[https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/oel-ufa/](https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/oel-ufa/)
On OEL buyout:
\- Friedman says he was shocked, Canucks surprised everyone including OEL and his agent. They were told this wasn’t going to happen.
\- He thinks they had to do it because other moves were either too expensive or required to move pieces they don’t want to move.
\- He thinks this is the best thing that could have happened to the player and the team. It could not continue for 4 more years. It wasn’t going to work. He thinks both Canucks and OEL will benefit from this.
\- He thinks there will be teams interested in OEL, he can pick a spot to resuscitate his career for cheap. Marek mentions Boston, OEL and Bruins have been rumoured for years and OEL likes Boston.
\- Friedman says someone reached out to him saying they think the OEL buyout might suggest Canucks are trying to replicate what the Florida Panthers did in the playoffs having a “hot goalie and some studs”, Demko clearly being the hot goalie.
\- That same source told him Canucks are not going to be the only team to think “get in \[the playoffs\], and cause some headaches”.
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On the next moves:
\- Friedman doesn’t think there was much movement for the Canucks, he still doesn’t see anything immediate happening.
\- But he says they opened up cap space because there’s clearly something they think they can do.
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Marek mentions the Pacific division and wonders how Canucks are going to make the playoffs over Edmonton, Vegas, LA, Seattle and Calgary. Doesn’t sound too convinced.
by electricnux
22 Comments
Buckle your belts fellas, we’re in for a ride
The more I’ve digested the OEL buyout, the more I realize it’s the right move. And I was someone who thought they should hold OEL at least 1 more season.
They need to find a defensive, PK1 LHD who can play matchup minutes and that just isn’t going to be OEL in the next 4 years. Even if he bounced back, stylistically he wasn’t a great fit.
And getting OEL off the roster was always step 1 in replacing him.
Bubble Demko was the worst thing that could’ve happened to this team
> – Friedman says someone reached out to him saying they think the OEL buyout might suggest Canucks are trying to replicate what the Florida Panthers did in the playoffs having a “hot goalie and some studs”, Demko clearly being the hot goalie.
> – That same source told him Canucks are not going to be the only team to think “get in [the playoffs], and cause some headaches”.
I’d want a better source before i get super worried, but this is a small red flag. We’d still have to see the moves we make to get there, but we’ve been hurt so many times with this short term “the team doesn’t have to be *that good*, we can always rely on luck!” thinking.
A whole bunch of nothing.
Ah yes, the “sneak into playoffs where aNYThiNG cAn hAPpeN” plan. The one that didn’t work the last 8 years Benning tried it, but will surely work the 9th year around!
Yeah, let’s ignore that Florida still has a much better roster than us, and its a roster built for the playoffs.
Way deeper forward group with Tkachuk, Barkov, Verhaeghe, Reinhart, Luostarinen, Bennet, Lundel, Duclair, and Staal.
Defense is night and day, We got two good defenseman in Hughes and Hronek.
They’ve got Ekblad, Forsling, Montour, Gudas, and Mahura.
Management is making a habit of lying to fans and players. The worst part is players. It’s not a thing you want to get in the habit of doing. They also did Boudreau dirty. This management team is a bunch of snakes.
We simultaneously don’t think this team can compete and also don’t want to give up on the core.
Anyway, this is the way it’s going. It’s possible it works out. People thought Ottawa had an amazing offseason and Vegas was a team on decline. We’re continuing to go for it, and though that is not my first choice, it’s what’s happening. I hope it works out. Who knows. Lightning in a bottle and sudden team chemistry could appear.
>Friedman says someone reached out to him saying they think the OEL buyout might suggest Canucks are trying to replicate what the Florida Panthers did in the playoffs having a “hot goalie and some studs”, Demko clearly being the hot goalie
Yes, this makes sense if you are ignoring the Panthers are a year removed from the Presidents Trophy while playing in a division with a lot of good teams while the Canucks ended up this year 11th in the West in playing in a not great division.
At the least, it’s been entertaining.
Oh, this team is going to cause some headaches alright.
I love how these teams magically forgot how the Panthers won the president’s trophy last year. This isn’t Arizona getting in and making the finals.
Canucks surprise you with a move / doesn’t think much will happen 🤔
“replicate Florida” 💀💀💀
I’ve come to terms that we will not be serious cup contenders this era, just lucky to make a splash, maybe go on a run and have a little fun, and at best make it to the final in a Cinderella feel good run that only leads to the disappointment of being annihilated by the clear favourite. Not perennial contenders, never seriously pushing for the cup, just replicating a team that got hot.
And they got hot after being actually being really good the year prior. Like, this can’t be a serious franchise, I just can’t take them seriously. Whatever, just be fun, they don’t get my money anyways at this point
I’d pick Anaheim finishing ahead of the Canucks, the only team behind them being San Jose
Allvin is a better GM than Benning, but I don’t have any faith he and his team can pull off anything substantial. I hope I am proven wrong.
This team is so fucked lmao
Oh yeah!!!! Let’s replicate what the Panthers did last season and lose our fourth Stanley Cup final. Kill us now, stop the suffering.
Also, I’m glad to hear that the talking heads didn’t expect this move. Tired of having our management be so up front about things that the other GM’s are taking advantage of us and resulting in our team getting worse deals than they could have.
A couple things I’d expand on slightly:
– Friedman mentions two methods of building a cup contending team that we’ve seen pan out over the past decade: the big, tall, mobile defense with any old goalie, or a great goalie with any other kind of D. Thinks that the Canucks see themselves as being able to become a good team, but can’t realistically build a big, tall, mean D corps with Hughes as #1. But he thinks management wants to ride Demko in his prime as best as they can, build a D around Hughes that can get the job done with a style that works for him.
– Marek responded to the notion that GMs are trying to “pull a Florida” much like the members of this sub: “oh, just be a president’s trophy caliber team?” Freidman pushed back slightly, pointing out the radical changes to their core and coaching. It’s not the same team… but obviously it’s still a much better team than this year’s record showed, and much better than the Canucks at present.
How to replicate the Florida Panthers success:
1) Win the President’s Trophy as the best regular season team
2) Lose to the 2x defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round
3) Trade your leading scorer for the top power forward in the league and replace your head coach
4) Struggle to adjust to major changes and underachieve to the 8th playoff seed
5) Lose in the Stanley Cup finals
Easy-peasey!
>- That same source told him Canucks are not going to be the only team to think “get in [the playoffs], and cause some headaches”.
I mean, the team just traded a 1RP and did the most expensive buyout in cap history for $6m in space for one season, obviously this means ALL-IN PLAYOFFS BABY
This is the last year im giving this core.
Hope they bounce back.
If they come out flat and whiny, mgmt better tear it down