I'm so frustrated by the continual desire to develop goalies and trade them. I understand fully that goalies don't get the same value as other players. Goalies are no longer drafted in the top of the drafts any more. I get that. But goalies who have been developed should be traded for so much more.
Eddie Lack has been nothing but a high class kid who has been a blessing to our organization. And if we are honest, if it wasn't for Lack the Canucks would have missed the playoffs again.
Of course Edmonton, Calgary, and LA are getting better while we are happy to get worse.
Oilers are thrilled to draft McDavid and trade for Talbot (goalie) and Griffin (4th overall Dman).
Calgary gets a great young Dman in Dougie Hamilton.
LA gets a perfect fit for their playoff team in Milan Lucic.
And Vancouver gives up a starter goaltender for a 3rd round pick (66 overall) and a 7th round pick not this year but next year!
Why? Is Markstrom really better than Lack? Is that 3rd round draft pick actually going to be in the Canucks lineup one day producing on the ice? Are we needing extra cap room?
Because from the outside looking in it looks like a terrible trade. And with the 66th overall pick we selected, GUILLAUME BRISEBOIS
Who is Guillaume Brisebois?
He's a Defenseman from Acadie-Bathurst in the QMJHL.
He's 17 years old, 6'1, and 175 pounds.
He was ranked #30 among North American skaters in January by NHL Central Scouting.
He played in the CHL's Top Prospects game this year.
- Brisebois was a part of Team Orr for the CHL's top prospect game where he was relied upon to keep guys like Dylan Strome and Mitch Marner in check. He's also played games for Hockey Canada as a member of the Ivan Hlinka tournament as well as the U18 world championships.
(Quote from Nucks Misconduct blog)
Here are a few questions he answered in an interview:
1. What is your best asset on the ice?
"Probably my vision with the puck, my hockey sense."
2. No one — even Connor McDavid — is a finished product at age 17; where do you need to improve the most?
"I want to improve my physical game. I have to work on it. And my battling."
3. Which NHL defenceman do you watch closely?
"I really love to watch Drew Doughty from the L.A. Kings. He does amazing things on the ice."
Read the fully article here on Yahoo Sports. Here's what Bob McKenzie said about him.
"Very fluid skating marks his game. His quickness and mobility allow him to defend very well and to beat the pressures that opponents are trying to apply. Smart, reads the play well and makes very solid plays with the puck. He’s not going to overwhelm you with great skill or physical play but he has excellent consistency, reliability and efficiency." -Bob McKenzie, TSN
So he doesn't have great skill but he's consistent, reliable, and efficient, what does that mean? At least he's a fast defensive player who makes good decisions with the puck. Maybe Sisba can learn from this young kid. ;)
Here's a quick video of a goal he scored on the Power Play.
What does Trevor Linden have to say about this deal?
Linden: "It was a tough decision. This isn't a popular decision, but we feel it was the right one." Canucks Tweet
Obviously Linden and Benning were hoping for more but this was the best deal they could come up with. I understand getting younger but these draft picks are really shots in the dark.
Was it worth it to trade Lack who is a NHL goalie for Brisebois? We will see. Probably not. I highly doubt it. I keep hearing that this is supposed to be a deep draft. I hope we drafted the right kid. On a positive note, Horvat has been a nice surprise since we traded Schneider. I hope we can land a solid Free Agent. Us fans need some encouragement.
Good bye Eddie, you are missed already!
