One-time Toronto Maple Leaf, and some-time butt of my jokes, Andrew Raycroft has reportedly signed with the Canucks.
Seriously?
I don't really get this move, unless there is an imminent trade involving Cory Schneider. Assuming Luongo signs a long-term extension, conventional wisdom is that Schneider backs up Luongo this year to increase his already-quite-high trade value. So why bring in a mediocre goalie to back up Bobby-Lou? Furthermore, with cap space limited, why pay a significant chunk for a back-up?
Unlike Kyle Wellwood, this is one ex-Leaf reclamation project I am not a fan of.
Showing posts with label Kyle Wellwood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kyle Wellwood. Show all posts
Monday, July 6, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Leafs Bashing Week, Part II - Storylines and predictions
First of all, a big thanks to Leafs-suck.com for letting me borrow some images (including the one above) for this, the biggest week on the 'Nucks and Pucks calendar. Now, one with the bashing!
Obviously the biggest storyline for this game is Mats Sundin's first game with the Canucks against the Leafs, the team for which he played 13 seasons and served as captain for 11. What will the reaction be when Mats takes his first shift? Damien Cox is calling on Leafs fans to cheer the big Swede who toiled so long for the organization, often with very little in the way of a supporting cast, and I applaud his stance.
Unfortunately, I am a little more pessimistic than Cox. I think there will be some scattered cheers, but in all honesty I expect there to be a considerable amount of bitter jeering from fans who are upset that Mats did not allow himself to be traded last season. Just think of how the Leafs could've squandered those first and second rounders they would've gotten in return.
Does the return of Kyle Wellwood to Toronto count as a storyline? Probably not. Although Wellwood was pretty darn stoked to score against his former team when the Canucks beat the Leafs 4-2 back in November.
This is also the Canucks' first game against Toronto since the migration of their former front-office tandem of Brian Burke and Dave Nonis to Toronto. However these two, each of whom served a tenure as Canucks' GM, were together in Anaheim to start the season so the novelty is slightly dimmed.
While we can predict with 95% certainty who will start in goal for the Canucks, the Leafs goaltending carousel provides no such certainty. Vesa Toskala has been mediocre, and has been called out in the media by his coach and GM for his poor play. Youngster Justin Pogge got his fourth career start just yesterday, and is sporting a rough 4.26 GAA and .837 save percentage for the season. But he has not been given a chance to settle into an NHL role, and when given that shot will surely shrink those numbers. Will Wilson go to the rookie against a Canucks team that, of late, has been somewhat of an offensive juggernaut?
Can the Canucks continue their offensive outburst? They have 29 goals in seven games this month (over 4 per game, for those of you scoring at home), and the Leafs seem like a prime target against whom to continue this trend. Here's betting that if they score early, they will jump all over the Leafs and put in 4+ goals. If they get off to a sluggish start, however, they will likely be hard pressed to scrape out 3.
Final Prediction: Canucks 5, Leafs 2. The Canucks jump out to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period, then give up a powerplay goal early in the second before scoring themselves. The teams trade goals in the final frame, and the 'Nucks head to Montreal with another well-earned two points.
Canucks goal-scorers: D. Sedin, Sundin, Burrows, Edler, Demitra
Leafs goal-scorers: Blake, Ponikarovsky
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Top 5: Canucks Stories of 2008
It was quite the year for the Vancouver Canucks, a year that ran the emotional gamut. Hopefulness, tragedy, bafflement, bemusement, resignation, excitement, nostalgia, disbelief - these, and more, were the feelings to which Canucks fans were subjected in 2008. With that, let's count down the Top 5 Canucks Stories of 2008:
5. Canucks Give Roberto Luongo the 'C' (But He's Not Allowed to Wear It)
Just over a week before the start of the 2008-09 season, Coach Vigneault announces that the Canucks' keeper will also be their captain. To call this move unorthodox is an understatement - no goalie had captained his team in over 60 years,
and the NHL has a rule that forbids a goaltender from acting as the captain during a game. Luongo, therefore, does not wear the 'C' on his jersey (though his new helmet features the letter prominently) or speak to officials during the game. Luongo justified his selection by reeling of five shutouts and an 11-5-2 record in 19 games before suffering a groin injury in a late-November game.
3. RIP Luc Bourdon
Tragedy struck the Canucks community on May 29 when 21-year old prospect Luc Bourdon was killed in a motorcycle accident in New Brunswick. Bourdon's career had been on the upswing, as he played 27 games with the Canucks during the 07-08 season. He was honoured in a moving pre-game ceremony before the Canucks home opener this season.
2. Mats Sundin (Finally!) Signs With the Canucks
The Swedish all-star managed to please not only Canucks fans, who are ecstatic, but also countless hockey fans who had grown sick of his 6-month saga as an unrestricted free agent. The Canucks originally offered Sundin a 2-year, $20 million contract in July. Sundin eventually signed with the team in December. In the meantime many deadlines were set and missed, teams dropped from the Sundin derby like flies, and the field was whittled down to the Rangers or Canucks. In the end Vancouver won what was essentially a war of attrition, leveraging its cap space and relatively strong start to the season over other teams which were forced to abandon the Sundin chase. Sundin's impact on the club remains to be seen - his signing, however, was certainly one of the huge storylines of 2008.
1. Canucks Miss Playoffs, Fire Nonis, Hire Gillis
Okay, so I'm cheating here by rolling three stories into one. Nonetheless, they are interlinked and as such I'm going with it anyway. The Canucks stumbled to the finish line in 07-08, sliding all the way to 11th in the Western Conference. This represented a huge step backward for the club, which had hoped to build on it promising 06-07 campaign in which they made the second round of the playoffs. Firing Dave Nonis, who, y'know, was only responsible for fleecing the Florida Panthers out of Roberto Luongo, was a surprising and seemingly knee-jerk reaction from the team's owners and drew some criticism from fans. Hiring a player agent with no GM experience had fans sweating bullets.
Gillis has had a wacky but effective start to his tenure. He made his monstrous pitch to Sundin, and then stuck to his guns in his dogged pursuit of the Big Swede. He made a goalie the captain. And he introduced a wide range of unusual measures to the club, including monitoring players' sleep patterns and hiring a dietician to assess their individual nutritional needs (I think they put Kyle Wellwood on the celery diet). Gillis stopped short of group meditation and burning incense in the locker room, and so far his moves are looking pretty shrewd. The Sundin and Luongo cases have already been discussed in this post. His other player-friendly moves, which also included upgrading the players' lounge at GM Place, have apparently been well received by players and helped build a sense of trust between players and the organization.
Finally, Gillis made some other sound hockey moves. He plucked Kyle Wellwood from waivers, and the reclamation project has 14 goals in 36 games (insert me blowing my own horn here). He signed Pavol Demitra, who has been solid thus far in 08-09. And, in what may turn out to be the Canucks' best draft pick in a decade, he drafted Cody Hodgson with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 draft. Based on his excellent NHL training camp, stellar OHL season and brilliant World Junior Championships, Canucks fans have every reason to be optimistic about the up-and-coming prospect. There is, then, silver-lining to the disastrous conclusion to the 07-08 season. Even Don Cherry agrees!
Honourable Mention: Trevor Linden Retires, Canucks Retire His #16
I know it seems shocking that this story did not make the Top 5, but like I said the Canucks had a momentous 2008 for both good and bad reasons. No story has occupied 'Nucks and Pucks more than the retirement of Captain Canuck. Linden was the subject of this blog's first ever post, and of a two-part Top 10 list of his greatest moments upon his the retirement of his #16 jersey in December. Nonetheless, it does not rank as one of the top five most important stories of the year - though symbolically for the history of the franchise it would likely rank as number one. The fact that I am attempting to justify its exclusion from this list speaks to the huge impact that Linden has had on the Canucks organization and its fans - but his retirement had a lesser role in defining the Canucks' fortunes in 2008 than did the five events on this list.
5. Canucks Give Roberto Luongo the 'C' (But He's Not Allowed to Wear It)
Just over a week before the start of the 2008-09 season, Coach Vigneault announces that the Canucks' keeper will also be their captain. To call this move unorthodox is an understatement - no goalie had captained his team in over 60 years,
and the NHL has a rule that forbids a goaltender from acting as the captain during a game. Luongo, therefore, does not wear the 'C' on his jersey (though his new helmet features the letter prominently) or speak to officials during the game. Luongo justified his selection by reeling of five shutouts and an 11-5-2 record in 19 games before suffering a groin injury in a late-November game.4. Naslund, Morrison Depart as UFAs
It was the end of an era. At one time Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison and Todd Bertuzzi were the most feared line in hockey. With the now-nomadic Bertuzzi already long gone, the final 2/3rds of the West Coast Express played their final season with the Canucks. Former captain Naslund left for the New York Rangers, while Morrison signed with Anaheim where he was (briefly) reunited with GM Brian Burke. Naslund left as one of the best all-time Canucks, holding the club record for goals and points.
It was the end of an era. At one time Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison and Todd Bertuzzi were the most feared line in hockey. With the now-nomadic Bertuzzi already long gone, the final 2/3rds of the West Coast Express played their final season with the Canucks. Former captain Naslund left for the New York Rangers, while Morrison signed with Anaheim where he was (briefly) reunited with GM Brian Burke. Naslund left as one of the best all-time Canucks, holding the club record for goals and points.
3. RIP Luc Bourdon
Tragedy struck the Canucks community on May 29 when 21-year old prospect Luc Bourdon was killed in a motorcycle accident in New Brunswick. Bourdon's career had been on the upswing, as he played 27 games with the Canucks during the 07-08 season. He was honoured in a moving pre-game ceremony before the Canucks home opener this season.
2. Mats Sundin (Finally!) Signs With the Canucks
The Swedish all-star managed to please not only Canucks fans, who are ecstatic, but also countless hockey fans who had grown sick of his 6-month saga as an unrestricted free agent. The Canucks originally offered Sundin a 2-year, $20 million contract in July. Sundin eventually signed with the team in December. In the meantime many deadlines were set and missed, teams dropped from the Sundin derby like flies, and the field was whittled down to the Rangers or Canucks. In the end Vancouver won what was essentially a war of attrition, leveraging its cap space and relatively strong start to the season over other teams which were forced to abandon the Sundin chase. Sundin's impact on the club remains to be seen - his signing, however, was certainly one of the huge storylines of 2008.
1. Canucks Miss Playoffs, Fire Nonis, Hire Gillis
Okay, so I'm cheating here by rolling three stories into one. Nonetheless, they are interlinked and as such I'm going with it anyway. The Canucks stumbled to the finish line in 07-08, sliding all the way to 11th in the Western Conference. This represented a huge step backward for the club, which had hoped to build on it promising 06-07 campaign in which they made the second round of the playoffs. Firing Dave Nonis, who, y'know, was only responsible for fleecing the Florida Panthers out of Roberto Luongo, was a surprising and seemingly knee-jerk reaction from the team's owners and drew some criticism from fans. Hiring a player agent with no GM experience had fans sweating bullets.
Gillis has had a wacky but effective start to his tenure. He made his monstrous pitch to Sundin, and then stuck to his guns in his dogged pursuit of the Big Swede. He made a goalie the captain. And he introduced a wide range of unusual measures to the club, including monitoring players' sleep patterns and hiring a dietician to assess their individual nutritional needs (I think they put Kyle Wellwood on the celery diet). Gillis stopped short of group meditation and burning incense in the locker room, and so far his moves are looking pretty shrewd. The Sundin and Luongo cases have already been discussed in this post. His other player-friendly moves, which also included upgrading the players' lounge at GM Place, have apparently been well received by players and helped build a sense of trust between players and the organization.
Finally, Gillis made some other sound hockey moves. He plucked Kyle Wellwood from waivers, and the reclamation project has 14 goals in 36 games (insert me blowing my own horn here). He signed Pavol Demitra, who has been solid thus far in 08-09. And, in what may turn out to be the Canucks' best draft pick in a decade, he drafted Cody Hodgson with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 draft. Based on his excellent NHL training camp, stellar OHL season and brilliant World Junior Championships, Canucks fans have every reason to be optimistic about the up-and-coming prospect. There is, then, silver-lining to the disastrous conclusion to the 07-08 season. Even Don Cherry agrees!
Honourable Mention: Trevor Linden Retires, Canucks Retire His #16
I know it seems shocking that this story did not make the Top 5, but like I said the Canucks had a momentous 2008 for both good and bad reasons. No story has occupied 'Nucks and Pucks more than the retirement of Captain Canuck. Linden was the subject of this blog's first ever post, and of a two-part Top 10 list of his greatest moments upon his the retirement of his #16 jersey in December. Nonetheless, it does not rank as one of the top five most important stories of the year - though symbolically for the history of the franchise it would likely rank as number one. The fact that I am attempting to justify its exclusion from this list speaks to the huge impact that Linden has had on the Canucks organization and its fans - but his retirement had a lesser role in defining the Canucks' fortunes in 2008 than did the five events on this list.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Canucks cap 'Leafs bashing week' by bashing the Leafs
It's been a fun week here at 'Nucks and Pucks, with some good banter in the comments section (I consider 1+ comment to be a popular post - look, it's a small-time blog, 'kay?) and some irate Facebook messages from friends. Tonight was, of course, the Main Event as the Canucks and Maple Leafs faced off at GM Place in front of a sellout crowd and a national TV audience on Hockey Night in Canada. The result speaks for itself:
Clearly the Canucks wiped the floor with the Leafs. After weathering an early storm, including the spectacular sequence in which Captain Luongo barred the door on a Leafs' 2-man advantage without a stick, the Canucks struck back. Kyle "Steve Sullivan" Wellwood struck back against the team that waived him by netting the first goal. From there the floodgates opened, and by the midway point of the second period the game was already 4-0. The Canucks went on auto-pilot the rest of the way, unfortunately surrendering two goals in the game's final 6:07 and allowing the Leafs to escape the West Coast with a modicum of respect.
Despite leaving the game with a pathetic .556 save percentage on the night, Vesa Toskala was not as bad as the stats suggest. Not that that it was exactly possible for him to be worse than that SVP suggests. But if you watch each Canucks goal, you'll see that he is truly culpable on only one of them. On the other three he was the victim of the Maple Leafs weak attempts at defense:
Goal #1: Wellwood was allowed to walk to the net thanks to some shoddy defensive coverage by Matt Stajan. He then tipped the puck top shelf, a tough one to stop.
Goal #2: Blame Toskala for this one. A brutal rebound was left on the doorstep for an opportunistic Ryan Kesler to fire home. Though it would've helped the Leafs', and Toskala's, cause if someone had taken the man in front.
Goal #3: Tomas Kaberle, I thought better of you. I know it was Willie "One Goal a Season" Mitchell, but seriously, you can't just mosey back into your zone like that.
Goal #4: Daniel Sedin scored this goal standing about 10 feet from the Leafs' net in the middle of a square of four Leafs "defenders." Just brutal defensive coverage.
Oh yeah, and Luke Schenn got filled by Rob Davidson. Actually, I think this fight is symbolic of the game: an early stumble by Vancouver was easily corrected by a number of devastating blows to the Leafs, whose late effort to take down the 'Nucks couldn't mask the fact that they got pummeled by a superior opponent. Enjoy!
Clearly the Canucks wiped the floor with the Leafs. After weathering an early storm, including the spectacular sequence in which Captain Luongo barred the door on a Leafs' 2-man advantage without a stick, the Canucks struck back. Kyle "Steve Sullivan" Wellwood struck back against the team that waived him by netting the first goal. From there the floodgates opened, and by the midway point of the second period the game was already 4-0. The Canucks went on auto-pilot the rest of the way, unfortunately surrendering two goals in the game's final 6:07 and allowing the Leafs to escape the West Coast with a modicum of respect.
Despite leaving the game with a pathetic .556 save percentage on the night, Vesa Toskala was not as bad as the stats suggest. Not that that it was exactly possible for him to be worse than that SVP suggests. But if you watch each Canucks goal, you'll see that he is truly culpable on only one of them. On the other three he was the victim of the Maple Leafs weak attempts at defense:
Goal #1: Wellwood was allowed to walk to the net thanks to some shoddy defensive coverage by Matt Stajan. He then tipped the puck top shelf, a tough one to stop.
Goal #2: Blame Toskala for this one. A brutal rebound was left on the doorstep for an opportunistic Ryan Kesler to fire home. Though it would've helped the Leafs', and Toskala's, cause if someone had taken the man in front.
Goal #3: Tomas Kaberle, I thought better of you. I know it was Willie "One Goal a Season" Mitchell, but seriously, you can't just mosey back into your zone like that.
Goal #4: Daniel Sedin scored this goal standing about 10 feet from the Leafs' net in the middle of a square of four Leafs "defenders." Just brutal defensive coverage.
Oh yeah, and Luke Schenn got filled by Rob Davidson. Actually, I think this fight is symbolic of the game: an early stumble by Vancouver was easily corrected by a number of devastating blows to the Leafs, whose late effort to take down the 'Nucks couldn't mask the fact that they got pummeled by a superior opponent. Enjoy!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Take Two: Wellwood's Speed Can Be Doubted
Apparently this blogger was incorrect when he stated that "There is no doubting [Kyle] Wellwood’s skill or speed," as Vancouver Province writer Ben Kuzma does just that. I apologize to any and all doubters of KW's speed. I will now reserve my own judgement until I see him in a Vancouver Canucks jersey next season, rather than basing it on sweet, but poorly sound-tracked, YouTube compilations and an assumption that small NHLers are, by definition, speedy.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Kyle Wellwood – The Next Steve Sullivan or the Next Steve Kariya?
In a move to bolster its forward corps, the Canucks today plucked Kyle Wellwood, formerly of the Toronto Maple Leafs, from waivers. Overall this represents a sound, low-risk move for the Canucks, as Wellwood still has a lot of offensive upside despite being thrown to the scrapheap by the Buds after a disappointing third season in the league. There is no doubting Wellwood’s skill or speed, and he is only 25 years old, so he is a good gamble for a Vancouver squad that is looking to add some punch to its lacklustre offence.
After a solid 45-point (11G, 34A) rookie campaign in 2005-06, Wellwood recorded an impressive 42 points (12G, 30A) in 48 games the following year. However he was plagued by injuries during the past season, when a sport hernia kept him out of action to start the year and his production dropped to just 21 points (8G, 13A) in 59 games. Wellwood presumably did not fit into the Leafs rebuilding plans, although giving up on his talent after only three NHL seasons seems rather risky.
Wellwood’s departure from the Leafs is bound to draw comparisons to Steve Sullivan, another diminutive ex-Leaf who left Toronto via the waiver-wire. Both players have been criticized for a lack of size (Wellwood is 5’10”, 180 lbs.; Sullivan is 5’8”, 155 lbs.), and both failed to realize their potential in the fishbowl that is the Southern Ontario hockey market.
Sullivan was picked up by the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1999-00 season and immediately took off, registering 64 points (22G, 42A) in 73 games during his first season with the Hawks. The next year he improved to 75 points, which still stands as his career high, and in total he enjoyed five solid seasons in the Windy City before he was shipped to Nashville during the 2003-04 season. Sullivan continued his strong play with the Predators, and has averaged slightly over a point-per-game in three seasons with the team.
Needless to say, Sullivan’s success after leaving Toronto is a sore point for the many Maple Leafs fans who are waiting for the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since the end of the Original 6 Era. Will Wellwood become the next Steve Sullivan, the man hardened Torontonians curse when they see a highlight reel goal on SportsCentre or peruse the stats page at the end of the season? Or will he go the way of Steve Kariya, who lasted just 65 games with the Canucks before sinking into AHL and Scandinavian hockey anonymity?
Much of the expectations around Steve Kariya likely sprung from his superstar brother Paul, who has enjoyed a fine NHL career. Unfair as it may be, the Kariya name carried considerable cache in the family’s home city (the Kariya brothers hail from North Vancouver) and so expectations were high. Despite his small size (5”8’, 170 lbs.), Kariya showed flashes of brilliance in training camp and began the season on a line with Alexander Mogilny and Andrew Cassels. However, he finished the year having played only 45 games and registering 19 points (8G, 11A), and would play only 20 more games for the Canucks over the next two seasons before disappearing from the NHL forever. Kariya played two seasons in the AHL, posting respectable numbers, and then left for Europe where he played two seasons in Finland and currently skates for Frölunda HC in the Swedish Elite League. Apparently he has not lost his scorer’s touch, and presumably the larger ice surfaces and less-physical style of the European game better suits his skill-set and stature. By NHL standards, however, he was somewhat of a bust.
So, what is Kyle Wellwood’s fate? Much of that depends on how he bounces back from his injuries, how he adjusts to a new (though no less rabid) hockey market and if he can overcome the criticisms of his size and perform consistently well at the NHL-level. Canucks fans are hoping that Wellwood is the new Steve Sullivan, and should be pleased with Mike Gillis’ gamble. Leafs fans, however, will be spared years of bitterness if he turns out to be the next Steve Kariya.
After a solid 45-point (11G, 34A) rookie campaign in 2005-06, Wellwood recorded an impressive 42 points (12G, 30A) in 48 games the following year. However he was plagued by injuries during the past season, when a sport hernia kept him out of action to start the year and his production dropped to just 21 points (8G, 13A) in 59 games. Wellwood presumably did not fit into the Leafs rebuilding plans, although giving up on his talent after only three NHL seasons seems rather risky.
Wellwood’s departure from the Leafs is bound to draw comparisons to Steve Sullivan, another diminutive ex-Leaf who left Toronto via the waiver-wire. Both players have been criticized for a lack of size (Wellwood is 5’10”, 180 lbs.; Sullivan is 5’8”, 155 lbs.), and both failed to realize their potential in the fishbowl that is the Southern Ontario hockey market.
Sullivan was picked up by the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1999-00 season and immediately took off, registering 64 points (22G, 42A) in 73 games during his first season with the Hawks. The next year he improved to 75 points, which still stands as his career high, and in total he enjoyed five solid seasons in the Windy City before he was shipped to Nashville during the 2003-04 season. Sullivan continued his strong play with the Predators, and has averaged slightly over a point-per-game in three seasons with the team.
Needless to say, Sullivan’s success after leaving Toronto is a sore point for the many Maple Leafs fans who are waiting for the franchise’s first Stanley Cup since the end of the Original 6 Era. Will Wellwood become the next Steve Sullivan, the man hardened Torontonians curse when they see a highlight reel goal on SportsCentre or peruse the stats page at the end of the season? Or will he go the way of Steve Kariya, who lasted just 65 games with the Canucks before sinking into AHL and Scandinavian hockey anonymity?
Much of the expectations around Steve Kariya likely sprung from his superstar brother Paul, who has enjoyed a fine NHL career. Unfair as it may be, the Kariya name carried considerable cache in the family’s home city (the Kariya brothers hail from North Vancouver) and so expectations were high. Despite his small size (5”8’, 170 lbs.), Kariya showed flashes of brilliance in training camp and began the season on a line with Alexander Mogilny and Andrew Cassels. However, he finished the year having played only 45 games and registering 19 points (8G, 11A), and would play only 20 more games for the Canucks over the next two seasons before disappearing from the NHL forever. Kariya played two seasons in the AHL, posting respectable numbers, and then left for Europe where he played two seasons in Finland and currently skates for Frölunda HC in the Swedish Elite League. Apparently he has not lost his scorer’s touch, and presumably the larger ice surfaces and less-physical style of the European game better suits his skill-set and stature. By NHL standards, however, he was somewhat of a bust.
So, what is Kyle Wellwood’s fate? Much of that depends on how he bounces back from his injuries, how he adjusts to a new (though no less rabid) hockey market and if he can overcome the criticisms of his size and perform consistently well at the NHL-level. Canucks fans are hoping that Wellwood is the new Steve Sullivan, and should be pleased with Mike Gillis’ gamble. Leafs fans, however, will be spared years of bitterness if he turns out to be the next Steve Kariya.
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