Canucks In The Offseason 2010

[italian_stallion21]

I know its the day after, but what needs to be done to make that next step? With Luo, the Sedin's, Kes and Burrows all locked up long term there's not much up front to tinker with other than hoping Grabner, Hodgson and Schroeder can make an impact. Keep Wellwood, even if its just for the playoffs, I'd say he was our most consistent performer. Defensively is obviously where improvement is needed, with Mitchell most likely done and not being able to rely on Salo being healthy. O'Brien made some nice strides but Bieksa went backwards.

 

[johnnybluenose]

I don't know if the next step to be taken means we have a shot at a cup.

Next Years Cap is 56.8 Schmill.

The Nucks have under contract, for a total of 45,008,333, The Twins, Kesler, Burrows, Samuelsson, Bernier, Hordichuk, Rypien, Grabner, Bieksa, Salo, Edler, Ehrhoff, Alberts, and Luongo.

By my math Gillis has 11 mill and change to resign RFA's : Raymond, Hansen, Glass, O'Brien, Corey Schneider, Eric Walsky, and Rome

The UFA's are: Raycroft, Demitra, Mitchell, Lukowich, Pettinger, Bolduc, Johnson, and Wellwood.

Prospects under contract in Junior or Farm are: Hodgson, Schroeder, Shirokov, Oberg, Ellington, Tochkin, and Kevin Connaughton.

I'd like to think they could resign Raymond, O'Brien (Who I thought was really good in the playoffs when called on for a more important role), Johnson or Wellwood, and hope that one of, or both, Hodgson and Schroeder are ready to make a step, otherwise the cap will take it's toll on the ability to have depth, something the Nucks thought they had, but ran out of come injuries.

 

[johnnybluenose]

FYI: Here's a list of the UFA's coming down the pipe for July 1.
2010 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents by Position | NHL Free Agency | 2010 NHL Free Agents

The two guys on that list that jump out at me that I think would/could help on D are Shaone Morissonn and Dan Hamhuis (although I think he will get silly money from someone else.)

 

[italian_stallion21]

The cap room does scare me for next year, but that's why we NEED to have the young kids step up. Look at the last few Stanley Cup winners, almost all of them are because of cheap, good youth with established veterans. Could you imagine what the Canucks would look like if Hodgson and Schroeder could play like Kane and Toews? Not a bad lineup we'd have going.

Would love to see Hamhuis, he's been on my Canuck's wish list since the start of the year but I think you're right about the crazy money. Maybe he'll take a little less to play here? Wishful thinking.

 

[Dude]

Man, I'm so tired of this same conversation every May.

First, I will say I like Gillis, and nearly all his moves. Especially his big moves in locking down key players.

I liked the Luongo trade when it happened; I liked Noonis' first signing, and liked the extension.

That said, Lou has not impressed me one bit this year. He wasn't the reason Canada won Gold, he was just good enough. He's been shitty since, and last night's meltdown is not confidence inspiring.

I think Schneider can develop into one of the best 20 goalies in the league, given the chance, and we won't be any further down the hole than now. Heck, with time in the show, he may just become a top 10 or top 5 tender, and that seems to be all a team needs in the playoffs these days.

If you can find any takers for Lou, get whatever assets you can for him, and go after those 3 or 4 impact players we need to get to the next level.

 

[freddy]

I think Schneider can develop into one of the best 20 goalies in the league

Heck, why not just shoot for being one of the best 30 goalies in the league?

 

[Dude]

Heck, why not just shoot for being one of the best 30 goalies in the league?

We've already got one that is about the 24th best, don't we want to be better?

BTW...look up "sarcasm". It may help.

 

[freddy]

BTW...look up "sarcasm". It may help.

Uh, I think I got that one down pat

 

[Dude]

I see what you did there.

Maybe I need my dunce cap back from Kjohn.

 

[The Franchise]

Anyone who thinks Loungo is the problem with this team is on glue! (insert Dude here)

Fire the coach bring someone in that has even a inkling of fire in the system as coach V is to passive and cant get the job done and for fuk sakes get rid Beiska!

Its funny cause I have seen ghost's for the last few months I call them Kesler and Burrows.

When your best player is Wellwood in front of Loungo..we have problems!

 

[italian_stallion21]

I think we should trade for Dion Phaneuf.

 

[The Franchise]

U should trade for Phaneuf....he wouldnt let guys run Loungo....bunch or pussys on the canuck d.....literally with Salo

 

[italian_stallion21]

U should trade for Phaneuf....he wouldnt let guys run Loungo....bunch or pussys on the canuck d.....literally with Salo

I personally would love to see Phaneuf try and do anything to Byfuglien. Unfortunately the 50+ lbs he gives up may cause too much of a problem. But we do need to do something.

 

[bulljive]

I personally would love to see Phaneuf try and do anything to Byfuglien. Unfortunately the 50+ lbs he gives up may cause too much of a problem. But we do need to do something.

Yes because Byfuglien rips apart every team in the league. Notice last year he only really performed against Vancouver as well. Our Defense in't good enough, physical enough, anything enough. The rules in the NHL have changed in such a way that a fat guy can stand in front and nobody can do anything, kind of pathetic actually.

Luongo isn't our only problem Franchise but he gets paid to steal games, I don't care what his cap hit is, he gets paid like a top top top player in this league. He is a pretty good goaltender, that's it. I have never seen a Halak type performance, or a crosby type impact from him, that's what I expect from the hype, his ego and his contract. He is full of himself and can't back it up.

Wellwood is our best playoff performer, however he isn't the type of player we need. We may need to part with guys like that for grinders who can shut down another teams top end and beat them down physically. Did we even lay a hit in game 6. Bieksa played well enough in game 5 that we may be able to trade him for what we need. our third and fourth line need to be rebuild for a playoff run and our Defense needs 2 more solid performers. Won't be easy, I hope their is a place for Welly because I like the guys attitude but we will see.

 

[dutch13]

Isn't Kesler one of the best shutdown forwards in the game? Wish he hadn't disappeared when the playoffs started. If we changed up our 3rd line, we would have had zero lines doing anything in that last game, I don't know why we dress a 4th line when they get 2 minutes per game.

Honestly, dropping Ohlund in the off season hurt us. He is the kind of defender we really could have used, and depended on in these playoffs.

I still am not impressed with the coach. I think the only reason we got as far as we did was pressure from Gillis. Vigneault never seems inspired and I don't think he made the right calls sticking with players like Demitra and Bernier, over some of the talent we had coming from the minors. At least those guys would play inspired hockey.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Just regroup for another season of failure next year. Go Canucks.

 

[heanjob]

Isn't Kesler one of the best shutdown forwards in the game? Wish he hadn't disappeared when the playoffs started. If we changed up our 3rd line, we would have had zero lines doing anything in that last game, I don't know why we dress a 4th line when they get 2 minutes per game.

Honestly, dropping Ohlund in the off season hurt us. He is the kind of defender we really could have used, and depended on in these playoffs.

I still am not impressed with the coach. I think the only reason we got as far as we did was pressure from Gillis. Vigneault never seems inspired and I don't think he made the right calls sticking with players like Demitra and Bernier, over some of the talent we had coming from the minors. At least those guys would play inspired hockey.

Apparently, Kesler popped his shoulder hitting Kopitar in game 4 of LA series. He was listless against Chicago-big reason for no push when we needed it.

Ohlund? He would of put us over the cap. And I seem to remember how slow he and Mitchell were last year against the Hawks.

We will be better next year. I think there is a plan that is gonna work long term.

 

[johnnybluenose]

The only qualms I have had with the coaching staff is the amount of ice time given to the twins still isn't enough. Their line is dominant enough that a coach shouldn't worry about who is being matched up against them. The only bright thing AV did in this playoffs was to put them out there after every icing the other team committed.

That last game saw large stretches without a Sedin sighting... scary to leave a hart candidate on the bench in favor of Kesler or Wellwood regardless of how good or poor the play is from all involved. You'd never see Washington or Pittsburgh do that with their Hart Candidates...

 

[italian_stallion21]

Yeah, that was a big piss off for me from AV. If you have the Art Ross winner in your lineup, you shouldn't have to worry about who they go out against, they should be able to dominate anyone. AV was to preoccupied with keeping them away from Keith and Seabrook to get them the minutes they should have.

 

[Dancin Bear]

If you have your goalie, saviour, captain say after the gubbing, 'I kept it under 7 this time, so improvement was made', you really shouldn't expect too much.

And no, I don't believe for a second that I need to look up sarcasm.

Men and boys.