We're Number 4?

Okay, I'm done all of my work for my Masters, so let's get back into some hockey after a long summer hiatus! What better way to kick it off then with some positive news, or at least a reason for optimism. Or skepticism.

Ross McKeon of Yahoo! Sports released his mid-summer Power Rankings, in which he ranks all 30 NHL teams. And guess who sits at Number 4? From McKeon's column:

4. Vancouver Canucks – You want an early Calder Trophy candidate? Remember the name Cody Hodgson, the 19-year-old center the Canucks drafted 10th overall in 2008. He’s got a great chance not only to make Vancouver’s opening-night roster, but to excel right off the bat. Oh, and don’t be surprised if Mats Sundin returns to Vancouver once he decides he’s not done yet.

Aside from his apparent inside knowledge and/or speculation about Mats Sundin, McKeon's main reason for ranking the Canucks this high seems to be Cody Hodgson. Now I'm as excited as anyone for his arrival, but I think that Canucks fans need to be cautious about expecting too much from a kid who is two years away from being able to buy a beer when the Canucks are on the road against 24 of the NHL's teams. The signs point toward Hodgson becoming a Linden-esque franchise cornerstone, but he clearly has a lot to accomplish before meeting such expectations. And expecting him to have an all-star rookie season may be bit much. If he gets 60 points I will be ecstatic about his potential.

So, not to be a downer, but I think McKeon may have overestimated the Canucks' fortunes. I think they have a decent chance to beat out Calgary for the Northwest Division crown. I do not anticipate them being better than every Western Conference team except the Chicago Blackhawks. Sorry, but the Canucks have a lot to prove before you can put them ahead of the Detroit Red Wings or even the San Jose Sharks. And I'm not certain that, as things stand, they're necessarily better than the Anaheim Ducks or the Flames.

I don't know the last time the 'Nucks would have placed this high in any kind of ranking. Certainly not since the West Coast Express era, assuming a sane person was compiling the rankings. Maybe I'm uneasy with too much preseason Canucks hype because I feel like it setting them up to fail. 20+ years as a Canucks fan has made me suspicious of claims about the greatness of a given squad. Based on the Canucks' two best results (1982 and 1994) it seems like our best moments come when no one expects them.

Canucks draft Jordan Schroeder. . . and Luongo signing an extension?

Well, GM Mike Gillis might have pulled off another steal in the First Round of the NHL Entry Draft. Hot on the heels of last year's 10th overall selection of Cody Hodgson, the Canucks plucked Jordan Schroeder - who many experts considered to be a Top 10 pick - 22nd overall.

Schroeder comes to the Canucks from the hockey factory that is the University of Minnesota. At UM he demonstrated considerable offensive prowess, and would have probably been a Top 5 pick if two factors had not worked against him: he had a mediocre World Junior Championships this year, and he is, um, on the smaller side for NHLers at 5'8". Still for an 18 year-old 5'8" kid he weighs an impressive 178 pounds - in a couple of years this guy is going to be a tank.

Also, size doesn't really matter in the NHL. Right Kyle Wellwood?

I am very happy with this pick. The Canucks were expected to go after an offensive defenceman, but when a talent like Schroeder falls into your range you have to jump on the opportunity. Along with Hodgson (and hopefully Henrik Sedin), he will ensure the Canucks are strong in the centre ice position for years to come.

You can read a full scouting report on Schroeder here. My friend Dan pointed out that the University of Minnesota's top three centreman are all now property of the Canucks (and at least two of them hail from MN). Odd, especially (as pointed out by the TSN crew) given the hostility between the Minnesota Wild and the Canucks.

In a positive symbolic act, none other than Roberto Luongo announced the Canucks' pick. Not only was this a grand slam with the hometown Montreal crowd, it was also a good sign that the Canucks captain will sign an extension to keep in the Green and Blue for years to come. There a a variety of options on the table, but here's hoping that the $6.8 million per season for six years comes to pass. Lou is under contract through next season, meaning that this deal would keep him here for seven more years. $6.8 million is a reasonable cap hit compared to other elite NHL goalies, and is much more palatable than the rumoured $8 million per season.

If you missed the draft... well congratulations, because that's four hours of my life I will never get back. I kid - it was reasonably entertaining. However, if you missed it, here is the the selection of Schroeder:

The Hangover

Ugh.

Yeah, it happened. And I am not happy about it.

I will have to write more about it I guess, but my off-the-cuff thoughts right now (it's 2:00 AM) about the series:

First off, I will give the 'Hawks credit - whenever it seemed like a normal team would quit, they just kept coming. I was entirely sick of the whole "they're so young they don't know any better" judgment that infused the Hockey Night broadcasts, but there is no doubting that the youthful enthusiasm of the 'Hawks carried them through the rough times and helped spark their remarkable comebacks.

I was not thrilled with the officiating in the past few games. Yes, I am biased in the Canucks favour. But it seemed to me that the Canucks had a number of marginal calls go against them, while at times the Blackhawks had to be one degree removed from bloody murder to get a penalty. I do not think that this was a conspiracy or anything like that, I just think that the Canucks got a bit ulucky in terms of what the refs did and didn't see/call.

The two-seconds-after-the-pass hit on Alex Edler in the first set up a 2-on-1 break for the 'Hawks that could have caused a goal, despite the blatant interference. Ryan Kesler got brutally laid out on a completely unnecessary hit that went uncalled, despite the fact that Kesler was down and bloodied for some time. When the Canucks responded with a similar hit by Rick Rypien they got whistled for it. Meanwhile, the "hooking" call on Shane O'Brien in the 3rd was marginal at best.

The Canucks did not lose because of the officiating. They lost because of what Chicago did when they had the chance. The 'Hawks turn the screw like no other team I've seen before. But as a fan, it was tough to see what seemed to be inconsistent officiating give the 'Hawks multiple opportunities to get back into games the Canucks might have otherwise closed out.

I am still steamed over the "hook" on Dustin Byfuglien in Game 2, which was in fact Byfuglien just losing his footing and smashing into Roberto Luongo, that gave the 'Hawks a powerplay with the Canucks up 2-1. A half-minute later the Canucks shot the puck over the glass, giving Chicago a 2-man advantage upon which they converted to tie a game they would go on to win.

Anyway, I am probably just bitter at this point. I don't feel that the Blackhawks did not deserve to win the series... but similarly, I do not feel that the Canucks deserved to lose it. And the way in which they lost was extremely frustrating.

These Chicago Blackhawks make me think of what I imagine the 1980s Edmonton Oilers were like. It doesn't matter the score, they just keep coming at you again and again, and the capitalize on any mistake you make. I don't know that they will be good enough to knock off Detroit (or maybe Anaheim) in the conference finals, but I do think that they are the most terrifying team left in the post-season. No lead is ever safe against this team.

So here's to the Canucks 08-09 Edition, a team that fit Prototype B of Canucks squads - lovable losers who overachieve (Prototype A is lovable losers who underachieve, but this team only comes around once or twice every decade).

If someone told me in September that the 'Nucks would make it to Game Six of the Round Two I would have seen that as a reasonable and respectable conclusion to the season for this version of the team. Unfortunately, expectations were raised due the Canucks fantastic last few months of the season and quick dispatch of St. Louis in Round One. But, if we can improve from here (ie. Gillis re-signs the Sedins, Luongo plays a brilliant and healthy season, and Cody Hodgson plays like Steve Yzerman Jr.) then who knows how next season will go? Right?

'Cause, well, "next season!" has been the only rallying cry I've ever known as a Canucks fan.

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.

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.

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.