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

[CanuckJohnny]

Welcome. This is a continuation of an historical save from FHM 9. The year is now 2017 and we are transitioning to FHM 10 on July 1. Thus far we have played three years of Trevor Linden's GM Career and he is on the precipice of failure with rumours he may be fired.


To catch up on things or read my original preamble and introduction go to the link below which will take you to the original thread in the FHM 9 Dynasty forums:



https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=348218

[CanuckJohnny]

Aquilini elects to extend Linden amidst criticism




June 6th, 2017 -
Despite rumours swirling that they were interviewing for his replacement, it seems that Canucks ownership has given Trevor Linden two more years at the helm. After a disastrous season even loyal fans were calling for fan favourite Linden to be removed as the GM and Aquilini's patience has worn very thin. If the next two years don't see a significant change it is unlikely Linden even finishes the two year extension he just signed.

Analysts are more impressed than the fan base or ownership with Linden's moves so far, pointing to his accumulation of prospects and younger players to prepare for the inevitable changing of the guard when Sedins retire and also to some clever signings (see Filatov, Nikita) and solid trades (adding a first for Bonino and turning offseason signing Paul Martin into Tyler Bertuzzi, not to mention that Svechnikov looks like a blossoming talent in his limited NHL time after being acquired for Kris Russell). A critical draft and offseason is upcoming however, and no matter how well he prepares for the future Linden will absolutely need to field a competitive roster next year to quell the cries for his head from an impatient fan base and ownership.

[CanuckJohnny]

Vancouver will not re-sign Greiss or Michalek




June 7th, 2017 -
A day after being extended, Trevor Linden announced that the club would not be extending the expiring contracts of veterans Zbynek Michalek or Thomas Greiss. Michalek patrolled the blueline for two seasons in Vancouver, producing 26 points and going -30 in that span. He was a fixture on the penalty kill and a veteran voice in the room. Greiss spent two years as the backup and mentor to Jacob Markstrom but saw his starts dip considerably in the second season as Markstrom took over the crease to the tune of 68 games with Vancouver fighting desperately to salvage their season. Greiss maintained a very respectable .922 save percentage through two years as the backup.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks shuffle coaching staff, let some go



Scott Walker will take on a more robust role on the bench in the 2017-2018 season.


June 11th, 2017 -
Vancouver announced today that they will not be extending offensive coach Adam Oates or associate coach Don Hay. They are also relieving co-goalie coaches Roland Melanson and Dan Cloutier and promoting goaltending consultant Ian Clark to full time goalie coach and consultant. Coach Scott Walker will take over most of Don Hay's duties and Head Coach Dan Bylsma will play a more active role in coaching the forwards as it stands right now, although if the right fit becomes available Linden may hire an additional assistant coach yet.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks forward Justin Williams announces retirement at age 35




June 21st, 2017 -
After struggling to return from a serious injury Justin Williams has finally decided he's done with the game he loves, calling it quits in the NHL after successful seventeen year career. He played in 1032 regular season games and scored 246 career goals and finished with 625 career points. In 89 career playoff games he scored 21 goals and 53 total points and won the Stanley Cup on three occasions, earning the moniker "Mr. Game 7" along the way. In 2014 he earned the Conne Smythe Trophy in his second Cup with Los Angeles (third overall).

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Expansion Draft and Awards Show





June 21st, 2017 -
The NHL welcomed its 31st franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights, for the upcoming 2017-2018 season. They named former scout and AGM Jim Benning as their inaugural General Manager and he hired recently released Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper to be their first Head Coach.

Teams submitted protection lists for the expansion draft and there was also some wheeling and dealing behind the scenes, netting Vegas some extra players in exchange for not selecting players who couldn't be protected. The selections were unveiled at the Awards Show tonight:

From ANA G Frederik Andersen
From ARI D David Schlemko
From BOS G Malcolm Subban
Trade from BOS F Patrick Maroon
From BUF C Bryan Little
From CGY D Luke Schenn
From CAR D Ryan Murphy
From CHI F Joakim Nordstrom
Trade from CHI F Riley Nash
From COL G Calvin Pickard
From CBJ G Anton Forsberg
From DAL F Daniel Winnik
From DET F Alexander Burmistrov
From EDM F Dave Bolland
From FLA F Brandon Pirri
From LAK D Alec Martinez
Trade from LAK D Alex Edler
From MIN F Erik Haula
From MTL F Stephane Da Costa
From NSH F Gabriel Bourque
From NJD F Joonas Donskoi
From NYI D Johnny Boychuk
Trade from NYI F Dale Weise
From NYR D John Moore
From OTT F Jiri Tlusty
Trade from OTT F Jean-Gabriel Pageau
From PHI F Jason Akeson
From PIT D Brian Dumoulin
Trade from PIT F Justin Abdelkader
From SJS F Melker Karlsson
From STL D Ian Cole
Trade from STL F Patrik Berglund
From TBL F Vladislav Namestnikov
From TOR D Stuart Percy
Trade from TOR F Tyler Bozak
From VAN F Brendan Gaunce
Trade from VAN F Jake Virtanen
From WSH F Emerson Etem
From WPG G Michael Hutchinson

[CanuckJohnny]

Editor's Note:

The expansion draft in game was all screwed up... Players were unprotected who shouldn't have been eligible, Vegas chose multiple players from some teams and none from others instead of one from each, etc. I made the most of a bad situation and salvaged things a bit with commissioner mode and a bit with calling some of the extra picks "traded players".

[CanuckJohnny]

Notable NHL Retirements




Pavel Datsyuk (DET) 1024gp, 319-657-976, 2 Stanley Cups
Matt Cullen (NSH) 1288gp, 220-411-631, 1 Stanley Cup
Joe Thornton (WPG) 1401gp, 358-920-1278, No Stanley Cups
Radim Vrbata (CHI) 1020gp, 290-317-607
Johan Franzen (DET) 807gp, 222-214-436, 1 Stanley Cup
Vincent Lecavalier (PHI) 1247gp, 418-540-958, 1 Stanley Cup
Mike Fisher (NSH) 1094gp, 258-309-567
Andrei Markov (MTL) 1006gp, 124-418-542
Mark Streit (SJS) 793gp, 119-361-480
Paul Martin (DET) 851gp, 57-266-323
Francois Beauchemin (EDM) 834gp, 61-190-251, 1 Stanley Cup

[CanuckJohnny]

Off-Season Coaching Carousel in full swing




June 18th, 2017 -
Already three teams have made head coaching changes prior to the draft and free agency. The biggest head scratcher of them is Tampa Bay moving on from Jon Cooper after advancing to the Eastern Conference Semi Finals and being eliminated by the consensus best team in the East in Boston. Cooper had a five year run as the team's head coach and this past season he finished with his best result yet, leading the club to 51 wins and the second round of the playoffs. To replace him the Lightning go with former NHLer Doug Weight. Weight had previously spent four years as an assistant behind the Islanders bench. He makes good in game adjustments and motivates his players well. He especially excels working with forwards and on offensive skills. Tactically, Weight prefers a more offensive and less physical approach.

Philadelphia elected to move on from Craig Berube. After three straight winning seasons Berube oversaw his first losing record after being gifted a star netminder in Corey Crawford in the offseason. His release comes as no surprise after failing to meet the lofty preseason expectations this year. Flyers ownership chose Todd Reirden to take the helm in his place. Reirden has spent time as an assistant coach for both Pittsburgh and Washington so should be familiar with the division. He is a fairly vanilla coach and should bring a less abrasive style than Berube.

Carolina fired head coach Jack Capuano after a miserable 32 win season. The Hurricanes were not expected to make the playoffs this year but apparently regression from last year and a lack of clear vision for the future led to enough of a clash that ownership chose to go a different direction to find a coach to lead their promising young talent to a better future. For that task they selected former NHL defenseman Derian Hatcher. Hatcher was an assistant coach with Philadelphia for five years, running their defense mostly, and this is his first opportunity at an NHL head coaching gig. In spite of his reputation and former position he is tactically an offensive leaning coach who doesn't over emphasize the physical play that characterized his own career. He gets the most out of his players while still keeping their respect, but it remains to be seen how well he can oversee an NHL bench and if his limited experience in coaching forwards will hold him back.


(editor's note - oops this was posted out of order, it should've been pre-expansion draft, especially as Vegas chose Jon Cooper as their coach)

[CanuckJohnny]

"What else is new?" ask weary Canucks fans as their team is again screwed over in the draft lottery




June 22nd, 2017 -
As per usual in Canuck-land, the lottery was not favourable to Vancouverites. Finishing second last in the league, there was hope for a top two pick at least but the Canucks were leap frogged both by New Jersey (1st overall) and Vegas (of course) (2nd overall) in the lottery. Vancouver will pick fourth overall in the upcoming NHL entry draft.

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Entry Draft Preview




June 23rd, 2017 -
Top prospects from all over the world are congregating in Chicago, along with 31 NHL general managers and their scouting teams. Some high end prospects have flown up draft boards recently and at least one has seen his stock plummet.

Our most recent mock has Cale Makar of the AJHL going first overall. The offensive defenseman has silky smooth skating and dominated at his level but there are some who question if his skills will translate to higher level competition because he played his draft year at the Junior A level. Most scouts think his talent is so unique that he will have no problem one day being an NHL number one defenseman or running an NHL powerplay with aplomb. Challenging him for first overall will be at least four others, as this year has no clear cut number one. Miro Heiskanen is also an incredible skater from the blueline. He plays more of a two way game and is more defensively responsible than Makar but probably doesn't have the offensive ceiling Makar does. Elias Pettersson has wowed scouts in Sweden with his intelligence and skill, and though his slight frame is a knock against him he could still fill out a fair bit. Nolan Patrick was the consensus number one at the beginning of the season and though he has slipped down the rankings of some it is likely he will still be in that conversation with his size and skill and playing the center position. Swiss forward Nico Hischier has seen his stock rise over the year with crafty two way play that should translate very well to the NHL.

The next tier of prospects include the top goalie in the draft, American Jake Oettinger. The only thing holding Oettinger back will be the hesitation with drafting a goalie with a high pick. He has all the tools scouts look for in a number one goalie. A pair of Swedish defensemen, Timothy Liljegren and Erik Brannstrom, could both go in the top ten. Brannstrom is considered to have the higher ceiling of the two. Both are considered offensive defensemen though, and for those general managers that prefer the old school, physical stay at home type of blueliner there's 6-4 Cal Foote. Rounding out our projected top ten is American center Josh Norris, a sniper with top six upside.

Goalie Jeremy Swayman is probably the second best netminder in the draft after Oettinger. Will his number be called in the first round or will managers continue to be reticent to spend high end draft capital on his position? Nick Suzuki could be that all around top six center everybody needs in their lineup, capable of putting up points while playing a 200 foot game. If he was a couple inches taller he would be in the top ten conversation for sure. Jason Robertson is a speedy winger who oozes offensive potential. If he can round out his game he will prove to be a savvy pick for someone in the middle of the first round. Owen Tippett is a sniper with pedigree who finds openings in the defense and beats goalies cleanly on a regular basis. Robert Thomas is a playmaker who can play in the middle or on the wing. His offensive potential has some scouts excited to take him high in the first round. Morgan Frost is an undersized center who put up good but not great numbers in his draft year. He's a first rounder for sure but how high he'll go is anyone's guess. Finn Kristian Vesalainen has the size of a power winger at 6-4 but doesn't play with the physicality NHL teams would like. Still his intelligence and two way play should get him drafted in the first round. Fellow Finn Eeli Tolvanen may also be selected near the end of the first round but the undersized sniper could drop into the second despite his high ceiling.

Two way center Cody Glass was a first round prospect, possibly a top ten pick at some points this year but it sounds like his name won't come off the board until sometime in the second round now after a down year productivity wise. He is a solid two way pivot with a high floor and a low ceiling. Czech winger Martin Necas could be a steal if he falls to the second round. He has offensive skill but also plays a good all around game. Fellow Czech Filip Chytil would also be a savvy pick if he lasts to round two. The 6-2 center has a ways to go development wise but has a lot of potential if developed well. Offensive defenseman Sean Durzi had a productive draft year in the OHL, scoring fifty points while also rounding out his defensive game. He should be a second round pick after moving up draft boards all year.

A darkhorse who will go later in the draft to keep an eye on is diminutive Trey Fix-Wolansky. He has NHL potential if he can find a niche, though not many 5-7 forwards can. He has loads of offensive skill but needs to round out his game and will have plenty of opportunity in the WHL to do just that. Another later round gem could be center Mason Shaw, also a smaller skater at 5-9, who put up an impressive 77 points in the WHL in his draft year.

[CanuckJohnny]

Vancouver gives out entry level deals to three players on eve of draft




June 24th, 2017 -
Erik Cernak, Vince Dunn and Thatcher Demko all signed their ELCs today with Vancouver. Cernak and Dunn will be expected to cut their teeth in the AHL next year and earn their playing time. The organization's preference is probably for Demko to do the same, although he could challenge for a backup role with the departure of Thomas Greiss.

Notably not signed yet are blossoming defenceman Charlie McAvoy, who is still deliberating on whether he will play his junior year in college or turn pro, and electrifying Russian forward Kirill Kaprizov who has two more years contracted to his KHL team and seems committed to play them out despite overtures from Vancouver to cancel the contract and come to North America immediately.

[CanuckJohnny]

2017 NHL Entry Draft




Round 1:

R1P1 - NJD - D Cale Makar
R1P2 - VGK - F Elias Pettersson
R1P3 - ARI - D Miro Heiskanen
R1P4 - VAN - F Nico Hischier
R1P5 - PHI - F Jason Robertson
R1P6 - EDM - F Robert Thomas
R1P7 - CAR - G Jake Oettinger
R1P8 - WPG - F Nick Suzuki
R1P9 - CBJ - F Josh Norris
R1P10 - TOR - F Ryan Poehling
R1P11 - NYI - F Cody Glass
R1P12 - CGY - F Nolan Patrick
R1P13 - CHI - G Jeremy Swayman
R1P14 - OTT - F Jaret Anderson-Dolan
R1P15 - FLA - F Owen Tippett
R1P16 - MIN - G Cayden Primeau
R1P17 - COL - D Erik Brannstrom
R1P18 - DAL - G Matt Villalta
R1P19 - BUF - F Morgan Frost
R1P20 - DET - D Ronnie Attard
R1P21 - TOR - F Maxime Comtois
R1P22 - CBJ - D Sean Durzi
R1P23 - MTL - F Michael Rasmussen
R1P24 - TBL - D Timothy Liljegren
R1P25 - NSH - F Gabe Vilardi
R1P26 - NYR - D Cal Foote
R1P27 - SJS - D Nic Hague
R1P28 - PIT - F Kailer Yamamoto
R1P29 - LAK - F Casey Mittelstadt
R1P30 - BOS - D Joey Keane
R1P31 - STL - F Kristian Vesalainen


The first four picks came in about as expected. The Devils get a future number one offensive defenseman, the Golden Knights make their first ever entry draft selection and take a player in Pettersson who could become a game breaking talent for them at both ends of the ice, Arizona drafts a smooth skating two way defensive star in Heiskanen and the Canucks take potentially the most NHL ready player in two way center Nico Hischier. After that it's a couple of offensively skilled wingers who jump up the draft board a bit to be taken fifth and sixth in Robertson and Thomas. Oettinger goes to Carolina, high for a goalie but probably not too high for him. Suzuki to Winnipeg, Norris to Columbus and Poehling to Toronto, three centers in a row round out the top ten. After that it's anyone's guess really. Glass doesn't end up falling as far as expecting, going at number 11 to the Islanders. Patrick falls out of the top five but is selected 12th by Calgary. Swayman is drafted 13th by Chicago which starts something of a run on goalies with Villalta and Primeau both being drafted in the teens despite being second round talents at best. Brannstrom drops to Colorado at 17 and Liljegren falls all the way to Tampa at 24th. Projected second rounder Ronnie Attard ends up going to Detroit at 20 in what is being called a reach. And Columbus takes Sean Durzi at 22 ahead of projected top ten picks Liljegren and Foote.



Round 2:

R2P32 - ARI - F Shane Bowers
R2P33 - VAN - F Noah Cates
R2P34 - VGK - F Martin Necas
R2P35 - NJD - F Isaac Ratcliffe
R2P36 - PHI - D Cale Fleury
R2P37 - EDM - F Connor Dewar
R2P38 - CAR - F Ivan Lodnia
R2P39 - WPG - D Pierre-Olivier Joseph
R2P40 - CBJ - F Brett Leason
R2P41 - TOR - F Trey Fix-Wolansky
R2P42 - CBJ - D Juuso Valimaki
R2P43 - CGY - F Kole Lind
R2P44 - TOR - D Henri Jokiharju
R2P45 - MIN - F Nicholas Abruzzese
R2P46 - FLA - D Jack Rathbone
R2P47 - MIN - F Ben Meyers
R2P48 - COL - F Alexei Toropchenko
R2P49 - DAL - F Alex Formenton
R2P50 - BUF - D David Farrance
R2P51 - ARI - F Klim Kostin
R2P52 - WSH - F Jack Studnicka
R2P53 - ANA - F Nathan Smith
R2P54 - MTL - F Bryce Snively
R2P55 - TBL - F Mason Shaw
R2P56 - NSH - F Maxim Sushko
R2P57 - NYR - F Morgan Barron
R2P58 - SJS - D Seth Barton
R2P59 - CAR - F Alexandre Texier
R2P60 - DET - D Mikey Anderson
R2P61 - BOS - F Logan Hutsko
R2P62 - STL - F Lias Andersson


The Golden Knights with a savvy pick to select Czech winger Martin Necas in the second round. He wouldn't have lasted much longer with his talent. Toronto reaches for Fix-Wolansky, he wasn't projected to go until the 4th round, but maybe they know something we don't. The Red Wings reach a bit on a defenseman again, taking Mikey Anderson almost a full round early. Some scouts like the pick though and think he is very projectable with his defensively responsible two way game.



Round 3:

R3P63 - ARI - D Dylan Samberg
R3P64 - LAK - D Ben Mirageas
R3P65 - VGK - F Eeli Tolvanen
R3P66 - NJD - F Adam Ruzicka
R3P67 - PHI - G Stuart Skinner
R3P68 - EDM - D Mario Ferraro
R3P69 - CAR - F Rafael Harvey-Pinard
R3P70 - WPG - G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
R3P71 - CBJ - G Pyotr Kochetkov
R3P72 - TOR - G Michael DiPietro
R3P73 - NYI - D Conor Timmins
R3P74 - CGY - D Ian Mitchell
R3P75 - CAR - D Reilly Walsh
R3P76 - OTT - D Urho Vaakanainen
R3P77 - FLA - F Filip Chytil
R3P78 - MIN - F Mike Hardman
R3P79 - COL - F Ben Jones
R3P80 - DAL - D Clayton Phillips
R3P81 - BUF - F Valtteri Puustinen
R3P82 - DET - F Grant Mismash
R3P83 - WSH - F Marc McLaughlin
R3P84 - ANA - D Max Gildon
R3P85 - MTL - D Jake Christiansen
R3P86 - CAR - D Robin Salo
R3P87 - NSH - D Zack Hayes
R3P88 - NYR - F Emil Bemstrom
R3P89 - TBL - G Daniil Tarasov
R3P90 - PIT - D Kasper Kotkansalo
R3P91 - LAK - F Jonas Rondbjerg
R3P92 - BOS - G Keith Petruzzelli
R3P93 - TBL - F Lean Bergmann

Vegas with another good pick to snag Eeli Tolvanen in the third round. He could be a steal if he makes the NHL. The Coyotes select steady defenseman Dylan Samberg. He has the tools to make it as an NHL defenseman. Filip Chytil is a high ceiling pick by Florida, he could impress some people in a few years.

[CanuckJohnny]

Vancouver Draft Recap




June 25th, 2017 -
The Canucks only had two picks in the entry draft but both were in the top forty and one was fourth overall. So who did they take?

Fourth overall they selected Swiss two way center Nico Hischier. Hischier plays a very NHL ready game, he has offensive skill, good skating and defensive awareness beyond his years. He may not have the elite ceiling of the three players drafted ahead of him but he was probably the best of the rest available. Some pundits still had him slated to go first overall and in an ideal world he could develop into their number one center in a post Henrik world.

With the thirty third selection Vancouver chose two way winger Noah Cates. The American is a good skater who pays attention to details in his own end. He is a few years away but could certainly become a serviceable middle six winger in time.

[CanuckJohnny]

Taking care of business every day




June 26th, 2017 -
Vancouver got two more prospects to put pen to paper on their ELCs post draft. Mikhail Sergachev signs his entry level deal and Charlie McAvoy makes his decision to turn pro and forego the rest of his NCAA career. McAvoy will be expected to play NHL minutes immediately next year while Sergachev will either earn an NHL spot or spend another year in juniors.

[CanuckJohnny]

Compliance Buyouts




NHL teams were allowed a one time opportunity with the new CBA going into effect to make a compliance buyout without being penalized against the salary cap for it. Most teams took advantage:

MTL Lars Eller
TOR Mike Santorelli
BOS Milan Lucic
CHI Brent Seabrook
DET Brendan Smith
LAK Dustin Brown
DAL Alex Goligoski
PHI Antti Niemi
PIT Marc-Andre Fleury
STL Paul Stastny
BUF Patrick Sharp
CGY Jonas Hiller
NYI Frans Nielsen
NJD Matt Read
WSH Jay Beagle
EDM Andrew Ladd
CAR Mason Marchment
COL Jarome Iginla
ARI Rob Klinkhammer
SJS Marc-Edouard Vlasic
OTT Bobby Ryan
TBL Michal Neuvirth
ANA Scott Hartnell
FLA Brian Campbell
NSH James Neal
WPG Andrej Sekera
CBJ Kyle Brodziak
MIN Mikko Koivu

[CanuckJohnny]

Vegas makes first free agency signings ahead of NHL Free Agency day




June 30th, 2017 -
Vegas was afforded the opportunity to negotiate first with any of the players bought out earlier this week and they have used that opportunity to come to agreements with Marc-Andre Fleury, Frans Nielsen and Bobby Ryan. The deals will be officially announced July 1st but insiders have all but confirmed that they are in place and it is simply a matter of formality at this point.

[CanuckJohnny]

Free Agency Preview




June 30th, 2017

What was shaping up to be another slim free agent class has been injected with some excitement and star power after the round of compliance buyouts went through. Some big names are available and possibly at a reduced rate. Will teams immediately overspend on the same players they just cut loose or will responsibility rule the day?

Paul Stastny probably is the biggest name on the list right now. The 31 year old pivot was a victim of the numbers game in St. Louis when they used their compliance buyout on him but he has plenty of offense to give, scoring 54 points last season while also being responsible in his own end.

Scott Hartnell is a gritty veteran at 35. He may not give you a full healthy season but when he is in the lineup he will bring physicality and scoring and two way play. He had fourteen goals last year in fifty games with Anaheim.

Forty year old Jarome Iginla isn't done yet, as his first round stats from this past playoffs will tell you. He can be counted on to go to the hard areas and should still be good for 10-15 goals in a reduced role. Playoff calibre teams will likely be lining up to have his leadership and experience on their side this year.

Mikko Koivu struggled with injuries last season and his production is on the decline but he still brings leadership intangibles and great defensive chops to the lineup and if he can accept a 3C role for a contender he will be a great fit.

Physical scoring winger James Neal should have many suitors. He scored 19 goals last year and 24 the year previous. At 29 years old he should have plenty left in the tank.

Patrick Sharp didn't live up to his contract in Buffalo but on a more responsible contract he could still bring a lot of value as a defensively responsible, offensively viable veteran. Sharp still scored 15 goals last season and on a decent contract should be able to add a lot to a team's middle six.

Lars Eller won't put many points up but what you see is what you get with the defensive center. As a bottom six penalty killing center he is a great option and multiple teams should be in on him come July 1st.

Bought out by the only team he's ever played for, it's hard to imagine "Looch" in a sweater other than Boston's but Milan Lucic will be trying on new colours this July 1st. The 29 year old power forward is good for around twenty goals a year and will intimidate the opposition game in and game out.

Andrew Ladd finds himself a free agent again two summers after signing a big deal with the Oilers. His scoring has trailed off tremendously but as a physical bottom six winger who excels in his own end he is likely to find a home this offseason.

Dustin Brown was a heart and soul, ride or die Los Angeles King and he nearly cried in the press conference saying good bye after his club used their compliance buyout on him. Hockey is a business after all. The 32 year old winger is clearly on the decline and hasn't been productive the past few years but this most recent season was still something of a bounce back, hitting double digits in goals for the first time in three years with 13. Someone will pay for his abrasive style and scoring touch around the net, but they won't have to pay nearly what LA was.

At thirty one Alex Goligoski has pretty much cemented his reputation as a reliable second pair defenseman who won't bring a ton of offense but can move the puck decently well and keep it away from his own net.

Brent Seabrook has that coveted Stanley Cup experience to go along with the size coaches love at his position and the snarl to go along with it. He is still a very good defensive defenseman, though his play has dropped off a little and he wasn't worth the price tag for a cap strapped Chicago team. He's the biggest name out there on defense this free agency, and probably some general manager will overpay for his reputation.

The Sharks cut ties with Marc-Edouard Vlasic not because he isn't a competent defenseman (he just put up forty points while being +38) nor because he's named after a pickle but simply because his contract was too rich. Vlasic is not a number one defenseman. Nobody this July 1st will be paying him like he is. What he still can be and will probably be paid to be is a reliable, defensively sound top four blueliner.

At 38, Brian Campbell is a shell of his former self. Nonetheless he still is an above average skater who will throw the occasional big hit and can still put up some points. Some team will doubtless give him a shot to be a depth defenseman who contributes on the powerplay.

Brendan Smith is a physical, stay at home defenseman. He won't put much on the scoresheet but neither will his opponents. Multiple teams will be applying for the 28 year old's services, hoping he will patrol their blueline next year.

Andrej Sekera has seen his production trail off but his game was always more about keeping the puck out of his net than getting it into his opponent's. He continues to be a reliable shot blocker who plays with intelligence and defensive acumen.

Antti Niemi is cut loose by the Flyers after all the controversy last season when he stole the crease from star Corey Crawford. The coach who believed in him has been fired and he is left to find a new club to compete for. Despite being trusted with 45 starts last year his numbers were less than stellar and he is probably better suited to a backup or at least 1B role at this stage in his career.

Jonas Hiller only played seven games for the Flames this past season and will be hoping to be a backup somewhere he can see the ice a bit more frequently. At 35 time is running out on his career and this may be his last chance to have an NHL job.

Faceoff specialist Boyd Gordon will be a desirable asset despite missing all of this past season with a serious eye injury. Gordon is 33 and most teams will be wary of giving him term especially after such a serious injury but he is consistently at the top of the league in faceoff percentage and a bottom six center who can kill penalties and win key draws will be attractive to manys a team with playoff aspirations.

Physical winger Ryan Reaves will be much sought after for his policing and swagger. He doesn't contribute much on the scoreboard but does save his best performances for the playoffs, scoring three goals for the Blues en route to becoming a Stanley Cup champion this postseason.

Canucks backup netminder Thomas Greiss will be looking for an opporunity for more starts. Possibly one of the best backups in the league these past two seasons, Greiss will probably look for an opportunity in a tandem situation to prove he can play more than twenty games a year.

Mark Letestu put up 32 points for Chicago this season. The versatile offensive forward can play PP2 and play reasonably responsible minutes in your bottom six.

Thirty three year old Trevor Daley played for the Blackhawks and had 27 points as a defenseman. On a weak team he can play satisfactory top four minutes and chip in offensively. A deeper team will slot him in on the bottom pairing get valuable minutes from him in that role.

Matt Carle of the Tampa Bay Lightning won the plus minus award and had sixteen goals and thirty points but many analysts suspect he is overrated and the beneficiary of playing a lot of minutes with Victor Hedman this year. He will get the chance to pick his team this year and prove he is not merely the product of a good environment.

Zbynek Michalek was a late summer signing two years ago by the Canucks but the 34 year old could garner attention much sooner in this slim free agent class. The fact that he has a consistent resume of NHL minutes and penalty killing experience should land him another job.

Swedish goalie Anders Nilsson has garnered some NHL interest and may be convinced to come ply his trade in the world's best league. The pay would likely be better than in Sweden but he would likely find himself in more of a backup or tandem role rather than the starter's job he has been accustomed to in Sweden. This may be the 27 year old's final opportunity to come play in the NHL and it will be interesting to see if a team can win him over.

Finnish forward Teemu Hartikainen has produced over seventy points in consecutive seasons in Finland, including a 39 goal season this year. If he wants an NHL job there will likely be one available to him.

[CanuckJohnny]

Free Agent Frenzy




July 1st, 2017 -
The first big name off the board this morning was Paul Stastny, who showed there was no hard feelings when he surprisingly chose to re-sign with the same Blues club that just recently released him. Clearly he wants the chance to defend the title he just won with them. Some veterans were only able to get one year deals, with Scott Hartnell getting $4 Million to go to Arizona in the desert and Boyd Gordon signing up for the pressure cooker thats is Montreal, where he will be earning $2 Million. Jarome Iginla managed to get two years with Detroit, signing for an AAV of $3.74M. Dallas also re-signed the very same man they bought out days ago when they gave Alex Goligoski a shiny new 3 year deal worth $5.1 Million per year.

Vancouver made a splash, signing former Wild center Mikko Koivu to a one year deal for $5 Million. St. Louis signed defenseman Trevor Daley for 3 years at an AAV of $3.32M. Arizona has lots to spend and they were spending, signing former Lightning defenseman and plus minus award winner Matt Carle to a two year deal at $4.13M per and also giving a three year contract to Andrew Ladd at an AAV of $3.6M. Lars Eller got two years at $3 Million each from Buffalo and Toronto gave the same to James Neal.

From there the frenzy just kept on frenzy-ing. Montreal made some depth moves, announcing the signings of forwards Mike Blunden, Brandon Prust and Mike Santorelli. Vancouver continued to splurge in an obvious effort to field a more competitive roster than last season and maybe save somebody's job - they aggressively went after Marc-Edouard Vlasic and signed him for 3 years at an AAV of $4.44M and before the ink was dry on that one they also announced the signing of veteran forward Patrick Sharp to a one year, $5 Million deal. Ryan Reaves found a home in Boston for three years at a cap hit of $1.81M.

As the news slowed down a bit near the end of the day we heard that defenseman Brendan Smith had gone to LA for $2.53 Million a year over three years. A few teams turned their attention to getting deals done with prospects in their organization and a bunch of ELCs came in but no more big names for day one of free agency.

[CanuckJohnny]

Free Agency Updates




July 2nd, 2017 -
A few more signings have been finalized today as things start to slow down. There are still a few big fish in the sea as we wrap up day two of free agency.

Montreal signed forward Rob Klinkhammer for two seasons at an AAV of $1.58M. Milan Lucic found a new home in Nashville where he will make $2.51M a year for the next two years. Backup goaltender Alex Stalock signed a two year deal in Boston for $1.52 Million per year and former Blackhawk Bryan Bickell inked a two year deal with the Oilers.

A couple of netminders signed in the back half of the day, with Thomas Greiss getting a one year, $2.11 Million contract with Minnesota and Antti Niemi signing with Rangers for $2.69 Million for one year. Lee Stempniak was signed by Buffalo for two years at $1.1 Million per season and defenseman Andrej Sekera signed a three year, $3.54 Million per year deal with the Penguins. Vancouver finalized a couple of depth signings, getting Michael Grabner for two years and bringing Teemu Hartikainen over from Finland on a two year contract.