Matt Lee

Matt Lee has been a Canucks follower and a prototypical Canadian for years; it started on the streets by playing road hockey before and after Vancouver Canucks games and it's brought him here. After graduating from SFU with a BA in Communications and a minor in History while serving as the student newspaper's sports editor for two years, Matt is now a student at BCIT's Broadcast Journalism program in hopes of becoming a sports broadcaster.

Things Could Be Worse For Canucks

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Oct 282011
 

Staring at a sub .500 record dead in the eye heading into this Saturday’s epic tilt against the Washington Capitals, things could be a hell of a lot worse for the Vancouver Canucks and their fans.

Statistically speaking, the Sedins are right on track offensively, averaging just over a point per game. Never mind the fact they were invisible in Wednesday’s loss to St. Louis; at least their still on pace for another solid campaign.

Sami Salo has not only stayed healthy, he’s managed to put up as many points as he did last year and in half the games. Is it at all possible that at the age of 37, the affable Finn can best his career-high of 37 points, set back in 2007?

All it really takes is a glance at the individual plus-minus ratings of the Canucks to get an indication of how they’re performing; Salo is a team-best plus-5 and arguably one of the more consistent players on the roster, while Kevin Bieksa’s gaudy minus-9 and Dan Hamhuis’ minus-7 is a proverbial black eye to the once unbreakable Canucks shutdown unit. At minus-six, Manny Malhotra isn’t exactly immune to criticism, either.

But I digress. It may be another case of the Octobers for Vancouver, which include symptoms of sluggish starts and mental fatigue, but things could be worse for the Canucks.

I mean, if Roberto Luongo thought he had no confidence, Ilya Bryzgalov said it. In front of the media. I mean, he actually said he stinks. If Luongo allowed four goals on ten shots like Bryzgalov did last night at home against Winnipeg, I’m not sure Luongo would be able to get out of Rogers Arena without being lynched there and then. Now that’s goalie problems.

And again, things could be worse. We could be fans of the New York Islanders who, despite boasting a modest 3-4-1 record, are a ticking time bomb waiting to blow. With no new building coming, the few Islanders fans that remain are bracing themselves for the cold reality that their team could soon be relocating.

And finally, things could be worse. Despite having a Stanley Cup banner which is a proverbial ‘f@#$ you’ to Canucks fans, at least the Boston Bruins are having just as much trouble as Vancouver is. Perched in the Eastern Conference basement, the Canucks have the ability to say that they haven’t tumbled that far … yet.

Boy, all that has made me depressed. Here’s a video that, if you haven’t seen it yet, should brighten up your Friday:

Canucks at a Crease Crossroad

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Oct 262011
 

This just in: There are as many Vancouver Canucks fans who support Roberto Luongo as there are Vancouver Canucks fans who despise him.

Cory Schneider will get the start for the Canucks tonight when they take to the ice versus the St. Louis Blues, and head coach Alain Vigneault insists that was the plan from the start following his decision to pull Roberto Luongo midway through the second period in last night’s loss to Edmonton.

Now, there isn’t yet developed technology that allows us to see what’s going on in Vigneault’s head, but chances are he’s torn between sticking to Luongo or going to Schneider on a more frequent basis.

Has Roberto Luongo been bad, even by his usual October standards? Yes, there’s no sense even debating it. Even for October, this is the first time during his tenure with the Canucks that his save percentage has been below.900 (it’s .868) and his goals-against average has swollen to 3.46. Granted the competition Cory Schneider has beaten isn’t exactly top grade (Wins against Columbus and Minnesota), but has the backup given anyone reason to doubt his abilities?

Even during mop-up duty against the Oilers, Schneider’s goal-line save against Jordan Eberle in the third period during a 3-2 game gave the Canucks a fighting chance to even the score. In that regard, hasn’t Schneider done enough to earn tonight’s start, regardless of whether or not it was “the plan”?

Alain Vigneault has held his team to a standard that if you’re playing well, you’ll be rewarded. Conversely, if you’re playing poorly, you’re going to get bumped a couple notches down the pecking order. We’ve seen it this season when Jannik Hansen was bumped up to the second line when he scored an early goal against Minnesota, knocking Cody Hodgson down to the third line.

Why should goaltending be any different? Why should Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider be exceptions to Vigneault’s standards?

For the first time in his tenure with the Canucks, Roberto Luongo is being challenged by a backup who may just have the same skill set as him. He never had to look over his shoulder when Dany Sabourin, Curtis Sanford, or Andrew Raycroft were playing second fiddle to him, but Schneider is a different animal altogether.

Why not have Schneider start a few more? Why not force Luongo to work hard in practice and work his way out of this funk? At the end of the day, isn’t that what’s best for the team?

And it’s not like “franchise” netminders around the league haven’t undergone this before. Last year, Marc-Andre Fleury’s poor October saw Brent Johnson get an increase in ice time. Two years ago, Tim Thomas, coming off a Vezina win, was supplanted by young upstart Tuukka Rask. A year later, Thomas backstopped the Bruins to the Stanley Cup. And I don’t even need to bring up the well-documented Price vs. Halak war in Montreal.

The point is, whether fans choose to believe it or not, we might very well be at a crease crossroad. It’s still very early in the year, but this goalie debate has dragged on long enough that it’s not too early to give Cory Schneider a vote of confidence, either.

Canucks acquire David Booth from Panthers

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Oct 222011
 

If you were one of those Canucks fans that wanted to be unique and get a Marco Sturm jersey, you might want to tell the Canucks Team Store to cancel your order.

Canucks general manager Mike Gillis apparently does care about what other people say about his team, and the critics’ longstanding issues about Vancouver’s lack of a second-line winger can now be silenced, at least for now.

The team announced shortly after their win against the Minnesota Wild that they had made a four-player trade with the Florida Panthers, sending the oft-injured Mikael Samuelsson and the ineffective Marco Sturm to the ‘Cats for winger David Booth, Steven Reinprecht, and a 3rd round pick in 2013.

So what does all this mean?

Well for starters, a moment of silence for Mikael Samuelsson, who provided Canucks media with some of the worst best audio clips in team history:

Yeah, I don’t know what happened there either. The guy’s got 11 NHL seasons under his belt and he’s talking like he’s got a Swedish meatball lodged in the back of his throat.

But in all seriousness, Samuelsson’s tenure in Vancouver was far from terrible. He provided some thrilling moments (most of which came in the Canucks’ first round battle with Los Angeles in 2010) and added some leadership in the team dressing room (which, you could argue, he passed on to the Sedin twins). Samuelsson put up 50+ points in his two years with Vancouver, and given the expectations of him when the team signed him in the summer of 2009, that’s pretty much what we hoped for.

Marco Sturm, on the other hand, was about as useless as useless could get. Slow and unable to acclimate himself into Alain Vigneault’s system, he was a circle peg trying to fit into a square hole. He showed zero chemistry with players from lines two to four and his previous injury woes showed. He will not be missed, and neither will the $2.5M price tag that was attached to him.

The centre piece of the deal is David Booth, who has as much upside as he does risk. A second-round draft pick from ’04, the height of Booth’s days in Florida were when he poured in 31 goals in 2008-09 while playing on a woefully bad team. Booth has also had seasons of 22 and 23 goals prior to and after the 31-goal campaign, so you know the potential is there.

On the other side of the coin, Booth was derailed by concussion problems in 2009 when he was blindsided by then-Flyer Mike Richards early in the year,  forcing him to miss 54 games with head problems. That’s a red flag in itself, as you could say rarely ever do players play the same after suffering major concussions, but Booth played a full season last year which should lead me to say his injury problems are a thing of the past.

Booth also played with Ryan Kesler when Team USA beat Canada in the 2004 World Juniors (Thanks again, Brayden Coburn’s ass and Marc-Andre Fleury’s brain). In 2003, Kesler also teamed up with current linemate Chris Higgins at the World Juniors, leading to early speculation all three will play on a line together soon.

Reinprecht, an aging veteran of 11 NHL seasons (that’s been said before already) is currently in Rochester playing for Florida’s AHL affiliate, so his days are likely done in the big league. That said, you can never have enough centre depth and Reinprecht will be a good mentor for some of the Canucks’ young blood in Chicago.

Myself and the rest of the CHB crew will have more analysis and discussion on the Canucks’ latest trade in tomorrow’s episode for CHB TV. Make sure you check back for more!

Chris Higgins: Also a big key to the second line

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Oct 182011
 

Lost in all the hullabaloo about a belly-flopping goalie and a supposed “slow” start in the early season is the strong play of Chris Higgins, who will be the other person to complete the second line with Cody Hodgson and Ryan Kesler when the latter returns to the Canucks lineup tomorrow night.

Yes, Kesler is the guy who stirs the drink. You don’t score 40 goals and become one of the best two-way players in the game without being the go-to guy on a line. But while Kesler may be the present and Hodgson the future, Higgins isn’t about to be deemed chopped liver, either.

It was just four years ago that a 25-year-old Higgins potted 27 goals with the Montreal Canadiens, his third consecutive year of scoring 20+ goals in a season. That 27-goal feat came while playing with a revolving door of linemates from Saku Koivu to Ryan O’Byrne to Michael Ryder. And with all due respect to that trifecta of former Habs, neither even remotely compares to the level that Kesler plays at.

Sure, Higgins has been through more houses (Montreal, New York, Calgary, and Florida) than a Trading Spaces marathon, but if he plays his cards right, he’ll be able to find a more permanent home in Vancouver. Now at 28, ideally Higgins should be entering the prime of his career.

Going back to last spring’s playoffs, Chris Higgins may not have been an offensive dynamo (then again, who was?) but there was no questioning his hustle and drive. Higgins put the effort in despite labouring through a broken foot, which should automatically qualify him for Vigneault Penthouse status. Now that he’s looking to be a fixture on a second line with Ryan Kesler, is it that much of a stretch to suggest he can get back to that 25+25 level we’ve seen before?

It’s already been well-documented that Kesler and Higgins played together for Team USA at the World Juniors. So there’s that, too.

Even without Kesler, Higgins and Hodgson teamed up to combine for three goals and three assists in a combined ten games. While certainly nothing to write home about, it’s not shabby for a line that doesn’t have someone named Sedin on it.

So let’s see how this latest rendition of the second line plays out. We know Kesler will be there, and if Hodgson continues doing his part on the wing, he will too. But Chris Higgins could soon find himself getting some more attention sooner than we think.

Of Canucks and Curses

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Oct 052011
 

After the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup Final, I stepped away from hockey for a while (in reality, it was about two weeks). I couldn’t watch anything hockey-related; every time TSN or Sportsnet would show clips of the Boston Bruins lifting the Stanley Cup in Vancouver’s own home, it was like that knife in my back twisted, and dug a little deeper.

I watched a lot of sports movies in that time. Some for the first time, others for the millionth time.

One movie which never seems to fail me is Friday Night Lights. For those who haven’t seen it, do yourself a favour and watch it. It’s about a young Texas highschool football team who are under the intense spotlight and expectations of winning (not all that dissimilar from Vancouver). Like hockey in Vancouver, football is life in Texas, and one quote from the team captain Mike Winchell to head coach Gary Gaines virtually summed up life for Canucks fans.

“You ever feel cursed, Coach? Like no matter what, inside your heart you know you’re going to lose, like something’s hanging over you. I feel like that all the time. Even when things are going good. When we’re winning, it’s there. When we’re losing, it’s there. It follows me like a witch.”

Now let’s be honest. Who else encountered that feeling at least once during the playoffs? Truthfully, it was there in the first round; even when the Canucks held that commanding 3-0 series lead against Chicago. And eventually, those doubts, those fears, they crept into our hearts and minds as that series dragged on. It made Alex Burrows’ eventual game winner all the more sweeter, but it wasn’t just elation that swept over fans in that moment … It was relief. Maybe that curse was being lifted.

Slowly, we began to believe. And the city began to as well. The Canucks beat the determined Predators in six and rolled over the Sharks in five en route to that coveted Stanley Cup Final berth. The curse was just four more wins away from being vanquished once and for all.

But as the Canucks squandered that 2-0 series lead, those same old doubts and fears barreled down on us like a freight train.

The story pretty much writes itself from there. The vaunted Canucks, the best team in the regular season bar none, lost four of the last five games. Losing four of five in the regular season was virtually unheard of, let alone doing it on the biggest stage of them all. And just like that, Canucks fans remain tethered to that curse, that 41-year curse, that weighs on us like a gigantic boulder.

Until the Canucks finally capture that Stanley Cup, all we’ll ever feel is cursed. The 2011/2012 season is a brand new chance at redemption, but as those years drag on, we can only feel that boulder getting heavier.

And for those wondering, here is Coach Gaines’ response to curses:

“It took me a long time to realize that there ain’t much difference between winning and losing, except how the outside world treats you. But inside you, it’s about all the same. It really is. Fact of the matter is that our only curses are the ones self-imposed. We, all of us, we dig our own holes.”

No better chance than now for Cody Hodgson

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Aug 312011
 

Slowly but surely, Cody Hodgson is picking up the pieces again.

His back injuries of a year ago are a thing of the past and he recently told The Province that he’s as strong as he’s ever been, which is a breath of fresh air for those who have heralded Hodgson as the future of the Vancouver Canucks organization.

Truth be told, the Canucks will need a youthful and energetic presence come October. Still rallying from the bitterness of losing the Stanley Cup at home, it’s safe to say that some of the players are still a little physically weary and will come out of the shoot stumbling. Hodgson, who played little to no minutes during the postseason, will need to be a catalyst for the team’s early regular season success.

And Hodgson’s importance to the club in the short-term is only magnified now that it’s clear two-thirds of Vancouver’s second line will be out of the lineup. Ryan Kesler has stated he’d like to be completely healthy and fit by the start of the regular season, but major hip surgery has a habit of hampering even the bullish Kesler from being a bronco in the NHL rodeo. Mason Raymond’s back won’t allow him back until at least November, and with the aging Mikael Samuelsson and injury-riddled Marco Sturm in tow, there’s a brass ring waiting to be seized for Hodgson.

Truth be told, this is a crucial year in the development of Cody Hodgson. Ever since he was drafted in the summer of 2008 and claimed gold with Canada at the World Juniors (where he finished as the leading scorer), he has (perhaps unfairly) been held in the same stratosphere as Steven Stamkos, who has since become part of the NHL’s elite class of players. Remember that it was three years ago when they were drafted that TSN analyst Bob McKenzie said all that separated Hodgson from Stamkos was the initial burst of speed.

It’s highly unlikely Hodgson will ever get to Stamkos’ level of play, but three years have since passed since his draft and Hodgson will hardly get a better chance to make and stick with the Vancouver Canucks roster than right now, when the organization needs him the most.

Nolan presents low risk, high reward

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Aug 042011
 

After watching high-profile unrestricted free agents find new homes and seeing Shea Weber and Zach Parise not get traded to Vancouver, fans were raising red flags all over Twitter, waiting for Mike Gillis to address the second-line scoring, or lack thereof. Of course, the level of panic was only magnified when it was learned Ryan Kesler may miss the beginning of the season after hip surgery.

As it stands, if the season were to begin today, the Canucks’ second line would be composed of Chris Higgins, Maxim Lapierre, and Mikael Samuelsson, which would leave most people feeling pretty uninspired. Thankfully, there’s still a couple months before October arrives and if Cody Hodgson is having one heck of a summer training regimen, maybe there’s still a shred of hope.

So of course Gillis, known more for bargaining rather than bold, reached into Father Time’s back pocket and pulled the ageless Owen Nolan out of the European abyss. Should we be concerned? Is this his genius plan?

It’s not the sexiest of transactions, but ultimately Nolan (and Todd Fedoruk, hereby nicknamed ‘Leftovers’) is here on a player tryout, nothing more and nothing less. Historically, Nolan has a good chance to seize an opening night roster spot; if Peter Schaefer can do it, so can Nolan. But then again, asking Brendan Morrison about a player tryout might leave you with a less-than-satisfied response.

Five reasons why Owen Nolan is a low-risk, high-reward player for the Vancouver Canucks:

  1. He’s only two years removed from the NHL. Nolan will become the third high-profile NHL player to return to North America after spending time in Europe, joining Jaromir Jagr and — as soon as he gives up and returns to the New York Islanders — Alexei Yashin. In the 2009-10 season, Nolan put up 16 goals and 33 points in 73 games with Minnesota; not exactly poor numbers albeit on a fledgling Wild team. At the very least, Nolan can still be a crash-and-bang player on the third or fourth lines, perhaps seeing spot duty on the second line.
  2. He’s been playing hockey. It’s not like Zurich of the Swiss League is a top-flight hockey league, but the league isn’t exactly chopped liver, either. The Swiss League is often in the running for the elusive Spengler Cup. And unlike some aging hockey players, at least Nolan hasn’t been sitting on his hands for five months (I’m looking at you, Mats Sundin).
  3. Have you seen the crop of UFAs remaining? Unless Gillis would like to roll the dice on damaged goods like Chris Drury, take a chance on recently bought-out J.P. Dumont, or see what Steve Bernier is doing these days, taking a chance on Nolan is no worse than taking a chance on any of the above. Having played in Europe and invited on a tryout basis, Nolan has almost little to no bargaining power and would likely take a one-year contract worth somewhere around $600K to $750K. Don’t blame Mike Gillis for trying to get some bang for his buck.
  4. Nolan has intangibles the Canucks lacked down the stretch. Integrity and an insatiable drive. Those were some of the qualities the Canucks could have fed off of when they were humbled in Boston in Games 3 and 4. Nolan hasn’t tasted champagne from the Stanley Cup, but this is a grizzled veteran, in every sense of the word, and he knows a thing or two about how to battle in the trenches. I’m not saying the Canucks lack leadership, but Nolan is certainly a guy who can lead by example.
  5. We’re talking about fourth-line minutes. Assuming Nolan doesn’t have a Mathieu Schneider-like spaz, Nolan will comfortably play five to six minutes a night on the fourth line. He doesn’t need to be a star; he doesn’t even need to be a Raffi Torres replacement. He just has to not play stupid. Don’t put a ton of stock into fourth-line guys. Just ask Tanner Glass and the whopping five or so minutes he averaged in the postseason.

NHL Draft 2011 – Live Blog

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Jun 242011
 

8:08PM: Some closing thoughts: Nice to see Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, a Burnaby native, go first overall. He deserved to go at that spot and worked all year for it. Interesting trades came about today with Setoguchi heading to Minnesota and Campbell to Florida. Canucks put their prospect depth at the winger position in good shape by drafting Nicklas Jensen. I’d expect them to make a bolder pick in the second round. Brandon Saad is still available, as is David Musil and Rocco Grimaldi. See you next time folks!

8:06PM: After the Ducks draft Rickard Rakell, that does it for the first round!

8:01PM: Canucks fans, consider yourselves lucky to get Nicklas Jensen. Most thought he’d be gone by the late teens or early 20′s, so to get him at 29 is terrific. Jensen will be a two-year project, but he’s got a bright future ahead.

7:57PM: The Canucks make my wish come true! Nicklas Jensen is a Vancouver Canuck!

7:52PM: Who should the Canucks take? I’m hoping for Danish winger Nicklas Jensen from the Oshawa Generals.

7:49PM: The Wild select Zack Phillips, the third player from the St. John’s Sea Dogs to get drafted in the first round. AND THE CANUCKS ARE UP NEXT!

7:43PM: Tampa Bay makes their first selection of the night (How crazy is it to go from drafting #2 in 2010 to #27 in 2011?) and select Vladislav Namestnikov, the first Russian to go in the draft.

7:36PM: Just before the Blackhawks select Phillip Danault at 26, word is they’ve found a taker for Brian Campbell in the Florida Panthers. Huge news, as it frees up a whack of cap space. Canucks fans lament. They free up $7.1-million, and with the salary cap going up… Cue the Brad Richards speculation?

7:32PM: Looking more and more like Mike Gillis and the Canucks will stand pat at 29. I’m sure they came close to dealing the pick away, but didn’t want to give up a good roster player to improve now. Zack Phillips, Brandon Saad, Ty Rattie, Rocco Grimaldi, Rickard Rakell, Nicklas Jensen and David Musil all still available at pick 26.

7:25PM: Toronto adds to Tyler Biggs with Stuart Percy at pick number 25. Intelligent player who sees the ice well and can get the puck out of his zone quickly.

7:18PM: The Sens wanted Matt Puempel and felt they had to trade up to get him. Pure goal scorer, offensive talent. Adds to their first round picks in Zibanejad and Noeson.

7:16PM: The Penguins took Joe Morrow, smooth-skating defenseman who I think would’ve looked good in the Canucks system. Not meant to be.

7:07PM: The Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings have made a trade, swapping picks. Ottawa gets the 24th overall pick and Detroit gets Ottawa’s 35th and 48th. So much for the Sens being done.

7:04PM: So apparently when you urinate the Leafs decide to trade up. Coincidence? I think not. Toronto adds some nastiness and feistiness in Tyler Biggs from the USA NTDP.

6:53PM: The Senators complete their first round by adding Stefan Noeson. This guy will add some sandpaper.

6:44PM: Still some solid prospects available that the Canucks might be interested in: Nicklas Jensen from Oshawa (Another Dane! Imagine a Hansen-Jensen combination!) as well as Vancouver Giant blueliner David Musil. Also consider Matt Puempel (Peterborough) and Rocco Grimaldi (USA NTDP).

6:39PM: Edmonton completes their first round with Oscar Klefbom, a nice defenseman who played for the SEL-winning Farjestad. This team is going to be mega scary in three years.

6:35PM: Chicago selects Mark McNeill, but let’s go back to the Sharks trade. Remember, earlier we saw Mike Gillis and Doug Wilson having a long conversation on the draft floor. Very possible the two were discussing a trade for Setoguchi. Perhaps Wilson was asking for Alex Edler.

6:31PM: Bob McKenzie reports the San Jose Sharks just completed a blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Wild. Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, and their first round pick for Brent Burns and a 2nd round pick. Big overpayment by San Jose, in my opinion.

6:24PM: The Habs keep the draft going by selecting Nathan Beaulieu from St. John’s. Must be a dream for Quebec kid to be drafted by Les Habitants.

6:20PM: The Capitals just traded their 26th overall selection to Chicago for Troy Brouwer, which is an indication they won’t bring back Brooks Laich.

6:14PM: The Sabres take Finn Joel Armia, their first European to be drafted by the Sabres in five years. They must be really high on this kid.

6:08PM: The NYR select JT Miller. Had to look in the back of the prospects book on this one. Most known for leading USA in scoring at the U-18 tournament.

6:00PM: Well you can cross Jamie Oleksiak off my wish list for me, as the Dallas Stars just took him 14th overall. This guy is absolutely monstrous.

5:50PM: The Calgary Flames select Sven Bartschi, a Swiss kid who came highly recommended from Nino Niederreiter at the import draft. Put this into perspective; Bartschi finished second in WHL scoring behind Nugent-Hopkins. He instantly becomes their best offensive prospect.

5:45PM: Carolina selects Ryan Murphy 11th overall. He’s from the Kitchener Rangers, the same team Jeff Skinner was drafted from last year. Now if they get a rookie season from Murphy like they did Skinner… Hey, we can dream.

5:38PM: Avalanche make their second pick of the night, a little off the board with Duncan Siemens of the Saskatoon Blades.

5:32PM: Hometown Wild select Jonas Brodin at 10th overall. Lot of scouts seem to liken him to Alex Edler, minus the physical play. But that sort of thing can be taught.

5:25PM: Maybe the toughest part of watching the Draft is not only watching Boston come to the podium but come at 8th overall, 21 spots higher than the Canucks, even after winning the Cup. Thanks again Toronto. Oh, and they selected big Dougie Hamilton.

5:17PM: Oh boy, the Flyers might’ve just picked a great centre for the future — Sean Couturier fell a few spots from his original ranking.

5:08PM: The Winnipeg Jets have a raucous crowd and just went a little off the board and selected Mark Scheifele from the Barrie Colts.

4:58PM: Well there goes the streak. Ottawa takes Mika Zibanejad from Djurgardens. This is a big centre who has lots of offensive skill.

4:54PM: I’m still perfect in my mock draft. The New York Islanders took Ryan Strome, who should be an excellent linemate for John Tavares.

4:45PM: New Jersey takes franchise blueliner Adam Larsson at fourth overall. Edmonton, Colorado, and Florida may live to regret this.

4:39PM: Florida does the smart thing and addresses a huge need up front by selecting Jonathan Huberdeau third overall.

4:20PM: Colorado selects Gabriel Landeskog second overall. This guy is going to be very good. Picture a Swedish Brayden Schenn. He will step into the NHL immediately.

4:20PM: There you go. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goes to the Edmonton Oilers first overall, the highest B.C.-pick in NHL history.

4:20PM: Sounds like another trade; the Ryan Smyth trade saga is over, he’s heading back to Edmonton for Gilbert Brule and a draft pick.

4:17PM: What a terrific tribute to E.J. McGuire, an NHL scouting legend. Many clubs considered McGuire the source for everything regarding NHL draft prospects. Touching stuff.

4:03PM: The NHL Draft is just a couple of minutes away. Can you feel the excitement?! There’s been a trade already and the GMs are talking a ton.

2011 NHL Entry Draft Talk: The Targets

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Jun 222011
 

At 29th overall, you can be sure that the Vancouver Canucks certainly aren’t expecting to draft the next Taylor Hall or John Tavares. But historically, there have been some good players drafted 29th overall in previous drafts; like Mike Green in 2004 or Steve Downie in 2005. The organization will consider themselves lucky if they snag someone of that calibre, but the most important thing to remember is that whoever it is likely faces two to three years of development before making a ripple in the NHL pond.

Below is a list of players who could find themselves wearing Canuck colours this Friday. Vancouver’s organizational needs for a steady defenseman or a scoring winger, along with their current drafting position, were taken into consideration when writing this list.

Jamie Oleksiak, Defenseman, Northeastern University: The number you need to know with Oleksiak is 6’7″, the height of this mountainous blueliner. He’s got an NHL-sized body, which bodes well for a team looking for defenseman capable of stepping in as soon as possible. Scouts have compared Oleksiak to a poor man’s Tyler Myers, and the Toronto native skates remarkably well for someone of his stature. It’s hard for the Canucks to say they own a big and nasty blueliner in their system, and Oleksiak could be it. ISS Ranking: 19th

David Musil, Defenseman, Vancouver Giants: Aside from the fact Musil has a B.C. connection, the defensive blueliner reminds me a lot of Bryan Allen when the Canucks drafted him in 1998. Musil is a defenseman who plays a simple yet effective game in his own zone; the numbers for the Giants speak for themselves (62 games, 25 points), indicating he won’t be an offensive dynamo anytime soon, but the Canucks have survived this long without one; they can continue to do so if they draft Musil. ISS Ranking: 17th

Tomas Jurco, Right Wing, St. John’s Sea Dogs: When’s the last time the Canucks have drafted a Slovakian in the first round? I’m not sure it’s ever been done before. So why now, and why Tomas Jurco? There’s absolutely no question that Jurco has some of the silkiest mitts among his draft class; his YouTube videos will speak for themselves. And for an organization which could use some more skill, Jurco offers it in spades. He’s been close to a point-per-game player in his two seasons with the Sea Dogs. ISS Ranking: 34th

Ty Rattie, Left Wing, Portland Winterhawks: He put up strong numbers for the ‘Hawks this year (61 games played, 79 points), but observers say that his skating is the thing which separates him from fellow WHL stars Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sven Bartschi. Rattie is still a skilled forward, but until his size and speed catch up to the NHL pace, he’s a project player at best, one which will require five years of seasoning. ISS Ranking: 22nd

Victor Rask, Centre, Leksand: At about this time last June, Rask was being ballyhooed as a potential top-10 selection in the 2011 draft. Unfortunately for the smooth-skating Swede, his stock has since plummeted to the point where something think he might slip out of the first round altogether. Rask didn’t get much chance to shine with Leksand in the SEL due to a lack of ice time, which has sucked the confidence out of scouts. If the Canucks feel like making a bold move, they could easily try trading down for an extra pick to steal this crafty Swede who most believe still has a path to the NHL laid out before him. ISS Ranking: 28th

Matt Puempel, Left Wing, Peterborough: A former OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year, Puempel netted 34 goals last year and 33 goals the year before. He’s a proven goal-scoring winger, something the Canucks need more of in their system. Puempel was ranked 10th among all skaters at the start of the season and even drew some comparisons to top-ranked Ryan Nugent-Hopkins after a strong showing at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament. His stock has fallen a bit since though, especially after suffering a hip injury, one that required surgery, late in the season. It didn’t help that the Colts had the second-worst record in the OHL. ISS Ranking: 30th

Tyler Biggs, Right Wing, USA U-18: At 6’3″, 205 lbs, Biggs definitely lives up to his name in size alone. What he lacks in offensive upside, he makes up for in character and leadership – both traits Mike Gillis values highly – and he’s not shy in using his big body to get in the dirty areas. In various mock drafts, I’ve seen Biggs taken anywhere from the middle of the first round to middle of the second round. ISS Ranking: 8th

John Gibson, Goaltender, USA U-18: GM Mike Gillis made a comment about Gibson, this draft’s top-ranked goaltender, which seems to indicate the Canucks’ interest in him. Given the time and effort to develop goaltenders and the number of them who may be had in the open market, there may not be a lot of value on drafting goaltenders, especially with a high draft pick. But the Canucks don’t have much in terms of goaltending prospects after Cory Schneider and Eddie Lack; they have Jonathan Iilahti and Joe Cannata in the system, and neither are poised to make an impact. ISS Ranking: 1st (goaltenders)

2011 NHL Entry Draft Talk: Prospects in the System

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Jun 212011
 
Eddie Lack

Photo credit: theahl.com

Now that Vancouver Canucks fans have (we hope) managed to begin the healing process from the emotional rollercoaster of the 2011 Playoffs, it’s time to shift the focus to the 2011 Draft, where the building blocks for future success are put in place.

Given that the 2011 crop has, for some time, been viewed as a generally weaker class than previous years, perhaps the Canucks would be best served to once again parlay their first-round selection in order to acquire the talent needed to win right now. But seeing as how the club already forked over their top pick last season along with Michael Grabner and Steve Bernier, perhaps its in the best interests of the organization to keep the 2011 draft choice and not gut an already thin prospect pool.

In the mean time, let’s get a sense of just where exactly the Canucks are at when it comes to their top prospects.

Centres: Unquestionably, this is the Canucks’ biggest strength. With Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler expected to play out the next five years of their career in Vancouver (and likely more), Vancouver doesn’t really have a need for some top flight talent down the middle. Because of the team depth at centre, Tony Gallagher of The Province recently posed the question of top prospect Cody Hodgson’s future with Vancouver, but don’t buy the notion just yet. Despite the fact Manny Malhotra is the team’s unequivocal third-line centre, Mike Gillis also noted that Malhotra also plays wing, which would allow Hodgson to potentially slot in the third line.

Jordan Schroeder, drafted in 2009 in the first round, is another intriguing player that oozes as much talent as he does mystery. On occasion with Manitoba last year Schroeder looked like an elite-level prospect but on others looked completely invisible. It’s clear he’s still a few years away from seizing any chance at getting into NHL action.

Wingers: Anton Rodin and Sergei Shirokov remain atop the Canucks’ winger rankings, with the latter finishing the season as the Manitoba Moose leading scorer (22-36-58). Shirokov’s brief audition with Vancouver this year was much better than the year prior, as he scored his first NHL goal in a two-game callup. However, the small winger still is a little fish in a Canuck pond, where the team needs for elite scoring wingers may be too demanding for him.

As for Rodin, he’s grown both physically and mentally, acclimating himself to the Swedish Elite League since beginning his tenure with Brynas in 2009. It’s argued that the next step for Rodin’s career would be to make the trek to North America, but it’s unknown if he will commit to the move just yet. (Editor’s note: Farhan Devji reported about a month ago that Rodin is indeed North America-bound, but I haven’t seen any official confirmation from the team yet. – J.J.)

The Canucks also recently signed left winger Steven Anthony, who played for the Memorial Cup champion St. John’s Sea Dogs. Anthony, who was once compared to Sidney Crosby not too long ago, only realized this season that success on the ice comes with hard work. The tantalizing prospect has so much skill but needs to up his compete level in order to achieve it.

Bill Sweatt is the other notable winger in the franchise prospect pool, finishing second in Moose scoring. Sweatt is still a few years away from making a major contribution, however.

Defense: Kevin Connauton entered 2010 as Vancouver’s most intriguing defensive prospect, and for stretches of the season carried over some of the offensive flare from his Vancouver Giants days which made him so highly regarded. Unfortunately, Connauton’s mobility has been an issue all season, resulting in a blueline-worst minus-11 rating. He’s still learning the professional game and needs more time.

Connauton was instead overshadowed by the steady play of Chris Tanev, who appeared in a handful of regular season games with Vancouver as well as a few playoff games over Keith Ballard. Tanev never panics in his own end and makes a smart outlet pass nine times out of 10, which is why the Vancouver coaching staff like his future with the big club. Of all defensive prospects, Tanev is the likeliest to earn a spot next year.

Meanwhile, Yann Sauve and Lee Sweatt continue to develop their skills in the AHL; both missed significant time due to injuries this season, which has stunted their professional growth. 2010 draft pick Patrick McNally just finished his first season with Harvard University.

Goalie: Eddie Lack is undoubtedly the prospect who made the biggest noise this season in the AHL. Lack was the team MVP on many nights and the sole reason the Moose made it to the North Division Final. “The Stork” arrived with little hype but all season long was so effective at taking away the bottom half of the net, forcing snipers to try and beat him glove side, which Lack has recently mastered as well. If the Canucks do decide to part ways with Cory Schneider, few would be hesitant to see Lack fill the backup void. He’s been that good.

Organization Direction: At this point it becomes simply a “best player available” approach for the Vancouver Canucks. Despite their strength at the centre position, there’s little to suggest the Canucks won’ take a centre in the first round if that’s the best player available. With the team’s “win now” approach, the club could very easily swap Hodgson or Schroeder or even both if it means acquiring the kind of immediate talent to put the team over the top. That said, it’s evident the team would love to draft a winger with scoring ability or a physically mature defenseman who has a quick learning curve.

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