Vancouver Canucks - 2014 - what if Jim Benning never happened?

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Free Agency Preview:




Top Targets:

RW Blake Wheeler (WPG, PIT) 22-38-60
After being moved to Pittsburgh at the deadline, Wheeler improved his stock with a strong playoff showing (22gp, 4-14-18) that saw him and the Penguins come one game short of the Cup. Who doesn't want a hungry, skilled, 6-5 winger in his prime?

RW Patrick Sharp (CHI) 19-28-47
The veteran can do it all, with timely scoring, playoff experience and two way savvy. At 33 years of age, can he cash in on one more long term deal?

D Keith Yandle (ARI, DET) 17-44-61
The second highest scoring defenseman in the regular season after Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith, the 28 year old only upped his value with an incredible playoff run. Although the Red Wings were eliminated in game 7 of the Conference Finals, he went off for 8 goals and 22 points in 20 games, enough to lead not only all defensemen but all skaters in points through the third round.

G Devan Dubnyk (ARI) 25W, 5SO, 2.35GAA, .922SV%
He was solid for the Coyotes, but is probably looking for a long term home where he can prove himself under the spotlight of a winner. He should be one of the starters in the NHL next year, but will he reach that top tier, and will he get paid as if he can?

G Cam Ward (CAR) 23W, 4SO, 2.84GAA, .916SV%
At 31, his glory days seem to be behind him already, however last year was a resurgence to a regular starting role, carrying the load for 60 games for a struggling Hurricanes team. He is probably the second best goalie in this free agent class and somebody will give him a chance to be their number one, but how much term will they offer?

C Sam Gagner (ARI) 21-22-43
One of the youngest unrestricted free agents available due to breaking into the league at such a young age, Gagner has settled into his role as a middle six versatile forward who can play powerplay minutes and put up 40 or so points a year. How much will that be worth on the open market? And will some GM out there pay a premium for his youth, hoping there is still untapped potential?

LW Scott Hartnell (CBJ, WSH) 16-23-39
The rugged veteran still has some scoring chops and could play a middle six role for a team wanting grit, leadership, experience and a little bit of finishing as well.

RW Jarome Iginla (COL) 20-21-41
He managed a 20 goal season at 37, but how many more of those does the veteran power forward have in him? If nothing else he will bring experience and leadership to whoever he signs with.

LW Andrew Ladd (WPG) 18GP, 6-13-19
He was producing at a point per game pace while captaining the Jets, but injuries took most of his season. Can he stay healthy next year? Or is his 29 year old frame already too battered from his rugged style? He's the type of leader you win with in the playoffs, somebody will want him and hope he can be healthy.

C Bryan Little (WPG, LAK) 69GP, 18-31-49
Acquired by the Kings at the deadline for some offensive punch, he actually slowed down his pace after joining them as they slipped out of the playoff picture. If he can score at the .8 PPG pace he was at with Winnipeg he's a legitimate top six centre in this league, but if the 11 points in 20 games with the Kings is more representative of who he is going forward he's more of a middle six guy who needs the right situation and powerplay time to produce.

RW Kyle Okposo (NYI) 26-27-53
Some team is going to pay a premium for a potential 30 goal scoring power forward in his prime. Some scouts think he has untapped offensive potential, while those who don't still see a 25 goal scorer with two way responsibility and physicality.

RW T.J. Oshie (STL) 19-22-41
The highly skilled Oshie had an off year offensively, still pushing twenty goals but dropping off from a sixty point season down to a forty point year. He still played well at both ends of the rink, and if he doesn't hit as a consistent top six scorer he is at least a reliable, competitive and skillful middle six winger who can thrive in the right situation.

LW David Perron (EDM) 11-19-30
His skill is unquestioned, but his results were down big time this season. After a 13-14 year where he scored 28 goals and finished with 57 points, only achieving 30 points this season is a big let down. Will somebody pay him, expecting a bounce back year? Or will he have to take a shorter, cheaper deal to prove himself and earn a payday down the road?

C Brandon Sutter (PIT) 3-8-11
Sutter is a shutdown center. Don't expect points, but somebody will bank on him finding some offense in an expanded role as a 3C.

RW Mats Zuccarello (NYR) 9-26-35
A year removed from his 19 goal, 59 point 13-14 season, will anybody pay big money for a diminutive winger with only nine goals the past season? Zuccarello has been beating the odds his whole career, and his skill and energy will be welcome wherever his new home is.

D Marek Zidlicky (NJD) 16-26-42
He proved at 38 he still has that heavy shot from the point and if he finds a good fit where he can play top four minutes and get a PP1 role he should be able to continue producing despite his age.

G Michal Neuvirth (BUF) 21W, 5SO, 2.53GAA, .927SV%
The 27 year old carried the Sabres through 62 games, and though he doesn't have much in the win column to show for it, that says more about the team in front of him, as his .927 save percentage indicates he kept them in many a game they didn't deserve.

C Artem Anisimov (CBJ) 14-13-27

D Francois Beauchemin (ANA) 5-9-14

C Dave Bolland (FLA, CHI) 10-28-38

D Trevor Daley (DAL) 4-9-13

G Jhonas Enroth (BUF) 9W, 2.98GAA, .919SV%

D Cody Franson (TOR, NYI) 13-16-29

G Thomas Greiss (PIT) 7W, 2.48GAA, .913SV%, Playoffs: 6W, 2.55GAA, .918SV%

D Paul Martin (PIT) 7-18-25

LW Shawn Matthias (VAN, SJS) 12-26-38

RD Jeff Petry (EDM) 3-22-25

[CanuckJohnny]

July 1st Free Agent Frenzy




C Bryan Little signs a 3 year contract with a $5.14M AAV with the Buffalo Sabres - Buffalo is betting that Little can be a productive top six center as he showed with Winnipeg last year and hoping they don't get the half a point per game version of him that LA got down the stretch after acquiring him at the deadline.

LD Dmitry Kulikov signs with Florida for 3 years at an AAV of $2.69M.

RD Jeff Petry signs a 3 year deal with Buffalo at an AAV of $3.96M - The two way defenseman is solid in his own end and boasts a heavy shot from the point, however he had a real down year with the Oilers last season, scoring only three goals and 22 points. The Sabres are betting on a bounce back and 6-3 defensemen who can impact play positively at both ends of the rink don't grow on trees.

Edmonton signs LW Andrew Ladd to a 5 year deal with an AAV of $3.87M and a NTC - Ladd scores with the term and the no trade clause. Rumour has it he could've had more money elsewhere but Edmonton got a lower AAV out of him by providing the long term security.

RW Kyle Okposo gets a four year contract with Winnipeg worth $5.56M per year - The Jets replace Blake Wheeler with another power forward just hitting his prime. Does Okposo have the offensive ceiling to justify this price tag for four years though? Winnipeg obviously believes so.

LW Daniel Paille signs for 1 year at $3M with Montreal.

RW T.J. Oshie gets a long term deal with Pittsburgh, signing for six years at an AAV of $4.21M - The term and the opportunity to play with Crosby and Malkin were obviously too good to pass up for Oshie, who reportedly had multiple offers over $5M per for shorter term.

LD John Moore signs with the NY Rangers for $1.77M per year over three years.

G Michal Neuvirth signs a 3 year deal with San Jose at a cap hit of $4.67M - This is a strange signing for a team that just swung big at the draft to trade for Ryan Miller. Miller was a win now move, and they would seem to see Neuvirth as a longer term option who can mentor under Miller and then take the helm. This probably leaves Antti Niemi on the outside looking in after leading the Sharks to the second round of the playoffs last year.

Detroit signs G Al Montoya for 3 years at an AAV of $2.06M.

LW Shawn Matthias signs with Calgary for three years at $2.29M per year - This is a good deal for the Flames, getting the big winger on a fair deal after he performed well in the playoffs and was a productive middle six option all year for the Canucks and Sharks.

LD Paul Martin gets a one year deal from the Carolina Hurricanes for $4.4M - Martin wanted another year of term but reportedly wasn't getting from anyone, so he goes with the money after showing out well with the Penguins in the postseason.

LW David Perron signs in Pittsburgh for five years at an AAV of $4.16M with a NTC included - Pittsburgh is swinging big on talented wingers, picking up another good one by giving away term and, in this case, the no trade clause as well. Perron has the skill, will he have a rebound season production wise lined up with Crosby or Malkin?

The New York Rangers sign C Jay McClement for $3.83M per year for 3 years - This seems like a big overpay for a player who is a third line center at best.

LW Erik Condra gets $3.82M per season from Ottawa for 3 years - Another team overpaying big time for a bottom six player, they must see something we don't.

Toronto signs RD Trevor Daley to a 2 year, $2.5M AAV deal.

LD Ian Cole signs a 3 year, $1.91M per contract with St. Louis.

Edmonton signs veteran LD Francois Beauchemin to a deal worth $3.29M per year for two seasons.

Minnesota extends RD Jonathon Blum for 3 years at a cap hit of $1.83M.

C Artem Anisimov got 3 years at $3.19M per from Anaheim - He had an off year offensively last season, which limited his options and salary this offseason, but the Ducks are banking on his skill and tools to click for them.

Buffalo signs RW Patrick Eaves at an AAV of $2.7M for 2 years.

RW Jarome Iginla goes back to Colorado for another season for $5.02M.

RD Cody Franson signs with the NY Islanders for 3 years at $3.44M per season - Franson wanted to hit the market and hear the offers from other teams but in the end he chooses the team that traded for him last year.

G Devan Dubnyk signs with Calgary for 3 years at an AAV of $6.7M per season - The Flames get the number one goalie on the market but pay a high price for him, that's top ten money for a goalie - if he doesn't prove to be a quality starter that can lead them into the postseason this will look bad in hindsight.

C Sam Gagner signs a 3 year, $4.72M per year deal with Edmonton - Gagner goes back to the team that drafted him, maybe now that he's farther removed from the original expectations that fan base had for him and has settled into his own game and identity he will fit well with that group.

LW Scott Hartnell signs a $5.19M per year deal with Anaheim for 3 years with a no trade clause - After the first round exit with Washington Hartnell nopes right out of there and takes a little less money than he could have had elsewhere in order to get the security of the no trade clause.

New Jersey signs C Chris Kelly for one year at $5.15M - This is a clear overpay for a third line center at best, but it's easier to swallow with the one year term and the Devils make sure they get their guy.

RW Stephen Gionta signs with Carolina for a cap hit of $3.36M over 2 years.

LD Andy Greene signs for $3.11M per year for two years with Detroit - Greene is betting on himself here, he's an underrated defensive stalwart, great deal for Detroit.

G Thomas Greiss signs with Vancouver for 2 years at $1.6M per season and a no trade clause - The Canucks get a solid veteran backup who just played in the Cup Finals to tandem with up and coming goalie Jacob Markstrom.

RW Blake Wheeler signs a 7 year deal with Dallas at an AAV of $7.03M with a NTC - And with that the biggest fish of the day is caught, Dallas ponies up big time and hands out the term and the NTC and Blake Wheeler has a new home for the next seven seasons. Quality signing, lots of teams wanted him.

Dallas signs LD Brenden Dillon for 3 years at $2.84M.

Philadelphia extends RW Jason Akeson for three more seasons at $1.57M per year - Akeson had a good rookie campaign and is rewarded with three more years to establish himself as a consistent NHL scoring threat.

LW Matt Read signs a $3.7M per year deal with New Jersey for 3 years.

RD Slava Voynov signs back with the Kings for 3 years at a cap hit of $2.32M.

C Joakim Andersson extends with Detroit for 3 years at an AAV of $1.69M - Andersson looked effective in the playoffs, espcially in the early rounds, and Detroit will get three more seasons at a reasonable price to see what they have in him.

C Cory Conacher signs with the NY Islanders for 3 seasons at $2.78M per year.

G Karri Ramo signs for 3 years at a cap hit of $2.29 with San Jose - The Sharks suddenly have a glut of goalies, and this is an especially bizarre signing, overpaying in money and term for a mediocre backup who will likely spend the year with the Barracuda in the AHL.

San Jose signs F Melker Karlsson to a two year deal for $1.04M per year.

Minnesota extends C Erik Haula for two years at a cap hit of $1.09M.

LW Patrick Maroon signs a 3 year contract with Boston worth $2.61M per year - He is a Boston sort of player, sandpaper bottom six guy who can contribute on the scoreboard when you need him to.

C Brandon Sutter signs for 3 years with New Jersey on a front loaded with an AAV of $3.78M - The Devils pay big for a shutdown center who they will be hoping can find some offense in his game for that kind of money.

Dallas signs C Nate Thompson for 2 years at $3.67M per year - This looks like a bad signing, a big overpay for a bottom six center, but they like his two way play and physicality and intangibles and they are only locked in for two years at least.

RW Chris Thorburn gets a 2 year, $2.77M AAV contract with Ottawa.

RW Teddy Purcell signs with Edmonton on a 3 year deal at an AAV of $3M.

LD Andrej Sekera goes to Winnipeg for $4.71M per year for 3 years - A top four two way defenseman who is solid in his own end, can move the puck well and logs a lot of minutes, this is a good value signing for Winnipeg.

RW Jiri Tlusty signs a $3.67M per year 3 year contract with Ottawa.

Buffalo signs RW Patrick Sharp to a 3 year, $6.73M a year contract - Sharp gets his big payday and should be an impactful forward in Buffalo but by the final year of his contract some will be questioning the AAV if his play drops off at all due to age.

LD Keith Yandle signs a seven year front loaded deal with New Jersey that comes to an AAV of $7.17M and has a limited no trade clause - Yandle was the best defenseman available and the Devils were willing to pay big and commit to him. This should be a good signing, Yandle is in his prime and one of the best offensive defensemen in the league, the Devils haven't had a defenseman close to his calibre since Scott Niedermayer.

RW Mats Zuccarello signs for four years at $4.44M per year with the NY Islanders - when the Rangers didn't give him the deal he wanted, Zuccarello packed his bags for their nearest and biggest rival. He will bring offensive skill and a bit of a chip on his shoulder to the Islanders.

Calgary signs veteran RD Marek Zidlicky to a one year, $5.6M deal - Zidlicky can still bomb it from the point, and Calgary avoided giving an extra year, so good deal for them.

LW Daniel Winnik signs with Dallas for 2 years at an AAV of $2.9M.

G Cam Ward signs in Florida for one year at $4.39M - Ward was looking for a longer deal somewhere or a better opportunity but didn't get and takes some good money for a year hoping his market looks better next offseason.

LW Kris Versteeg signs with Florida for $4.04M per season over three years.

RW Joel Ward signs in Ottawa for $3.6M for one year.

RW Justin Abdelkader gets 3 years at $3.98M per from Carolina.

[CanuckJohnny]

Free Agency Day 1 Summary





Winners:



BUFFALO SABRES - Key additions: C Bryan Little ($5.14M/3yrs), RD Jeff Petry ($3.96M/3yrs), RW Patrick Eaves ($2.7M/2yrs), RW Patrick Sharp ($6.73M/3yrs) - You could certainly argue they may regret the last year of Sharp's deal, but the Sabres vaulted themselves into legitimacy, acquiring a top six center, a top four defenseman and a playoff experienced top six winger.



EDMONTON OILERS - Key additions: LW Andrew Ladd ($3.87M/5yrs/NTC), LD Francois Beauchemin ($3.29M/2yrs), C Sam Gagner ($4.72M/3yrs), RW Teddy Purcell ($3M/3yrs) - Edmonton added a lot, especially up front, and they avoided overpaying for Andrew Ladd. If he stays healthy that is going to look like a very savvy deal. Beauchemin is a solid veteran to add to their blueline.



PITTSBURGH PENGUINS - Key additions: RW T.J. Oshie ($4.21M/6yrs), LW David Perron ($4.15M/5yrs/NTC) - Quality over quantity for Pittsburgh, who only made two moves but they were big additions. Both Oshie and Perron have top six upside, are signed long term and should have breakout seasons next to Crosby or Malkin. After coming up one game short last year they are loading up to again be a top contender for Lord Stanley's Cup.



CALGARY FLAMES - Key additions: LW Shawn Matthias ($2.29M/2yrs), G Devan Dubnyk ($6.7M/3yrs), RD Marek Zidlicky ($5.6M/1yr) - The Flames net the best goalie available, pick up a valuable top four veteran blueliner who can still clap bombs for your powerplay all day and make a good value signing with the three year deal for Shawn Matthias for just over $2 million per year.



Losers:



SAN JOSE SHARKS - Key additions: G Michal Neuvirth ($4.67M/3yrs), G Karri Ramo ($2.29M/3yrs), F Melker Karlsson ($1.04M/2yrs) - What are the Sharks doing? They move out a first round pick at the draft for Ryan Miller, instantly moving them from a bubble playoff team to a possible contender. Then at free agency they lose Matthias, acquired at the deadline, for nothing, only to see Calgary sign him to a very reasonable and affordable deal. Then they go out and add not one but two goaltenders, overpaying for a mediocre backup in Ramo and giving both him and Neuvirth three year deals. Maybe they have a plan for Antti Niemi, but they currently have a clear cut number one in Miller, a tandem option with room to grow into a starter in Neuvirth, an NHL backup in Karri Ramo and Niemi, last year's starter who did by the way carry them to the second round of the playoffs. Somebody needs to lay off the goalie juice.



OTTAWA SENATORS - Key additions: LW Erik Condra ($3.82M/3yrs), RW Chris Thorburn ($2.77M/2yrs), RW Jiri Tlusty ($3.67M/3yrs), RW Joel Ward ($3.6M/1yr) - In a free agency day one that saw plenty of overpayment for bottom of the lineup players Ottawa took the cake. Of the four forwards they signed for deals between $2.5 and $4 million, only Tlusty has any significant offensive upside. In one day they effectively handed out almost $14 million per year for bottom six forwards in a master class on cap mismanagement.



VANCOUVER CANUCKS - Key additions: G Thomas Greiss ($1.6M/2yrs/NTC) - For a team looking to stay competitive, and presumably seeking to fill some holes after moving out key pieces already this offseason, Vancouver whiffed on every significant target they were in on. Rumours were circulated that they wanted Shawn Matthias back - well he went to rival Calgary for pennies on the dollar. Reportedly they also went for Paul Martin (to replace Edler in a top four role) but they couldn't or wouldn't meet his ask for a second year and were outbid by the Hurricanes when it came down to the money. Their one notable add was a backup netminder who, yes, had a great run in the Cup Final after replacing Fleury in the Conference Finals, but still is a career backup with unimpressive numbers who somehow got a No Trade Clause. Trevor Linden may look back at his first July first at the helm with regret.



Mushy Middle:


NEW JERSEY - Key additions: LD Keith Yandle ($7.17M/7yrs/NTC), C Brandon Sutter ($3.78M/3yrs), LW Matt Read ($3.7M/3yrs), C Chris Kelly ($5.15M/1yr) - How do you categorize a team that made possibly the biggest signing of the best player of the day, but also went out and blew almost $13 million on bottom six forwards? Confused to say the least. The Devils do like their defensively responsible underrated forwards, and at least Kelly is only signed for one year to a contract that pays him like a solid top six center when he clearly tops out as an average 3C.



DALLAS STARS - Key additions: RW Blake Wheeler ($7.03M/7yrs/NTC), LD Brenden Dillon ($2.84M/3yrs), C Nate Thompson ($3.67M/2yrs) - The Stars joined in on this year's theme of overpaying for low end forwards, giving $3.67 million to career fourth liner Nate Thompson. They also signed probably the top forward in this year's free agency class in Blake Wheeler, which is a win that probably cancels out the Thompson L and then some.

[CanuckJohnny]

Free Agency Day 2 and on




ANA signs C Corey Elkins - 3 yrs, $1.64M AAV
ANA signs RD Erik Johnson - 3 yrs, $2.79M AAV
ARI signs RW Tommy Wingels - 2 yrs, $2.24M AAV
BOS signs RW Michael Frolik - 3 yrs, $2.62M AAV
CAR signs G Carter Hutton - 1 yr, $2.5M AAV
CAR signs LW Andrew Cogliano - 3 yrs, $2.51M AAV
CAR signs RW Alexander Semin - 2 yrs, $1.5M AAV
CBJ signs C Andrew Desjardins - 3 yrs, $2.81M AAV
CBJ signs C Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 2yrs, $1.33M AAV
CBJ signs RW Kyle Brodziak - 3 yrs, $2.5M AAV
CGY signs C Derek MacKenzie - 1 yr, $2.76M AAV
CGY signs RD Luke Schenn - 3 yrs, $1.61M AAV
CGY signs RW Matt Frattin - 2 yrs, $980k AAV
CHI signs RW Steve Downie - 2 yrs, $1.45M AAV
COL signs C Torrey Mitchell - 3 yrs, $2.67M AAV
COL signs LD Dennis Seidenberg - 3 yrs, $2.28M AAV
DET signs RD Justin Braun - 3yrs, $2.43M AAV
DET signs RW Chris Stewart - 2 yrs, $3.71M AAV
DET signs RW David Jones - 2 yrs, $1.53M AAV
EDM signs C Dave Bolland - 3 yrs, $2.64M AAV
LAK signs RW Damien Brunner - 2 yrs, $2.53M AAV
MIN re-signs LD Marco Scandella - 3 yrs, $1.79M AAV
MIN signs LW Milan Michalek - 2 yrs, $1.47M AAV
MTL signs LD Robyn Regeher - 1 yr, $2.83M AAV
MTL signs RW Blake Comeau - 3 yrs, $2.37M AAV
NJD signs C Andreas Engqvist - 2 yrs, $1.31M AAV
NJD signs C Vladimir Sobotka - 2 yrs, $2.05M AAV
NJD signs LW Nikolai Kulemin - 3 yrs, $2.52M AAV
NJD signs RW Ales Hemsky - 2 yrs, $990k AAV
NSH re-signs RW Gabriel Bourque - 2 yrs, $1.11M AAV
NYI signs RW Dale Weise - 2 yrs, $2.22M AAV
NYR signs LD Kyle Quincey - 3 yrs, $1.53M AAV
OTT signs RW Brad Boyes - 2yrs, $2.56M AAV
OTT signs RW Tom Pyatt - 3 yrs, $1.73M AAV
PHI signs C Antoine Vermette - 3 yrs, $3.17M AAV
PHI signs C Boyd Gordon - 2 yrs, $2.39M AAV
PHI signs RD Erik Gustafsson - 3 yrs, $2.38M AAV
STL signs C Cory Emmerton - 3 yrs, $2.38M AAV
VAN signs C Mark Letestu - 2 yrs, $2.42M AAV
VAN signs LD Kris Russell - 2 yrs, $904k AAV
VAN signs LD Nick Holden - 2 yrs, $2.4M AAV
VAN signs LW Joffrey Lupul - 2 yrs, $1.15M AAV
VAN signs RD Zbynek Michalek - 2 yrs, $920k AAV

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Offseason Ticker

• 7-1 TBL acquires LW Joe Vitale; ARI acquires C Brian Boyle
• 7-13 PHI acquires G Antti Niemi; SJS acquires LD Mark Streit, 2016 PHI 3rd

[CanuckJohnny]

Vancouver Free Agency Wrap Up




Signings:
LW Dustin Jeffrey - 2 yrs, $775k AAV
G Thomas Greiss - 2 yrs, $1.6M AAV, NTC
C Mark Letestu - 2 yrs, $2.42M AAV
LD Nick Holden - 2 yrs, $2.4M AAV
LD Marc-Andre Gragnani - 2 yrs, $525k AAV
LD Kris Russell - 2 yrs, $904k AAV
RD Zbynek Michalek - 2 yrs, $920k AAV
LW Joffrey Lupul - 2 yrs, $1.15M AAV

Trevor Linden's first free agency at the helm of the Canucks was a muted and, to some, disappointing one. Reportedly they were in on free agent defenseman Paul Martin on a similar deal to what he got from Carolina, but didn't offer quite as much and Martin chose the Hurricanes. Giving a no trade clause to a backup goalie was a questionable move, but after moving Ryan Miller at the draft Vancouver is clearly committing to Markstrom for the foreseeable future and wanted a steady veteran behind him to platoon for the first year and to mentor him but without expecting a majority of starts. Greiss probably impressed Canucks brass with his playoff performances, coming in for Fleury and leading Pittsburgh to the seventh game of the Cup Finals.

The two biggest ticket signings Vancouver made were not on day one of free agency, and it seems reasonable to presume that both Holden and Letestu were backup plans after primary targets chose to go elsewhere. Word is that they wanted Shawn Matthias back after he refused to extend in San Jose, but he wanted a fresh start somewhere new, and also probably got a little more than Vancouver was offering when he went with Calgary on a three year deal. However Linden and his management team do really like Letestu's versatility and offensive skillset as a middle six piece, and they are hoping Holden can compete for a top four role and rise to fill some of the hole left by Alex Edler being traded.

The Canucks brought Dustin Jeffrey back on a two year deal after sending him to Minnesota for a playoff run where he played well against them in the first round. Gragnani, Russell and Michalek are all depth defensive signings, of whom Vancouver probably hopes at least one or two can crack the opening day lineup in a top six role. Russell and Michalek are both dark horses to take a top four role next season.

Joffrey Lupul was a later signing, not a lot of teams were inquiring about his services in spite of him having a very strong season last year with Philadelphia scoring 31 goals. Perhaps him wanting at least two years at 31 years old without being considered a premium talent was the sticking point. At any rate, if he can perform even close to that at a $1.15 million price tag this will be a bargain for Vancouver.

[CanuckJohnny]

Pre-Season News




Sept 1, 2015 - Nashville signs RW Alexander Radulov for 1 year for $1.7M

Sept 1, 2015 - Blockbuster three way deal as Chicago looks to repeat as champions - CHI acquires RD Dustin Byfuglien, 2016 PIT 4th; PIT acquires C Ryan Hartman, 2016 CHI 2nd; WPG acquires RW Bryan Rust, LD Derrick Pouliot - Chicago makes a huge move to bolster their lineup, bringing back big Dustin Byfuglien to the blueline to round out that top four. Winnipeg who looks to be rebuilding after selling at last year's deadline gets a couple good prospects from Pittsburgh in Pouliot, who will likely turn into a top six NHL defenseman with PP upside, and Bryan Rust who could become a quality middle six winger for the Jets down the road, and is knocking on the door of a regular NHL role this preseason. Pittsburgh is willing to part with two young players who could've made their lineup this year in exchange for a young player in Hartman that they see as a long term quality 3C behind Crosby and Malkin, while also picking up some draft capital to stock the cupboards down the road.

Sept 10th, 2015 - Erik Karlsson signs a 7 year extension with Ottawa, worth $7.11M per year. He could have easily gotten more on the open market, but clearly believes in the team that drafted him and wants to win with them. The deal comes with a no movement clause.

Sept 19th, 2015 - Los Angeles signs star goaltender Jonathan Quick to a four year extension at an AAV of $4.99M. Great deal for the Kings as Quick takes a hometown discount.

Sept 23rd, 2015 - Another deal goes down between Stanley Cup Finals opponents Chicago and Pittsburgh - CHI acquires 2016 PIT 2nd; PIT acquires G Antti Raanta - Pittsburgh again looks to retool by dipping into Chicago's pool of NHL ready talent. After losing backup Thomas Greiss in free agency, the Pens fill that hole with 26 year old Antti Raanta, who hasn't had a lot of opportunity in Chicago but many around the league believe he could develop into a starter still, at least in a tandem situation.

Sept 23rd, 2015 - Struggling with the salary cap after some ill advised offseason moves (including the trading of Selke winner Marcus Kruger to Los Angeles in exchange for the more expensive and older Jeff Carter) the Blackhawks made a trade that was both massive and underwhelming - CHI acquires 2016 SJS 2nd; SJS acquires LW Brandon Saad - Stanley Cup hero Brandon Saad gets moved to the Sharks for pennies on the dollar. Blackhawks fans are crushed, as 22 year old Saad was a fan favourite and perceived as a core piece for years down the road. Turns out nobody wanted to help out the Stanley Cup champions with their cap troubles, so San Jose stepped in to acquire a valuable asset. The Blackhawks give up on a young first line winger on a reasonable contract for the middling return of a second rounder. This could be one of the biggest steals of the offseason.

Oct 6th, 2015 - San Jose claims RW Brad Boyes off waivers from Ottawa - Boyes was signed in free agency to a two year deal, but failed to make the opening roster out of the preseason, being beat out by Mark Stone, Jiri Tlusty, Bobby Ryan, Chris Thorburn and Tom Pyatt. San Jose is hoping he will fit better in their lineup and maybe get a steal of an effective middle six scorer out of the bargain bin of waivers.


**NOTE - I did turn the trading up a bit in the offseason, so there would be some CPU player movement instead of me doing a lot of the trades manually. Because of the atrocious AI in this game this will lead to some weird trades, which I occasionally clean up and occasionally just try to fit into the storyline.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks in PRE-SEASON




SOW 3-2 vs CGY - A solid first outing saw rookie Brendan Gaunce get a goal and an assist, Dustin Jeffrey score, Linden Vey pick up two helpers to make his case for opening day and all three of Daniel Sedin, Justin Williams and Joffrey Lupul score in the shootout to pick up the victory. Kris Russell had an assist and a perfect defensive game, with three blocked shots, four hits and a takeaway in almost twenty minutes of icetime. Markstrom stopped 21 of 23 shots.
W 3-2 @ BUF - Justin Williams scored two goals on a line with Chris Higgins and Nick Bonino, perhaps a preview of the regular season second line for Vancouver. Zack Kassian threw six hits. Zbynek Michalek blocked five shots and threw a hit on his second straight game paired up with Kris Russell - new coach Dan Bylsma seems to like them together and that might be a combination we see in the regular season. Thomas Greiss made 27 saves on 29 shots in his first outing in a Vancouver uniform.
OTL 3-2 vs COL - Gragnani made the most of his appearance in the lineup with the Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight), while Mark Letestu also impressed, assisting on both Vancouver goals. Frank Corrado was -2 in 25 minutes of icetime and looked awful. Greiss made 29 saves on 32 shots. Jan Hejda was the overtime hero for Colorado, handing Vancouver its first loss of the pre-season.
SOW 3-2 @ DET - Markstrom was tested big time, facing 44 shots but he held the fort, only allowing two goals. Daniel had a goal and an assist and Mark Letestu picked up his third helper of the preseason. Frank Corrado looked much better than he did in his first preseason appearance, blocking two shots and picking up an assist. Nick Holden scored the shootout winner in an incredibly long shootout and also blocked four shots and threw four hits. With both Holden and Russell in the mix on the left side, Ryan Stanton may be hard pressed to make the team in a top six role this year, however he played a solid game, blocked a shot and made three hits.
L 3-1 @ CAR - Yannick Weber had the lone Vancouver goal in what was generally a poor showing for the visiting Canucks. They mustered only 20 shots while allowing 30, and nobody stood out as playing really well outside of maybe Holden and Russell, who both played their defensive roles very well. Holden blocked five shots and had two hits, Russell blocked 3 shots, threw a body check and had a takeaway. Markstrom made 27 saves.
********
Training Camp Update:
Vancouver announces round of cuts -
D Marc-Andre Gragnani - signed as a depth piece, Gragnani had one good offensive game but overall didn't impress enough to earn a spot on a deep left side.
D Frank Corrado - earning a regular role and reputation for safe two way play last season, Corrado's game doesn't look to have progressed at all and with a deeper blueline he will be one of the odd men out.
RW Nicklas Jensen - it's a bit of a disappointment that the young winger couldn't break out and earn at least a longer look, but he was relatively ineffective in the game action he saw and reportedly underwhelming in practice as well.
C Cole Cassels - the rookie was always expected to cut his teeth in the minors for a year or more before breaking into the league, and he didn't stand out enough to warrant keeping him up longer.

Vancouver will need to trim their roster by three more players by the start of the regular season.
********
L 2-0 @ CGY - Calgary's big offseason free agent acquisition Devan Dubnyk earned the 14 save shutout as Vancouver struggled to get anything going while allowing 34 shots on Markstrom. Nick Holden played his defensive role to perfection, and Zbynek Michalek looked great as well with four blocks and three hits and a takeaway. Weber was solid, blocking three shots and being on a pairing with Holden that was the only one not to be scored against. Bonino and Horvat both struggled in the circle but still looked amazing defensively despite each being on the ice for a goal against.
L 2-0 vs NYR - the Canucks end the pre-season with two straight shutout losses. They were decent defensively, allowing only 23 shots on Greiss, but couldn't produce anything offensively, managing only 17 shots. The pairing of Kris Russell and Yannick Weber didn't look good, being on the ice for both Ranger goals. Horvat again looked very solid in his own end. Linden Vey made his case to stay in the big leagues for the season opener, attempting 5 shots, blocking a shot and being credited with a takeaway all in only nine minutes of icetime.
*********
Training Camp Update:
Vancouver announces final cuts and opening night roster -
Cuts:
C Brendan Gaunce - the rookie did well for himself to last this long after being pencilled into Utica's lineup from the outset. He played well but Vancouver is deep down the middle and more focused on developing Gaunce properly in the AHL.
LW Mason Raymond - in his second stint with the team Raymond has been only a shadow of the player that was on the 2011 Cup Finals roster, and he will start the year in Utica if he clears waivers.
RW Linden Vey - Vancouver's final cut of the preseason is a bit of a surprise, as they elect to go with 8 defensemen rather than risk losing last year's team plus minus leader Ryan Stanton on waivers. Vey was not amazing in preseason (he managed only two assists and a minus one rating in five games) but he was good enough that he could easily have made the team and is likely the first callup at forward.

Opening Roster:
Daniel - Henrik - Vrbata
Higgins - Bonino - Williams
Jeffrey - Richardson - Kassian
Lupul - Horvat - Letestu

Hamhuis - Tanev
Russell - Michalek
Holden - Weber

Markstrom
Greiss

HS: Burrows, Stanton, Bieksa

[CanuckJohnny]

Vancouver Canucks Season Preview




Outlook

Dan Bylsma takes over the bench this season, and he says we will see more of the Sedins together. Besides that, he really likes Russell and Michalek together, at least through preseason action. There are a lot of new faces this year after Trevor Linden had a busy offseason, and some familiar ones will be missed. Gone are Ryan Miller, Alex Edler and Jannik Hansen. In an effort to replace Edler a slew of defensemen were signed in free agency, and while no names really pop, the roster certainly has depth on the left side. How much will newly anointed starter Jacob Markstrom carry? Thomas Greiss didn't sign for two years to start fourteen times like he did last year with Pittsburgh. Up front the team added some veterans whose reputation exceeds what they are probably capable of contributing. Can Justin Williams regain his form? Will Joffrey Lupul repeat his 32 goal season or fall off the proverbial cliff? And will Letestu add anything besides depth and versatility to the lineup? At his price tag the Canucks are expecting some offensive pop.

The Canucks benefited from being in the weakest division in hockey last year. That may still be the case but not nearly to the same degree after an offseason that saw San Jose, Calgary and Edmonton all improve significantly. The Kings reworked their roster a bit, adding Hansen and Brunner and Edler and Kruger while moving out Williams and Carter, and they should be very competitive after an off year from Kopitar last season. We expect Vancouver makes the playoffs, but not as the top dog in their division this time around. San Jose with Ryan Miller, Mark Streit and Brandon Saad headlining their additions are just looking way too good. And Calgary with Dubnyk backstopping them and Edmonton with their firepower up front are both going to good competition this year.

Roster

Goalies:
Jacob Markstrom (25yo, 11gp, 5w, 2.58gaa, .916sv%, 1so) - It seems that Markstrom will be named the starter out of the gate. His NHL experience is limited but his talent is undeniable and in trading Ryan Miller at the draft Trevor Linden effectively handed the youngster the reins in net.

Thomas Greiss (29yo, 14gp, 7w, 2.48gaa, .913sv%) - the career backup may get a shot at more games than he's played in a season. Vancouver signed him to a two year deal with a no trade clause after his performance in the Stanley Cup Finals when he replaced Marc-Andre Fleury for the Pens. While he's pegged as the number, he's in a situation with a young number in Markstrom to earn his way into more of a tandem situation.

Defensemen:
Dan Hamhuis (32yo, 77gp, 2-20-22, +0) - At 32 on an expiring deal hometown boy Dan Hamhuis is under pressure to prove that he can continue to be a legit top pairing defenseman and earn another long term contract. He will be heavily depended on by Dan Bylsma after the organization moved out Alex Edler this offseason.

Chris Tanev (25yo, 78gp, 2-19-21, +8) - Tanev proved last year that he can stay healthy all year and that he can handle first pairing minutes all season long. He is emerging as one of the better young shutdown defensemen in the league, but he is in a more modern mold, plying his craft with skating, intelligence and stick skills more than physical dominance or intimidation.

Nick Holden (28yo, 79gp, 4-17-21, +7) - The 6-4 former Av signed a two year deal with the Canucks as a free agent. He doesn't bring much offensively but he's solid and physical in his own end. He's probably hoping to carve out a top four role on a Canucks blueline lacking in big names, but for now he's starting on the bottom pair.

Kris Russell (28yo, 55gp, 5-6-11, -6) - Russell earned a reputation as a smooth skating defensively responsible blueliner in Calgary, but the question is will he stay healthy all year? He also hasn't developed much of an offensive side to his game. Trevor Linden and Dan Bylsma both like his game and he looks to have earned a top four role over bigger ticket signing Nick Holden, at least for now.

Zbynek Michalek (32yo, 69gp, 6-6-12, -11) - Perhaps an underrated signing, Michalek is a solid defensive defenseman who toiled in Arizona last year. If he can maintain a top four job all year and be a good shutdown option and penalty killer his affordable two year deal is going to look good.

Yannick Weber (27yo, 74gp, 7-22-29, -9) - Weber struggled in his own end last season but flashed some offensive potential and played a regular NHL shift all year for the Canucks. On a defense corps lacking for game breaking offensive skill he should see a lot of powerplay time and get a little bit of leash for his occasionally risky game.

Ryan Stanton (26yo, 56gp, 4-8-12, +14) - Stanton was very effective in a bottom pairing role for Vancouver last year. He has been pushed down the depth chart by the additions of NHL veterans Holden and Russell but the Canucks are keen enough to keep him around that they are starting the year with 13 forwards and 8 defensemen.

Kevin Bieksa (34yo, 43gp, 1-3-4, +3) - "Juice" slowed down a lot last season and Father Time may be catching up to him. He is around for his voice and his leadership, but he also has NHL and playoff experience and is always willing to stick up for teammates.

Forwards:
Henrik Sedin (35yo, 82gp, 21-35-56, +6) - The Captain isn't a point per game all star like he used to be, but last season saw him break 20 goals for the first time since his Hart winning 2009-2010 season. With three more years on his contract and management under pressure to compete largely for his sake there is a lot of pressure for him to continue to lead by example on and off the ice.

Daniel Sedin (35yo, 82gp, 12-27-39, +5) - Dale Hunter split the twins up a lot in his one season in Vancouver, and Daniel really struggled away from his brother. Dan Bylsma is planning to keep the Sedins together a lot more this year, so hopefully Danny can find his offensive game and especially get his sniper's touch back.

Radim Vrbata (34yo, 82gp, 29-19-48, +5) - Vrbata's first season with Vancouver went well and he was one goal away from thirty. He hasn't dropped off too much yet and is looking to have another productive season in a contract year.

Nick Bonino (27yo, 82gp, 11-27-38, +15) - In his first year with Canucks Bonino established himself as a solid middle six two way center. His offensive totals and especially his goal scoring dropped off a bit and he may not quite be the player they hoped he would become when they traded Ryan Kesler for him, but he still is carving out his own identity and becoming a key part of this roster.

Chris Higgins (32yo, 76gp, 13-21-34, -2) - Higgins maintains a good reputation as a hard working middle six winger who is responsible at both ends of the ice. He is expected to be a leader for this team with his professional preparation and work ethic.

Justin Williams (34yo, 81gp, 7-19-26, -3) - After a down year for the Kings Mr. Game Seven comes to Vancouver for a bounce back campaign. He should see top six minutes and possibly get a look with the Sedins at some point. He looked good in preseason on a line with Higgins and Bonino and that's where he should start the year.

Brad Richardson (30yo, 74gp, 7-7-14, -8) - You get what you expect from Richardson. He won't get you much on the scoreboard but you can trust him to play hard matchups against the other team's best players every night. He plays defensive game with grit and intelligence.

Bo Horvat (20yo, 74gp, 12-18-30, +4) - After a solid rookie season under familiar coach Dale Hunter all eyes are on Horvat to see what steps he takes in his development and how he responds to Dan Bylsma.

Zack Kassian (24yo, 82gp, 16-9-25, -4) - Vancouver will again rely on Kassian to bring energy and play a physical game, but what everyone wants to know is if he is a bottom six physical grinder or if there is top of the lineup goal scoring potential in that 6-3 228lb frame. He scored 16 last year, if he can crack 20 that shows some steady offensive progression and looks good on him when negotiating his next contract.

Joffrey Lupul (32yo, 77gp, 32-15-47, +6) - Lupul signed a bargain of a deal for a 32 goal scorer, but the reality is that it's no secret around the league that he's lost a step and is mostly a one trick pony. He needs to prove the doubters wrong, and he will probably have a chance, at least on the powerplay, to play with the Sedins at some point. He starts off in a fourth line role but could fight his way into the top six with his pedigree.

Mark Letestu (30yo, 76gp, 10-26-36, -9) - He was signed for his versatility (he can play all three forward positions seamlessly) and playmaking skill but it will be up to him to demonstrate he is worth it. The knock on him is that for a smaller player not a lot stands out and he isn't known for his skating or defensive game. If he isn't productive he is going to look like a poor free agency decision by Linden.

Dustin Jeffrey (27yo, 61gp, 6-6-12, +15) - Vancouver helped revitalize his NHL career last season, and he's back with them after a foray into the playoffs with Minnesota. He has really re-invented himself into a solid shutdown bottom six winger. He won't produce a lot of offense but he brings energy and doesn't make a lot of mistakes in his own end.

Alex Burrows (34yo, 67gp, 2-6-8, +8) - "Burr" finds himself in a familiar position, fighting for playing time and a roster spot. He brings leadership and passion to this locker room, but you better believe he also wants to play and make a difference. His offence has really dried up these days but he still is effective in his own end and as a penalty killer. His line is rarely scored on.

Prospects:
G Thatcher Demko (NCAA) - At 19, Thatcher has lots of time to refine and develop his game in college, and so far he looks like he could turn into an NHL starter down the road.

G Alexandar Georgiev (KHL) - Playing in the KHL at 19 was a struggle for Georgiev but scouts saw the talent and Vancouver took a flyer on him. If he can step his game up this season he could start to look like a savvy pick later in the draft.

G Anthony Stolarz (AHL) - At 21, it's time for Stolarz to step up and show he belongs in the pros. He's still behind Cannata in Utica, but the Canucks hope he can push for more playing time and continue developing into what they hope will be an NHL goalie one day.

D Ben Hutton (AHL) - Hutton will make his professional debut for the Utica Comets after signing his ELC this summer and the plan will be for him to work on his game and grow into a serviceable two way NHL blueliner after some time in the minors.

D Dylan DeMelo (AHL) - Acquired from San Jose in the Matthias trade, Canucks brass are hoping he can use his time in their farm system to develop into a steady defensive defenseman with a physical edge.

D Carson Soucy (AHL) - Soucy doesn't have a high ceiling, but with his 6-5 frame he could definitely become a useful depth defenseman. He will be honing his game in Utica this year.

D Gustav Forsling (SHL) - After a solid season in Europe last year Forsling will look to build on that and establish himself as a two way defenseman with NHL upside.

D Rasmus Andersson (OHL) - After a great year in junior led to being drafter by Vancouver in the second round by Vancouver Andersson will look to repeat and even improve on his 52 point performance while also rounding out his two way game.

D Erik Cernak (OHL) - Cernak is already building a reputation as a solid, physically imposing shut down defender. He will hope to round out his game and improve his skating this year in the OHL.

D Vince Dunn (OHL) - The Canucks selected Dunn for all around game and offensive potential. It will be up to him to justify that pick by showing continued improvement in all areas as he takes even more responsibility at the junior level.

C Brendan Gaunce (AHL) - Gaunce was solid in his own end in the preseason and almost made the Canucks, but he will get a lot more all situations experience in Utica.

C Cole Cassels (AHL) - Icetime is what the organization is giving Cassels in Utica, and what they want to see is further rounding out of his game to grow into an effective two way center and make their roster in a year or two.

C Danton Heinen (AHL) - Heinen was the prize for moving down in the draft and Vancouver likes what he brings as far as his all around game. He was effective for Providence last year and the hope is he will build on his 20 goals and 48 points at the minor league level as he grows toward earning an NHL spot someday.

C Jared McCann (OHL) - McCann will have big expectations on him in the OHL after a point per game season. How much more dominant can he become at that level before he has nothing else to prove? Vancouver will likely sign him next year and would hope he could compete for an NHL job sooner rather than later.

LW Kirill Kaprizov (KHL) - Kaprizov oozes skill and potential and the only real question about him is if and when he will come to the NHL. Vancouver management will be watching his KHL performances closely as they stay in touch with him and try to guide his development from a distance.

RW Nicklas Jensen (AHL) - Jensen is running out of track to prove he can become an NHLer and his skillset may disadvantage him from ever having a bottom six role so if he can't dominate the AHL and earn some icetime in the big leagues he is going to start sliding down the organizational depth chart.

RW Jake Virtanen (WHL) - Jake had a productive season in the WHL and will look for a repeat of that success while he rounds out his game in juniors. He has a high ceiling if he can hit as a goal scoring power forward in the NHL one day.

C Ross Colton (NCAA) - Colton should have lots of time to develop and round out his game in the NCAA. He is defensively solid and has good goal scoring ability, now he has to translate that from high school to college to prove he will continue tracking as an NHL prospect.

RW Conor Garland (QMJHL) - As a smaller forward Conor is always going to have doubters, but if he can take another step this year in the QMJHL it will go a long ways toward making him look like a good selection by Linden and co.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks in OCTOBER




W 6-1 @ CGY - The Canucks blew the doors off the saddledome to spoil Calgary's home opener, getting a hat trick from Radim Vrbata and two goals from Joffrey Lupul. Markstrom made 26 saves for the win, while Dubnyk looked shell shocked in his first regular season action with the Flames after signing that massive contract. The Sedins looked great on the top line with Vrbata, Danny had 2 assists and Hank a goal and 2 assists. Mark Letestu had two assists in his Canucks debut. Kris Russell was +2 with three blocks and a takeaway against his former team.
W 5-1 vs CGY - In their home opener Vancouver makes another statement, scoring five more goals on Dubnyk. Lupul scored a his third of the young season on a powerplay early, and Richardson, Higgins, Bonino and Weber all scored as well. Justin Williams had three helpers on the night and Jacob Markstrom made 35 saves to earn his second straight win.
W 2-1 @ ANA - Justin Williams' first of the year tied it after William Karlsson opened the scoring for Anaheim. Daniel Sedin scored the winner in the third. Markstrom had an amazing game, making 40 saves for the victory.
L 3-2 @ LAK - Thomas Greiss made 30 saves in his Canucks debut but Vancouver came up short in the loss. Vrbata got his fourth goal of the season and Kris Russell also scored for the Canucks, while former Canuck Jannik Hansen picked up an assist and the Kings' other big offseason acquisition, Marcus Kruger, picked up his first goal of the year. Russell sustained a rib injury late in the game and will be day to day going forward
W 2-1 vs STL - Ryan Stanton draws into the lineup for his first game action of the year after Russell went down last game. Nick Holden moves up to the second pairing. All the scoring happened in the middle frame, with Vrbata's 5th breaking the ice, then Jori Lehtera answering for the Blues and finally Henrik with what would be the gamewinner, assisted by brother Daniel. Markstrom again impressed, making 33 saves for the win.
W 3-2 vs EDM - Zack Kassian got his first of the year to open the scoring, and goals from Bonino and Williams gave the Canucks enough for the W. Oilers defenseman Justin Schultz had two goals in the losing cause, moving him to five on the season alreay.
W 5-1 vs WSH - Veteran Alex Burrows makes his season debut against Alex Ovechkin's Capitals. Washington took eight penalties and the Canucks powerplay took advantage, converting on four powerplays with goals from Burrows, Henrik, Vrbata and Williams. Markstrom made 31 saves.
L 2-1 vs DET - After an unexpectedly strong start to the year, the Canucks are dominated by the Cup contending Red Wings. Vancouver mustered only 14 shots on backup goalie Al Montoya, with Nick Bonino's third period snipe being the only one to beat him. Greiss made 32 saves in the losing cause.
L 3-0 vs MTL - Kris Russell is back but Yannick Weber is out with an eye issue. Bieksa will get his first game action of the regular season and Stanton will go back to the press box. The Canadiens are flying high so far this year, and the Carey Price shutout has them up to 9-1 on the season. Gallagher was dominant, scoring his fifth of the year and taking eight shots on goal. Vancouver's second line of Higgins, Bonino and Williams really struggled, generating only two shots between them and going minus-2.
W 3-2 @ DAL - Radim Vrbata, currently tied for the league lead in goals with six, is day to day after sustaining a lower body injury last game. Letestu slots into the lineup as the right wing on the second line and Justin Williams moves up to play with the Sedins. Vancouver gets back to their winning ways, getting goals from Bonino, Williams and Bo Horvat. Greiss makes 21 saves for his first win as a Canuck.
L 5-3 @ ARI - Coyotes backup Jared Coreau had a 28 save victory as Arizona romped over Vancouver for just their second win of the season. Defenseman Brandon Gormley was the unlikely first star with a goal and three assists. Dustin Jeffrey had his first of the year for the Canucks.

Record: 7-4-0, 14 points, 2nd in Pacific

Player Stats:
Goals - Vrbata (6), Williams, Bonino (4), Henrik, Lupul (3)
Assists - Henrik (7), Daniel (6), Williams (5), Bonino, Higgins, Holden, Michalek (4)
Points - Henrik (10), Williams, Vrbata (9), Daniel, Bonino (8), Higgins (6)
Plus/Minus - Michalek (+7), Russell (+6), Henrik, Williams (+4), Daniel, Holden, Kassian (+3)
PIM - Kassian (14), Hamhuis (10), Williams, Lupul, Tanev (8)
Shots - Daniel (31), Vrbata (30), Bonino (27), Henrik (22), Holden (20)
Hits - Hamhuis, Kassian (20), Richardson (18), Holden, Higgins (17)
Takeaways - Tanev (8), Hamhuis (6), Richardson, Holden, Bonino, Horvat (5)
Blocks - Tanev (29), Holden (23), Michalek (20), Hamhuis, Russell (18)
FO% - Horvat (53.7), Bonino (52.4), Henrik (48.5), Richardson (45.0)

Goalies:
Markstrom - 6-1-0, 1.71 GAA, .948 SvPct, 6.91 GSAA
Greiss - 1-3-0, 2.51 GAA, .919 SvPct, 0.11 GSAA

Injuries:
RW Radim Vrbata DTD (hip)

Summary:
Dan Bylsma appears to have revitalized the Sedins, and playing together consistently with Radim Vrbata has all three clicking and both twins on track for impressive bounce back years offensively. Justin Williams has proven to be a savvy offseason pickup as he is also having a tremendous resurgence offensively. Richardson is struggling in his third line shutdown role and his faceoffs have been lacking - maybe it's already time to replace him with the sophomore Bo Horvat, who has thus far shown good defensive chops centering the fourth line.
On the blueline, Russell and Michalek have been steady as a second pairing, but Yannick Weber hasn't brought as much offense as expected. Markstrom has looked impressive between the pipes and Greiss has been reliable as a backup but hasn't really had the run support, resulting in some undeserved Ls.
Vancouver is looking surprisingly competitive (through one month albeit) for a team that sold off the kind of assets they did over the offseason. They sit second in their division to the Kings, and are tied with St. Louis for second in the West. Even after missing a couple games to injury Vrbata is tied for third in the league in goals. Markstrom looks like a great bet to take over the crease so far, and his top ten goals against average and save percentage is going to make Canucks fans forget about Vezina winner Ryan Miller very quickly.

Prospect Watch:
RD Rasmus Andersson (OHL) 10gp, 1-6-7, +3, his shot accuracy is improving

LD Vince Dunn (OHL) 10gp, 1-7-8, +1, has improved his shot from range

C Jared McCann (OHL) 9gp, 2-5-7, E, is demonstrating improved leadership in his veteran role for his junior team

RW Conor Garland (QMJHL) 10gp, 3-6-9, +2, his puck skills and protection are getting better

LW Kirill Kaprizov (RUS) 8gp, 7-5-12, +2, his first steps are looking quicker

LD Gus Forsling (SWE) 8gp, 1-4-5, -1, he's playing a larger role and eating up more minutes and also doing better at finding open ice in the offensive zone

C Ross Colton (NCAA) 6gp, 3-2-5, E, his strength on his skates and puck protection are getting better

C Cole Cassels (AHL) 12gp, 2-9-11, +1, is growing by leaps and bounds so far, looking more balanced on the ice, showing improved playmaking and playing the body better as well

C Danton Heinen (AHL) 12gp, 4-4-8, E, his shot is looking more and more accurate lately

RW Jake Virtanen (WHL) 10gp, 6-7-13, +1, he is dominating and playing well at both ends, improving his stick checking notably and also showing more willingness to go the hard areas of the ice

[CanuckJohnny]

October Recap




The defending champs are off to a slow start, with Crawford looking the part of a Stanley Cup hangover (.889 save percentage!), Byfuglien a -5 and they have no secondary scoring up front after their top line of Teravainen, Kane and Toews. So the West is looking pretty open - St. Louis is on top of the Central, led by Paul Stastny's league leading seven goals, and Dallas (Blake Wheeler has 10 assists already) and Winnipeg are only one point back. The Kings are looking good with an 8-2 record and Tyler Toffoli tied with Stastny for the league lead in goals with 7. Offseason acquisitions like Alex Edler, Jannik Hansen and Selke winner Marcus Kruger have bolstered a lineup that is still only one year removed from being Stanley Cup champions. The Canucks and Flames are both looking good early, Vancouver mostly on Jacob Markstrom's early run of strong play and a (thus far) resurgent season from the Sedins and Calgary backstopped by July first acquisition Devan Dubnyk and with unlikely star Curtis Glencross second in the NHL scoring race (15 points).

Carey Price has been amazing for the 10-2 Canadiens and is a big reason they sit atop the league through the first month of the season. The Rangers and Islanders are both looking very strong in the Metro, and though the Rangers currently set the pace at 18 points the Islanders are on their heels and Halak is playing like a man possessed with four shutouts already. The Metro may be the toughest division in hockey this year, as the Capitals, Flyers, Penguins and Devils have all looked strong so far. The Maple Leafs look to be having a bounce back year and are in the playoff conversation so far. Jack Eichel has looked good so far. Stamkos has been carrying the Lightning to a solid 13 points but the rest of that team is going to have to step up around him if they want to keep pace with Detroit and Boston.

Team Stat Leaders:
GF/gm - NY Rangers (3.64), Tampa Bay (3.08), Boston, Calgary, Colorado, Dallas, Montreal (3.00)
GA/gm - NY Islanders (1.18), Montreal (1.42), Los Angeles (1.90), NY Rangers (1.91), Vancouver (2.00)
PP - Calgary (30.8%), Dallas (27.8%), St. Louis, Vancouver (25.7%), Pittsburgh (24.0%)
PK - NY Islanders, NY Rangers (93.8%), Detroit (93.1%), St. Louis (91.2%), Montreal (89.5%)

Goalie Leaders (min 5gp):
GAA - Price (MTL) 0.87, Halak (NYI) 1.09, Bishop (TBL) 1.38, Bobrovsky (CBJ) 1.60, Markstrom (VAN) 1.71
Sv Pct - Price (MTL) .966, Halak (NYI) .960, Bishop (TBL) .952, Markstrom (VAN) .948, Scrivens (EDM) .947
GSAA - Halak (NYI) 10.39, Price (MTL) 9.69, Bernier (TOR) 8.63, Scrivens (EDM) 7.71, Bobrovsky (CBJ) 7.36
SO - Halak (NYI) 4, Fleury (PIT), Price (MTL) 3, Bobrovsky (CBJ), Hutton (CAR), Rinne (NSH) 2

Rookie Leaders:
Points - Hrabarenka (NJD) 3-2-5, Danault (FLA) 2-3-5, Schmaltz (CHI) 3-1-4, Domi (ARI) 2-2-4, Galiev (WSH) 1-3-4, Duclair (NYR) 1-3-4, Eichel (TOR) 1-3-4

Other Stat Leaders:
Takeaways - Korpikoski (ARI) 13, Nielsen (NYI) 12, Ladd (EDM), Stone (OTT), Versteeg (FLA) 11
Hits - Borowiecki (OTT) 78, Manning (PHI) 69, Bjugstad (FLA), L. Schenn (CGY) 65, Tinordi (MTL) 60
Blocked Shots - Vlasic (SJS) 43, Martinez (LAK) 38, Brodie (CGY) 37, Gardiner (TOR) 35, Girardi (NYR), Trouba (WPG) 34
PIM - Borowiecki (OTT) 61, L. Schenn (CGY) 44, Manning (PHI), Tinordi (MTL) 40, Hartnell (ANA) 34
FO% - Glendening (DET) 62.8, Slater (CBJ) 61.9, Pageau (OTT) 61.5, Crosby (PIT) 59.9, Toews (CHI) 59.5
+/- - Stamkos (TBL) +11, Emelin (MTL), Hagelin (NYR) +10, Fast (NYR) +9, Franson (NYI), Oshie (PIT), Wisniewskki (CBJ), +8

Injuries:
F Lance Bouma (CGY) OUT 2-3 weeks (knee)
F Darren Helm (DET) DTD (leg)
F Joakim Andersson (DET) DTD (eye)
F Erik Haula (MIN) OUT 1-2 weeks (hand)
D Damon Severson (NJD) OUT 1-2 weeks (back)
F Ryan Strome (NYI) OUT 1-2 months (jaw)
D John Moore (NYR) OUT 1-2 months (concussion)
F Logan Couture (SJS) OUT 2-3 months (ankle)
D Dan Boyle (TBL) DTD (jaw)
D Jason Garrison (TBL) OUT 1-2 weeks (foot)
F Tyler Bozak (TOR) OUT 1-2 weeks (upper body)

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Ticker




Oct 7th, 2015 - Tampa Bay extends franchise center Steven Stamkos for two years at an $8 Million cap hit.

Oct 8th, 2015 - In one of the more embarassing examples of cap mismanagement in recent history, the Blackhawks were forced to waive recently acquired forward Jeff Carter (for whom they traded Selke-winning center Marcus Kruger). San Jose claimed him, gaining another quality piece as they start to look dangerous in the Pacific.

Oct 10th, 2015 - Florida's Erik Gudbranson was suspended for five games for a dangerous head shot.

Oct 28th, 2015 - Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins was suspended six games for a vicious hit to the head.

Oct 30th, 2015 - Ovechkin has reached 900 NHL points with his goal against the Panthers.

Oct 31st, 2015 - Steven Stamkos of Tampa Bay is the NHL's player of the month with nineteen points in twelve games. Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak took home goalie of the month honours with four shutouts through nine games in a truly dominant October for him.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks in NOVEMBER




L 2-1 vs PHI - A lacklustre effort to start the month as Vancouver only managed 14 shots on Niemi and Zbynek Michalek's first of the year was the only shot to beat him. Markstrom allowed two goals on 28 shots.
W 4-3 vs PIT - The second line of Bonino, Letestu and Justin Williams was looking good. Bonino and Letestu both had a goal and an assist and Williams potted his fifth of the year. Chris Tanev scored the winner with just over a minute to go in the third. Markstrom made 29 saves to earn the win.
SOW 3-2 @ BUF - Dan Bylsma makes some lineup changes, reuniting Burrows with the twins and dropping Lupul back to the 4th line while moving Horvat up to the 3C. Chris Tanev tied it up at two halfway through the third and overtime would solve nothing, so in the shootout it was Joffrey Lupul playing hero with the only goal for either team to give Vancouver the victory. Markstrom made 30 saves.
L 4-3 @ NJD - Vrbata is good to go and slots back into the lineup while Burrows returns to the press box. Justin Williams had two goals but in the end it wasn't enough as Mike Cammalleri had three assists while driving the Devils offense to score four goals on 23 shots against Thomas Greiss.
L 2-1 @ CBJ - An abysmal performance from the Canucks, allowing 42 shots on Markstrom who kept them in it all game. Justin Williams scored in the third to put Vancouver up 1-0 but with ten minutes left Atkinson broke the Markstrom shutout bid and Kyle Brodziak scored with five minutes to go to give the Jackets the win.
W 4-1 @ OTT - The Canucks were outshot 41-24 but Markstrom made forty saves to earn the win. Vancouver had three first period goals, from Bonino, Vrbata and Lupul, and then held onto the lead. Lupul added his second of the game in the third before Erik Karlsson broke Markstrom's shutout effort with just four minutes left.
L 3-2 @ TOR - The Canucks played a much more sound game and outshot the Leafs 30-23 but the Markstrom magic wore out and he allowed three goals. Phil Kessel had a goal and an assist. Tanev and Kassian scored for Vancouver.
L 3-1 @ MTL - Carey Price was solid as usual, saving everything except a Yannick Weber bomb from the point. Matt Halischuk scored two goals on Jacob Markstrom, who saved 20 in the loss.
W 2-0 @ WPG - Thomas Greiss gets a start and makes the most of it with a 35 save shutout. Daniel scored both Canuck goals, only his third and fourth of the year.
SOL 3-2 vs CHI - Chris Higgins had a goal and an assist and Thomas Greiss made 37 saves in his second consecutive start, but in the end Vancouver loses it in the shootout with Kane and Toews both scoring on Greiss.
SOL 4-3 vs NJD - Both teams were flying offensively, with the shots ending up at 42-38 for the Devils. Free agent signing Matt Read scored his first two goals of the season for New Jersey. Tanev had two assists and a stellar defensive game with four blocks and two hits. Markstrom had 39 saves but was outdueled by former Canuck Cory Schneider in the shootout when the only goal to beat either netminder was New Jersey's Andreas Engqvist slipping one by Markstrom for the win.
W 2-1 @ MIN - In a rematch from their playoff series last spring the Canucks brought their A-game against the Wild and Alex Burrows raised his game for the occasion, scoring the only two Canuck goals and they would be enough. Markstrom made 27 saves.
SOW 3-2 @ DAL - Markstrom made 34 saves in the win and Vancouver finally came out on top in a shootout, with Joffrey Lupul beating Lehtonen to seal it.
L 3-2 @ ANA - Kesler scored against his former team and offseason signing Scott Hartnell had a goal and an assist for the Ducks. Greiss made 24 saves in the loss.

Record (November): 13-10-2 (6-6-2), 28 points, 1st in Pacific

Player Stats:
Goals - Bonino, Vrbata, Williams (8), Tanev, Lupul (5)
Assists - Henrik (15), Bonino (9), Daniel, Holden (7), Vrbata, Williams, Higgins, Letestu (6)
Points - Henrik (19), Bonino (17), Vrbata, Williams (14), Daniel (11)
Plus/Minus - Williams (+5), Henrik, Daniel, Tanev, Hamhuis (+4), Holden, Lupul (+3)
PIM - Hamhuis (29), Kassian (23), Richardson (14), Lupul, Michalek (12)
Shots - Bonino, Vrbata (58), Daniel (56), Henrik (50), Weber (45)
Hits - Richardson (44), Bonino (42), Holden (41), Henrik (39), Hamhuis, Kassian (37)
Takeaways - Tanev (16), Richardson, Bonino, Holden (12), Russell (10)
Blocks - Tanev (81), Russell (58), Holden, Michalek (43), Hamhuis (37), Higgins (25)
FO% - Horvat (57.2), Bonino (52.4), Henrik (50.1), Richardson (47.2)

Goalies:
Markstrom - 11-5-1, 1.92 GAA, .941 SvPct, 13.01 GSAA
Greiss - 2-5-1, 2.36 GAA, .923 SvPct, 1 SO, 1.40 GSAA

Injuries:
none

Summary:
In spite of a much less consistent month Vancouver finds themselves competitive and at the top of their division. Markstrom has played a key role in their success and is top ten in multiple goaltending categories in the league, while Greiss has performed reasonably well but not gotten results in the win column.
The Sedins have continued to be productive, and Henrik has returned to his playmaking ways after turning into more of a scorer last year. Daniel has yet to find his scoring touch and Vrbata has really become the go to sniper on that line. Scoring by committee has been effective so far, with Bonino, Vrbata and Williams all tied for the team lead with eight goals. Physical winger Zack Kassian has fallen out of favour with Dan Bylsma and has spent the past six games in the press box after failing to bring much scoring touch or truculence in his first nineteen games.
Chris Tanev has found an offensive touch, scoring five goals from the blueline already as he continues to establish himself as a top pairing defenseman alongside Dan Hamhuis. Yannick Weber hasn't really brought the offensive pop coaches expected he would, even with PP1 time and he may be on the bubble in the top six with veteran Kevin Bieksa still hungry for icetime.

Prospect Watch:
RD Rasmus Andersson (OHL) 19gp, 4-10-14, +3, playing with courage and physical edge

RD Erik Cernak (OHL) 19gp, 4-8-12, -1, his shot is getting heavier and his first steps are quicker, defensively he's looking more effective more consistently

LD Vince Dunn (OHL) 19gp, 1-13-14, E, improving his stick checking skills

C Jared McCann (OHL) 18gp, 9-17-26, E, he's looking stronger and making great reads in the offensive zone while also playing sound positionally in his own end

LW Kirill Kaprizov (RUS) 16gp, 11-8-19, +1, his stick skills are improving, both on and off the puck, and he's stepping into more of a leadership role

G Thatcher Demko (NCAA) 9gp, 7w, .922sv%, 2.53gaa, has been working on his pads and demonstrates improving mental toughness

RD Dylan DeMelo (AHL) 23gp, 1-6-7, -1, has been working on his shot blocking form and playing more aggressively

LD Kevin Gravel (AHL) 23gp, 2-8-10, +4, has been making better reads at both ends of the ice

C Danton Heinen (AHL) 23gp, 6-5-11, +1, has been playing with more aggressiveness and has shown improvement at breaking up plays on defense

LD Carson Soucy (AHL) 23gp, 2-5-7, +2, has been showing determination shift to shift and displays an improving understanding of how to find open ice on offense

RW Jake Virtanen (WHL) 19gp, 12-13-25, -1, doing a better job of reading off his teammates and finding openings to get his shot off

[CanuckJohnny]

November Recap




Somewhat surprisingly, the Ducks and Canucks sit atop the Pacific. Anaheim has seen resurgent seasons from Getzlaf (23 points) and Perry (14 goals) but also has been helped by contributions from the young guns like Rakell (18 points), Silfverberg (6 goals), Palmieri (7 goals) and of course rookie of the year candidate from the blueline Shea Theodore (15 points). Anisimov also proved to be a savvy free agent acquisition as he's contributed 15 assists and 18 total points so far centering the second line. San Jose is a surprise on the other end of the spectrum. After adding Ryan Miller and Michael Neuvirth in net, Mark Streit to the blueline and Brandon Saad, Jeff Carter and Brad Boyes up front many were picking them to take the division but instead they sit second last in their conference, neither Miller nor Neuvirth has hit 5 wins yet, Boyes has yet to score, Saad has only 9 points and captain Joe Thornton has produced only 8 points. Brent Burns (19 points) and Mark Streit (13 points) form a dynamic duo as their top pairing, but the rest of the team needs to rally around them and step up before the season is lost.

Colorado is absolutely riding Semyon Varlamov, who has started 23 of 24 games for them, to the top spot in the West. MacKinnon (11 goals) and Duchene (12 goals) are driving their offense. Nashville is very much in the mix, getting great goaltending from Pekka Rinne after moving on from Carter Hutton in the offseason. Their league leading powerplay is firing on all cylinders, powered by the duo of Josi and Weber on the blueline. After tearing up the league last year, Filip Forsberg is off to an abysmal start with only 2 goals and 8 total points. He is playing more of a backchecking, responsible role on that top line right now but still greatly disappointing offensively.

Montreal continues to be carried by Carey Price to the top of the league with 18 wins already. Boston has an incredibly high firing offense led by NHL leading scorer Brad Marchand (17 goals, 31 points), sophomore star David Pastrnak (27 points) and offensive defenseman Torey Krug (5 goals, 28 points) - they are right on Montreal's heels.

Washington is led by their dynamic duo of Ovechkin (15 goals, 25 points) and Backstrom (21 assists, 27 points) as they sit at the top of the Metro division. The Isles and Flyers are close behind, with Tavares (15 goals, 25 points) always keeping the Islanders relevant and Philadelphia staying in games with their penalty kill (second in the NHL at a 90% efficiency). Pittsburgh is a surprise, sitting at seventh in their division after being only a game short of the Cup last year. Oshie, Malkin and Letang have all missed time already and with everybody healthy they still have a good chance to climb back up the standings this early in the season.

Team Stat Leaders:
GF/gm - Boston (3.55), Washington, St. Louis (3.04), Tampa Bay (2.96), Anaheim (2.92)
GA/gm - Montreal, NY Islanders (1.88), Columbus (1.96), Vancouver (2.12), Colorado (2.13)
PP - Nashville (27.6%), Chicago (26.1%), Pittsburgh (22.7%), St. Louis (22.6%), Detroit (21.1%)
PK - Detroit (91.0%), Philadelphia (90.0%), Toronto (89.7%), Pittsburgh (88.5%), Tampa Bay (88.3%)

Goalie Leaders (min 10gp):
GAA - Price (MTL) 1.46, Halak (NYI) 1.62, Bobrovsky (CBJ) 1.71, Kuemper (MIN) 1.86, Markstrom (VAN) 1.92
Sv Pct - Bobrovsky (CBJ) .943, Allen (ARI) .942, Markstorm (VAN) .941, Halak (NYI), Price (MTL) .940
GSAA - Allen (ARI) 17.00, Bobrovsky (CBJ) 15.47, Markstrom (VAN) 13.01, Halak (NYI) 12.67, Bernier (TOR) 11.15
SO - Halak (NYI), Varlamov (COL) 6, Fleury (PIT), Price (MTL) 5, Bobrovsky (CBJ), Holtby (WSH), Rinne (NSH) 3

Rookie Leaders:
Points - Theodore (ANA) 2-13-15, Schmaltz (CHI) 5-6-11, McDavid (BUF) 4-7-11, Duclair (NYR) 4-5-9, Hrabarenka (NJD) 4-4-8, Danault (FLA) 3-5-8

Other Stat Leaders:
Takeaways - Nielsen (NYI) 24, Brodin (MIN), Korpikoski (ARI), Ladd (EDM) 22, Datsyuk (DET) 21
Hits - Tinordi (MTL) 139, Bjugstad (FLA) 122, L. Schenn (CGY) 120, Manning (PHI) 111, Borowiecki (OTT) 92
Blocked Shots - Vlasic (SJS) 100, Brodie (CGY), Tanev (VAN) 81, Girardi (NYR) 78, Alzner (WSH) 73
PIM - L. Schenn (CGY) 73, Tinordi (MTL) 70, Borowiecki (OTT) 67, Manning (PHI) 59, Hartnell (ANA) 48
FO% - Glendening (DET) 61.6, Vermette (PHI) 61.2, Crosby (PIT) 60.6, Gordon (PHI) 59.9, Toews (CHI) 58.1
+/- - Backstrom (WSH), Ovechkin (WSH) +17, Niskanen (WSH), Parise (MIN), Pastrnak (BOS) +14

Injuries:
D Cam Fowler (ANA) OUT 1-2 weeks (foot)
F Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) OUT 3-4 months (head)
D Darnell Nurse (EDM) OUT 2-3 weeks (ankle)
F Kyle Clifford (LAK) DTD (ankle)
F Marcus Kruger (LAK) OUT indefinitely (elbow)
D Colin Miller (LAK) OUT 1-2 weeks (knee)
F Dwight King (LAK) OUT 1-2 weeks (ankle)
D Jonathon Blum (MIN) OUT 2-3 weeks (knee)
D P.K. Subban (MTL) DTD (head)
D Adam Larsson (NJD) OUT 1-2 months (arm)
F Vladimir Sobotka (NJD) OUT 3-4 months (ankle)
D Ryan McDonagh (NYR) OUT indefinitely (concussion)
D John Moore (NYR) OUT 1-2 weeks (concussion)
F Jeff Carter (SJS) OUT 3-4 months (shoulder)
F Logan Couture (SJS) OUT 1-2 months (ankle)
F Alex Killorn (TBL) OUT 2-3 weeks (hand)
D Derrick Pouliot (WPG) DTD (back)
D Jacob Trouba (WPG) OUT 2-3 weeks (hand)

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Ticker

Nov 4th, 2015 - a minor league deal was completed: TBL acquires F Samuel Henley (22yo, AHL 13gp, 3-4-7); COL acquires F Mike Blunden (28yo, AHL 13gp, 2-5-7)

Nov 15th, 2015 - Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf was suspended for seven games for a violent headshot on Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh in the first shift of their game last night. McDonagh has a concussion and will be out indefinitely.

Nov 30th, 2015 - Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin took home player of the month honours. Alex currently has 15 goals and 25 points through 23 games. Semyon Varlamov of Colorado earned goalie of the month honours. He is up to 6 shutouts on the season and sports a .927 save percentage.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks move Stanton to Jets




Dec 1st, 2015

Vancouver traded defenseman Ryan Stanton to Winnipeg this morning. After playing a prominent role with the Canucks last season, Stanton was pushed down the depth chart by free agent signings Kris Russell and Nick Holden. He had only gotten into four games through the first two months of the season and was reportedly looking for a change of scenery.

The Trade - WPG acquires LD Ryan Stanton; VAN acquires LD Will Butcher.

Stanton should see more icetime in Winnipeg, as he could conceivably leap past the likes of Ben Chiarot, Grant Clitsome and Toby Enstrom to be the second best left defenseman on the depth chart. Linden said, "We had been trying to move Ryan because he was wanting more playing time than we could give him with our current depth. He's a good player who deserves an opportunity and we wanted to find a good fit for him. We appreciate his time with the Vancouver organization."

Will Butcher is a twenty year old minor league defenseman with NHL potential. He's a good skater who moves the puck well and shows good defensive intelligence and positioning. He will join what has become a solid D-corps in Utica and have to earn his icetime there, but Canucks management have hopes he can play for them in the NHL in a couple years as a depth option.

[CanuckJohnny]

Canucks in DECEMBER




L 2-0 @ LAK - an abysmal performance to open the month, Vancouver allowed 38 shots and even though Markstrom saved 36 of them it wasn't enough as the Canucks mustered zero offence and none of their nineteen shots found a way past backup Martin Jones.
W 6-4 vs DAL - Kevin Bieksa comes into the lineup for Yannick Weber and Zack Kassian takes Dustin Jeffrey's spot. Bylsma shuffles his lines around, giving Kassian the coveted spot on Sedin's right wing and forming a new look second line of Letestu, Bonino and Vrbata while moving Higgins and Williams to play on the checking line with Richardson. Goals from Higgins and Henrik kept Vancouver in it through forty minutes but they were down two heading into the third. Four straight goals in the final frame gave them the big comeback victory, with Letestu, Hamhuis, Kassian and Bonino all scoring.
L 6-4 vs BOS - A lively back and forth game saw the Bruins go up three nil only for Vancouver to answer back with three in a row (Vrbata, Daniel, Holden). Boston would score two more to regain the lead before Justin Williams brought Vancouver within one, but Pastrnak sealed it for the Bruins with an empty netter. Markstrom made 33 saves. Vrbata had a solied three point night and was also incredibly physical with four hits.
W 3-1 vs BUF - Zack Kassian scored two goals and Markstrom made 25 saves in the win. Nick Holden played his defensive role perfectly and was plus one with three blocks and two hits in 17:36 of icetime.
L 5-0 vs NYR - Backup goalie Thomas Greiss was simply outplayed by Henrik Lundqvist, who won with the 26 save shutout. Greiss allowed 5 goals on just 28 shots. Chris Kreider had three assists and Rick Nash had two goals and an assist.
W 4-0 @ CHI - Chris Tanev is day to day with a facial injury so Yannick Weber slots back into the lineup. After an embarrassing shutout loss to the Rangers the Canucks turn the tables and take out the defending champions off of goals from Bonino, Burrows, Higgins and Letestu. Markstrom made 29 saves for the shutout.
OTW 1-0 @ MIN - Markstrom shined in a playoff rematch, making 32 saves for a shutout with no support up front. Vancouver mustered only six shots on Darcy Kuemper, but one of those shots was Bo Horvat's OT winner. Holden had a magnificent game defensively, with four blocks and a hit in 19:57 of icetime.
SOW 3-2 @ PHI - Jakub Voracek had two goals but it wasn't enough as Markstrom made 32 saves and Vancouver had goals from Richardson and Bonino as well as the shootout winner from Yannick Weber.
L 4-2 @ DET - The Canucks were outshot 54-24 in a dominating performance from the Stanley Cup hopeful Wings. Greiss made 50 saves but only got goals from Daniel and Vrbata. Kevin Bieksa was very involved physically with six hits. Michalek had a rough game and was -2.
SOW 3-2 @ FLA - Chris Tanev is healthy and draws back into the lineup. Yannick Weber has been plus three in four games since returning to the lineup so he will stay in and bump Michalek down to the third pair while veteran Kevin Bieksa is back to the press back. Jeffrey comes in for Burrows as well, and Zack Kassian is moved down the third line while Vrbata moves back to play with the Sedins. Greiss gets the start. The Canucks turn in a solid performance, outshooting the basement dwelling Panthers 46-25 but Bobby Lu makes 44 saves to drag his team to the shootout. In the shootout Barkov and Lupul exchange goals, then shootout specialist Jussi Jokinen is stymied by Greiss and Letestu buries his opportunity. Trocheck keeps the Panthers alive with a clutch goal and Bylsma goes with Kassian in the third spot and he also beats Luongo, clinching the win.
L 5-2 @ TBL - Both teams defenses looked porous, allowing 40 shots each, but Greiss was clearly outmatched in net against Vasilevskiy. Drouin and Filpulla both had a goal and an assist for the Lightning as they got off to a four goal lead and then cruised to the victory.
W 3-1 vs EDM - Darren Archibald is called up and replaces Kassian in the lineup. Yannick Weber is out and Bieksa is in on the blueline. Justin Williams with two goals including the game winner and Markstrom comes up with 32 saves for the victory.
W 1-0 vs LAK - Markstrom had the 19 save shutout win and Vrbata had the lone goal on a physical and defensive evening for Vancouver. Hamhuis was ejected midway through the third for a questionable hit on Kings captain Dustin Brown. Hamhuis went a bit too high and Brown stayed down for some time before being helped off the ice.

Record (December): 21-15-2 (8-5-0), 44 points, 2nd in Pacific

Player Stats:
Goals - Vrbata (12), Bonino, Williams (11), Daniel, Higgins (7)
Assists - Henrik (23), Vrbata, Bonino (14), Daniel (12), Letestu (11)
Points - Henrik (28), Vrbata (26), Bonino (25), Daniel, Williams (19)
Plus/Minus - Letestu (+9), Vrbata (+6), Bonino (+5), Michalek (+4), Russell (+3)
PIM - Hamhuis (50), Kassian (35), Vrbata (22), Richardson, Lupul (18)
Shots - Vrbata (95), Daniel (85), Bonino (79), Williams (75), Henrik (65)
Hits - Richardson (64), Bonino (62), Holden (60), Hamhuis (57), Kassian (56)
Takeaways - Tanev (20), Bonino, Hamhuis (18), Russell (16), Richardson, Higgins (15)
Blocks - Tanev (113), Russell (95), Michalek (72), Holden (70), Hamhuis (56)
FO% - Horvat (53.9), Henrik (51.2), Bonino (50.2), Richardson (46.8)

Goalies:
Markstrom - 18-7-1, 1.82 GAA, .943 SvPct, 21.29 GSAA, 3 SO
Greiss - 3-8-1, 2.81 GAA, .913 SvPct, -1.54 GSAA, 1 SO

Injuries:
none

Summary:
Jacob Markstrom is growing into a superstar in net for Vancouver, and faster than anybody could have expected. Except maybe Trevor Linden, who boldly moved Vezina winner Ryan Miller in the offseason while still maintaining their desire to be a competitive team. This is a Canucks team that for two consecutive seasons finds themselves in a good spot in the standings in large part because of outstanding goaltending. If they are truly serious about legitimately contending they are going to have to find some more quality players and build a roster that will consistently outplay teams. Having nights when you manage less than ten shots in full game, or are outshot by a roatio of 2.5:1 is not a recipe for success and won't lead to any sort of playoff run against good teams.
After a slow start, free agent signing Mark Letestu is starting to show some of the value Linden and co. saw in him in July, moving around the lineup with ease and contributing offensively to add some much needed secondary scoring. Meanwhile, Joffrey Lupul is looking like a poor bet as his game has dropped off in a massive way and he has only five goals so far this season. He hasn't had the opportunities offensively or in the top six that Vrbata and Williams have, but he also hasn't earned them to date. It may be that he's simply lost too many steps to effectively play his game anymore.
On the blueline, Hamhuis will leave a big hole for five games after being suspended. He has been the model of consistency and although he may not be a true 1A defenseman in this league, for Vancouver he has been everything they've asked him to be as their #1 D. Chris Tanev has looked incredibly steady alongside him and leads the team in takeways and blocks. The defense corps really lacks any offensive moxy, and with Yannick Weber failing to provide that in any substantial way they may look around for someone who can. Their system is chock full of middling defensive prospects who could one day develop into bottom pairing defenders but they are really counting on at least one of Dunn or Andersson to be able to translate their offensive skills to the next level or the future is bleak on the blueline.

Prospect Watch:
RD Rasmus Andersson (OHL) 29gp, 5-17-22, +8, is improving at finding open ice to get his shot off.

LD Vince Dunn (OHL) 29gp, 2-20-22, +2, the smooth skating playmaking defenseman is looking even faster out there and has added another layer to his passing skills.

C Jared McCann (OHL) 28gp, 15-22-37, +4, has really established himself as a leader and mentor on his team.

G Alexandar Georgiev (RUS) 18gp, 12w, 2.91gaa, .906sv%, is showing better recovery to face rebound shots and has been a vocal leader in the room.

C Ross Colton (NCAA) 19gp, 6-8-14, +1, has looked good in his freshman year, growing in his playmaking skill and also his stick checking.

C Nico Sturm (NCAA) 19gp, 6-11-17, -1, in his sophomore season he is showing better shooting range and acceleration.

LD Will Butcher (AHL) 35gp, 2-21-23, +3, in his own end he playing more positionally sound and on offense his shooting is more accurate.

C Brendan Gaunce (AHL) 35gp, 12-9-21, +1, he has shown he can log more minutes at the minor league level and his shooting accuracy has seen improvement.

LD Carson Soucy (AHL) 35gp, 2-6-8, +2, is playing with more stamina and is increasingly earning the coach's trust with his solid positioning in his own end.

[CanuckJohnny]

December Recap




The Kings lead the Pacific, with Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones splitting the starts very effectively. Toffoli and Kopitar are both having great seasons offensively, as is Drew Doughty on the blueline. Offseason acquisition Alex Edler has steadied their top four. The Canucks are right on their heels, led by stellar goaltending by Jacob Markstrom. Vancouver could potentially have two consecutive Vezina winners after trading away Ryan Miller in the offseason. San Jose continues to struggle without Couture, a major disappointment of a season for them so far after some big, splashy acquisitions in the offseason.

Nashville and Chicago are two of the best offensive teams in the league. Nashville is powered by their league best powerplay and two elite defensemen in Josi and Weber who are both on pace for twenty goal seasons at the moment. Chicago has Patrick Kane, the NHL's leading goal scorer, who hasn't skipped a beat with the lost depth scoring on his team. Darcy Kuemper and the Wild are quietly in the conversation at the top of the Western conference. Ryan Suter is having a stellar year with 22 points and a plus 14. Zach Parise is also proving to be a real driver on offense, with 29 points and a plus 17.

Boston is the top team in the league, and they are really head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to offense so far with 3.42 goals per game. Brad Marchand leads the league in scoring with fifty points and Torey Krug leads all players in assists with 34. Montreal continues to be incredibly competitive as they are being backstopped by a characteristically elite season from Carey Price. The Lightning, led by Steven Stamkos and his 45 points, are the second most dangerous team offensively but haven't been able to convert that scoring into as many wins as they would hope. The Panthers are in a near historic tail spin, losing fifteen straight games in spite of many nights of Luongo heroics.

Washington is getting top notch play from their duo of Backstrom and Ovechkin and dominant goaltending from Braden Holtby. The Flyers and Blue Jackets are having competitive seasons thanks in large part to great defense and goaltending. The Islanders and Rangers are also within a point of third spot in the most competitive division in hockey. Pittsburgh continues to struggle near the bottom of their division but hope that their recent coaching change will turn things around.

Team Stat Leaders:
GF/gm - Boston (3.42), Tampa Bay (3.03), St. Louis, Chicago (2.85), Nashville (2.84)
GA/gm - Montreal (2.10), NY Islanders (2.11), Philadelphia (2.17), Columbus (2.21), Washington (2.22)
PP - Nashville (26.6%), Chicago (24.5%), Anaheim (22.3%), Boston (21.7%), Pittsburgh (20.6%)
PK - Detroit (92.2%), Philadelphia (90.4%), Tampa Bay (88.5%), Toronto (88.4%), Los Angeles (86.3%)

Goalie Leaders (min 15gp):
GAA - Markstrom (VAN) 1.82, Price (MTL) 1.90, Jones (LAK) 1.92, Halak (NYI) 1.97, Kuemper (MIN) 1.99
Sv Pct - Markstrom (VAN) .943, Allen (ARI) .942, Jones (LAK) .936, Lehner (OTT), Bobrovsky (CBJ) .932
GSAA - Allen (ARI) 21.29, Markstrom (VAN) 21.29, Bobrovsky (CBJ) 14.26, Jones (LAK) 13.07, Halak (NYI) 11.54
SO - Halak (NYI) 8, Price (MTL) 7, Varlamov (COL) 6, Bobrovsky (CBJ), Fleury (PIT), Lehner (OTT), Schneider (NJD) 5

Rookie Leaders:
Points - Theodore (ANA) 6-14-20, Schmaltz (CHI) 9-7-16, Duclair (NYR) 7-9-16, McDavid (BUF) 6-10-16, Pouliot (WPG) 5-7-12, Hartman (PIT) 5-5-10, Hrabarenka (NJD) 4-6-10

Other Stat Leaders:
Takeaways - Nielsen (NYI) 35, Weber (NSH) 34, Backstrom (WSH) 31, Kulikov (FLA), Sekera (WPG), Stone (OTT) 30
Hits - Bjugstad (FLA) 196, Tinordi (MTL) 191, L. Schenn (CGY) 174, Manning (PHI) 169, Melindy (ARI) 119
Blocked Shots - Vlasic (SJS) 145, Girardi (NYR) 126, Brodie (CGY) 121, Martinez (LAK) 114, Tanev (VAN) 113
PIM - L. Schenn (CGY) 111, Manning (PHI), Tinordi (MTL) 103, Borowiecki (SJS) 83, Bjugstad (FLA)
FO% - Glendening (DET) 59.7, Engqvist (NJD) 58.9, Vermette (PHI) 58.8, Crosby (PIT) 58.7, Domi (ARI) 58.5
+/- - Backstrom (WSH) +27, Pastrnak (BOS) +26, Marchand (BOS), Ovechkin (WSH) +25, Bergeron (BOS) +24

Injuries:
D Connor Murphy (ARI) OUT 1-2 weeks (ribs)
D Josh Manson (ARI) OUT 2-3 weeks (hand)
D Andrej Meszaros (BUF) OUT indefinitely (arm)
F Stephen Gionta (CAR) OUT 2-3 months (knee)
F Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) OUT 2-3 months (eye)
F Jonathan Toews (CHI) DTD (shoulder)
D Andy Greene (DET) OUT 2-3 weeks (hip)
C Riley Sheahan (DET) OUT 1-2 months (groin)
D Darnell Nurse (EDM) OUT 3-4 months (abdomen)
D Philip Larsen (EDM) OUT indefinitely (throat)
F Marcus Kruger (LAK) OUT 3-4 months (elbow)
D Jared Spurgeon (MIN) OUT 1-2 months (elbow)
D Adam Larsson (NJD) OUT 2-3 weeks (arm)
F Vladimir Sobotka (NJD) OUT 2-3 months (ankle)
D Ryan McDonagh (NYR) OUT indefinitely (concussion)
D Marc Staal (NYR) OUT 2-3 months (abdomen)
F Logan Couture (SJS) OUT 2-3 weeks (ankle)
F Jeff Carter (SJS) OUT 2-3 months (shoulder)
D Jacob Trouba (WPG) OUT 2-3 weeks (hand)
F Tanner Pearson (WPG) DTD (knee)

[CanuckJohnny]

NHL Ticker

Dec 5th, 2015 - Sidney Crosby now has 900 points in the NHL after scoring a goal against the Los Angeles Kings last night.

Dec 6th, 2015 - Alain Vigneault is fired by the New York Rangers. Bruce Cassidy will replace him behind the bench. Vigneault had a 52-51-9 record in a season and a half with the Rangers.

Dec 10th, 2015 - Colorado adds a veteran defenseman in exchange for a young up and comer. COL acquires D Eric Brewer (36yo, 22gp, 2-3-5, +2); TBL acquires D Cody Corbett (21yo, 9gp, 1-3-4, E).

Dec 14th, 2015 - SJS acquires D Mark Borowiecki (26yo, 16gp, 1-1-2, -4); OTT acquires D Matt Irwin (28yo, 24gp, 0-2-2, -10). San Jose adds some truculence in Borowiecki to try to energize the team and turn their fortunes around, while Ottawa adds a more balanced defender who should spend less time in the box.

Dec 28th, 2015 - Dan Hamhuis of the Canucks is suspended for five games for his illegal hit to the head of Dustin Brown in their game against the Kings. Brown is fortunately all right and good to go the Los Angeles' next game.

Dec 31st, 2015 - Pittsburgh fires coach Mike Johnston. Johnston coached the Penguins to a 66-37-16 record in his tenure and led them to within a game of winning the Stanley Cup, but this season's results have been middling and GM Jim Rutherford is urgent in seeking to win now with his core. They have brought in Adam Deadmarsh as the new Head Coach. Deadmarsh has no head coaching experience at the NHL level but he has an offense first approach and is especially good at working with his forwards.

Dec 31st, 2015 - Boston winger Brad Marchand is the NHL's player of the month for December. He is up to 24 goals and 26 assists on the season while rocking a plus 25. Netminder Cory Schneider of the New Jersey Devils is the goalie of the month. He has five shutouts already this year while posting a .923 save percentage and hitting the 20 win mark.

[CanuckJohnny]

Hamhuis suspended, roster moves follow




The Canucks will be without the services of Dan Hamhuis for the next five games after the NHL's DPOS handed down a stiff suspension for his hit on Dustin Brown of the Kings.

To shore up the blueline in his absence offseason signing Marc-Andre Gragnani will get his first regular season games in a Canucks sweater. Gragnani has 19 points in 35 games for the AHL's Utica Comets. To make room for him, Dustin Jeffrey is being placed on waivers and reassigned to Utica. Jeffrey was an important energy piece for Dale Hunter in the bottom six last season but he hasn't clicked nearly as well with new head coach Dan Byslma.