sportsnets preview of the NHL 08 season of the canucks
Vancouver Canucks
Last Season's Record: 39-33-10 for 88 points; Last in division, 11th in Western Conference, 20th overall
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Key Arrivals: Pavol Demitra (C); Steve Bernier (RW); Darcy Hordichuk (LW)
Key Departures: Markus Naslund (LW); Brendan Morrison (C); Trevor Linden (C)
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Goaltending: Two reasons why Vancouver will have a chance to win on any given night this season: Roberto and Luongo. That he was named Canucks captain says much about Luongo -– though perhaps more about the Canucks' skaters. He might be the best goalie in the world, definitely in the top three. The trick is, he left Florida to win something, and Vancouver is not close. Luey has two years left on his Vancouver deal. That’s a two-year audition for GM Mike Gillis.
Defence: The defence is pretty good in Vancouver, with lots of skill. That the corps was decimated by injury last season was the reason for another lousy stretch run in Vancouver –- perhaps a crutch. Kevin Bieksa is steady and tough, as is Willie Mitchell. Alexander Edler is just 22 and already very good. The miles are piling up on Mattias Ohlund, and Sami Salo would be a fine D-man, if he could ever stay healthy. Still, overall this defence ranks right up there.
Forwards: Clearly the Canucks' weak spot. Not enough players who have both grit and skill here. Just some very skilled guys like the Sedin twins and Demitra who have never shown to have quite enough chutzpah, and a few guys like Taylor Pyatt and Alex Burrows who can plug, but without much offence. Only three teams out West scored fewer goals than the Canucks last season. That’s going to be a problem again this year.
Coaching: Alain Vigneault does much with what he has. It might be best for the franchise though, if someone like Gillis would quietly tell Vigneault to play the kids this season, and his job would be safe. Vigneault’s Canucks play a stingy defensive style because they don’t have enough offence to go any other way. The problem? The Canucks might be mirroring Toronto in trying to eke into the playoffs each year, but never building anything significant.
What to Expect: Not much. Canucks will miss the playoffs, which is fine if they use the opportunity wisely (see above). Relying on Luongo each night to post a shutout is no way to live in today’s wide-open game. This Canucks team isn’t too far away, with a good defence and goalie, but they need a character rebuild up front. Demitra is not the answer, nor would Mats Sundin have been, at his age.
Cap Issues: Vancouver will have roughly the $10 million to spend that they were saving for Sundin. They should squirrel it away, finish deep in the West, and use the money to one day sign the top draft pick this team needs.
On the Hot Seat: Gillis. The new GM has a quasi-rebuild on his hands, which is fine as long as he doesn’t try to win right now. In today’s game, failing to build when the opportunity stares you in the face is akin to treading water. Remember, this franchise has never won a Stanley Cup. Gillis, with a new and likely impatient owner above him, needs to be the one GM to finally get this ship pointed in the right direction long-term. | 