The Vancouver Canucks lead the entire NHL in third period comebacks with 10 this season. 3 of them have come in the 5 games since the Olympic break. Punctuated by Tuesday’s 6-4 win, in which the team trailed twice by 3 goals, everyone is wondering how they’re able to keep doing it. Here are five theories:
1. Now that the players are past the Olympics and the substance testing, the Canucks’ Olympians are taking full advantage, and like BC Bud, BC Sudafed is the most potent stuff you can find.
2. The Canucks are attempting to single handedly reverse the over-referenced stat: “The team that scores the first goal of the game usually wins.”
3. Since the Olympic games, Roberto Luongo has been trying to emulate the thrill he felt in the gold medal game. The following conversation was overheard in the dressing room after Tuesday’s 3 goal comeback:
Henrik Sedin: So is that how the gold medal game felt, Roberto?
Roberto Luongo: Not even close, buddy.
(at the other end of the room Ryan Kesler growls and breaks a hockey stick over his knee)
4. The boys get sh*ts and giggles from seeing Vigneault’s head looking like it’s going to explode, and they keep one upping each other to make it happen. Case in point – the sharp angle goal let in by Luongo from Colorado’s Chris Stewart - he obviously let it in on purpose. Mason Raymond took it too far with the blatant giveaway at his own blueline, though, and he paid for it by only being played for one shift in the entire third period.
5. I went through the Sedins’ contracts and found this interesting tidbit:
“The Player shalt be paid a bonus in the amount of $100 for every point scored in the third period. If thou scores a point in either the first or the second period, nary a bonus shall be paid!”
I also discovered that NHL contracts are written in old Shakespearian English – who knew?
If Toronto and Vancouver could talk, and they had a conversation leading up to this Saturday's game between the Canucks and the Maple Leafs, it would probably go something like this: Vancouver: Hi Toronto Toronto: Oh hey little buddy! How's it going? Big game for your Canucks this weekend playing the Leafs, eh? How are you guys doing anyways? V: We're leading our division, and we're sixth in the NHL right now. T: Really? Who'd have known... V: We've got the best team in Canada! You don't even know how well the Canucks are playing right now? T: Nah. Last time we heard about you guys was when Ron MacLean was talking about that Burrows guy. Burrows – what a jerk eh? V: Seriously? Don't you know what happened after that? It was the biggest sports story here for two weeks! T: No idea. V: MacLean's interview with Colin Campbell was completely one sided! The Canucks even boycotted the CBC last week by doing no interviews. T: Really? We didn't even notice. You know no one past Alberta watches hockey after 10pm, right? So basically your team boycotted its own fans from interviews. V: Grrr... I HATE you Toronto! T: Haha, relax little guy! (Toronto ruffles Vancouver's hair. Vancouver scowls and pouts)
If any of you are not yet aware, Alexandre Burrows went off on quite a rant following Monday night's game against the Nashville Predators. He made serious allegations against one of the game's referee's, Stephane Auger, stating that, "It started in warm-up before the anthems. The ref came over to me and said I made him look bad in Nashville on the Smithson hit. He said he was going to get me back tonight, and he did his job in the third, I think." – as reported by Brad Zeimer of The Vancouver Sun. He went on to add that Auger's ego cost the Canucks two points, as he made one of the two calls with the game tied 2-2 and 4:45 left in the game. The surprising thing that occurred as the story developed on Tuesday was that all of hockey's most respected analysts, from Bob McKenzie to Darren Dreger, experts who have no ties to Vancouver, were not critical of Burrows and were not accusing him of crying over spilt milk. Rather, they took the view that for Burrows to give such accurate information on the interaction between him and the ref, and in review of the two penalties in question that did very much appear to be "phantom calls", his story probably was based in fact. In examining the story ourselves, and trying to take out as much Vancouver bias as possible, it must be understood that the player's post game comments were made after having some time to consider what the repercussions would be. Every player knows that complaining about the refereeing of a game will most likely lead to a fine and a possible suspension. Despite this, Burrows felt it necessary to make his voice heard – obviously believing his story was important enough that it needed to be exposed. As of Tuesday evening, TSN has reported that the only discipline that will be laid out by the NHL will be a $2,500 fine to Burrows. Apparently they wish for this story that threatens the very integrity of the league, to just go away. One thing is for sure: it won't soon be forgotten in Vancouver.
“They’re too slow.”
“All they do is cycle the puck!”
“They’re just boring to watch.”
Over the years, supporters of the Sedin twins have heard many comments like these, and they haven’t had much of a response. Halfway through the 2009-10 NHL season, Henrik sits atop the NHL leaderboard, tied for the league lead in points scored, yet the same criticisms seem to remain. While it does appear that most of Canuckland has finally bought into the idea that the brothers are legitimate top line players, the conversion is taking longer for fans outside Vancouver.
Maybe it is the fact that they’re tucked all the way out west that has the duo stuck in obscurity, but one figures it has to change at some point. Perhaps Henrik’s statistical achievements will finally start to turn heads. True NHL fans – the ones who see the beauty in watching Joe Thornton manhandling opponents, or Ilya Kovalchuk’s rocket of a slapshot – should appreciate the slick passing game of the twins. There are not many lines in the league that produce pretty plays as often as these two, and they will start to be appreciated as must watch players. You know the kind – Ovechkin, Crosby, Toews, Iginla – when these guys play, we watch games awaiting their next shift. The Sedins, in their 9th full NHL campaigns, are finally creating this sort of buzz.
After the Canucks lost road games to Carolina and Nashville last week, Kyle Wellwood took a lot of heat, as he was scratched for two games in a row by head coach Alain Vigneault. He finally drew into the lineup against Los Angeles, but he played himself out of the line-up again for Wednesday’s match against Anaheim. Here are my thoughts on this situation:
In his return against the Kings, Wellwood took a third period penalty, which obviously put him right back in Vigneault’s bad books. But understand that it was Welly’s 3rd penalty in 2 years as a Canuck - considering that the coach asked for more grit, shouldn’t Vigneault be pleased with the effort?
The Canucks need a third line that can take some pressure off the top two, and right now the third and fourth lines consist of Tanner Glass - Rick Rypien – Jannik Hansen, and Darcy Hordichuck – Ryan Johnson – Steve Bernier. Tons of heart, but the only skill resides in Hansen. They need more talent!
Vigneault must get Wellwood going again, and it’s not going to happen without putting him in scoring situations! Put him back on the powerplay – he has magic hands and great vision, and he’ll be much more useful than “Stone Hands” Bernier!
Note: I will be going on holiday for 8 days, beginning today. Have a good week, if you can do so without my posts. I will return on December 28, just in time for the much anticipated unveiling of the Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey Team!
“The decision to play Raycroft was overmanaging, and every major-league coach does it.” – Iain MacIntyre, The Vancouver Sun.
In Thursday’s Vancouver Sun sports section, Iain MacIntyre wrote an article stating that Roberto Luongo should have started all four contests on the Canucks’ recent road trip. If ever there was a case of a reaction based on the score rather than the actual game, this is it. Anyone who watched the Carolina match knows that it was not only Andrew Raycroft who did not show up; rather, it was the entire team that seemed to be moving in slow motion on Saturday morning.
But, MacIntyre asserted: “The Canucks were beaten because they were sloppy and uninspired, as if they thought they’d defeat the National Hockey League’s worst team merely by making the opening faceoff. And why might they think that? Because the best Canuck was given the day off.”
According to him, the reason the Canucks played a sloppy game was because they were sent the wrong message by their coaching staff. Is it not because they had just played back to back games on Wednesday and Thursday night, and then were asked to play at 10:30 a.m. PST on Saturday? And if those 3 games in 3.5 days left them tired, shouldn’t they have the same, if not even more of an adverse affect on the only player who plays the entire game?
If you agree with this, then you understand the coach’s decision to give Luongo a rest on Saturday. Plus, don’t forget that the last time Louie skipped his morning skate and played a Saturday morning game –December 2008 against the Pittsburg Penguins – he injured his groin and was out for a month.
With all this in mind, it makes sense that Luongo was given the day of rest. Had Raycroft played a stellar game and won the contest, the decision would not be second guessed at all, and head coach Alain Vigneault would be lauded. Making decisions about when to rest players and when to play them is the heart of the coach’s job, and the distinction between overachieving and overmanaging is often determined by the players.
MacIntyre is a good writer who analyzes the game very well, but in this instance he is dead wrong. Vigneault made a sound, well-educated decision, and had the team won, we’d never hear a peep about bad goalie selection.
To read MacIntyre's article, click here.
Third Line:
Why does Vancouver love Kyle Wellwood so much? Two weeks ago, in a game against Los Angeles, when a goal credited to Wellwood was reviewed and given to the true scorer, Tanner Glass, the GM Place crowd actually booed in protest. Granted it was Wellwood’s first goal of the season, but talk about picking favorites!
Perhaps it’s his angelic, innocent face, or the fact that we all see a little of ourselves in his formerly out of shape physique, or maybe it is because we know that when he’s on his game, he is one of the most skilled Canuck forwards out there. With Wellwood, it’s all about confidence, so what’s the key to keeping his up? For starters, don’t expect him to carry a line. Playing with Tanner Glass and Steve Bernier while the Canucks were reeling from injuries, Wellwood was the only creative individual of the trio, and even when he made good plays they would go nowhere. It was the addition of Jannik Hansen to his line that initially gave him the kick in the butt he needed. Now that head coach Alain Vigneault has moved Mikael Samuelsson to the line in place of Hansen, it will combine a good combination of grit and skill, as Samuelsson is a creative, puck possession player.Second Line:
The Vancouver Sun seems to think the fact that Ryan Kesler hasn’t scored a goal in 14 games is an issue. It’s not. Kesler is the engine that drives the Canucks, and he continues to play hard and inspire teammates with the way he always put everything on the ice. Goal scoring slumps are often overstated, and that is certainly the case here, as he has 4 assists in the Canucks last 5 games, meaning he is still creating offense.
With Hansen moved to the second line to play with Mason Raymond and Kesler, this is now a line of like minded individuals: they’re all strong, tough, and good with the puck, and all three of them travel in one direction – straight to the net. This combination will continue to provide energy when the team needs it and provide goals at big moments.
Fourth Line:
Rick Rypien and Ryan Johnson are completely underrated offensively, yet they manage to do pretty well in that regard, given their mandate of “don’t make mistakes and keep the puck in the offensive end”. When they poke in the odd goal, it’s a nice present, though not really a surprise.
Following Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, here is the Canucks’ hot/not list:
HOT:
Mason Raymond:
With 14 points so far, Raymond is finally having his breakout season with the Canucks. Playing with a lot more grit and determination, lately he has looked like a slicker version of Ryan Kesler.
Christian Ehrhoff:
Following a 2 goal, 1 assist performance against the Avalanche, Ehrhoff sits 4th on the Canucks scoring list. An outburst like that can only encourage him to trust his offensive skills and put up more points as the season goes on.
Jannik Hansen:
This is more about what he represents for the team than his personal play: the return of Hansen from his hand injury brings a whole new dimension to the Canucks – a third line that can score.
NOT:
Kyle Wellwood:
Wellwood has 2 points in 19 games, and he is an offensively gifted player! In fairness, he’s been stuck with Tanner Glass and Steve Bernier for most of the season - not much to work with. But what’s really lacking in his game right now? One word: confidence. Hansen might be the serum he needs.
Sami Salo:
With Ehrhoff picking up the slack for the defensemen, one player who has fallen under the radar is Salo. Tied with Kyle Wellwood with just 2 points on the season, Salo is not using this blistering shot to strike fear into opposing goalies and penalty killers. Shoot the puck, Sami!
Alex Burrows:
Burrows hasn’t been the Canucks’ sparkplug like he was last year with only 4 goals in 23 games. Being reunited with the Sedin brothers will change this, and Burrows won’t be on the cold list for long.
Kevin Weekes, retired NHL goaltender, has been working as a colour commentator for the CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada since the beginning of the 2009 season, and his performance really raises questions about the network’s screening process. Is the lone prerequisite simply having been an ex-NHL goalie or coach?
Kevin here is some feedback on some of the comments you made during your most recent performance, November 14 – Vancouver vs. Colorado.
“And folks, sometimes no matter how prepared and how focused you are, you just make mistakes. I mean in the National Hockey League, just like any other level of hockey, guys actually make mistakes.”
Seriously, how dumb is that comment? We’re hockey fans and we’re sports fans. We KNOW that professional athletes make mistakes! We’ve seen Roberto Luongo give up bad goals, we’ve watched Gretzky miss huge shots. This is not insightful!
“Brent Clark has to call Roberto Luongo mister, with a glove save like this. He said Grant Fuhr was his favourite goalie growing up, and it shows here, Mark.”
Uh no… it doesn’t show here, Mark. If you want to show us that you did your homework and talked to Luongo about his childhood, just say it, you don’t need to force the tie-in. And really, mister?
“All glove for Roberto Luongo. He’s got one of the best glove hands in the game, and when he’s able to come out, take a look at him here folks, when he’s able to get out here on top of that crease, he’ll make that save almost every time. Nice glove save by Roberto Luongo.”
First, stop calling us folks. You don’t have to do that in every other comment you make. We know you’re addressing us, and we know we’re folks. Second, are you getting paid by the word? It sure seems like it.
And here is a typical example of your inability to stay on topic and complete a thought:
“Well Darcy Tucker is a leader, and he played for the Kamloops Blazers, he won the Memorial Cup and look at these guys, Cody McLeod and Sami Salo jousting right off the face-off, but, and they get a great opportunity with Darcy Tucker going to the net, nice save by Roberto Luongo to keep a clean sheet for the Canucks.”
By the way, we call it a “shut-out”.
On Tuesday November 10, the NHL General Managers began two days of meetings. Publicly, we have heard that the focal point of discussion on day one was the trapezoid behind the goaltenders’ nets. Day two was spent talking about headshots. 
Really TSN experts, do you mean to tell me that the 30 most powerful men in hockey met for two days and all they discussed was a strange four sided shape from geometry class and the same head shot topic that has been talked about since Eric Lindros’ first concussion in 1972?
Luckily, Head to the Net had the meeting room bugged and we found out what really happened:
First, the room is fairly large, and there is a boxing ring situated right at the centre. NHL types believe that a good fist fight is a healthy self-policing method, or sometimes it can be used to switch momentum in negotiations – thus the need for the ring.
On Tuesday morning, Mike Gillis (Vancouver Canucks) and Brian Burke (Toronto Maple Leafs) have arrived in their full boxing gear, ready for the showdown that has been brewing for months. Gillis starts the fight with a couple of quick punches to Burkie’s head. No credit should be given for this, as Burke’s head is so big it’s impossible to miss.
After taking a few blows, Burke ties Gillis up into a headlock.
Burke: give… me… the… Sedins… Mike!
Gillis: Never!
Elsewhere in the room:
Kevin Lowe (Edmonton Oilers’ President) is clinging to the edge of the ring cheering Gillis on and crying death threats at Burke.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman also watches from his chair, upon which he’s placed a booster seat.
Ray Shero (Pittsburgh Penguins) and George McPhee (Washington Capitals) are shooting pool
Shero: How you doing, George?
McPhee: Chillin’ bro.
Shero: I hear that. Everyone here is so stressed out, but you and I have the 4 best players in the league locked up to long term contracts. I got no problems with the NHL right now!
McPhee: Cheers to that, bro!
Conversely, Ken Holland (Detroit Red Wings), is on the phone with Steve Yzerman, analyzing the 2010 and 2011 draft prospects lists.
McPhee: Come have a beer with us, Ken! Your team is amazing already! Relax!
Holland: No.
Back at the ring, Gillis has landed a series of body blows, and Burkie’s lapdog, Dave Nonis is becoming very agitated. He pulls out his cell phone:
Nonis: Hi, Ray Emery? I need you! How soon can you been in Toronto? You have to come kick Mike Gillis’ ass.
Emery: You’re looking for the old Ray Emery, my man. I don’t fight anymore. Try calling Chris Chelios and offer him a contract – he’ll do anything to get back in the league.
At the main entrance: Don Maloney is arguing with the security guard.
Maloney: I’m supposed to be in there! You’ve got to let me in!
Security: You said your name is Don Maloney? Your name isn’t on the list, buddy. Who are you, again?
Maloney: I’m the GM of the Phoenix Coyotes! Don’t you know who I am?
Security: No, never heard of you, sir. And these “Coyotes” aren’t even on the list of recognized NHL teams. You sure you’ve got the right place?
The rest of day one continued in a similar fashion. Most of day two was spent debating whether the Toronto Maple Leafs should retain veto power in all votes going forward. They won the vote, using the veto.
According to Head to The Net’s reliable sources, Canucks’ GM Mike Gillis placed a call to Peter Forsberg, who is in Sweden, over the weekend. The following is a transcript:
Mike Gillis: Peter, we really want you to come and play for the Canucks, and I have to stress that playing in Vancouver will be really simple.
Peter Forsberg: Simple? What do you mean?
MG: For starters, we already have 4 Swedish players on the team. Last year we had 5. We’ve made Swedish our official second language, so you don’t even need to learn English if you don’t want.
PF: I lived in North America for 15 years already, Mike. I know English pretty well.
MG: Just in case you forgot, Peter! Or maybe you never liked English! It’s all up to you.
PF: Yeah, sure. Anything else?
MG: Yes. The Olympic Games are in Vancouver in February in our very own back yard – you will live within walking distance of the rink.
PF: Won’t I have to stay in the athletes’ village anyways? All players do. Really, it won’t make a difference.
MG: Crap, you saw through that one. Ok, well don’t tell Roberto or the Sedins about this, it was one of my main selling points for their new contracts. But Peter, we did completely renovate the dressing room this year, it is amazing.
PF: Don’t you have a huge roadtrip both before and after the Olympics, because of all the preparation and take-down time? I’ll never get to spend any time there anyways.
MG: How do you know all of this stuff? Don’t tell me you read the newspaper! Most players hate reading and believe everything I tell them. Signing you could be a lot harder than I thought. I guess I won’t be telling you how mild our weather is, like I told Mats last year. Boy was he upset when he realized it never stops raining.
PF: Don’t worry, my other choice is Philadelphia. If anything is more dreary than Vancouver, that’s the place. I’ll probably just flip a coin when the time comes to decide. Good luck, Mike!
Oftentimes, Vancouver Canucks’ head coach, Alain Vigneault, will make decisions that leave us scratching our heads. Usually, however, his actions carry an underlying message. Here, we’re going to help you interpret some of his latest moves, in our new segment: “Reading between Coach V’s lines”.
What Coach V did: Defenseman Kevin Bieksa has been moved from defenseman to forward due to the many injuries that the Canucks are dealing with.
What he was thinking: “Since you love jumping into the offensive play without a thought to your defensive responsibilities, you can just play forward and forget about defense all together.”
What Coach V did: Kyle Wellwood was taken off the power play for the first two periods of Tuesday’s game.
What he was thinking: “I don’t care if you’re a ‘powerplay specialist,’ Kyle, if you keep giving the puck away you get to be a third line specialist."
(note, Wellwood played his way back onto the powerplay in the third period, and looked more motivated in his return)
What Coach V did: He demoted Sergei Shirokov from the Canucks to the minor league Manitoba Moose despite all the injuries and the Canucks’ desperate need for offense.
What he was thinking: "You seem to want to play like a kid, so you can just go play with the kids."
Yesterday morning, on his regular game day interview spot on the Team 1040, John Shorthouse was asked which Canuck will be this year’s Alex Burrows. Who will score all those clutch goals; make key plays when the team needs them most. His answer was that it had to be a collective effort, a team response. Don’t listen to him. The real answer to the question is Mikael Samuelson.
Brought in to fill the void left by Mats Sundin, Samuelson has had big shoes to fill. Yes, even Sundin detractors have to admit that he added an offensive dimension to the Canucks. On the powerplay Sundin was a force, he dominated the sideboards and rarely made an error, and his presence on the ice, even at even strength was formidable. Samuelson may not be as big as Sundin, or have the hands that seemed to settle down any puck in his vicinity, but he is apparently just as strong. Add to that the Swede’s skill – that was apparently underrated as he played on the third line on a very deep Detroit Red Wings team – and a tenaciousness that is second to none, and the Canucks have got themselves a gem.
Write this down: Mikael Samuelson will be an impact player for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2009-2010 season. Come playoffs, he will only get better, because he has been there with the NHL’s best organization many times and he has won. He knows what it takes, and he’s already shown that he’s prepared to bring it to each and every game.
While we’re talking about radio personalities, do note that Dave Tomlinson, Canucks analyst, predicted a 3-2 Vancouver win, directly before the game started.
Mikael Samuelsson:
Although registering a minus-3 against Columbus, Sammy looks like he will be a solid addition to the Canucks, and probably an upgrade on the inconsistent efforts of departed Mats Sundin. In each of the team’s three games, Samuelsson has elevated his game with the Canucks down in the third period, adding energy when it has been needed.
Powerplay Pointmen:
Last season, every time Sami Salo went down, which was too often, there appeared to be a lack of true powerplay point patrollers. With the addition of Christian Ehrhoff, an older, more confident Alex Edler, a healthy Salo, and Mathieu Schneider on his way back, the Canucks seem to have no shortage of defensemen who can dictate play as well as threaten PK units with blistering shots.
Mason Raymond:
Raymond has been working his butt off everytime he’s been on the ice, and considering he’s been carrying a line with the flu-ridden Kyle Wellwood, it hasn’t been easy. Against Columbus, he was promoted to the second line after rookie Sergei Shirokov played himself off it, and Raymond looked very comfortable, helping create a few quality scoring chances. One beauty was a pass to Samuelson in the slot, who unfortunately whiffed on the puck. Raymond will probably receive more second line playing time, and he will capitalize on it.
Only One Way To Go:
The Canucks could potentially lose even more games, with the upcoming stretch featuring strong teams in Montreal, Dallas, and Calgary, but one player who can’t possibly get any worse is Luongo. Yes, he is a chronic slow starter, but once he rebounds, we know that Lui will be incredible.
Heading into tonight’s matchup with the Flames, only two games remain in the Canucks preseason. For a select group of young Canucks, this is all the time they have to prove that they belong with the big club. Here’s a quick look at where spots are available:
Forward Lines:
1. Sedin Sedin Samuelson
2. Burrows Kesler Raymond
3. Bernier Wellwood --------
4. Hordichuk Johnson Rypien
-------
Though these lines may be interchanged, it is expected that all of these players will be on the team on October first. You can see that there are two spots available: one as a winger on the third line, and one as the seventh forward who might be carried by the club but will usually not dress for games.
Four players are vying for these two spots: Cody Hodgson, Sergei Shirokov, Michael Grabner, and Jannik Hansen. Let’s assume that the Canucks staff will be true to their word of choosing the team based on merit and not on contract complexities, which would add a completely different dimension. Which two will stay in Vancouver?
Hansen is the only player of the four with NHL experience, and he has demonstrated this in the preseason. He has shown consistency in his effort and the ability needed to play with the big boys, so it would be stunning if he’s not given one of the spots.
Conversely, Michael Grabner has almost played himself off the team by showing that he’s clearly not ready to make the jump from AHL to NHL. He hasn’t responded to pressure and he’s looked out of place, most of the time. Let’s count him out.
This leaves Cody Hodgson and Sergei Shirokov to fight over the last spot. Poor Hodgson has been battling a nagging back injury and hasn’t been able to play up to speed thus far. Shirokov, on the other hand, has looked marvelous, with 4 points in two games, but it should be noted that the first was played against a haphazard New York Islanders team in Terrace, B.C. Still, if Shirokov can work the same magic against Calgary and Edmonton, and Hodgson does nothing special, Shirokov will probably win.
But with two games remaining, anything can happen. Who knows, perhaps Grabner will score a hat trick, and Hodgson will set up all three goals. The youngsters hold their fate in their hands.
Note: This is being posted in lieu of Monday’s post, because it simply cannot wait!
Wellwood has always been the combination of a gifted hockey mind with the body of a couch potato. That is about to change, as this year he has come into training camp 17 pounds lighter than last year!
9. New and Improved Steve Bernier.
Bernier was the Canucks' “goat” last year, missing a ridiculous amount of scoring opportunities. He has worked on everything in the off-season, from foot-speed, to fitness, to pressure situations with the puck. We might finally see him reach his potential.
7. No slow start for Roberto Luongo
The knock on Luongo’s career thus far: slow starts to the season. With the pre-season Team Canada Orientation Camp taking place, and the starting job for the Olympics on the line, Luongo knows he has to be on form early. Pressure usually works in his favour.
6. Sergei Shirokov
No idea what to expect, but Tommy Larsheid has dubbed him the “Pocket Russian Rocket”, and he has looked great in the pre-season.
5. Cody Hodgson
Finally, the future of the Vancouver Canucks has arrived!
3. Demitra is injured
Not even getting into his softness as a player, the positive here is that young Hodgson, Shirokov, and Raymond will gain playing time and have a chance to show what they’ve got.
4. Christian Ehrhoff and Mathieu Schneider Replace Ohlund
We were worried when we lost Ohlund to free agency – our depth of offensive defensemen was low, considering Salo’s brittle body. With the arrival of Schneider and Ehrhoff, the Canucks’ blueline seems even better than it was last year.
2. Schedule Fixed
Finally, after three long seasons of playing too many divisional and conference games, the schedule has been fixed! This year we will see the Penguins, Capitals, and all 5 other Canadian teams at GM Place at least once.
1. Optimism
Not since late in the Brian Burke era, have Canucks fans felt so optimistic heading into a season. Back then, we had one of the league’s most offensive powerhouses, led by the “Westcoast Express” – Bertuzzi, Morrison, and Naslund – but no goaltending. With Luongo signed to a 12 year deal in the off-season, that will not be a problem for a long long time.
If you listen to Vancouver sports radio, or read the sports section in the Vancouver Sun or Province, you will realize that the city is in crisis mode. The BC Lions are 1-4 and everyone is calling for the head of GM/Head Coach Wally Buono. It is very reminiscent of what happened to Canucks Head Coach Alain Vigneault during a losing skid in January.
The Team 1040 Radio Station fields calls like, “I think Buono’s over the hill. He used to be good but he’s lost his passion.”
And, “Buono has always had a talented team and that’s why he’s done well. He can’t succeed without a very talented group.”
I’m not going to get into refuting these ideas, because there’s no need. The point I want to make is that the majority of radio callers are going to be negative and this is because of who they are. The hardcore sports fan is a blue collar worker, to whom the local sports team is most important. He or she does not have a very balanced approach to life and is from a largely uneducated segment of the population. As such, he lacks the scope to understand that a loss in any given week, or even 3 weeks in a row, is not the end of the world.
The Lions have over 20,000 season ticket holders, and the almost all of them attend every game in support of the local team. They understand that Coach Buono sports a 75-37-1 record as Lions Head Coach and is ranked second in the CFL in all-time wins with 227. They comprehend the idea of a rebuilding phase and a movement to younger players. It’s just too bad that instead of calling the radio, these people just sit back and listen, chuckling at the mindlessness of the comments and focusing on the more important parts of life.
The NHL arbitrator came to a decision on Thursday. Given the task of choosing a fair salary for Kyle Wellwood between the $1 million offer tabled by the Canucks and a number proposed by Wellwood and his agent Mike Liut that was slightly below the Canucks’ $1.57 million limit, the judge awarded him $1.2 million for one year of service.
From calculating the average salary of the 10 players closest to him in points per game (as I did in my previous post), the salary awarded would have been $1.13 million, a difference of only $70,000. Surely this supports my hypothesis that the salary awarded by an arbitrator is based on the market value of players with similar production. With this in mind, perhaps the entire process of arbitration, which is often painted with a negative brush as it forces teams to denigrate their players in a demoralizing fashion, is a waste of time and energy.
But no, it is good for the public to know and believe that more goes into a determination of salary than just stats. Unless the arbitrators would be willing to perform an independent study on each player in question, the streamlined process will not be going anywhere in the near future.
I am writing this Tuesday post in lieu of Wednesday’s this week because today, Kyle Wellwood is having his hearing with the NHL salary arbitrator. Wellwood, his agent, Canucks’ assistant GM Laurence Gillman, the judge, and several other officials will sit in a room as the two sides present cases supporting their proposed numbers.
It won’t be pretty. The Canucks will likely bring up Wellwood’s well-publicized fitness issues, his 21 game goal scoring draught, and his paltry 9 assists for a supposed “playmaker”. Basically, his team will tell him how bad he is, and why he is worth no more than the 1M qualifying offer they placed.
My question is, when the judge deliberates, how much will all of these arguments affect the final number he produces? Will he not simply look at the salaries of other NHL players who had similar production in the past season, and create a number based on that?
In order to answer this question, I have calculated what Wellwood’s salary would be based on the 10 NHL forwards closest to him in production – based on points per game. I have discarded the highest and lowest salary out of those 10, so the number is based on 8 players.
Troy Brower: $ 700,000 0.38 PPG
Radek Bonk: $ 1,350,000 0.38 PPG
Mike Grier: $ 1,775,000 0.37 PPG
Daniel Paille: $ 900,000 0.37 PPG
Josh Bailey: $ 875,000 0.37 PPG
KYLE WELLWOOD: 0.36 Points Per Game
Kyle Calder: $ 2,700,000 0.36 PPG
Mikkel Boedker: $ 875,000 0.36 PPG
Chris Stewart: $ 850,000 0.36 PPG
Maxim Lapierre: $ 575,000 0.35 PPG
Alexander Steen: $ 1,700,000 0.35 PPG
Average salary based on 8 players: $ 1,128,125.
The Canucks have placed a limit on what they will pay, and if the judge awards Wellwood more than $ 1.57M, they will not pay and he will be free to sign with another team. The salary ruling shall come no later than 48 hours after the hearing - by Thursday. Stay tuned.
The readers loved reading about the inside dealings between Shane O’Brien’s agent, Larry Kelly, and Mike Gillis, so we’ve decided to add some more posts that have been caught by our hidden microphones. The following is a conversation between Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM Brian Burke, and assistant GM Dave Nonis, captured two days before the 2009 Entry Draft.
Brian Burke: Dave, do you know which of our player acquisitions I consider to be our best move so far?
Dave Nonis: Which one, boss?
BB: Getting Brad May from the Ducks.
DN: Really? I didn’t think he was that amazing last year. He only had 7 points.
BB: That doesn’t matter! Anytime we have success with any of my ex-Canucks, it is vindication for us!
DN: Oh, ok. I think I get it.
BB: So Dave, who’s going to be available as free agents this year.
DN: Well, there’s Marian Hossa, Marian Gaborik, Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev, Mike Cammalleri…
BB: Boring, keep going.
DN: Brian Gionta, Martin Havlat, Mike Komisarek, Brendan Morrison…
BB: STOP! Brendan Morrison is available? One of my Canucks! Let’s sign him!
DN: Do you think he’s still valuable?
BB: Dave, I traded for B. Mo years ago, and I am always right about talent. His best years are still to come, you’ll see. Everyone will see!
DN: Ok, what should we offer? I think he might sign for $1 million since there are no offers on the table.
BB: What? No way, we should offer at least $5 million.
DN: But boss, he only had 31 points last season, and he’s injury prone.
BB: Are you kidding? When we sign him for $5 million, those Vancouver idiots will realize what they missed out on, and they’ll wish they had never fired me! Just like when we signed Bertuzzi for $4.5 million in Anaheim! That sure showed them.
DN: Ok… if you say so boss.
BB: Absolutely. So is anyone else available?
DN: Well, since you like Canucks so much, if they don’t manage to sign them, the Sedin twins will be available on July 1st.
BB: WHAT!? The greatest draft move ever! Pulled off by none other than yours truly. We must get them! Oh, I love the taste of sweet revenge! Forget the draft, we’re flying to Sweden to talk to them!
DN: But sir, the Leafs are in a rebuilding phase, why would we sign two premier scoring forwards right now? Isn’t that a little premature in the process?
BB: Dave, have you understood nothing so far? Have you read our mission statement lately? After “To create a team that fosters excellence on the ice.” I added, “while showing up the Vancouver Canucks.”
DN: But boss, what happened to forgiving and forgetting?
BB: For-who and for-what? Never heard of it. Now get the plane ready, we’re going to Sweden!
