Donnie & Dhali: Rick Dhaliwal on the Vancouver Canucks pursuit of some NCAA free agents and why didn’t pursue some others.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Dhaliwal: “The Canucks are believed, are the front-runners right now to land Minnesota State defenseman Akito Hirose. I believe the Canucks, number one target for defensemen. Keep an eye on this. As of night, morning they’re still going back and forth.”
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Don Taylor: “He’s a lefty right?”
- Rick Dhaliwal: Elliotte Friedman on if the Canucks are going to Hirose: “I believe so, it is the most likely destination, he could be there this week.”
Dhaliwal: “He’s a lefty Donnie. There’s two teams left, two or three, the Canucks are right there. They’re expected to get this kid.”
I want to bring up the top two NCAA right-shot defense. Not going to end up in Vancouver. Jake Livingstone and Sam Malinski. Livingstone’s the (crest ??) and BC kid
Taylor: “He’s Hirose’s defense partner at Minnesota State.”
Dhaliwal: “He’s Hirose’s defense. But I believe …”
Taylor: “Coach Mike Craig T. Nelson.”
Dhaliwal: “But I believe that Hirose, not Livingstone, was the Canucks number one target. So we’ll see how that ends up but it looks pretty good that they’re going to land him.”
Taylor: “And you mentioned Malinski.
Dhaliwal: “Malinski’s out of Cornell. He’s another right-shot D. He’s got a ton of teams after him but, we had this argument, Donnie, Shane Malloy said the Canucks are a destination for free agents. I’m not so sure about that. Not yet.
Seven of the last eight years they have not made the playoffs. They got a long way to go.”
Taylor: “But that’s what you want.”
Dhaliwal: “Okay, but not everybody. I can’t sit hear and tell you why Malinski and Livingstone don’t want to come to Vancouver. There’s got to be reasons. Who’s the development team? What does the farm team look like?
Seattle’s got a brand new farm team in Coachella Valley, brand new facility, that’s going to attract free agents. Who’s the development team?”
Taylor: “I think the opportunity is number one of the list isn’t it?”
Dhaliwal: “A lot of factors Donnie. Lot of tire fires in Vancouver this year too right? People around the hockey world, the way (Bruce) Boudreau was treated, the Rachel Doerrie incident. There was an incident with the old…”
Taylor: “That’s all in the past.”
Dhaliwal: “Donnie, hockey people remember those things. Lot of tire fires in Vancouver this year Don.”
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Taylor: “If you are an NCAA, undrafted college free agent, you’ve got your choice of several teams, would you rather go, and I’ll go extreme here. Would you rather go to Boston right now, or would you rather go to San Jose? Which is by-the-way, taken over the 32nd spot in the National Hockey League in the Bedard sweepstakes.”
Dhaliwal: “That’s right, they have.”
Taylor: “So where would you rather go? I’d rather go to the tire fire.”