It’s time for “Stick in Link”, the feature where we just plug in a bunch of stuff written by others! Featuring a smattering of links from around the Smylosphere and beyond every Tuesday and Thursday. Warning: our links are so hyper, they change colour when exposed to heat. (Have something for us to share in the next edition? E-mail us at [email protected] or tweet us @passittobulis. Or tell us some other way. The point is: we'll probably link it if we know about it.)
- Ben Hutton is obviously the highlight of the Canucks’ rookie lip sync battle from the Dice & Ice event, but much respect to the other three “rookies” for their efforts. Jake Virtanen commits to ripping off his shirt to reveal the “Big Country” Grizzlies jersey, Jared McCann pours on the smolder, and Sven Baertschi looks appropriately ridiculous in his turtleneck and chain. []
- Now back to reality (oh! there goes gravity) as the Canucks seem to have accepted their fate as trade deadline sellers, leaking a list of available players to Bob McKenzie. Missing from the list are Dan Hamhuis and Radim Vrbata, whose availability is a little more complicated given their full and partial no-trade clauses, while the inclusion of coach’s favourites Linden Vey, Matt Bartkowski, and Adam Cracknell might (but shouldn't) raise a couple eyebrows.
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VAN has let other 29 teams know they are open for business on: Vey, Bartkowski, Kenins, Cracknell, Higgins, Prust and Weber.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie)
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- Ryan Biech has more on McKenzie’s list, with a nod to how underwhelming the list may seem. When you shop from the bargain bin, you can’t expect much in the way of resale value. []
- Jason Botchford says that the only way for the Canucks to have a successful season is to walk away winners at the trade deadline. []
- Thomas Drance breaks down the Canucks’ status as reluctant sellers and how they’re likely looking for players rather than draft picks at the trade deadline []
- Benning’s reluctance to stockpile picks doesn’t make much sense, however, particularly when you consider his history as a scout and reputation as an evaluator of talent. With the draft often a crapshoot once you get past the first or second round, there’s a lot of value in taking a shotgun approach. []
- The Canucks have already made a couple trades this week. Patrick Johnston takes a quick look at the acquisition of Philip Larsen from the Oilers. []
- Iain Macintyre sees Larsen as a replacement for Yannick Weber given his right-handed shot, penchant for the power play, slight frame, and defensive question marks. []
- Jeff Veillette has a bit more detail on Larsen, pointing out his sky-high shot rate in the KHL this season and suggesting that acquiring an older, more experienced Larsen may pay off for the Canucks. []
- Reaction to the Hunter Shinkaruk trade was swift and brutal on social media, but Ken Hill thinks the trade makes sense from a team-building perspective, adding Markus Granlund to a group of slightly older players who will be veterans once the Canucks’ young prospects are ready to make an impact. []
- Sven Baertschi thinks pretty highly of Granlund, who he played with on the Abbotsford Heat, while Baertschi gives Granlund a blueprint for succeeding as a Canuck. []
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Finally, it’s clear that Henrik Sedin is firmly anti-tank and fires a shot across the bow of the Edmonton Oilers in the process: “You don’t want to be happy with losing. That’s a dangerous road to go down, especially with young guys coming in. We’ve seen other teams around us where it becomes okay to lose, and we can’t have that.” []
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