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.