Canuckz.com

Gillis Re-Signs Raymond for Cheap

Tonyz Tanti — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:21:40 +0000

The Canucks announced on Monday that they have re-signed Mason Raymond. The restricted free agent re-signed just minutes before his arbitration case was to be heard. But that’s not the surprising part, the surprising part is that Mike Gillis was able to get Raymond to sign a two year deal, worth $2.55 per season. There’s no doubt in my mind that Raymond would have been awarded more in arbitration, perhaps well more. In fact, most pundits (including myself)were predicting $3 million or more.

This begs the question: why did Raymond settle for less? Was he worried that he would get awarded too much and have the Canucks walk away from the award? Does he just really want to win and knew that a lower cap number would help keep the team together? Or did he just run-in to Mike “the negotiator” Gillis?

Mike Gillis has done a superb job on a number of contracts in his two plus years as Canucks GM. His style seems to lay low, keep quiet and then at the last possible minute offers up his best offer. It’s like playing hard to get. Remember when he re-signed Alex Burrows? Rumours were swirling that Burrows would be traded if he didn’t sign before the deadline, and what do you know, he signs a dirt cheap contract. You could almost just see him starting to sweat, wondering what Gillis was going to do.

The fact that Gillis is a former player agent plays a big part in this also. He knows how players think, what offends them, what impresses them, etc. It’s something that we didn’t see with the last few GMs in this town.

So just how good was this deal? Consider Raymond, a 25 goal scorer is getting $2.55 million and compare that to Clarke MacArthur’s arbitration award ($2.4 million for a 16 goal scorer) or Nikolai Kulemin’s new contract ($2.35 million for a 16 goal scorer). Both of those players are of similar age and clearly not as good as Raymond.

Not Again! Salo Reportedly Injures Achilles, Gone 3-5 Months

Tonyz Tanti — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:40:27 +0000

Reports out of Finland are saying that Sami Salo has injured his achilles tendon in a game of floor hockey and could be gone 3-5 months. The report has not been confirmed as of yet.

Assuming the report is true, this could be a very difficult injury for Salo, now 35, to recover from. Not only is he 35, but he has a lot of mileage on his body.

One side effect of Salo being injured may be Kevin Bieksa. The longer Salo is out, the more valuable Kevin Bieksa becomes. A long term injury also provides salary cap relief, just as Pavol Demitra’s long term injury did last season.

***Update: The report has been confirmed by the Canucks

Summer Tidbits: Ring of Honour Plus Bieksa, Raymond and Demitra News

Tonyz Tanti — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:29:45 +0000

It went somewhat under the radar because it was reported the same day as Markus Naslund’s jersey retirement was announced, but the Canucks have announced that they will be having a “ring of honour” at Rogers Arena. The idea behind the ring of honour is that they will be able to honour some players from the past that don’t quite deserve to have their jersey retired.

Is this a good idea? In a way I like the idea of honouring past players in a way other than jersey retirement, but just what will be the criteria to get on the ring? Four players will be honoured this year, beginning with Orland Kurtenbach. The other three have yet to be announced.

Maybe I’m overly skeptical, but I can see this “ring of honour” becoming a bit of a joke. Lets be honest here, the Canucks do not have a great history. A long history, sure, but not a great history. I’m sure Orland Kurtenbach was/is a great guy and he was their first captain, but he’s the first member of the ring of honour? Kurtenbach played only four years in Vancouver, never played a game in the playoffs for them, and put up point totals of 53, 61, 28 and 21 in blue and green. He’s currently 46th in Canucks all-time scoring (one point ahead of Mark Messier).

So is the ring of honour for ‘good guys’ like Kurtenbach and guys like Tiger Williams, Dana Murzyn and Harold Snepsts? Or is it for their greatest players, like Pavel Bure, Alex Mogilny and Todd Bertuzzi? Personally, I think it should encompass both. If you aren’t one of the top players in the history of the team, you’re out. If you embarrassed the club like Bertuzzi, you’re out. If you turned your back on the city like Bure, you’re out.

So who should make it in? They probably will not feel a need to honour the guys who have already had their number retired like Smyl, Linden and Naslund, so it should be the next group of guys who were the best players for a number of years while maintaining a minimum level of class. Thomas Gradin is a no brainer in my opinion. He’s the most unappreciated Canuck of all time. He was perhaps a better player than Stan Smyl was, yet gets no publicity while Smyl gets a tonne.Very similar to way we look at Trevor Linden versus Markus Naslund.

Other players that should get consideration? Don Lever, Andre Boudrias and Dennis Kearns from the 1970s, Richard Brodeur (along with Gradin) from the 1982 Cup finalist team, Tony Tanti and Doug Lidster from those terrible teams in the 1980s, and Kirk McLean, Jyrki Lumme and Cliff Ronning from the 1994 cup finalist team. Honourable mentions go to Geoff Courtnall, Greg Adams and Petri Skriko. Harold Snepsts, Garth Butcher and Tiger Williams will probably get consideration too, but probably shouldn’t.

Bieksa’s Not Gone Yet

Kind of interesting that the trigger hasn’t been pulled on Kevin Bieksa… yet. Is it possible that Mike Gillis is planning to keep all of his d-men this year? That would make six d-men making over $3 million plus Shane O’Brien ($1.6 million). I still think Gillis has to make a move and certainly Bieksa is the man to go, but with every passing day without a trade the chances of Bieksa staying increase.

Apparently there is a lot of interest in Bieksa. Ben Kuzma (the Kooze!) of the Province figures that Anaheim, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Jose and Columbus are all interested. I can’t see the Canucks wanting to help LA or San Jose, but the other three make sense to me. Obviously trading to a team in the east is the best option though.

What’s Raymond Worth?

I guess it depends on who his comparables are. Wojtek Wolski just signed for $3.8 million and Guillaume Latendresse signed for $2.5 million. Safe to say Raymond falls somewhere in that range, so perhaps $3 million? What do you think? Lets hear your opinion in the comments section.

Demitra Signs in the KHL

As expected, Pavol Demitra will not be returning to the Canucks this season, signing a deal in the KHL. His NHL career is likely over but perhaps we’ll see him again at the Olympics in 2014. Once a great player with the Blues, he never made it to the Stanley Cup finals in his career. This past season with the Canucks was injury riddled, and his previous season was sub-par. His absence will be felt in the shootout though, where he was one of the team’s best. We will also miss his crazy interview ramblings.

Canucks to Retire Nazzy’s Jersey and Not Everyone Agrees with it

Tonyz Tanti — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 04:33:13 +0000

The Canucks held their annual Summer Summit (formerly known as the state of the franchise) last night at Rogers Arena (yes, it will take a while to get used to the new name) where they announced that Markus Naslund will have his #19 jersey retired on December 11th. And so the debate begins: is he deserving of this honour? This was a debate Canuckz.com brought up at about this time last year, to which I thought he was deserving, but I thought the team ought to wait a few years before retiring it.

Why Now?

My reason for retiring Naslund’s jersey in a few years from now is because his disappointing last few years with the team are still too fresh in our minds. All some people can remember is the disappointment, while we gloss over the good times. As the years go by, we’ll remember the good times more. Retiring his jersey now sparks a debate among Canucks fans which leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Retiring a jersey should be a celebration, not a debate.

Does he Deserve it?

Well, it depends what your standard is. Is it playoff success? Is it regular season numbers? Is it community involvement? Is it some kind of x-factor? In my mind, if the standard is Stan Smyl and Trevor Linden, then Naslund deserves it. He’s the franchise leader in points and goals, and was putting up near 50 goal seasons in the dead puck era. I believe his 48 goal season should be thought of in the same light as Bure’s 60 goal seasons. Scoring 60 in 1993 was easier than in 2003. Naslund was also a class act and did a lot for the community. If he was born in Western Canada like Linden and Smyl, he’d be a slam dunk pick to have his jersey retired. Instead, he’s a stoic Swede, which rubs people the wrong way.

His Detractors

Naslund’s detractors mainly point to the team’s lack of playoff success. He never went past the second round of the playoffs. Smyl went to the Stanley Cup Finals and never made it out of the first round once other than that. Linden went to the Finals, but other than that never made it past the second round. But what allowed those teams to make it to the Finals while Naslund’s teams didn’t? The main difference was goaltending.

If Kirk McLean doesn’t make this save in game 7 of the 1st round in 1994, Linden’s resume looks a lot worse:

Conversely, if Dan Cloutier doesn’t meltdown against Detroit in 2002 and Minnesota in 2003, we probably look at Naslund’s career differently.

What about Pavel?

Another argument making the rounds today is the argument that Pavel Bure deserves to have his jersey retired ahead of Naslund. Personally, I couldn’t disagree more. Bure was a great player, no doubt, but the way in which he left Vancouver was inexcusable. A lot of people have glossed over the fact that Bure quit on his team and this city when he decided to sit out an entire season while under contract. He has still never provided the Vancouver fans a reason. I would also argue that Naslund accomplished more at his peak, winning the Pearson Trophy and regularly appearing in the top 10 in scoring. While Bure had better numbers, they were put up in an era where goals were easy to come by. Naslund scored 48 when the top goal scorer had 50. Bure scored 60 when the top goal scorer had 76.

The Best

It’s too bad that all of this debate is necessary concerning Naslund’s career in Vancouver because he simply had the best career (minus playoff success) of any player in club history. He was a consistent scorer, leading the team in scoring seven consecutive seasons. He finished second in league scoring in 01-02, 02-03 and fourth in league scoring in 03-04.

Bieksa to Columbus? Got to Love Offseason Rumours

Tonyz Tanti — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:17:52 +0000

When you have eight NHL defencemen under contract and are still set to re-sign Shane O’Brien, rumours are bound to follow. When you’re the #6 d-man on the depth chart and making $3.75 million, chances are you’ll be the guy talked about in those rumours. I’m speaking of course of Kevin Bieksa, who was rumoured to be on the trade block by yours truly after the Keith Ballard trade and is now being rumoured all over the place. Despite the fact that Mike Gillis isn’t confirming that Bieksa is being shopped, you have to believe he is.

But where could he be headed? What could be coming back in return? Well, the Columbus Dispatch has done their best to shine a light on it. The Columbus newspaper is reporting that Nikita Filatov could be headed to Vancouver in return for Bieksa. Bieksa would give the Blue Jackets an offensive defenceman that they desperately need. The Canucks would shed cap space and add Filatov, a young skilled Russian forward set to be a $2.196 million cap hit this season. Filatov was picked 6th overall in the 2008 draft (four spots ahead of Cody Hodgson) and played in the KHL last season. He’d be a bit risky to take on, given the fact he could bolt to Russia if he is unhappy about his playing time or life in North America. There’s also the question as to whether or not Filatov would be good enough to play on the team’s top two lines this year or if he has the grit to play on their third line.

Regardless, if this is an offer that’s sitting on the table I think Mike Gillis absolutely has to take it. The upside of Filatov is huge, and snapping him up could pay off huge. Imagine Filatov, Hodgson and Schroeder all developing at the same time and making entry level money. If they were to all pan out (that’s a big ‘if’ I know), the Canucks would be sitting pretty.

Canucks Sign Three! Hamhuis, Malhotra, Perrault on their way to Vancouver

Tonyz Tanti — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:08:54 +0000

Mike Gillis has hit a free agent home run, signing the much coveted Dan Hamhuis to a 6 year deal worth $4.5 million per season. Hamhuis will step-in as their number one shutdown defenceman, replacing Willie Mitchell. He will bring defensive stability and toughness to the blueline.

I like this deal. Hamhuis is only 27 years old, so the six year deal shouldn’t be a problem. Paying him $4.5 million per season suggests that the Smithers, BC native gave the Canucks a bit of a hometown discount. A Bieksa trade can’t be too far away to clear cap space. Perhaps Buffalo would be interested, considering they lost both Henrik Tallinder and Tony Lydman today. The Canucks will be wanting a gritty winger that can score and play on their third line at a low cap hit.

The Canucks have also begun rebuilding their third line, signing Manny Malhotra to a three-year deal worth $2.5 million per season. Malhotra also gets a no trade clause in the deal. I’m not sure what to think about this deal. Malhotra is a centre and if Cody Hodgson is to become what we all hope he will, that will put Malhotra as their 4th line centre. I also don’t like giving a no trade clause to a role player. So this is a bit of a gamble, but it’s a gamble perhaps worth taking. Malhotra can kill penalties, provide size and toughness, and win faceoffs. In fact, Malhotra was the best faceoff man in the league last season, winning 62.5% of his draws last year. I’m a little on the fence with this deal because of the money, but I like it a lot better knowing that it didn’t prevent them from landing Dan Hamhuis.

Mike Gillis also added Joel Perrault to the mix, signing him to a one year deal worth $510,000. The deal is a one-way deal, so the 27 year old will probably play on the fourth line. Perrault is a 6’1″, 200lbs centre who has split time between the NHL and AHL over the last few years.

*Update: It looks like the Canucks signed one more player. Jeff Tambellini (yes, Steve’s son) has signed with the Canucks. A little surprising, I thought Tambellini was an RFA, but apparently he was a UFA. He signed a one-year deal. As long as it’s a two-way contract (*Update: confirmed, it’s a two-way deal), I like the move. He’s a former first round draft pick who is going to get his last chance to become a full time NHL player. Maybe a move back home for the BC boy is what he needs.

Bieksa Being Shopped? Hamhuis on his way to the West Coast? Those Rumours and MORE!

Tonyz Tanti — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 00:22:40 +0000

We’re one day away from the start of NHL free agency and the rumours mill is churning. With respect to Vancouver Canucks, no name has been rumoured more than Kevin Bieksa. With the acquisition of Keith Ballard, many (including yours truly) have theorized that this makes Bieksa a little bit redundant. Personally I think it’s time to ship Bieksa out of town.

Why he needs to go:

Bieksa is now three years removed from his breakout season in which he was the team’s best defenceman. Since then, his play his slipped. He no longer plays with the kind passion and intensity that endeared himself to Canucks fans. He has been able to put up some decent numbers, mostly due to getting a lot of (I believe) undeserved power play time.

Right now Bieksa is an anchor on the Canucks salary cap. He makes $3.75 million, he’s not capable of playing against the other team’s top lines, he’s not good on the penalty kill and is probably their third best defenceman on the power play.

So just what could Bieksa fetch the Canucks? I think they could get a very nice player for their third line in return, or perhaps a draft pick. That draft pick could be used to fetch something at the trading deadline or restock their prospect cupboard.

You may be asking, why on earth would the Canucks trade Kevin Bieksa when their biggest weakness is defense? The answer, I suggest, is that will clear cap space to sign a better free agent defenceman.

Here’s a list of the top free agent defencemen that Mike Gillis should be targetting:

Dan Hamhuis

The numbers: Averaged 21-22 minutes of ice time and is usually a plus player with an average Nashville team. Typically puts up about 25 points per season and rarely gets injured.

Why he would be a good fit: He’s a BC boy and a good stay-at-home defenceman. He would probably step in as the Canucks #1 shutdown defenceman, replacing Willie Mitchell.

What will he cost? There aren’t many good free agent d-men so you’ll probably have to overspend a little. He could make $5 million per season on a long term deal.

Anton Volchenkov

The numbers: He usually averages about 20-21 minutes per night with Ottawa and puts up about 15 points per season. He’s almost always a plus player, playing against the other team’s top lines on a nightly basis. He’s always one of the shot blocking leaders in the league as well.

Why he would be a good fit: Tough, stay-at-home defenceman that plays big minutes and blocks shots against the other team’s top lines. What team wouldn’t want that?

What will he cost? In a similar situation to Hamhuis and will probably fetch about $4-4.5 million

Paul Martin

The numbers: Averages 23-24 minutes per night on a good New Jersey team. Was their #1 defenceman the last few years. Almost always a plus player while putting up 30 points per season and can play on the power play and penalty kill.

Why he would be a good fit: Would step in as the Canucks #1 d-man. He can do it all and eats big minutes.

What will he cost? About $5 million per season.

The Best Fit

Right now Dan Hamhuis and even Anton Volchenkov are getting most of the publicity but I think that Paul Martin might be the best fit for the Canucks. Having a defenceman that can play big minutes and can contribute in all facets of the game is something they sorely lack. With that said, if they can get Hamhuis, Volchenkov or Martin for around $5 million and shed Bieksa’s contract they will be much better off. That kind of a move would be essentially trading your 5th defenceman for your #1 or 2 defenceman for only $1.25 million. If I were a betting man, I would put money on Hamhuis coming here, because he’s a BC boy and probably wants to play in a traditional hockey market after years in Nashville.

The Third Line

Mike Gillis has hinted that he wants to reconstruct his third line, which could come in the way of younger players stepping up like Cody Hodgson and Jordan Schroeder. I don’t think he can bank on that though, and will probably go looking to free agency to help out the third line. There’s been talk of Colby Armstrong coming to town, but he’s going to command over $3 million which is too pricey given their pay structure. Matt Cullen falls much into the same category, but he’s a former client of Gillis, so who knows.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that Mike Gillis needs to improve his defence, first and foremost. Going into next season with Keith Ballard instead of Willie Mitchell isn’t going to cut it. Changes need to made and Bieksa is the guy to move. Hamhuis, Volchenkov and Martin will be overpaid, but if they’re not ridiculously overpaid then the Canucks need to try to sign one of them. The third line needs to be improved with some players with grit who can also score, but that’s going to be difficult to add through free agency. Ideally they would add that piece in a trade for Bieksa.

Enjoy the silly season!

Who will stay? Who will go? Mike Gillis’ Offseason Game Plan

Tonyz Tanti — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:13:31 +0000

The countdown to the free agent frenzy is on. July 1st marks the first day of free agency 2010 and the Canucks are sure to be busy. The Canucks currently have five regulars scheduled to become unrestricted free agents and four regulars set to become restricted free agents. Clearly not all of them will be back and some new players will be added via free agency. There is also the potential for young players to step into the lineup and more trades to happen. So what will Mike Gillis do? Well, lets try to figure that out right now:

Unrestricted Free Agents:

Willie Mitchell: Perhaps the most valuable Canucks defenceman over the last number of years, most in the know are assuming that the Port Alberni native’s days are numbered in Vancouver. Mitchell, 33, made $3.5 million last season and should still have a couple more very productive years left. If not for his concussion history, I think the Canucks would be wise to re-sign him at the same money for a couple more years. The question is what will he command on the open market? He’ll probably land somewhere in the neighbourhood of $4 million on a short term deal or $3.5 on a 3-4 year deal. I don’t think he’ll be back, but I think they should try to keep him.

Pavol Demitra: Needless to say Demitra will not be back. He had a disappointing two seasons in Vancouver and isn’t a top six forward anymore with the players they have.

Andrew Raycroft: The one-way deal for Cory Schneider means that Raycroft won’t be back, though he was probably destined to go somewhere else anyway where he can get more money and playing time.

Ryan Johnson: Johnson is now 34 years old and has a lot of mileage on his body. His heart is unquestionable but he provides little offense and has lost a step. He had a very poor year on the penalty kill last year and I don’t think he’ll be back. He’ll find another spot in the league most likely, but at less than the $1.15 million he earned last season.

Kyle Wellwood: Sorry to say it, but I think Canuckz.com blogger Sean Ovariez’s favourite player will be playing somewhere else next season. Wellwood is just so inconsistent and doesn’t provide that grit element the Canucks were missing in the playoffs. Add the fact that the Canucks are probably hoping that Cody Hodgson takes over the third line centre role next season and I think the writing is on the wall, but he’ll be missed.

Restricted Free Agents:

Mason Raymond: Raymond will be back, but the question is at what price? A good comparable is Wojtek Wolski, who at a similar age and production just signed a two year deal worth $3.8 million per season. Wolski probably has the better resume thus far, so expect Raymond to make less than that, but not much less. Bet on about $3.2 million per season.

Shane O’Brien: O’Brien got a qualifying offer from the Canucks worth $1.6 million. The question is, is that too much for the role he plays? With the acquisition of Keith Ballard, O’Brien is now sixth on the depth chart. I like O’Brien, but I don’t think you can afford to pay your sixth d-man that kind of coin. He might be trade bait.

Tanner Glass: Glass brought some nice elements to the team last season, but I don’t think he’ll be back. He was good, but the team will probably be looking for more potential in his spot.

Jannik Hansen: Jannik Hansen is an interesting case. He’s still young at age 24, and was actually quite productive. Something tells me he won’t be back though. Perhaps it’s because he’s not Alain Vigneault’s favourite guy or perhaps they just want more grit and toughness on the third/fourth line.

Young Players Ready to Step In:

Cory Schneider: The young netminder signed a two year one-way deal worth $900,000 per season and will be handed the backup job behind Roberto Luongo. Mike Gillis has hinted that Schneider will get more playing time than Luongo’s backups have in the past.

Cody Hodgson: The Canucks most important prospect is now two years removed from his draft year and the team will do anything it can to give him the third line centre job. Assuming that he’s recovered from his injury troubles from last season he should be up for the challenge. Cross your fingers.

Jordan Schroeder: Schroeder didn’t have a great year last season with the University of Minnesota, notching 28 points in 37 games. At the end of the college season, he joined the Manitoba Moose and looked impressive. He put up 9 points in 11 regular season games and 6 points in 6 playoff games. That’s an impressive pro hockey debut, but I’m thinking he’ll probably need some more seasoning in the AHL.

Evan Oberg: In his first season of pro hockey Oberg lead all Moose d-men in scoring at age 21. He’s still young and could challenge for a job with the big club next season He’s probably destined to be a call-up from the Moose though.

Trade Bait:

In my mind the Canucks have a few pieces that could be offered up in a trade. Most notably, Kevin Bieksa could become expendable with the acquisition of Keith Ballard and perhaps the signing of free agent d-man. Shane O’Brien is in much the same situation as Bieksa (overpaid for his spot on the depth chart) and could be on the block. Look for at least one of them to go.

Up front, the trading of Michael Grabner probably solidifies Mason Raymond’s spot with the team. I say probably, because if he demands too much money as a restricted free agent he might be gone. That’s a long shot though. Darcy Hordichuk didn’t play a playoff game last season, but something tells me that he’ll be back.

So Who Will Gillis Bring Into the Fold?

Check back tomorrow when Canuckz.com will take a look at the most likely free agents the Canucks will target on July 1st. We’ll also take a stab at a few juicy trade rumours making the rounds. Remember to follow yours truly on Twitter for all the updates.

Ballard BC Bound

Tonyz Tanti — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 01:43:23 +0000

The biggest deal on draft day in 2010 once again involves the Vancouver Canucks. The same team that brought you Alex Mogilny (1995 draft), the Sedin twins (1999 draft) and Roberto Luongo (2006 draft) did it again. While not as big as the aforementioned trades, the acquisition of Keith Ballard is significant. The Canucks acquired Keith Ballard and prospect Victor Oreskovich in exchange for their first round draft pick, Michael Grabner and Steve Bernier.

In the short term I like this trade but I think it is a bad deal long-term. Keith Ballard is exactly what the Canucks need. He’s a mobile, gritty defenceman who can play big minutes in their top four (he’s also no longer on Tomas Vokoun’s Christmas card list). He’s also only 27, so he shouldn’t be over the hill. That’s the upside. The downside is that he makes $4.2 million and has five years left on his deal. That makes him the Canucks highest paid d-man. Can Ballard play in a shutdown role? Can he play on their first unit power play? That remains to be seen. He’ll be a useful player for them, no doubt, but to justify making $4.2 million he needs to be one of their top two defencemen.

The other player acquired in the deal is a prospect by the name of Victor Oreskovich. It doesn’t sound like he’ll be an impact player but he sure is big. The Whitby, ON native was a 2nd round draft pick in the 2004 draft and is 6’3″ and 215 pounds. He split time between the NHL and AHL last season. He’s got a cap friendly salary at $438,000 next season. I’m guessing his potential is to be a third or fourth liner that can provide some size and grit.

So what did the Canucks give up? In Michael Grabner, they’re officially giving up on Dave Nonis’ first round draft pick from the 2006 draft. He was picked 14th overall, so it’s disappointing that he wasn’t able to fetch more in return. I believe Grabner is just about ready to make an impact at the NHL level, and probably has potential to become a 30 goal scorer. The problem with him is that there isn’t much room for him with the Canucks next season. Their top six will be filled with the Sedins, Burrows, Kesler, Raymond and Samuelsson. To play Grabner on their fourth line certainly wouldn’t help getting grit into their lineup.

Steve Bernier’s time with the Canucks was filled with lots of effort, but no finish. The bottom line is that his lack of finish reduced his role to the third line and wasn’t particularly effective on the penalty kill or power play. He was set to make $2 million next season, so getting rid of his salary was a plus. He’s a nice player to have, but not at his salary.

The Canucks also parted with the 25th overall pick in this year’s draft. I’m a little bothered with the Canucks losing this pick, given that they already don’t have a pick in the second and third round. Mike Gillis must work at acquiring some draft picks or else the cupboard will be bare.

The Canucks gave up a lot to get Keith Ballard and for this trade to be viewed as a success, Ballard must deliver. While this trade doesn’t eliminate the chances of the Canucks landing another free agent like Dan Hamhuis, it doesn’t help it. This trade likely means Willie Mitchell won’t be back with the team, although that was already common knowledge. Ballard provides a lot of what Kevin Bieksa brings to the table, so this deal could be a precursor to the underachieving d-man being shipped out of town.

I also believe that this is an early sign from Gillis that he’s going to ‘go for it’. The window of opportunity is now for Gillis. Roberto Luongo had an off-year last season, but he should still be considered one of the top 5 netminders in the league. Their forwards are deep and have high end talent. Their defence needs improving and Gillis is attempting to do that in this trade and can improve it some more with some free agent signings. What I’d really like to see is a true #1 defenceman in blue and green, but those guys are hard to come by. Ballard is useful, but certainly not a true #1. In any case, I believe the window for this team is open for the next 1-2 maybe 3 years. The time is now.

Henrik’s got Hart!

Tonyz Tanti — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:20:39 +0000

Henrik Sedin has made club history by becoming the first Canuck to win the Hart Trophy. He walks away with the Hart and Art Ross trophies but not the Lindsay trophy, that went to Alex Ovechkin. The dream season is now officially complete. A player that nobody thought would be thought of as a top 10 player in the league is not only the Art Ross trophy winner, but the Hart trophy winner as well. A great honour for a true class act.

Henrik won the award with 46 first place votes to Ovechkin’s 40. The rest of the voting was as follows:

Pts. (1st-2nd-3rd-4th-5th)

1. Henrik Sedin, VAN 894 (46-34-27-19-4)
2. Alex Ovechkin, WSH 834 (40-35-22-22-13)
3. Sidney Crosby, PIT 729 (20-35-38-29-7)