Canucks Preseason Schedule and Camp

[johnnybluenose]

Nucks prospects have been going all week and had their first game of the year last night in the 3 team mini tourney with the Coilers prospects and U of A Golden Bears.

Last night the Nucks got 2 goals each from Kellan Tochkin and Kevin Connaughton to win 4-3. Canucks Report - Vancouver Canucks - News

The only one in this group with any shot of making the big team is probably Sergei Shirokov who had a huge hit (according to the link above) and two helpers with a +2 rating.

Supposedly tonights PS Game with the Coilers prospects is availble on streaming on the Nucks website.

As far as the Nucks, you have all probably seen heard that both Hodgson and Demitra are hurt right now. Not good news for them, but good news for Shirokov and maybe Michael Grabner.

Still waiting for Gillis to pull off a trade involving Bieksa and another Dman to get another forward...

Perhaps a little Bieksa, Demitra, Raymond, and Corey Schneider for Dany Heatley, Chris Campoli, and a 2nd or 3rd rounder? Math works, Ottawa needs Dmen and we offload Demitra?

Probably would never happen but the Canucks could use moving a dman and getting in a true top 6 forward as Demitra is not going to cut it. I'd rather see Gillis bury him in the minors or LTIR than have his 4.0 count towards our cap.

 

[fat monkey]

Makes no sense as both teams have Cap problems. Heatley's salary can only go to a team that is significantly under the cap, even if they dump a portion of the salary (such as Penner's $4 million, which was the original plan) the other way. Then both consider it a win-win.

It would be nice to have Heatley here, but it will never happen.

 

[Regs]

Rumour: Sundin for 1 year @ $2M

 

[girth]

I guess just plop him on the powerplay for 2 mill?
He can't keep up 5 on 5 so is this a good thing??? ...time will tell.

 

[johnnybluenose]

The young buck Nucks lost 6-3 to the young buck Coilers last night.
Former Giant Mario Bliznak, Dusty Collins, and Steve Anthony all had one goal.

The report says 10 players from this camp will make main camp.

I'd suggest they are probably Prab Rai, Kellan Tochkin, Mario Bliznak, Sergei Shirokov, Cody Hodgson, Kevin Connaughton, Eric Walsky, Evan Oberg, Taylor Ellington and Yann Sauve.

 

[johnnybluenose]

Anyone catching this "Hockeyville" game on Sportsnet?

1-0 First Intermission with a Sergei Shirokov goal for the Nucks.

The teams are brutal... Wellwood and O'Brien are the best Nucks there, although ROnald Petrovicky is playing for the Nucks

It IS cool though to see these pros playing in a rink with only 6 or 7 rows of stands... actually it is very cool. It reminds me of hanging out around Moody Park arena in New West back in the summers of my youth hoping to get a chance at a Greg Adams, Linden, Lidster, Sakic, McLean, or Ronning autograph... all which were achieved there

 

[johnnybluenose]

If Jannick Hansen keeps playing like this and Shirokov keeps playing this Hansen will be making 80k this year and Shirokov will be making that per payday...

You know the Hockey is bad when O'Brien looks like the best player on the ice by a large margin...

My buddy says the NHL Changed the rules and you now need only 8 NHL "veterans" which can explain why Ronald Petrovicky and Dave Scatchard are playing for the Nucks and the only "Vets" for the Nucks are Raycroft, O'Brien, Wellfed, Hansen, Rypien, and Baumgartner...

 

[johnnybluenose]

Shirokov again, 2-1 now... Sick goal.

 

[D13]

this guy looks like he might be a player, going to be tough to keep him off the opening day roster.

 

[SCK]

They've got some tough decisions to make especially on D. Much deeper this year and it could pay off if some guys get hurt....not sure what the top line will be though??

 

[hammerhead]

not sure what the top line will be though??

Im guessing it will be at least 66% swedish.....

 

[johnnybluenose]

66.67 to be exact, could even be 100%

Isn't tonight the first real PS game? (hockeyville was like watching paint dry)

Battles have to be between:
Burrows vs Samuelsson (Who pairs twins)
Raymond vs Shirokov (Who gets third line and who goes to the Moose)
Hodgson vs Wellwood (Who plays centre other than Hank, Kesler, & Johnson)
Hansen vs Hordichuk (Who plays 4th line and who plays healthy scratch)
Demitra vs Injury Bug (Mr Glass needs to be waived imho)
Ehrhoff vs Edler (PP qb for the second unit after Matthieu Schneider)
Obrien vs Lukowich (Who plays Rob Davison this year)
and obviously/finally Schneider vs Raycroft (Difference between 80k a year and 80k a payday)

 

[Kevin Hector]

IMO this has to be one of the depest pre-season rosters in some time. what a battle on Defense to see who going to make it. can't wait for the season to start. what a nice looking team with real prospects.

 

[hammerhead]

I get the impression that noone is really expecting Burrows to repeat his performance from last year, so I wont be surprised to see him in his old role and Samuelsson playing with the twins

Will Hodgson benefit from 3rd line minutes on the big team over 1st line minutes on the farm? I expect he will play to his 9 game max and then spend at least some time in Manitoba

I still think Cory Schneider is trade bait.....especially if they need to make cap room once Demitra comes off the IR

 

[johnnybluenose]

KH: I agree, no donkeys here, just no superstars either
hammerhead:
1) Hodgson cannot go to Manitoba, he is still eligible to play CHL/OHL therefore he HAS to go play there if the Nucks cannot use him. The Youngest players allowed to play in the AHL are 20 year olds. He plays 9 with the Nucks and then would be forced to Brampton again if AV can't use him here.
2) Schneider is worthless until he demonstrates to the rest of the NHL he can do it. He will have to play 8-12 games this year and really impress to get any sort of value back unless a team gets railroaded with Goalie injuries and has cap issues imho.

 

[johnnybluenose]

best case for CoHo is that he makes this team as the defacto 3rd line centre with PP and PK time to boost minutes, otherwise he might fall into the Mike Peca trap of being typecast into a defensive role and forget how ot put the points up.

worst case for this year is another year to play huge minutes in the OHL after 9 games in the NHL, Captain the WJHC Canada team to a gold medal, and then hit the Moose for playoff time again. If he doesn't make the Nucks he could play 90+ competitive games this year.
9 with the Nucks
50 R.S. games with Brampton
approx 20 games in P.O.'s with Battalion
5-10 games with Moose
5-7 games at WJHC

 

[Dude]

I get the impression that noone is really expecting Burrows to repeat his performance from last year, so I wont be surprised to see him in his old role and Samuelsson playing with the twins

I get the same feeling. What have you done for me lately?

One thing everyone does is underestimate Burrows. Always have. This is no doubt a slap in the face to him...to bring in a guy who has never scored as many goals as Burrows in one NHL season to take the spot he earned, simply because he showed a little chemistry w/ the sisters at the National level?

You know what Burrows if thinking: "It's on like Donkey Kong." He will out compete Samuelsson in camp, and at the first chance of him flaming out on the 1st line, Burrows will run w/ the opportunity and pick-up where he left off.

 

[johnnybluenose]

agree with you Dood, even though you can't help us Saturday night.

Burrows will outcompete almost anyone in the NHL at anything... That being said if the Nucks and AV think they need an energy line, him with the Twins are not that, and an energy line in Vancouver has no energy unless one Alex Burrows is on it.

 

[Dude]

Catch 22. . The need for an "Energy" line becomes moot if you have scorring over at least two lines. Last year, the "Energy" line was arguably the 2nd line, since the true second line was ineffective. When Kesler and Burrows were split, well...we all know the rest.

 

[johnnybluenose]

and knowing is half the battle.

I can't see the top 3 lines being too far from

Sedin- Sedin- Burrows/Samuelsson
Bernier- Kesler- Burrows/Samuelsson
Shirokov/Raymond- Hodgson/Wellwood- Parrish/Wellwood/Raymond