It's time for the Canucks ownership to override any screwball ideas going through the coach's and general manager's minds.
The Canucks aren't going anywhere. They're 17th, lost 3 of 4, got pumped by Las Vegas, Oilers are showing signs of wakey wakey.
Ducks are going to get healthy. Road trip from hell coming up. Three wins in 10 games at home. 26th in offense and dropping like a stone. Worst PP, terrible PK.
They have 4 goals from the blueline this despite a coach "activating" the defensemen.
A terrible blueline to be frank.
Middle of the pack goals against.
It's over. It's done. Throw in the white towel.
IF you think Elias Pettersson is going to be all that then the mission for this season has to be playing Jake Virtanen 20 minutes per night. Because who else is going to ride shotgun and protect a 160lb. Swedish Centre?
And who else has Virtanen's hands?
There's no one. No one in the minors. No one in the system. The only person capable of playing with a top line centre AND protecting him from getting the snot kicked out of him if they're going to play a 160 lb. "centre" is Virtanen. The whole team hangs on the development of Virtanen. He is easily the most talented player on the roster or in the system. It's not even close. I like Horvat. I like Boeser. But they ain't got the nastiness and hands that Virtanen has. And Boeser has a sweet shot - but Virtanen is plain nasty.
Is he going to play indifferently at times? You betcha. So did Bertuzzi. Almost every big power forward has stretches of playing indifferently. Hell, Bertuzzi could take a month off without hitting anyone. But, you know, 45 goals, and 240 pounds, and HELLO NASTY!!
That's the target for Virtanen. Goals. Points.
Hitting?
Pfft
From time-to-time you'll get that. And they'll be mean, nasty, suspend-able hits.
Hitting is not his forte.
Scoring goals is his forte.
Ownership has to step up to the plate and stop the silliness going on with benching Virtanen.
It's silly. There's no point to it.
Errikkson sucks. Daniel Sedin stinks. Thomas Vanek is on the team... somewhere. Dave Gagner has two years left? What the F__K?
Stop the madness. Mercy pull. Throw in the towel. Enough with the silliness.
So with that in mind this is how the lines should go for Vancouver.
Brendan Gaunce, LW --- Markus Granlund, C --- Jake Virtanen, RW
Big, fast, ground and pound, get after it.
Gaunce and Virtanen on No. 1 PK.
Granlund and Horvat on No. 2 PK.
Virtanen's speed for PK is a natural. Plus he's a threat to score.
Granlund is the best center on the team - showed last year he was. Need it back. Need's Virtanen's pop out there.
Gaunce is a 1st Round pick. He's got offense. But he can also muck and grind for the line and keep up and play with them.
Sven Baertschi, LW --- Bo Horvat, C --- Brock Boeser, RW
Try to get them on against the second set of D as much as you can, thus the 2nd line.
Horvat and Baertschi can't kill penalties. Stop trying.
Who Erikkson, LW --- Alexander Burmistrov, C --- Derek Dorsett, RW
Let Dorsett see if he can light a fire under Erikkson's backside so you can trade him.
Burmistrov looks fairly decent at times. There might be something there - go and find out.
D. Sedin, LW --- H. Sedin, C --- Brandon Sutter, RW
The objective here is to hope Sutter can show some signs of life on a 4th line with Sedins - maybe score 5,6 goals so that you can trade him as soon as possible - even if you have to eat contract $$$
Even if you have to toss in a 5th round pick.
You just don't want the guy around the kids.
Gagner, Vanek - waivers, minors. Bring up kids from the AHL if injuries. Or keep one of them for injury duty/fill in. But under no circumstances should they be around the kids.
Power Play number 1 - See line 1
Power Play number 2 - See line 2
Virtanen on the PP is a matchup nightmare for the opposition.
Feature his cannon, his toughness, his Bertuzziness.
If necessary put Boeser on the point on PP1
Gudbrannson on PP1 - got a cannon of a shot - ran a PP in junior - was a third overall pick, has experience.
D CORP
Patrick Wiercioch with Chris Tanev. size
Gudbrannson with Alex Edler. size
Stecher with Del Zotto - well, try to make chicken salad out of chicken...
Hutton, Biega, Pouliot - I don't think they can play at the NHL level. Biega is a good No. 7.
Find out if Wiercioch can play.
See if Edler and Gudbrannson can get something done.
At least with the Top 4 you have size and so it's something.
If you're going to be a terribly inept offensive blueline - at least try to be big; play big. Hit someone.
The main point is getting Travis Green OFF of Jake Virtanen.
Virtanen is a shooter. Period.
Virtanen wasn't drafted to be a 4th line bum.
He's already had shoulder issues.
WTF are they doing here?
IF Pettersson makes the team next year, then Jake Virtanen might be the only thing keeping Pettersson from a 4 month stay at a hospital. They'd better start grooming Virtanen for the role so he can be confident and make the most out of Pettersson.
Want more common sense in hockey ?
http://www.michaelmunro.ca/Hockey_Sucks.html
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