Author Archives: Jaden Teja

Canucks Sharks Preview

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The Canucks are heading down to the shark tank for a visit with the San Jose Sharks. The Canucks are coming off one of their best games of the season vs the Colorado Avalanche Tuesday. Thatcher Demko is coming off his best outing as well, he made some ridiculous saves and had 25 save shutout. Vancouver only has two more games before the four nations face off break. Going into the break on a high note is a huge priority for the Canucks. 

The Sharks are dead last in the NHL but don’t let that fool you. They have some skill on their team with players like William Eklund, Tyler Toffoli and first overall pick Macklin Celebrini. Regardless this should be a game the Canucks win. I don’t want it to be close, they needed to blow them out.

 

This is the perfect game for Elias Pettersson to get going. A game where the Canucks should dominate. Hold on let me emphasize, they NEED to dominate. Peteys been playing well the last couple games, but the casual fans don’t think so because the numbers haven’t been there. This game is a great opportunity to start contributing on the stat-sheet. Do you remember the last he played against the Sharks? He scored two goals and he only played two periods in that game. 

 

I’m expecting a big Canucks win tonight. Especially after shutting out Colorado, the Canucks need to go to San Jose and dismantle the Sharks. They won’t have Quinn Hughes again but they proved last game they don’t need him. (I’m kidding they OBVIOUSLY  need him). But just not as much people thought. Earlier in the year people were calling the Canucks the Vancouver Hughes’s. So its not at that level anymore. Regardless, the Canucks need to take care of business tonight.

Should NHL Teams Let Their Injured Superstars Attend The Four Nations Face Off?

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Should injured NHL superstars play at the four nations face off? It’s a legitimate question. Already Sidney Crosby, Quinn Hughes and Mitch Marner are dealing with injuries that may hold them out of the tournament and representing their country. We’ve  already seen Los Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo announce that he will be missing the tournament to rest. The thing is, he is still playing games for Vegas he’s not even hurt. The thing to remember is that the four nations face off is replacing the all-star game. Players sit out of the all-star game all the time. The thing players care about more is the Olympics which are happening next year.

So what do the players care about more, the four nations or playing for their NHL team? I think it should be the team’s choice to send a player, especially if they are dealing with an injury. Team’s do this with the world juniors and the young players. So why not the stars? Like I said before, it’s not the Olympics. So who are these players more valuable for? I think the answer is their NHL team. 

 

Okay, maybe I’m being a bit bias because I’m a Canucks fan and Quinn Hughes’s status is in question. But Hughes is already super beat up and has been for awhile. He’s already missing important games for the Canucks. I don’t want to see him risk any more injury at this tournament. I don’t care that he’s playing with his brother. I don’t think I’m the only one with this opinion, what do you think? Should teams let their injured superstars attend the four nations?

Jimmy Butler Traded To Golden State Warriors

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With only a day before the NBA’s trade deadline teams are starting to get active. The Los Angeles Lakers made the biggest splash by far trading for Luka Doncic. However, they weren’t the only team in the west making moves. The Golden State Warriors got in on the action as well, trading for Jimmy Butler. Butler has been wanting to get out of Miami for a while and  got his wish granted. He even got a new contract in the process. Butler received a two year 111 million dollar contract from the Warriors. Golden State is sending Andrew Wiggins ,Kyle Anderson and first-round draft compensation. 

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1887309589307400355


Golden State needed to make a move as they are sitting a .500 record and barely out of a playoff spot in the western conference. They cannot afford to let one of Stephen Curry’s last years go to waste and need to make a playoff push. Even though they lost Klay Thompson to the Dallas Mavericks in free agency this summer, they still have a solid team. They are still led by future hall of famer Steph Curry and lockdown defender Draymond Green. Adding Butler gives them another veteran star for a playoff push. Butler is averaging 21 points per game in 25 games played in Miami. Miami is the sixth seed in the east and seem to be just fine without Butler and even added more depth to the team with the trade. So I don’t think anyone in Miami will be complaining.

Canucks Sign Marcus Pettersson To Six-Year Extension

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The Vancouver Canucks have extended newly acquired defenceman Marcus Pettersson to a six-year contract worth 5.5 million dollars. Pettersson was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, Just a few hours after the Canucks shipped JT Miller off to the New York Rangers. Pettersson who is 28 was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.  After the Canucks traded for him, it was clear that re-signing Pettersson was a priority. In just two games Pettersson has played really well and has come just as advertised. He is very solid defensively and can play big minutes. He is averaging 24:30 in the two games he’s played in a Canuck uniform this season.

General manager Patrick Alvin had this to say about the Pettersson extension. “In just a couple of games, Marcus has already shown us the type of leadership, poise and character that we want in a top four defenceman, He has a calming influence on the ice, uses his long reach and hockey smarts to break up plays and has a good first pass to help us create more offensively. We are extremely happy to get this deal done and look forward to working with him in both the short term and long term.”

Personally I love the move. Extending Pettersson was absolutely vital for the Canucks moving forward. With the defences play this year it was clear that they needed to add another top-four defenceman to the core. Trading for Pettersson solved that problem and extending him was a bonus. Especially for only 5.5 million dollars. In a day where the cap is going up and defenseman come as a premium. Keeping Pettersson around for the long term is a huge positive for the Canucks.

Demko Domination Vs Avs

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Oh the irony in writing my article about Thatcher Demko. After tonight’s game I’ll gladly eat my words. Forget about what I said about Demko not being healthy. Tonight we saw vintage Demko. It was an amazing 3-0 victory for the Canucks. A win that we really needed, especially in a game without Quinn Hughes once again. The Canucks took care of business tonight vs the Colorado Avalanche. The Canucks played well at every phase of the game.

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1886998984713019424

Other than Demko, something that really impressed me was how good the new guys played. Filip Chytil showed off his amazing two-way game once again. Marcus Pettersson was very solid and Drew O’Connor even potted the empty net goal for Vancouver. In case you forgot, the Canucks have a trio of Petterssons now, and two of them are Elias Pettersson. Rookie Pettersson (D-Petey) continued to impress, becoming a fan favourite. He is dominating on both ends of the ice and I love it.

 

One thing that can’t be overlooked is how well Filip Hronek played. In Hughes’s absence he was in charge of carrying the defence and he did. Hronek  tallied two assists in the win and played well defensively. Another positive was that the Canucks top-line was clicking. Even though he didn’t register a point, Elias Pettersson played well and had some chances. Jake Debrusk got on the board scoring Vancouver’s first goal. Finally Brock Boeser scored as well. After having so many chances last game Boeser finally found the back of the net in this game. 

 

All in all it was a great game for Vancouver in a game that they needed to win.

Sports Stadiums That I Want to Attend

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One of the things that makes attending sporting events so great is the venues that they are at. Seeing your favourite team play live is always a very cool but the atmosphere at the stadium is what you remember. I’ll never forget going to the Canucks Predators game in the playoffs. It was game one and the first playoff game in Vancouver in nine years. It was an electric feeling. I’ve heard stories of other great stadiums watch games so I thought I’d share my thoughts on some.

 

Lumen Field Seattle: This might be a little biased because I am a big Seahawks fan. But just seeing the atmosphere at Lumen Field is so electric. Seahawks fans are some of the loudest in the NFL. Like seriously they’ve caused earthquakes before. The building is designed to be loud and I get jealous watching it on T.V. Seeing a football game there is very high on my bucket list.

 

Wrigley Field Chicago: Wrigley Field is much more than just a baseball stadium. It’s an iconic monument. Its been around since 1914 and everything about it is legendary. It’s been talked about  in movies and T.V. shows and is a huge part of pop culture. From the old seats, the ivy on the wall and just seeing the Chicago Cubs play. Attending Wrigley Field itself is a unique experience and something I’ve always wanted to do.

Yankee Stadium New York: Very similar to Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium has so much history behind it. I know the original Yankee Stadium isn’t around anymore, but the new one is still unique. It has a lot of the same characteristics and just there’s just something about attending a Yankees game that seems so special. Seeing monument park and the statues of  all the Yankee legends would be a surreal experience.

 

Madison Square Garden New York: the most famous arena in the world.  All the concerts and sporting events this place has hosted is insane. I have to see a Knicks or Rangers game here. It’s a must. There’s so much history at MSG. It’s been around since 1968 and the celebrities that have been in that building are bonkers. After seeing the Rangers recent playoff runs and the atmosphere attending a game at MSG is a priority.

5 Biggest Trades In The NHL Since 2010

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With the blockbuster trades that have happened the last two weeks in the NHL. I thought it would be fun to look at five of the biggest trades in the NHL since 2010

 

  1. Erik Karlsson to San Jose

 

In the summer of 2018 the Ottawa Senators were shopping franchise corner-stone Erik Karlsson. Karlsson was one of the best defenceman in the league at the time already winning two Norris Trophies and carried the Senators to the Conference finals in 2017. Ottawa had a disappointing year in 2018 and Karlsson wanted out. The dealt him to the San Jose Sharks for  Chris Tierney Rudolfs Balcers Dylan Demelo and draft pick Josh Norris  as well as a 2020 unprotected first-round pick. Looking back at it now, it may look like the Senators won the trade simply based off of how Josh Norris has developed. But the Sharks got to pair Karlsson along side Brent Burns and they went to the western conference final. So it wasn’t all bad but I would have to say the Senators won the deal.

 

  1. Mikko Rantanen to Carolina

 

I know you might think that this is recency bias but its not. Also I know Taylor Hall is technically involved in the deal but we are just going to focus on Rantanen and Martin Necas.

This is at number four mainly because of the shock factor and its two star players getting dealt for each other. At the time of this trade Rantanen was sixth in the league in scoring and Necas was 12th. When do two top scorers ever get traded? Let alone for each other. Rantanen is a bonafide star in this  league and Necas is one of the best young stars. A huge part of this deal is to see if Rantanen will re-sign in Carolina but this is one of biggest trades since 2010 no doubt.

  1. Taylor Hall to New Jersey for Adam Larsson “ The trade is one for one”

 

Does reading that sentence bring back memories? This trade was part of an iconic day in NHL history. ( I’ll get more into that on the trade on this list). Peter Chairelli had some all-time lows as the Edmonton Oilers general manager.  But this one might sum it up in a nutshell. Taylor Hall might not have been the elite winger everyone thought he was going to be after being taken first overall. But after the Oilers drafted Connor McDavid it seemed like they might have something cooking in Oil Country. That was until Chairelli sent him on his way to New Jersey. The reason this trade is so memorable is the fact Hall won the Hart Trophy the very next year. What a slap in the face that must have been to Oilers fans. Now don’t get me wrong Larsson was a very solid defenseman but Oilers fans may never live this trade down.

 

  1. PK Subban to Nashville for Shea Weber

 

This trade was part of the iconic day that I was previously talking about. Steven Stamkos signed an eight-year extension with the Lightning, Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson happened, the this bombshell dropped. There were Rumors that the Montreal Canadiens might trade PK Subban but I don’t think anyone thought that the Nashville Predators would trade Shea Weber. Let’s start with Subban, he was a fan favourite in Montreal and had won a Norris Trophy. Weber was one of the top defencemen in the league and was Nashville’s captain. In the early years of this trade Nashville seemed like the clear winner. Subban was a Norris trophy finalist and helped Nashville go to the Stanley Cup final. Weber was struggling to stay healthy with his new squad and had an expensive cap hit. All of a sudden that changed. Subban was struggling to stay healthy and Nashville shipped him off to New Jersey in 2019. While in 2021 Weber helped lead the Canadiens to the Stanley Cup final. All in all this turned out to be a pretty even trade.

  1. Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers

After coming off a career high 104 points in 2022, Matthew Tkachuk told the Calgary Flames that he wanted to play elsewhere. So they sent him down to South Beach and in return the Flames acquired  Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt and a lottery-protected 2025 first-round pick. Huberdeau was coming off a career year himself putting up 115 points. A lot of people including myself thought that Flames had won this deal. But boy we were so wrong. In the following season Tkachuk put up 109 points and led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup final. While Huberdeau had one of the biggest point drop offs ever falling from 115 points to 55. Tkachuk turned into one of the best players in the NHL after the Panthers hosted the cup last summer. While Huberdeau is struggling to find his form making 10.5 million dollars. Yikes!

Canucks Avalanche Preview

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It’s Canucks game day. Your Vancouver Canucks are facing off against the Colorado Avalanche for the second time this year. Vancouver took the first meet 3-1 back in December. Kiefer Sherwood scored all three goals for Vancouver that game. Both teams will be looking a little bit different this time around. As Colorado shipped off Mikko Rantanten to Carolina two weeks ago and the Canucks sent JT Miller to the Rangers this past Friday. 

Quinn Hughes will also miss his second consecutive game for the Canucks as he is dealing with an undisclosed injury. This is a massive loss for the Canucks as we know how important he is to the team. He is playing at an MVP level and Vancouver needs him on the ice for this playoff push. The good news is that the Canucks didn’t look that bad against Detroit without Hughes last game. It was a game Vancouver deserved to win but just couldn’t find the back of the net.  

 

They face a tough test tonight going up against Nathan Mackinnon who is leading the NHL in points. Especially without Hughes. You may think the key for Vancouver is Elias Pettersson. I think its Thatcher Demko. Demko hasn’t looked that great this year and without their best defenceman, the Canucks need their goalie to step up. It should be an exciting game nonetheless, the Canucks need these two points and with just under two weeks until the four nations face-off break the need to gain some momentum,

Myles Garrett requests trade

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There has been so much player movement in the NBA and NHL recently. Even though it’s almost Super Bowl Sunday the NFL wanted part of his trade party too in a way. Cleveland Browns superstar defensive end Myles Garrett has requested a trade. The 2023 defensive player of the year has had a very impressive career thus far. Especially on some mediocre Browns’ teams. Since being drafted first overall in 2017 Garett has had an excellent career thus far, he is a six time pro bowler and four time first team all pro. 

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1886446123226972211

Garrett sent out a message to Browns fans saying this. “As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl — and that goal fuels me today more than ever,”  My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today.

“While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl.

“With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”

I really hope the Browns honour his trade request and trade him to a contending team. Garrett is one of the best defensive players in the league and someone who deserves to play for a Super Bowl. The Browns should get a massive return for him likely including two first round picks. This should help set up the Browns with their rebuild and keep Garrett happy.  A team that I coils see him going to is the Detroit Lions. They are going to be a legit contender in the NFC they have the assets to trade for Garrett. Plus pairing up with Aidan Hutchinson on the defensive line is something no quarterback wants to see. Where do you think Garrett will end up. 

The Demko Dilemma

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This Canucks season hasn’t gone as planned to say the least. You can name many reasons for that. However one of the biggest ones is the health of Thatcher Demko. Ever since game one against Nashville in the playoffs there have been question marks in Vancouver’s goal crease. Arturs Silovs played well in the playoffs but has had trouble tracking pucks from the blueline and teams have caught on to that. Kevin Lankinen has played well for the Canucks this season, but do you think he’s good enough to carry the Canucks to a cup?

I know some people say you don’t need a good goalie to win a cup. The Colorado Avalanche in 2022 are an example of that. But I think you do, having a great goalie gives you a great advantage in the playoffs. In the playoffs every game matters and you’re going to need a goalie to steal you a game here and there. Demko has that ability to do that for the Canucks and he did multiple last season before his knee injury. Last year Demko had 35 wins, 2.45 goals against average and a .918 save percentage and he was an all-star and Vezina trophy runner-up. This year he’s only a shell of himself. He’s 4-6-3 with a .873 save percentage and 3.26 goals against average.

 

His knee is clearly bothering him and you can see that during the game. Which poses the question. Is it time to move on from Demko? I know you might think I’m crazy but there have been reports that his knee might never be 100 percent healthy. I don’t think you can start a goalie who’s not 100 percent healthy in the NHL, especially if you’re a team trying to win a Stanley Cup.  His contract is up after next year and do you want to bring him back? You know what you have in Lankinen and Silovs is still young and developing. I know how much people love Demko but is his time in Vancity done? If he gets back to his old form I say you have to keep him. But that’s a big if. Let me ask you this question, if the playoffs started today who would you want in goal? Demko or Lankinen? I think the answer is Lankinen. He gives you the best chance to win as of right now. What do you think? Is it time to move on from Demko?