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 Thursdayish. 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 passittobulis@gmail.com or tweet us @passittobulis. Or tell us some other way. The point is: we'll probably link it if we know about it.)
- If there's one thing that can be said for Alex Hoegler, it's that he boldly predicts where no one has predicted before! True to form, he offers four bold predictions for the remainder of Vancouver's 2016-17 season, including predictions in the goal scoring and trades departments. [The Canuck Way]
- How's Jake Virtanen doing? Don't worry, he totally turned a corner. Apparently. But don't expect to see the young winger back up with the team this season. And according to guest Ben Kuzma, that's a good thing. Also some chatter about Ken Hitchcock's Wednesday firing. [TSN 1040]
- The Canucks are going to honour Henrik Sedin's 1,000th point on Saturday. That is to say, they'll do more than just give him a standing ovation and play a touching video. And there might be some guest appearances. So be certain to tune in. Zach Laing has some teasers on what to expect. [Canucks Army]
- A lot of other teams may not like him, but I can't get enough Alex Burrows in my life. He answers some questions about what it's like going undrafted and working your way up, some questions about Bo Horvat, Burrow's struggles last season, and trade rumours. A great Q&A. [Sportsnet]
- I'm pretty fond of The Morning Skate, so I'm really sad to hear it's being mothballed, for now. The reason? Vancouver sports reporter apocalypse happened. And now they no longer have enough writers to get TMS done. The first part of this last edition is really worth reading. They share the concerns of many journalists: people aren't willing to pay for news anymore, even in an era when good, principled reporting is so needed. Loads of good reporters and play callers are either hanging them up or moving on, from Cam Cole to Scott Rintoul, Peter Schaad, Jonathan McDonald, Marc Weber, and Howie Tsumura. As a sports journalist (kind of), I can assure you that it's not easy work, and I don't work half as hard as the guys listed above. [The Province]
- Are you on board the Matt Duchene train? He is rumoured to be up for grabs, so the question is: what would Vancouver need to part with in order to land the skilled centre? One thing's for certain, it isn't going to be cheap. Janik Beichler has three possible trade scenarios for you. [The Canuck Way]
- Approaching the trade deadline, are the Canucks also approaching the end of their surprising points run? The next month will inform how the team will approach the deadline. [The Vancouver Sun]
- On that note, fear not, breathe a sigh of relief. A little one. Trevor Linden says that the team is not going to ship away young assets to make the playoffs this year. I can only assume he read my post! [TSN 1040]
- Ah, Mike Gillis. Remember him? Those were the days... of bad draft picks. History has been kinder on Mr. Gillis lately, due in particular to one likeable future captain he drafted in his last year. But still, his record on the draft floor isn't pretty. Reminisce on the horror with Jeremy Davis. [Canucks Army]
- Did they run out of Ys? The team store has no Tryamkin t-shirts, and Twitter is losing its mind. Worse: they have no plans to bring some in this season. No plans? If Amazon can ship me a couple of cookie sheets and a balaclava in two days, surely the store can organize a few shirseys in the next couple of months. Anyway, here is Rob Williams, defender of the swagless, with the details. [Daily Hive]
- In further swag controversy, during the All-Star game Bo Horvat's dad wasn't able to find a Horvat jersey. He couldn't even get a custom one done: they ran out of Rs. C'mon! That's a reasonably common letter! [Daily Hive]
- How does one effectively rebuild a team like Vancouver, especially when management is clearly uncomfortable even with the term "rebuild?" A couple of big trade options are on the table, but if they pull the trigger, where does the team land? [Canucks Army]
