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Thomas Drance

@thomasdrance

Senior Writer at TheAthletic.com covering the Vancouver Canucks. Co-host #CanucksTalk on Sportsnet650 catch us 12-2pm M-F. Author, hockey writer, former PR guy.

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14.11.2024
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Latest posts by Thomas Drance @thomasdrance

Raymond is definitely bordering, and that’s it. Caman. There’s levels to this. We’re talking about a top-10 skater in hockey level guy.

12.12.2025 21:19 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

If he doesn’t sort it out, it does, without question.

04.03.2025 03:13 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

More than reasonable below market based on what he’d shown to that point. I didn’t see a guy on a historic scoring pace to start his career completely falling off, you’re right.

04.03.2025 03:09 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0

Haha it’s a good fit and a reasonable price!

03.03.2025 23:35 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0
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Tuesday, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford aired his club’s dirty laundry.

And in doing so, Vancouver acknowledges that change is needed, writes @thomasdrance.bsky.social.

More on J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson and why it's time to move on: www.nytimes.com/athletic/609...

29.01.2025 16:04 👍 41 🔁 7 💬 4 📌 2

What?

09.01.2025 02:08 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0
Preview
The Sharks and The Capitals Had Our Curiosity, Now They Have Our Attention Podcast Episode · The Hockey PDOcast · 2024-12-02 · 52m

New PDOcast with @thomasdrance.bsky.social:

•Our Sunday Special show - top stories from past week in NHL
•The Sharks are very fun
•Impressive contributions the Capitals are getting
•Biggest concerns about Rangers play
•The price the Wild paid for Jiricek

bit.ly/419q8ic

02.12.2024 17:16 👍 30 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 1

Heck yeah! Enjoy the read bud, there’s some stuff in their that I’m really proud of. Thanks for sharing and Happy Christmas to you and the family!

04.12.2024 00:53 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Preview
Six ways the short-handed Canucks have held the fort on a crucial road trip

Six ways the short-handed #Canucks have held the fort on a crucial road trip: www.nytimes.com/athletic/596...

02.12.2024 17:15 👍 43 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0

Point%>>

30.11.2024 18:22 👍 6 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Sometimes the data is a scam. Bruins scammed it with a ton of perimeter looks.

27.11.2024 16:30 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0
Preview
How Kevin Lankinen, Canucks locked down the Bruins in shutout win: 3 takeaways A supreme defensive effort got the Canucks' East Coast road trip off to a 2-0-0 start with a shutout in Boston.

I’m not buying it as a fortunate victory. Ugly, sure, but a heck of a defensive performance.

How Kevin Lankinen, #Canucks  locked down the Bruins in shutout win: 3 takeaways

www.nytimes.com/athletic/595...

27.11.2024 04:17 👍 137 🔁 4 💬 13 📌 0

Over a 3-year period from 2009-10 through 2011-12 only Stamkos, Ovechkin, Bobby Ryan + Gaborik scored more 5-on-5 goals than Alex Burrows among all NHL players (minimum 3000 minutes).

Just a reminder of how high a level a player has to hit to be “the next Alex Burrows”. #Canucks

26.11.2024 01:40 👍 105 🔁 5 💬 5 📌 0
Preview
Jumbo’s Retirement, and the Week That Was in the NHL Podcast Episode · The Hockey PDOcast · 2024-11-25 · 47m

New PDOcast with @thomasdrance.bsky.social:

•Main takeaways from the past week in the NHL
•Joe Thornton's retirement ceremony + his impact on the current game
•The two versions of the Oilers
•The healthy Avs
•Jets continuity + improvements
•Rebuilding teams showing positive signs

bit.ly/3ZlAfPs

25.11.2024 18:09 👍 30 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 0
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Quality line nickname suggestion for the #Canucks’ new top line from @TheAthletic comment section.

On the dominance of Vancouver’s new first line, and other thoughts: www.nytimes.com/athletic/594...

25.11.2024 19:12 👍 80 🔁 3 💬 17 📌 1
Preview
Canucks notebook: Why Vancouver's new first line is dominating and more

Why the Vancouver #Canucks’ new first line is dominating right now, an interesting development on the back end and the “playing the right way” thing.

New notebook @TheAthletic: www.nytimes.com/athletic/594...

25.11.2024 16:28 👍 47 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0

Haha I’ll figure it out. So weird to be a Bluesky boomer.

24.11.2024 05:43 👍 21 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5942948/2024/11/23/canucks-senators-quinn-hughes-ejection/?source=emp_shared_article

How #Canucks  overcame harsh Quinn Hughes ejection with complete performance (except 5-on-6 defending, I guess) to flatten Senators: 3 takeaways via @TheAthletic: t.co/QD6OKQcqsG

24.11.2024 05:11 👍 89 🔁 0 💬 7 📌 0

#Canucks and Senators have now traded goals from the net front on the power play.

36 minutes left to play and the score is tied. Will be a telling stretch. Certainly could be a slog for Vancouver without Hughes, the club’s primary engine.

24.11.2024 01:20 👍 41 🔁 0 💬 5 📌 0
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#Canucks

24.11.2024 01:05 👍 38 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0

Chilling on my phone probably. sweating sit/start decisions in fantasy football

24.11.2024 01:06 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Depends on the player. No set protocol is in place.

Some guys will watch the game and get a workout in. Some guys will shower and change and eat popcorn. Some guys hit the table for a massage.

24.11.2024 00:59 👍 44 🔁 2 💬 7 📌 0
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Here's why Hughes was tossed. Boarding major doesn't always come with a game misconduct.

24.11.2024 00:43 👍 22 🔁 4 💬 4 📌 4

Yeah, really bad call.

24.11.2024 00:49 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

If he wasn’t cut, it’s not a major and a match penalty most likely.

24.11.2024 00:49 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

After a wildly harsh match penalty assessed against Quinn Hughes, the #Canucks kill of the major penalty.

Potentially a big moment in the game for Vancouver, but losing Hughes for the night - in addition to their other star absences - is a brutal break.

24.11.2024 00:47 👍 89 🔁 5 💬 15 📌 0

#Canucks have won just about every 50/50 battle in the early going against the Senators here. Excellent start to this 6-game road trip from Vancouver.

24.11.2024 00:23 👍 49 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
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Coming up on Canucks Talk with @jamiedodd.bsky.social & @thomasdrance.bsky.social

1:00 - Abbotsford Canucks GM Ryan Johnson
1:30 - @dimfilipovic.bsky.social

LISTEN: www.sportsnet.ca/650/

22.11.2024 20:03 👍 24 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0

yeah there's a player there, I think. Really like his work rate and skill level. Bit worried about his size given the role he'll fill at the NHL level (most long tenured bottom-six centremen are significantly longer/larger).

22.11.2024 18:30 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Don’t have insight on that bud. Will keep on it.

22.11.2024 18:20 👍 6 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0