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:
Showing posts with label Mike Gillis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Gillis. Show all posts
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sign the Sedins!
Will the Sedins return to the Canucks? This is undoubtedly the biggest question facing the Canucks' GM Mike Gillis right now, and one that will shape all his other off-season decisions. The Twins want to stay in Vancouver, but Gillis is rightly concerned that meeting their salary demands (believed to be about $6.5 million per season) will hobble the team's ability to maneuver under a salary cap that is likely to drop in the next season or two.I have a feeling that the Sedins will end up settling on a contract with the Canucks. Is it worth it for both of them to leave a city they and their families like and a team that is better than most of the teams rumoured as potential destinations (Toronto, Montreal, LA) for an extra $500,000 a season? Obviously that's a lot of money, but they'll still likely get something in the range of $6 million so it's not a huge loss of income. From the Canucks perspective, and extra $1 million of cap space can go a long way.
The Sedins are excellent players, and I think they are in the $6 million range. A lot of people underestimate them, but consider how they stack up statistically against other stars:
With 82 points each, the Sedins tied with Mike Cammalleri of the Flames for 13th in NHL scoring. That means that they finished higher in scoring than players such as Rick Nash, Eric Staal, Daniel Alfredsson, Henrik Zetterberg, Dany Heatley, Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews and Vincent Lecavalier. This is not to say that the Sedins are necessarily better than these players, but that statistically they stack up favourably against some very impressive competition.
Goal scoring is not exactly the Canucks' forte, but that's no fault of Daniel. He had a respectable 31 goals, good enough to tie with a host of other players for 26th in league scoring. Yes, he could and should be higher - but who will pick up that slack if the Canucks let him and his brother walk? Plus, do you really think Alex Burrows will come anywhere close to replicating his 28-goal season playing without the Sedins? Just ask Anson Carter how difficult it is to replicate a career year sans les freres Sedin.
We all know Henrik is an assist machine. With 60 helpers, he finished 8th in the league behind players such as Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Pavel Datsyuk and Joe Thornton. The previous season he finished 4th with 61 assists. But did you know that Daniel was hot on his brother's tail with 51 assists, placing him 14th in the league? These guys make players around them better. Period.
In the playoffs the Sedins continued their clutch play, each scoring 10 points in 10 games. Yes, they could have done more. But so could have Sundin, Luongo, Kesler, Burrows, etc. I thought the Sedins were among the team's best players in the playoffs, and stepped up their physical game in order to get on the scoresheet.
Losing the Sedins would leave a huge hole in the Canucks forward corps. Who would step up to the top line? 19-year old rookie Cody Hodgson? Ryan Kesler? Pavol Demitra? There aren't a lot of good internal options when it comes to filling two of the top three first-line sports. Unless Gillis has a couple aces up his sleeve in trade or free-agent form (Lecavalier? Heatley? Gaborik?), losing the Sedins would be crippling.
What are your thoughts about the Sedins? Should the Canucks keep them? Let them walk? If they stay, what are they worth?
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Analyzing the Canucks moves at the Trade Deadline
....................
Oh yeah. They didn't make any moves.
Actually I'm pretty okay with this. The big rumour was Kevin Bieksa, Mason Raymond and a 1st-round pick to Florida for Jay Bouwmeester, which is very steep unless Bouwmeester was guaranteed to resign with the Canucks.
So standing pat, putting faith in Luongo and Co. and not giving away prominent roster players for unproven playoff-performers (cough, Calgary, cough!) seems like a decent move. It was a slow deadline, with so many teams still in playoff contention and fears of a reduced cap scaring away GMs from long-term contract commitments, so making no moves doesn't seem like the worst thing to happen.
It is, however, quite dull. So for entertainment purposes here is a SportsCentre Top 10 Own Goals. They're not all hockey, but they are all highly entertaining. Plus who can complain about seeing the infamous Steve Smith own goal one more time?
Oh yeah. They didn't make any moves.
Actually I'm pretty okay with this. The big rumour was Kevin Bieksa, Mason Raymond and a 1st-round pick to Florida for Jay Bouwmeester, which is very steep unless Bouwmeester was guaranteed to resign with the Canucks.
So standing pat, putting faith in Luongo and Co. and not giving away prominent roster players for unproven playoff-performers (cough, Calgary, cough!) seems like a decent move. It was a slow deadline, with so many teams still in playoff contention and fears of a reduced cap scaring away GMs from long-term contract commitments, so making no moves doesn't seem like the worst thing to happen.
It is, however, quite dull. So for entertainment purposes here is a SportsCentre Top 10 Own Goals. They're not all hockey, but they are all highly entertaining. Plus who can complain about seeing the infamous Steve Smith own goal one more time?
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.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Colin Powell Supports Canucks Stanley Cup Bid
VANCOUVER - IN A SURPRISING move yesterday, four-star American General and former US Secretary of State Colin Powell openly endorsed the Vancouver Canucks' efforts to secure the Stanley Cup in 2009. Speaking about new Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis, General Powell declared that "he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming onto the NHL stage."
General Powell's endorsement comes as a blow to the Detroit Red Wings and the team's GM Ken Holland. Powell has previously referred to Holland as "a dear friend" who he has known for over 25 years.
Although the Red Wings entered the NHL season as the reigning Stanley Cup champion, the team has amassed only 7 points through 5 games, good enough for a middling fifth in the Western Conference.
Powell refused to comment on whether the Canucks recent October 16 overtime victory the Red Wings factored into his decision to endorse the Vancouver club, but insiders suggest that it greatly altered his impression of Holland and the entire Red Wings organization.
The turmoil in the Red Wings organization extends beyond its mediocre 3-1-1 record, which places them behind Central Division rival St. Louis Blues. Last season the Blues finished dead last in the division, 36 points behind the Red Wings but clearly the divisional balance of power has tilted against the faltering Red Wings.
Holland's recent support for Detroit's "hockey moms" has drawn considerable criticism. While supporters say that it has successfully broadened the appeal of the Red Wings organization amongst a certain segment of the NHL public, critics argue that it has isolated hockey traditionalists who otherwise may have supported the Original Six franchise.
Holland took the high road in responding to today's news: "Well, I've always admired and respected General Powell. We're long-time friends. This doesn't come as a surprise."
Powell's endorsement is a strong boost to NHL newcomer Gillis, who has already bucked convention by naming his goaltender captain. The results of Gillis controversial and highly-criticized plan to increase his team's offence without adaquately replacing outgoing forwards have yet to be seen. Powell's support, however, has for now pushed these issues to the backburner.
Gillis' reaction to the news was predictabily enthusiastic. He declared that he was "beyond honoured and deeply humbled to have the support of General Colin Powell."
The results of the Stanley Cup competition will not be known until the conclusion of the Finals in early June 2009.
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