Canucks Sign Dan Hamhuis and Manny Malholtra

On the opening day of free agency the Vancouver Canucks went out and got the two guys they wanted, defenseman Dan Hamhuis ($4.5m 6yrs) and centre Manny Malholtra ($2.5m 3 yrs). Prices and term are always higher than what players are "really worth", but Mike Gillis just addressed the two biggest needs of the Canucks and still has cap room to fill in the rest of the roster.

Dan Hamhuis $4.5 million over 6 years

Dan Hamhuis was one of the more sought after free agents on the market, his rights were traded twice and there were reportedly many other teams interested, however he chose to play for his "home town" team at a salary which is likely less than what others had offered. Six years is a long time, but at 27 the Canucks are paying for his prime years, so term should not be an issue. A salary of $4.5m is a relative bargain for a sought after free agent defenseman, but may be a little over priced for a player who has yet to prove he can be a top pairing guy and who is joining a team whose salary structure has limited defensemen at the $3.5m mark.

Like the recently acquired Keith Ballard, Hamhuis is a legitimate top 4 defensemen who can play at both ends of the rink, but perhaps the most important adjective to describe the two players is "durable". In his 6 year career Hamhuis has missed only 9 games. For a team who saw their playoff chances dissipate due to injuries on defense, durable defensemen are a welcome sight.

With the addition of Hamhuis someone is obviously on the way out. The general consensus is that Kevin Bieksa will be traded with Shane O'Brien likely being moved as well. But that's not necessarily a sure thing. There may be enough minutes to spread around on defense and there is even the small possibility of Bieksa playing up front if needed. Logically Bieksa seems to be on his way out, but there's still a possibility of the Canucks hanging on to him if they can find the cap room.

Manny Malholtra $2.5 million over 3 yrs

Let's get this out of the way... yes the salary is at least $500k too much and the reported no trade clause isn't great. Ok, now that that's done with Manny Malholtra is exactly the player the Canucks needed... a 6'2" 215 lbs centre who can also play the wing, kill penalties, win faceoffs (62.5% last year) and chip in offensively (14g 19a vs Wellwood's 14g 11a).

Malholtra had a very good playoff run for San Jose and will bring some much needed size and grit to the Canucks bottom 6 forward group and to the penalty kill. Should Cody Hodgson make the team as a centre Malholtra has the ability to move to the wing.

Other Moves...

The Canucks also signed former first round pick Jeff Tambellini to a 1 year deal and centre Joel Perrault to a 1 year deal for $510k. Perrault may have a chance at the 4th line centre spot, but both will be in tough to make the team out of camp especially with Gillis likely still in the market for another bottom 6 forward.

In other news Canuck fans are still ecstatic that Darryl Sutter still has his job in Calgary.

Canucks Trade Grabner, Bernier and 1st for Keith Ballard

The Canucks made their first big move of the off season yesterday by trading their 25th overall pick along with Michael Grabner and Steve Bernier to Florida in exchange for Keith Ballard and Victor Oreskovich.

At first glance the price looks very steep from a Canucks perspective, but in the end this is a good trade for both teams. Remember trading isn't about "winning" the trade, it's about making your team better.

Heading to Florida:

Michael Grabner

It always sucks when you give up a player with Grabner's skillset. In their 40 year history the Canucks have had few players with Grabner's combination of speed, goal scoring instincts and shot. Grabner looked a little overwhelmed in the playoffs, but he showed flashes of star talent during the regular season. Also keep in mind he missed most of the season with a freak pre-game injury. It's hard not to see Grabner being at least a 20 goal scorer with the potential to one day approach the 40 goal mark. But you've got to give to get and the Canucks dealt from a position of strength, with Raymond in the top 6 and Shroeder and Hodgson knocking on the door someone had to go. With Grabner being at the tail end of his entry level contract and the emergence of Raymond, he was the logical one to move.

Steve Bernier

Bernier was a disappointment in Vancouver, but he was a serviceable bottom 6 winger with size. Unfortunately last season his injury issues took away his physical game and he wasn't effective on the forecheck. At $2m he was simply too expensive for his role.

First Round Pick 25th Overall

The value of a draft pick is a funny thing. At the trade deadline or during the season a first rounder has pretty high value. However come draft day when you have knowledge of who exactly is available at your slot the value can be a lot less. When Jarred Tinordi was snatched up by Montreal at #22 the Canucks did not see anyone else they really liked at #25, so they decided to trade the known commodity (this year's pick) instead of next year's. A pretty shrewd move on Gillis' part. Holding on to next year's pick also keeps the option of an RFA offer sheet intact.

Coming to Vancouver

Keith Ballard

Ballard is a huge addition for a few reasons. 1) He fills a desperate need, a need which will be very difficult to fill through free agency. 2) He's under contract during his prime years at a time when the Canucks are set to lose key components of their defense core via free agency or declining ability. Sure there's a risk Ballard's contract (5 more years at $4.2m) could be a problem down the road, but that risk is minimal when you consider his skill set (skating and puck moving ability).

There have been some complaints about his size, but he plays a gritty game, blocking a lot of shots and delivering a lot of hits. If he was 5'12"(aka six feet) people probably wouldn't be complaining half as much.

Guess how many defensemen played 82 games last year... 28, Ballard's done it in 4 out of 5 seasons in the NHL. Guess how many defensemen had 28 points last year... 58, that's less than 2 per team, in the Canucks system over 82 games Ballard should have no problem hitting 35 points.

Victor Oreskovich

Oreskovich is an interesting player. A big winger (6'3", 215), who quit hockey altogether before returning to the game last season, will add some much needed size to the bottom 6 forward group. After quitting hockey some may legitimately question his character, on the other hand the fact that he was able to come back so quickly has to count for something both in the character/work ethic department and in his physical ability to do so.

Ballard makes the Canucks a better team today and there are still plenty of moves to come. Another defenseman is a must, perhaps Dan Hamhuis will be available on July 1. The futures of Willie Mitchell, Kevin Bieksa and Shane O'Brien are up in the air, at least one possibly two will likely not be back next season. The 3rd line still needs to be addressed and Gillis seems intent on getting tougher and harder to play against. It's going to be an interesting summer, the fun is just getting started...

Game 3 - Kings 5 - Canucks 3 - Game Notes

Some quick notes before a pivotal game 4...

• The Canucks penalty kill has been beyond terrible in this series. The PK is at the point where they may as well just concede a goal and save themselves the 2:00 off the clock. Vancouver absolutely needs to be better on the PK or they are done, simple as that.
• And the guy who can help the PK get it done is Roberto Luongo. Just when I thought Luongo had turned a corner he comes up with another brutal performance. That fourth goal, no matter how poor a play it was by Wellwood, is inexcusable from the supposed leader of the team. I don't want to see Luongo take one look or have one conversation with an official. Focus on the puck and stop the puck.
• The Canucks power play was just as bad as the PK. Christian Ehrhoff was awful and showed none of the strong play we saw in the regular season. He handled the puck like a grenade and could not handle the pressure.
• As strong as Wellwood has played down the stretch and even in the first two games of this series, the fact that the Canucks have a 3rd line centre who does not produce offensively and cannot kill penalties is really hurting then right now.

• Finally the disallowed goal... The best part about the NHL replay system is it's consistency. Whatever game you are watching when you see a goal reviewed the vast majority of the time you know what the call is going to be. In the past they have always been consistent - the puck might be across the line but if you can't see it on video it's not a goal etc. etc. - that's why this decision is so aggravating to Canuck fans. This same play has been called a goal over and over and over, that was until Monday. The fact that the decision overturned the on-ice call, favoured a large US market team and was made by an ex-King, and now has Colin Campbell claiming he actually made the decision even though it was pretty clear it wasn't his decision (yes the same guy who supposedly "investigated" the Burrows-Auger incident) - well it really brings into question the credibility of those involved.

  The Canucks are behind in this series because they haven't played well enough, but it's hard to ignore the fact that they have had two calls go against them even though those calls directly conflict with the language in the official rule book. The explanation of the Sedin non-goal was ridiculous. It's debatable whether Sedin even saw the puck come off Burrows' stick let alone attempted to kick the puck. But I guess by slowing the replays down enough and by looking at all the angles Mike Murphy somehow managed to get inside Daniel Sedin's head and determined that yes he intentionally kicked the puck in.

  But hey it must have been the right call right? Otherwise why would you have to take the unprecedented step of having to go on hockey night in canada to defend a video review call immediately after the game?

Game 2 - Kings 3 - Canucks 2 - Game Notes

After game 1 the question was how would the Kings react after getting a game under their belt? On Saturday night the Kings were much better while the Canucks lacked the sense of purpose they played with in game one. The result was a 3-2 loss in overtime on an unlucky, if not questionable, too many men on the ice penalty.

I don't like to blame officiating for a loss, but penalties in overtime are a different animal. First you had the non-call on Ryan Smyth's high stick which was somehow deemed a follow through even though he was not taking a shot, he was simply flailing at a lose puck and got his stick up... what happened to being responsible for your stick? The refs let that go and I would have been fine with that, until the too many on the ice penalty (called by a linesman no less). Did the Canucks have too many men on the ice? Yes, that was obvious. However, 1) the puck was shot towards the Canuck bench by the Kings; 2) It hit Bieksa who was coming off the ice and was not played by a player coming on to the ice. In the NHL those types of plays are usually not called, let alone called in overtime during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

That said it wasn't the officiating that cost Vancouver the game. They simply didn't play hard enough. The Kings were better in that department and in the end their hard work got them the breaks they needed to win the game.

• If their was one silver lining for Vancouver it would be that the real Roberto Luongo made an appearance at GM Place for the first time in 2010. That is the Luongo we are used to seeing. He was razor sharp all night and for the first time in a long time I felt 100% confident in him.
• It has become apparent that this series is going to be determined by special teams. The Kings power play has been lights out and the Canucks have taken far too many penalties. Vanocuver's PK needs to be much much better. Right now they are giving too much respect too the points and it has resulted in the Kings easily moving the puck across the ice through the middle and down low. The Canucks need to tighten up and make some adjustments.
• Andrew Alberts is an awful defenseman. There's a reason one of the worst teams in the NHL wouldn't give him any important minutes. The Canucks needed a defenseman at the deadline, but Alberts for a third is looking like Gillis' worst move as GM. In his first few games Alberts seemed to be on the ice for half the team's goals against. He looked a little better in the final few games of the year, but two games into the playoffs he has been a disaster. Alberts has nearly single handedly kept LA in this series.
• Where was the 4th line? If you can't get them some ice at home how are you going to do it in LA? Three minutes of ice isn't enough. Mike Gillis chose not to get any help for the bottom 6 and so far it has resulted in Vancouver playing a 3 line game. Pretty tough to go 4 rounds doing that.
• The Sedins were great in game one, and not too bad in game two, however it was Henrik Sedin being late on the backcheck which allowed the Kings to tie the game up.
• Where has Demtira's game gone? Maybe the Canucks should put a Slovak jersey on him and see what happens. If he doesn't show signs of life soon, I'd like to see Grabner moved up to play with Kesler.
• Alex Edler was great in game one and solid in game two, but he's got to hit the net. Edler missed the net 5 times on Saturday night.
• The Canucks found an edge in the faceoff department, which should help as they head down to LA.

Game three goes Monday at 7:00 pst. Let's hope we don't get stuck with that stupid high camera angle that is used so often in California.

Game 1 - Canucks 3 - Kings 2 - Game Notes

Time to post again...

The Canucks opened their quest for the 2010 Stanley Cup with a very strong, even dominate, performance against the Los Angeles Kings. Vancouver was by far the better team 5-on-5 as the Kings rarely sustained any pressure. Special teams were a different story as the Kings scored twice on the power play and were dangerous when they didn't. On to the game notes...

• Alex Edler was the big story after game 1 and deservedly so. While most of the talk was about the big hits, especially the great one on Doughty, it was the defensive play against Anze Kopitar that was most impressive. Edler stayed right on the talented forward and didn't allow Kopitar to score as Luongo was flopping around like a beached whale. That play may have saved the game for Vancouver.
• Speaking of Luongo, while he made a huge save in overtime, he didn't exactly do anything to show that his struggles are behind him. While Quick looked confident and inspired his teammates, as soon as the Kings scored Luongo appeared to be fighting the puck again and lost the swagger he was displaying early in the game/pre-game. The second Kings goal wasn't a "bad goal", it developed quickly, it's still one that Luongo should stop. If he can't stop those the Canucks won't be getting out of the second round.
• What more can you say about the Sedin's? They are superstars in this league and if anyone tells you different... well there an idiot.
• Andrew Alberts was the one black mark in the Canucks performance. In the last week or so of the season Alberts had finally gotten his game to a point where he wasn't a total liability. However his two dumb penalties resulted in two goals against and were the only reason the Kings were in the game. Hopefully Rome is ready to go tonight.
• The officiating in game 1 was decent, at least they let them play, however there were numerous non-calls on high sticks, how they didn't see Kopitar's stick through Henrik's visor is mind boggling.
• Both teams are good in the faceoff department and they split the draws 50-50 in game 1. As the series progresses it will be interesting to see if one team can find an advantage in this department.

Game 2 goes tonight and should be interesting. The Kings were happy with their game on Thursday (at least that's what they were saying), but it will be a short series if they don't make some adjustments (especially breaking out of their own zone).

You have to wonder how much of a factor experience will be for the remainder of the series. In game 1 the Canucks were confident and played with a purpose, while the Kings were often on their heels. No one ever admits it, but for young teams making their first playoff appearance their is often a subconscious feeling of being "happy to be there." Is that a factor in this series? Maybe. The Kings season is already a success, while the Canucks' core has experienced early playoff failures and is hungry to go deep into the playoffs.

Tonight we'll see if the experience of that first playoff game will help the Kings, or if the Canucks are truly the dominant 5-on-5 team...

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...