Canucks In The Offseason

[johnnybluenose]

hammerhead, with all due respect, the one thing the Canucks could have used was a bit more help on the PP, especially with Mr. Glass Sami Salo always hurting. Without Salo the Nucks on the PP are what Tony Gallagher lovingly refers to as a "Whimpering Wreck"

another point of contention was how slow the Nucks D looked vs the young speedy hawks. Niedermayers footspeed would be a welcome addition.

By my Math the Nucks have approx 32/33 mill committed with Johnson, Kesler, Demitra, Burrows, Hodgson, Bernier, Hordichuk, Raymond, Edler, Bieksa, Mitchell, Salo, and Luongo.

Cap will be roughly the same as this year. I have seen as high as 59 million, and as low as 56 reported in various places. Let's say it remains the same (56.7) Leaves you 23.7 Mill if your hit is 33 with the above players.
Sedins @ 6 each leaves you 11.7
O'Brien Re ups at 1.25 leaves you 10.45
Hansen re ups at 500k leaves you at 9.95
Wellwood walks or his rights are traded
re sign Rypien at 750k leaves you 9.2

That gives you 5 D Men, 1 Goalie, and 12 forwards. You'd need 1 Forward, 1 Dman, and 1 tender.

4.5 to Scott Niedermayer
1.25 to Rob Niedermayer
1.0 for a backup tender
Cap Space: 2.45 in leftover space and your team looks roughly like this:

Sedin - Sedin - Burrows
Bernier - Kesler - Demitra
Raymond - Hodgson - Niedermayer
Hordichuk - Johnson - Hansen/Rypien

Niedermayer - Bieksa
Salo - Mitchell
Edler - O'Brien

Luongo
Some plug backup for 1 mill or less

And with 2.45 to play with you could try to upgrade on Bernier and drop him to the third line, dropping others.

Guys for the wing that could be had for around 2 million or less:
Ian Laperriere
PJ Axelsson
Stephane Veilleux
Chad Larose
Mark Recchi (who missed Scott Niedermayer in Kamloops by 1 season)
many many more.

EDIT: Also along with Wellwood's RFA Rights, if you get the feeling Roberto Luongo is going to stay at reasonable money, you can trade the asset in Corey Schneider.

Wellwood and Schneider together may fetch a decent return from a team trying to shed cap moneys and looking for a tender (prospect of otherwise) ie: Philly.

 

[bergamascho]

Jesus man, you think things right through eh?

 

[Dude]

JBN, if TTP is lucky, I may one day even use all my big words in one post. It would be a virtual grammatical cacophony.

 

[Stepchild]

Back to the Gaborik thing, I don't think anyone has mentioned the close relationship between Demitra and Gaborik......plus, don't they share the same agent? Not sure on last comment, but too lazy to look it up........JBN will fill us in. I also know that the relationship between Gaboriks agent and the Wild was over long ago, thus some bad blood.
I can see that happen, those 2 were great when healthy in Min. Offer him a decent pay with loaded incentives now that he has been through surgery.

 

[italian_stallion21]

Back to the Gaborik thing, I don't think anyone has mentioned the close relationship between Demitra and Gaborik......plus, don't they share the same agent? Not sure on last comment, but too lazy to look it up........JBN will fill us in. I also know that the relationship between Gaboriks agent and the Wild was over long ago, thus some bad blood.
I can see that happen, those 2 were great when healthy in Min. Offer him a decent pay with loaded incentives now that he has been through surgery.

Gabby did look great after the surgery, and he said it was the only time he's ever felt healthy. Why not take a chance? Though I'd rather have Niedermayer on the blueline and take a chance that Grabner could step up.

 

[johnnybluenose]

I have a bit of info from a source, a former teammate of both Gaborik and Demitra.

Demitra and Gaborik are close, how close is anyone's guess. Gillis WAS Demitra's agent, I don't know who Gaborik's is. I think it is probably more likely Gaborik would rather team with Hossa than Demitra, just due to Demitra's age...

I also know that Gaborik and Demitra are also very close to a few other slovaks in the league, notably the Hossa brothers, and Branko Radivojevic (I think I spelled that right ?)

I'm not sure any team in the NHL will be taking on the term and $ that both Gaborik and Hossa will demand, Radivojevic and Marcel Hossa are both in the KHL now.

The Leafs look like they may have the space, the Nucks might if the twins walk. There aren't many other teams that I suspect will spend to the cap, that will be competitive enough to lure these guys...

I'd agree with Stallion, it is more likely to see the Twins re sign and the nucks go after both Niedermayers or just Scott plus ring Grabner along (He is now tearing it up down in the AHL Playoffs) than it is to see Gaborik here.

I'd like to see him here, but who knows.

Also don't rule out him returning to the Wild. Risebrough and Lemaire are finally done in Minny. They have 11 forwards, 5 D, and Two tenders under contract for 43.2 Mill next year. If they spend to the cap they could try to lure both Hossa and Gaborik back with a promise of Free and Open Hockey. they have Backstrom in net, Burns, Zidlicky, Johnsson, and Schultz on D (Which is nothing to sneeze at)

If they have 13.5 Mill to spend on one or two forwards and a Dman, they could attempt to resign Gabby and sign Hossa... That would be a scary team to play in the Nucks Division

 

[Taxman]

... and what do you do when Salo and Rypien get injured after the first game ? Demitra is a pylon and should be gone - a cheap young player could replace him.

 

[johnnybluenose]

When players are hurt and "On the shelf" their cap hit per day stops counting, therefore callups etc.

 

[Rodzilla]

I would much rather see wellwood then rob niedermayer next year, but you may need rob to get scott....

As for Luongo, everyone forgets he stunk down the stretch 2 years ago as well. but he got a free pass cause of his wife's pregnancy.

A 3rd try would be Cloutier material. Trade him for Carey Price, P.K. Subban (offensive D-man for canada world jr's) and a 1st rounder. The canucks would have 2 up and coming goalies, A high end d-prospect to replace Bourdon, and 2 1st rounders to help shore things up in the youth department.

Montreal would pay a premium for a french goalie, especially if they don't get lecavalier, Gainey needs a splash to save his job, and Luongo, Lecavalier or both would do it; and they have the fewest dollars committed for next year. Hope that doesn't mean they're looking at danny and hank....

 

[Dial 9-1-1]

I can't believe how easy the Wings are making it look against the Hawks. They've taken the edge right out of the Hawks game. I guess a potent power play and D-men who aren't afraid to take a hit (or give one) has made all the difference. If Ohlund steps into Kane in game 6 like Kronwall did to Havlat, that game never would have ended up like it did.

 

[The Franchise]

I would much rather see wellwood then rob niedermayer next year, but you may need rob to get scott....

As for Luongo, everyone forgets he stunk down the stretch 2 years ago as well. but he got a free pass cause of his wife's pregnancy.

A 3rd try would be Cloutier material. Trade him for Carey Price, P.K. Subban (offensive D-man for canada world jr's) and a 1st rounder. The canucks would have 2 up and coming goalies, A high end d-prospect to replace Bourdon, and 2 1st rounders to help shore things up in the youth department.

Montreal would pay a premium for a french goalie, especially if they don't get lecavalier, Gainey needs a splash to save his job, and Luongo, Lecavalier or both would do it; and they have the fewest dollars committed for next year. Hope that doesn't mean they're looking at danny and hank....

Now I have seen it all.....Corey Price is f-ing terriable, he is the most overrated tender of two years ago....did you not see him down the stretch and playoffs...I wouldn't trade him for Hordichuck.

MOntreal players

 

[Rodzilla]

It's Carey, not Corey, Price; he's 21, what he did below was 2 years ago, you don't think he has potential still? He's cheap and would have the pressure to share with Cory Schneider.

2006-2007 Tri-City Americans WHL 46 2,722 30 13 1 111 1,340 3 2.45 .917
2006-2007 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 2 117 1 1 0 3 59 0 1.53 .949
2006-2007 Canada WJC-A 6 370 6 0 0 7 179 2 1.14

The canadiens were awful this year, and it's hard to blame 21 year old keeper. I'll bet at 24 he'll be the shite.

Luongo's rookie season @ 20yrs old

1999-00 NYI 24 1292 7 14 1 70 730 1 3.25 .904

Price rookie season @ 20yrs old

2007-2008 Canadiens 41 2,413 24 12 3 103 1,282 3 2.56 .920


He'd make at the very least a good combo with schneider, and a good asset if they both pan out in the next couple years. it would also be 6 million to be spent elsewhere.
from johnny bluenose's numbers above, that could make room for Neidermayer and Bouwmeester @ 6/7 mill. Price should still be on his entry level contract.

 

[johnnybluenose]

Yes Rod.

Yet your have to be wary of signing up too many guys needing raises the year after.

Kesler will need one, in your hypothetical so will Price, So will Raymond and Schneider.

Then the cap is also projecting to trend down for the 10/11 season, as low as 49 mill...

 

[Rodzilla]

Yes Rod.

Yet your have to be wary of signing up too many guys needing raises the year after.

Kesler will need one, in your hypothetical so will Price, So will Raymond and Schneider.

Then the cap is also projecting to trend down for the 10/11 season, as low as 49 mill...

This is true, but you'd have Neidermeyer on a 1 year contract at best with his age and past retirement ideas, and the following year Salo, Mitchell and Demitra will be off the books, and they combine for over 11 million. They'd need some youth ready to go for the following year to replace the
3 cheaply, but i'd bet only Mitchell would have a chance at staying the year after, and Salo possibly if he is healthy for a change next year, HA!
Mind you Mitchell was not so good vs Chicago.......
And this is all a mute point without the twins taking lower deals then they might get elsewhere. If they want 14 mill.......

 

[Dude]

And this is all a mute point without the twins taking lower deals then they might get elsewhere. If they want 14 mill.......

I don't think it'll be that quiet around here if the Twins sign elsewhere.

 

[Hands of Stone]

Burkie brought them to Vancouver, I can see him making a push for them, they may not want to stick around if Lou doesn't sign an extension, but I love the fact we are going after Scott and Rob, but will they get us to the cup? We have no young guys in the sings except Hodgson. If the twins want to leave, I am sure that our GM will find a way to keep this team strong with free agents, we have the money to spend. If you want out, I say let them go, ya you would want some compensation, but that is not the way it goes any more.

 

[Dial 9-1-1]

The Canucks better be prepared to break the bank with the Sedins considering what Kovalev and Komisarek are requesting. Komisarek is the type of D-man this team needs, but no way is he worth 6 million per.

Canadiens offer Kovalev captaincy, according to Russian reports

 

[italian_stallion21]

We signed the Ripper for 2 years, not bad considering the guessed price tag of $600K per, especially if he's healthy.

 

[Rodzilla]

We have no young guys in the sings except Hodgson.

Grabner is really looking like he may have a future, he had 2 goals and one assist in the first Calder cup game saturday night

 

[SCK]

Remember...it is the minors and not the big dance. I think he has been up with the canucks and if I remember correctly didn't do squat.