true, there was a time horvat was hofat.

the main difference is that you could always tell horvat oozed hockey iq. while his main problem was skating, something that wouldn't effect him too much in juniors but would at the next levels unless fixed.

Virtanen was a huge, huge gamble from the beginning. hes the guy who was able to just skate down the wing and rifle it in the dub, doesn't work as much in higher leagues. hes got the speed, shot, and body size to be effective, but he lacks the iq which is really important. this is the pyatt or jessiman etc pick, where the team went for a boom or bust power forward pick, and hes not learning so far and its tilting towards bust. plus he had a fucking torn labrum late in his draft season. his best asset, his shot; is fucking ruined by that injury, and will never be what it was. kesler had the same injury after that year where he spent all offseason making his shot lethal, never the same since

I like how Willie keeps saying he doesn't know what he has in Rodin......... but then doesn't play him. How can you ever find out? Practice? Playing 6 minutes a game with 4th liners? Did anyone remember to give Rodin a memo that the only way to impress this stupid coach is to forcheck as hard as you can (even if it's blind and not going to lead to anything) and dump it off the boards and then try to skate past the dman like it's pickup at the local rink? That's all Skille/Megna/Chaput ever do... and apparently they're solid now and getting chances to score on higher lines and PP time.

If I was a Rodin type player, I'd be so fucking confused... like you brought me here to score... but then I have to prove that I know both sides of the rink first and how to play like a total meathead before you decide I'm allowed to play in a scoring position? If that's not AHL coaching mentality I don't know what is. Can you imagine going out every shift thinking "Fuck, I have to score and create something! That's what I do!" but then you're passing to Gaunce and Chaput on the 4th line and they're just dumping and chasing blindly... not taking any chances because they don't dare try anything and have it come back the other way and lose even more minutes off of the few you already play... and then you're Rodin thinking you gotta score, and you do take risks, and because your linemates suck you're 1 on 3 half the fucking time in the offensive zone and a turnover happens and you're stapled to the bench. I would shoot myself in the face if I had to deal with that shit.

Serious question, are there many players that were late bloomers that suddenly turned it around after a rough start (as bad as Virtanen) and eventually became a decent "impactful" top 6 forward?

I just randomly looked up a few power forwards' stats and they all seemed to have shown promise early in their careers.

hypothetically canucks have 4 or 5 guys that should be in the AHL and a couple rookies...It blows my mind that WD for one still has his job but continues to beat a dead horse and in playing his AHLers consistently. Gaunce, shampoo, skille, megna have 0 point production skills yet WD will play them with 2mins left in the game. He does this so he gives them minutes even though they are down a goal or up a goal. Doesn't matter on the circumstance of the game or period he does the same shit. IE not adapting to the game and just set in his ways... For the life of me why have rodin even be here if he isn't going to play? I mean dumbass WD has seen what he can do in pre season. As for boucher wtf was the point in even picking him up off waivers if he isn't going to play etiher? Just for the sake of shutting canuck fans up? I honestly don't get this coach and management...

It's just that Virtanen was drafted 6th overall, we all expect him to show early promise. Hell...Hodgson showed a lot of promise and look at him now.

Look at Burrow's career, you work hard and you keep working until you make it and you continue to work hard from there.

Even now when a lot of people wants to buy him out or trade him, he's still playing a big role for us with Horvat and Baerstchi.

Look at Kassian, could've been great but he just took his job for granted.

Sigh...you know which 6th overall plays the way Virtanen should play?

Tkachuk.
Exactly the in-your-face, gritty, make-things-happen kinda forward that Vancouver could've used the last few years. Yeah, Willie could've fucked him up...but if JV can do even HALF the things Tkachuk has done so far this year, i'd be pretty happy with it.

Really early on...but the expectations on Juolevi are pretty damn high considering Tkachuk is in Calder conversation and is honestly looking like a pretty complete player that will only get better.

Could've had
Ehlers/Nylander - Horvat - Tkachuk as a line this year...and Boeser next year.
We've always fucked up at the draft.

I am really hoping Boeser turns out to be a stud! The kid is lighting it up in NCAA and its too bad he couldn't be on the world juniors squad due to injury. I just hope he doesn't pull a dick move and hold out and opt to sign with a different team...

A few things to note.
I understand the need to pick up Boucher. Shows the bottom 6 guys that there is another player waiting to come in and they better play like they are top 6 guys to stay in the lineup.
AHL has no one else for the Nucks to call up to get stapled to the bench.
Tkachuk is succeeding because he is playing with other skilled forwards and the coach is giving him a chance. Place him under WD, and Tkuchuk may not be doing as well.
I know we all agree that WD puts way too much confidence on the twins, but in a way it is a good thing as it allows BoHo and Baer to play against the other teams second pairing D and second/third set of forwards. Look what happened last year to Bo when he was forced to take all the difficult draws because Hank was playing injured and Sutter was on IR.

Basically, it comes down to WD doing what he can to win. By sacrificing the twins, he gets the better match ups against the second and third lines. And to a lesser extent, the fourth line.
And he hopes the twins still have enough in the tank to score on the PP. As long as the Nucks are close to playoff contention, that makes WD look good and he will continue to do what he is doing now. And even if it doesn't work out, they will always blame how many man games were lost due to injuries.
To be honest, unless Travis Green really looks like he is taking a job elsewhere, I can see the Nucks giving WD an extension.

good god if they ever sign WD to an extension, i quit.

i see your point about riding the Sedins though...but doing what he can to win?
That's debatable...riding AHLers in crucial moment, the refusal to put players "he doesn't know that well", the refusal to tweak PP strategies, the complete lack of out of the box thinking...that doesn't say he's doing what he can to win. To me I see a coach who can only think inside a box and has honestly no idea what to do when the things he knows don't work. He's not doing what he can to win, he's doing what he knows and only what he knows which we all know isn't much.

pretty much the best thing that can happen to the Canucks now is to go on a long losing streak

Canucks were gonna pick Dubois before Tkachuk anyways. Guy was a non factor at the WJC.

I think there's still hope for Virtanen, ill give him another season or two...

Dubois?
Was he really in this year's WJC?
LOL i didn't even notice if he was

if nothing is seen from JV towards the end of this season and to the start of next season...Hell, if he's not pushing roster considerations next training camp, i'd label him a bust.

the guy posts pics of him following canucks games, think its safe to say he will be with the org by the end of the season if ND doesn't go to far

I wonder...

they play the avalanche on the 25th in denver. don't see anything special about it. teams usually scout other teams they play soon.
when the president, gm, ass gm, then theres something. unless this is like 5+ scouts

-asking price for Landeskog is too high as per TSN. The Canucks do not have the assets to make a pitch for him.

-not even Dim Jim is stupid enough to offer a package such as a top defenceman, 1st round pick etc for Landeskog. :troll:

WD would probably put Landeskog on the bench anyways with Rodin to keep him company because WD "doesn't know his game well enough". LUL

for the hell of it
dmen: gudbranson/tanev/hutton
picks: 1st 2016/2017 and 2nd 2016/2017
prospects: guadette/Virtanen/juuolevi/gaudette/subban

gudbranson/Virtanen/2nd for Duchene? don't think it comes close

prob like iginla for a 2nd

They would prob toss Subban in on the trade since we all know the Canucks won't be giving him a chance at all.

imo he doesn't deserve a chance yet, still cant play d

Avs wanted Carlo from the Bruins in a Landeskog package

for shiggles...
Gudbranson+JV+Conditional 2018 1st round pick -> Landeskog + 2017 2nd round pick
2018 1st round becomes a 2018 2nd round if Gudbranson signs an extension of 3 years +

Duchene is too much for anything the Canucks can offer

I cant see JB getting rid of Gudbranson or even Virtanen yet...Also on his interview on 1040 he said he wasn't going to give away picks or pretty much stand pat and let the chips fall lol...

The only way we get landeskog from avs is if we way over pay for him..ie tanev/hutton, 1st round pick, 2nd and Virtanen lol...who knows how greedy sakic is anyways

Gudbranson isn't going anywhere.

He's an RFA at the end of the season, and it sounds like he's going to be out for a significant portion of the remainder.

Obviously they are scouting Kesler and Bieksa...:D

I wouldn't overpay that much for Landeskog. He's not having that great of a season anyways. As bad as Virtanen looks in Vancouver, I think he still holds value in the league.

I'd overpay for Mackinnon though. lol

Edler + Virtanen for Duchene?

Edler would need to okay this.

Edler will not okay this.