The Canucks need to reunite the Lotto Line and take a hard stance that no more trades will take place

[Jeremy Hronek]

Let’s be honest. As of this writing, the Canucks are being taken to Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch by the LA Kings.  In thinking about the Canucks and their first real slump of the season, two things have come to mind:  

 

1.  No more trades unless they’re very minor ones.  The old saying?  If the wheel ain’t broke?  While it’s admirable to make trades to improve the team, the flip side is that over trading can lead to alterations in team chemistry.  We’ve had excellent team chemistry all season and so making more deals can only hurt chemistry at this point.  Making too many trades also creates too much of a volatile environment which can make players nervous.  
 

So with that, I say this:  NO MORE TRADES THIS SEASON (unless very minor).  
 

2) Re-unite the Lotto line.  Again, if the wheel ain’t broke. Much like the 2002-2004 WCE and the 2010-2012 Sedins/Burrows, the Lotto line were tearing shit up.  Yes, they had started to cool down a bit but they had a very strong presence.  While our 2nd line was impotent, it was almost irrelevant since our 3rd and 4th lines were creating almost all of the secondary scoring that we needed. You had Garland’s line on the 3rd while Hoglander was lighting it up on the 4th.

 

Again, if the wheel ain’t broke?

 

Turn Mikheyev-Lindholm-Suter into a “defense first” shut down line.  Let Lotton line + PDG-Bluegar-Garland (Joshua when he comes back) provide our primary and secondary offense. 
 

Move Lindholm up if someone from the Lotto line gets hurt.  
 

No more trades, reduce the volatile environment, and go back to the way things were. That’s how we get this Canucks team to its pre all-star 2011 levels as opposed to this poor man’s 2012 version that we are currently seeing.

Edited March 1 by Jeremy Hronek

[JeremyCuddles]

The Lotto line has been ass when they were together. Petey has been bad. Honestly would rather see them stick Hogs with Miller and Boeser and just let them hard carry this team til Joshua comes back. So we can reunite our actual 2nd line of Blueger, Garly and Joshua. Tell Petey, Mik and Lindholm to just not get scored on.

[Jeremy Hronek]

1 minute ago, JeremyCuddles said:

The Lotto line has been ass when they were together. Petey has been bad. Honestly would rather see them stick Hogs with Miller and Boeser and just let them hard carry this team til Joshua comes back. So we can reunite our actual 2nd line of Blueger, Garly and Joshua. Tell Petey, Mik and Lindholm to just not get scored on.

 

Have we seen Miller with Lindholm yet?  (I haven't been able to watch much hockey this past month).  I'd try Miller/Lindholm as a match-ups line of some kind and then have Suter-Pettersson-Boeser on Line 2 (Suter helping out with Faceoffs, etc.).    

 

Line One:  Miller/Lindholm

Line Two:  Petey/Boeser

Line Three: Bluegar/Garland.   

 

Interchange the wingers.  

[R3aL]

7 minutes ago, JeremyCuddles said:

The Lotto line has been ass when they were together. Petey has been bad. Honestly would rather see them stick Hogs with Miller and Boeser and just let them hard carry this team til Joshua comes back. So we can reunite our actual 2nd line of Blueger, Garly and Joshua. Tell Petey, Mik and Lindholm to just not get scored on.

They just got scored on twice with the game on the line. Have to agree

[JeremyCuddles]

3 minutes ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

Have we seen Miller with Lindholm yet?  (I haven't been able to watch much hockey this past month).  I'd try Miller/Lindholm as a match-ups line of some kind and then have Suter-Pettersson-Boeser on Line 2 (Suter helping out with Faceoffs, etc.).    

 

Line One:  Miller/Lindholm

Line Two:  Petey/Boeser

Line Three: Bluegar/Garland.   

 

Interchange the wingers.  

They tried Miller and Lindholm together early, like one of the first games after the trade. Lindholm at center and Boeser on RW. They haven't gone back to it since as far as I recall. I also missed a string of games cause of work though, so could be wrong. But that line in theory should be really frickin' annoying to play against. But I think they really want to make Lindholm and Petey work. But it's just not there. Petey is a shell of himself.

[gwarrior]

I'm on board with putting the lotto line back together. For me, I would put Hoglander, Lindholm, and Garland for the 2nd line. See if there is something there, and buy a little time till either Joshua is back or Kessel is signed. 

[gwarrior]

Bains on the 3rd line FOR NOW with Bluegr, and Suter or Mikheyev. 4th line as is for now. The time to throw shit at the wall and see what sticks is now.

[LillStrimma]

2 hours ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

Let’s be honest. As of this writing, the Canucks are being taken to Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch by the LA Kings.  In thinking about the Canucks and their first real slump of the season, two things have come to mind:  

 

1.  No more trades unless they’re very minor ones.  The old saying?  If the wheel ain’t broke?  While it’s admirable to make trades to improve the team, the flip side is that over trading can lead to alterations in team chemistry.  We’ve had excellent team chemistry all season and so making more deals can only hurt chemistry at this point.  Making too many trades also creates too much of a volatile environment which can make players nervous.  
 

So with that, I say this:  NO MORE TRADES THIS SEASON (unless very minor).  
 

2) Re-unite the Lotto line.  Again, if the wheel ain’t broke. Much like the 2002-2004 WCE and the 2010-2012 Sedins/Burrows, the Lotto line were tearing shit up.  Yes, they had started to cool down a bit but they had a very strong presence.  While our 2nd line was impotent, it was almost irrelevant since our 3rd and 4th lines were creating almost all of the secondary scoring that we needed. You had Garland’s line on the 3rd while Hoglander was lighting it up on the 4th.

 

Again, if the wheel ain’t broke?

 

Turn Mikheyev-Lindholm-Suter into a “defense first” shut down line.  Let Lotton line + PDG-Bluegar-Garland (Joshua when he comes back) provide our primary and secondary offense. 
 

Move Lindholm up if someone from the Lotto line gets hurt.  
 

No more trades, reduce the volatile environment, and go back to the way things were. That’s how we get this Canucks team to its pre all-star 2011 levels as opposed to this poor man’s 2012 version that we are currently seeing.

Nope, now is the time to give signals to Allvin about eventual upgrades. 
Where are the holes? 

[Jeremy Hronek]

9 minutes ago, LillStrimma said:

Nope, now is the time to give signals to Allvin about eventual upgrades. 
Where are the holes? 

 

Does it make sense for a Top 5 NHL team to be making numerous changes?..........especially after they've been successful for 90-95% of the season?

 

Or, would it make more sense to create stability and let the team gel?  

 

To what extent do constant trades and constant volatility start to have a negative effect on the players?

Edited March 1 by Jeremy Hronek

[LillStrimma]

1 minute ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

Does it make sense for a Top 5 NHL team to be making numerous changes?..........especially after they've been successful for 90-95% of the season?

 

Or, would it make more sense to create stability and let the team gel?  

 

To what extent do constant trades and constant volatility start to have a negative effect on the players?

Some of the changes has been forced upon Tocchet.

Both Soucy and Joshua were good to the bottom six stability and points.

 

With them out, why not test since they need to figure out par example why Soucy was so important.

 

As I said in another thread, Hughes shoot a lot more without waiting for the right moment.  It’s not all about gel. 

[Miss Korea]

30 minutes ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

Does it make sense for a Top 5 NHL team to be making numerous changes?..........especially after they've been successful for 90-95% of the season?

 

Or, would it make more sense to create stability and let the team gel?  

 

To what extent do constant trades and constant volatility start to have a negative effect on the players?

 

No player is safe under a team run by Jim Rutherford.  He has always been an aggressive GM under Carolina and Pittsburgh.  If there is a trade to be made, you can bet your ass that Trader Jim's gonna try to make it happen.

[Jeremy Hronek]

5 minutes ago, Miss Korea said:

 

No player is safe under a team run by Jim Rutherford.  He has always been an aggressive GM under Carolina and Pittsburgh.  If there is a trade to be made, you can bet your ass that Trader Jim's gonna try to make it happen.

 

For better and for worse I guess.  

 

The more trades you make, the greater the likelihood in altering culture and team chemistry.  

 

Speaking of which, what's our overall record been since the Lindholm trade?   

 

Kuzmenko wasn't playing well for us but the guy was loved in the lockeroom.  

 

Just saying....

[Miss Korea]

3 minutes ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

For better and for worse I guess.  

 

The more trades you make, the greater the likelihood in altering culture and team chemistry.  

 

Speaking of which, what's our overall record been since the Lindholm trade?   

 

Kuzmenko wasn't playing well for us but the guy was loved in the lockeroom.  

 

Just saying....

JR has a left an interesting legacy behind in those two cities.  There is a reason he isn't totally revered.  You can divide his reign on each team into a part 1 and part 2.  Canes/Pens loved part 1.  They hated part 2.

 

Water is wet and Rutherford will trade aggressively.  I neither oppose nor support it - it's just a matter of fact.  So to that end, I wouldn't look for a scapegoat here.  It's not any one person's fault we're losing games.  There's plenty of blame to go around.

[DownUndaCanuck]

You know I don't hate this mentality. The players have to be accountable. Can't just rely on management to keep trading firsts and prospects for help. We're a top of the league team and we're playing like a bottom feeder in these last handful of games.

 

I agree - get the Lotto line together again. They were the best line in the league leading up to the ASG. Then we acquire Lindholm and make a mess of our chemistry up front. Now we're shuffling players everywhere. Lindholm was a mistake and doesn't fit anywhere in this lineup already full of stars. Worst of all, whichever forwards he's with he sucks the offence out. Meanwhile, when the Lotto line are together, they so obviously feed off each other. Miller as a skilled grinder opens up so much room for Petey better than Hoglander can do. Boeser sneaks into the slot or is a great front net presence.

 

We need to play players together who have chemistry with each other. No one seems to get along with Lindholm, he's just a checking shutdown center who sucks offence out of anyone he's with.

 

I think this idea that help is on the way doesn't really help either. A depth winger would be nice but isn't going to be our saviour. Joshua and Soucy coming back aren't going to save this team. They have to dig in and do it themselves and be more accountable. It starts with Petey and ends with Hughes.

[Jeremy Hronek]

3 minutes ago, Miss Korea said:

JR has a left an interesting legacy behind in those two cities.  There is a reason he isn't totally revered.  You can divide his reign on each team into a part 1 and part 2.  Canes/Pens loved part 1.  They hated part 2.

 

Water is wet and Rutherford will trade aggressively.  I neither oppose nor support it - it's just a matter of fact.  So to that end, I wouldn't look for a scapegoat here.  It's not any one person's fault we're losing games.  There's plenty of blame to go around.

 

I'm just wondering if a part of the reason is stemming from the fact that the boys don't feel comfortable (i.e. fear of being moved, wondering if old man JR doesn't have faith in the current team, etc., and that's why he's making all these moves).    

 

A month or so, I think too many people (fans, media, and management) were making too big of a deal of our impotent 2nd line (Mikheyev-Suter-Kuzmenko).  

 

While I agree that the 2nd line probably needed some kind of change, the Canucks were still firing on almost every single cylinder.  Lotto line was producing, Bluegar/Garland line was killing it, and Hoglander was producing on the 4th line.  

 

Even now, I say put the Lotto Line back together on a permanent basis and let them drive the team.  Yes, they'll have ups and downs but let them gel and don't look back.

 

Mikheyev, Lindholm, and Suter are all excellent defensive players......quite possibly among the best in the league.  So they can't score, who gives us fuck?  Make them an elite shut down line.  See how they do with the toughest defensive assignments.  Let Lotto Line + Bluegar/Garland line (with PDG while Joshua is out) provide primary and secondary scoring.

 

Why was Juulsen playing with Hughes?  

 

If the wheel ain't broke??

 

Tocchet, Alvin, and Rutherford need to stop overthinking shit.  

 

[Jeremy Hronek]

5 minutes ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

Y They were the best line in the league leading up to the ASG. Then we acquire Lindholm and make a mess of our chemistry up front. Now we're shuffling players everywhere.

 

100%

 

I don't know why others aren't seeing this.   Despite our impotent 2nd line, pre-Lindholm trade, the Canucks were still getting secondary scoring via our 3rd and 4th lines.  Lindholm has struggled offensively this season but is still defensively elite.  Use that!  Play the guy with Suter and Mikheyev and see how they do with toughest defensive assignments.  If they can succeed in such a role, then that frees up the Lotto line for more offensive deployment.  Bluegar/Garland + PDG (Joshua when he comes back) will give us all the secondary scoring that we need.  Hoglander on the 4th line is also a hidden gem (with Aman and Lafferty).  

 

Miller-Pettersson-Boeser [primary scoring]

Mikheyev-Lindholm-Suter [elite shutdown]

PDG-Bluegar-Garland [secondary scoring]

Hoglander-Aman-Lafferty [auxillary scoring]

 

 

[The Aquaman]

Calm down boys and girls, we’ve killed it this season so far…very unexpected right?

 

Better to go through this right now than in late March and April, right before the playoffs!

[Miss Korea]

29 minutes ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

I'm just wondering if a part of the reason is stemming from the fact that the boys don't feel comfortable (i.e. fear of being moved, wondering if old man JR doesn't have faith in the current team, etc., and that's why he's making all these moves).    

 

A month or so, I think too many people (fans, media, and management) were making too big of a deal of our impotent 2nd line (Mikheyev-Suter-Kuzmenko).  

 

While I agree that the 2nd line probably needed some kind of change, the Canucks were still firing on almost every single cylinder.  Lotto line was producing, Bluegar/Garland line was killing it, and Hoglander was producing on the 4th line.  

 

Even now, I say put the Lotto Line back together on a permanent basis and let them drive the team.  Yes, they'll have ups and downs but let them gel and don't look back.

 

Mikheyev, Lindholm, and Suter are all excellent defensive players......quite possibly among the best in the league.  So they can't score, who gives us fuck?  Make them an elite shut down line.  See how they do with the toughest defensive assignments.  Let Lotto Line + Bluegar/Garland line (with PDG while Joshua is out) provide primary and secondary scoring.

 

Why was Juulsen playing with Hughes?  

 

If the wheel ain't broke??

 

Tocchet, Alvin, and Rutherford need to stop overthinking shit.  

 

 

Something I forgot to say about Kuzmenko before.

 

If you look at Calgary's little mini-run right now, it is not because of Andrei Kuzmenko.  The guy been has benched for long stretches (due to his poor defensive play) or outright sick and unable to play some of those games.  It's actually quite remarkable to see them winning games despite losing players straight up.  Markström is playing like a maniac right now.

 

So to digress back to Vancouver... is our blueline playing the way they are because of Lindholm?  Or because of the way we split up our best forwards?  I don't think so.  Is... Demko playing the way he is because we got rid of Kuzmenko?  I don't think so.  There are a handful of problems leading to our current state, and I admit it's hard to identify all of them.  But I don't think the performance of an entire roster can be affected by one trade - especially a player who was playing 4th line minutes.

[Jester13]

We need chemistry and depth. Soucy out hurts the back-end chemistry, and Joshua out hurts the forward chemistry. Allvin will make another trade for the forwards because we're lacking depth. Vatrano would be perfect for Mik++

 

Hogs - Miller - Boeser

Vatrano - Petey -Lindholm

Joshua - Blueger - Garland

PDG - Suter - Lafferty

 

Hughes - Hronek

Soucy - Myers

Zadorov - Juulsen

Cole