The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed Mason Raymond to a 2-year deal that will pay the speedy winger 2.5 million this season and 2.6 million in 2011-12. The deal happened right before both sides were going to present their case in Raymond’s arbitration hearing. Had the hearing gone on as planned, many believe that Raymond would’ve been awarded 3-3.5 million per year and that would’ve made it difficult for the Canucks to re-sign him considering their current cap situation.

Here’s what the two sides wanted, according to Jason Botchford:

Canucks: $2 million a year, similar to the deals that Ryan Callahan ($2.3m with NY Rangers) and Eric Fehr ($2.2m with Washington Capitals) received.

Raymond’s camp: $3.5 million a year, like Ryane Clowe ($3.6m from San Jose) and Travis Zajac ($3.8m from New Jersey) got in their deals.

Both sides were very happy to get the deal done without going to arbitration. While this pushed the team over the salary cap, there is still plenty of time for Mike Gillis to get that straightened out. Raymond took less money to stay with the Canucks and this is a great sign from the fan perspective. Management has continued to show their dedication and commitment to building a championship team (without tanking it several season to get high draft picks like Pittsburgh and Chicago did) and players want to play in Vancouver.

With players like Pavol Demitra, Michael Grabner, Kyle Wellwood, and Steve Bernier departing in the off-season and Alex Burrows (most likely) beginning the season on IR, Raymond will get a chance to get off to a great start and prove he’s worth the money he signed for. Let’s hope he has a great follow-up season and continues to improve on last years numbers.

Of course at the end of the day the Canucks could also trade him, since he’s now signed for 2 years and has a very reasonable contract for a player with so much potential.

Read the official Press Release from the Canucks

I-5 Canucks
NHLHS Canucks Correspondents
Hipcheck44@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Hipcheck44 and @WCE71944

The Kings youth hasn’t been a liability… yet
Their core of young players have played extremely well under early pressure. Facing the raucous crowd in Vancouver is no easy task, now they have to perform in front of their own crowd. It will be interesting to see if the butterflies show up when they hit the Forum ice tonight. Opening on the road may have been a blessing for the Kings, especially since they made it out of GM Place with the all important split.

Penalties… “too many”
While much has been made of the “too many men on the ice” call that led to the Kings winning power play goal on Sunday, it could be argued that had the Canucks buried some of their chances earlier in the game that call wouldn’t even have happened. The Canucks found themselves in the box 7 times, while the Kings were only penalized 4 times.

The Alberts experiment
Brought in at the trade deadline for some depth on defense, Andrew Alberts was supposed to be a shot-blocking, punishing defenseman that could fill-in as a 5/6 defensemen. Unfortunately that hasn’t been the case as he’s taken way too many penalties, made too many defensive mistakes, and generally been a liability on the back end. Did Canucks fans expect too much or has he just had a hard time adjusting to the Western Conference style of play? No one really knows. Barring another injury or really poor effort by another d-man, he’s probably going to spend the rest of the play-offs in the press box as Aaron Rome is back from injury and going to play in Game 3.

What the Canucks need to do:

1. Play physical – they need to get in on the forecheck and bang the Kings players, especially their skill players like Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Drew Doughty. It’s not easy to play 20-30 minutes a game at play-off intensity, but it’s much easier if you aren’t being hit.
2. Need for speed – the Canucks, who have one of the fastest skaters in the NHL in Mason Raymond, have more team speed than the Kings and need to use it to their advantage.
3. Fewer penalties – plain and simple, stay out of the box!
4. Net presence – they need to get more bodies in front of Jonathan Quick, he is an excellent netminder and like most will stop any puck he can see. Additionally, the Canucks need to get in his “kitchen” both physically and verbally. See what the kid is made of.
5. Score early – survive the first 10 minutes and get some pucks behind Quick to get the crowd out of it.

We’re still picking the Canucks to win the series in 6 games, but they still have plenty of work to do as they are up against a very solid team in the Kings.

What are your thoughts on the series and who do you think is going to win it?

I-5 Canucks
NHLHS Canucks Correspondents
hipcheck44@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Hipcheck44 and @WCE71944

Third in the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks currently rank as the fourth oldest team in the NHL (at 28.08 years). Oddly enough, only eight of the twenty-six members on their current roster are over the age of thirty. The Canucks don’t, however, have any players under the age of twenty-three (a rarity in the league today).

Mentioned in last week’s article on the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Canucks’ and the Penguins are tied with an average age of 28.08 years. At the time, the Canucks led the Penguins in the standings by one point. Now, however, the roles reversed, as the Penguins lead the Canucks by one. In their last ten games, both teams have a record of 7-3-0.

Consequently, the two teams appear fairly similar. Also mentioned last week, the Penguins seem on pace for another successful season and post-season like last year. Thus, if the Penguins are on pace to continue their hot streak in the playoffs, are the Canucks on their way to a successful post-season as well?

To begin, their goaltending, often the central focus of the Canucks, is led by the remarkable goaltender, Roberto Luongo, age 30. He remains on pace for an average regular season for his standards. With 48 games played, he has 29 wins and 15 losses, while last season he had 54 games (35 wins, 13 losses).

His current goals against average, 2.33 goals, however, is the second lowest of his 10 season tenure in the NHL. The Captain of the Canucks, without any actual captain duties on the ice as he is a goaltender, always gives his team a shot at winning. Whether his offense and defense backs him up or he steals the game for Vancouver, the Canucks remain confident in Luongo.

This team is a melting pot of ages. The oldest, Pavol Demitra (35 years), returned from a forty-seven game injury to his shoulder. He played in 819 games before this season, about 220 more games than defenseman, Sami Salo, who is also 35 years old. As one is a forward and one is a defenseman, they are able to impart wisdom and advice to the younger players in their specific area of expertise.

Coincidentally, plagued by old age, Demitra and Salo both missed significant time due to injury. Daniel and Henrik Sedin, however, took over for Demitra and Salo. Daniel Sedin missed 18 games with a foot injury, but as soon as he returned (on November 22, 2009) he fell right back into step alongside his brother. His brother, Henrik, leads the team in points with 78 (25 goals and 53 assists). Meanwhile, Daniel Sedin has 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) and the Sedin twins’ linemate, Alexandre Burrows, is tied for third (with Ryan Kesler) with 49 points (25 goals, 24 assists).

Other than Kesler, the Canucks top three scorers remain on one-line, making much of the Canucks’ offense a one-line team.

While the Canucks’ offense mostly comes from one line, their top four point scorers are aged 28 or older. Will their offense die out soon as the top four scorers age? Well, Mason Raymond is one of the youngest (at age 24) players on the team, yet after two seasons learning from the older players of the Canucks he sits in sixth on the team in points with 40.

Regardless of offense, their post-season woes are more definitive than their regular season success. Canucks lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Semifinals last season, yet their loss last season encouraged them to compete harder this season. With twenty-six games remaining in their season, they currently sit on a two-point lead in the Northwest Division over the Colorado Avalanche.

Meanwhile, there are fifty-two possible points up for grabs for the Canucks. At the moment, they have 70 points, only 30 back from their 2008-2009 finish of 100 points. Their lineup remains fairly unchanged from the previous season, and they appear on pace to finish as well, or better as last season.

As a result, it’s quite possible the Canucks have the talent, age, and experience to go to the Stanley Cup Finals this year. Whether or not they succeed and make it that far remains unknown, however, at the current time, their age does not slow them down — their current third seeding in the Western Conference proves this.

Aside from the statistics and history, only the Canucks can determine their future. Their age doesn’t hurt them at the time, but another key injury to a veteran player, and they may fall into a deep, dank, abyss.

Katlyn Gambill
NHLHS Featured Writer
kgambill@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @freezethepuck

• Patrick Kane knows he needs to grow up, as he addresses the media one day after scandalous photos of him and teammates surfaced.  ”For us, obviously, it’s not the way we want to represent the team.” Kane said.  As long as his play remains steady on the ice, I do not see what the big deal is.
• Despite losing by three goals the Blue Jackets held an optional skate with only Mathieu Garon and Milan Jurcina participating.  ”We were going to skate once, so we will skate tomorrow,” said coach Ken Hitchcock.
• The Red Wings win as they actually protect their third period lead.
• Five straight loses now for the Predators as they were simply outplayed by the Red Wings.  Both teams now boast 61 points.  ”We know we’re letting teams back in it,” defenseman Ryan Suter said. “We’ve got to get it turned around now or it will come back to haunt us down the road.”
• With the standings so tight in the Western Conference, the Blues lament their 2-1 record on this recent road trip.  ”Well, in hindsight (the 2-1 trip) looks fine,” coach Davis Payne said. “But the fact that we didn’t get points in Vancouver, to me, is something we’ve got to find a way to improve.“

Northwest

• The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames face off tonight.  One team has to break their winless streak.
• Terry Frei of The Denver Post writes a nice peice of Matt Duchene and his disappointment in losing a faceoff and a puck battle to veteran Mike Modano.
• The Edmonton Journal renames the Battle of Alberta the Battle of the Biggest Losers.
• Brent Burns wears the concussion-reducing M11 helmet after missing most of the season.  ”I think it’s more making sure I can do everything I can to help prevent another,” said Burns.
• Mason Raymond added a playmaking element to his game making him just that much more dangerous.  “He’s a good player and he could be even better, I think,” said Mikael Samuelsson.

Pacific

• The Ducks found their secret weapon on the shootout: James Wisniewski.  ”I’m riding a hot streak,” said Wisniewski.  ”They’re going with the big Polish righty.”
• Modano scored two goals last night for the first time in two years. “I’ve been feeling much better lately,” Modano said. “I think it’s just a combination of some valuable time off that [coach] Marc [Crawford] has given me, and just being able to rest up and primarily focus on the games.”
• Defenseman Jack Johnson is questionable for tonight’s game, but if this were a playoff game he would play.  ”It’s going to take a few days before I feel good again. Hopefully it feels good sooner than later,” said Johnson.
• Coyotes leading scorer Scottie Upshall will be re-evaluated for a lower-body injury.  Depending on the extent of the injury GM Don Maloney will need to find another offensive weapon. “Number 1, we’re just waiting to see if this is something significant, long term, then we probably have to dial up our search for another offensive player,” Maloney said.
• The Sharks may have more problems on defense as Marc Eduard Vlasic and Dan Boyle could miss tonight’s game. “We don’t anticipate it being serious,” Sharks coach Todd McLellan said.

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Editor
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove

Central

• The Hawks look to play well against the Sharks tonight.  ”Looking back at our trip so far we’ve had some really good games and some games we’ve been really bad,” defenseman Duncan Keith said. “Our goal now is to have another really good game in San Jose.
• Two players will miss tonight’s Blue Jackets game with the flu. Derek Dorsett also remains out for the time being.
• Brad Stuart sustained a sprained left shoulder last night, just two days after the return of defenseman Niklas Kronwall.  ”It doesn’t feel great, but I could have finished the game, it was just at that point, why risk making it worse,” Stuart said.
• The Predators know what they need to do to return to their early season form after losing four straight.  ”We have to get back to our entire group buying into it. There are certain parts of our game that our strong, but right now the intensity and commitment haven’t been there,” said goaltender Dan Ellis.
• Only a powerplay tally by Christian Ehrhoff separated the Blues from another victory.  ”We were in position (to win) and they found a way to get the extra (goal) on the power play,” Blues coach Davis Payne said.

Northwest

• The losing streak hits eight with their recent loss to the Stars 4-3 but there were positives to this loss.  ”We played as a team, as a group of five out there, offensively and defensively. We were moving the puck, skating the way we had been earlier when we had success for two periods . . . but we were tentative in the third, we shelled it up there,” said Jarome Iginla.
• Ryan O’Reilly does not need to score to be trusted in Colorado.  ”With Ryan, you don’t necessarily see the results on the score sheet,” Avs coach Joe Sacco said.
• Both Mike Comrie and Gilbert Brule should return to the Oilers lineup.  ”This is a way to pass on that extra message. It’s been a pretty good comfort zone on a team that has lost so many games. They’ve never had to worry about not playing,” said coach Pat Quinn.
• Antti Miettinen and Pavel Datsyuk played a shooting match last night, trading goals in the first period
• Even though the Blues shut down the Sedin twins, Mason Raymond scored two goals.  ”It’s not by accident,” said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. “If there’s one player on our team right now who’s going the extra mile as far as trying to improve himself as a player, it’s Mason. He’s spending a lot of time with our skills coach before practice, working on his skills. He’s even coming in on his days off. There’s a reason why he’s having the success, he’s putting in the extra time.“  

Pacific

• The Capitals dominated the Ducks in the third period leading to a 5-1 victory but the third period started 1-1.  ”It’s a 1-1 game,” said Corey Perry. “We had them right where we wanted them going into the third. We gave up one quick one and then all of a sudden bang-bang-bang.”
• Mike Ribeiro may return to the Stars lineup soon.
• Helene Elliot of The LA Times runs down tonight’s Kings-Blue Jackets matchup.
• The Coyotes scoring two goals in the final 90 seconds to tie Detroit could be the turning point of their season. “I think we were a bit more fragile as a team last year,” said Daniel Winnik. “All the young guys we had, not just used to making those kinds of comebacks like that, especially against a team like Detroit.”
• Huge matchup tonight between the Sharks and Blackhawks, with winner claiming first place in the league.  ”It’s a lot bigger than that,” Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “We have a chance to tie for first, and that’s a huge game.”

Central

• Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune breaks down last night’s 4-3 win over the Red Wings.  Although the Wings received plenty of reinforcements, they still fell short to the Blackhawks.  Tim Sassone of The Daily Herald labeled this game an instant classic.  Rivalry, check.  Physicality, check.  Shootout, check.
• Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch wonders whether the intense off-season workouts set certain players back.  The Maple Leafs used to play golf most of training camp and won cups doing it!
• Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press discusses the merit of the Wings getting a point out of Chicago.  Patrick Kane said, “It’s one of those situations where I still think they’re the team to beat until proven otherwise in the playoffs.” I think Kane underestimates his team.
• John Glennon of the Tennessean profiles GM David Poile and his history within the Predators organization.
• The Blues continue to win by playing strong third periods.  ”And we won all three games,” forward David Backes said. “We haven’t been playing that prevent defense. The only thing you do is prevent yourself from winning. We haven’t been on our heels.”  Four in a row and counting going into tonight’s contest.

Northwest

• The Flames scored last night, but still lost to the Ducks 5-4.  “I’m disappointed in my performance. I feel that way . . . I’d be hard pressed that nobody else does either,” said backup Curtis McElhinney.  Tough luck loss for a team in desperate need of a win.
• Adrian Dater of the Denver Post hosted a mailbag and discussed the nominees for the Jack Adams Award.
• Edmonton defenseman Jason Strudwick parallels the struggles between these Oilers and the Blackhawks.  ”This is not how I anticipated the season going but I am proud of the way the guys have stuck together. I’ve seen teams start shooting each other in the back,” he said.
• Trying to get more scoring out of his team, coach Todd Richards recently broke up his top trio of Mikko Koivu, Antti Miettinen and Andrew Brunette.
• Mason Raymond won the fastest skater in the Canucks skills competition yesterday.

Pacific

• Despite their rash of injuries and poor placement in the standings, the Ducks rallied to beat the Flames 5-4.  ”We knew what was at stake,” winger Corey Perry said. “We’re looking at the standings. We know what’s going on. It’s up to us. We have to get every point we can.“
• Since breaking the Stars out of a recent funk, goaltender Alex Auld received the opportunity to carry the load in Dallas.
• Interesting quote from coach Terry Murray on the Kings offensive play and in his opinion lacking a star play on LA Kings Insider with Rich Hammond.
• The Coyotes field a Czech line, with Petr Prucha leading Martin Hanzal and Radim Vrbata.  ”That’s really helping our game, because we better understand each other, better know each other. We play a similar game.”
• Manny Malhotra replaced Ryan Clowe on the second line and fits right in with Joe Pavelski and Devin Setoguchi.

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Editor
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove

The Carolina Hurricanes, currently clawing and scratching their way out of the cellar within Eastern Conference, face some tough decisions down the road. From now until March 3rd, one of two things will happen.

Either the Hurricanes perform a miracle on ice similar to the St. Louis Blues of last year, or they pull the trigger on sending veteran players to playoff bound teams.  In return the Hurricanes will acquire pieces, whether it be picks or prospects, to build their future.

One player takes precedence above the rest, Ray Whitney, who at 37 years of age still plays an effective, playmaking role.

A comparable scenario to a Whitney caliber player would be to revisit the trade made between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins for Bill Guerin.  An older UFA who can support a top six role on any team but whose age restricts his immediate value.

The Islanders received a conditional pick for their captain, which would be fair value for the Canes. Depending on where the Penguins finished the season determined the round of the pick. If the Hurricanes moved Whitney to a legitimate cup contender, a conditional pick would be almost necessary.

Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford needs to figure out what brings more value to this team and what direction they want to go next year.  Do they need the sentimental pick, a returning 38-year-old winger, or a potential 2nd or 3rd round draft pick.

Current rumors list Vancouver, Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles as interested parties.  The most recent rumor, circulating on various outlets, would send him to Vancouver for a second round pick.

This trade would be a welcome addition for the Canucks and their second line, as Mason Raymond fights inconsistency.  Ryan Kesler could use a playmaking wing to boost his offensive output.

From NEWSOBSERVER.COM:

Chip Alexander reports Carolina Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos is now looking ahead to next season, expecting the Hurricanes roster will be younger and the team’s budget to be leaner as the club rebuilds around Eric Staal and Cam Ward. Karmanos said at the end of the season they’ll sit down with aging captain Rod Brind’Amour, who has one more season remaining on his contract, to discuss his future. Karmanos also said head coach Paul Maurice won’t be replaced.

These words from Chip Alexander almost ensure Matt Cullen, Ray Whitney and probably Joe Corvo will wear different jerseys come March 3rd. With that, expect a trade over the next couple of weeks.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @ACHockeyGuys