Canucks November Report Card

A week late on this one due to computer problems, but here it is anyway...

The Forwards

Mason Raymond A (Oct B+)

Raymond had a strong October and that continued into November, however this time his strong play was reflected on the scoresheet. With 5 goals and 8 assists, Raymond had a point in 8 of 12 games. November was by far the best month of his career.

Henrik Sedin A- (Oct A-)

Once again Henrik Sedin leads the way up front for the Canucks. Henrik netted 8 goals and 4 assists in 12 November games, was a plus 4 and managed nearly 2 shots on goal per game. What happened to Henrik the playmaker?

Steve Bernier B+ (Oct B-)

Despite missing a couple games and spending most of his time with offensively challenged linemates, Bernier finds himself on pace for almost 25 goals and is already nearly half way to his career high in points. The Canucks will be very happy if they keep getting a goal every 3 or 4 games out of Bernier.

Tanner Glass B+ (Oct C-)

Following a great camp Glass was a non-factor in October, but he found his game in November. Bouncing between the 3rd and 4th lines, Glass managed 4 goals and was a +7 while bringing a much needed physical element to the table (leading the team in hits). If only the Canucks could clone him and replace Hordichuk.

Jannik Hansen B+ (Oct INC)

After breaking his hand in the pre-season, Hansen finally made his debut and put up 4 points in 7 November games. Last season Hansen struggled to finish chances, so far things are looking better this season.

Daniel Sedin B- (Oct B)

Daniel finally returned late in the month to post 3 points in 4 games

Alexandre Burrows C+ (Oct C+)

The return of Daniel Sedin rejuvenated the scoring touch of Alex Burrows, but it was a little too late for his November report card. While the points weren't really there, Burrows appeared to have put the "edge" back into his game after a unremarkable opening month. As I wrote last month, 3 goals a month isn't enough for Burrows. The good news is that he already has 3 goals in 3 December games.

Ryan Kesler C+ (Oct B+)

While Kesler managed to put up 13 points in 12 games, only one of those was a goal and that was on November 1st. The lack of forward depth certainly didn't help Kesler. Since Grabner went down the effectiveness of the second line has slipped significantly from their great October. Kesler needs to find some consistency in his offensive production and pressure. Without Kesler putting the puck in the net the Canucks will struggle to make up ground in the standings.

Mikael Samuelsson C (Oct A-)

After a great start with the Canucks Sameulsson has shown the lack of consistency which prevented him from becoming a key part of the Red Wings. His point total dropped in half this month to 6, while he also took 7 minor penalties in 12 games. The good news is he is still getting a lot of shots on goal, but the Canucks need more consistency in the effort department.

Kyle Wellwood C (Oct C-)

What to say about Wellwood... he finally found himself back on the scoresheet later in the month after a terrible start. Remarkably, for such a soft/small centre, Wellwood was a +7 on the month so he and his line do deserve some significant credit for keeping the puck out of their own net and for staying out of the penalty box.

Rick Rypien C (Oct C+)

The Canucks need more out of the 4th line and more out of Rypien. Two points and only 5 shots in 9 games isn't enough.

Matt Pettinger C (Oct INC)

Pettinger wasn't bad, but he wasn't good either. Two points and 5 shots in 7 games is a decent contribution for a bottom 6 callup, but it wasn't good enough for him to stick. He might be able to find a role somewhere in the NHL, but he just doesn't have that one above average skill to be a regular on the Canucks.

Ryan Johnson D (Oct C)

Ten games, 4 shots. How many good shifts did the 4th line have in November? I bet you could count them on one hand. I don't care how many shots he blocks or how many faceoffs he wins, Ryan Johnson is a problem. Points in only 2 games and only 7 shots on goal this [em]entire season[/em]. The Canucks 4th line might be the worst territorial line in the NHL and it's costing them points in the standings.

Darcy Hordichuk D (Oct C)

Hordichuk actually scored a goal this month... too bad it was his only good shift of the month. Surely there's a goon out there somewhere that can actually skate without falling down? Somewhere... anywhere...

The Defense

Christian Ehrhoff A- (Oct B+)

Every time I see the number 5 I have this brief sinking feeling until I remember that Lukas Krajicek isn't on the ice. Instead it's Ehrhoff, who has been a huge success for the Canucks. While he had only 6 points in November his overall game has improved steadily this season. He moves the puck up the ice as good as any Canuck defenseman since Jirki Lumme, does a great job at getting pucks on net and has improved his defensive coverage down low. It's hard to imagine where the Canucks would be without his presence.

Alexander Edler B- (Oct C+)

After a very disappointing October, Edler finally started to put it together in November. Offensively he stepped it up a bit with 10 points in 12 games and he also improved his defensive play somewhat. Still, for every great blue line to blue line pass he makes there's a play that makes you scratch your head. For a guy who plays 20+ minutes a night the Canucks need more consistency.

Kevin Bieksa C+ (Oct C+)

Only 4 assists for Bieksa in a month which saw him play up front for a few games. Did a better job at avoiding minor penalties and was a minus only twice. That said the Canucks need more offense from the back end and Bieksa needs to be a large part of that. As the highest paid defenseman Bieksa needs to be better.

Willie Mitchell B (Oct B+)

Another solid month for Mitchell. What can you say really, he does his job

Mathieu Schneider C+ (Oct C-)

While his numbers aren't terrible (3 points, 9 shots, +3 in 9 games) defensive mistakes at key times have magnified his underwhelming offense. Schneider needs to be better in his own end and he needs to produce more... if he doesn't he will find himself in the pressbox more often than not.

Sami Salo C (Oct C+)

Only 1 assist in 12 games isn't enough from Sami Salo. It's obvious that he has been playing through an injury, so he does deserve some credit for battling through that. The offense hasn't been there, but defensively he has been solid and was a minus only once in November

Shane O'Brien C (Oct C)

O'Brien was a victim of the addition of Schneider as he saw only 4 games in November. His only memorable moment was earning a one game suspension for poking his stick across the benches in New York. The fact that he couldn't do enough to get himself into the lineup earns him a C

Aaron Rome INC (Oct C+)

The debut of Schneider has pushed Rome down the depth chart and as a result he saw only about 35 minutes of ice in 3 games.

The Goalies

Andrew Raycroft B+ (Oct A)

Raycroft was 3-1 with a 2.10 GAA abd .917 SvPct in November. Raycroft was superb up until the St.Louis debacle. Three out of four ain't bad for your backup.

Cory Schneider B+ (Oct INC)

It was only one start but Cory Schneider was tremendous in a 45 save losing effort.

Roberto Luongo B (Oct C-)

Luongo was 4-3 with a 2.23 GAA and .921 SvPct in November, much better than his 6-6-1 2.79 .902 October. Still, 4 wins isn't enough no matter the peripheral statistics. The bottom line is that Luongo needs to find a way to put up more W's, that's what he's paid the big bucks for.

* All grades are relative to expectations

Canucks October Report Card

Well, it was an interesting first month of the season. After a near perfect pre-season expectations were high heading into the regular season, but as people tend to forget, pre-season don't mean jack.

After a brutal first week the Canucks managed to put things together during the middle of the month just as a bizarre number of injuries began to set in. Not many thought the Canucks would merely be a .500 hockey team coming out of October. The poor start was a direct result of some inadequate goaltending, poor penalty killing and a lack of goal scoring away from GM Place. Sure you can blame injuries, but they really weren't a significant factor (every team has to deal with injuries) until the pathetic lineups that were iced down in California. Anyway, let's take a look at the individual players and how they performed in October...

The Forwards

Henrik Sedin: A-

Despite playing all but 4 games without his brother, Henrik still managed to produce at a point a game level and leads the team in goals with 6. He has also done a good job at shooting the puck more, increasing his shot per game average from 1.7 last year to about 2.3 this year. He has also done the job in the faceoff circle, winning 53.6% of his draws. The only blemish on Henrik's record are the dumb hooking/holding penalties he continues to take.

Mikael Samuelsson: A-

With 12 points in 14 games, including 3 power play and 2 game winning goals, Samuelsson has delivered. It's hard to imagine where the team would be without his production. It will be interesting to see if he can increase his production when Daniel Sedin returns.

Ryan Kesler: B+

After a slow start Ryan Kesler picked it up after the first week. His numbers are solid, but his biggest contribution to the team has been his ability to anchor the second line at a time where the Canucks desperately needed it. While Henrik's line has produced, on a shift by shift basis it has been Kesler's line who has consistently generated offensive pressure.

Mason Raymond: B+

While Raymond's point totals aren't great his play has been. Along with Kesler he has given the team a strong second line at a critical time and he has done a solid job on the PK. Needs to up his point totals, especially in the assist department.

Michael Grabner: B+

After failing to make the team out of camp, and being ripped (undeservedly IMO) by the coaching staff, Grabner got his chance after Daniel Sedin went down and he delivered. Grabner's contribution of 5 points in 9 games along with a bunch of shots and chances was just what they needed. Unfortunately it looks like he won't be back for a while.

Daniel Sedin: B

Four points in 4 games, I'll give him a B.

Steve Bernier: B-

Bernier has managed to put the puck in the net a few times and is on pace for about 40 points which puts him ahead of last season. He looks quicker this season and hopefully he continues to gain confidence and gets himself into the 20 goal range. If the injuries continue they're going to need at least that many out of him.

Alexander Burrows: C+

It's been a slow start for Burrows. Don't expect Burrows to hit 30 goals, but he needs to produce more than 3 goals a month especially with the injuries to other offensive forwards.

Rick Rypien: C+

Offensively Rypien needs to produce a little more, but he brings some much needed grit and physical play to the 4th line without sacrificing speed. May just be the best pound for pound fighter in the league. Needs to improve in the faceoff circle if he wants to increase his value by playing in the middle.

Alex Bolduc: C+

Hasn't produced any points, but before his injury was starting to look more comfortable. He's got good wheels and could find an NHL career as a checking centre. Didn't hurt the team when he was called up, exactly what you want out of your injury callups.

Ryan Johnson: C

Offense isn't expected out of Ryan Johnson, but you need something out of the 4th line every now and then. With his hand healthy his faceoff numbers are great, but as the leading PK'er up front he has to share some of the responsibility for the poor PK numbers. Not a bad month for Johnson, but not quite up to expectations.

Darcy Hordichuk: C

Hordichuk plays his enforcer role well enough, but the Canucks need more impact out of the 4th line. It doesn't have to be much... one good shift a game... have an impact on one game a week... that's all you need out of your 4th line. One or two games a month isn't enough.

Tanner Glass: C-

Coming out of camp I was excited to see what Glass could bring to the lineup. He looked very good in the pre-season, but has been a complete non-factor in the regular season.

Kyle Wellwood: C-

One point ain't good enough. The only thing keeping Wellwood out of the D or F range is that he has done a solid job defensively, at least in terms of +/-. Unless Wellwood finds a way to produce, the Canucks will need to upgrade the 3rd line centre spot.

Sergei Shirokov: D

This year's version of Steve Kariya was Sergei Shirokov. Great pre-season, terrible against the big boys. Shirokov hasn't done anything at the NHL level, no points in 6 games, and a -4. His biggest problem so far at the NHL level is that he doesn't have the speed to do the things he is used to doing. Can he find a way to produce against NHL calibre players? I think we'll be waiting until next year to find out.

Incomplete:

Guilaume Desbiens & Mario Bliznak

The Defense

Christian Ehrhoff: B+

Ehrhoff has come as advertised, good skater and puck mover who sometimes struggles defensively. His offensive contribution has been great. Defensively he hasn't been bad, but he does tend to get beat in one on one battles.

Willie Mitchell: B+

Mitchell can be frustrating to watch at times (due to his lack of puck skills), but he does his job. And surprisingly this year he is actually producing some points, 2 goals and 4 assists have been a pleasant surprise.

Kevin Bieksa: C+

Solid contribution offensively, but two minor penalties every three games is too much. Needs to find a way to stay out of the penalty box.

Alexander Edler: C+

Edler teases you with his talent. Often it looks like he is poised to be a number one defenseman in the NHL, however too often you wonder if he will ever achieve enough consistency to be more than a second pairing guy. He struggled during the second full week of the season (where he was -5 in 3 games) and his numbers haven't really recovered.

Sami Salo: C+

Surprise, surprise, Sami Salo out again. Still the Canucks' best defenseman, the Canucks can only hope that he's healthy at the right times.

Aaron Rome: C+

As the 7th defenseman Rome has done a solid job filling in on the blueline and up front. He's also done a nice job staying out of the box which is a pretty good indication that he isn't getting caught out of position in the defensive zone.

Shane O'Brien: C

Sometimes it looks like O'Brien has the tools to maybe be a number 4 guy someday, but unfortunately he doesn't put it together on a consistent basis. Hasn't been bad this season, but he can be better.

Mathieu Schneider: C-

Perhaps too early to give him a grade, but a -5 in 4 games is too ugly to ignore. Sure most of that was in one game against Anaheim, but hey, they all count. Will be interesting too see where he's at in a couple weeks.

The Goaltenders

Andrew Raycroft: A

Other than a blip in Anaheim, Raycroft has been as near perfect as a goalie can be. He's done the job and then some. I don't like his size, but if he can keep stopping the puck and controlling his rebounds I won't complain.

Roberto Luongo: C-

Perhaps a little harsh, but Luongo was brutal to start the season and was directly responsible for losing some pretty important points in the standings. Got it together in the second half of the month, but the first was brutal.

Cory Schneider: Incomplete

Yikes. I didn't watch the 3rd period of the Anaheim game, but is Cory Schneider ever going to stop the puck at the NHL level? At this point I don't care what his AHL numbers are, if I'm an NHL GM I'm not giving up anything for him until I see him stop the puck in the NHL.

* All grades are relative to expections: IE: A "B" for Ryan Kesler isn't the same as a "B" for Alex Bolduc. Kesler is expected to get 60pts, so the 60 pt range puts him in the B to B+ range, whereas Bolduc is expected to play well defensively and not hurt the team, offense is a bonus.

So there you have it, finally some content. Look for things to pick up in November as I finally have some time to dedicate...

Canucks Roster Set - Here We Go...

The Vancouver Canucks have finalized their 2009-2010 roster and will start the season as follows:

The Forwards

• Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alex Burrows
• Sergei Shirokov - Ryan Kesler- Mikael Samuelsson
• Mason Raymond - Kyle Wellwood - Steve Bernier
• Darcy Hordichuk - Ryan Johnson - Rick Rypien
• Tanner Glass

No real surprises up front. With Demitra out, Sergei Shirikov was a no-brainer (and may have even made the team if Demitra was healthy). Tanner Glass had a great camp and finds himself on the team due to the injury to Jannik Hansen.

As for the guys who didn't make it...

Cody Hodgson is the obvious story here. Watching Hodgson last season, the main concerns with him were his footspeed and lack of physical strength. One summer was not enough for him to overcome those deficiencies and at 19 Hodgson just isn't physically ready to compete at the NHL level.

Michael Grabner gets the runner up nod for the biggest disappointment at camp. While he showed some flashes (most noticeably his hard shot and great speed) he just didn't make enough happen.

The Defense

• Willie Mitchell - Sami Salo
• Christian Ehrhoff - Alex Edler
• Shane O'Brien - Kevin Bieksa
• Aaron Rome

The most noticeable development on defense has to be Aaron Rome landing a job over veteran Brad Lukowich. I did not get to see Lukowich play much, so I don't know if this has much (if anything) to do with his play on the ice. This is all about the salary cap. Lukowich simply makes too much money to be a 6th/7th defenseman.

Lukowich has cleared waivers and will reportedly play with the Texas Stars (AHL) as the Moose are at their veteran limit. Speaking of the Moose, Lawrence Nycholat and Michael Funk have also cleared waivers and will report to Manitoba.

The Goaltenders

• Roberto Luongo
• Andrew Raycroft

There was only one battle here and in the end Raycroft outperformed Cory Schneider. The organization has to be disappointed that Schneider didn't push harder for the backup job.

Other Notes

The Canucks have named Henrik Sedin as an alternate captain, replacing the departed Mattias Ohlund. (It was strange to type up the Canuck pairings and not include Ohlund.)

For those who have asked, I will be updating the blog with the 2009-2010 schedule and the "Next Game" ticker (and maybe some other things) sometime this weekend. In the meantime, enjoy the season opener in Calgary (7:00pm CBC HD).

Islanders VS Canucks from Terrace BC on Sportsnet

The Canucks will make their pre-season debut tonight in Terrace as they take on the Islanders. Not only will the game be televised, it will also be available in HD (at least according to the Bell TV guide). It looks like there will be a half hour tape delay as the game is set to get underway at 7:00 and the broadcast is at 7:30.

Here is the Canucks roster according to Canucks.com (Terrace is really getting shafted... looks a lot more like the Manitoba Moose than the Vancouver Canucks)

• Grabner - Wellwood - Desbiens
• Bolduc - Rypien - Hansen
• Labrie - Bliznak - Walsky
• Shirikov

• Mitchell - Bieksa
• Lukowich - Baumgartner
• Rome - Sauve
• O'Brien - Oberg

• Raycroft
• Schneider

Canucks Re-Sign Luongo to 12 Year $64m Contract

The deal that most assumed was already in the bag finally got done today and it's a big one. 12 years and $64 million dollars ($5.33m cap hit) will keep Roberto Luongo in Vancouver for the remainder of his prime.

The cap hit is a great number for the Canucks, especially for the next 6 to 7 years. The extra million and a half in cap room (compared to other high paid goaltenders) will allow the Canucks some significant flexibility to address other areas such as Ryan Kesler.

The end of the contract will be interesting, nobody really knows what the salary cap or CBA will look like in 10 years. Considering that Martin Brodeur is still going strong at 37, theres a strong possibility that Luongo would still be worth his cap hit in years 8 to 10. That said, if there is still a salary cap in 2020, it would be unlikely that a team would want a $5.33m cap hit on a 40+ year old goaltender. Considering the front loading of cash in this deal, it's likely that Luongo will either be retired or bought out by the time that scenario pops up.

The deal obviously means that Cory Schneider is no longer the future between the pipes. It will be interesting to see how Mike Gillis handles Schneider. When will his value be at its peak? Do you take the risk of adding to his value by giving him some NHL time and hoping he delivers and does not struggle like last year, or do you keep him in Manitoba and try and sell teams on his superb AHL numbers?

It's been a great week for Canuck fans and things are about to get really interesting as camp approaches.

Canucks Sign Mathieu Schneider and Acquire Lukowich & Ehrhoff

The Vancouver Canucks have signed free agent defenseman Mathieu Schneider and have traded Daniel Rahimi and Patrick White to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Brad Lukowich and Christian Ehrhoff.

The backend just got a whole lot better. More to come later...

... Well, today was certainly a big day for Canuck fans. After a quiet summer all of a sudden the Canucks find themselves with 3 new defensemen in one day.

Mathieu Schneider

Schneider has reportedly signed a 1 year deal for $1.5m and he also told his agent that Vancouver was the only place he wanted to play and never entertained offers from other teams. You have to like the fact that he wanted to come here. At 40 years old, it's hard to judge what kind of an impact Schneider will have, but he is sure to improve the Canucks power play. Last season, split between Montreal and Atlanta, Schneider had 32 pts in 67 games. Considering the new found depth on defense I would expect Schneider to slot in on the third pairing and on the power play, likely playing less than 15 min per game at even strength, he will also see some time up in the press box (I highly doubt he plays more than 65-70 games).

Christian Ehrhoff

I honestly don't know too much about Ehrhoff as I haven't seen him play all that much, but from reading various scouting reports and opinions (and of course looking at the numbers) he looks like a top 4 guy who has the potential to improve. At 27 he should be entering his prime and will add some offense to the backend. Like all offensive defensemen there are question marks surrounding his defensive game, but we'll have to wait and see how he adjusts to the Canucks system. With a $3.1m cap hit for the next two seasons the Canucks will be depending on Ehrhoff to produce. After being buried behind Rob Blake and Dan Boyle, Ehrhoff will likely have a better opportunity in Vancouver.

Brad Lukowich

My first thought is that it will be interesting to see how Lukowich will fit in to the Canucks lineup. At a $1.5m cap hit, Lukowich will have to really earn a roster spot as a #7/8 guy. At the moment I have a hard time seeing him beat out Shane O'Brien, but that assumes a healthy defense coming out of the pre-season (which is unlikely). Lukowich will bring some much needed experience (specifically Stanley Cup experience) and is still only 33 years old. He has his work cut out for him, but he is a nice addition to the depth chart.

As for the trade and the departing players, this is clearly a steal for Vancouver and a salary dump for San Jose. Patrick White has had a disappointing (to say the least) University career, but I wouldn't quite write him off yet. While he looks like a bust, an NHL career isn't out of the question. Daniel Rahimi is a player who might turn in to a third pairing, stay at home defenseman, but doesn't look like a significant asset. Basically the Canucks gave up two prospects from the prior regime who are no longer in their plans. In return they received a top 4 defenseman and a solid veteran. Can't argue with that.

Training camp just got a whole lot more interesting. Is there another trade in the works (Demitra?), will the Canucks go with 8 defensemen? The fun is just beginning as another season is just around the corner...

Canucks Re-Sign O'Brien and Sign Andrew Raycroft

The Canucks took care of some business today re-signing defenseman Shane O'Brien and replacing Jason Labarbera with Andrew Raycroft.

Shane O'Brien and the Canucks agreed to a 1 year $1.6m contract, avoiding salary arbitration. O'Brien had an up and down season last year, the low point being the whole mess or "misunderstanding" over management wanting him to drop the gloves more. O'Brien is only 25 and certainly has some untapped potential. He kinda reminds me of Jovanovski in a way. By no means does he have Jovo's wheels or offensive skills, but he does have confidence in carrying the puck. Unfortunately he also share's Jovo's propensity to make mental mistakes. It will be interesting to see how he develops, he will never be a top pairing guy, but I think he has the potential to be a solid #4 defenseman.

Considering the increase in pay it is likely the Canucks will also hope to increase O'Brien's role. With the loss of Ohlund, O'Brien currently sits fifth on the depth chart.

As for Andrew Raycroft, this has "depth move" written all over it. Raycroft has (reportedly) signed for the minimum $500k and will have to beat out Cory Schneider for the backup job. You could do a lot worse and spend a lot more money filling the backup goaltender position. Raycroft's chances of playing a game for the Canucks likely ride on whether Cory Schneider is traded or not.