't it be neat if this guy went here or Pronger joined the NHL front office, or if Quinn was hired as a consultant? Or Pat Burns put in the Hall right away...

Well it would be nice, but Quinn was not fecking well and should not be bothered with the bs. just stupid.

This game really tops off my sh!tty day.