When the Canucks traded for Andrey Pedan, not much was known about him in Canucks Nation. Google told us he was a 6″4 and 205 pound (or as the WWE would list him, 7″0 and 500 pounds) 21-year-old defenceman.
In Friday’s game in the AHL between the Utica Comets and Hamilton Bulldgos, that size was on full display when Pedan took on another not so gentle giant in 6″6, 230 pound Jarred Tinordi. The results were ugly.
To get the elephant out of the room, staged fights are never a good thing in the NHL. With what we know of head injuries, fighting is something that might one day see its way out the door in the NHL. It doesn’t help its cause by having two huge guys knock the other one straight out, especially in a staged fight where the two combatants probably swapped BBQ sauce recipes and asked about their Christmases before signing their verbal contract to throw down after the faceoff.
In a purely savage hockey fan way, Canucks fans will probably be very excited about the idea of having a nasty defenceman patrolling the d-line, should Pedan ever show he has the skills to stick in the NHL. Not that Yannick Weber isn’t intimidating, but something tells me his super quick poke check doesn’t really make an opposing forward think twice about heading to the front of the net. Bieksa used to provide some snarl in the corners, but that hasn’t been seen since he entered his hockey coma in 2013.
Apparently Pedan also likes to throw big hits, and is considered quick for his size. Thankfully there were no “skates like Dana Murzyn” comparisons in his scouting report, but he is dangerously close to the goon side of things, with his biggest career accomplishment being the OHL’s penalty leader of 2012-2013.
Still, if 2011 taught us anything, if the Canucks can just sign Gregory Campbell, anything should go in the playoffs which is where Andrey “The Assassin” Pedan might shine! Also just imagine if Nikita Tryamkin, the Canucks 6″7 230 pound 3rd rounder from last year makes the team as well? The Russian Towers of Terror will be born!
In a six degrees of Kevin Bacon twist, Jarred Tinordi is also the guy who once laid a beating down on current Canuck Frankie Corrado. If this was Game of Thrones, one might suggest Frankie whispered a name in Pedan’s ear recently…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYB38PpmYVE&app=desktop
It goes without saying of course that hopefully Tinordi is ok and recovers without any long term issues.
Feature Image: islanders.nhl.com
Follow Channels and Categories