I think he played 82 games last year and 81 the year before

Canucks are doing exactly what LA and Chicago did as far as "building" they don't need to sell the whole farm to build a winner. LA and Chicago had a few good picks and they were off to the races.
- LeftCoaster

Reminds me more of Calgary before they traded Iggy.

Well if you're gonna respond at least get your facts straight, Loui is 30 not 32, he turns 31 July 17th, 2016.

Secondly, Virtanen looks awesome for a 19 year old kid, he drives possession, he's a big body with a scoring touch….I have no idea what you're basing your uneducated opinion on.

Go ahead James, give the guy Virtanen's possession numbers

Canucks are doing exactly what LA and Chicago did as far as "building" they don't need to sell the whole farm to build a winner. LA and Chicago had a few good picks and they were off to the races.
- LeftCoaster

As a Canuck fan I despair about the Aquaplan i.e. make the playoffs at all costs and call the year a success.

David Rundblad--SUCKS ASS and SWALLOWS....Nuff said.....

Yeah J.J. tells them exactly what they want to hear and they tell him what a great blogger he is.
- shack67

Yeah, you nailed it.

They want to hear exactly what I tell them when I say that the Hawks are in real trouble this year without a 1LW and they may have screwed themselves by signing Campbell before getting their top 6 figured out.

And when I told them all season last year how the Hawks were at best average 5-on-5 and not built to be a good playoff team.

Because it's what they want to hear and why they tell me I'm a great blogger.

Man, thanks for zeroing in on that. We now return you to your regularly scheduled delusion.

Reminds me more of Calgary before they traded Iggy.
- FLflames34

I keep hearing this and yet the Flames finished two point ahead of the Canucks last year LOL

As a Canuck fan I despair about the Aquaplan i.e. make the playoffs at all costs and call the year a success.
- Grumpy13

I think Aquilini is asking for the playoffs, but not at all costs. They just finished third last and no one got fired, building takes time, Linden has explained that to ownership, I believe he has their ear.

Some would say the best. But your opinion is valid. Let's just hug it out.
- James_Tanner

We're still waiting for some to say this...

A little overblown don't you think? The Subban trade is a win for Nashville but not by the landslide you seem to want to make people think. I see it as a fairly even trade in the first 3-4 years then will swing Nashville's way. Was PK a problem in the room? Who knows but if he was then its also addition by subtraction.

The Hall trade on the other hand
- habfanforever

Agreed.

To say it is objectively the worst trade in NHL history is moronic. Weber is still a beast, will he be a beast for the rest of his contract? Probably not. Was it a loss for the Canadiens, yes, but not by the margins that some people are suggesting.

The Mcdonaugh trade is way, way worse than this trade.

I keep hearing this and yet the Flames finished two point ahead of the Canucks last year LOL
- LeftCoaster

And yet the Flames had the worst goaltending in the league, traded vets at the deadline, and are actually rebuilding. Benning....is making trips to the first aid kit.

James,

Open your mind here for a moment. Because I think this is where analytics shows you something that is simply not grounded in reality.

David Rundblad is not underrated. He is not overrated. To anyone who has watched him play, being given numerous second third and fourth chances in numerous organizations, he is just awful.

Rundblad is actually, meh, ok coming up the ice—albeit about as fast as a glacier. But he can pass the puck. And he can definitely fire it.

But that's where it ends.

He is horrible defending over 200 feet of ice, because he is so slow, and he is completely non-competitive.

When a power forward like a Ladd, or a Benn, or even a Doan sees him with the puck below the circles, it's like a shark attracted to blood. He will cough up the puck and give up on the play, often leading to goals, because he has the heart of a dog.

And this, while it shows up on the scoresheet as just a turnover and/or a goal against has a huge and bad psychological effect on the entire team.

So yeah, I heard all the pushback the last couple of years, "but he's +11, he has positive possession numbers."

To which I would reply, take a look at his zone starts, and who he's playing with, which was often Duncan Keith. because he needed sheltering big time.

Rundblad is, if anything, overrated by those who point to slices of analytics as proof he's anything more than an AHL-version of Sheldon Souray, Cam Barker or Andy Delmore.

Meaning, if you can dress a guy to just play the point on the power play, in that regard, he's a worthwhile player. But that is a big "if," and typically not a luxury a team can afford these days.

Otherwise, he blows.
- John Jaeckel

Hammer + nail + head. Well said JJ. Analytics are a good tool, but useless when simply viewed on a computer screen while avoiding doing work at the office, or evading the family at home. Context needs to be considered when determining a players value, not simply what the fantasy stats say.

Agreed.

To say it is objectively the worst trade in NHL history is moronic. Weber is still a beast, will he be a beast for the rest of his contract? Probably not. Was it a loss for the Canadiens, yes, but not by the margins that some people are suggesting.

The Mcdonaugh trade is way, way worse than this trade.
- Leafs43

James is a bit of a drama queen, he likes to be emphatic when he types…he doesn't really 100% believe that, but it makes for a good story.

Steve Simmons will write just about anything if it fits his agenda.

I don't like the trade, personally, but I also recognize that there were off ice issues. It's been widely reported in Montreal that many of PK's teammates had an issue with him and that off the record, there was some pretty damning things said. You can argue that Montreal didn't handle that situation well from day 1, that they soured the relationship unnecessarily with the bridge contract, whatever. But if PK's teammates were united in wanting him gone, what do you do as a GM? What's the smart move? I'm not sure if there should ever be a case where one player is bigger than the team but if there is, I don't think PK is that guy.

James,

Open your mind here for a moment. Because I think this is where analytics shows you something that is simply not grounded in reality.

David Rundblad is not underrated. He is not overrated. To anyone who has watched him play, being given numerous second third and fourth chances in numerous organizations, he is just awful.

Rundblad is actually, meh, ok coming up the ice—albeit about as fast as a glacier. But he can pass the puck. And he can definitely fire it.

But that's where it ends.

He is horrible defending over 200 feet of ice, because he is so slow, and he is completely non-competitive.

When a power forward like a Ladd, or a Benn, or even a Doan sees him with the puck below the circles, it's like a shark attracted to blood. He will cough up the puck and give up on the play, often leading to goals, because he has the heart of a dog.

And this, while it shows up on the scoresheet as just a turnover and/or a goal against has a huge and bad psychological effect on the entire team.

So yeah, I heard all the pushback the last couple of years, "but he's +11, he has positive possession numbers."

To which I would reply, take a look at his zone starts, and who he's playing with, which was often Duncan Keith. because he needed sheltering big time.

Rundblad is, if anything, overrated by those who point to slices of analytics as proof he's anything more than an AHL-version of Sheldon Souray, Cam Barker or Andy Delmore.

Meaning, if you can dress a guy to just play the point on the power play, in that regard, he's a worthwhile player. But that is a big "if," and typically not a luxury a team can afford these days.

Otherwise, he blows.
- John Jaeckel

WINNER!

Yeah, you nailed it.

They want to hear exactly what I tell them when I say that the Hawks are in real trouble this year without a 1LW and they may have screwed themselves by signing Campbell before getting their top 6 figured out.

And when I told them all season last year how the Hawks were at best average 5-on-5 and not built to be a good playoff team.

Because it's what they want to hear and why they tell me I'm a great blogger.

Man, thanks for zeroing in on that. We now return you to your regularly scheduled delusion.
- John Jaeckel

Yet on the hotstove you picked the Campbell signing as the best. Big surprise there.

Nucks are the new dumpster fire of the division. Virtanen does not look impressive. Loui is 32, twins are old and are going to be re-signed to anchor contracts so all 3 can decline together. Miller is not even a top 15 goalie anymore.

Maybe they should actually rebuild, instead of going for 9th place?
- FLflames34

Not an impressive quote. Virtanen is a beast. He'll never be a big point producer. But he'll produce enough. His skill set is rare. Runs over anyone in his way.. as a 20 yr old. Twins will likely resign to 1 year extensions for half of what they make now. Loui isn't 32. Miller isn't the future (Markstrom - Demko). Should we bring up your goaltending? Now you have Elliot. You actually believe in him?

2 years too long for Ericsson, but that's UFAgency.

And yet the Flames had the worst goaltending in the league, traded vets at the deadline, and are actually rebuilding. Benning....is making trips to the first aid kit.
- FLflames34

How is Benning not "building"? He's drafting well when the opportunity presents itself, is that not building? How are your beloved Flames rebuilding and the Canucks are not, please enlighten me?

In the past four years the Canucks have drafted 9th, 6th and 5th overall, plus they've added some great young prospects in rounds two and three like Demko, Tryamkin and Brisebois, not to mention Boeser at 23 in the first round last year.

In the past four years the Flames have drafted 6th, 4th and 6th, how is that so different? Flames have drafted five times in the first round in the past four years, the Canucks six, again, how are they so different?

I'll give you this, the Flames young players are CURRENTLY better than the Canucks young players, but it's not as wide a gap as you're making it out to be.

I don't like the trade, personally, but I also recognize that there were off ice issues. It's been widely reported in Montreal that many of PK's teammates had an issue with him and that off the record, there was some pretty damning things said. You can argue that Montreal didn't handle that situation well from day 1, that they soured the relationship unnecessarily with the bridge contract, whatever. But if PK's teammates were united in wanting him gone, what do you do as a GM? What's the smart move? I'm not sure if there should ever be a case where one player is bigger than the team but if there is, I don't think PK is that guy.
- DoubleDown

No they traded him because he dressed funny ( that's what some believe so let's run with that )

Reminds me more of Calgary before they traded Iggy.
- FLflames34

With the Eriksson signing, yes I agree. But all JBs other moves were for players in their early to mid 20's. Trying to fill the hole left by the previous regime.

Pretty tough to full on rebuild when you have the Sedins still. They can say they aren't, but a 5th and 6th overall pick in the last 3 years is pretty close to it. There is a plan. But its a delicate dance. A difficult one to say the least.

A little overblown don't you think? The Subban trade is a win for Nashville but not by the landslide you seem to want to make people think. I see it as a fairly even trade in the first 3-4 years then will swing Nashville's way. Was PK a problem in the room? Who knows but if he was then its also addition by subtraction.

The Hall trade on the other hand
- habfanforever

In: Lucic, Larsson, and Puljujarvi
Out: Hall

The Oilers are a better team right now than they were prior to July 1st.

But getting back to Montreal... Subban for Weber? Ouch! I mean, at least Edmonton traded from an area of strength to fill a hole... You guys better hope Price is healthy this year... You'll definitely need him lol

How is Benning not "building"? He's drafting well when the opportunity presents itself, is that not building? How are your beloved Flames rebuilding and the Canucks are not, please enlighten me?

In the past four years the Canucks have drafted 9th, 6th and 5th overall, plus they've added some great young prospects in rounds two and three like Demko, Tryamkin and Brisebois, not to mention Boeser at 23 in the first round last year.

In the past four years the Flames have drafted 6th, 4th and 6th, how is that so different? Flames have drafted five times in the first round in the past four years, the Canucks six, again, how are they so different?

I'll give you this, the Flames young players are CURRENTLY better than the Canucks young players, but it's not as wide a gap as you're making it out to be.
- LeftCoaster

I am judging on the fact that a top 5 goalie was traded for Bo Horvat, leaving Markstrom (AHL hall of fame) as the future. And the assumed Sedin re-signs. Now if they sign for 4 each I will have a slightly different opinion.

ill give you callahan, johnson and bishop for ekman-larsson

How is Benning not "building"? He's drafting well when the opportunity presents itself, is that not building? How are your beloved Flames rebuilding and the Canucks are not, please enlighten me?

In the past four years the Canucks have drafted 9th, 6th and 5th overall, plus they've added some great young prospects in rounds two and three like Demko, Tryamkin and Brisebois, not to mention Boeser at 23 in the first round last year.

In the past four years the Flames have drafted 6th, 4th and 6th, how is that so different? Flames have drafted five times in the first round in the past four years, the Canucks six, again, how are they so different?

I'll give you this, the Flames young players are CURRENTLY better than the Canucks young players, but it's not as wide a gap as you're making it out to be.
- LeftCoaster

TESTIFY!

btw, CGY woulda been better off with Bishop. Hate to see Elliot fail in cowtown

TESTIFY!

btw, CGY woulda been better off with Bishop. Hate to see Elliot fail in cowtown

- storm88

I'm so glad they didn't get bishop

Yeah, you nailed it.

They want to hear exactly what I tell them when I say that the Hawks are in real trouble this year without a 1LW and they may have screwed themselves by signing Campbell before getting their top 6 figured out.

And when I told them all season last year how the Hawks were at best average 5-on-5 and not built to be a good playoff team.

Because it's what they want to hear and why they tell me I'm a great blogger.

Man, thanks for zeroing in on that. We now return you to your regularly scheduled delusion.
- John Jaeckel

Tell them Hawks aren't making the playoffs because that's the way the team looks