Official 2009/2010 Canucks Thread

[LsquareD]

fuck. i really thought we were gonna sign Gaborik..

[AzNightmare]

Originally Posted by LsquareD

fuck. i really thought we were gonna sign Gaborik..

So much for all that BS about him buying a house here.

[411ken]

You guys are getting all worked up after 1 day of FA signings...We signed the Sedins which most of you wanted so why not be happy about that lol..

Gillis is the GM for a reason and he knows what he is doing.. He doesn't overpay for players even for the Sedins. get out of Revscene, go out.. relax..enjoy the sunshine and let the GM do his job the way he sees fit..

Also.. I'm excited to see Hodgson/Grabs on the team next year... hope they make it.

[quasi]

We can all can heated myself included but like said above just take a breath and relax. At the end of the day we all want the samething, we want the Canucks to win games and playoff rounds.

GO CANUCKS GO!!!

[Tapioca]

The formula to competing and/or winning a Stanley Cup is pretty simple:

- You tank for a few years
- Load up on high draft picks on meagre salaries
- Spend the rest of the cap on a few veterans at the deadline, or during free agency

It's not the Canadian media per se that is driving out players; it's more of the pressure to succeed immediately that has driven the management of most Canadian teams to make poor decisions in order get their teams into the playoffs. But, on the other hand, for owners of Canadian teams, making the playoffs every year, as opposed to every 7, is a pretty good way to make money.

[Noir]

Originally Posted by carisear

so yes, vancouver is NOT a city with winning culture, nor is it a city that people are flockign to come to. constant media pressure? you want to have fans, but you don't want to have the papers slaggingy your every move.

In addition, I was also thinking of geographic reasons. Being the NW and having the most extensive travel schedule in comparison to all other teams, or at least rivals the worst.

[Gh0stRider]

people are stressing after one day of FA signings. Theres the whole summer still...relax!

[CRS]

Originally Posted by TRD604

people are stressing after one day of FA signings. Theres the whole summer still...relax!

People are stressing because almost all the crazy FAs are signed.

[Expresso]

Originally Posted by Tapioca

The formula to competing and/or winning a Stanley Cup is pretty simple:

- You tank for a few years
- Load up on high draft picks on meagre salaries
- Spend the rest of the cap on a few veterans at the deadline, or during free agency

It's not the Canadian media per se that is driving out players; it's more of the pressure to succeed immediately that has driven the management of most Canadian teams to make poor decisions in order get their teams into the playoffs. But, on the other hand, for owners of Canadian teams, making the playoffs every year, as opposed to every 7, is a pretty good way to make money.

Who has that worked for? I can only recall the Penguins. If Vancouver could only draft properly, we would've been ok. Could've had Perron or Kopitar in the last couple of years.

[Chairman Kaga]

Originally Posted by HachiSix

Who has that worked for? I can only recall the Penguins. If Vancouver could only draft properly, we would've been ok. Could've had Perron or Kopitar in the last couple of years.

Blame it on this jack off

[Noir]

Originally Posted by HachiSix

Who has that worked for? I can only recall the Penguins. If Vancouver could only draft properly, we would've been ok. Could've had Perron or Kopitar in the last couple of years.

In all fairness, before his death, I was starting to see what the Franchise saw in Luc Bourdon.

Although the 1st round Pat White choice still confounds me to this day.

[stuff99]

Originally Posted by Chairman Kaga

Blame it on this jack off

I keep telling you, if the Canucks just follow Bob Mckenzie everything will be fine.

That jerk off picked Hodgson, and Schroder this year. I'm not defending him, because I think his old scouting team screwed up too many times, but Gillis's new scouts along with him have been decent in the past few years...only time will tell if they pan out as well.

[stuff99]

Bagging Sedin twins is really the easiest part for GM Gillis


By Ed Willes, The Province
July 2, 2009 7:46 AM


GM Mike Gillis might well find himself working up a sweat as he builds team.

GM Mike Gillis might well find himself working up a sweat as he builds team.
Photograph by: Bruce Bennett file, Getty Images

You'd never know it from the tortured machinations which preceded Wednesday's announcement but the easy part is now over for Mike Gillis and the Vancouver Canucks.

Well, maybe "easy" isn't the right term. The 12-month stare-down wasn't easy. The 11th-hour trans-atlantic drama wasn't easy. And it certainly wasn't easy convincing the Sedin twins to leave untold millions on the table to stay in the fold -- particularly when Brian Burke was sitting on the tarmac in Stockholm ready to make them a better offer.

But now that they're signed, the real work begins for Gillis and his organization because, by accepting about a million a year under market value, the twins have allowed the Canucks GM to build a team capable of competing for the Stanley Cup.

How they go about that, of course, is a matter of some debate. But Gillis has a vision for this team and he now has the core in place, give or take a top-end blueliner and the impending signing of Roberto Luongo.

The next step is moulding the supporting cast, and that's where things get very interesting.

Since taking over for Dave Nonis, Gillis's mission statement has revolved around player development. We know this because he brings it up every five minutes, leaving the distinct impression he can take raw materials and produce a better finished product than virtually anyone in the NHL.

This, in the end, is the most efficient way to build a team and there's no argument here on that point.

Now we're about to find out if Gillis can deliver the goods.

Heading into next season, the Canucks will have six players who are 26 and under, and seemingly possessed of some level of potential. Shane O'Brien and Kyle Wellwood are the oldest at 26. Ryan Kesler is 25. Steve Bernier and Mason Raymond are 24. Alex Edler is 23.

Behind them is another layer of developing players led by prize prospect Cody Hodgson, AHL goalie-of-the-year Cory Schneider, Michael Grabner and first-rounder Jordan Schroeder.

Now, relative to the rest of the NHL, those players probably represent an average to above-average group. But let's say Gillis and his organization can create an environment in which they all take another step. Let's say Kesler improves. And Edler. And Bernier. That would give the Canucks a legitimate all-star-level forward, a top-two defenceman and a 25- to 30-goal scorer.

Now apply that to the group as a whole. Ask yourself what that would mean to the Canucks. If this all comes together, or if enough of it comes together, you can see the makings of a very good team here; a team with depth, a team that's still relatively young, a team with a manageable payroll.

That's a team which can challenge the NHL's powers. But it's all contingent on the organization's ability to improve its young players, and that brings us back to the Sedins.

While no one need feel sorry for someone who had to settle for just over $6 million a season, fans should step back and consider the events of the last 12 months to fully appreciate what has transpired.

It started with Gillis's first press conference, when he publicly questioned their ability.

He then grinded them throughout the season and only upped the Canucks' offer to an acceptable level when it was apparent he would lose them.

Through it all, the Sedins had their best season; carrying the Canucks‚ offence, helping transform Alex Burrows into a frontliner and leading the team into the playoffs. Now they've signed for about a million less annually than they could have gotten -- Mike Cammalleri money, for pity's sake -- largely because they're committed to Gillis's vision and they love playing here.

Think about that. Think about the character and integrity -- those two words Gillis loves throwing around -- they've displayed. Think of the loyalty they've demonstrated. And think of what it means for the Canucks as they plot their course.

In the end, this signing represents a major coup for Gillis but it reveals so much about the twins. Now it's the responsibility of the organization to pay them back by building a team around them that's good enough to win.
© Copyright (c) The Province

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by HachiSix

Who has that worked for? I can only recall the Penguins. If Vancouver could only draft properly, we would've been ok. Could've had Perron or Kopitar in the last couple of years.

Anaheim draft Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in the first round in 2003 and they signed Dustin Penner the following year. Then, Burke came in and made the big splash by trading for Chris Pronger in 2006.

Chicago loaded up in drafts prior to this past season - Brent Seabrook, Patrick Kane, Johnathan Toews, Cam Barker, Duncan Keith (the only 2nd rounder.)

Washington is no slouch of a team and they've acquired the following in the first round: Alex Ovechkin, Nik Backstrom, Alex Semin, and Mike Green.

LA is a team that is very close to contending. Over the years, they've acquired Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Alex Frolov, and of course Anze Kopitar.

[Expresso]

Originally Posted by Noir

In all fairness, before his death, I was starting to see what the Franchise saw in Luc Bourdon.

Although the 1st round Pat White choice still confounds me to this day.

I agree too. Bourdon was playing pretty good before his accident. But I would've loved to see someone else score besides the Sedins ahha.

Originally Posted by Tapioca

Anaheim draft Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry in the first round in 2003 and they signed Dustin Penner the following year. Then, Burke came in and made the big splash by trading for Chris Pronger in 2006.

Chicago loaded up in drafts prior to this past season - Brent Seabrook, Patrick Kane, Johnathan Toews, Cam Barker, Duncan Keith (the only 2nd rounder.)

Washington is no slouch of a team and they've acquired the following in the first round: Alex Ovechkin, Nik Backstrom, Alex Semin, and Mike Green.

LA is a team that is very close to contending. Over the years, they've acquired Dustin Brown, Drew Doughty, Jack Johnson, Alex Frolov, and of course Anze Kopitar.

Of those 4, only one has really won the cup. I think Chicago is really close, but I just don't see WSH wining a cup for awhile.

[CRS]

I think a lot of us are forgetting that being GM does not only mean signing FAs.

A huge part of being a GM is to make good trades. I, for one, think that one is coming.

[stuff99]

It's not so much status quo as status woe

Youthful cavalry could arrive some day, but best be very patient

By Tony Gallagher, The Province
July 2, 2009 7:44 AM

Early Tuesday before it was announced the Sedin twins were returning to Vancouver, acute terror gripped the morning radio shows.

How will they ever be replaced? That was the theme. Panic in the streets.

As soon as their names appeared on the dotted line, everything switched. Suddenly everyone was wondering whether the Canucks paid too much, whether it was too much of the same old, same old for a team that can't seem to get past the second round.

Were the Canucks anchored to these guys and the mediocrity which has been the hallmark of their stay here, although not their fault? Will it be five more years of competing for a playoff spot but not a whole lot more? Was there enough money left now to allow the necessary additions, which include another top-six forward and a puck-moving defenceman? And the answer to that is maybe enough money to allow this team to pretend to contend, but probably not enough to allow it to really be an A-1 Cup contender this season -- which is the goal of this management and ownership.

Clearly this was a no-win situation. With Roberto Luongo and the Sedins able to demand high-end money, this team will not be a Cup contender until it has first-rate, entry-level young stars.

Until then, they're trying to carry three pounds of **** in a two-pound financial bag. And if those good young guys, which teams such as Chicago, L.A., St. Louis and Pittsburgh so clearly enjoy, don't materialize, it will be this way indefinitely.

In Cody Hodgson, Jordan Schroeder, Evan Oberg and Anton Rodin, they may have cavalry on the way. At the very least they represent irons in the fire and this team has committed to overcoming this historical hump by more than tripling its Dave Nonis-level budget for scouting and developing players.

Given they can't spend any more than anyone else on active players, they're pouring resources into minimizing the draft mistakes and helping the young guys they have become the best players they can become. The days of drafting a guy and wishing him good luck are over. Now they get their hands held.

At the moment however, there is absolutely nobody on board of any star quality, unless Mason Raymond or Jannik Hansen have tremendous summers and blow us all away this fall. The loss of Luc Bourdon will hit particularly hard on the ice this season when he figured to have matured to the point where he was ready to really help.

With Luongo sewn up for a good deal longer and the Sedins in the fold, Vancouver is an attractive destination for players, which is crucial for any team trying to win. You may not be able to build your team via the free-agent route, but you can't let yourself fall into that Toronto, Atlanta, Islander type abyss where nobody wants to go unless they are massively overpaid. So that reputation remains intact.

For the moment, maybe Cory Schneider can be marketed either alone or with someone else as a package to help get this team a little further along. Or maybe it would be better to play him in some NHL games this year rather than send him back to the AHL where he has nothing left to prove.

If he plays well here, then the Canucks have what Tampa had when they marketed Dan Cloutier to Vancouver -- a goalie that most people think will be an NHL stalwart for many years to come. It didn't work out that way for Cloutier and nobody knows how it will go for Schneider, but as a bargaining chip he'll have value now or later.

To keep him indentured in the organization any longer than a year would be tantamount to player abuse, so we know that won't be happening.

But that's about it. The Canucks still have moves to make and they'll be competitive in the ever improving West, but are they likely to overcome the likes of Chicago, Detroit and Anaheim this year? Only if Luongo stands on his left ear, which one of these days he just might do.

In the meantime, hope and pray the young cavalry arrives.
© Copyright (c) The Province

[411ken]

Antropov to Atlanta- 4yrs/16million...

[stuff99]

Kesler's less-is-more comes to pass

He was castigated for suggesting cuts, but look what's happened

By Ben Kuzma, The Province

July 2, 2009 7:45 AM



"If we're going to win the Cup, we need guys to take pay cuts. The way the salary cap is now, you really can't get what you're worth now if you want to win. Everybody in this locker-room knows that and for us to be a great team going forward, we're going to have to take a pay cut."

-- Ryan Kesler, The Province, March 18, 2009

In a passionate plea for a pragmatic approach to free agency last spring, Ryan Kesler was roasted throughout the NHL like a duck for his collective view on constructing a championship team. If everyone took a little less, reasoned the forward-thinking forward, it could add up to a lot of good for the Vancouver Canucks under the constraints of the salary cap.

At the time, Kesler was simply following the lead of teammate Alex Burrows, who hinted for a similar scenario after his four-year, $8 million US extension.

However, Kesler's comments were played out to the point where NHL Players' Association executive director Paul Kelly tried to ease the unrest by saying Kesler didn't mean to tell his teammates what to do.

Well, in the end, somebody listened.

Unrestricted free agents Henrik and Daniel Sedin left money on the table Wednesday in agreeing to identical five-year Canuck extensions at $6.1 million per season -- especially with Toronto general manager Brian Burke willing to sweeten the pot to $7 million each annually.

And when Roberto Luongo's contract extension is announced, he'll sacrifice some scratch for a better shot at the Stanley Cup. The fiscal restraint leaves the Canucks with 16 players under contract next season for $46.5 million and leaves general manager Mike Gillis with $10 million in flexibility.

It should also leave Kesler with a feeling of vindication for his views.

"Yeah, you're going to get a lot of no comments from me because I got slapped a little bit by saying that," Kesler said Wednesday, knowing he's also in line for a contract extension. "The PA wasn't too happy with me.

"Obviously, I'm happy to have them [Sedins] back. The thing about free agency, you don't know how that other team is going to be."

The Canucks know they're going to be competitive with the durable Sedin twins eager to build on twin 82-point seasons and Luongo looking to make amends for a poor end to the playoffs and to prove he's worthy of Team Canada consideration for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

And if Gillis can come to reasonable terms with restricted free agents Kyle Wellwood, Shane O'Brien and Jannik Hansen, then the call for contract calm from Kesler and Burrows was worth it.

"Ryan and myself spoke about it out loud, but I thought everybody else really thought it was the right thing to do," Burrows said Wednesday from Montreal. "To have your two best players take less money and wanting to build a championship team in Vancouver says a lot about the kind of players we have."

Repeating as Northwest Division champions won't be easy with Edmonton landing free-agent goalie Nikolai Khabibulin and Calgary doing likewise with Jay Bouwmeester. It's one thing for Steve Bernier to take a $500,000 pay cut annually to get a two-year Canucks deal, it's another to get him to bury all those scoring chances.

The Canucks will need more offence and more mobility from a back end that was exposed in the Chicago series setback.

"I don't think we need a lot," said Daniel Sedin. "I think we had the pieces last year. We all felt we should have won the [Chicago] series."

When Burrows surprisingly won a spot on the Sedins line Feb. 10, it spurred him to 23 points (14-9) in his first 24 games in that alignment and he finished with a career-high 28 goals and 51 points. If he's going to build on those numbers, he needs the Sedins. Did he breathe a sign of relief after their signings?

"Obviously, a little bit for sure," said Burrows. "But I don't know if I'm going to start with them next year or what's going to happen."

bkuzma@theprovince.com
© Copyright (c) The Province

[quasi]

Originally Posted by 411ken

Antropov to Atlanta- 4yrs/16million...

A career high 28 goals gets you 4 million over 4. As a hockey fan in a cap system I would have been pissed if Gillis made that deal. Good on Antropov for getting his money.

[411ken]

Canucks finally made a splash!! signed 3 players!!

http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app/?ser...ticleid=433275

I kinda laughed out loud when I read it too..

[411ken]

Originally Posted by quasi

A career high 28 goals gets you 4 million over 4. As a hockey fan in a cap system I would have been pissed if Gillis made that deal. Good on Antropov for getting his money.

It's not as bad cuz he wanted 5/6 mill right lol..and demitra makes the same as him...and I'm just happy someone else can finally score a few in ATL rather than Kovalchuk

[RRxtar]

.

[stuff99]

Originally Posted by 411ken

Canucks finally made a splash!! signed 3 players!!

http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app/?ser...ticleid=433275

I kinda laughed out loud when I read it too..

LOL

[MR_BIGGS]

Holy crap finally caught up on this thread after being out of town...Some ppl need to go find a tall building to jump off...the PANIC in here is crazy...

Canucks did make a splash by signing the Sedins...two point a game players signed (i know re-signed), but that's huge. Lots of overpaying went on.. We have a 5 year window with the Sedins and Lu. I hope MG will improve the team like he has been doing and not overpay players like many teams have done JUly 1st.