the NHL’s smallest forward is the Canucks biggest x-factor

the NHL’s smallest forward is the Canucks biggest x-factor

I’m calling it right now. Connor Garland is going to have 70 points. Okay. Why? Well, he’s going to have the opportunity. And once again, size doesn’t matter. Now, my girlfriend doesn’t agree with that. But luckily, I give good hugs and every good relationship has their problems. Is this a problem though? Like, if Connor Garland is our second best forward or our first best forward, is that a problem? Can we just do this episode of Lockown Canucks? The following is a hockey podcast out of Vancouver and Sari, British Columbia. It’ll only consist of a lot of pup talk and even more BS or in actual words, banter and satire. Enjoy and as always, go Conucks go. [Music] You’re Locked on Conucks, your daily podcast on the Vancouver Conucks, part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day. People, people, people, we back doing this and that’s talking about your Vancouver Canucks. My name is Kyle Bowen. This right here is locked on Canucks. One love to the don’t do art lab for giving us a space to give you that West Coast bias. And yo, one love to FanDuel. Okay, powering today’s episode. Boom. Bam. Do the math. If you’re new to FanDuel, place a $5 bet. Do your thing. Win the bet and get $300 in bonus bets. Is it Is it $300? Is it still $300? Let me read that. Boom. Bam. Yes, it is. Visit fanuel.com. And that’s a big that’s a big win. That’s a big win. 300 out of five dollars. Boom. Bam. Do the math. Your wife’s going to be happy. Uh, speaking of big, uh, Connor Garland, he’s going to have, in my opinion, the biggest role he’s had on a team in his hockey career. And that’s saying a little bit considering I don’t know he he won a he won a world hockey championship uh for the first time in like a hundred years for team USA a couple months ago. But let’s be real and let’s be honest, that’s a world hockey championship. Okay, who gives a Okay, one of the smallest America uh NHL forwards, the American right now in the game is going to have a big big role in the Canadian market. like this is what every hockey player sort of dreams of, you know, being the man, being the alpha, and uh just looking at this roster, uh looking at the skill, look at looking at the play driving, and looking at looking at the potential inability for this team to generate a lot of offense from their forwards. Again, forward thinking, you’re looking at Connor Garland being um a huge part to everything Vancouver connects. And I want to know, let let us know in the comments, do you think Connor Garland takes the next step in his career? Now, remember way back when Connor Garland when he’s a young man or a young kid playing in Quebec, he’s putting up hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of points, right? An offensive juggernaut, one of the best in the league. And yeah, he falls in the draft, isn’t a top pedigree guy, but that’s because of size, right? Uh, we’re talking about old hockey heads. Size does matter. But man, oh man, Connor Garland being what? How tall is Connor Garland? 5′ 7, 5’8, whatever it is, you know, he’s defied the odds, tapped into his skill, has a lot of tenacity, has learned a lot about the two-way part of the game and has carved out a really uh rich NHL career. Right. Uh, speaking of rich, he just signed that extension with the Vancouver Conucks a couple months ago. We’re looking at a long time Kuck when it’s all said and done. And again, right now in front of him, he has a huge opportunity to make a lot of us happy. But can he do it? Can Connor Garland take the next step in his career? Can he be a 70 to 80 point guy? And is that asking uh for a lot? Can he do it? Let’s get to the comments. Calder Kid Pey saying, “I think he’s going to have a career year.” Yes, I do believe he can be that guy. And Calder Kid Pey, you know, for a while has been the most optimistic guy on the program. our biggest hater, but shows up every episode because I I feel like he’s been trying to make us more positive, spreading that love, you know, uh not letting our differences get in the way of the ultimate goal. And that’s for all of us to h for all of us to be optimal, for all of us to see this through and get the most out of the Vancouver Conucks experience. And again, for the fourth and fifth time, for us to have that this season, Connor Garland has to be a 70 to 80 point guy. And let’s be real, I’m not the fancy stat guy. Trevor Begs. He’s going to join us very soon. He’s just on a phone call, Big Journal stuff. Who knows who he’s interviewing? He has the data in front of him. But man, oh man, I’m assuming based on, you know, what uh other people have been saying, uh Connor Garland is one of our best five on five players. Uh what’s that saying? Uh he’s a play driver and one of the best to do that again on this team. And to me, what what does that mean based on my eye test and based on your eye test as well? It’s the fact that this guy always has the puck on his stick. It’s the fact that when he’s on the ice, and again, I don’t know how he does this because sometimes he’s playing with Teddy Bluger. Sometimes it feels like he’s playing with Ronald Kennons, sometimes it feels like he’s playing with uh Tim Scholler, you know, he’s just playing with everyone and anyone, but when he’s on the ice, the puck is in the offensive zone. He He’s making things happen. And again, that’s based on his skill, his uh his uh puck control ability, and also his tenacity. And he’s such a unique player because, yeah, he’s a 4 foot2, I mean 5’7, 5’8, whatever he is, 165, but um his ability to win board battles is miraculous if I said that right. Because how is he doing it? How is he doing that? picking up the puck most of the time along the boards. Well, it’s because again, he doesn’t give up and he’s just so cerebral. He’s so intelligent. And again, we’re talking about a guy who had like a 100 plus points in the queue, right? Like the guy thinks the game on an elite level. He’s thinking of the next thing before you. Like that’s how he’s able to pick up pucks in the corner against guys who are giants, right? Because everyone to him is a giant. straight up. So again, offensively speaking, maybe he doesn’t have the hardest shot. Maybe he’s, you know, not the most elite playmaker. With that being said, he is very good at playmaking. Maybe he’s not all of that, but yo, more often than not, yes, more often than not, the puck is on his stick and we’re making things happen. to be honest specifically speaking like he he’s just a great guy to pair up with uh with Quinn Hughes and Philip Peronic. He’s a guy who’s going to get the puck. He’s going to get it back to the point. You get it to those guys, next thing you know it’s it’s it’s only on Quinn Hughes’s stick and things are going to happen. A really good player. But yo, can you take the next step? What does that mean? What does that look like outside of, you know, his intangibles, you know, continuing to, you know, either get better or just be where they’re at right now? Well, it’s the opportunity, right? You’re talking about a guy that might may get more power play time. I believe he had what about seven goals last year on the power play if uh Trevor is correct. Was it 13 points or 16 points? That’s more so than ever before. It feels like that for for Connor Garland. But yeah, he’s going to get more power play time. And there’s that chance that he’s not going to have to do it all alone. And I know there’s this testament out there that like, yo, you need to put Connor Garland in the bottom six because whether it be with Atuatu or whether it be with Braden Cooch or whether it be with Teddy Bluger, it’s more optimal for this team’s depth to have Connor Garland on his own line, which is cool and I get it. In fact, I want to touch more on him and Braden Coots or him and Aturuatu potentially playing for a long time together. But man oh man, what if this guy found chemistry with Filipino up the lineup with somebody more skilled than all those other guys? But what if this guy finds even more quote unquote success with Elias Patterson because based on the data based on the data they’re already good at playing together. In fact, that’s kind of like the best pair on this team. So, yeah, what if he gets those opportunities outside the power play? Like, is Connor Garland then somewhat of an elite winger? Like, is this a good comp? And please let me know in the comments again if you believe Connor Garland can make take the next step cuz I’m about to say something that’s kind of crazy, but based on my eye test, is Connor Garland potentially a poor man’s Mitch Mner? Maybe a tier behind his defensive play? a couple tiers away from Mitch Mner’s offensive player, but all in all at his peak, you pair him with a good player. Is Connor Garland that good? Is he a poor man’s Mitch Mner? Trevor B. No, I’m just saying I’m just saying in general, like I I look at this guy. He’s a he’s a smaller player. He’s a smart player though, cerebral. He’s all over the puck. He’s not bad defensively. You know, some would say he’s the best play driver offensively on this team five on five. And I just wonder if you put him with good players like not Braden Coots, not Auaku, not Teddy Bluger, like if you put him with Filipino or you just give him an extended look with Elias Patterson. Is there a way to unlock like that side of him? Because a part of me believes that like a he’s a better forward than Brock Besser and B we kind of need this guy to get another 15 points this year. Like it’s cool. Congratulations Connor Garland. You’re a 15 a 50 point guy. You’re a good player. Boom. Bam. But more efficiency and more conversion is what this team needs. 100% man. And I I think people forget, you know, Connor Garland tied Brock Besser for the team lead in points among forwards last season. But I kind I do think there’s a really strong chance this guy can break out of that. You know, 20 goal, 50point um prototype that he’s been the past couple of seasons. Um and I think a big part of it is the team being better around him, right? Like in 23 24 he was a third line guy, right? luxury on the third line and he still managed to, you know, put up some decent numbers for that role. Last year he plays in an elevated role, but most of his lineates kind of sucked. So now you enter this season and it’s like kind of like you’re alluding to Kyle. You know, whether it’s a Person or a Heedle, it should be a top six center for Connor Garland. I know he’s been skating with Hogliner and Bluger, but there’s the potential for this guy to finally kind of break out of that 50point plateau and be a 65 70 point player. Um, and I think it is playing in the top six. Plus, he’s that damn good a puck distributor on his line. Um, if his linemates are better, coupled with the fact that this guy could get regular power play time, we just haven’t seen that from Connor Garland outside of a couple months last season. And guess what? In limited minutes, he had seven goals and 16 power play points. Uh, both career highs. So, look, I do think Connor Garland can be an X factor for this team. um because he’s I guess because he’s been here a while, but he does kind of get forgotten about a bit among Kuck stars or maybe not mentioned among Kuck stars, but man oh man, Connor Garland, the smallest guy in the NHL, uh could be the biggest X factor for the Canucks. I do firmly believe that. But don’t you feel like he’s already like been the X factor? You know what I’m saying? like don’t you feel like he’s kind of already I don’t know given us an opportunity to hope that he’s more than just that. Like c can he be our second best forward? Can he like when you have a number one center like Elias Patterson when you lose a JT Miller like can this guy can this guy just just ask me this question like do you see is there a world where this guy gets to 70 to 80 points? We need we need another guy to cuz I don’t know if Besser is doing that. Yeah, I I mean Besser certainly has the potential to do it, right? And the Conucks after signing that deal, you know, he’s the highest paid winger on this team, they they better hope that he has that kind of seal into his game or else it could be more the same this season, right? But if you all of a sudden if you have Besser and Garland, two right wingers both playing like first line wingers on separate lines and the Cox could be cooking with something here, Kyle. Yeah. You know what? Maybe that’s uh maybe that’s me being a little pessimistic towards Brock B. Even though I again I think this guy could be a 2-way force, give us 30 to 35 goals, be all that. Um, but I don’t know, just driving to work today, just kind of listening to what other pundits in the community are saying about Connor Garland, you know, and based on the data, and I don’t know if you had the data in front of you, like I’m pretty much hearing that this guy is just not just good at hockey, but so so so so so good at again being a top guy on a on an NHL team. like he he he’s there and all he’s all he’s lacking is either more efficiency slash more conversion or again Trevor playing with better players cuz I get it. It’s cool if he has, you know, his own line to play on because at least you spread out the depth and now you have more lines that could, you know, garner some zone time offensively for this club uh more so than who they’re playing against. But I think for a team that lacks, and this is not a slight, but a lot of chemistry throughout their forward group, putting the most skilled guys together is something I’m actually way more fond of as opposed to just, you know, spreading it out. Yeah. I mean, this Canucks team, like, let’s not pretend this is 23 24 and they have all this depth, right? You got to, I think, stack your offense on the first couple of lines. Um, and then, you know, ride with the guys who are going to check hard, skate hard in the bottom six, right? And guys, you know, this this team does have some depth on the wings. You’re going to get guys like potentially Hugland or Kane or Sherwood uh dropping down the lineup into the bottom six, but kind of like you’re saying, it’s this idea that we can just put Connor Garland on the third line. Like, let’s put that to bed. This guy was tied for the lead in points among forwards last season. Why the heck is he on the third line? Uh doesn’t make any sense. Um let us know in the comments. Can Connor Garland finally break out and have a career year? When I say career year, I’m not just saying get to 55 points. Can this guy hit 65, maybe even 70 points? Shout out to you Kyle Bowen for uh for carrying the first half locked on Canucks. Let’s get back on the other side to talk about um best spot for Connor Garland previewing the game tonight and other news and notes surrounding your Vancouver Conucks. Before we get back to the show, let’s shout out our friends over at FanDuel. Man, oh man. If you’re betting on NFL, NHL, or competitive ballet, make sure you go check out FanDuel cuz right now, new customers can bet just $3. And if your bet wins, you’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. I don’t know if I can say this on air, Kyle, but I let my daughter make my week for NFL picks. And uh that’s okay. That’s illegal, first of all. Is that illegal? Okay. Well, let’s uh let’s table that right there. But uh I was checking out FanDuel today and they got odds up for uh the men’s Olympic ice hockey gold medal winner. Canada is a slight favorite at plus 150, US at plus 200. Seviden and Elias Person at 550, Finland fourth at 750. Hey, maybe you’re even feeling spicy. Philip Pronic, uh Philip Heedle playing for Czecha, they’re next at plus,400. So you can bet on the Olympics, you can bet on NHL, you can bet on NFL, you can do it all on FanDuel. So are you ready to play? Go download the FanDuel app now by visiting fandal.com to get started. That’s fandal.com to place your first $5 bet today. [Music] Beautiful people, we back doing this talking about your Vancouver Conucks. Do us all a favor. If you’re watching this on the YouTube side, hit the like button, okay? Again, happy wives, happy lives. Uh Trevor, your wife again, she messaged me a couple days ago, or was it yesterday? and she wants to go to the Mel Robbins thing that’s happening on May the 10th. So, I just gave you a birthday gift idea. I know her birthday is, you know, not some sometime in May. Um, there you go. Boom. Bam. And if you want Trevor to make his wife happy and be able to afford those Mel Robbins tickets cuz yo, she’s the biggest author in North America, one of them, a like button can go a long way, man. And share the show with your friends. Boom. Bam. Again, happy wives, happy lives. I got a girlfriend likes Cactus Club. Do the math. And again, speaking of the maths, Trevor, the whole Garland thing, man. The whole Garland thing. How is he how is he gonna take the next step in his career? Can he do it? I I think you have to like break all of that down to ultimately get him to 70 points. And you know, that that brings up the power play thing. You know, it’s it’s not just who he plays with five on five, but yo, is Connor Garland a power play guy? And I don’t know why it doesn’t gross me out that like he’s one of our biggest options on the power play. Uh but he’s one of our best playmaking wingers. And is he like the guy who replaces JT Miller full-time there on the left side? Because I I have another option, but I I just want you to go off on that. Is is Connor Garland a good power play option for the Vancouver Conucks? I don’t think he’s a bad power play option for the Vancouver Conucks. Kind of like I was saying to end off that first segment, it’s not a role he’s, you know, regularly assumed throughout his NHL career, right? Um, hasn’t had to do it in Vancouver. Largely been a second unit guy on the power play. Um, but I do think he’s got the potential to do it to be honest with you. I think, you know, he’s a smart cerebral player. He’s a good playmaker. I think he can have some success on the half wall there. And Kyle, like last season being one of the first times he was on the top power play unit for an extended period of time, I think he had had some good numbers last season, right? Career high against 16 points on the power play. Um, seven goals, though he did shoot 25%. That’s probably a bit unsustainable. Um, but yeah, again, it really hasn’t been since his Arizona days that he was, you know, playing top unit on the power play. And as a younger guy with a lot not a lot of talent around him that, you know, he didn’t have that much success there. But yeah, to answer your question, Kyle, I definitely think he can do it. Like even in 22 23 in a secondary power play role, you know, his points per 60, like we’re we’re pretty high. Like I said, the upper echelon of the NHL. So I’m curious, man. But hey, all right. Come on. This is a hyping up Connor Garland episode and now you’re trying to take him off the power play. Kyle, what are you doing? Well, I don’t know. You know, we paid Brock Per a lot of money and sure, he’s good in front of the net and sure, okay, he’s an option with the bumper position on the power play. You know, he’s good at tipping pucks. He scored a couple goals like that, too, cuz I I was kind of questioning that like, yo, is he a good bumper guy? But then I remember, you know, he’s good at deflecting pucks. Like, he’s just a smart player. So having him in the middle with Quinny’s at the top allows that wrist shot slap pass thingy to possibly be a threat for uh the Canucks on the power play. Uh but all in all like why aren’t we giving Brock Besser more options to go back in time and be what we thought he was going to be back in like what 2019 or whatever 2018 I guess. Like he was the guy on the left side of the power play. He’s right-handed, has that big shot. I know we haven’t seen him go bar down a lot in recent history, but isn’t he supposed to be a skilled guy, too? Isn’t can’t he be a playmaker as well? Can’t he just feed Quinn Hughes and make that like maybe cross ice pass to Elas Patterson on the power play at the top of the power play? And again, he has the right-handed shot on the left side. Like that should be a weapon. No, I I see what you’re doing here, Kyle. Okay, you know what? We had we had to talk quickly on the phone. Why are we so like can we we paid this guy for a lot of money, you know? Let let’s let’s see if we can unlock an elite elite swaggy Brock Basser once again. Trev. Yeah, it’s been some time. It’s it’s interesting, right? Nine power play goals last year, 16 the year before. Like 25 power play goals over the past two seasons, but most of them came from around the front of the net in the greasy areas. And I know De Bruss kind of took over that role uh late last season. Um I’ve liked Besser in the bumper spot because, you know, much like Bo Horvath, I think that’s a spot where you can still get your shot off quick. something that Besser can do well. Um, but because he can snipe from distance and we know that about him, I don’t hate the idea of him being on the left wall there. My instinct has been that Garland is a better playmaker. Let him distribute. Um, and again, Besser can still fire a shot from the slot there. But Kyle, I don’t know, man. Some of something about your your voice, your charm, man. I’m starting to warm up to this. I’m not going to lie. Yeah. go when you when you when you hit up a Canucks practice like re like next up like just talk to the media folk about that like why aren’t we like just trying that out experimenting that I I think that like maybe yesterday when Connor Garland was hurt or away from practice they had Evander Kane doing all that and I don’t know about that necessarily but I don’t know I just kind of want to see Brock Besser there and if we’re if we’re looking for another bumper option I mean who has a better shot Brock Besser or Vander Kane like honestly speaking I think I’d like I think we’d like to thank Brock Besser, but I don’t know. I don’t know. You just talked about this guy scoring 25 goals over the last two years, you know, tapping in empty netters, you know, and just banging home rebounds and doing it like he hasn’t shown off his shot too much. I know there was that goal uh against St. Louis, which was a rocket. Like I love to see that, you know, like I where is that Brock more often than not? And at the end of the day, all goals are the same. I get it. I get it. I get it. But this team did lose an an extreme amount of skill on the left side of their power play with uh with JT Miller leaving like is there again a world where we can see if we can unlock another level of Brock give him that confidence that yo you could be that guy. You were that guy for North Dakota, right? You you were that guy when it was Henrik and Daniel and you won the power play one not that long ago in your rookie year. Like just just be that guy. And I not not to like put a slide on Connor Garland, but whatever, man. Like, if he’s not the first unit power play guy, like I still think there’s room for him to, you know, take the next step in his career. It is what it is. It is what it is. I’m curious. I’m curious. Let’s see what happens here, Trevor. Let’s see what happens. And uh, you know, again, Brock Besser, I think this the the nice thing about him is that he’s shown that he can score in the bumper. He can score at the net front end and he can score in the half wall. So, you do have options there with Brock Ber. Brock Besser currently sitting seventh all time among Kuck’s players with 73 power play goals. His next one will tie him with Stan Smeal. He’s also six power play goals away from tying Todd Bertusi. Uh so good chance that this season Brock Best will be top five all time in power play goals scored by the Vancouver Conucks. Kyle, I’m going to prepare you for a little Trevor’s trivia that’s coming up on the other side. We’ll also talk about the Abbottzford uh the Vancouver Conucks playing in Abbottzford tonight here on Locked on Canucks. All right. All right. We’re back here on Locked on Conucks and Kyle, I mentioned it. All right. Brock Ber seventh all time in power play goals. He could pass SE and Bertusi in short order. But let’s hit the button, man. You know what questions coming. Trevor’s trivia starts now. All right, Kyle, let me know who are the other four Canucks uh the top four uh Canucks in terms of power play goals uh scored in franchise history. Daniel, Nasland, that’s your top two. Pavl Bur, I guess. No, you you’d think so, but no. Is Connor Garland the next Pavl Bur? Probably based on that one, man. Okay. Who Who did you name off the top? You said Bertusi. Yeah, Bertusi and Smeile are right now number six and five. So Besser’s close to passing him. You got the top two. It’s Daniel first. Marcus Nasin second. You need three and four. And you got to go back. No. Horvette is uh he’s he’s top 10. He’s actually ninth. But no, you got to go back to the 80s and the 90s for these guys. 80s, man. What the Come on, man. That was what Tony Tanty. Yeah, he’s third. Okay. Okay. One more. in the 90s. Did I say Did I already say Trevor Lynon? You did not. Oh, where’s the Kyle? Oh my god. You did it, man. You did it. I’m proud of you, brother. Nice work. Yeah, you got it. So, Daniel Sadine, Marcus Naslin, Tony Tanti, Trevor Lindon, Todd Bertusi, Stan Smeal, and then Brock Besser are the power play uh goal leaders uh in franchise history for your Vancouver Conucks. Yeah, Connor Garland is about to catch up. Uh, I don’t know if I see Connor Garland on this list, by the way. But, uh, that’s all right. That’s that’s details, baby. Details. Okay. Uh, let’s go to the comments now because this one’s going to help me lead into what I want to talk about next here. I locked down nuts. Uh, Callum McKenzie saying, uh, more starters in the lineup tonight. Um, oh, down in Abbottzford and and the short answer is no. Uh so Patrick Alvine basically said that these lines courtesy of Brendan Bachelor will be playing uh in Abbottzford tonight. You have a first line of Huglander, Heedle, McKenzie McKran. Uh second line of Bane, Sassin and Carlson. Third line of Kratsaw Ratu and Stillman. Fourth line big boy fourth line of Joe Leate, Nils Alman, Vilmer Alrison. Uh it does look like the D were kind of rotating but it looks like it’s uh likely Marcus Patterson with Tom Lander. Uh Tyler Myers with Kudriat 7, Victor Manchini with Nikolai Nyoff, although again they were all rotating at practice yesterday, so it’s not a veteran lineup. But Kyle, uh maybe tell me like who are the guys you’re, you know, most excited to see tonight? Well, it’s got to be I think it’s so obvious. It’s got to be Heedel and Hoglander. No, like are you are you hearing things, Trevor? Because now this is the second game in a row where they’re they’re paired up together. Is that like a I don’t know. Is that their dream duo when it comes to like who they want to pair a Filipino with? The Hoglander thing. I think it’s a I think it’s an option for the Conucks for sure. Um again, it’s hard to read too much into it. Like at training camp it was it was Kane and Heedle that were tied at the hip, right? So, uh and Kane obviously hasn’t played, you know, in a game yet with Philip Heedle in the preseason. So, I think it’s an option for the Canucks and it’s a big opportunity for Neils Hoodlander to show that he’s got some chemistry with a top six guy. uh maybe taking some of those lessons that uh he talked about earlier this week, you know, not being too fancy with the star players, but uh you know, doing the dirty work and getting to the net. I find it interesting that you went with the forwards. Um I I guess I have more bubble guys in my mind, but I want to see what Manchini looks like again. He had a lot of success in this ring last season for Abbottzford. Uh can he keep that up? Uh and then Tomander, right? I didn’t think it was a bad preseason game for him. Um but just want to see that if he can stay in the roster conversation here, right? It does feel like he’s destined to go to Abbottzford at this point, but can he have another performance? And and kind of telling that for the most part of that practice yesterday, he skated with Marcus Patterson after skating with Derek Forward at camp. Well, Victor Manchini has been paired with young Elias Person and like Nikolai Nisov, right? So, it looks like Tom Lander’s been, you know, put with the veterans a bit more in training camp, whereas Manchini a couple years older um has maybe left been left to fend for himself a little bit more for lack of a better term. I also think the organization wants to see if he’s got some chemistry with Elias Patterson. Um and maybe this faith that he can, you know, do more on his own because he’s, you know, been more impressive so far. Yeah, that’s probably why they want to do that. And uh you know the Wanderer Patterson I mean in a dream world. I wonder if we see that happen this year at some time. You know maybe like Willander gets his two months in the AHL or his one month in the AHL gets called up and right away they can move Me My Meyers down have him pay play with Elias Patterson and then have Wanderer and Marcus Patterson do their thing. you know, the Swedish connection, right? I I I know like I don’t know. We just ignored Manini there, too, right? Like why not have Manini and Tom uh DPD uh sorry uh Manini and Marcus Patterson play together at 1.2 which would be cool too. Really, really cool. I want to see that too. But I did read this really interesting piece on by The Athletic uh via Thomas Strants about I don’t know what his case was. I was trying to like find the angle of what he was trying to say, but he basically listed a bunch of first round picks who played like the least amount of AHL games, like the bare minimum. I’m talking zero to two games, zero to four AHL games. And they were like the cream of the crop. Like you’re talking about everyone from like the Charlie Makavoys to the Keandre Millers and whatnot. And then they had a bunch of first round picks who played like hundreds of AHL games or and whatnot. And it was it was like first round bus after bus after bus after bus. And I don’t know if he was trying to say that it’s like super detrimental for college guys to play a ton in the AHL as opposed to getting the cosign from the big club and just giving them the NHL NHL time. But all in all, what I’m trying to get at is is do you I guess I got to ask you this question. Do you think Wanderer would take it personally if he had to spend a lot of time in the AHL? Like would would is this like a cocky thing? Is this like an arrogance thing? Like where college free agents or college draft picks, I’m sorry, choose to like again he had a bit of a a what would you call like a what would you call this again when you’re not signing your contract? A hold out I guess like for a little bit during the summer, right? And I wonder if some of the conversations were like, “Yo, you better give this guy NHL time right away.” No. So maybe like cuz again, that that article is really interesting. Like why is there why are there a bunch of first round picks that don’t play in the AHL as opposed to a lot that do? And it’s really interesting to see like guys who barely play in the AHL have way more success like ASAP in their careers. Like they don’t need that developing development time as a first round pick who has some college uh pedigree to him. So, all in all, do you think Willander would take it personally if he if he had to spend a whole year in Abbottzford? I I certainly hope not. Um, and if he does take it personally, he’s not he’s not cut out for the NHL, man. But just from hearing what Lander talk, I don’t think he take it personally, you know, like talks about wanting to get better every day. Um, the hold out does give me some pause on that. But, you know, the one thing about that article from from DR that I found interesting is that, you know, Tom Miller had two years in college and then made the jump here, right? Whereas a guy like Mike Mat for instance who was maybe one of the um comparables that spent some time in the AHL who ended up being a good player and it’s a guy that I’ve kind of compared Tom Wer to quite a bit here on the show every day. No, a lot of those guys on that list, you know, spent like three years at college and then spent some time in the AHL. Like the stars, sure they spent two years in college and then made the jump. Um but even like I think about a guy like Brock Faber, too, right? Like Brock Faber obviously has some comparables to Tom Lander as well with the speed. Brock Fabber also spent three years at college. Tom Lander spent two. So, I don’t think Tom Mander should be worried in the slightest if he doesn’t make this team out of a camp. Just, you know, he’s got the wheels. He’s got the defensive mentality, but just go work on your game. Play a ton in Absury. Like, I think that’s the best thing for him. Um, and this I found it like I I did enjoy that from DR, but I think you got to take it with a grain of salt a little bit too that he’s just saying that like look, these are the outcomes that have happened. is not necessarily gonna paint Tom Liner to a specific light though because again he’s two years removed from college whereas a lot of times some of those defenseman spent three years in college. Yeah, really, really interesting piece. And again, Tom Lander, I don’t again, I don’t know if he’s going to take it personally. Again, interesting guy. Again, the hold out and whatnot. Just, you know, you might have different views on what he wants to do with his career. Boom. Bam. But he’s just in a really interesting predicament where Valentino Martini Manini is like legitimate, right? as opposed to like being potentially like the next Derek Forbert or the be like the next number six guy. Manini has a chance to just I don’t know showcase him being like a potential top four talent and it kind of throws things I wouldn’t say against Tom Lander but it does make it like way harder for him to make the club and it’s not the worst thing in the world like Abbottzford’s 10 minutes away 20 minutes away third no 45 minutes away my bad you know you’re going to play some games this year I just I just hope he doesn’t take it personally and enjoys his time with um Manny Ultra. But again, I brought up the whole like, oh, maybe uh maybe Tom Lander would take it personally because it it was pretty interesting to hear um the club, they haven’t spoken about this publicly, but it seems to me that they really want Tom Lander to make this team. And I was like, “Oh, really?” Like, I didn’t know that was like a must for them. I get it. But yeah, it’s been reported by a couple outlets. I think it would make the organization look good, but don’t force feed the kid. And they tell him if he’s not ready for it, man. Dude, come on. You know, it’s uh you know, sometimes it’s better to lose your virginity at, you know, 18, 19 when you’re liable. [Music] Okay, man. Um, let’s get to some comments. I don’t know if you I don’t know if you uh favored anything, but um boom, bam. Okay. NK said, “Was Coots in the the lineup today for the the Aperture game?” He isn’t. Uh do you want to read into that? Like, what do you think that means? Well, I think Alvine alluded to it yesterday. He’s going to get another chance. He skated with the the big boy group, the Hughes, the Patterson group, mostly NHL players. Uh Alvine said like, you know, he’s being asked questions about his nine-game addition and all that stuff, but I think Alvine said it right. Like he’s earned another day. Um I would expect him to play in the Canucks next preseason game on Friday against the Kraken. Yeah, I’m excited, man. I know you don’t want to see Braden Coots in the lineup, uh the full-time NHL lineup ASAP. You’re totally against that. You don’t want to see the young man have his dreams come true yet. You want him to eat Seattle dogs and be down there, you know, paying paying for everything in American cash. You know, you you’d rather have Braden Coot support the American economy than the Canadian economy. You said that yesterday. Um, but all in all, I think he yo, I think he’s going to surprise us, man. I think he’s gonna play the nine games. I think he’s going to play the nine games. And I really think it’s cuz Atu Ratu didn’t take a step. That’s my theory. And and Trevor, I want to ask you that. Can we end on that end on that question? And not to get super scary about this, but you were at camp. I feel like again, Ratu had the injury and whatnot. It was probably impossible for him to take the next step in his development this summer, but that really hurts the Canucks. It does. Yeah. And look, I don’t want to come out here and say that Auratu wasn’t good. It just doesn’t look like his skating improve, right? Like again, you watch this guy skate and it’s just like the try the stride is a bit choppy. Looks like he’s working his ass off every time he skates up the ice where it’s a bit more effortless with guys like, you know, Wanderer Person for instance. But the guy works his ass off. He wins lots of fade face offs. He does great in the battle drills. Um, I didn’t see him showcase the shot a lot in training camp. Look, I saw hope for Atu Ratu and I honestly I think that’s pert to watch tonight and I saw it in the comments. He might be the the number one guy to watch tonight playing on a third line on a more uh you know softer Canucks team or less experienced Kucks team alongside Kratov and Chase Stillman. So Aari will be a guy certainly to watch tonight. I’ll be watching tonight as well. Um one last comment to get to quick talk to you about this but Brian saying always changing the time. I just want to say I appreciate each and every one of you for tuning in to Lock Onak, sticking with us as we hop around the time here. I did have a chat with the boss, man. So, I think we’ll be announcing probably hopefully a somewhat more firm time uh moving forwards here. It’s okay, man. People miss the live show. Kind it does kind of suck because I know people like the experience of uh you know, communicating, be being a part of the the programming here, but um you can always watch the show later and be like, “Yo, we’re trying to figure it out, right? Big Jouro Trevor uh doing his thing. Uh you know, we we’ll get a time cemented. And it’s preseason for us, too, bro. You know, it’s preseason for us, too. That being said, it’s it’s been a fun last couple of weeks, man. Like, I’m I’m really and I hope I’m just praying that the excitement does not go away by the time November ends. But I’m so as a sports fan, I don’t know. I’m just I’m just like curious, super curious about what the is going to happen with this club. Isn’t it crazy how like and it’s a good thing like it’s good that like I don’t know training camp is like open on Thursday or Friday and it’s refreshing that you and I have not had to like talk about Elias Patterson a lot. You know what I’m saying? It’s just like again I think that’s why I’m more excited about the season than I thought I would because he is the biggest story but um again we have other things to talk about and shout out to Braden Coot. Shout out to Valentino Martini Manchini for real. Those two guys they’re they’re making me look at the future a lot differently. 100% man. Hit hit the like button. Subscribe to the show if you believe Lee Patterson’s going to bounce back. Has been a lot of fun man. And like you said last year by November things were a little bleak. So, let’s keep it going. Uh, both for the Vancouver Conucks and here, Locked Ons. My name’s Trevor Begs. That guy’s Cal Bound, carrying the weight here on Locked On. We appreciate the hell out of each and every one of you. I’m off to Abbottzford tonight and we’ll see you here tomorrow on Locked On. [Music] You’re Locked on Conucks, your daily podcast on the Vancouver Conucks, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day.

If the Vancouver Canucks want to be a contender, they’re going to need career-best seasons a number of forwards.

While there are a few candidates, like Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Filip Chytil, there’s one guy that hasn’t been mentioned much.

Funny, because he led all Canucks forwards in points last season.

On this episode of Locked On Canucks, Beggsy and Bhawan tell you why Conor Garland is finally set to break out beyond his typical 20-goal, 50-point production.

JOIN OUR SUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@beggsyandbhawan

Join Kyle’s Discord: https://discord.gg/am9vJJPqej

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOCanucks?sid=…

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Gametime
Today’s episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.

Monarch Money
Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNHL at monarchmoney.com/lockedonnhl for 50% off your first year.

FanDuel
Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

#Canucks #VancouverCanucks #TrainingCamp2025 #BraedenCootes #FilipChytil #CanucksProspects #NHL #LockedOnCanucks #NHLPreview #CanucksNews