Vancouver Canucks - 2014 - what if Jim Benning never happened? Pt. 2

[CanuckJohnny]

First week of Free Agency wraps up




July 7th, 2017 -
Further signings this week included Mark Letestu getting two years at an AAV of $2.72 Million from Arizona and Jack Skille signing with Carolina for two years at $1.15 Million per year. Brian Campbell went back to Florida for a one year deal worth $3.86 Million. Mark Stuart signed for two seasons with Detroit at an AAV of $1.74 Million and winger Bobby Butler signed a two year contract with Nashville. Goaltender Michal Neuvirth got two years at a cap hit of $1.58 Million from Colorado. Vancouver signed goalie Nathan Lieuwen to a two way contract for minor league depth.

Still deliberating are a few well known names such as Dustin Brown and Jay Beagle, Jonas Hiller and Alex Semin but none bigger than Brent Seabrook. What is he going to do? Potentially the biggest free agent piece available still hasn't moved and multiple teams are awaiting his decision or still actively courting him. Seabrook has been tight lipped about his process and intentions so it's anyone's guess where he will end up at this point.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks sign first round pick Hischier to entry level deal




July 8th, 2017 -
Nico Hischier and the Canucks quickly came to terms on an entry level contract and the fourth overall pick is looking to come into camp and earn a spot as an eighteen year old. It's rare but he's one who could do it. Trevor Linden was excited to have his most recent draft pick signed and is looking forward to see what he can do in training camp.

[CanuckJohnny]

Free Agency News




July 15th, 2017 -
Alex Semin will be in familiar territory as he signed with Washington for two years, hoping to recapture some of the magic he had there in earlier years. Viktor Stalberg chose Philadelphia, receiving a two year contract worth $1.57 Million per year. Jimmy Hayes went with Chicago, signing a two year deal. The Oilers signed Swedish league goalie Anders Nilsson for two years in hopes of shoring up their very weak goaltending situation.

In trade news, the Montreal Canadiens have acquired offensive winger Teddy Purcell from the Oilers in exchange for the rights to twenty year old prospect winger Jayden Halbgewachs. Purcell only appeared in 37 games for the Oilers last season, collecting 13 points in those contests. Halbgewachs is a small but sturdy winger with a good shot and some quickness in his stride. He projects to be a bottom six NHLer if he manages to ever crack the lineup.

The Kings traded former Canuck Jannik Hansen to the Bruins for 26 year old minor league defenseman Zach Trotman. Trotman is a depth minor league defenseman whose strength is defending. The thirty one year old Hansen only appeared in 37 games for the Kings this past year and doesn't bring much offense to the table these days but still brings energy and good defensive play and penalty killing. He will try to earn a more regular role for the Bruins.

Still no decision from Brent Seabrook and no word even from insiders on which way he may be leaning. Some team is going to suddenly add a top four defenseman with Stanley Cup rings to their roster at some point this offseason but when? And who?

[CanuckJohnny]

Prospect Tournament




Canucks Roster

Forwards
Nico Hischier
Noah Cates
Danton Heinen
Alex Iafallo
Trent Frederic
Dominik Kahun
Blake Lizotte
Ty Ronning
Mike Zalewski *24 year old utility forward who plays a physical defensive game, used to be in the Canucks system
Zack MacEwen *undrafted 21 year old from the QMJHL, decent hitting and good puck protection skills
Michael Eyssimont *undrafted twenty year old center with great stick checking
Bo Kirkegaard *invited cuz he has a cool name
* - players who were invited but whose rights do not belong to Vancouver

Defense
Charlie McAvoy
Mikhail Sergachev
Vince Dunn
Erik Cernak
Rasmus Andersson
Gus Forsling

Goalie
Thatcher Demko
Anthony Stolarz

Game 1 W 4-3 vs LAK
Ronning (Eyssimont, Sergachev)
Hischier PP (Forsling, Ronning)
Zalewski (Hischier)
Frederic (McAvoy, MacEwen)
Stolarz 27 saves on 30 shots
Coaches choice: Gustav Forsling (76GR, 83DR, A, 2 SOG, 2 BS, 3 Hits, Takeaway, 23:42 TOI)

Game 2 L 3-2 @ WPG
Ronning (Iafallo)
Heinen (Ronning)
Stolarz 27 saves on 30 shots
Coaches choice: Danton Heinen (78GR, 80DR, G, +1, 4 SOG, BS, 2 Hits, Takeaway, 3/9 Faceoffs, 19:07 TOI)

Game 3 W 5-1 @ CAR
Andersson PP (Kahun, MacEwen)
Iafallo (Andersson, Dunn)
Kahun PP (Ronning, Andersson)
Butcher (Cates, McAvoy)
Iafallo (McAvoy)
Demko 17 saves on 18 shots
Coaches choice: Will Butcher (88GR, 100DR, G, +2, 2 SOG, Hit, Takeaway, 20:43 TOI)

Leaders:
Ronning 2-3-5
Iafallo 2-1-3
McAvoy 0-3-3
Andersson 1-2-3

Notes:
Ronning looked amazing, he was dynamic offensively and creating chances for himself and everybody around him.
Cernak was a physical force with nine hits through three games.
Rasmus Andersson was decent in the first two games but in game 3 he was an absolute force offensively, with 13 shots on goal (he did have 8 minutes of PP icetime that game), a goal and two assists.
Zack MacEwen was noticeable, picking up two assists in the tournament and coming away with two takeaways in the final game. (Note - while the Canucks didn't sign him after the tournament, he caught the eye of a few NHL scouts and ended up signing with Dallas).
Sergachev was rock solid in his own end, finished with Defensive Ratings of 76, 94 and 87 in the three games.
Hischier went 14/21 in the circle through three games, good for a 67% faceoff percentage.

[CanuckJohnny]

Brent Seabrook announces decision, will play with Flyers




September 18th, 2017 -
After a long and quiet offseason Brent Seabrook has made his long awaited decision and signed a six year contract with the Flyers. The deal is worth $4 Million annually and comes with a No Movement Clause.

Seabrook will instantly step in as the number one defenseman on a Flyers team that is desperately looking to contend while they still have the pieces. He bolsters their blueline which was their weakest area. He will reunite with goaltender Corey Crawford who was traded to Philadelphia last year after playing many years with Seabrook in Chicago with much success.

[CanuckJohnny]

Training Camp Position Battles




September 20th, 2017 -
With the pre-season opening tonight, the Canucks break camp with some intriguing spots up for grabs. We will be watching closely to see how pre-season plays out and who steps up and claims a job.

3rd pairing RD:

The options - Frank Corrado, Rasmus Andersson, Dylan DeMelo, Scott Mayfield

The front runners - Frank Corrado has the experience with the organization and the trust of the coaches. Rasmus Andersson looked great in the prospect camp earlier this summer and if he carries that on he should have an extended look.

7th D:

The options - Brad Hunt, Nick Schultz, Frank Corrado

The front runners - Brad Hunt has been a reliable 7th D for this organization and could have the best chance at it again this year. If Frank Corrado is beat out for the sixth D he could stick on the roster as the depth option as well.

Backup G:

The options - Casey DeSmith, Anthony Stolarz, Nathan Lieuwen

The front runners - DeSmith impressed a lot of people in the organization with his play in Utica last season and the backup spot could be his to lose. Nathan Lieuwen was signed to be a depth minor leaguer but he has shown out so far in camp and a strong preseason could earn him the job as well.

3rd line RW:

The options - Stefan Noesen, Josh Anderson, Teemu Hartikainen

The front runners - This was Noesen's spot last season but he'll have to earn it all over again with fewer roster spots up for grabs this year. Hartikainen could sneak in and steal this spot, he plays the kind of two way detail oriented game that coaches love, especially for what is effectively the checking line.

3rd line C:

The options - Cole Cassels, Mikko Koivu, Nico Hischier

The front runners - Cassels played this role for much of last season and seems well suited to it again. The veteran Mikko Koivu could steal the show depending on what happens with the fourth line though.

4th line C:

The options - Mikko Koivu, Nico Hischier, Cole Cassels, Danton Heinen

The front runners - Mikko Koivu is expected to start the season centering this line, which won't be a traditional fourth line at all, between youngsters Tyler Bertuzzi and Evgeny Svechnikov. Nico Hischier could surprise people and sneak into the opening day lineup and if he does this is his most likely landing spot.

13th and 14th F:

The options - Josh Anderson, Dustin Jeffrey, Danton Heinen, Marcel Goc, Michael Grabner, Teemu Hartikainen, Cole Cassels

The front runners - Josh Anderson may be the odd one out to start the year unless he can supplant Noesen on the third line or otherwise surprise, but he should still be on the roster, probably as the 13th forward. Teemu Hartikainen is the other, more veteran option on the wing who may be an extra forward to start the year if he can't crack the lineup. Dustin Jeffrey seems to just stick around this organization and get opportunities and make the most of them. He is an ideal extra forward, versatile and coachable. Danton Heinen could be a choice to keep around as a center even if he can't crack the opening day lineup.

[CanuckJohnny]

Preseason Updates and Notes



Gm 1: W 4-2 vs CBJ
B. Tanev (Hamhuis, Andersson)
DeMelo (Grabner)
Bertuzzi PP (Andersson, Koivu)
Andersson (Bertuzzi, DeMelo)
Stolarz 47 saves on 49 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• Scott Mayfield had the worst DGR at 54 of any blueliner, but he did block three shots and throw a hit.
• Dylan DeMelo played well defensively and blocked two shots and had a takeaway.
• Mikko Koivu and Derrick Pouliot were the best Canucks on the ice by the eye test.
• Teemu Hartikainen had four shots on goal but did not perform his defensive role well with a 43 DGR.
• Cole Cassels had two hits and two takeaways.
• Dustin Jeffrey and Marcel Goc tied for the worst DGR amongst forwards with 39.
• Danton Heinen played his defensive role well with a DGR of 75 and a block and a takeaway.

Gm 2: L 4-1 vs SJS
Horvat PP (Sharp, Sergachev)
Demko 29 saves on 33 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• Sergachev was the best Canuck on the ice by a significant margin, finishing with an 80 GR and 98 DGR, 6 SOG, 2 Hits and 21:28 TOI.
• McAvoy and Schultz looked rough as a pairing, but McAvoy still had 4 SOG, 2 BS and a hit.
• Cole Cassels had a block and a takeaway but overall didn't perform his defensive role well, finishing with a 49 DGR.
• Michael Grabner looked rough out there with a 47 GR. Dustin Jeffrey had a 48 GR and managed a giveaway and missed the net on his only shot attempt.
• Stefan Noesen had a 45 DGR but he did muster four shots, block a shot and get in a fight.
• Brad Hunt blocked 4 shots.
• Danton Heinen was owned in the circle, going 3/11 on the night.

FIRST ROUND OF CUTS:
G Thatcher Demko assigned to AHL
D Nick Schultz assigned to AHL
D Scott Mayfield assigned to AHL
F Michael Grabner assigned to AHL
F Marcel Goc assigned to AHL


Gm 3: W 3-2 vs ANA
Sergachev (Cassels, Jeffrey)
Svechnikov (Daniel, Sergachev)
Heinen (Noesen)
DeSmith 25 saves on 27 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• DeMelo had two hits and two blocks but also a DGR of 45. He needs to do his job much more consistently if he wants an NHL job.
• Chris Tanev had a dominant defensive game, with a DGR of 100, 2 blocks, 2 hits and 3 takeaways.
• Frank Corrado looked solid on his pairing with Vlasic, with 2 blocks, a takeaway and a DGR of 83.
• Sedins looked super rusty, their line with Filatov was -2 and they all had sub-50 DGRs.
• Heinen was much better in the circle, going 7/9. He also scored a goal on three shots, had a hit and a takeaway and was tied with Cole Cassels for the best Game Rating (66) amongst the forwards. His DGR of 65 was tops among forwards.
• Evgeny Svechnikov had five shots and looked much better than in his first pre-season game.
• Nico Hischier was 13/19 in the faceoff circle but otherwise wasn't particularly noticeable.
• Josh Anderson threw five hits.

Gm 4: L 5-1 @ CBJ
Cassels (Hartikainen, Jeffrey)
Lieuwen 21 saves on 26 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• A third line of Jeffrey, Cassels and Hartikainen had a +9 shot differential.
• Cole Cassels won 15/17 faceoffs and took 3 shots on goal.
• Henrik, Daniel and McCann played together and were -2. McCann had six shot attempts, 4 on net.
• Sergachev had ten shot attempts, seven of them on goal, and also blocked three shots and threw two hits. He's making a case to stick around at this point.
• Josh Anderson had five shots on goal but no hits this game. Stefan Noesen blocked a shot and threw a hit.

SECOND ROUND OF CUTS:
G Nathan Lieuwen assigned to AHL
D Dylan DeMelo assigned to AHL
F Danton Heinen assigned to AHL

Gm 5: L 3-2 vs SJS
Sergachev SH (Bertuzzi)
Bertuzzi PP (Henrik, Andersson)
Stolarz 28 saves on 31 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• Henrik had his best pre-season game and Tyler Bertuzzi looked amazing on the wing with him and Daniel. Bertuzzi had 5 shots, a goal and an assist.
• Nico Hischier wasn't very noticeable but won 75% of his faceoffs.
• Josh Anderson had two hits and a shot, Stefan Noesen had a blocked shot and a shot. Neither one of them has stood out to take the third line RW role that is available.
• Sergachev was the best defenseman on the ice and may make the team despite a stacked left side. Derrick Pouliot (who had a good game himself with 3 shots on goal, three blocks and three hits) could potentially play his off side as he did last year, or maybe veterans Vlasic and Hamhuis could rotate to stay fresh. But the fact that coaching staff are trying to figure out ways to fit him in the lineup bodes well for Sergachev.
• Filatov struggled and last year's team leader in points hasn't started well in the preseason. It's a different game once the games start to mean something though so no need to worry just yet.

Gm 6: SOW 3-2 @ NJD
Jeffrey (Tanev, Noesen)
Bertuzzi PP (Sergachev, Henrik)
Shootout: Jeffrey G, Sergachev M, Bertuzzi G
Markstrom 32 saves on 34 shots
Coach's Notepad:

• Charlie McAvoy had a standout game tonight, his best of the pre-season. 5 SOG, 2 BS, 2 Hits, 1 Takeaway and a Defense-best 72 GR and a DGR of 77 (second only to Tanev).
• The Nico Hischier experiment on the checking line was an abject failure, but Hischier himself had a reasonably good game from a coaching perspective, finishing with a 66 GR, a block, two hits and a takeaway. The line was -2 and Josh Anderson had a DGR of 38. Oof. Meanwhile Stefan Noesen had a DGR of 61 skating on a line with Dustin Jeffrey (who despite his goal struggles to play his role and finished with a DGR of 49) and Mikko Koivu.
• Tyler Bertuzzi looked like the best forward on the ice again and may have earned himself a regular season look next to the twins.
• Rasmus Andersson had four hits and block as he made his case to stick with the big team.

TRADE: VAN acquires prospect C Filip Chlapik (20yo, AHL 79gp, 21-44-65); COL acquires D Brad Hunt (35gp, 0-7-7). ANALYSIS: Hunt wasn't going to make the Canucks but rather than lose him on waivers Linden goes back to Colorado, who had inquired about him in the offseason, and gets a young minor league center back instead of losing him for nothing. Chlapik clearly wasn't a big part of Colorado's plans going forward and they like Hunt, a reliable offensive 6/7th NHL defenseman, and likely couldn't have claimed him on waivers.

FINAL ROUND OF CUTS:
G Anthony Stolarz assigned to AHL
D Frankie Corrado assigned to AHL
F Josh Anderson assigned to AHL
F Dustin Jeffrey assigned to AHL

[CanuckJohnny]

Vancouver Canucks Opening Day Lineup




October 4th, 2017 -

Bertuzzi - Henrik - Daniel

McCann was pencilled in beside the twins at the start of preseason but they struggled together and Bertuzzi really clicked well with them and had a strong finish to the preseason.

Filatov - Horvat - Sharp

This line didn't get a ton of time together in preseason but was always the anticipated second line this year. Filatov and Horvat created some chemistry together last season and adding the veteran Sharp into the mix should give them more skill to work with than they had last season while also giving them some help in the defensive zone.

B. Tanev - Cassels - Koivu

After neither Noesen nor Anderson really earned that 3rd line RW spot Mikko Koivu will step into it and should fit right in on a checking line.

McCann - Hischier - Svechnikov

Svechnikov didn't blow anybody away in preseason but he finished his late season audition for Vancouver playing at a 40 point pace so he gets the benefit of the doubt and will start in the opening lineup and also get icetime in PP2. With Koivu moving up to line 3 it opened up the 4C spot for Hischier who showed too much to send him back to junior but not enough to immediately claim a top 9 role.

Extra Forwards: Hartikainen, Noesen

Noesen outplayed Anderson and will probably be the first forward to be rotated into the lineup but didn't do enough to stake his claim on the third line spot he held down much of last season. Hartikainen brings a lot of versatility and was kept around for his utility.

Sergachev - C. Tanev

Mikhail Sergachev was expected to get some preseason games then go back to junior for another year but he really went out and took the bull by the horns in preseason and left coaches no choice but to keep him around. He will start the season on the first pairing and see if he can continue his preseason success into the meaningful games coming up.

Pouliot - McAvoy

Derrick Pouliot will quarterback to top powerplay unit as well and Bylsma will be expecting consistent production from him. McAvoy has been pencilled into this second pairing role since he signed this summer and only regular season games will show if he's truly as ready as he's looked.

Vlasic - Andersson

Vlasic signed a significant contract for three years, and Linden probably was envisioning him as more than a third pairing defenseman but for now that's where he sits because of the revelation that has been Sergachev. If Sergachev or Pouliot falter expect him to move up into the top four. Rasmus Andersson did enough in the preseason to earn an opening day spot and also a spot on PP2 alongside Sergachev. If he struggles in the regular season expect to see him moved back down to Utica rather than waste away in a press box.

7th Defenseman: Hamhuis

Nobody predicted the veteran would be starting the year in the press box but the shuffling around that happened when Sergachev announced himself as a legitimate top four defenseman in the preseason left Hamhuis the odd man out on the left side. He should rotate in quite regularly and should injuries strike or younger blueliners struggle and be sent down he will quickly find himself back in the mix on a nightly basis. He simply wasn't as good as the others all preseason and Dan Bylsma is trying hard to instill a culture of effort and earning your icetime no matter who you are. Dan has taken his opening night benching in stride for his part, carrying himself, at least publically, with a humble team first attitude.

Markstrom

Bylsma will ask his star number one goalie for more consistency than last year. "Marky" won't have veteran Greiss to lean on this time around and it's time for him to take full ownership of the crease and his play in it. He is a critical piece for this core and how he goes will be largely how the Canucks season goes.

DeSmith

Anthony Stolarz had an excellent preseason and almost stole the backup job from DeSmith but Stolarz and Demko will share the net in Utica to develop while the older DeSmith gets his first full time NHL backup gig.

Predictions: Vancouver will miss the playoffs again, but only by a slim margin, finding themselves again in the "mushy middle" so despised by fans but perhaps showing enough improvement to earn Linden the leeway to see out the final year of his contract in 18-19. The Sedins will continue their decline and by the end of the year will be on the verge of closing their Vancouver careers how they started, playing in the bottom six and getting PP2 minutes. Sergachev and Hischier will both prove to be the real deal and Hischier will be playing in the top six by the end of the year. Tyler Bertuzzi will break out and score twenty goals, mostly with the Sedins.

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Season Preview




October 4th, 2017 -

Contenders:

Nashville Predators - They fell short in the playoffs last year but that experience may stand them in good stead this year. It may finally be their breakthrough year. Analysts consider their D corps the best in the league, led by Shea Weber. They should be in President's Trophy conversation all year with that elite blueline.

Montreal Canadiens - You're always a contender when Carey Price is you goalie. They also have a solid blueline with Subban and rising star Thomas Chabot. Max Pacioretty was top five in the league in scoring last season and he's shown no signs of slowing down.

Boston Bruins - With a healthy Pastrnak playing alongside Marchand and Bergeron, look out for the revenge of the Bruins. After winning the President's Trophy they were finally toppled in their quest to defend their title by the Blues in the Cup Final. They are going to be a motivated team this year.

St. Louis Blues - Speaking of the Stanley Cup Champions, they have most of their deep roster still intact after re-signing Paul Stastny this summer and they have a top three blueline, especially with Pietrangelo healthy after missing the entire playoff run with an ankle injury.

Ottawa Senators - They may not have made the playoffs last season but there is no doubt the Senators are poised to make some noise this year with Erik Karlsson leading a stellar blueline that should see sophomore Zach Werenski take another step this year. They have one of the most balanced goalie tandems in the league between reigning Vezina winner Robin Lehner and steady veteran Craig Anderson (who would be a starter for probably a third of the teams in the league at least).

Bubble Teams:

Dallas Stars - With a deep forward group led by Blake Wheeler they look to make the playoffs again but the same question marks remain in net. Will it be Talbot or Lehtonen to run with the crease this season? And whoever it is will they be good enough to carry the Stars to the few extra wins they may need?

Calgary Flames - Dubnyk gives them a chance to win every night and he should be extra motivated in a contract year. If Kyle Connor's rookie season goes well that should give them a boost and Johnny Gaudreau is good for another point per game season.

Florida Panthers - Eventually this will be a consistent playoff team. Their budding young core of Ekblad, Huberdeau, Barkov and Gudbranson is just coming into their own and showing a lot of promise. Luongo will keep them in a lot of games. Still, there's enough holes, especially in a D corps that needed to re-sign an aging Brian Campbell this offseason, that they could come up just short of the playoffs again.

Pittsburgh Penguins - It's a new era in Pittsburgh with Marc-Andre Fleury in Vegas. Will Antti Raanta establish himself as the new starter or will 23 year old Matt Murray seize the opportunity and say the future is now? He's proved all he can prove in Wilkes-Barre and shown tons of promise but how soon can he step into a regular NHL role? They signed Andrej Sekera but he isn't the defender he used to be and Kris Letang is back and healthy but if he can't stay healthy they will be back to Simon Despres as their number one d-man. All things being equal they should squeak into the playoffs by virtue of Crosby and Malkin but that goaltending could be very suspect.

Darkhorses:

Vegas Golden Knights - Vegas has a deep if not star studded team and they are built from the net out with a great tandem in Freddy Andersen and Marc-Andre Fleury. It should be interesting to see how they split the starts. Jon Cooper will have his team rolling four lines and playing good hockey. A lot of players have an opportunity here to seize a bigger role than they would have ever been afforded on their original teams. Bobby Ryan could get a fresh start at 30 and step up as a first line offensive force. Frans Nielsen should get top six minutes down the middle. Jean-Gabriel Pageau could have a breakout season. They aren't expected to make the playoffs but they could certainly surprise some people.

Chicago Blackhawks - It seems bizarre to see the once vaunted Blackhawks in this spot, but after missing the postseason last year by a hair they aren't really expected to find their way back in. Their goaltending isn't what it was with Corey Crawford between the pipes and yet another key cog of their championship teams, Brent Seabrook, was a cap casualty this offseason, eventually signing with the Flyers. If Patrick Kane can stay healthy all year (and that does seem to be a big if) and Schmaltz and Teravainen can both take another step in their third NHL season there's a good chance with Duncan Keith still patrolling the blueline that they do fight their way into a playoff spot and make some noise.

Bottom Feeding:

Winnipeg Jets - The Jets are weak across the board. Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Jacob Trouba and Adam Lowry are all good young players to build around but they just don't have enough around them to put together a winning season. The future looks promising but at some point this year they may choose to cut bait with veterans like Enstrom, Richardson and Okposo as they continue rebuilding.

Arizona Coyotes - They have Jake Allen in net. That really is about all this year's iteration of the Coyotes has going for them. They added Carle but he was propped up by a great team and supporting cast and also by Victor Hedman last year. They made some bizarre offseason decisions, signing veterans Scott Hartnell, Andrew Ladd and Mark Letestu seemingly just because they could but without any real plan in place and certainly they aren't in a position to be trying to push for the playoffs or add experience for a Cup run. They should come out of this year with another really high draft pick and Matthew Tkachuk will be exciting to watch.

Top Ten Players (media voted):
C Sidney Crosby
G Carey Price
RW Steven Stamkos
LW Alex Ovechkin
RW Patrick Kane
C Connor McDavid
LW Gabriel Landeskog
LW Leon Draisaitl
D Victor Hedman
RW David Pastrnak

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks announce new assistant captains




October 7th, 2017 -
Dan Bylsma unveiled two new assistant captains in a press conference this morning. Chris Tanev and Bo Horvat will wear the A this year. Veterans Dan Hamhuis and Daniel Sedin will still be very involved in leadership but are stepping back so some of the younger core can step up to play more of a leadership role. Tanev and Horvat both said they look forward to being mentored in the role by captain Henrik and by the many veterans on the team who have held leadership positions on this team or others.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks Home Opener is statement win



Daniel Sedin started the year off with a bang, recording four assists in an 8-2 blowout win.



October 7th, 2017 -
Welcome to the NHL Anders Nilsson. The Canucks were apparently tired of being the butt of jokes all offseason and they showed up with a vengeance for the home opener. Jordan Eberle took a roughing penalty early and Tyler Bertuzzi capitalized on the powerplay to give Vancouver an early lead. Jared McCann scored to make it 2-0 and Hischier and Sergachev both got their first NHL points on the goal. Vancouver gave up a powerplay goal to Eberle with Tanev in the box but before the period was out Henrik had added another Canucks goal to give them a 3-1 lead going into the first intermission. After a mostly quiet second period Henrik scored his second of the game (Rasmus Andersson would collect his first NHL assist on the play, along with Daniel getting his third assist of the night) shortly before the second intermission.

Derrick Pouliot opened the third with a powerplay marker and Brandon Tanev chased Nilsson with a goal just seconds later (both Hischier and Andersson had their second assists of the night). Derrick Pouliot welcomed Ben Scrivens to the game with his second goal of the period, assisted by Bertuzzi and by Daniel (for the fourth time tonight). Taylor Hall squeaked one past Markstrom with five minutes to go and Jared McCann responded with his second of the game to bring the final score to 8-2.

Nico Hischier had three assists in his debut while also going 10/12 in the faceoff circle. McCann, Pouliot and Henrik all scored twice and Daniel had four assists. Bertuzzi had a goal, an assist and ten shots on net in his first regular season game next to the twins. The third pairing of Vlasic and Andersson was +3. Derrick Pouliot had a night, with eight hits to go along with his three shots on goal. It was a feel good win for a Canucks club that has experienced a lot of downs lately.

[CanuckJohnny]

Daniel Sedin goes down with devastating injury in blowout loss




October 24th, 2017 -
The Canucks were destroyed in more ways than one in Minnesota last night. It looked like a fairly even game, 1-1 after twenty minutes, Vancouver outshooting the Wild 14-6, seemed like if anything it was a matter of time before Vancouver surged to another victory. Whatever speech Kevyn Adams gave those guys in the first intermission, it worked. Minnesota came out a different team, fired 22 shots while allowing only four and scored six goals, chasing Markstrom partway through the period in the process. It was a dominating display for twenty minutes.

In the third Vancouver battled back and Cassels and Graovac exchanged goals. The shots in the final frame were 10-9 Minnesota. More importantly in a game that was already over, Jonas Brodin hit Daniel Sedin from behind midway through the frame. Daniel did not get up but only a minor penalty was assessed, to the fury of the Canucks bench. After the game it was confirmed that Daniel has a serious concussion and will be out indefinitely. A blow to a Canucks squad that looked to be figuring things out, at least until tonight. The Sedins looked better than they have in years through the first nine games of this season, rejuvenated perhaps by the youthful Bertuzzi. Josh Anderson will be recalled and Vancouver will have some line shuffling to do as they try to recover. Daniel will be sorely missed and we wish him a speedy recovery.

[CanuckJohnny]

Linden defends Pouliot in post-game scrum

October 30th, 2017 -
After dropping a 5-2 decision to Dallas at home to fall to 6-5-0 on the year, Trevor Linden faced the media and stuck up for his young powerplay quarterback. Pouliot was minus two on the night and members of the press were critical but Linden stood his ground, pointing out that from his coaches' perspective Pouliot had done his job well and they were happy with most of his decisions and plays and positioning all night. Pouliot had an assist and was -2 with five shots on goal and four blocks in almost twenty minutes of icetime. He has had a good start to the season, playing a top four role and quarterbacking the top powerplay unit, putting up four goals and seven points through his first ten games.

[CanuckJohnny]

Bylsma agrees with criticism of captain, calls for accountability

November 11th, 2017 -
When Vancouver dropped their fifth straight to San Jose tonight you knew the questions would be tough. Fans are frustrated and they want answers. When asked about Henrik's play coach Bylsma responded that "yeah he knows he needs to step up. We demand accountability from all of our players and that starts at the top. He's a leader and a professional and he has to own his part in this slide and he has to play better. He's been minus three these last five games and I haven't seen him give a full defensive effort in one of them."

[CanuckJohnny]

Casey DeSmith waived and assigned to Utica

November 16th, 2017 -
The Canucks sit at 8-10-0 in what they had hoped would be a bounce back season. They really are playing much better consistently than last season. However, while their shots allowed are middle of the pack their goals allowed are second worst in the league. Markstrom has struggled to find his usual form and is in the midst of his first sub-.900 save percentage season. But Casey DeSmith, through 8 appearances, has an abysmal .863 save percentage and really doesn't look ready for the backup role he won out of preseason.

DeSmith was sent down to Utica where he will likely share the crease with Thatcher Demko, who is having a lights out first pro season so far. Anthony Stolarz, who has been getting a fairly even share of starts in Utica and excelling in his opportunities, will be called up to back Markstrom up.

[CanuckJohnny]

Vancouver trying to get back on track, recall DeSmith




December 9th, 2017 -
The Anthony Stolarz as an NHL backup experiment didn't go well, and in 4 appearances he had a .838 save percentage. After a rough November in which they won only 4 of 15 games and sunk back into the basement of the West Vancouver has won two games in a row for the first time in over a month. They are weathering the Vlasic injury decently well on the blue line. Moving Filatov down to the fourth line seems to have ignited him offensively while Bo Horvat seems to be having more success since Jared McCann moved up to his line. Now would be a bad time to lose momentum due to an incompetent backup goalie. Bylsma is hoping the time in Utica rebuilt DeSmith's confidence and reset him a bit.

[CanuckJohnny]

Bertuzzi reaches 20 goals in two goal performance as Canucks improve to .500 (sort of) in third consecutive shutout win


December 15th, 2017 -
Vancouver is rolling right now. After a DeSmith shutout in his return from the AHL Markstrom has gone on to post two straight shutouts of his own as Vancouver wins three games in a row 3-0. Bertuzzi's two goals tonight gave him twenty on the season in just the 33rd game of the year. The young winger is on pace for 49 goals in his breakout season. He is also now tied for seventh in goal scoring in the NHL.

Bo Horvat is back on track as well. Since Bylsma brought McCann up to join him on the second line Horvat has three goals and three assists in six games. Vancouver has not lost in regulation in that stretch. They are now within one point of third in the crowded Pacific, the closest they've been to a playoff spot in a long time.

[CanuckJohnny]

Buffalo makes coaching change

December 21st, 2017 -
With 13 wins through 34 games Buffalo General Manager Tim Murray had seen enough and fired Ted Nolan. Nolan coached Buffalo and franchise center McDavid to a playoff appearance last year but the magic wore off quickly this season. Critics of Murray are quick to point out that Nolan was not given much help in net over the course of the offseason. Be that as it may, a new coach will try his hand at getting the most out of this group.

Jack Capuano was introduced as the next coach of the Buffalo Sabres. Capuano was let go by Carolina this offseason after their rebuilding roster regressed to 32 wins. His overall record with Carolina in two seasons was 70-85-9. He will look to avoid similar results with this Buffalo club. Capuano is best at working with forwards. His coaching tendencies are fairly basic but he does a good job of making in-game tactical decisions and keeping his players motivated.

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Christmas Roundup




The defending champion Blues are lighting it up, leading the league in goals and leading the West in goal differential. Daley has proven an adequate replacement for Cole and OEL is almost at a point per game pace right now. Rookie Patrik Laine has 10 goals already as a nineteen year old after sliding to them at 24th in the draft a year ago due to concerns over his attitude and one dimensionality. After a slow start the Nashville Predators are climbing back into the conversation in the Central, where they currently sit third. Filip Forsberg leads the league in goals at the break with 29. Their vaunted blue line has been without Seth Jones for much of the year due to injury and Mattias Ekholm just went down with an arm injury before the break. Their goaltending has been mediocre between Rinne and Mazanec and they're going to need much better to make any noise in the postseason if they even make it there. The Avalanche are third in the league and best in the West in goals allowed per game. Michael Neuvirth has earned almost a fifty percent share of starts so far with two shutouts and a .930 save percentage. Varlamov has been having a sub par season by his standards, his save percentage is down to .900 and he has fewer wins than Neuvirth in more starts. He's going to have to step it up if the Avs want to stay in second place in the Central. The Flames lead the Pacific with 43 points, the lowest total of any division leader. Dubnyk has been critical for them, 19 of their 20 wins have come with him between the pipes. Johnny Gaudreau is second in NHL scoring as well. The Ducks sit just two points back of the Sharks for third in the Pacific. They have leaned heavily on 24 year old goalie John Gibson after losing Frederik Andersen to Vegas in the expansion draft. Gibson leads the league in GSAA but can he hold up at this intense pace that has him well on his way to playing over seventy games this season? With both Fowler and Lindholm missing significant time the blueline has leaned on 22 year old Theodore and 26 year old Sami Vatanen, who sits tied for sixth in defenseman scoring in the league with 33 points so far. They also re-signed last year's deadline acquisition, James Wisniewski, and at 33 he has proven to have plenty left in the tank, scoring seven goals and seventeen points so far this year with more minutes than he was probably expecting this year. Vegas is acquitting themselves well in their inaugural season, currently at 4th in the Pacific and two points back of the Sharks for third. Frederik Andersen has taken the starting role but Fleury has been excellent in his limited starts as well. 24 year old defenseman Ryan Murphy is taking advantage of his opportunity playing top minutes on his new team and already has more goals (13) than he had all year for Carolina last season. He leads the team in scoring by a significant margin, nobody else even of the forwards has cracked 20 points or ten goals but they do have a lot of depth. Captain Justin Abdelkader is having a resurgent season on pace for 45 points. Stephane Da Costa has nine goals and seventeen points and has played every game so far after only being in 41 games for thet Canadiens last year. Bryan Little is having a bounce back year on pace for 43 points after only putting up 22 in an off year for Buffalo last season. Gabriel Bourque already has more goals (6) and points (14) in 24 games than he had all season for Nashville. Surprisingly, a few of the players expected to excel in a larger role for Vegas have mostly fumbled their opportunity. Erik Haula is on pace for only 22 points after having 46 with the Wild. Bobby Ryan hasn't stepped up with the fresh start and is on a disappointing 27 point pace, which would be his worst point total of his career other than his twenty year old season when he only played 23 games. The Minnesota Wild are only two points back of a Wild Card spot (currently held by the Blackhawks, whose demise has been greatly exaggerated) and Charlie Coyle is blossoming into a legitimate first line NHL power forward in his 25 year old season. He has already set career highs in goals (20) and points (38) and currently leads the league in Powerplay Goals.

The Montreal Canadiens have been putting a great season together on the strength of Carey Price's goaltending and Brendan Gallagher joining Max Pacioretty in the top five of NHL scoring. They lead the East in goals, goals against and goal differential and have lost only 2 games all season at home in the Bell Centre. With P.K. Subban suffering a serious arm injury fourteen games in Thomas Chabot has really stepped his game up to near Norris level at only 20 years old. Russian defenseman Alexei Emelin has been impressive in a top four role as well, leading the NHL with +25. The Bruins have a stingy defense and solid offense as well and they aren't going away any time soon, seven points back of the Habs but with two games in hand at the break. The Penguins been dominant over in the Metro and are currently on a six game winning streak. Carolina is the only other team in their division with a positive goal differential while the Pens sit at +44. Crosby is having a statement season leading the NHL scoring race by 11 points with 63. Matt Murray and Antti Raanta have been sharing starts pretty evenly and they both have 3 shutouts already. Letang had 35 points in 32 games before sustaining a lower body injury just before the break. He should be out for a week or two. The Florida Panthers are the beneficiaries of an incredible sophomore season from star sniper Auston Matthews. Matthews is third in goals in the league and on pace for 61. He's also tied for third in the league in plus minus at +23. The Flyers are back in a playoff spot but it may not be sustainable with their current -18 goal differential and their poor road record. The Rangers are hot with five straight wins. Henrik Lundqvist has retaken his crease after last season's anomaly and Skapski is back to being a typical backup. 22 year old Tony DeAngelo has 20 assists but no goals through 37 games. Chris Kreider is on pace to blow his career highs in goals and points out of the water with 21 goals and 40 points already. Ottawa is clinging to the last Wild Card spot currently. Vezina winner Robin Lehner is having an off year at least by last season's lofty standards but Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone are tied for the NHL lead in takeaways (33), Hoffman has 20 goals already and Zibanejad is at 31 points in 35 games.

[CanuckJohnny]

CANUCKS Christmas Break Update




Team Record: 16-18-3, 35 points, 7th in Pacific

Team Rankings:
GF/G: 19th (2.86)
GA/G: 23rd (3.11)
SF/G: 17th (31.38)
SA/G: 20th (32.68)
PP%: T-18th (19.8%)
PK%: 17th (78.6%)

The Good:
Chris Tanev is gold. Leading the league in blocked shots and maintaining an even plus minus on this losing team while facing the toughest matchups every night. In his first season wearing an "A" Tanev has led by example and been a rock on the youngest blueline Vancouver has fielded in a while. Speaking of which, 23 year old Derrick Pouliot is coming into his own as a powerplay quarterback and top four defenseman. His two way play has been very good for a defenseman whose reputation is primarily offensive and his +4 is tied for second best on the team. Sergachev has not lived up to the preseason he had but was never going to. What he has done is hold down an NHL top four role as a nineteen year old while putting up 14 points and overall looking like one of their best blueliners most nights. 20 year old Charlie McAvoy has been stalwart in his own end and succesfully played a top four and penalty killing role. Tyler Bertuzzi is having a breakout season that is making him look worth the hefty price the club paid for him last year at the deadline. He has 22 goals and 41 points through 37 games after earning a first line role in pre-season. He seems to have also rejuvenated captain Henrik Sedin who is on pace for his best statistical season in four years. Henrik has 26 assists and 31 points in 37 games. Rookie Nico Hischier leads all NHL rookies in scoring with 21 points and is gradually earning a larger role for himself. After toiling most of the year on the fourth line he is getting a look on the first line now. Teemu Hartikainen has laid claim on the third line right wing spot and settled in next to Tanev and Cassels quite nicely. He has 8 points in 24 games and is plus 4, an underrated signing at this point.

The Bad:
Well, he's bouncing back quite nicely recently but Jacob Markstrom's sub par start largely contributed to their early season woes. It may not be fair to have him in this category since he's now third in the league in save percentage but he will have to demonstrate consistency for Vancouver to climb back up the standings and he hasn't had much of that the last year and a half. Josh Anderson has had a stint in the AHL and in 17 NHL games he only has two goals and three points, quite a disappointment from last year when he looked on the verge of breaking out as a top nine power forward with 11 goals and 22 points. Marc-Edouard Vlasic is on the first year of a 3 year $4.44 Million per year deal and has struggled even in a primarily bottom pairing role with 2 assists and a -7 through nineteen games. He did struggle with injuries and his underlying numbers are better than current results so he may bounce back yet. Bo Horvat is stepping up lately but his numbers were down for much of the year. As a young guy expected to take another step and being given an "A" and the second line center role he hadn't really seized his opportunity. Hopefully his struggles are in the past and the New Year sees his production take off.

The Ugly:
The backup goalie situation. Ugh. DeSmith struggled to start the season so they bring up Stolarz to replace him and Stolarz looks even worse. Getting sub .880 save percentages from your backups is pretty crippling when you're trying to compete for a playoff spot. DeSmith's first start after being called back up was a shutout so maybe better things are in store. Nikita Filatov has fallen off entirely from his 26 goal, 51 point team leading season last year and has finally been demoted to the fourth line after coasting along in the top six based on reputation for most of the year. He is currently on pace for only four goals and 26 points. Daniel Sedin was having a great start to his season with seven points in nine games when a hit from behind left him seriously concussed. He is still out indefinitely and hasn't even been around the rink yet.