Critically Canuck

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Like all members of Canuck Nation, we here at Critically Canuck have suffered a long time. We will not die happily unless the Stanley Cup makes its way to Stanley Park. Here you'll get the straight goods on our heroes. With both feet on the bandwagon, we will, however, pull no punches. As long time season ticket holders, that's our prerogative. Expect analytical insight with a strong sense of history. We'll ask the tough questions. And answer them. Enjoy. Ask me anything Submit

May 9, 2013

End of Season Canuck Player Commentary

As we begin yet another summer of our discontent, we present our annual player-by-player commentary, an invaluable reference as the post mortem begins:

Alex Edler (signed through 2019) - In scoring the go-ahead goal in game four’s short lived comeback, Edler finally delivered - but it’s not nearly enough to compensate for a brutal playoff showing and another mediocre regular season. For a team that must make changes, Edler should be a prime candidate to be moved in an off-season trade (before a no movement clause kicks in). Or if he stays, might benefit from the confidence of a different coaching staff.

Kevin Bieksa (signed through 2016) - Bieksa is really a microcosm of the entire team - undisciplined at times, oft injured, a fierce competitor when it matters most but physically under sized for the style of game that makes him most effective. Despite his ridiculous soap-box whining between games 3 and 4, arguably the Canuck with the most character and likely to stay put no matter what.

Andrew Alberts (unrestricted free agent) - While his higher paid colleagues on the Canuck blue-line are performing their playoff best purse swinging, you can always count on Alberts to throw his considerable weight around. And in a Western Conference that now places more emphasis on girth than footspeed, his value has increased, but the Canucks will have little to spend this off-season.

Mason Raymond (unrestricted free agent) - Popular misconception is that Raymond has never recovered from the devastating back injury in the Stanley Cup Final 2 seasons ago. Fact is he sucked the entire season before that. While many were impressed by his jump in game 4, it was typical Raymond - flash and dash with little result. As a free agent, he should be gone. If only it had been sooner.

Keith Ballard (signed through 2015) - The finances dictate that he can’t stay here any longer and will be bought out. Despite a ravaged blue line at many points during his three year stay here, he could never get the confidence of coach AV. And now it’s too late. A wasted resource here with blame for the player, coach and general manager. Time to move on, already.

Alex Burrows (signed through 2017) - It’s impossible to question his work ethic. It is easy to question his hands - his conversion rate of chances to goals makes us long for the days of Anson Carter. And no matter what, he can never shake the reputation bestowed upon him costing the Canucks far too many shorthanded situations. Like Edler, he’s a player that could fetch something on the trade market.

Ryan Kesler (signed through 2016) - For the 3rd period of game 2 versus San Jose, it appeared that the vintage Kesler had miraculously resurrected himself. But it didn’t last. As much as he’s often the heart and soul of this team, you sometimes wonder whether he really wants to be here. You’d think playing hockey for a living should be fun.

Roberto Luongo (signed through eternity) - Yes, Luongo was the Canucks’ best player for most of games 1 and 2. Except for the most important parts of the games when he got a little leaky. He will be gone before training camp though with only a bag of pucks in return.

Cory Schneider (signed through 2015) - In the regular season, was the MVP and is seemingly the centrepiece of the organization moving forward. But you have to wonder about the way he finished games 3 and 4 - were there lingering effects of an injury or was he collapsing under the pressure? We’ve another year to find out.

Chris Tanev (restricted free agent) - With the collective poor play of the defense during this playoff run in his absence, his continued growth will be vital next season. He’s due for a raise, like there is room for that.

Maxim Lapierre (unrestricted free agent) - Along with Kesler and Burrows, the player most responsible for the Canucks’ horrid reputation with the NHL officials. Does he provide enough value otherwise to compensate for that?

Jordan Schroeder (restricted free agent) - With Cody Hodgson now long gone, he represents the only Gillis draft pick to see measurable minutes at the NHL level and while he proved serviceable, there was little demonstrated to indicate that he’s capable of a top six forward role. He’s undersized for anything else.

Andrew Ebbett (unrestricted free agent) - It’s hard to imagine that any team with Stanley Cup aspirations would consider having a spot for a player like Ebbett. He’s a real indictment of how far the depth of the Canucks’ forward crew has slipped in recent years. There’s little to choose between him and Schroeder, except the latter’s youth.

Chris Higgins (signed through 2017) - Having bounced around the league before recently securing a long term deal here, it’s hard to imagine that he’s going anywhere. For the most part, he’s the kind of player the Canucks need more of. Here’s hoping that the security of his new contract doesn’t dull his inspiration.

Derek Roy (unrestricted free agent) - Likely to sign a contract elsewhere, becoming perhaps the worst deadline acquisition in Canuck history - and that is saying something. I suppose we should have seen this coming. When a team in dire need of size and grit adds a pint-sized play-maker instead, you get a first round sweep as a result. This move alone should require Mike Gillis to return his 2011 GM of the Year award. At least, Ryan Kesler doesn’t have to pout about playing on the wing any more.

Dan Hamhuis (signed through 2016) - The Canucks’ steadiest defensive defender had a difficult playoff. And we still don’t get why he sees any power play minutes. Despite that, he remains Mike Gillis’ most successful free agent signing. And after 5 years, that is not saying much.

Henrik Sedin (signed through 2014) - We’re at the point now where their continued playoff struggles cannot be defended. For this team to move forward with greater aspirations, they can’t be counted upon as the first line unit. It’s as simple as that.

Daniel Sedin (signed through 2014) - Yes, the boarding call was a joke. But the series was effectively over at that point with the Sedins having failed to deliver prominently in the post-season again. They can and, likely, will stay. But they need replacing as the go-to guys. Where’s that Cody Hodgson?

Zack Kassian (signed through 2014) - The time has passed for the Canucks to pooh or get off the pot as it pertains to the wild child. He clearly has a physical presence and skill set that is worth plenty. And he will clearly turn the puck over and take some boneheaded penalties. But it’s time to let the puppy off the leash. And with Alain Vigneault likely gone, it just might happen.

Tom Sestito (unrestricted free agent) - His size is a bonus, but he’s replaceable. And likely will be.

David Booth (signed through 2015) - His injury troubles have made it difficult to pass judgement on him, but the team has performed worse with him in the line-up. Either way, it’s a lot of money spent on what remains an unknown quantity. Clearly, a candidate for a buyout.

Jannik Hansen (signed through 2014) - Arguably, displays the most consistent work ethic of any player, but didn’t produce offensively at all come playoff time. On an elite team, he’s no more than a third line option.

Dale Weise (unrestricted free agent) - Weise probably has more speed and skill than he gets to demonstrate. And as a fourth line role player, he is undersized. It’s hard to figure where he fits.

Steve Pinizzotto (unrestricted free agent) - For a 28 year old guy that had never played an NHL game before this season, there was considerable buzz. But he failed to make any measurable impact.

Jason Garrison (signed through 2018) - Garrison was about the only pleasant surprise in the abbreviated playoff run. Why he didn’t get more power play time this season is a mystery known only to Coach Vigneault. With the struggles of Alex Edler and the continued injuries to Kevin Bieksa, his role on this team will become more prominent.

Cam Barker (unrestricted free agent) - Expectations were met from this depth defender, low as they were. He will likely not return.

Frank Corrado (signed through 2015) - His insertion into the line-up down the stretch and into the playoffs was a big surprise. The kid delivered in limited minutes and along with Tanev provides some reason for optimism on the blue-line.

Stay tuned as we dissect the eagerly awaited post-season sugar coating from President and General Manager Mike Gillis.

February 6, 2013

Canucks’ Ballard Finally Out of the Doghouse

When Keith Ballard arrived in Vancouver nearly three years ago, the price tag seemed high (a first round pick along with two former first rounders, Michael Grabner and Steve Bernier) and his lengthy remaining contract seemed gaudy. So justifiably, he was expected to be a top four defender; a young man, who five years into his career, had averaged over 20 minutes of ice team per game each and every season.

But through a combination of injuries and nerves, he could never get the confidence of the coaching staff in Vancouver. And it seemed that the volatile defender and his rich contract were to become an albatross in the new post-lockout world.

But fully into his third season in Vancouver, it appears he has finally found his game, or at least, the confidence of his coaches. You will note that Ballard was on the ice for the overtime winning goal last game - an opportunity Alain Vigneault never would have entrusted him with in seasons past.

So while he has yet to produce a single point this season, he is combining with young Chris Tanev to form the Canucks’ most dependable defensive pairing. In his first two seasons here, he was lucky to play 15 minutes per night, and rarely in 9 consecutive games as he has thus far. So far this season, he’s getting well over 17 minutes per outing. And circumstances dictate he should be getting even more.

The Canucks’ power play is struggling mightily this season. Once the most feared team in the league with the man-advantage, this season’s results have been middling, at best, with the points having been manned exclusively by Alex Edler, Dan Hamhuis, Jason Garrison and Kevin Bieksa.

Given the struggles of everyone, except Edler, to contribute with the man advantage, giving the smooth skating Ballard a chance only seems to make sense.

In fact, before he came to Vancouver, he saw considerable power play minutes throughout his first five years in the league. You’d think his quick skating and adventurous play would be an asset to a power play that has become predictable and now ineffective.

We like what we’ve seen this season from Ballard, the default doghouse resident of the Alain Vigneault era. But we’d like to see more of it. Here’s hoping he’ll get the chance…

12:08pm
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(Notes: 3)

Filed under: Keith Ballard Vancouver Canucks Alain Vigneault Chris Tanev Michael Grabner Steve Bernier Kevin Bieksa Dan Hamhuis Alex Edler Jason Garrison

January 29, 2013

Another Canucks’ Season, Another Slow Start

Six games into their regular season, the Canucks performance to date has been missing the high points. And while a half-dozen games isn’t much, in this shortened season, it’s the same as the ten game mark in a full slate.

In that sense, the season so far is business as usual for this team ever since Alain Vigneault took over. In fact, in the initial ten game increments of those now nearly seven seasons, they’ve never won more than 5 of 10.

Yes, in the stretch of their most significant continued success in franchise history, this team has always been slow out of the gate.

But there a few differences this time around. This season is shorter and thus the impact of a slow start is amplified. Further, this team is older. And in the context of the late starting regular season and now accelerated schedule, this combo could be lethal.

How did the Canucks, now with nine of their regulars over 30 years of age, do the last time they were this old? They missed the playoffs (2007-08).

With an even .500 record this far, there have been some notable under-achievers - particularly the collective play of their top four defencemen. Noted free agent acquisition, Jason Garrison, was brought in to boost the power play, but has yet to register a single point. While Alex Edler, Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis have been volatile.

Goal scoring, a problem that reared its head dramatically at the end of last season, continues to be mediocre. The once high-octane offense is scoring at a rate that is one goal less per game than the first place Chicago Black Hawks.

Many pundits had predicted that shootouts would be more prominent in this condensed season. And for the Canucks, that has certainly been the case. And as per usual, in the Alain Vigneault regime, the Canucks have struggled to compete. Whether this will be enough motivation for Coach Vigneault to actually practice the shootout remains to be seen.

The upside though is that the team is getting significant contributions from young players (most notably Zack Kassian and Chris Tanev who both started the season in game shape after playing big minutes on the farm club) so by the time the more experienced players round into form, there should be a notable increase in performance.

And Mason Raymond has found top gear for the time being and remembered where the front of the net is.

Further, this version of the Canucks seems more suited for the rough going with Kassian along with Aaron Volpatti engaging in a number of fisticuffs. There has been a demonstration that this team is less likely to be intimidated.

And, whenever Roberto Luongo finally gets dealt, this team should get just a little bit younger and more offensively skilled. Though with every passing day, it is just as likely that the stubborn Mike Gillis has missed the high water mark for his star keeper’s value.

You will note that we’ve not mentioned the return of Ryan Kesler and David Booth. That’s for good reason. We doubt Kesler will return this season and, if he does, he will be a shadow of his former self. As for David Booth, the Canucks were better with him out of the line-up last season than there were with him in it.

On Friday, the hated Hawks pay a visit to Rogers Arena for a game that will be yet another measuring stick for this year’s squad. The early season encounter between the two typically results in the Canucks getting their lunch fed to them, the wake-up call that finally turns their season around.

10:50am
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Filed under: Vancouver Canucks Zack Kassian Aaron Volpatti Roberto Luongo Mike Gillis Ryan Kesler David Booth Chicago Black Hawks Mason Raymond Dan Hamhuis Kevin Bieksa Jason Garrison Alex Edler Chris Tanev

January 20, 2013

Why Cory Schneider Must Start Tonight & Other Musings

Why Schneider Must Start Tonight

If the Canucks have truly begun the Schneider era (even though the incumbent Roberto Luongo is still hanging around), he must be given a demonstrable show of support in a second straight start despite his poor play in last night’s embarrassing opening night defeat.

To do otherwise would put the franchise and this never-ending melodrama right back to square one.

And even if the original plan (before Schneider’s egg-laying) was to start Luongo tonight against the Oilers to keep the young keeper away from back-to-back starts, it’s not like Schneider should be tired after leaving the game 26 minutes in.

This never-ending goalie controversy is beyond old, but let’s attempt to turn the tide and give Schneider another start.

Why the Canucks underpaid for Alex Edler

Before the opening night disaster, the biggest news around Canuck nation was the extension of defender Alex Edler for six years at an annual cap hit of $5 million.

Edler, of course, has proven that he can be equal parts Scott Stevens, ruthless bodychecker, and Bambi, awkwardly scrambling on the ice as if for the first time. His volatility clearly adds risk to any long term deal.

But, by NHL defensemen standards, where players are typically slow to mature, Edler is still very young.

And on that basis, this deal makes sense. The offensive numbers that he has put up so far give him a good chance to be the Canucks all-time leader amongst defenders. And his size, mobility and occasional nastiness could make him the best all around defender ever to lace them up in this market.

Ultimately, at $5 million per season and NHL inflation (the early post-lockout returns indicate that the spending spree continues unabated), it shouldn’t take much stability on Edler’s part to make this money well spent.

Why the Canucks defense is overrated

Many NHL pundits would have you believe that the Canucks defensive corps is among the league’s best. And from a very simple head count notion, that may be correct - there is no shortage of NHL ready plugs to fill the holes.

But the likes of recent pick-ups Cam Barker, who was disastrous on a defenseless Oiler team last season, and Jim Vandermeer, who has most recently spent more ice time as a fourth line forward, hardly even add insurance.

Ultimately, there is always the issue of quality over quantity and that is where the Canucks’ defense will continue to suffer.

Kevin Bieksa has the nasty disposition you want in every defender, but he is undersized for his role and maddeningly (perhaps stupidly) inconsistent.

Dan Hamhuis is a defensive rock (despite being on the ice for 5 goals against last night), but has little offensive upside.

The aforementioned Edler is still searching for consistency and the ability to play to the benefit of his size and strength.

Rounding out the top four is Jason Garrison, a purse swinging big man with a great shot.

Keith Ballard, arguably the Canucks’ most offensively dynamic defender, won’t get himself out of the bottom pairing as long as Alain Vigneault is around.

The remarkably steady Chris Tanev should get more ice this season, but hardly brings a full skill set.

After that are the supposed depth guys. But the point is simple, this franchise continues (42 years in) without a single elite defender.

In the end, the forward crew of this version of the Canucks will struggle to score. The team will need a tremendous contribution from its defense at both ends of the ice. We’re skeptical that this crew can fulfill that responsibility.

12:45pm
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(Notes: 2)

Filed under: Vancouver Canucks Cory Schneider Roberto Luongo Alain Vigneault Alex Edler Chris Tanev Kevin Bieksa Dan Hamhuis Keith Ballard Jason Garrison Jim Vandermeer Cam Barker

April 23, 2012

Canucks versus Kings - What Went Wrong?

When you’re the defending Western Conference champion and repeat President’s Trophy winner and you lose to the eighth seed in five games in the first round, you’ve got plenty of explaining to do. And in a market that loves to make mountains out of molehills, we’ve got an extended summer to pick apart this Canuck corpse.

There will be the obvious excuses like the Duncan Keith elbow late in the regular season that forced Daniel Sedin to the sidelines for the first three games of the playoffs. Though really, this is an adversity an elite team should be able to overcome. And in the end, it’s the first significant injury to a front line player in many a post season for a franchise that has been remarkably fortunate in that regard.

And what about the Sedins? To win, you need your best players to be your best players or so the adage goes. Except the Sedins were the Canucks’ best players in this series, looking more inspired than they ever have, seemingly aware that the rest of the team had checked out.

The magnet for most criticism in this market usually falls on the combustible Roberto Luongo. But this time around, he was the team’s best player in game 1 before getting relieved by Cory Schneider after a game 2 performance where he was sold out by his teammates, busy practicing their fire drill. So even Bobby Blue gets a free pass this time around though it may not be enough to save him his job in this market.

And, of course, there will be mention of the dreaded hangover from last season. But really, we’re not buying that. It’s not like the Canucks went pedal to the metal during the regular season. In fact, despite their President’s Trophy win, there were not many 60 minute efforts this season (unless you count the goaltenders). Elite teams do return to the Stanley Cup Final. It does happen. Look at Pittsburgh or Detroit in recent years.

And the uneducated will reference the President’s Trophy curse - after all, three of the last four winners have been bounced in the first round. But that is simply loser talk. There is no curse. Bottom seeded teams don’t win the Cup. Ever. Top seeded teams usually do. There is never a guarantee, but winning in the playoffs correlates near perfectly with winning in the regular season. It’s fact.

In the end, what cost this team the series was ridiculously poor defensive coverage (witness the Kings’ first goal last night) and an inability to score either at even strength or with the man advantage. And remarkably, these were not recent developments, but problems that had plagued the team for good portions of this regular season (and late in last season’s playoff drive). They were masked by superior goaltending, from both Luongo and Schneider, and an incredibly easy divisional schedule.

But come playoff time, these are deficits that will cost you your season in short order. And they certainly did.

There is no doubt that the moves made during the season by general manager Mike Gillis seemed to water down the offense without any measurable increase in size and toughness.

David Booth has speed to burn and a willingness to drive to the net (i.e., he’s no Mason Raymond), but rarely completes a pass and, more importantly, has little idea what to do when he doesn’t have the puck. While speed is the essence of the modern NHL, hockey smarts are close behind and Booth’s hockey IQ is borderline retarded. Meanwhile, the cagey Mikael Samuelsson has four points in five games for a Florida team that is on the verge of advancing to the next round. The curse of Dale Tallon continues.

Certainly, the jury on the Cody Hodgson trade is still out, but the decision for a Cup contending team to trade away a contributing asset for one that simply may have potential was, and remains, mind boggling. Hodgson was the Canucks’ most efficient five-on-five scorer and held down the second unit power play, while Zack Kassian could only play his way to the press box.

It is becoming clear that Ryan Kesler’s brilliant performance versus Nashville last playoff was simply an aberration. Over the last two playoffs, excluding the Nashville series, he has tallied two goals and eleven assists in twenty four games - remarkably poor production from your second line centre and the biggest single reason why this team struggled so mightily to score.

Up front, the Canucks’ top wingers are players with a remarkably similar skill set - speedy forwards with reasonable grit and the occasional scoring touch, but none are physically intimidating and there is a serious lack of play making ability. Indeed, the playoff performances from the likes of Alex Burrows, David Booth, Jannik Hansen and Mason Raymond featured plenty of flash and dash, but no pucks in the net.

Overall, the Canucks’ defense had a pretty miserable season. Ironically, the best of the bunch, Dan Hamhuis, wore the goat horns on the Kings’ winner last night (and for all you homers calling for a penalty on that play, give your head a shake).

Kevin Bieksa was predictably boneheaded at points this season (and post season), while Alex Edler suffered a serious case of the playoff yips. By the post-season, Sami Salo looked every bit of his 37 years. And Keith Ballard’s concussed head is still spinning and his game still reeling after inexplicably rocketing up the depth chart at playoff time.

If we’re looking for one person for which to aim the blame at, we’re looking at Mike Gillis. In short, he seemed to overrate the depth of his defense and his moves to bolster the team’s size and toughness up front seemed to cause an identity crisis for his team down the stretch. Gone was the team with the high tempo attacking style and in its place was a squad that was prone to running around in their own end while struggling to simply muster long distance scoring chances on an elite goalie. The intent was to become a team that was comfortable winning 1-0 or 2-1 games. They got the 1-0 and 2-1 games, but they didn’t win. And the players who were to add a physical presence up front (notably Byron Bitz and Zack Kassian) rarely saw the ice.

We’ve often been critical of Alain Vigneault around here and you’d think he should get some of the blame this time around, too. And he should, but other than the bizarre decision to play David Booth, for the first time all season, with the Sedins come playoff time, it’s hard to find specific fault with any of his coaching moves. Though there is no question that his teams often lack killer instinct and desperate play for desperate times. When the playoffs opened with two losses at home, the Canucks clearly weren’t as ready to play as were the Kings. And when they ended, the same was true (witness last night’s third period and overtime). Alain Vigneault’s elimination game record is now a poor eight wins versus twelve losses.

So there you go, plenty to ruminate on as we begin yet another summer of discontent. Stay tuned for more.

June 2, 2011

Another Stanley Cup Game One Gem for Canucks…

Okay, so there’s only been three. But they’ve all been memorable and entertaining games decided on literally the game’s final play.

Last night’s tilt ended in somewhat similar fashion to the Canucks’ last game one Stanley Cup Final appearance, when another Greg Adams overtime winner earned the Canucks (and mostly Kirk McLean with 52 saves) another clutch performance. This time it was Raffi Torres converting on a quick strike pass (this one from Jannik Hansen and not Cliff Ronning) and another brilliant Roberto Luongo effort (a 36 save shutout performance).

And there was the 1982 version, who trailed the champion Islanders 4-2, but then surged to a 5-4 third period lead before Harold Snepsts completed the worst night of life. Let’s just leave it at that. Though it’s worth noting that an autographed Snepsts jersey fetched more at last night’s silent auction than the price of admission. Yes, we still love our losers.

And before the naysayers start complaining that this series is shaping up as another Nashville snoozefest, they clearly were looking only at the scoresheet.

There were plenty of interesting story lines - the Dan Hamhuis hit (and injury), an Alex Burrows biting allegation, another typically remarkable performance from Tim Thomas and an arguably better performance by the maligned Luongo who still may be three wins away from being considered a true clutch goalie in the minds of most.

But besides these obvious plot lines, what about the Bruins’ decision to put Zdeno Chara up front on a power play that has been and continues to be absolutely brutal. Sooner or later, this inability to score with the extra man will cost them their playoff lives. With Chara in front of the net, his lethal slap shot is completely negated and a good portion of his monstrous frame is above the goalie’s perspective anyway. Clearly, when it comes to screening the goalie, bulk is more important than height. And it’s not like he’s going to be able to bury too many loose pucks with that ten foot barge pole. But we’re giving away too many secrets here…

And what about the Canucks’ third line, whose performance against the grinding Bruins just might be the pivotal performance of this series. Can we please put to bed the notion of a Manny Malhotra return for now? Don’t get us wrong, Manny is a useful player. But can he really be expected to be an impact player? Especially now after over two months of inactivity and with his replacement fitting in perfectly on a third line that has been very difficult to play against, let alone providing some of the signature goals of this now remarkable run.

In the end, despite the power play ineptness of both teams last night, we shouldn’t have been surprised with what we got.

The Canucks came out buzzing with the Bruins’ only reprieve provided by a run of penalties.

By the mid-point of the third period, it looked like the Canucks were running on low and the Bruins were in good shape to capitalize.

But the typically fit Canucks found another gear only to find that Tim Thomas will stop pretty much everything he can see, no matter how perfect the set-up. Indeed, the Canucks will have to get some greasy ones to take this series.

And before we get too far into our parade planning, we might want to consider that while we’ve won every game one of this playoff run, the Bruins have lost all but one.

With Dan Hamhuis out, and possibly Alex Burrows, the battle has just begun. Enjoy the ride.

10:18am
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(Notes: 4)

Filed under: Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup Finals Boston Bruins Greg Adams Kirk McLean Cliff Ronning Roberto Luongo Harold Snepsts Dan Hamhuis Alex Burrows Zdeno Chara Manny Malhotra Tim Thomas

March 28, 2011

The Canucks Injury List - One Up, One Down

The revolving door that is the Canucks’ injury list took another spin last night with Dan Hamhuis suffering yet another concussion; this one on a seemingly harmless collision with teammate and recent injury list returnee Kevin Bieksa.

And as the never ending injury parade continues so does the dominance of the Canucks, who seem to register another franchise mark of excellence with every passing game.

Posting the first 50 win season in their history, the Canucks leave the hapless Toronto Maple Leafs as the only current Canadian team to have never hit that magical mark. And before all you Leaf lovers out there respond by making reference to all your Cup wins, consider that the Leafs have the longest Cup-less string in Canada. Not to mention the fact that they haven’t been to a Cup final since the league expanded beyond six teams. Every other Canadian team has been to at least one final dance since. Yep, we can’t celebrate the Canucks legitimacy without knocking the laughable Leafs at the same time.

In spite of the injury troubles, the Canucks continue to roll. And in the end, the winning recipe is often the same: superlative goaltending and dominant special teams. Yes, no matter how depleted the defense or how many face-offs can’t be won in Manny Malhotra’s absence or how many plumbers are rotated through the bottom six forwards, it is still business as usual.

And on that basis, the Hamhuis injury is not cause for panic. It just means that another walking wounded must be closer to returning…

12:01pm
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(Notes: 7)

Filed under: Dan Hamhuis Kevin Bieksa Manny Malhotra

June 30, 2010

Free Agent Frenzy?

Most hockey fans anxiously await July 1st. Not because it’s Canada Day, but because it’s the official start of the summer free agent market. For many teams, this represents an opportunity to drastically change their fortunes. We, for one, will not be glued to the tube or on-line streaming coverage. We just don’t see this as a bumper crop. All that said, we’d like to offer up a little food for thought…

There has been talk of the Canucks’ interest in Dan Hamhuis. We’re just not sure how he fits with the Keith Ballard pick-up unless there is a taker for Kevin Bieksa (and we can’t imagine why there would be). And if Hamhuis was considered signable, why not have traded for his rights for a 3rd round pick rather than 3 first rounders for Ballard? While it’s nice to have defensive depth, it’s not clear how any team can afford to have six defenders each making over $3 million per.

When the Canuck season ended, we ran a little poll here asking for your input about which of the Canuck UFA’s should be retained. The most popular selection was Kyle Wellwood. And why not. Somehow he had morphed into our number one centre by the season’s final game (if ice time is any indication). But there has been little mention of Wellwood recently and the Canucks clearly can’t count entirely on Cody Hodgson’s wonky back to carry the 3rd line centre responsibility. So if Wellwood is gone (and we’re not proposing he should be, but if he is), why not consider Mike Modano? Many would balk at this move given his age. But what this team needs most is some veteran leadership. Hasn’t he captained a Cup winner? No matter his age, he’s got more foot speed than Kyle Wellwood. Looking at the other potential free agent forwards out there, you won’t find another with near this kind of winning pedigree…

Enjoy your Canada Day, Critically Canuck will be spending our day, in typically Canadian fashion, in the great outdoors far away from 21st century technology so you’ll have to wait until the weekend for more of the good stuff from us…

10:31am
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(Notes: 1)

Filed under: vancouver canucks kyle wellwood dan hamhuis mike modano

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