Fan In Van

Ode to Ehrhoff

This is the way you approach newcomers, Canuck fans: Set your expectations so low that by the time they come around to playing for Vancouver they’ll surprise you.

Coming into the season, my demands for Ehrhoff were miniscule compared to that of my peers, who had the smooth-skating German pegged as a 45 point defenceman for Vancouver. I on the other hand had a much darker forecast, predicting a 35 point defenceman who would be lucky to crack 40 and even luckier to not find himself a healthy scratch on occasion.

And really, who could argue? Ehrhoff had, by most accounts, a disappointing season in San Jose despite putting up career highs with 42 points last season. He was shadowed by the addition of future Canadian olympian Dan Boyle and was a disastrous minus-12, the lowest of his five-year NHL career. Furthermore, getting a defenceman with those kind of numbers, and at a salary of $3.2 million… the guy just left a sour taste in my mouth.

It’s still only five games into the season, but give the blueline addition Christian Ehrhoff a little credit. The way he controls the puck from the point on the powerplay has restored my confidence in him, and there have been few defensive lapses on his part, all of which has given him the current best plus-minus rating on the entire Canuck roster. He’s shown no hesitation to unleash his booming shot from the point, which tells me that he’s got his head on straight and is capable of doing the right things to be a top-four defenceman on a nightly basis.

But again, it’s still early. Things can go awry quickly, especially with the loss of Daniel Sedin to the Canuck roster. But let’s just say that for now, Ehrhoff has been stellar for the Canucks, putting up five points in as many games, good for third highest on the roster and best among defenceman (behind only Willie Mitchell; yes, Willie Mitchell).

Speaking of Willie Mitchell, at this rate he’s on pace for a 32 goal, 65 point season. Going from defensive specialist to the second coming of Paul Coffey? He can dream, can’t he?

In all seriousness, though, Mitchell’s offensive prowess (I can’t believe I strung those together) has been a breath of fresh air. It’s nice to see that the B.C. native is willing to go to the slot in the offensive zone to pick off the garbage like he did last night in Dallas. I’m not sure if he’s taking pinching lessons from Kevin Bieksa, but I’m alright with it as long as it doesn’t compromise his strong positioning in his own end.

Is anyone else impressed with Mason Raymond this season? I know a lot of people are talking about him but man does the kid look more confident this season. He had a bit of a bumpy rookie season last year after letting his game go south in the last half of 2009 with 5 goals in the last 50 or so games, but he’s put on some more muscle this offseason and despite only scoring his first goal against Montreal last Wednesday, the kid is doing some good things.

I mean really, was anyone else surprised in the season opener when CBC’s Mark Lee said “Oh what a hit by Mason Raymond”? What has the world come to? The next thing you know people are talking about how Shane O’Brien went on an end-to-end rush and roofed a shot over Martin Brodeur. Raymond’s shown a little more guts this year and it shows that the time he spent on the 4th line last season toughened him up and gave him a spine. If he can start learning to go to the net with the puck on a regular basis, the scoring will take care of itself.

I’ll try to start writing a little more regularly but things are hectic at the new job. I want to take this time to encourage all of you to find time next Saturday afternoon to come up to SFU for Shrum Bowl XXXII between SFU and UBC in what could possibly be the last one ever. Tickets are cheap and the football is good, so come out and support the red and white this weekend.

The Hodgson Demotion

I find it incredibly intriguing how much of the debate going into the Vancouver Canucks’ main camp this fall was the possibility that the team could ice four rookies in the season opener this Thursday, yet when the smoke had finally cleared following the preseason, the only one to survive was the Russian forward whom Canuck fans knew the least about before camp started.

Many people had already penciled Hodgson in the third-line centre role for the upcoming season during the summer, especially given his stellar play with the Brampton Battalion, Canadian junior team, and the Manitoba Moose. But I think the Vancouver Canucks are sending him the appropriate message, and it’s that the best players will play. Spots are not reserved, they are earned.

Don’t let this recent setback deter Canuck fans from his capabilities. He will get there. Don’t confuse this budding star with the ilk of other first round selections which have preceded him (e.g. Patrick White, Michael Grabner, Cory Schneider), because Hodgson has a much brighter future than those players. Many NHL stars did not make their team’s opening night roster in their first and second years. Ryan Getzlaf was drafted in 2003 and did not crack the Anaheim Duck squad until the 2005 season (which followed the lockout, I should mention). Jarome Iginla was selected in 1995 but didn’t play his first NHL regular season game until 1996.

Let’s call a spade a spade here, folks: It was not Cody Hodgson’s time. Even though he came within a hair of cracking the lineup during last season’s preseason, his back injury combined with the gruelling season he had in 2008-09 was what hampered him this September. Hodgson had been given a fistful of opportunities to demonstrate he belonged on the roster and quite simply could not make good use of them.

Furthermore, the depth of the Canucks’ forward group (Shirokov, Hansen, among others) has set the bar much higher for Hodgson. Now he has come to the realization that roster spots cannot be taken for granted. And perhaps there is no greater evidence of that then the man who has secured what was supposed to be Hodgson’s spot in Kyle Wellwood. Wellwood, who last season arrived in atrocious shape for training camp, realized what it took to be a mainstay in an NHL lineup and this fall arrived in the best shape of his life and never relinquished the third-line centre role.

And there are plenty of reasons why Canuck fans should not be concerned for Cody Hodgson. Even though he will be returned to a Brampton lineup not expected to do well without Matt Duchene, the Battalion will likely deal Hodgson to an OHL favourite like London or even Windsor for high bantam selections. On a roster like London or Windsor, Hodgson will be able to continue to develop and elevate his game. You may even see the Haliburton native crack 100 points this season.

There is no rush to develop a young star like Hodgson. In the meantime, Canuck fans should be excited about his future, and look forward to having the team ice the best possible lineup, not the lineup which they think they should have.

Four Rookies?

The chances of it are unlikely, but don’t be surprised if the Vancouver Canucks ice a lineup which comprises four rookies on their season opener versus the Calgary Flames on October 1st.

Cody Hodgson, Sergei Shirokov, Evan Oberg and Cory Schneider have all had outstanding prospect camps and preseasons and it is entirely feasible that head coach Alain Vigneault could have them all in the opening lineup at GM Place by the time the real games start. While Canuck fans only got to see Hodgson in preseason action for the first time on Saturday night when he sustained a back injury, October 1 is still ten days away and he still has a good chance at making the roster. Shirokov has demonstrated some great hands thus far since arriving from Russia and his showing with the Sedins has demonstrated his ability to be a playmaker (two assists). Cory Schneider is also making things difficult for the Canucks coaching staff after playing some shutout hockey in preseason action.

But perhaps the biggest surprise this preseason has been the steady play of blueliner Evan Oberg. Oberg, who arrived to the Canucks via the free agency route after spending two seasons with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, has shown some very calm behaviour when he has the puck and has made good decisions with it.

When I first saw Oberg in preseason action against the Islanders, he seemed very composed despite the fact that it was his first NHL game. He impressed me a lot more this past Saturday versus the Oilers on the powerplay when he made a smooth pass to Alex Edler on the point despite the Oiler forechecker barreling down on him. His smooth play reminds me very much of Edler, who showed the same type of composure as a rookie for the Canucks not long ago.

But given the Canucks’ depth not just on defence but in the forward corps, don’t be surprised if one or even two of the above don’t make it for the season opener. Despite injuries to Pavol Demitra and the risk of injuries to Sami Salo and Mathieu Schneider, Hodgson, Shirokov and Oberg may only see a handful of games this season. Despite the talent which both Hodgson possesses, there’s no doubt in my mind that last year’s third line centre Kyle Wellwood will not go quietly into the press box without a fight. Wellwood’s arrival to camp in tremendous shape this year is an indication of his willingness to be a full-time NHL player.

The Canucks’ wealth of depth on their lineup has at least presented an intriguing preseason and kudos to Canuck management for implementing that kind of competition among players. These guys are fighting tooth and nail for jobs and it’s interesting to see if these players can sustain that style of play over a long period of time. Young players such as Hodgson, Shirokov, Oberg and Schneider are all focused on taking jobs away from some of those veterans, and that’s a sight which hasn’t been seen in Vancouver for many years.

A Spot for Shirokov?

To quote an old James Bond movie, you could say that winger Sergei Shirokov arrived from Russia with love. He came to Vancouver and was as much of an unknown as anyone can be. There was little that people had to say about the mysterious Russian, save for a YouTube video that had some of his highlight goals and plays from his days with the KHL’s CSKA Moscow team, which you can view below:

Once Shirokov arrived to the Canucks’ prospect camp, he was sure to leave a lasting impression, and what an impression he’s left. The first day the team prospects hit the ice, the Russian winger managed to dangle through a Canuck defenceman to make a no-look between the legs pass.

But let’s get real for a minute here. This sweet pass of Shirokov’s was done in prospect camp. And here’s a fact, Shirokov is 23 years old, which is older than most prospects were at this camp. Of course the guy will dominate the prospect camp; not only is he an older player, Shirokov also spent the last four years playing pro with Moscow Dynamo and already has a firm grasp on what it takes to play professional hockey.

I’ll admit that Shirokov does have some sweet hands. He certainly didn’t look out of place in yesterday’s preseason affair with the New York Islanders. Surely enough, the Russian winger is talented and knows where to go to display that finishing touch. Despite his diminuitive size and his average speed, Shirokov may soon find himself in a top six role, especially given the fact that forward Pavol Demitra is expected to miss another five weeks of hockey. If Shirokov can carry his impressive camp and preseason into the regular season, it surely could mean the Canucks might have a gem on their hands.

But Shirokov will not be mistaken for the last Russian to play for the Canucks, Artem Chubarov. Chubarov, who served mainly as a faceoff expert and penalty killing demon during his tenure with Vancouver, is a polar opposite of Shirokov. The Moscow native will either be a top six forward or a go-to sniper with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose; he cannot kill penalties and isn’t big enough to be a grinding forward.

At this point in time, a top six spot may be Shirokov’s to lose. He’s at the development that most Canuck fans had hoped winger Michael Grabner would be at today. Shirokov’s position with the Canucks may cost other forwards competing for spots at camp. Cody Hodgson has yet to suit up in the preseason and other wingers such as Mikael Samuelsson and Alex Burrows are looking to earn top six positions.

Ehrhoff, Lukowich and Schneider, oh my!

I went to bed last night still a little terrified at the prospect of seeing Aaron Rome playing for the Vancouver Canucks next season, and in a few short hours of the morning the club had traded for Christian Ehrhoff and Brad Lukowich, then proceeded to make the impending Mathieu Schneider signing official. All of a sudden, the Canucks are cramped in the defensemen position, with eight NHL-calibre defensemen in the boat (Rome not included).

First, a breakdown of the trade with the San Jose Sharks. Let me make it clear: I have not been a Patrick White fan since Day One, when the Vancouver Canucks selected him in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft which, at this stage, seems like a forgotten memory now. White, then perceived as the safe pick, barely has any NHL-level skills. I’ve talked to people who live in the Minnesota area who were unimpressed with White when they saw a Golden Gophers game. Both people said White had been used in a 4th-line role and played very few minutes. That alone does little for his development and nothing to enhance what skills he had. The reality is that at this point and time, White barely has the potential to become a fringe NHL forward.

As for Daniel Rahimi, he was more of an unknown, seeing as how he was not a first-rounder like White. But Rahimi was seen as a defenseman for the Manitoba Moose, nothing more, nothing less. Rahimi had the tools to become a serviceable defensive blueliner for the Canucks, but coming out of the Swedish junior league as a 3rd round selection, transitioned horribly into the North American system. In Rahimi, the Sharks are receiving a defenseman with NHL size but still must do a lot of work to improve his on-ice knowledge of the pro game.

What are the Canucks getting in return for the two mid-level prospects they sent to San Jose? Well for starters, Brad Lukowich is a native of Cranbrook, B.C., and the 33 year old blueliner has won two Stanley Cups, one with Dallas in 1999 and Tampa Bay in 2004. He’s a serviceable defensive defenceman who’s able to play a safe game, one of those players where you don’t notice him on the ice (and that’s a good thing). Lukowich has no problems playing a bruising game, whether it’s making a big hit or dropping the gloves; consider him an older but more experienced Shane O’Brien.

With Christian Ehrhoff, the Vancouver Canucks are hoping they’ve acquired that puck-moving defenceman that they’ve been searching for ever since Ed Jovanovski skipped town. Consider the previous experiments which failed the team: Steve McCarthy, Lukas Krajicek, to name a few… The Canucks have desperately needed a puck-rushing defenseman who can carry the puck himself, and Ehrhoff may be the answer. Ehrhoff is a blueliner who can pinch deep into the offensive zone when necessary, carry the puck with relentless drive to the net and fire a booming shot from the point. The 27 year old is also in the midst of his prime years; Canuck fans should expect to see the very best from the German native.

The Canucks continued to beef up their blueline when they made the signing of Mathieu Schneider official today. Schneider, 40, has seen it all during his storied career, playing 20 NHL seasons with Montreal, Long Island, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Anaheim and Atlanta. He has played on the USA Olympic team, won a Stanley Cup and played in countless World Championships. He’ll be expected to bring both leadership and boost the Canuck powerplay.

At the same time with all these additions, more questions seem to have emerged than answers. Ehrhoff and Lukowich make $3.15M and $1.8M respectively, and it is rumoured that Schneider signed a one-year deal for $1.5M. In total, the Canucks are adding $6.45M in payroll to a blueline which is already paying the other five defensemen (Salo, Edler, Bieksa, Mitchell and O’Brien) $15.6M. Altogether, the Canucks have the eight skaters signed on for $22.05M, a hefty price tag. Counting all the forwards and goaltenders, Vancouver is sitting at a total payroll of $58.85M, which is almost $2M over the salary cap. This is, however, a roster of 24 players, so 2 players will still be Manitoba fodder. But in any event, the Canucks are pressed up against the cap with these additions and will need to move bodies.

And unlike most of the Canuck fans jumping up and down with the addition of Ehrhoff, I’m not yet sold on the newest Canuck. He totalled a respectable eight goals and 42 points last season (a career high), but at this stage in his career some expected Ehrhoff to hit the 50 point mark, especially considering the wealth of talent he had with the San Jose team last year. With Vancouver, Ehrhoff will be expected to help carry the powerplay, and considering there are only a handful of players in the Canuck lineup who can work the powerplay along the lines of his former teammates (Both Sedins and Edler), Ehrhoff must now be prepared to quarterback the special teams on his own.

Training camp is mere weeks away, and the Canucks have once again created an aura of optimism among Canuck fans. The new additions have it tough trying to live up to their new expectations.

A highlight package of Christian Ehrhoff’s best:

Who is Captain Canada?

Of the 43 players invited to participate in this week’s Team Canada Olympic Orientation camp, at least 26 of them wear a letter on their jersey for their professional club. Therefore, it’s not a stretch to suggest that there is a huge amount of leadership on the national team and that anyone on the roster could be named captain when the puck drops in Vancouver six months from now.

But there are a handful of candidates that stand out above the rest. These players are the ones who embody and demonstrate the leadership qualities that represents the Red and White, and for the next week will have management and coaches keep a vigilant eye on. Here are my own nominations for who should be captain:

Jarome Iginla - Iggy is probably the front-runner and my personal choice. Iginla plays with such a ferocious and fearless attitude that it’s hard to argue with anyone who believes he should wear the ‘C’ in Vancouver. I’ll admit it’s a little bizarre seeing a player who Canuck fans have booed countlessly become the poster boy for the 2010 games, but Iginla has that ability to carry a team on its back and lead with pure emotion.

Sidney Crosby - Sid the Kid has been the face of the NHL since his rookie year; being in the spotlight as Canada’s captain wouldn’t faze the 22-year old one bit. On top of coming off another strong year capped with his first Stanley Cup, Crosby knows what it takes to win and if he were to play for a gold medal in his home country, few would doubt his ability to lead his charges.

Scott Niedermayer - As one of the greybeards on the team, Niedermayer certainly commands the respect of all 42 other players at the camp. In his career he’s done it all, winning at the Memorial Cup, World Juniors, World Championships, Olympics and the Stanley Cup finals. If Team Canada is serious about winning at the Games, Niedermayer is a logical choice for at least a letter.

Shane Doan - He’s been the captain for the last couple World Championships for Canada, but Doan would be hard-pressed to earn a leadership role above the previous three nominees. Nonetheless, Doan plays a similar gritty and passionate game to Iginla and wouldn’t be a bad selection for team captain.

Mike Richards and Jonathan Toews - They’re darkhorse candidates due to their youth, but would it really surprise you?  Both are the captains of their pro teams despite being two of the youngest players (there are a ton of older and ‘wiser’ players on their teams). Richards and Toews are heart-and-soul type players, the kind you go to war with and expect to lead by example. It wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest one of them earns a leadership role.

In the end, there are a ton of players who haven’t even been talked about that could easily be wearing the C for Canada in February. Vincent Lecavalier, Brenden Morrow, Rick Nash, Ryan Smyth and Joe Thornton are all players who could end up with a letter when the final preparations are complete, all of whom are logical choices. Ultimately, it’s interesting to speculate… whoever is selected to lead the team will have a ton of support behind him.

Canucks’ CEO Stepping Down?

According to Bob Mackin of 24 Hours, it is expected that tomorrow chief executive officer Chris Zimmerman will resign from his position.

Since his arrival to Canucks Sports and Entertainment before the 2006 season when he replaced Stan McCammon, Zimmerman and other Canucks executives, in partnership with the Aquilini ownership, have been responsible for a number of developments to team personnel, General Motors Place and the franchise in general. Here’s a list of what he’s done in his three years:

• From a business standpoint, Zimmerman has done exceedingly well. He managed to raise the average ticket price from $54 to $62US, which is the third highest average in the NHL. In addition, Zimmerman spearheaded the motion to create 200 new upscale club seats in GM Place, to be known as the Best Buy Club. On top of that, the rest of the Canucks’ brass have “high-deffed” almost all of GM Place, with high-definition TVs in almost every nook and cranny.
• You might have not noticed it, but the Vancouver Canucks now have strengthened partnerships with some big-name corporations. Zimmerman maintained and created new ties with HSBC, Telus and Boston Pizza. As a result, the franchise has raked in a ton of revenue over the last few years, one of the perks of being the pre-eminent show in Vancouver.
• One of the better ideas was the re-introduction of the green, blue, and white retro colours. The colours have certainly become synonymous with the franchise. While in the past the Canucks have endured the yellow, orange, black, burgundy and navy blue, the club now seems to have re-affirmed its identity with the retro.
• At the same time, however, Zimmerman and the creative geniuses in front office have certainly had their fair share of blunders. Perhaps there wasn’t a bigger black eye then the creation of the “7th Canuck” campaign, which was a monumental disaster. It certainly had potential, but the execution and delivery simply was so bad that the team eliminated it very quickly.
• Another poor idea which cost a truckload of money was the “Forever Faithful” DVD that the Canucks created. An idea which also was designed to enhance team-fan ties, the DVD also had good intentions but was otherwise a miserable failure. The DVDs started being sold at Save-on-Foods for $7.99 but by the end of the season were being handed out for free.
• Fans were outraged throughout the season that the Canucks had increased the number of pay-per-view games and raised the prices, too. The product itself wasn’t great, as some games were not even offered in high definition, and many customers experienced problems ordering and receiving the games.

Nonetheless, it seems that Zimmerman will soon inherit the legacy of his predecessor, Stan McCammon. Simply put, Zimmerman was a fantastic businessman, but a poor hockey fan. Whoever the club decides to fill the New Yorker’s shoes must present both of these qualities in spades. If the club is truly focused on making their fans loyal and diehard fans, ownership would be wise to hire someone who is both a shrewd moneymaker and who can hear the voice of the fans.

Tallon Fed to the Birds

It seems like there were two kinds of people reacting to the news that Dale Tallon was replaced by assistant GM Stan Bowman as Chicago’s general manager: Those who were shocked, and those who weren’t so surprised.

I’ll admit that I was in the category of those who were shocked at Tallon’s abrupt removal, but let’s take a look at some of the moves that Dale Tallon did over the last couple years.

Since his hiring in June of 2005, Tallon and the Blackhawks performed so poorly in the regular season that they manage to cultivate a crop of young talent in a span of three years which led to their re-emergence to NHL respectability last season. Jack Skille, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Kris Versteeg are among the youth movement players acquired in the draft from 2005 to 2008 to go along with the young talent Tallon acquired before he began his tenure (Cam Barker, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook).

In addition to performing so badly and thus receiving high draft picks, Tallon managed to pull off a handful of shrewd deals which were key to his team’s lengthy playoff run last season. Andrew Ladd, Patrick Sharp and Ben Eager were all important pieces to the Hawks’ conference final finish.

But for all the bold moves which paid huge dividends for Dale Tallon’s Blackhawks, there were a fair amount of disasters which came along with it. It was Tallon who traded for Martin Havlat in 2006, who up until last season was an injury-prone and unreliable forward during his Chicago tenure. And it was Tallon who signed Nikolai Khabibulin in the same summer for a ridiculous 6.75M salary for three years.

Seemingly, Tallon threw out money like it grew on trees in 2006, and the madness never really ceased. In the last two years, Tallon has doled out $141.3M in contract money for the services of Brian Campbell ($56.7M), Cristobal Huet ($22.5M) and Marian Hossa ($62.8M).

And now here comes the ugly part. Perhaps Tallon’s greatest blunder during his tenure occurred a few weeks ago when he failed to send in the qualifying offers to his restricted free agents (Cam Barker, Kris Versteeg, Ben Eager, Colin Fraser, Aaron Johnson and Troy Brouwer) in time (Come on Dale… snail mail, really?) and thus faced a potential disaster which could’ve seen all six players become unrestricted free agents.

My real problem with Dale Tallon’s management over the last three years was his cap mismanagement. I just get the vibe that Tallon wanted to accelerate the Chicago rebuild by making whopping contract offers to Huet, Hossa, Khabibulin, Havlat, etc. without taking into consideration that all that cap space should be allocated to young Toews, Kane and Barker. Ultimately, the qualifying offer gaffe was the last straw and he had to go.

Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s just the way it seems. In the coming days we’ll hear the official word from Tallon and Hawks ownership as to why he was replaced, but really it should come as no surprise that he was aptly replaced.

The Tale of Two Prospects

In one corner there is Cody Hodgson, the 2008 first-round draft pick and the Vancouver Canucks’ golden boy who can seemingly do no wrong. In the other corner is Patrick White, the first selection by the Canucks in 2007, who just can’t seem to do something right. Oh, and somewhere in between these two is Michael Grabner, the 2006 pick, but this story is about two prospects who in the eyes of Canuck fans are polar opposites.

Let’s begin with Cody Hodgson, who over the past year has had a crazy campaign. It began at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft when he was miraculously available to the Canucks at the 10th overall spot after the New York Islanders surprised by taking Josh Bailey. It was a no brainer — anyone who suggested Kyle Beach over Cody Hodgson at the time has egg on their face right now. After being selected, the Canucks hired Dave Gagner as their player development coach, who immediately set out to work with Hodgson and fellow 2008 selection Yann Sauve at his London facility. There, Hodgson worked on his skating stride (his chief flaw in his game) and showed in September at the Canucks’ training camp that sending him back to play for Brampton in junior would be a mistake.

However, the Canucks decided to return him to the Battalion anyway. Despite this de-moralizing fate, Hodgson returned with his head high and ripped up the OHL before being named to Canada’s World Junior team and leading the tournament in scoring and garnering serious MVP consideration. Hodgson would go on to finish the year with 43 goals and 92 points, earning OHL player of the year honours as well as CHL player of the year. He would go on to tag along with the Manitoba Moose’s lengthy playoff run, tacking on six points and showing he could play with the pros, too.

It’s no wonder that Canuck fans have already pencilled in the Haliburton native for next year’s roster. Hodgson is the Canucks’ crowned jewel, one of the first prospects to come along in a long, long time who fans have reason to be excited about. You hate putting pressure on a kid who’s just 19, but the reality is that Hodgson has done so much over the last year that fans are expecting his big achievements to travel to NHL success. Expectations are running high.

On the other side of the coin is Patrick White. A product of the Dave Nonis era, White was an off the board selection to say the least. When the Minnesota native was selected, TSN analysts Bob McKenzie and Pierre McGuire were scrambling around their notes to find any information on White, who was projected to be a mid-second round pick but ended up being selected 25th. Right from the get go, fans were not pleased with White’s selection, with David Perron and PK Subban still on the table. Fans and media alike could not let it go; how could the Canucks go with the “safe” pick who had only limited potential?

Even after White was sent off to the University of Minnesota, things did not get better. He played for the Golden Gophers in a checking role (as opposed to a scoring role) and saw very limited ice time, which didn’t enhance his development. It was hoped that White’s second year with the Gophers would see him emerge as a go-to player, but the centre who was projected to be a two-way NHLer saw that role go to freshman Jordan Schroeder, whom the Canucks would go on to select this June.

And with Schroeder’s arrival, it only seemed to bring about more groans about White. Here came Schroeder, selected 22nd overall, who had more skill and speed and more potential than White and had accomplished much more than White had in his two seasons with Minnesota. Two years have gone by since White was drafted and patience is wearing thin.

So are there any similarities between the Canucks’ golden boy and their black eye? If history with highly-regarded draft selections has shown us anything (Libor Polasek, Nathan Smith, Josh Holden), it’s that it would be foolish to gauge how well a prospect will do in the NHL based simply on what he has accomplished in college or in junior. So despite all of Cody Hodgson’s tremendous accomplishments, it would be unfair to his character to expect him to put up 25 goals in his rookie season or accomplish more than other prestigious selections in his draft year (Steven Stamkos). Conversely for White, it would be unwise to completely give up on him despite some alarming warning signs about his play.

There’s a lot about Cody Hodgson and Patrick White that can’t be figured out by watching them on the ice or through sheer numbers. If Patrick White has the right attitude and the character to will himself into the NHL, he will make it. If Cody Hodgson has the determination and leadership skills to one day wear a ‘C’ on his jersey, he will get it. But Canuck fans, don’t give up on White yet, and don’t place the burden of high expectations on young Hodgson’s shoulders.

And here’s the moral of the story: Don’t get too high or too low when it comes to NHL draft picks. Sure, it’s fun to speculate and be excited about a player’s potential, but don’t judge how good of a player he’ll become until he gets his chance in the NHL.

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.