Jeremy Hronek

Analyze the following argument: "The Canucks can comfortably re-unite the Lotto Line since the Bluegar, Garland, Joshua line already produces enough secondary scoring. Therefore, the idea of opposing teams just focusing their top shut down men and top pairing on the Lotto Line come playoff time is a bit of a moot point. Furthermore, any combination of a 4th line involving Suter, Hoglander, Lafferty, Mikheyev, etc., should be able to continue to produce semi-consistent offence against whatever 4th line they play against. Therefore, it's not vital that a 2nd line with Lindholm be able to produce offence. As long as they can shut down and contain opposing lines, while still having the potential to produce offensively, then secondary scoring for this team shouldn't be a problem. Re-unite the Lotto line and let our 3rd and 4th lines continue to provide the secondary offence that they've been producing all-season."

Kessel is old and likely not in very good NHL shape. Although he'll be a free asset that should come at a relatively low cost, I'm not entirely sure what he'll be able to do at this stage of his career. I half jokingly said this awhile back, but the Canucks would have likely been better off bringing Daniel Sedin out of retirement if they wanted a linemate for Lindholm.

You might be right but if you look at the past 15 years, any team with a relatively high cap hit to any one player doesn't win the Stanley Cup. For the longest time, any team that had a 10 million dollar player on their team didn't win a cup. Now, with the cap going up, that number (kiss of death cap hit) might be around $11 million. Cost controlled elite talent + depth seems to have been the winning formula for the past 15 years or so. -Crosby and Ovechkin's teams never won cups from 2010-2015 -Chicago and LA saw steep declines once Kane, Toews, and Kopitar received 10+ million dollar contracts -McDavid and Matthews have yet to win cups (many argue that Toronto screwed themselves long term with the Tavares signing). -San Jose basically went into the shitter when they acquired Erik Karlsson and his contract. Despite winning only one cup, Boston has arguably been the most consistent team over the past 14-15 years due to their culture of players 'buying in' and accepting less money to serve the greater good (although Pasta has recently bucked that trend).

To me, it sounds like you’re advocating something similar to the Toronto Maple Leafs model (ie being top heavy in terms of paying your top players premium money). Unless I’m not understanding your perspective? If you look at the past 15 years or so, the top players on each team had cap hits that were below market value which ultimately helped the team invest in more depth (Chicago, LA, and Boston from 2010-2015). Pittsburgh and Washington also won cups from 2016, 2017, 2018 when the cap went higher which resulted in lower C.H.% to their top players that were on “grandfathered” contracts). St. Louis, Tampa, and Colorado were similar (as was Florida and Vegas). Meanwhile, teams that have paid more than 11 million to any one player have not won a cup. That number used to be 10 but that has changed as the cap has risen (ie resulting in lower CH% to top players). Ultimately, what I’m saying, is that Petey needs to take one for the team if he’s serious about wanting to build a winner here. If he’s not, then maybe he needs to be moved.

This is an excellent and insightful analysis. Thank you for sharing.

If we are feeling confident than Petey can carry his own line, I’d try the following: Miller-Lindholm-Hoglander PDG-Pettersson-Boeser Joshua-Bluegar-Garland Mikheyev-Suter-Lafferty

Recreating the optimal environment for Elias Lindholm? At his best, Lindholm was playing with Gaudreau and Tkachuk. Maybe one could do Pettersson-Lindholm-PDG? Pettersson playing the role of Gaudreau and PDG being the crash and banger like MT (albeit, with far less skill obviously). Hoglander-Miller-Boeser occupy line two. Pettersson-Lindholm-PDG Hoglander-Miller-Boeser Joshua-Bluegar-Garland Mikheyev-Suter-Lafferty

I’d go Miller-Pettersson-PDG Hoglander-Lindholm-Boeser Joshua-Bluegar-Garland Mikheyev-Suter-Lafferty Or, switch PDG and Hogs. I think the above is fairly balanced in terms of rolling four lines, while keeping the powerful Miller/Petey combo together. Lindholm gets some scoring wingers in Boeser and Hogs.

My only concern is that Pettersson and Lindholm don’t seem to have much chemistry. Miller and Boeser are a pair but Miller and Pettersson are also quite good together. Pettersson unfortunately, isn’t a bus driver. He needs a guy like Miller to bring out the best in him. Lindholm and Boeser should be able to clean up on a 2nd line.

You could be onto something. WCE from 2002-2004 never quite seemed to click in the playoffs while the Sedins/ Burrows didn’t produce at the same clip during the 2011 playoffs.

In theory, I believe you are correct, but why deviate from something that is clearly working? Petey and Miller definitely have some chemistry. Now having said that, we will need to give Lindholm a playmate if the Lindholm experiment is going to work. So, before we completely re-unite the Lotto Line, I suggest we try one final thing: -Petey/Miller on your top line -Lindholm/Boeser on the 2nd line -Joshua/Bluegar/Garland on the 3rd line -Suter/Mikheyev on the 4th line Miller-Pettersson-Hoglander PDG-Lindholm-Boeser Joshua-Bluegar-Garland Mikheyev-Suter-Lafferty Try something like that. If that doesn’t work, go back to the original Lotto line and turn a Mikeheyev-Lindholm-Suter line into an elite shutdown line.

3:10 AM thoughts from abroad: -Keep Miller and Pettersson together -Try Lindholm and Boeser together on another line. Miller-Pettersson-Lafferty PDG-Lindholm-Boeser Joshua-Bluegar-Garland Mikheyev-Suter-Hoglander

Fair enough. Tocchet could adjust the lines accordingly: Miller-Pettersson-Boeser Couture-Lindholm-Suter Joshua-Bluegar-Garland Hoglander-Aman-Lafferty

To San Jose: -Tyler Myers (6M) -Ilya Mikheyev (4.75) -2025 1st rounder To Vancouver: -Logan Couture (8M) -Jan Rutta (2.75M) Why the Sharks do this: -Although Couture is a Sharks legend, getting his 8 million dollar cap hit off the books without retention would be a massive win for the rebuilding Sharks. Why the Canucks do this: -The Canucks are going to need another legit top 6 forward if the Elias Lindholm experiment is going to work. The problem however, is that acquiring another good top 6 forward will not be easy. For example, someone like Jake Guentzel will likely cost one of Willander or Lekkerimaki. Hence - The Canucks acquiring a Top 6 “bloated” contract so that they simultaneously give Lindholm a linemate without giving up too much in the way of picks or prospects. -Yes, the Canucks having Couture’s contract on the books will likely be awful in a few years, but for the time being, Couture is the exact type of guy that you want in the playoffs. Come April, Couture’s rust should be long gone. Pettersson-Miller-Boeser Suter-Couture-Lindholm Joshua-Bluegar-Garland Hoglander-Aman-Lafferty PDG Hughes-Hronek Soucy-Rutta Cole-Zadorov Juulsen Demko DeSmith That Couture/Lindholm/Suter line would possibly be in the running for best shut down line in the league and should be able to produce decent secondary offense (assuming that Couture works off his rust before April). Go big or go home?

I'm trying to remember off the top of my head who I wanted from each draft: 2014: Sam Reinhart (via Horvat + 6th) 2015: Brandon Carlo 2016: Pierre Luc Dubois (if he dropped) 2017: Miro Heiskanen (if he dropped) 2018: Noah Dobson (didn't think QH was going to drop) 2019: Moritz Seider 2020: N/A 2021: Had my heart, mind, and penis set on Dylan Guenther before the lovely OEL trade went down 2022: Denton Matyechuck 2023: Tom Willander!

I remember that 2016 draft. I had personally hoped for Pierre Luc Dubois but was quite surprised when we chose OJ for Tkachuk. My guess is that Benning saw OJ as the future Alex Elder replacement but JB forgot the first rule of thumb imo; BPA. In all seriousness, can you imagine if we had drafted Charlie McAvoy instead? And then, in 2021, trading for Hampus Lindholm instead of OEL?

My favorite memory of the 2018 draft was HF Canucks and how they already hated Brady Tkachuk because he was the type of guy that Benning would probably like. @IBatch

Not only did the Leafs put too much emphasis on the front but they paid all of their stars premium contracts. No one took a hometown discount to serve the greater good since management had already paid UFA Tavares a premium contract (and made him captain). As counter-intuitive as it may sound, the Tavares signing just may have ended up costing the Leafs a cup or two.

Pettersson-Miller-Boeser Suter-Lindholm-Garland Joshua-Bluegar-Lafferty Mikheyev-Aman-Hoglander

This thread has made me realize just how mindfucked many Canuck fans became after the 2011 finals. 13 years ago, lol. Thankfully, no one on the current Canucks cares about 2011. Onwards and upwards. Canucks got their first taste of adversity this season and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Learn and grow before the playoffs.

Bumperoo. Kuzmenko switched to Mikheyev.

Or the 2005-06 Red Wings

Nucks might need to go back to the Lotto line if they have 1-2 more games like this. Turn Suter-Lindholm-Mikheyev into a shut down line.

Be careful with this shit. This is the kind of arrogance that will piss off the Hockey Gods. With respect to our beloved Canucks, the Leafs have had many solid regular seasons in recent history. Yes, they’ve tasted their fair share of black sausage when it has mattered most, but it just goes to show how difficult playoff hockey can really be.

EP’s point totals this season don’t jive with what I’m seeing from him on a consistent basis.