Personally I am not a negative person and I almost always disagree Nucker but to say that this team is in a better position is a silly statement. We don't know. I haven't seen any wins via trade. Hell I don't really see an actual goal or direction. The only thing I can say is JB has made changes and he has followed through with them. Are we better? F@ck no, but the changes promised are happening and I am okay with that.
- thundachunk

Only two more months left till someone is either right or wrong. Until that time, all of us are wrong.

Nobody thinks he is a 6 mill player. We can all agree on that but to say that Lack was better is silly. I would take Miller over Lack any day. He won't be worse. I give personal guarantee. Not that that means f@ck all but I have a ton more faith in Miller and his consistency.
- thundachunk

We'll see. If they were the same age then I'd take Miller in a second; there were a couple of years where he was one of the best goalies on the planet. I don't think that Lack will ever get that good. But those years have passed and silly or not, I'd rather roll with Lack. But Miller's our guy so go Miller.

I tend to agree with both you and Mr. belcher, after the Torts experiment every media know-it-all had the canucks as cellar dwellers, everyone, our own fan base also was questioning the the teams skill-set...Sedin brothers were done and ready for the pasture.

New management, a few tweaks and 101pts season, can be looked as an improvement over the Torts experiment year.

Now so far this year, JB has made some other moves that many are scratching the heads over, but until the games are actually played I don't think it's fair to label this as an improvement.

Honest question...what would define an improvement? Do they have to get 102pts or better? What's the measuring stick? Would picking 1-3 overall be considered an improvement?
- Makita

Real good question(s)...

For me the improvement doesn't necessarily lie in getting over 102 pts. The improvements lie in favoring Horvat over Richardson...in getting Sutter over Bonino. In opening up a few spots for maybe Baertchi and Virtanen. Improving the room by getting rid of the goof Kassian. Moving Bieksa out after one of the worst seasons I have seen. Creating a spot for Corrado. Letting Matthias walk as he was a pansy. Bringing in more toughness to compliment Dorsett (Prust). Moving Lack and giving Miller the Space to do what he needs to do. These to me are all excellent improvements. Will we see them on the ice? well we'll see.

Yes the Sutter contract is large and questionable as is the Sbisa one. But I have said before we will need some undesirable contracts if they want to contend for a PO spot. The way it is.

Higgins-Burrows-Edler and Hamhuis really need to take notice here. They must realise that their performance needs to increase or it's lose TOI or a spot to a rookie. Which is a good thing.

I for one have to think that Hank-Sutter-Horvat is a massive improvement up the middle over Hank-Bonino-Richardson. We finally have some depth at Center again.

I honestly don't think picking 1-3 overall is in our future anytime soon. If the 'retool' is the way to go then there will be contention...alot depends on where we are at TDL this year and whether Edler Higgins Hamhuis Burrows hansen get sold off to contenders...which is very possible as well.

Come on, man. Goats are sacred.
- Marwood

The virgin Connie Swail?

I'm back

Real good question(s)...

For me the improvement doesn't necessarily lie in getting over 102 pts. The improvements lie in favoring Horvat over Richardson...in getting Sutter over Bonino. In opening up a few spots for maybe Baertchi and Virtanen. Improving the room by getting rid of the goof Kassian. Moving Bieksa out after one of the worst seasons I have seen. Creating a spot for Corrado. Letting Matthias walk as he was a pansy. Bringing in more toughness to compliment Dorsett (Prust). Moving Lack and giving Miller the Space to do what he needs to do. These to me are all excellent improvements. Will we see them on the ice? well we'll see.

Yes the Sutter contract is large and questionable as is the Sbisa one. But I have said before we will need some undesirable contracts if they want to contend for a PO spot. The way it is.

Higgins-Burrows-Edler and Hamhuis really need to take notice here. They must realise that their performance needs to increase or it's lose TOI or a spot to a rookie. Which is a good thing.

I for one have to think that Hank-Sutter-Horvat is a massive improvement up the middle over Hank-Bonino-Richardson. We finally have some depth at Center again.

I honestly don't think picking 1-3 overall is in our future anytime soon. If the 'retool' is the way to go then there will be contention...alot depends on where we are at TDL this year and whether Edler Higgins Hamhuis Burrows hansen get sold off to contenders...which is very possible as well.
- LordHumungous

I can only hope this is the coaches marching orders, WD relies on these 4 guys. But I agree for any player not playing to expectations, regardless of who they are, should be made aware one way or another.

Personally I am not a negative person and I almost always disagree Nucker but to say that this team is in a better position is a silly statement. We don't know. I haven't seen any wins via trade. Hell I don't really see an actual goal or direction. The only thing I can say is JB has made changes and he has followed through with them. Are we better? F@ck no, but the changes promised are happening and I am okay with that.
- thundachunk

It's a year further into the retool/rebuild and we've added a couple of more pieces to the stable of prospects. The most painful part of a rebuild is the incessant losing. Whereas we may not get a marquee player without a top 5 pick we've been competitive while we replenish mostly bare prospect cupboards. Maybe another year or two of being competitive while we add some more prospects and the next generation of players will start to take over the team.

We're further along, which is all you can ask for. Maybe instead of being a losing team for a decade we can chop it down to a couple of years.

Wedding tomorrow. FML. Enjoy your night boys Im off to bed.

I'm back
- kabb03

And?

One of the reasons cat doors are called cat doors is that they are designed for cats.

In Germany, Gunther Burpus found this out when he became wedged in the cat door in his front door and remained there for two days because passersby thought he was a piece of "installation art."
Burpus , 41, of Bremen, was using the cat door because he mislaid his keys. Unfortunately, he was spotted by a group of student pranksters who removed his pants and underwear, painted his buttocks orange, stuck a daffodil between them and erected a sign reading: "German Resurgent, an Essay on Street Art. Please Give Generously"
Passersby assumed Burpus' screams were part of the act and it was only when an elderly man complained to the police that Burpus was finally freed.
"I kept calling for help" he said, "but people just said "Very Good! Very Clever!" and threw coins at me"

One of the reasons cat doors are called cat doors is that they are designed for cats.

In Germany, Gunther Burpus found this out when he became wedged in the cat door in his front door and remained there for two days because passersby thought he was a piece of "installation art."
Burpus , 41, of Bremen, was using the cat door because he mislaid his keys. Unfortunately, he was spotted by a group of student pranksters who removed his pants and underwear, painted his buttocks orange, stuck a daffodil between them and erected a sign reading: "German Resurgent, an Essay on Street Art. Please Give Generously"
Passersby assumed Burpus' screams were part of the act and it was only when an elderly man complained to the police that Burpus was finally freed.
"I kept calling for help" he said, "but people just said "Very Good! Very Clever!" and threw coins at me"

- A_SteamingLombardi

How much did he make? I'm thinking about changing careers but I'm incredibly lazy. This sounds perfect.

Real good question(s)...

For me the improvement doesn't necessarily lie in getting over 102 pts. The improvements lie in favoring Horvat over Richardson...in getting Sutter over Bonino. In opening up a few spots for maybe Baertchi and Virtanen. Improving the room by getting rid of the goof Kassian. Moving Bieksa out after one of the worst seasons I have seen. Creating a spot for Corrado. Letting Matthias walk as he was a pansy. Bringing in more toughness to compliment Dorsett (Prust). Moving Lack and giving Miller the Space to do what he needs to do. These to me are all excellent improvements. Will we see them on the ice? well we'll see.

Yes the Sutter contract is large and questionable as is the Sbisa one. But I have said before we will need some undesirable contracts if they want to contend for a PO spot. The way it is.

Higgins-Burrows-Edler and Hamhuis really need to take notice here. They must realise that their performance needs to increase or it's lose TOI or a spot to a rookie. Which is a good thing.

I for one have to think that Hank-Sutter-Horvat is a massive improvement up the middle over Hank-Bonino-Richardson. We finally have some depth at Center again.

I honestly don't think picking 1-3 overall is in our future anytime soon. If the 'retool' is the way to go then there will be contention...alot depends on where we are at TDL this year and whether Edler Higgins Hamhuis Burrows hansen get sold off to contenders...which is very possible as well.
- LordHumungous

A good way to explain it is hockey is a game of millimeters and milliseconds. Hesitate 1 millisecond and you dont score.....or make a save. Same with these players. Sometimes the upgrade is only 10% across the team. In hockey reality thats huge. Its like the center who gets 45% of his draws and hes a bum in the fans eyes, but the guy with 51% is a faceoff god. Yet its only 6% difference.
Sutter is a huge upgrade over bonino in several departments. Horvat is bound to be better this season after a season of nhl action. The poisons are gone. The floaters are gone. Theres no goalie controversy now. This IS much better than last year. Plus we have some new talent in sven and maybe shinkaruk or JV coming on possibly. Lots of positives.

Id like some fresh blood on the D though

Personally I am not a negative person and I almost always disagree Nucker but to say that this team is in a better position is a silly statement. We don't know. I haven't seen any wins via trade. Hell I don't really see an actual goal or direction. The only thing I can say is JB has made changes and he has followed through with them. Are we better? F@ck no, but the changes promised are happening and I am okay with that.
- thundachunk

I think we are in a better position , maybe not ths year though

I'm back
- kabb03

Who are you?

One of the reasons cat doors are called cat doors is that they are designed for cats.

In Germany, Gunther Burpus found this out when he became wedged in the cat door in his front door and remained there for two days because passersby thought he was a piece of "installation art."
Burpus , 41, of Bremen, was using the cat door because he mislaid his keys. Unfortunately, he was spotted by a group of student pranksters who removed his pants and underwear, painted his buttocks orange, stuck a daffodil between them and erected a sign reading: "German Resurgent, an Essay on Street Art. Please Give Generously"
Passersby assumed Burpus' screams were part of the act and it was only when an elderly man complained to the police that Burpus was finally freed.
"I kept calling for help" he said, "but people just said "Very Good! Very Clever!" and threw coins at me"

- A_SteamingLombardi

Met Higgins and Garrison tonight. JG seemed like a real standup guy. Too bad we traded him. Hammer could have been dispensable if we kept him.

^

Benning is doing just fine. The process.
- LordHumungous

Yep be patient.

I'm not crazy about the Sutter trade. Being in a rebuild and moving a 2nd and Clendenning seems a bit counter productive, dispute the fact that Sutter is probably the best player now and has the highest potential.
However, the contract is a steal. They paid him Bozak/Frolik /Pouliott money. And there is no debate he is far superior to any of those guys in both skill and intangables

Met Higgins and Garrison tonight. JG seemed like a real standup guy. Too bad we traded him. Hammer could have been dispensable if we kept him.
- Gullzy

Garrison was a fine Dman . Canucks had all of their core D exactly the same . Anyone of them are serviceable . They were just missing the other type that was needed. The PMD , the fighter ( please don't say Bieksa) and the guy to clear the front of the next.

Yep be patient.

I'm not crazy about the Sutter trade. Being in a rebuild and moving a 2nd and Clendenning seems a bit counter productive, dispute the fact that Sutter is probably the best player now and has the highest potential.
However, the contract is a steal. They paid him Bozak/Frolik /Pouliott money. And there is no debate he is far superior to any of those guys in both skill and intangables
- Bieksa#3

Well said. I mentioned that on the main thread the other day, that he was earning Bozak salary and was just as productive without JVR and Kessel

The Clendenning part I was ok with . I would get depressed thinking that he was the next wave of the style of D we were bringing in.

Well said. I mentioned that on the main thread the other day, that he was earning Bozak salary and was just as productive without JVR and Kessel
- VANTEL

I don't think it's a stretch to call Sutter a grittier version of Vermette(in his prime)

Well said. I mentioned that on the main thread the other day, that he was earning Bozak salary and was just as productive without JVR and Kessel

The Clendenning part I was ok with . I would get depressed thinking that he was the next wave of the style of D we were bringing in.
- VANTEL

Gotta have guys who can move the puck. He's a couple seasons ahead of Subban/Hutton etc.

I don't think it's a stretch to call Sutter a grittier version of Vermette(in his prime)
- Bieksa#3

I think Benning picked up next year's best UFA centre before he hit the market. I don't see Stamkos Kopitar or Backes ever reaching FRee Agency. I think all the top centres will have contracts next year before July 1

Gotta have guys who can move the puck. He's a couple seasons ahead of Subban/Hutton etc.
- Bieksa#3

Him and COrrado are Clones of each other. Only need one. Biega also the same type

The virgin Connie Swail?
- LordHumungous

Dan Acroyd movie , which one was it? dragnet?

Him and COrrado are Clones of each other. Only need one. Biega also the same type
- VANTEL

You need to watch Biega more. Meat and potatoes defender. And Corrado is more of a Tanev. Clendenning has far superior offensive skill