Fan In Van

Scoop on Samuelsson

The Vancouver Canucks finally got their feet wet in the free agent market this morning when they signed rugged Swedish winger Mikael Samuelsson to a three-year contract worth $7.5M, which amounts to a $2.5M hit on the salary cap.

After watching the likes of Jay Bouwmeester, Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik sign for much more lucrative contracts then the Canucks were willing to offer, it became clear the Canucks needed to add to their roster after already losing workhorse defenceman Mattias Ohlund to the Tampa Bay Lightning. After inking the Sedin twins for 5 years, the Canucks are currently on track to have almost an identical roster as last season, with Cody Hodgson and Michael Grabner fighting for roster spots.

Anyone thinking that Mikael Samuelsson’s arrival to Vancouver signals a boatload of offense is only joking themselves. But there’s still a lot to like about the Mariefred native; namely, the fact that Samuelsson has a Stanley Cup ring on his finger. It’s true when hockey players say that playoff experience is vital to winning the Stanley Cup, and last season the Canucks didn’t have a single player with a championship to his name. By adding Samuelsson, who has seen his fair share of playoff games with the Detroit Red Wings since the lockout, the Canucks finally have a player who knows what it takes to win the storied chalice.

In 2006, Samuelsson was part of the Sweden Olympic team that won Gold in Torino. Conveniently (or purposely) for Mike Gillis, he played on the same line as the Sedin twins, establishing some chemistry on an effective third line. By previously playing together on the Tre Kronor, the addition of Samuelsson will undoubtedly give coach Alain Vigneault an option on the powerplay or to mix and match his forward corps, which he will most certainly explore at some point during the season.

All that remains now for the Vancouver Canucks is acquiring another top-six forward. With few names remaining on the free agent market, Gillis and his cohorts would be wise to explore Mats Sundin’s options. If the big Swede is willing to return at a discounted price, the Canucks should have enough cap space to search for a puck-moving defenceman to offset the loss of Ohlund, whether it be via the free agent route (Marc-Andre Bergeron, Sergei Zubov) or trade (Cam Barker, Tomas Kaberle or Jack Johnson).

There’s a lot of work left to do for the Vancouver Canucks this offseason, but rest assured they are plugging the holes with strong additions. Today, it started with Mikael Samuelsson.

50/50 Situation

It’s the eve of the unrestricted free agency period and I’ll admit that I’m a little nervous.

If you had asked me what I thought of the Sedin twins chances of re-signing with the Vancouver Canucks before the NHL draft, I would’ve told you that I thought the chances were around 70%. But now that the annual draft has come and gone with little talk between Mike Gillis and the twins, it seems apparent now that the likelihood of keeping the Swedish playmakers in Vancouver is 50/50.

This much is clear: The Sedins want to stay in Vancouver. This is the only city they’ve ever called home throughout their nine-year career. However, while loyalty is certainly a reason to stay, the Sedin twins don’t want to stay for cheap, and they don’t want to stay for anything less than a long period of time. Word is the boys want a 12 year contract around the neighbourhood of $63M, which is the type of contract you only offer franchise players.

And once again we have to re-visit how badly the Canucks want the twins to stay in town. Since the post-lockout period, the twins have shown they are more than capable of being first-line players, as they have seen their point totals skyrocket since becoming the go-to guys. Last season they both put up 82 points in all 82 games, demonstrating that they’re reliable point-per-game players who are both durable and creative down low. They’ve established themselves as prominent NHL players as well; since the lockout, the twins are among the top 15 scoring leaders, behind only the ilk of the Crosbys, Thorntons, Iginlas and Zetterbergs. And that’s good company; only elite level players can put up those numbers, and only elite level players are deserving of such long-term contracts.

But there are a number of concerns regarding the apprehensivity of locking up the Sedins. First off, there are two of them. One player, let alone a franchise player, at around $5.25M is good. $5.25M is peachy. But there are two of them, and that means the other is $5.25M.

Now let’s make a comparison here. Combined, the Sedin twins account for 164 games played and 164 points for one point per game. In Anaheim, the two top players, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, account for 159 games and 163 points for 1.02 points per game; close enough to call it even. Perry and Getzlaf’s salaries see them both make $5.325M per season, which is quite close to the Sedins’ contract demands. Is it fair to say, then, that the Sedin twins’ proposed salary is reasonable?

Perhaps the salaries are justified, but that leads me to the next concern: the length of the term. It doesn’t matter which way you slice it; twelve years is a long, long time. The Sedin twins are 28 now, which means by the time their contract expires they’ll be 40, and I have a hard time comprehending whether or not they’ll be as effective at that ripe old age.

And then there’s the proposed Plan B: Marian Gaborik and company. If all else fails in negotiations, Mike Gillis has no problem making a contract offer to Marian Gaborik, who with all respect to the twins is more dynamic and has a higher scoring potential. Gaborik is likely seeking a contract worth around $6M per season, which means the Canucks would have another $3M to $4M with which to seek another top-six forward. Could Mats Sundin be had for that price? The question a lot of Canuck fans must ask themselves is would they rather have the reliable and durable twins, or the high-risk, high-reward players in Gaborik and Sundin?

It’s an unenviable position that Mike Gillis is in right now. He’s made it crystal clear he’d love to have the Sedin twins return. But he’s no fan of the contract length, and neither am I. If management can get the twins to come down from their 12 year demand to say six to eight years, then there’ll be no problems getting pen to paper. But the Sedin twins will most certainly wait until July 1st to see what other teams have to offer. They would be wise to do so; there will be a handful of teams willing to oblige to their demands.

50/50, folks.

Getting to Know - Jordan Schroeder

My own personal goal for the Vancouver Canucks heading into the draft was to secure a blueliner who could play at both ends of the ice. Apparently Mike Gillis had other ideas — draft the best player available — and size was not a factor at all in his selection process.

Nonetheless, I woke up with a big grin on my face this morning, still in shock that the Canucks had somehow landed a prize in Jordan Schroeder, who had been ranked 9th by TSN, 11th by Red Line Report, 13th by McKeen’s, 14th by the ISS, and 15th by Bob McKenzie. Yet somehow still, the Canucks were able to steal the Minnesota Golden Gopher at 22nd overall.

Schroeder is certainly undersized at 5′8”, but he is also extremely stocky and has a very strong core. At the NHL Draft Combine it was Schroeder who impressed, doing 17 bench presses at 150 pounds, one of the best showings among two groups which included virtually all of his fellow first round counterparts. There is no questioning that the dynamic forward possesses the tools, despite his small stature, to still succeed in the NHL. Players like Paul Kariya, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Brian Gionta have all been mainstays in the NHL despite their stature and Schroeder will be no different.

There are far too many things to like about Schroeder. He has outstanding hockey sense and intelligence, poise, puck skills and blazing speed while also adding a creative dimension to his game. Many scouts argue he has tremendous leadership qualities to go along with the fact he doesn’t shy away from physical play. Some believe that Schroeder will develop into a playmaking centre, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to believe that he may also develop into a sniping winger with the Vancouver Canucks instead.

At this point, the best part about having Schroeder is the fact that both Bob McKenzie and Pierre McGuire, the two respected faces of draft prospects at the Draft, both agree the Canucks had the steal of the first round. Both are of the opinion that Schroeder will carve his way into the NHL and find himself in the spotlight as a star real soon.

And for those of you who weren’t on the Mike Gillis bandwagon earlier, he’s a tidbit of info: This year’s first round prize, Schroeder, attends the University of Minnesota. So too does ex-GM Dave Nonis’ 2007 first round selection, Patrick White, now a third-year player with the Golden Gophers. Schroeder’s numbers this year saw him finish second in team scoring with 13 goals and 45 points in 35 games, whereas White played 36 games and had less than half of those numbers with 7 goals and 16 points. At this point you’re probably both praising Schroeder and wondering if Pat White will ever get there.

Mark this Canuck fan’s words — Three years from now, regardless of who is on the roster at that point in time, it will be Cody Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder being offensive threats every time they touch the puck.

A closer look in video with Schroeder:

Matt’s Mock Draft 2009

The time for talk is over. For the last four years, the focus and the spotlight of the 2009 draft class was wunderkind John Tavares, and now his time has finally arrived. Today, the man who has been labeled as the next “big thing” for the NHL will be selected by an NHL franchise. And amidst the rumours of the New York Islanders selecting him or passing on him, everything is up in the air as to where he and the rest of his fellow class will go.

1. New York Islanders - John Tavares - C - Tavares is sorely needed on Long Island where fans are threatening to cancel their season tickets if the Isles don’t take the highly-touted superstar.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning - Victor Hedman - D - Talented and big Swedish blueliner adds punch to a club that has a green defense corps. Tampa Bay can build a strong defense corps around this franchise player.

3. Colorado Avalanche - Matt Duchene - C - With Joe Sakic contemplating retirement, Duchene complements Stastny down the middle to form an impressive 1-2 punch down the middle.

4. Atlanta Thrashers - Jared Cowen - D - Preventing goals has been an ailment plaguing the Thrashers since the franchise arrived. Cowen helps stop the bleeding and adds some size on the blueline.

5. LA Kings - Evander Kane - C - Kane is the best pick available at this point, but don’t be surprised if LA deals this pick for immediate help. There aren’t a handful of blue-chip centres in the Kings system.

6. Phoenix Coyotes - Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson - LW - Fledgling ‘Yotes need some talent on the wings and MPS is the perfect candidate. He has outside speed and decent size and can truly finish.

7. Toronto Maple Leafs - Brayden Schenn - C - Rest assured, when Brian Burke fails to trade up for Tavares, the younger Schenn will join brother Luke, adding both grit and scoring touch to the weak Leafs.

8. Dallas Stars - Dmitry Kulikov - D - Sergei Zubov’s injury exposed the Stars’ need to have another puck-moving blueliner; Kulikov has the perfect role model for the NHL in the fellow Russian.

9. Ottawa Senators - Nazem Kadri - C - Kadri can play all 3 forward positions and the Senators need talent up front with Heatley on the way out. He’s compared to a smaller Matt Duchene and has some grit.

10. Edmonton Oilers - Zack Kassian - RW - The Oilers have no player who can crash, bang and score. Kassian can do it all and he adds some much-needed size to the lineup.

11. Nashville Predators - Oliver Ekman-Larsson - D - Even though Nashville is stacked on defense with Weber, Suter and Hamhuis, OEK provides another puck-moving option.

12. Minnesota Wild - Jordan Schroeder - C - The Wild took blueliner Tyler Cuma last year and need a blue-chip centre. The Minnesota native will add to the impotent offense which will widen with Gaborik’s departure.

13. Buffalo Sabres - Scott Glennie - C - Glennie is an above average skater with above average talent, which seems to be Buffalo’s calling card these days.

14. Florida Panthers - Ryan Ellis - D - The future looks bleak for defensemen with Bouwmeester leaving town; Ellis adds to a solid defense prospect core with Ellerby and Robak in the system.

15. Anaheim Ducks - Peter Holland - C - Holland isn’t just talented, he’s smart, too. The Ducks will most certainly look to take a centre with defenders Jake Gardiner and Mark Mitera.

16. Columbus Blue Jackets - John Moore - D - It’s the first time the Jackets will be drafting this low, but Moore is a steal at 18th overall, offering high speed and puck-moving qualities.

17. St. Louis Blues - David Rundblad - D - The Blues’ prospect pool is quite deep so at this point they’ll take the best player available. Rundblad is a smooth defender who can generate offense on his own.

18. Montreal Canadiens - Jacob Josefson - C - Montreal needs a centre who is good at both ends of the ice and Josefson provides that in spades. He’s not flashy, but he’s a capable player who ca get the job done.

19. New York Rangers - Jeremy Morin - LW - The Rangers have a wealth of centres and defensemen so it would be wise to take the best winger availabe. Morin is a NY native with goal-scoring qualities.

20. Calgary Flames - Carter Ashton - RW - The cupboard is also pretty bare when it comes to scoring wingers, so the Flames will take the most talented forward available and will take the Lethbridge power forward.

21. Philadelphia Flyers - Kyle Palmieri - C - Palmieri invokes the qualities the Flyers love: Strong, good work ethic, and loyal: He was kicked off the U.S. U18 team for not ratting out his teammates.

22. Vancouver Canucks - Calvin de Haan - D - The Canucks need help in a lot of places, but especially on the blueline. De Haan is a mobile defenceman who can run a powerplay and make good passes.

23. NJ Devils - Nick Leddy - D - The “Mr. Hockey” from Minnesota would be a welcomed addition on a Devils team which could use an extra defenceman in its ranks.

24. Washington Capitals - Louis Leblanc - C - Washington has traditionally taken the best player available and at this point Leblanc is the best. He’s also a dependable two-way centre that the Caps need.

25. Boston Bruins - Landon Ferraro - RW - The B’s need another top-six winger in the system and Ferraro can do that. He can score goals and is a very cerebral player, much like his father was.

26. NY Islanders (from SJ/OTT) - Tim Erixon - D - After striking gold with Tavares, the Islanders will most certainly take the best defenseman possible in Erixon, a two-way defenseman who has solid skills.

27. Carolina Hurricanes - Simon Despres - D - The future is bright for the ‘Canes with Zach Boychuk and Drayson Bowman down the middle, so the team would be best served to take a budding defenseman.

28. Chicago Blackhawks - Stefan Elliot - D - Likewise for Carolina, Chicago has a ton of forward prospects and need to re-stock their defense. Elliot has a good offensive game which is what the Hawks need.

29. Detroit Red Wings - Drew Shore - C - The Wings may pick off the board, but Shore is a solid and safe pick with good two-way ability and a goal-scoring touch; he’ll also need a couple years of development.

30. Pittsburgh Penguins - Chris Kreider - LW - Pittsburgh is chock full of centres but could use an offensive threat on the wings. Kreider has big goal capabilities and may be a top six winger in the future.

Draft Countdown - Stefan Elliott

Every year, there’s always a local British Columbia kid who the media thinks the Vancouver Canucks will draft. Last year, it was Kyle Beach, who went one selection after the Canucks drafted Cody Hodgson. This year, it’s defenceman Stefan Elliott of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Born and raised in North Vancouver, Elliott has been pegged to be taken by the Canucks in several mock drafts, including Pierre McGuire’s yesterday.

This season Elliott’s numbers were impressive for a defenceman, as he posted 16 goals and 55 points in 71 games. Many scouts agree that the North Vancouver product has a Mike Green thing going on, as the offensive blueliner loves to join the rush, carry the puck and generate offense. So far, not many believe his dynamic game has cost his team defensively.

There’s no questioning the fact that Elliott is a gifted individual. He’s got a ton of offensive ability, which has seen him play in all situations of the ice. He’s the first defenceman to be thrown out on a powerplay and the penalty kill, and he’s the kind of player you put onto the ice when you’re down a goal late in the game. Elliott has also taken on more of a leadership role with the Blades under head coach Lorne Molleken and will likely wear a letter on his chest next season, his third campaign with Saskatoon.

However with all his strengths, Stefan Elliott certainly has a lot of work ahead of him in order to make the big jump to the NHL. Like a lot of players in their draft year, Elliott needs to continue to add muscle to his body, as he stands at 6′0 and 185 pounds. He would be best served to add another 10 pounds before he’ll be ready for full-time duty with his NHL club. As is also the case with the majority of draft-eligible defencemen, he also needs to gain more confidence with the puck and show that he is capable of being the go-to player for the Blades and a potential top-four defenceman in the NHL.

A lot of scouts liken Elliott’s play to Mike Green, but I see him developing into more like a Brian Rafalski-type player; one who can carry the puck or make a strong first pass out of the zone and someone who has no problem unleashing bombs from the blueline and quarterbacking the powerplay.

There are a number of reasons to believe that the Canucks have Elliott in their sights, as there’s a lot to like about him. He was, however, ranked #35 among draft prospects by Bob McKenzie, behind the likes of other offensive defencemen such as Nick Leddy and David Rundblad, so it seems while Elliott has tremendous potential, he’s certainly behind the pecking order behind an abundance of other players of his ilk.

And finally, a quote from coach Lorne Molleken, as reported by TSN: “Stefan Elliott’s strengths include his skating ability, his snap shot and wrist shot, and his one-on-one defensive play. Stefan is a very intelligent player who uses his stick and body positioning to his advantage while in the defensive zone. He is not a physical player but his stick and body positioning make up for his lack in physical play. He possesses above average puck handling skills and can make a good first pass. Stefan is very good at quarterbacking a power play and his ability to read the play makes him an offensive threat.”

Draft Countdown - Nick Leddy

They say a lot of the best American players come from Minnesota, and everything that Nick Leddy seems to do on the ice these days renders him everything that Minnesota hockey embodies and symbolizes.

There are plenty of reasons to get excited about the Minnesota defenceman who for the past few years has been a fixture for his highschool team Eden Prairie. After being heavily recruited from colleges and Universities abroad (North Dakota, University of Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud), Leddy’s decision came to being a part of the Minnesota Golden Gophers legacy.

It seems only fitting. Leddy has imparted a tremendous mark on Minnesota hockey after being named “Mr. Hockey” of the state, which recognizes the best high school player from Minnesota. And what makes the soon-to-be Gopher deserving of the accolation?

For starters, he is one of the most complete players in the draft. Originally coined as an offensive defenceman, Leddy may best be touted as a two-way defenceman, as he has learned over the last year the finer points of playing defensively, and that comes with an improved skating stride and 15 added pounds of upper-body strength to his 5′11 frame which has allowed him to compete in the defensive zone against players who have a physical edge against him.

Leddy certainly has offensive prowess, as determined by the seven goals and 27 points he posted in 18 games this season and 27 points from last season. But he’s also combined that talent with smart and responsible play in his own end, and that makes him a tantalizing prospect in this year’s draft. Teams nowadays are putting more of an emphasis then ever before on players who can play in both ends of the rink and Leddy is a perfect example of a player with that type of mold.

Scouts like to compare him to Paul Martin of the New Jersey Devils. The talent and finesse are both there, but how he uses his size in the NHL will judge the impact he will have on his team. The good news is, there’s plenty of time and potential for Leddy to grow and become a mainstay on an NHL blueline, as the defender has shown he can gain muscle mass after adding 15 pounds of lean muscle. Leddy himself likes to compare his game to that of NHL defencemen Duncan Keith and Brian Campbell and says that his favourite player growing up was Scott Niedermayer.

For Vancouver fans, Leddy is a tempting option; with the cupboard of defensive prospects with offensive ability looking mighty bare at this point (Taylor Ellington and Yann Sauve aren’t exactly dynamic players), the Canucks are most certainly looking at drafting a smooth-skating defenceman who can move the puck. In addition, Leddy represents a lot of characteristics general manager Mike Gillis are looking for in players: Character, integrity and intelligence. Off the ice, Leddy can best be described as a calm leader with a quiet demeanor. He’s the consumate team guy; he’s well-liked and let’s his play do the talking on the ice. For Canuck fans, the Minnesota defenceman conducts himself much in the way Cody Hodgson does; there’s huge potential that Leddy may become a leader for an NHL team someday.

The only knock on Leddy is that there may be more high-risk, high-reward players who could reap greater benefits. There’s every possibility Minnesota’s “Mr. Hockey” can crack an NHL roster, but some draft experts have pegged him to go late in the first round or even early in the second. If the Canucks are indeed targetting Leddy, don’t be surprised if Gillis and co. look to parlay their 22nd overall pick to move down in the draft order and pocket an extra draft selection.

Draft Countdown: David Rundblad

For all the talk about towering defenseman Victor Hedman in this year’s upcoming draft, little attention has been given to another defenseman who has all the makings of an NHL blueliner in David Rundblad.

The Swede doesn’t carry the size of Hedman at 6’0 and 185 pounds, but there’s no questioning that he’ll have every opportunity to impress the team that drafts him in training camp. There are some points of his game which require some fine-tuning, but his offensive talent from the backend make him a strong candidate to go in the top 15 of the draft.

As a member of the blue and gold’s vaulted defense during the World Juniors, Rundblad didn’t register a point but was nonetheless an effective player for the Tre Kronor during the tournament. He played a ton of minutes on the second-pairing behind Hedman and Erik Karlsson and was depended on to create offense on the powerplay.

A lot of Swedish players tend to make the safe play in their own zone by making the smart first pass before they cross their own blueline, but not Rundblad. Rundblad enjoys carrying the puck, leading the rush and jumping up in the play. His most positive quality is his ability to generate offensive opportunities. His smooth and long skating stride is impressive; combine those talents with deft passing skills and Rundblad renders himself a blue-chip prospect for a team’s pipeline, a player who can quarterback the powerplay.

Like a handful of other Swedes in his draft class, Rundblad is an 18-year old playing in the Swedish Elite League. After playing for Skelleftea’s U20 team in 2008 and posting 26 points in 35 games, the Lycksele native was called upon to play for the Skelleftea men’s squad and registered 10 assists in 45 games.

It’s likely that Rundblad is still another year away from making an impact on the NHL, but it’s almost a certainty that he will get there. For Vancouver Canuck fans, think and compare Rundblad to Alex Edler but with a better skating stride and higher offensive potential. Like Edler, scouts would love to see a grittier edge to Rundblad’s game, especially in front of the net, but that will come with added upper body strength.

For more on Rundblad, here’s a video of him with Skelleftea earlier last year. It’s a typical play of his, starting in his own zone and carrying the puck himself into the opponent’s end and making the first pass.

Canucks at the Draft

Before proceeding, it should go without saying that the Pittsburgh Penguins earned the Stanley Cup on Friday night; coming together in the second half of the game despite losing captain Sidney Crosby says a lot about how much the team grew over the postseason and the type of discipline and poise Cup-winning coach Dan Bylsma reverberated throughout his squad after the second period. Marc-Andre Fleury stole the game and the series and character players like Max Talbot, Jordan Staal and Brooks Orpik were the reason why Pittsburgh got over the hump this time around.

Now, to the results of the 2009 Playoff Predictions Contest! It was a close race throughout the entire playoffs and came down to the end of the postseason to decide a winner. But in the end, this is how the standings stood when all was said and done:

1. Leon - 27 points
2. Matt Lee - 25 points
3. Ray Ray Superstar - 24 points
4. Chad Klassen - 22 points
5. Travis and Raph - 21 points
6. Jack and Shawn - 20 points
7. Kyle Gagan and Alex Strohschein - 19 points

The fact that Leon picked the Penguins over the Red Wings in the Cup final was enough to keep him ahead of the rest of the pack. Congratulations to Leon for winning this year’s playoff prediction!

Leon then proceeded to celebrate his victory with a burger and fries. Here’s his celebratory picture:

But let’s get right down to the next thing which is going to be making waves in the hockey world: THE 2009 NHL ENTRY DRAFT. The time for talk is over; since last year’s draft we’ve heard a lot of talk and debate about the next brand of young superstars ready to make their mark on the world. John Tavares and Victor Hedman have solidified themselves as the 1-2 selections, but it may never become clear until Draft Day who will be selected first. In addition, players like Matt Duchene have seen their stock skyrocket, while some players such as Jordan Schroeder’s World Junior performance coincided with their dropoff. In any event, the first round is sure to be chock full of future NHL talent.

For the Vancouver Canucks, who will be selecting 22nd overall this year, it’s unknown which direction they will pursue on June 26th when the NHL clubs converge in Montreal.

The Canucks continue to hold their crowned jewel Cody Hodgson in the centre slot, but after the CHL Player of the Year the talent wears thin: Patrick White’s value has plummeted after two sub-par performances with the University of Minnesota, and other centres Prab Rai and Mario Bliznak are project centres at best. On the wings, Michael Grabner and newly-signed Sergei Shirokov are the team’s best, but after that, the talent isn’t sublime.

On the blueline things aren’t much bright; last year’s second-round selection Yann Sauve had a decent season with the QMJHL St. John Sea Dogs, but is two or three years from making his mark. Tough and bruising defenders Taylor Ellington and Nathan McIver continue to improve their skating game with Everett (WHL) and Manitoba (AHL).

It seems about the only position the Canucks are currently set in is between the pipes. While signing franchise netminder Roberto Luongo to an extension will be a high priority this summer, the Canucks boast a nice Plan B with Cory Schneider, who was the AHL’s goalie of the year and has the makings of at least a starting goaltender. Should the Canucks be successful in locking up Luongo long-term, Schneider has good trade value which would allow the club to address other weaknesses in the prospect pool.

The strategy for Mike Gillis and his scouting crew remains unknown. Last year at 10th overall they took the best player available in Hodgson, but at 22nd overall this June it’s uncertain whether the club will take the best player available or a winger or defenceman, two positions which need some attention. Many players ranked 15th to 30th in The Hockey News’ draft preview were defencemen and few are wingers. And even then, there’s no guarantee the Canucks will even hold onto their pick, as they may trade it for immediate help to win now.

That’s where FanInVan.com comes in. Like last year, I’ll provide you with a handful of young talent who could find themselves donning the green, blue and white in Montreal in a week. And similar to that of Cody Hodgson, you’ll get a sneak peek at the kind of player the Canucks will be selecting.

Keep checking FanInVan.com! The first player I’ll be profiling is Swedish defenceman David Rundblad.

Game Seven Heaven

There’s no better way to decide a Stanley Cup final series which has provided so many thrills and excitement than with a Game Seven. One game, winner take all, for all the marbles. It’s like seeing two kids meet in the old schoolyard after class and putting it all on the line, and for keeps.

So much is at stake here, and there are a handful of storylines to draw from, especially from a personal standpoint. In the end, only one team will emerge the 2009 NHL champion, and the other will have to settle for second place.

At the forefront of the series has been Sidney Crosby, who last year led his Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup final but suffered defeat. His performance back then was admirable, but this year his playoff has been nothing short of spectacular. With 31 points he shattered last year’s total of 27, but in the process has scored nine more goals. And after leading his Pens past Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals and Eric Staal’s surging Hurricanes, there should be no question now that Sid the Kid has become the best NHL player.

And it would be foolhardy to continue without mentioning Evgeni Malkin whose playoff performance has been equally spectacular, if not moreso. Malkin struggled immensely last year against Detroit in the final but in this series has been let loose, scoring 2 goals and 7 points in the first six games. If Pittsburgh goes on to win tonight’s final affair, Malkin would certainly be a candidate for the Conn Smythe.

From a personal point of view, none have been in the spotlight more than head coach Dan Bylsma and rearguard Kris Letang. Bylsma, who replaced fired head coach Michel Therrien, took the team reins and has never wavered, guiding his team from almost missing the playoffs to playing in a Game 7 for the Stanley Cup. In addition, don’t forget that Bylsma is only 5 years removed from playing in the NHL; a fact which has gone largely unnoticed is that Bylsma was a part of the 2003 Anaheim Mighty Ducks team that went to the finals and bowed out to the New Jersey Devils in seven games; his coach that year was current Detroit boss Mike Babcock.

And Letang. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Letang has had the biggest rollercoaster year of his life. He lost his best friend Luc Bourdon in a tragic motorist accident in June and underwent a stage in his career where he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to continue, but persevered and used the tragedy to urge him to forge ahead. With his best friend looking down at him, it has helped Letang evolve into a go-to defenceman for the Penguins powerplay.

This could also be the closest a handful of Penguins will ever get to winning Stanley’s holy grail for the first time: Sergei Gonchar (35 years) and Miro Satan (33 years) are both aging and neither may come close again.

But at the other front of this epic battle are the Detroit Red Wings, who are intent on establishing their dynasty and become the first back-to-back champions since they accomplished the feat in 1997 and 1998. Seemingly, all the Detroit franchise has done over the last dozen years is win; they have become the household name of the NHL, the team from which every other club has attempted to emulate and there seems to be no end in sight to their dominance.

With all due respect to Ty Conklin, every single member of the Detroit Red Wings has a Stanley Cup ring except Marian Hossa. Hossa, who has been in the spotlight ever since the finals started, is still searching for that elusive victory. His tale has been well-documented: He left a longer and more lucrative contract with the Penguins to take a one-year deal with the Red Wings; the twist of the knife was that Hossa approached the Red Wings, they didn’t approach him.

Whether or not Hossa made the right decision will be revealed tonight. He’s been uncharacteristically quiet thus far in the final, but he could be the outcome tonight.

Who will win? All these storylines have made this year’s rematch of the Stanley Cup final more exciting, not to mention that the Penguins have certainly improved over last year’s effort. And while the odds are against them since tonight’s last battle will be in Detroit, the Penguins are just as desperate to win as the Red Wings. All it takes tonight is one bounce. One shot. One big hit. Any of those things can make the difference tonight.

But from a personal standpoint, this series has been vastly entertaining. And the only thing which would make it a can’t-forget Stanley Cup final? Overtime in Game Seven.

How to bring the Heat

Word broke out early this morning that Ottawa Senators sniper Dany Heatley has asked for a trade. Heatley, who is entering the second year of a contract extension that sees him earn $45 million over 6 years (for a $7.5 million cap hit per season), apparently had issues with new head coach Cory Clouston going into the offseason and after some deliberation came to general manager Bryan Murray for a trade.

Before getting into any ridiculous trade proposals, it’s interesting to see how hard the Sens have fallen since making it to the Stanley Cup final in 2006. Their hot start in 2007 was shadowed by their horrendous slump in the last leg of the regular season only to get bounced in the first round by Cup finalist Pittsburgh, and then the team had one of their poorest regular seasons since the Damian Rhodes era. Two years after their run, the Senators are facing something between a complete rebuild and a complex retooling. They have a handful of good young defensemen in the pipeline with Erik Karlsson and Brian Lee, but neither appears to be ready for primetime, at least not for a couple years.

Furthermore, don’t forget that one of the biggest factors in trade making today is a player’s salary. At $7.5M for the next five years, Heatley’s trade value isn’t exactly skyrocketing through the atmosphere, but his superstar status makes him an attractive commodity which a team would build their team around.

Scoring goals was also a problem last season for the Senators despite their firepower up front. Replacing Heatley’s 40+ goals will be a tremendous task, but that hole can easily be fulfilled if the Senators are willing to dish out big money for a free agent forward like Marian Gaborik or even Martin Havlat (despite both being injury-prone players). As a result, perhas it can be argued the Senators’ most pressing need are a top-pairing defenceman who can score, a top-six winger to fill the void and perhaps a rugged grinder plus draft pick(s).

Which brings us to who could possibly be interested. Taking into consideration the Senators’ biggest needs and the probability they are looking to trade outside the Eastern Conference, here are the possible teams which could be interested and what the price could be to land the Canadian Olympian.

Edmonton: It wouldn’t be a huge stretch to suggest that Heatley, a native of Alberta, would like to play in his home province. Edmonton has both the salary cap space and desire to bring in a player of Heatley’s calibre and a high-profile winger such as himself could truly bolster their forwards corps. Edmonton has both puck-moving defencemen and a handful of enticing prospects to offer Ottawa.

The deal: Sheldon Souray, Robert Nilsson and a 2nd round pick for Dany Heatley and a 5th round pick. The deal gives Ottawa the booming shot on the point they haven’t had in a long time as well as a young centre who still has a lot of upside. Edmonton gets a scoring winger to accompany Shawn Horcoff and take some of the pressure off Ales Hemsky.

Los Angeles: Hard to believe the rebuilding Kings would want to bring in an expensive winger who’s on the hook for $45M over six years, but Heatley is one of a kind. Los Angeles has a plethora of cap space and players to offer and therefore that probably makes them a team kicking on the tires. Not only that, adding Heatley would bring Los Angeles one of the best players to play for the team since Luc Robitaille was in a Kings uniform.

The deal: Jack Johnson, Alexander Frolov for Heatley and 3rd round pick. Ottawa gets the young and ready Jack Johnson, who is ready to step in as a #1 defenceman right now and Alex Frolov, who will be a pending UFA at the end of next season. Frolov can help ease the pain of losing a 40-goal scorer while also bringing talent back.

St. Louis: It’s little known that one of Heatley’s favourite team growing up were the St. Louis Blues during the Brett Hull days and it wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest he would approve going to a team clearly on the rise. There’s so much optimism surrounding the Blues with their young talent and adding Heatley would offer a veteran presence combined with clutch scoring.

The deal: David Perron and Alex Pietrangelo for Heatley and Alex Auld. St. Louis gives up a ton of youth and upside but get back a top-five NHL player as well as a serviceable backup to Chris Mason. Perron’s youth and skating ability would be a welcomed addition and Pietrangelo would join a bevy of talent on the blueline and make Ottawa a deep team defensively for the next five years. Having Pascal Leclaire and Brian Elliot in the fold makes Auld redundant.

Vancouver: Look folks, I’ll be frank: it’s a pipe dream… at best. Mike Gillis has already made it perfectly clear that signing the Sedins is the team’s top priority. And with both looking to earn around $6M+ and with the probability of wanting to lock up goaltender Roberto Luongo for the rest of his career, there’s little reason to believe it’s feasible to afford Dany Heatley. But if the Canucks were to somehow dump enough salary, this is what would need to be done:

The deal: Pavol Demitra, Kevin Bieksa, Mason Raymond and 1st round pick for Heatley. Even then, this might not be enough. Bieksa is the centrepiece of the deal going the other way, as his tenacity and scoring prowess would be highly coveted, but Demitra isn’t exactly young and talented and Mason Raymond is the biggest question mark out of all the aforementioned players. In any case, the Canucks free up about $8M to bring in Heatley. Again, it seems quite unlikely the Canucks will bother calling.