The Canucks' pro-scouting deserves some serious cred. I might be putting the cart before the horse here but I applaud the moves to bring in Andrew Ebbet, Mark Mancari and Alexander Sulzer.
Re-signing Higgins and bringing Sturm shows the direction this team is going. The lessons learned from coming up one game short in the Stanley Cup Finals is: We need offensive depth.
While most fans hoped we'd get tougher in the process it appears that the game plan is not to fight fire with fire but to smother it with a plethora of offensive threats. For similar money I would probably take Raffi Torres over over Sturm or Higgins but it is clear the team has a direction and I will trust it. Amidst rumblings that Gillis and Co. are still in the impact player market I have to say if the moves made thus far are it then I'm OK. This team has a proven track record of finding diamonds in the rough.
Mancari is a power forward playing a point-per-game in the AHL. I believe they see him as a possible Torres replacement with far greater offensive upside and that he will be given a fair shake in training camp. Ebbet also had a point per game last season in the AHL and the diminutive puck moving centre and former BCHL star is a great depth signing. Alexander Sulzer taking a two-way deal as a pretty well established NHLer is a great pick-up. All three will vie for time with the big club, and the signings are a testament not only to the scouting of talent but the ability to attract it.
All three of these players would have better chances of making lesser teams but are willing to fight to try to earn space with last year's runner up: why? Because this franchise is top notch, and, not only that, there must be some measure of dialogue about where these players fit in to future plans.
So the Canucks didn't over-pay (as of yet) for an impact player, but they might just turn a few up on the cheap.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Broadcasters witout a clue
After watching Boston Gregg's new video (he is hillarious) I youtubed Raffi Torres to see if I could find a compilation of his hits and was surprised that I couldn't...he's had so many memorable ones and his physical play along with the acquisition of malhotra prior to the season is the reason the Canucks are in the finals.
I was also shocked by what I heard in the replay of the two individual hits I did watch: The Eberle Major and the hit on Seabrook.
In the Eberle hit the Oilers commentary said the hit was to an unsuspecting player.
In the Chicago series we see the puck roll around the boards to Seabrook behind the net. He is waiting for the puck on his backhand being a righthanded defender and as it skips past him he reaches for it, only to be obliterated by Torres.
I didn't have to re-watch the Horton hit from game three by Aaron Rome but clearly Horton is admiring his pass in a high-traffic zone.
"That is a dirty play....Seabrook hadn't even touched the puck....he might have stuck the elbow out. It's a dirty play....Elbow in to the jaw...this is what's disturbing, if Seabrook had've stayed down and milked this." CSN broadcasters
WHAT ELBOW?
"Torres clobbered Eberle...I think for Raffi Torres you can say goodbye to the first round of the playoffs....that's a clip, that's an unsuspecting players....definitely looked like a high one....you can't tel me that's not a head shot..." CBC Broadcast Crew in a mean-nothing game, one of many established by the NHLs flawed draft process as shit teams like Edmonton ice the worst line-up possible to win the "Fall for Hall"
A HIGH HIT? EBERELE, THE ROOKIE, MADE A ROOKIE MISTAKE IN MANS LEAGUE: DON"T REACH FOR THE PUCK!!! I HOPE HE LEARNED HIS LESSON.
"Right after he distributed the puck (yes it was, thanks for calling it like it really is)...that is a late hit by aaron rome (pardon?)....that's rule 48...a high hit to a vulnerable player"
DON'T BE VULNERABLE....THERE"S A WINDOW IN WHICH IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO BE HIT...THIS HIT WAS AT THE LONG END OF THAT TIME FRAME, BUT BARELY.
In all of these plays a physical player in a contact sport made a hit that is now deemd "predatory". Can anybody tell me
"That's why the league put in rule 48 to protect players in that situation" - - I'm sorry, where I came from people were taught how to play. Taught how to take a hit.
Don't watch your pass Nathan! Don't reach for a puck Jordan! Don't reach back and not look on the dump in Brent! Sorry, but this league and some of those around it are all to happy to spin-doctor these hits to make it look like those dishing them out are horrible evil players, but the nature of hockey is to punish those getting comfortable making plays that should be restricted by the very nature of this physical game. This isn't even hockey anymore.
I was also shocked by what I heard in the replay of the two individual hits I did watch: The Eberle Major and the hit on Seabrook.
In the Eberle hit the Oilers commentary said the hit was to an unsuspecting player.
In the Chicago series we see the puck roll around the boards to Seabrook behind the net. He is waiting for the puck on his backhand being a righthanded defender and as it skips past him he reaches for it, only to be obliterated by Torres.
I didn't have to re-watch the Horton hit from game three by Aaron Rome but clearly Horton is admiring his pass in a high-traffic zone.
"That is a dirty play....Seabrook hadn't even touched the puck....he might have stuck the elbow out. It's a dirty play....Elbow in to the jaw...this is what's disturbing, if Seabrook had've stayed down and milked this." CSN broadcasters
WHAT ELBOW?
"Torres clobbered Eberle...I think for Raffi Torres you can say goodbye to the first round of the playoffs....that's a clip, that's an unsuspecting players....definitely looked like a high one....you can't tel me that's not a head shot..." CBC Broadcast Crew in a mean-nothing game, one of many established by the NHLs flawed draft process as shit teams like Edmonton ice the worst line-up possible to win the "Fall for Hall"
A HIGH HIT? EBERELE, THE ROOKIE, MADE A ROOKIE MISTAKE IN MANS LEAGUE: DON"T REACH FOR THE PUCK!!! I HOPE HE LEARNED HIS LESSON.
"Right after he distributed the puck (yes it was, thanks for calling it like it really is)...that is a late hit by aaron rome (pardon?)....that's rule 48...a high hit to a vulnerable player"
DON'T BE VULNERABLE....THERE"S A WINDOW IN WHICH IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO BE HIT...THIS HIT WAS AT THE LONG END OF THAT TIME FRAME, BUT BARELY.
In all of these plays a physical player in a contact sport made a hit that is now deemd "predatory". Can anybody tell me
"That's why the league put in rule 48 to protect players in that situation" - - I'm sorry, where I came from people were taught how to play. Taught how to take a hit.
Don't watch your pass Nathan! Don't reach for a puck Jordan! Don't reach back and not look on the dump in Brent! Sorry, but this league and some of those around it are all to happy to spin-doctor these hits to make it look like those dishing them out are horrible evil players, but the nature of hockey is to punish those getting comfortable making plays that should be restricted by the very nature of this physical game. This isn't even hockey anymore.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Rome Hit Sensationalized
I read a story on my homepage this morning about the Aaron Rome hit that ocurred in the early part of the first period of last night's Stanley Cup Final Game really got under my skin.
The report claimed Rome left his feet to make the hit when in actuallity his feet were firmly planted on the ground at the point of impact. It was a borderline late him, sure, but don't make it worse than it actually was. When a big impact like that happens on the ice in the trolly-tracks both players involved will lose their footing, which did happen after the hit, but that is too often mistaken for intnentionally leaving the feet to make the hit.
Don't make these hits worse than they are. The reason Nathan Horton suffered a severe concussion (and any hockey fan, Canuck or Bruin, should feel horribly for the result of the hit and for Horton) is because the impact in neutral ice is so insanely huge now without obstruction. The NHL is punishing it's own players by playing the game under the new rules they implemented to try to make the game more interesting to the casual fan, and they did this with utter disregard for the poeple on the ice.
The report claimed Rome left his feet to make the hit when in actuallity his feet were firmly planted on the ground at the point of impact. It was a borderline late him, sure, but don't make it worse than it actually was. When a big impact like that happens on the ice in the trolly-tracks both players involved will lose their footing, which did happen after the hit, but that is too often mistaken for intnentionally leaving the feet to make the hit.
Don't make these hits worse than they are. The reason Nathan Horton suffered a severe concussion (and any hockey fan, Canuck or Bruin, should feel horribly for the result of the hit and for Horton) is because the impact in neutral ice is so insanely huge now without obstruction. The NHL is punishing it's own players by playing the game under the new rules they implemented to try to make the game more interesting to the casual fan, and they did this with utter disregard for the poeple on the ice.
Monday, June 6, 2011
tired....oh, so tired
I felt exhausted after the mid point of the second period. Tired of one of the NHLs biggest let-downs: it's inabillity to let a series develop organically. They've taken the wonder and amazement out of the best championship of any organized sport and reduced it to the WWE.
For the most part the end result is unchanged but the script is so blaze, I feel like I'm watching 'The Contest' episode for the 16th time...only when Kramer bursts through the door fifteen seconds in to the challenge I don't laugh, instead, I hoh-humm as yet another player is thrown out of the circle. It doesn't do much to the course of a game, but add it up and eventually a miss-match in the dot and boom, a goal. One team is way ahead, better try to make it close with make-up calls. And what is an icing anymore? I challenge one person associated with the NHL to give me a clear answer.
The league has done a great job to add to the ambiguity to give more options in pulling the strings of an NHL contest like a master pupateer...the problem is their great creation is indeed not a real boy.
Aaron Rome's clean open-ice hit on Nathan Horton was the perfect opportunity for the NHL to extend it's biggest showcase. Conveniently the newly created five minute interference penalty gave the host team a whole five minutes on the PP and shorted Van a depth d-man, a position that's already lacking, but it backfired, so we had to see a slew of brutal calls, and to wrap up this hockey equivelant of a wet-fart fans were subjected to a bizarr-o ejection fest.
I'm not so hard-edge to think that someone is profittin illegally from this, other than the NHL playing their hand to their advantage, but someone is definitely getting ripped off: the fans. Shouldn't it be about satisfying the paying customer? Or like in successful hockey markets will the NHL just continue to turn it's hardcore fan bases in to it's own personal whipping post?
It could be worse, in basketball the referees take bribes to make questionable calls that do little other than effect the score of a game not the Win-Loss column, in NHL it's a mandate of their employer.
For the most part the end result is unchanged but the script is so blaze, I feel like I'm watching 'The Contest' episode for the 16th time...only when Kramer bursts through the door fifteen seconds in to the challenge I don't laugh, instead, I hoh-humm as yet another player is thrown out of the circle. It doesn't do much to the course of a game, but add it up and eventually a miss-match in the dot and boom, a goal. One team is way ahead, better try to make it close with make-up calls. And what is an icing anymore? I challenge one person associated with the NHL to give me a clear answer.
The league has done a great job to add to the ambiguity to give more options in pulling the strings of an NHL contest like a master pupateer...the problem is their great creation is indeed not a real boy.
Aaron Rome's clean open-ice hit on Nathan Horton was the perfect opportunity for the NHL to extend it's biggest showcase. Conveniently the newly created five minute interference penalty gave the host team a whole five minutes on the PP and shorted Van a depth d-man, a position that's already lacking, but it backfired, so we had to see a slew of brutal calls, and to wrap up this hockey equivelant of a wet-fart fans were subjected to a bizarr-o ejection fest.
I'm not so hard-edge to think that someone is profittin illegally from this, other than the NHL playing their hand to their advantage, but someone is definitely getting ripped off: the fans. Shouldn't it be about satisfying the paying customer? Or like in successful hockey markets will the NHL just continue to turn it's hardcore fan bases in to it's own personal whipping post?
It could be worse, in basketball the referees take bribes to make questionable calls that do little other than effect the score of a game not the Win-Loss column, in NHL it's a mandate of their employer.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Sad but true
As a Canucks fan I'm void of satisfaction with my team..it's my own fault, and I'm sure it's the cross that all Nux fans bare. If you're like me, atleast, you're to a degree able to enjoy this cup run (first of three in which we are the favourites), but with the dismantling of the last year's cup champ still fresh in the memories of all NHL fans it's hard not to think ahead to the aftermath.
The Canucks used the most players this year, a testament to our depth, and as the President's (and soon to be Stanley) Cup Champions we should be sufficed with our teams capabilities, but one glaring upgrade to make is our five-on-five play and where that can especially be improved is depth of offensive threats beyond Kess and the top-line. If our power-play and PK weren't so strong we definitely wouldn't be where we are today, and if we don't upgrade then the dynasty dream won't be a reality despite the great moves by management to lock up our core players long term.
Our top line and PP can score, and all of our forwards are capable defenders, but we need secondary scoring at even strength. Luckilly we have a ton of assets (again thanks to great signings and scouting by nux staff) but unfortunately we're also right up against the cap limit.
Kevin Bieksa's inspired play in this postseason and solid regular season mean he'll be back, and no other d-man brings more offense (a key to our success) than Christian Ehrhoff, also a UFA, so the two must return to join Edler and Hamhuis next season, and we have a glut of good young prospects ready to make the leap, and with Aaron Rome still under contract for one more year it's become apparent that to make room on the back-end and under the cap we must somehow trade Keith Ballard.
I am not a Ballard-hater. His offensive numbers weren't great but I feel most thought he didn't perform just because he was in AV's doghouse, when in reality he was plus-ten and played through injury when he came over hurt. And on most teams his cap hit isn't too bad. Compare him to other defensemen in his income bracket and he doesn't look too bad, he's just a victim of the Nux deep D pipe-line and the salary cap. I think he is totally tradeable, and unfortunately we need to move him to make room.
Next the Nux have to trade Mikael Samuelson and Mason Raymond, two very servicable players but Cody Hodgson needs to play top-six minutes and will be a great addition as a winger to our second line and second PP unit. This sets the table for the next move, trading Cory Schneider. He deserves it and if we don't he'll walk, also, Eddie Lack (another smart signing by Nux brass) is ready for NHL duty. he's worth more at the draft then the deadline so it will be sooner rather than later so I expect Mike Gillis will have a summer comparable to Stan Bowman's last year.
Who Needs a goalie and what can we expect in return?
Two teams in our own backyard, the North West Division, Edmonton and Colorado, both loaded with prospects but it would be tough to see Schneider succesful with teams that are direct rivals. David Jones posted 27 goals for the Avs last year and could be available...I don't have enough time to list the Oilers assets, but would Gillis really move within his own division?
Three teams in the Atlantic will need a keeper: The Isles, Devils and Flyers. We need immediate impact players, so the Devils are out, and the Isle's would be remiss to move any of the prospects they have that have turned out, which makes the Flyers the most likely dance partner, with a glut of offensive players that could be moved including: Jeff Carter, James Van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux. Carter, recently signed, is cap hit of 6mil which we can fit if we move Ballard, if not it's foreseeable keep Ballard and sacrifice Ehrhoff or Bieksa and still fit Carter, but that's unlikely. There's no way the Flyers should move JVRD which leaves Grioux's managable contract of 3.75. Also he's a playmaker whic a second line in Vancouver will need rather than a power forward goal scorer like JVRD or Carter. Any of the three will make Vancouver a significantly better five on five offensive threat, and that's a scary thought for opposing teams.
Columbus may have lost faith in Steve Mason and they have a few good second line players like Antoine Vermette, Derek brassard or Jakob Voracek...Ditto for Tampa Bay with names like Teddy Purcell and Steve Downie.
The Flyers and Ilya Bryzgalov are professing an interest to sign, but, with the Flyers cap crunch I don't think it's feasible.
With these moves the 2011-12 defending champs should look like:
Sedin Sedin Burrows
Carter Kesler Hodgson
Torres Malhotra Hansen
Tambelini Bolduc Oreskovich
Ehrhoff Edler
Hamhuis Bieksa
Rome Tanev
Sauve Connauton
Lou and Lack
Torres and Hansen need to be resigned, both at small pay increases....this team needs their physicality. Tambelini needs to comeback because he can play up and down the line-up. Bolduc looked great before injury and has size and footspeed, same for Oreskovich, so they can replace Raymond's PK time.
All of this improving the team and restocking the cupboard with draft picks and prospects for players like Ballard, Raymond, Samuelson.
The Canucks used the most players this year, a testament to our depth, and as the President's (and soon to be Stanley) Cup Champions we should be sufficed with our teams capabilities, but one glaring upgrade to make is our five-on-five play and where that can especially be improved is depth of offensive threats beyond Kess and the top-line. If our power-play and PK weren't so strong we definitely wouldn't be where we are today, and if we don't upgrade then the dynasty dream won't be a reality despite the great moves by management to lock up our core players long term.
Our top line and PP can score, and all of our forwards are capable defenders, but we need secondary scoring at even strength. Luckilly we have a ton of assets (again thanks to great signings and scouting by nux staff) but unfortunately we're also right up against the cap limit.
Kevin Bieksa's inspired play in this postseason and solid regular season mean he'll be back, and no other d-man brings more offense (a key to our success) than Christian Ehrhoff, also a UFA, so the two must return to join Edler and Hamhuis next season, and we have a glut of good young prospects ready to make the leap, and with Aaron Rome still under contract for one more year it's become apparent that to make room on the back-end and under the cap we must somehow trade Keith Ballard.
I am not a Ballard-hater. His offensive numbers weren't great but I feel most thought he didn't perform just because he was in AV's doghouse, when in reality he was plus-ten and played through injury when he came over hurt. And on most teams his cap hit isn't too bad. Compare him to other defensemen in his income bracket and he doesn't look too bad, he's just a victim of the Nux deep D pipe-line and the salary cap. I think he is totally tradeable, and unfortunately we need to move him to make room.
Next the Nux have to trade Mikael Samuelson and Mason Raymond, two very servicable players but Cody Hodgson needs to play top-six minutes and will be a great addition as a winger to our second line and second PP unit. This sets the table for the next move, trading Cory Schneider. He deserves it and if we don't he'll walk, also, Eddie Lack (another smart signing by Nux brass) is ready for NHL duty. he's worth more at the draft then the deadline so it will be sooner rather than later so I expect Mike Gillis will have a summer comparable to Stan Bowman's last year.
Who Needs a goalie and what can we expect in return?
Two teams in our own backyard, the North West Division, Edmonton and Colorado, both loaded with prospects but it would be tough to see Schneider succesful with teams that are direct rivals. David Jones posted 27 goals for the Avs last year and could be available...I don't have enough time to list the Oilers assets, but would Gillis really move within his own division?
Three teams in the Atlantic will need a keeper: The Isles, Devils and Flyers. We need immediate impact players, so the Devils are out, and the Isle's would be remiss to move any of the prospects they have that have turned out, which makes the Flyers the most likely dance partner, with a glut of offensive players that could be moved including: Jeff Carter, James Van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux. Carter, recently signed, is cap hit of 6mil which we can fit if we move Ballard, if not it's foreseeable keep Ballard and sacrifice Ehrhoff or Bieksa and still fit Carter, but that's unlikely. There's no way the Flyers should move JVRD which leaves Grioux's managable contract of 3.75. Also he's a playmaker whic a second line in Vancouver will need rather than a power forward goal scorer like JVRD or Carter. Any of the three will make Vancouver a significantly better five on five offensive threat, and that's a scary thought for opposing teams.
Columbus may have lost faith in Steve Mason and they have a few good second line players like Antoine Vermette, Derek brassard or Jakob Voracek...Ditto for Tampa Bay with names like Teddy Purcell and Steve Downie.
The Flyers and Ilya Bryzgalov are professing an interest to sign, but, with the Flyers cap crunch I don't think it's feasible.
With these moves the 2011-12 defending champs should look like:
Sedin Sedin Burrows
Carter Kesler Hodgson
Torres Malhotra Hansen
Tambelini Bolduc Oreskovich
Ehrhoff Edler
Hamhuis Bieksa
Rome Tanev
Sauve Connauton
Lou and Lack
Torres and Hansen need to be resigned, both at small pay increases....this team needs their physicality. Tambelini needs to comeback because he can play up and down the line-up. Bolduc looked great before injury and has size and footspeed, same for Oreskovich, so they can replace Raymond's PK time.
All of this improving the team and restocking the cupboard with draft picks and prospects for players like Ballard, Raymond, Samuelson.
Monday, February 14, 2011
I don't get it...
If you can claim to have rather had the original trade rumor that put Mason Raymond in the draft day package to Florida for Oreskovich and Ballard then you should be running an NHL team... the Canucks preferably. I liked the salary dump of Bernier, but it was a salary swap as Ballard's hefty cap hit has caused issues for the Canucks. We got a very strong and fast skating minor leaguer too, and it cost us a late first rounder in a fairly deep first round and the leagues fastest skater who is showing that last year's hattrick with the Canucks was no fluke...he's got three this season on Long Island. Mike Grabner would lead the Panthers in goals by 9 and they waived him. Several teams, including the goal-starved Maple Leafs passed up on his waiver rights after FLA cut him.
Malhotra at 2.5 and Raymond and 2.5 have not had the seasons that Brendan Morison and Mike Grabner have had at 1/3 the cost.
I am a big fan of Gillis, really, but what gives? I never agreed with the Grabner salary dump and I thought B-Mo earned our fourth line centre position. We're still not tough enough so why would it matter if the deminutive Morison was a depth forward and played up and downt he roster?
scratching my head...what could have been.
Malhotra at 2.5 and Raymond and 2.5 have not had the seasons that Brendan Morison and Mike Grabner have had at 1/3 the cost.
I am a big fan of Gillis, really, but what gives? I never agreed with the Grabner salary dump and I thought B-Mo earned our fourth line centre position. We're still not tough enough so why would it matter if the deminutive Morison was a depth forward and played up and downt he roster?
scratching my head...what could have been.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Cart before the Horse
Kevin Bieksa has played his way off the trade block, and to paraphrase him he says the team is ready for a cup run. Well, they look like it in just about every single way, and so lets put the cart before the horse and say the Canucks make the cup final, win or lose, two things have to happen:
1. Create Cap Space
2. Retain players
The Canucks have to free u p1.8 million to allow for Sami Salo to return. He has to return, he just can' t be hurt forever, can he? He has a no trade clause and is a UFA at season's end. It seems innevitable he'll be back at which point someone has got to go.
The papers are pointing at Raffi Torres and Mikael Samuelson, but I would hope they were safe. They look great on the third line together, but if it were one, for easy numbers, it would have to be Samuelson with the larger salary(2.5 million) and another year left after this one. Moving Samuelson does both of these things with minimal immediate negative impact since Jeff Tambelini has stepped up big time, and it creates a roster spot for next season for Cody Hodgson in the top six forwards.
Any takers? I'm sure there will be teams that need to add salary to get to the cap floor and qualify for revenue sharing, so looking for small market teams with low cap. He might be the missing piece in offensively challenged competitors line ups, like Phoenix or Nashville.
It's terrible to discuss given his contributions to this team, coming out of nowhere to post a career high 30 goals last season.
My hope would be for Salo to waive his NTC, bite the bullet and be moved. It's not fair to anyone, but given Salo hasn't been around this year I hope it's Samuelson who sticks around to see how far this club can go, granted Salo has been a warrior for this team for years.
There are other roster questions for 2011-12. Christian Ehrfhoff is a UFA and due for a raise this off season, ditto for Alex Edler the year after. They're both going to command around 5 Million per when their time comes. As good as Bieksa has played he may just be entering free agency. There's no way you can afford him after commiting a forseeable 18.7 million/season to the quartet of Ballard, Hamhuis, Edler and Ehrhoff. With those kind of dollars to a top four we may just see a cost efficient veteran and cheap rookie contract in the 5-6 hole next year, and with a top four like that it would be a perfect scenario to bring along a Lee Sweatt, Kevin Connauton or Yan Sauve. Hamhuis isn't a Power Play specialist so Connauton could be a fixture on the second PP unit. He's go 8 goals already with the Moose.
In net Cory Schneider has one more year of his enry level contract left at .9 million. I can't believe he will be around for 2011-12 as he's played his value so high Canucks fans can expect a hefty return from any of the many teams that need a #1 goalie. Look for Lack to Back up Lou next year at around the same buck.
Up front the core is locked up, the twins, Kess and Burr. But Glass, Tambellini and Torres will be UFA's looking for a raise, and Bolduc and Hansen are restricted. If Samuelson is a casualty of the salary cap this year then we'll see some turn-over up front. Billy Sweatt has impressed and Cody Hodgson continues to battle injuries despite showing good progress. Jordan Schroeder has flatlined, but Sergei Shirokov lead sthe Moose in scoring and has a great +/- ranking too, and he's stated he's determined to play with the big club.
Do these moves sounds like the outset of a perennial contender?
1. Create Cap Space
2. Retain players
The Canucks have to free u p1.8 million to allow for Sami Salo to return. He has to return, he just can' t be hurt forever, can he? He has a no trade clause and is a UFA at season's end. It seems innevitable he'll be back at which point someone has got to go.
The papers are pointing at Raffi Torres and Mikael Samuelson, but I would hope they were safe. They look great on the third line together, but if it were one, for easy numbers, it would have to be Samuelson with the larger salary(2.5 million) and another year left after this one. Moving Samuelson does both of these things with minimal immediate negative impact since Jeff Tambelini has stepped up big time, and it creates a roster spot for next season for Cody Hodgson in the top six forwards.
Any takers? I'm sure there will be teams that need to add salary to get to the cap floor and qualify for revenue sharing, so looking for small market teams with low cap. He might be the missing piece in offensively challenged competitors line ups, like Phoenix or Nashville.
It's terrible to discuss given his contributions to this team, coming out of nowhere to post a career high 30 goals last season.
My hope would be for Salo to waive his NTC, bite the bullet and be moved. It's not fair to anyone, but given Salo hasn't been around this year I hope it's Samuelson who sticks around to see how far this club can go, granted Salo has been a warrior for this team for years.
There are other roster questions for 2011-12. Christian Ehrfhoff is a UFA and due for a raise this off season, ditto for Alex Edler the year after. They're both going to command around 5 Million per when their time comes. As good as Bieksa has played he may just be entering free agency. There's no way you can afford him after commiting a forseeable 18.7 million/season to the quartet of Ballard, Hamhuis, Edler and Ehrhoff. With those kind of dollars to a top four we may just see a cost efficient veteran and cheap rookie contract in the 5-6 hole next year, and with a top four like that it would be a perfect scenario to bring along a Lee Sweatt, Kevin Connauton or Yan Sauve. Hamhuis isn't a Power Play specialist so Connauton could be a fixture on the second PP unit. He's go 8 goals already with the Moose.
In net Cory Schneider has one more year of his enry level contract left at .9 million. I can't believe he will be around for 2011-12 as he's played his value so high Canucks fans can expect a hefty return from any of the many teams that need a #1 goalie. Look for Lack to Back up Lou next year at around the same buck.
Up front the core is locked up, the twins, Kess and Burr. But Glass, Tambellini and Torres will be UFA's looking for a raise, and Bolduc and Hansen are restricted. If Samuelson is a casualty of the salary cap this year then we'll see some turn-over up front. Billy Sweatt has impressed and Cody Hodgson continues to battle injuries despite showing good progress. Jordan Schroeder has flatlined, but Sergei Shirokov lead sthe Moose in scoring and has a great +/- ranking too, and he's stated he's determined to play with the big club.
Do these moves sounds like the outset of a perennial contender?
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