Fogghorn wrote:
The Canucks youth actually looks great can't recall a time when there was ever this much talent in the pipeline: Horvat, Hutton, McCann, Virtannen are NHL players. Probable: Grenier, Shinkaruk, Pedan, Demko, Kenins, Guance, Vey and reasonable possibility of Tryamkin, Zhukenov, Neil, Jasek and Cassels. Problem is only Demko looks like a possible all-star and the teams needs elite talent to win a cup. Not sure where that comes from unless all the stars align and Shinkaruk, Boeser, McCann and Horvat all exceed reasonable expectations.
Horvat's development seems to be ahead of schedule because of Sutter's injury... We'll see if he can carry his late season surge over the summer and into training camp. Hutton looks solid now but how he manages what I expect will be a sophomore slump next season will be interesting to watch...
McCann needs to pack on some weight this summer. Virtanen will continue to need development; whether that's with the big boys or the AHL will be interesting to watch at training camp... Granlund has been re-signed for two more years. Cassels seems to have dropped off the face of the earth - we'll see how he bounces back from injuries... I think Kenins is as good as gone.
I'd like to see Pedan get a good shot at the 3rd pairing at training camp; likewise Tryamkin. I think Bartkowski and Weber are gone... I would hope they can work out something with Hamhuis; otherwise the d looks pretty green. Stecher looks like a solid pickup; hopefully he can learn from Tanev and be a good two-way defenceman. Not sure if between Stecher and Larsen, that there's room for Subban.
Edler/Tanev
Hutton/Sbisa
Pedan/Tryamkin
Stecher? Subban? Larsen? Biega?
I think Demko is a couple of years away yet.