Vancouver is drunk off Mancini | Locked On Canucks

Vancouver is drunk off Mancini | Locked On Canucks

[Music] Uh, look at these comments about Manchini. Okay, Manchini has got to be a starter. I like this one from Smurky. Manchini is the only guy to take pressure off Quinn to keep our opponents on their toes. Uh, the beer baron also saying, “I’m in on Manchini also.” But just going back to Smurky’s comment, what do you think he means by keeping opponents on his toes? Well, I I think it’s just the way he skates through the neutral zone, right? Um, Quinn Hughes is the only guy that really does it on this team. And you know, one thing we’ve noticed in preseason here is the defense pinching up in the rush more. Like you look at that Calgary game last night. Marcus Patterson was doing it. Tyler Myers was doing it. Manini was doing it. Quinn Hughes was doing that. You know, we talked about this on on the postgame show last night, but Manini really wheels through the neutral zone. Like no one else on this team really does. Obviously Quinn Hughes does it, but it’s a little different when a guy’s 510 180 doing it versus a guy in Manchini who’s 65 230. Like he he is a massive dude. Um so yeah, I think that’s a fair comment of him keeping them on their toes. Now, I guess I I I’ll give my projections for the defense here. I do think on opening night, it’s going to be Hughes and Heronic. I I don’t want to believe this, but I do believe it’s going to be Marcus Patterson and Tyler Myers at least to start. And the third pair, I think it’s going to be Derek Forbert uh along with Victor Manchini. I think right now, and man, I I’m really flip-flopping on who’s going to get cut here. Um I think on opening night, it’s going to be Pio Joseph, the seven defenseman. Um maybe Pete a DP gets papered down but when they go on the road DPD is gonna be with the team and I do wonder if again it’s either Carlson going on waiverss uh Leer Mackey Baines and Cruz it’s hard for me to make a prediction on that. The more the more we do this show Kyle the more I’m leaning towards the fact that Brain Cruz might not make this team. Wow dude okay so and that kind of leads me to to to my next comment. Okay [Music] it goes to NGK. He’s like, “Is there a clear mentor for Braden Coots on the squad?” And and and I want to ask you this cuz you’re at the rink a lot like you know when we read those quotes about Ryan O’Reilly and how about how like the older players gravitated towards him like he was just part of the team right away. Is Braden Coots just a story and just having a good camp or is he like a Vancouver Canuck? Is he like can you see the body language? Like is he meshing with guys like is this a close-knit team? Did are they gravitating towards Brandon Coots the veterans that that is like because I feel like the Conucks need more characters. They need more like main characters and you know Braden Coots will hopefully get there one day. But all in all like again I I said this earlier I feel as if the the the the shininess has kind of like worn off or just because of four days and maybe it’s because of the rain. But I feel like this team kind of needs coots and again are some of the players like do you think they’re like going to management or to Adam foot and being like you got to keep this guy? I I I don’t get that sense to be honest now like this is what I thought you know before I you know was kind of around the circles of Kucks mean I thought you go into the dressing room you see guys all the time but it’s it’s Kucks PR protects these guys so I I can’t say I had this this great bird’s eye view of how cooch is being treated in that dressing room but just from interactions in the hall and on the ice I I he’s definitely he’s name checked Sherwood he’s name checked best he’s around Sherwood quite a lot um so I think that’s probably the main mentor for Braden Coot so far um but And again, do I get the sense that the whole team’s gravitating towards him? No, I don’t I don’t get that sense. Again, this doesn’t mean they’re not, but that’s not the sense I get from and that’s okay because I feel like they got to start winning games to get really close. Like they’ve it’s just a lot of shit’s happened with this club for real. And I think from the this is not a video game. Like from the outside, we could be like, “Oh, this guy’s a leader. That guy’s a leader. They’re probably a close bunch.” And you know, you would like to think that happens ASAP, but I feel as if with so much going on outside the team and like all the pressure that’s on the team, I I feel as if they’re not going to completely enjoy themselves slashbe themselves until they start like winning games, you know, like getting that internal mo momentum and then maybe they’re all going out for dinners and they’re becoming the close bunch and yeah, I feel as if Braden Coots would 100% make the team if guys like Quinn Hughes, captain of the Conucks. I know more of an introvert, but captain nonetheless was like, “Yo, Adam Foot, like you’re not you’re not you’re not dropping this guy. This guy has to make the team. He’s ready.” Anyways, next com [Music] um Smurky also saying, “Eigh defenseman. Got to you got to go with eight defenseman until Rutherford and Albine make that trade.” Now, this is I I want to bring this comment up because I do think this is very very important uh because Albina Rutherford like to make moves and whatnot, but um a part of me feels like we got to show off Manini and DPD as much as possible to raise up their trade value. I I I and I know that’s crazy to say like we just saw uh what what uh the Florida Panthers guy Nicola um he got paid $5 million like and honestly like he’s probably like the best number five defenseman in hockey. Chris Forsling is probably feeling shafted right now. Yeah. No, he’s making 20 mil too eventually. Um all in all like you need you need like I think championship teams have five good defenseman. Like it’s a top five. I’d love to break down that theory with you on like a future episode. Um, but this team also has Wanderer as well, CuratsV, all these things. Like they could still have a deep decor if one of these guys got to go. And again, showing them off this year raises their value. Yeah. And whether it be a number two center or just even another winger cuz we just went through the We went through it. We saw the lineup. Like you this team needs like another winger, too. Yeah. Yeah. They need they need some help on offense for sure. And you know, Kuck fans aren’t going to want to hear this right now, but you know, Manchini is the guy that’s going to have the most trade value because not only does he have the highest defensive floor, um, not the highest defensive, the highest offensive floor, but he’s pretty solid defensively. He can skate really well. He’s a flashiest player of the bunch. Um, yeah, I think Manchini compared to DPD at least would have a higher trade value. Tomander the draft pedigree, he might be he’s probably got more more trade value than Manchini. But again, if we get a run of the regular season here where Manchini is looking awesome out there like he has so far, like he did in the AHL last season, like he has so far during camp, he’s going to have the highest trade value of the Kentucky young defenseman. Yeah. And I wonder if one of these guys um I’ve only seen him play a couple of times because we don’t care about the Anaheim Ducks. Um but just based on how the pundits are talking about him, I wonder if like one of these guys and they they have to make the right call like whether it be Willander or just even between D, let’s just like leave it to DPD and Manchini. If one of these guys can either turn into a Nicola or even like a Jackson Lome, which is like a lot to ask for, but I don’t know. Manchini could be a 40point guy. I could see his skill set kind of give you that for real. And if he’s good defensively, you kind of like we found another like Philip Peronic, you know, like a really really solid defenseman. Um, then yeah, like a we won the Miller trade and b I think we get there sooner if they play a lot of games this year in the NHL. Like I we’re not winning the I I don’t want to say it. We can win the Stanley Cup. I’m sorry, but I don’t know like do we need to make sure Derrick Forb even when he’s healthy, he’s playing 70 games this year. Yeah, he hasn’t played 70 games in a long time. So I don’t I don’t think that’s the case. Now I think the one thing the Conucks got to be careful of and Jim Rutherford has mentioned this being caught in between is the Quinn Hughes factor. Like do you really want to go and trade one of these young defenseman if you think Quinn Hughes is gonna leave this team? Right? Because you know right now they’re not going to stomach the loss of Quinn Hughes. Like it’s it’s probably going to be a full scorch earth rebuild. Let’s let’s let’s take another episode. But like right now Quinn Hughes were leave. You’d have you know Marcus Person, Phil Heronic, maybe your year on you have a better DPD in Manchini. You got Tom Mander in the fold. Like you still have like five good defenseman there, right? So that’s one way looking at it. Um, but yeah, I mean, more likely than not, like one of those three guys is probably going to have to be traded at some point if they truly want to upgrade their for position.

Victor Mancini is quietly staking a claim on Vancouver’s blue line. In the recent preseason game against Calgary, he led the Canucks in ice time (22:31), including over seven minutes on the penalty kill — and he looked composed, physical, and ready.

That performance is turning heads, and in this episode of Locked On Canucks, we explore how Mancini might be one of the season’s dark horse defenders. We’ll also tie in how this impacts roster decisions, depth, and matchups across the D-core.

🔍 What He Showed vs. Calgary & Preseason to Date
In the 8–1 thrashing of the Flames, Mancini’s workload stood out: heavy minutes, usage in key situations, and reliable defensive reads.

That game also followed his earlier contributions: in a 3–1 win over Calgary, he scored (his name is listed among the stars on ESPN boxscore) showing he can chip in offensively.

Given his journey — traded from New York to Vancouver, having won a Calder Cup with Abbotsford last season

— Mancini enters with momentum and confidence.

🛡 Why Mancini Could Be a Key Piece in Vancouver’s D-Core
Depth Relief: If veteran blueliners falter or injury occurs, Mancini provides trustworthy backup — not just warm body coverage.

Special Teams Dependability: His PK usage shows coaches trust him in shorthanded situations, which is a strong signal for early-season roles.

Upside & Growth: He’s not just plugged in — he’s showing he can develop. If his decision-making, puck transitions, and positioning tighten up, he could climb the rotation.

Complement to Stars: With Hughes, Hronek, Foote’s system in place, having a defenseman who can hold his own gives the top guys breathing room.

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