Fan In Van

3 Weeks Later…

Three weeks ago, there was a lot of uncertainty regarding the future of some of the NHL’s prolific players. We had no gosh darn clue where Marian Hossa was going, a fortune teller couldn’t have seen that ten million dollar offer to Mats Sundin, and boy that four-year, $14M contract which octupled (Is that even a word?) Jeff Finger’s previous salary sure came out of left field.

And if one were to flash forward today, there are a handful of winners and losers. Sure, we can go ahead and say that Detroit’s ability to lure Marian Hossa to their side of the pond was a pretty gnarly deal, but I can also go ahead and tell you that Mike Commodore’s five-year, $18.75M pact with Columbus could be a giant mosquito bite in the rear two or three years from now.

I’m breaking down the current winners and losers of this year’s offseason:

WINNER: Calgary Flames, for managing to retain Daymond Langkow, Craig Conroy and the Vandermeer brothers to modest contracts which should keep their core together.

LOSER: The Calgary Flames, for deciding to bring in Todd Bertuzzi. No offense, Big Bert, but if you were hated in Calgary before what happened on March 8th, 2004, that rings some alarm bells.

WINNER: Tampa Bay Lightning, who have bolstered their forward core with the ilk of Ryan Malone and Steven Stamkos, making them a sure bet to finish top five in league scoring.

LOSER: Tampa Bay Lightning, who, on top of Malone and Stamkos, have brought in another NINE, COUNT ‘EM, NINE forwards along for the trip: Chris Gratton, Brandon Bochenski, Evgeny Artyukhin, Mark Recchi, David Koci, Adam Hall, Radim Vrbata, Vaclav Prospal and Gary Roberts. In other news, I also hear Dave Andreychuk is considering a comeback… Dear God, I hope not.

WINNER: Chicago Blackhawks, who look to be a playoff team with the huge additions of Cristobal Huet and Brian Campbell. A mix of both youth, talent and speed, this Original Six club could find it’s way back into the playoffs for the first time since the mid-90s.

LOSER: The Blackhawks for overspending. And we’re talking real overspending here, folks. On Campbell and Huet alone, ownership was willing to pony up a big wad of cash for their services. And I’m not going to tell you how much it cost, but I’ve never seen $80 MILLION dollars thrown around like that before!

WINNER: The Dallas Stars managed to win the Fabian Brunnstrom sweepstakes and then went out and landed a pretty big fish (and mouth) in Sean Avery. Avery’s on-ice presence and off-ice antics should bring a little more vibrance back into the Dallas hockey community.

LOSER: The San Jose Sharks will not be a better club this year. After being ousted in the second round by Dallas, San Jose lost Brian Campbell and for a replacement signed aging veteran Rob Blake to a ridiculous one-year $5M offer. While it’s only one year, the albatross contract puts the Sharks right up against the salary cap.

Put ‘Em Up

If I had a dollar for every fight the Vancouver Canucks were involved in last season … well, I would probably be a pretty rich man. However if I had a dollar for every fight they won … Well, I could be living on the streets.

Despite the Canucks so valiantly finished first in the league with major penalties (Yes, even ahead of Brian Burke’s Ducks) the team didn’t finish with a very positive record, and a lot of those losses can be credited to the team speed bag, Jeff Cowan.

Nothing against the Brabarian, but when the team delegated him as the heavyweight, they were begging to be disappointed. They might as well have allowed a rabid dog to be feasting on him right from the get go. Sure, he had a few wins against the occasional Zach Stortini and Jared Boll, but the fact remains Cowan is not a good fighter. I mean honestly … Can you say that the Canucks were really that tough as the stats indicate?

With nothing against the likes of Ryan Kesler, Alex Burrows, Kevin Bieksa, Mike Brown and Byron Ritchie, the Canucks have been in desperate need of an enforcer since Darren Langdon’s golden days in 2003.

Enter the Mike Gillis area, where we enforce intelligence, integrity and team toughness.

The new general manager obviously carried the same mindset as a lot of teams in the league, and he went out to get the biggest, baddest enforcer possible.

What? What do you mean, we didn’t get Georges Laraque?!

Okay, so Darcy Hordichuk is the second best enforcer available. But if you YouTube this crazy cat by going to his official website, www.darcyhordichuk.com , you’ll see the guy hold his own against some of the biggest brutes in the league. In addition, Gillis went out and snagged Steve Bernier and Rob Davison, those heart and soul type character guys who will battle endlessly for a team.

So while goal scoring may still be an issue for this club, this team will definitely be a tougher opponent to play against next season.

Sundin Is Coming

I’ve got a really strange feeling about what’s going to shake down in the next couple of weeks, or even days. It’s clear that if the Vancouver Canucks somehow manage to lure Mats Sundin to the West, the team is, at worst, a playoff team. Factor in the impending Pavol Demitra signing … and things are suddenly looking up.

Canuck fans folks, are fickle. Hell read my post below and you’d think the sky was falling. But if the Canucks manage to snag both Sundin and Demitra while acquiring Bernier, then Mike Gillis comes out of July smelling like a bed of roses. Only last week the general Canuck fanbase was saying we should trade the Sedins and Luongo and hope to draft super phenom John Tavares next June.

But again, something is up in Vancouver and it seems to be stemming from the depths of GM Place. A couple of things are leading me to believe Mats Sundin will be a Canuck come the end of the month:

1. Mike Gillis has remained confident over the last ten days. Since his blockbuster offer of $10M came out on July 1st, he has vocally expressed that the team has offered the best deal Sundin can receive.
2. There have been rumblings that Gillis, Sundin and his agent JP Barry have been in close contact, speaking as frequently as everyday. Some talk is better than none in this instance.
3. Mattias Ohlund told The Vancouver Sun two days ago that he is prepared to pump up Vancouver to his close Swedish friend Sundin.
4. Sundin’s agent declared today that Mats will NOT retire and will at least return to the NHL.
5. There were rumours this week that Sundin and his fiance Josephine Johansson were in Vancouver earlier, touring the city.

Perhaps the reason why Sundin hasn’t yet come to a decision is because he is still mulling over his options. But my personal hunch is that maybe the Canucks are waiting on Demitra’s contract status so they can introduce the two together?

Either way, should Mats Sundin come to Vancouver, it will make for a very interesting season in the future. The Canucks can become a very good team with Sundin and Demitra in the fold.

What are your thoughts? Weigh in at the comments section!

A Cruel Summer

I’m normally a pretty positive Vancouver Canuck fan, but these last three months have been extremely hard for me, and I’m sure it’s equally trying for every single fan in this town. In my own view, this is probably one of the most darkest summers this franchise has ever had.

First we lost promising defenceman Luc Bourdon to tragedy, and then we lost the greatest player this franchise has ever had to retirement. And in a span of three days, we’ve struck out on some big name free agents and signed plug hockey players. But possibly one of this team’s greatest losses came today when we lost captain Markus Naslund.

This offseason has been an absolute disaster with the exception of the NHL draft. GM Mike Gillis has not done enough to bring that “winning tradition” owner Francesco Aqualini hired him for. In fact, Gillis has done the exact opposite. By swinging for the fences in trying to lure Mats Sundin for an appalling $20M over two years, Gillis has missed the boat on Marian Hossa, Kristian Huselius, Sean Avery and a hell of a lot more. In the three days since free agency has opened, Gillis has spent only 2.5M of the estimated 21M he had in salary cap space, signing Ryan Johnson, Darcy Hordichuk, Nolan Baumgartner and Curtis Sanford.

Now it’s all well and good for him to address those depth issues and role player voids that will be left by Brad Isbister and Byron Ritchie, but this sounds an awful lot like something ex-GM Dave Nonis did. At least with Nonis, the Canucks seemed to be headed in a direction with a plan: Build through the draft and succeed with strong goaltending and defence with a mediocre offence. But Gillis has been making moves which has left me scratching my head: The unprecedented 10M-a-year offer to Mats Sundin left me shell shocked for days.

And Markus Naslund’s now certain departure has sent this franchise in a downward spiral. Up until yesterday things didn’t look so bleak with the Canucks still having the chance to reel in Sundin and possibly have Naslund play alongside him for a legitimate two-line threat. But with Sundin putting playing plans on indefinite hold and Naslund gone, this franchise faces even more uncertainty than they did before the offseason began.

What happened in the span of three months? This fanbase though having Naslund and Brendan Morrison off the books would bring in new blood and fresh talent. But now it appears this club is headed for something much, much worse than that.

Post Your UFA Predictions!

Alright folks, this is it: Christmas in July. The time for talk is over for teams who wanted to retain their players from last season, and now everyone is up for grabs. Who’s going where? It’s your time to call the shots. Post your free agent predictions. The person with the most correct predictions will be declared the winner. Good luck!

THE BIG NAMES (3 PTS per correct answer)

Joe Sakic - Colorado

Pavol Demitra - Vancouver

Kristian Huselius - Atlanta

Wade Redden - San Jose

Mats Sundin - Montreal

Ryan Malone - Tampa Bay

Brian Campbell - Ottawa

Marian Hossa - Vancouver

THE (EX?) CANUCKS (2 PTS per correct answer)

Brad Isbister - Los Angeles

Aaron Miller - Retired

Brendan Morrison - New York Islanders

Markus Naslund - Pittsburgh

Byron Ritchie - Europe

Curtis Sanford - Edmonton

THE REST (1 PT per correct answer)

Todd Bertuzzi - Atlanta

Teemu Selanne - Anaheim

Doug Weight - Retired

Alex Auld - Vancouver

Andrew Brunette - Colorado

John Michael Liles - Philadelphia

Jose Theodore - Tampa Bay

Brian Rolston - San Jose

Michael Ryder - Vancouver

Mark Streit - Montreal

Sean Avery - Florida

Jaromir Jagr - Russia OMSK

Michal Roszival - Ottawa

Brendan Shanahan - Retired

Ray Emery - Los Angeles

Cory Stillman - Minnesota

Ty Conklin - Pittsburgh

Georges Laraque - Columbus

Darcy Tucker - Philadelphia

I’ve got Vancouver making a serious splash, getting Marian Hossa, Pavol Demitra, Alex Auld and Michael Ryder.

What’s Wrong With Contracts

The lack of NHL teams in Canada bothers me. The fact that the Detroit Red Wings seem to finish 1st in the Western Conference also ticks me off. The fact that Gary Bettman has such a little head and really big ears also irks me to a great degree. But you want to know what’s really pissing me off? The amount of no movement clauses that are given out in NHL contracts.

That’s right. No movement clauses. Just saying it to myself is making my blood boil. The amount of no movement clauses that have been handed out to players these days are getting ridiculous. I did some quick Googling and here are the players who have this special clause which guarantees that a player cannot be waived, traded, or assigned to the minors without his consent (Buyouts not included):

Jarome Iginla, CGY

Miikka Kiprusoff, CGY

Robyn Regehr, CGY

Scott Hannan, COL

Ryan Smyth, COL

Pavel Datsyuk, DET

Nick Lidstrom, DET

Sheldon Souray, EDM

Tomas Vokoun, FLA

Stephen Weiss, FLA

Michal Handzus, LA

Lubomir Visnovsky, LA

Jason Arnott, NSH

JP Dumont, NSH

Martin Erat, NSH

Patrik Elias, NJ

Chris Drury, NYR

Mike Fisher, OTT

Dany Heatley, OTT

Daniel Briere, PHI

Kimmo Timonen, PHI

Shane Doan, PHX

Paul Kariya, STL

Bryan McCabe, TOR

There are 24 players with no movement clauses, with the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators each carrying three apiece. And while it sounds great to have Jarome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff and Robyn Regehr locked up long term, it also seemed okay for the Leafs when they had Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker and Bryan McCabe as well and look where it has got them.

The Maple Leafs are now facing the wrath of the dreaded no movement clause. At the trade deadline when the team was sagging like Britney Spears’ career, GM Cliff Fletcher should’ve made some moves to deal off his dead weight, overpaid players for young and raw NHL prospects and draft picks. However, the stubborn and country club atmosphere in Toronto stemming from Mats Sundin rubbed off on the other players with no movement and no trade clauses and all Fletcher had to show for at the trade deadline was a measly 2nd round pick (Which was used to select Jimmy Hayes).

Today, general managers are handing out no movement clauses like Bill Gates wipes his ass with one dollar bills. In the case of these clauses, they should be treated only on those special kind of players, and I’m talking the Sidney Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier and Roberto Luongo-types. When the head of a NHL team is offering it to Michal Handzus, though, that’s a real head scratcher.

This summer, I guarantee you there will be one idiot manager who wants to offer a seven-year, bonus-laden no movement clause to this year’s free agent cream of the crop, Marian Hossa. Whether it is rookie GM Mike Gillis or veteran GM Lou Lamoriello, NHL heads should exercise extreme caution when giving out a contract with a clause. As has been shown with the Leafs, it may appear like a great idea at first look, but one, two or three years down the line it may become the difference between making and breaking your club.

I’ll finish by saying that every general manager in this league is one or two no movement clauses away from becoming the next John Ferguson Jr.

Wellwood Else is There?

Sound it out. Go on, give it a try.

“Well what else is there?”

You know, I may not be a guy who can give a clever title to every post, but I’m pretty sure I can give the inside scoop on Kyle Wellwood, the Vancouver Canucks’ latest waiver wire pickup. And to sum it up in a nutshell, Wellwood is talented.

But in the NHL, players cannot succeed on talent alone. In this sport it takes a hell of a lot more than that to make it big. In the case of the Windsor, Ontario native, skill seems to be all he’s had in his six years of professional hockey; because for some reason, the kid just hasn’t been able to put his skills together.

At a paltry 5′10”, he doesn’t exactly carry the frame to throw his body around like bought out forward and ex-teammate Darcy Tucker can. The knock on Wellwood is that not only does he not hit, he tries to avoid physical contact altogether.

Look guy, we’re not asking you to blow the guy through the glass, we’re just asking for a little intensity.

Wellwood has a great set of hands and at his worst is an average skater, but it seems like he’d be better suited in a no-contact league. In fact, Wellwood doesn’t just refuse to play hard, he rarely takes penalties, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. In 189 NHL contests, he has accumulated just 14 penalty minutes. The former Leaf hasn’t been in the box since the 2005-06 season, to draw up the stats.

So let me get this straight: The Canucks, who at last season’s trade deadline swapped Matt Cooke for Matt Pettinger and might as well have asked for a heart transplant for their lack of passion down the road, picked up another diminutive forward who shies away from physical contact?

I know. Sounds ridiculous. But does it?

Look at the situation objectively. What do the Vancouver Canucks have to lose in this instance? Wellwood comes in having made less than $1M a season and can easily be retained with a qualifying offer. If, after the preseason games in September show that he is not a good fit, the Canucks can waive him and send him to the minors or let him sit in the stands at no real expense to their salary cap. In other words, we can easily consider this a tryout for Wellwood.

So to all you naysayers who think this guy will end up like Kris Beech Version 2, think again. It’s another one of those low-risk, high-reward type moves, and if it doesn’t work out, Wellwood’s stint will be over in a flash.

Another thing for Canuck fans to remember: Three weeks ago Mike Gillis stated that he wanted to not only work on draft development but player development. This means that management stops looking at players as products but as people. It’s professional development — Working closely with players to ensure they remain on the right track and not get distracted or sustain setbacks. Wellwood seems to be that guinea pig for Mike Gillis’ revolutionary NHL experiment.

But seriously, what else is there?

Hodgson vs. Beach

Let’s be perfectly honest, in every NHL draft there are going to be a handful of fans who think the Vancouver Canucks passed up on a better player for a lesser one. Last June it was David Perron and Patrick White; two years earlier it was Anze Kopitar and Luc Bourdon. Hell, ten years ago it was Alex Tanguay instead of Bryan Allen.

The fact is, how many of us can honestly say we’ve seen both in action? I know I can’t. Everyone, myself included, are only making conclusions based on what we’ve read and the few highlights of both players we have seen. As far as I’m concerned, the only conclusion the “experts” can make is that we cannot yet come to a conclusion.

So far though, I’d say that based on what has been said about Cody Hodgson gives Canuck fans a glimmer of hope for the future. Look folks, this is a guy who has character. Hodgson gives leadership. And to be perfectly clear, he’s a much safer pick then the wild card that is Kyle Beach. The Haliburton, Ontario native is a solid pick, and it was an act of God that he fell to us at ten.

Canuck fans, thank the Hockey Gods that Mike Gillis did not deal away the 10th overall pick for Mike Cammalleri, because Cody Hodgson is going to be a staple of this franchise for years. Think Trevor Linden’s leadership with Rod Brind’Amour’s two-way play. Hodgson could have that rookie ten-game stint in the fall if he has a good training camp and works on his skating.

As for Kyle Beach, I think he’s a phenomenal player. I’m not concerned about his attitude problems, because that can easily be cured with maturity in the NHL. However, his concussion problems scare me. A player’s development can be seriously stunted with head injuries and that throws up a red flag for me. Kyle Beach on the Chicago Blackhawks makes a hell of a lot more sense than if Kyle Beach was on the Vancouver Canucks. The Blackhawks can afford to take a risk on Beach, because they’ve already got an impressive array of young talent in their pool. The Canucks, however, can’t say the same, and had they struck out on Beach in the future, the franchise could be seriously troubled.

I think both Cody Hodgson and Kyle Beach could be great players in the NHL three or four years from now, but the fact is the Canucks could not allow themselves to take the huge risk of drafting Kyle Beach when they had a young, multi-faceted and character player like Cody Hodgson available.

What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comment section.

Draft Countdown: Post Your Mock!

The NHL Entry Draft will begin on Friday at 4PM on TSN. And it seems evident that the only sure thing is that the Tampa Bay Lightning will keep the first overall selection and use it to draft Steven Stamkos. But after that, it’s a complete mystery. Will Los Angeles select Drew Doughty or Zach Bogosian? How low will Kyle Beach go? Which goalie will be selected first? I’m handing out my mock draft. If you’re up to the challenge, post your top 30 in the comments section!

There are three key things to keep in mind when creating a mock draft. Smart experts do the following:

1. Analyze the top 60 prospects available. Check TSN.ca and Bob McKenzie’s rankings for this source.
2. Analyzing team needs. For example, the Vancouver Canucks are in no business to select a goaltender with Corey Schneider in the fold, but desperately need help at centre.
3. Analyze player statistics. I’m not saying strictly the numbers alone, but where a player is from and where he has played can be factors. Example: Kyle Beach was born in Kelowna and would like to play in Vancouver, Minnesota-born defenceman Aaron Ness has been linked to the Wild, and Joe Colborne played in the Alberta league and could head to Calgary.

Good luck! The person with the most correct predictions will place first!

1. Tampa Bay Lightning - Steven Stamkos (C)
2. Los Angeles Kings - Drew Doughty (D)
3. Atlanta Thrashers - Zach Bogosian (D)
4. St Louis Blues - Luke Schenn (D)
5. NY Islanders - Alex Pietrangelo (D)
6. Columbus Blue Jackets - Tyler Myers (D)
7. Toronto Maple Leafs - Nikita Filatov (LW)
8. Phoenix Coyotes - Colin Wilson (C)
9. Nashville Predators - Mikkel Boedker (LW)
10. Vancouver Canucks - Kyle Beach (C)
11. Chicago Blackhawks - Michael Del Zotto (D)
12. Anaheim Ducks (Edmonton) - Cody Hodgson (C)
13. Buffalo Sabres - Colten Teubert (D)
14. Carolina Hurricanes - Zach Boychuk (C)
15. Nashville Predators - Tyler Cuma (D)
16. Boston Bruins - Joshua Bailey (C)
17. Calgary Flames - Joe Colborne (C)
18. Ottawa Senators - Jordan Eberle (C)
19. Columbus Blue Jackets (Colorado) - Mattias Tedenby (LW)
20. NY Rangers - Luca Sbisa (D)
21. New Jersey Devils - Colby Robak (D)
22. Edmonton Oilers (Anaheim) - Daultan Leveille (C)
23. Washington Capitals - Zac Dalpe (RW)
24. Minnesota Wild - Aaron Ness (D)
25. Montreal Canadiens - Mikhail Stefanovich (C)
26. Buffalo Sabres (SJ) - Chet Pickard (G)
27. Philadelphia Flyers - John Carlson (D)
28. Los Angeles Kings (Dallas) - Erik Karlsson (D)
29. Atlanta Thrashers (Pittsburgh) - Jake Gardiner (D)
30. Detroit Red Wings - Anton Gustafsson (C)

Draft Interview: Zach Boychuk

Zach Boychuk is the lightning-quick speedster from Airdrie, Alberta and most recently, is one of the top prospects up for grabs at the upcoming 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He has represented Canada at the World U-18 Championships, the Summit Series and the World Junior Championships while leading his WHL team Lethbridge Hurricanes to the finals, where they lost to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Spokane Chiefs.

Before he set off for Ottawa for this weekend’s draft, Zach was kind enough to grant FanInVan.Com an exclusive interview, where he talks about the possibilities of being a Canuck, his year with the Hurricanes, and what he’s looking forward to in the future. Boychuk headlines this year’s Draft Countdown.

F: The first question Vancouver Canuck fans want to know: Did the Canuck organization contact you or interview you at the Draft Combine?

ZB: Yes, they were my last interview after meeting with 23 teams in total.

F: If the Vancouver Canucks were to draft you on June 20th, which Canuck player would you be looking forward to playing with the most?

ZB: Markus Naslund.

F: How excited are you for the draft, and can you describe what you’re feeling as it gets closer?

ZB: I am getting more and more excited the closer it gets. [However,] I’m really looking forward to relaxing with my family prior to the draft and touring some parts of Ontario.

F: You played almost 200 games in a Lethbridge Hurricanes uniform and got them past the first round in the postseason for the first time in 11 years. How important was it for your development to play in the WHL?

ZB: Playing in the WHL with the Lethbridge Hurricanes has been so important for my development not only as a player, but as a person. They really helped me improve my game in all areas, as well as school and other things away from the rink.

F: Sticking with your development, did you ever entertain any offers to possibly play in the NCAA, and if yes, why did you choose the WHL?

ZB: No; when I was drafted to the Hurricanes, I was committed on playing in the WHL.

F: Given the success of smaller players like Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner, do you think NHL teams no longer believe size is an issue when drafting players?

ZB: Players like Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner are helping change the game and opening more and more people’s eyes that smaller players can be great even at the NHL level. I love watching those guys play and obviously they deserve to be where they are. A lot of small players get stereotyped as strictly skilled guys that shy away from the tough parts of the game but they are always right in the middle of everything and I hope to be like them when I play in the NHL.

F: There are a lot of scouts and armchair GMs who want to steer clear of you simply because of your size. In your opinion, what sorts of strengths separate you from the rest of the top ten picks?

ZB: I think there are lots of good things that separate me from the other players in the draft but my main strengths are my will to win, competitiveness, and determination… As well as a few dangles once in while.

F: You’re from Airdrie, Alberta. Who did you cheer for growing up, the Calgary Flames or Edmonton Oilers?

ZB: The Flames.

F: As an Alberta boy, was Calgary’s 5’6” Theoren Fleury (one of the NHL’s smallest players in history) an inspiration to you growing up?

ZB: Yeah, he was an amazing player in the NHL and getting to watch him while I was growing up was definitely inspiring and also helped me realize my goals were achievable.

F: Which NHL arena are you looking forward to playing in the most? Why?

ZB: I’m looking forward to playing in the arena where my home team plays. I guess you would have to ask me after the draft, and then I’ll tell you. I’ve always dreamed of playing in front of 20,000 fans that are cheering for you.

F: Which current NHL goalie would you least like to face in the shootout? Why?

ZB: Mathieu Garon, because he is a lefty.

F: Last question. Are you looking at playing in the NHL next season or returning with the Lethbridge Hurricanes, or are you simply going to go wherever your prospective NHL team wants to place you?

ZB: Right now, my main focus is to work as hard as I can so I can create an opportunity to play in the NHL next season with the team I am drafted by. Just like any other training camp I’ve been to, I’ll try to take someone else’s spot on the roster and if the team feels I am not ready, then I will go back to Lethbridge and have another great year.