By Jeff Quirin
NHL Hot Stove Associate Editor

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Arnott Out After Eye Surgery

The first Blues’ player to be sidelined with an ailment this season is free agent acquisition Jason Arnott.

As announced by the team earlier today the 36 year old forward will have surgery on Wednesday to remove a cataract removed from his right eye. He is expected to be inactive for seven days and should still make his regular season debut with the Blues at the October 8th home opener against the Nashville Predators.

A roster opening is not likely to be created with Arnott’s absence, but those battling for the final one or two forward positions will likely see more opportunity to prove they deserve the job. Note to Evgeny Grachev, the spotlight is on you for the remainder of the preseason.

Blues Alumni Set Up Demitra-Korolev Fund

According to Blues Insider Andy Strickland, the team’s alumni organization has set up the Demitra-Korolev Fund.

In Honor of former Blues Pavol Demitra and Igor Korolev, who were killed in a plane crash in Russia, the St. Louis Blues Alumni will be starting the Demitra – Korolev Fund, which will help children play hockey. The goal is to help children that may not be able to afford equipment or fees the chance to play the great game of hockey both in St. Louis and Europe.

We are asking you to consider donating at least $38 in their honor. We realize some may not be able to afford that and some may be able to give more, but we will appreciate any and all donations.

Donations via check can be mailed to St. Louis Blues Alumni Demitra – Korolev Fund, 1401 Clark Ave. St. Louis Mo 63103 or can be submitted on on the Blues official website via credit card.

Fans have been calling on the organization to memorialize the two of their favorites from the 1990′s and early 2000′s. While more tributes are surely in store, this is a great way to start off the effort. Primarily because it falls directly in line with the 14 Fund honoring Monday Night Miracle hero Doug Wickenheiser who passed away from cancer in 1999. The 14 Fund is the charity that receives the strongest support from not only the team, but the fan base as well. Replicating what works and hopefully achieve the same level of success.

Now the Blues just need to get the next part right and honor number 38 the way Wickenheiser’s 14 is.

Payne on NHL Live

Head coach Davis Payne appeared on NHL Live yesterday. Obviously the return of David Perron, among many other topics, was discussed. Hit the link above to see and hear for yourself.

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Thanks for reading.

As always you’re welcome to follow me on Twitter: @JTQ_1.

By Alexander Monaghan
President

By Resolute (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-sa/3.0)

GM Glen Sather somehow managed to keep some money in the bank, failing to sign any marginal players like Aaron Voros, Patrick Rissmiller, Ales Kotalik or Wade Redden to bloated contracts. Instead, Sather filled a hole left by the untimely death of Derek Boogaard, in signing Mike Rupp and made his team exponentially better by inking the top unrestricted free agent in Brad Richards. In addition, Sather made yet another Sather-like trade, grabbing a high-potential player in Tim Erixon for a price fans were willing to pay — Roman Horak and two second rounder. Erixon, by all accounts, looked great in the rookie tournament and should challenge Michael Del Zotto amongst others for a roster spot, but we’ll return to that thought later.

For now, fans can remain happy that for all the positives, there have been very few negatives. Despite my two parts of foreboding, Sather managed to sign Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan without taking them to arbitration, and effectively shattering their psyches in the process. In fact, he now holds more leaders than most teams in a season that Henrik Lundqvist and company feels is theirs for the taking.

With the team beginning the season in Sweden and all-but-guaranteed to play in the Winter Classic, the Rangers once again will be making headlines. Whether or not they are able to reach their goal, or are even competitors to the Western Conference powerhouses, remain a question that will be shortly answered. For now, most of the honess will fall on the newly appointed…

CAPTAIN CALLAHAN

By Keith Allison (originally posted to Flickr as 00091065) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

It also showed that Callahan would do everything possible to win a game — including block a 100 MPH slapshot with less-than-a-minute left, even if it cost him the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs.

Callahan learned a great deal from Drury. He learned to be even-keeled when the time called for it. He learned to give into his emotions with the rest of the team. Now, with the team using his heatbeat as a metronome they should continue to keep their head down, skate hard and play an honest game. When talking about Callahan, Tortorella found himself mixing together his team’s identity and his current captain’s. From Andrew Gross’s Ranger Rants:

In fact, Tortorella was talking about the identity the Rangers established last season a hard-working, blue-collar bunch. “Straight ahead” and “no nonsense” the coach said, before stopping himself and asking, “Who am I talking about? The hockey club or Cally?”

While Tortorella sounds proud of the home-grown Callahan, he acknowledges that giving him the C is just a formality. For a full year, possibly even longer, Callahan has been the team’s captain. Hopefully giving him a letter will help extend the Rochester native longer than his recently signed three-year pact.

Now that Callahan wears the C, opposed to the A, Tortorella appointed BroadwAy BrAd Richards the second alternate captain. Considering Marc Staal already held the other A, it only made sense to give the other title to an elder-statesman, “veteran” leader. Although Richards is new to the team, he, along with his gaudy contract, have earned the respect of the team’s veteran community — players like Rupp, Ruslan Fedotenko, Sean Avery and most importantly Marian Gaborik. The latter has a long road ahead this next season. Described as devastated, you can expect a lengthy…

GRIEVING PROCESS

By Bridget Samuels from College Park, MD (IMG_8730.jpg) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/2.0)

Devastation has been the word to describe Gaborik on numerous occasions. Gaborik played four seasons with Boogaard as a member of the Minnesota Wild but met him 10 years prior to the accidental overdose. He was one of the first to find out Boogy had passed, receiving a call from his agent in the middle of the night, in that fateful day in May. From Blueshirts United:

It was devastating news. I played with Boogey for a long time in Minny and then in New York. He was a great guy. We got along together great. We helped each other out on the ice and off the ice. We were very close. I tried to help him along in New York, and we had a very good relationship. It’s just very sad. We had a lot of good times together. He was a really easy going guy, really caring. We talked pretty much about everything. He’s just the type guy who would be there for you whenever you needed him.

Gaborik was instrumental in recruiting his good friend to the Rangers. You have to think that every time he puts on a Rangers sweater, or steps onto the team’s home ice, he will be thinking about his close friend. If already taking that news into account wasn’t enough, Gaborik lost his best friend overseas in Slovakian superstar Pavol Demitra.

The two players played two successful seasons in Minnesota before Demitra left for The Sedin Twins and the Vancouver Canucks. Last season, there were rumors Demitra would sign on with the Rangers but instead chose to play closer to home in the KHL. Numerous times the two paired together for their National Team; they clearly were close. Michael Russo of The Star Tribune once called them a pair of aces because the two Slovaks completed each other’s passes and sentences. Although their success never translated to a Stanley Cup, they clearly once had a dream of winning it together. A dream they can sadly no longer achieve.

As fans, we have all had our problems with Gaborik. Whether you felt he was loafing last season or is simply talent unfulfilled, all of those thoughts need to take a seat on the backburner for our continued support. Gaborik is family and has lost family, fans need to cheer for him every time he touches the puck this season and let him know how behind him we all can be.

ROOKIES LEAVE MIXED IMPRESSIONS

By Canada Hky (Own work) [GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses /by/3.0)

Right now much of the conversation remains tied to the Rangers defense. As an organizational strength with four homegrown players already with the big club, the team could see even more bright spots. At this season’s Traverse City Rookie Tournament, at least three future Rangers defenders have made headlines.

Blake Parlett currently leads the tournament in scoring with five assists — tied with Columbus Blue Jackets prospect David Savard. The undrafted Parlett spent most of last season between the ECHL and the AHL but could see his stock raised significantly after such a strong showing. In both games he played above his current level, which could be expected considering his age. Nevertheless, his emergence reminds us Dan Girardi and how he ascended from undrafted Junior-level player into a steady defender.

On the other end of the spectrum, 2010 first round draft choice Dylan McIlrath received mixed reviews. While his skating appears much improved, his decision making and gap control left some mixed impressions. His current projection puts him back in the WHL for another season with a season or two in Connecticut in his future. A great attitude and willingness to improve make Rangers fans happy but knowing the team passed over Cam Fowler for a stay-at-home type defender remains a cause for concern. Nevertheless, head of scouting Gordie Clark and company hope he becomes more of a Tyler Myers-type than Hal Gill. The jury will remain out…

Running down the rest of the Traverse City squad, Tim Erixon looked great in his first game in Ranger-blue, scoring a goal off his big shot from the point. He will clearly compete for a spot during training camp.

Meanwhile, Carl Hagelin, Shane McColgan, Jonathan Audy-Machessault and Ryan Bourque all displayed their speed and skill up front. We all expected to see more from JT Miller and Christian Thomas, but the two top prospects have held their own despite showing their age. Considering they are also playing against graduated Juniors and AHL vets, growing pains were to be expected, although not preferable.

The 2-0 Rangers squad will play the Carolina Hurricanes in less than three hours– the game is televised on MSG for our local readers and possibly on the NHL Network for our out-of-state fans. The youngsters have outscored the opposition 11-4 and surely have an opportunity to take the tournament. Carolina already lost to the Dallas Stars’ kids 8-2 — a team the Rangers defeated 6-2 just two days ago. The rooks hope to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors and take home another Traverse City Trophy over the next two days.

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If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at amonaghan at nhlhotstove dot com. You can also follow him on Twitter – @NHLHotStove or check out his work as Editor-in-chief at DailyFaceoff.com

By David Strehle
NHL Hot Stove Creative Editor

The summer of 2011 has been an off-season like no other, wrought with sorrow for fans everywhere.  Already reeling from the untimely deaths of three NHL players in Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien, and Wade Belak, the hockey community was dealt an unspeakable blow on Wednesday.

There are no words to justly convey the magnitude of yesterday’s tragic plane crash that took the lives of the Kontinental Hockey League’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team, on the way to Minsk to play their regular season opener tonight against Dynamo.  We here at NHL Hot Stove wish to express our deepest sympathies to those affected by this awful catastrophe; family, friends, and ex-teammates of those who lost their lives on the way to do what they loved the most – playing hockey.

“Though it occurred thousands of miles away from our home arenas, this tragedy represents a catastrophic loss to the hockey world — including the NHL family, which lost so many fathers, sons, teammates and friends.” - NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, yesterday in a released statement.

Pavol Demitra, Josef Vasicek, Ruslan Salei, Karlis Skrastins, and Karel Rachunek were among the list of 27 players who were killed when the jet plunged into the banks of the Volga River shortly after take off.

Rene Fasel, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, said in a released statement:

“This is the darkest day in the history of our sport.  This is not only a Russian tragedy, the Lokomotiv roster included players and coaches from 10 nations.  This is a terrible tragedy for the global ice hockey community with so many nationalities involved.”

Also tragically lost in the disaster was Lokomotiv head coach Brad McCrimmon.  The 52-year-old ex-Flyer had just taken over the Lokomotiv helm in May, after serving as an assistant to Mike Babcock with the Detroit Red Wings for the past three seasons.

My earliest memory of McCrimmon was that of frustration.  As a teen, I knew he was a tough, steady defenseman that was Ray Bourque’s partner.  But when he was acquired from the Boston Bruins in 1982, the return going to Beantown was Pete Peeters.  The goaltender posted a 74-35-10 record in three seasons with the Orange and Black, including an incredible 29-5-5 mark in a rookie season that saw the Flyers come within two wins of claiming a Stanley Cup. 

At the time, I just could not see the deal working in Philadelphia’s favor.  It’s a good thing that I can admit when I am wrong, and this was clearly one of those occasions.  McCrimmon galvanized the team’s sometimes pourous defensive unit and along with Hall-of-Famer Mark Howe, formed the best blue line pairing in franchise history.

Simply put, McCrimmon was a relentless warrior.  He was aptly nicknamed “The Beast”; a hard-hitting competitor, that made it difficult to go in front of the Flyers’ net and in the corners in his end of the ice.  His 5′ 11″, 200-pound frame was deceptive, as there was no doubt about his ability to hit like a freight train.

Through the mid-80′s, both Howe and McCrimmon were perennially in contention for the newly-created Plus / Minus Award.  During the 1985-86 campaign, Howe won top honors with a +85 rating, and McCrimmon was right behind at +83.

The Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Finals twice during that era, coming up short both times at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.  Out of the plethora of Philadelphia injuries in the 1985 Finals, McCrimmon’s shoulder separation, which kept him out of the entire series, may have been the most-costly to the club. 

There is no doubt that playing with the future Hall-of-Famer was a positive, but for anyone who thought Howe carried McCrimmon, that just was not the case.  At all.  The two had an unmistakeable chemistry, complementing each other’s games to perfection.  McCrimmon was the pairing’s ultimate defensive conscience, allowing Howe to take chances offensively.

For anyone in Philadelphia who questioned McCrimmon’s worth to the club, that issue was pushed to the forefront following the seven-game loss to Edmonton in the 1987 Finals.

The defenseman was traded to the Calgary Flames after a prolonged contract dispute.  McCrimmon was one of the vital missing pieces for a powerhouse Calgary team that was on the cusp of acheiving greatness.

In his first season with the Flames, McCrimmon won the Plus / Minus Award with a +48 mark.  The next year, he helped Calgary win the only Stanley Cup in franchise history.

McCrimmon moved on to Hockeytown in 1990.  In his second season with the Red Wings, he was paired with a young rookie named Niklas Lidstrom.  With McCrimmon’s steady veteran influence, the talented Swede flourished.

Prior to the 1993-94 campaign, McCrimmon was traded to the Hartford Whalers, where he would mentor another standout rookie defenseman in Chris Pronger.

Noticing a pattern?  After playing his 18th and final NHL season in 1996-97 with the Phoenix Coyotes, McCrimmon began his coaching career. 

It seemed such a natural move given how he had brought along so many young defenders, helping them realize their respective potentials.

McCrimmon began as an assistant with the New York Islanders in 1997, remaining there for two seasons.  After a two-year span in which he was head coach of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades in his beloved Saskatchewan, he returned to the NHL to act as assistant coach with the Flames and Atlanta Thrashers over the next seven seasons.

Prior to the 2008-09 season Todd McLellan was hired as head coach of the Sharks, and McCrimmon was hired to fill the vacant spot.  The defenseman that had brought along a young Lidstrom as a defensive partner was now coaching the multi-Norris Trophy winner. 

The Red Wings and McCrimmon parted ways after last season.  After being an NHL assistant for 12 seasons, he wanted a head coaching position.  Unlike McLellan before him, who had moved on to take over the head coaching duties in San Jose after serving three seasons as a Detroit assistant, the opportunity never presented itself for McCrimmon in the NHL.

In late-May, Lokomotiv came knocking.  McCrimmon was on his way to overseeing a professional hockey game for the first time with the official title of bench boss. 

Unfortunately, that was not destined to happen, as the crash came with the team headed to play their first regular season game of the new KHL season.

McCrimmon’s legacy will live on throughout the league – through his reputation as a tough-as-nails, Stanley Cup-winning defensive-defenseman; through the role of tutor for future Hall-of-Famers such as Lidstrom and Pronger; through the blue liners he taught as a coach.

He made so many players better.

That is definitely true here in Philadelphia.  His work with Pronger as the rookie cut his teeth influences the team, even today.  As a matter of fact, if the team can win a Stanley Cup during Pronger’s time with the Flyers, McCrimmon will have had a direct contribution to the championship.

And that was all he truly ever wanted during his five years with the Flyers - to see Lord Stanley paraded down Broad Street through a sea of orange and black.

If you have any comments or questions, you can email the author at dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com.  You can also follow him on Twitter – @David_Strehle

When Mike Gillis took over the Vancouver Canucks he promised to change the culture of the team and set about laying the groundwork for a team which has blazed a trail through the National Hockey League in the 2010-11 season.

Gillis signed Mats Sundin, Pavol Demitra and brought in guys like Steve Bernier all in the hopes of bringing more speed and finesse to the table. Yet, maybe his best signing is one that went completely under the radar. In the summer of 2009 Gillis inked forward Tanner Glass to a free agent deal. Even in hockey mad Vancouver this siging was barely mentioned and was viewed more as a depth pickup for Manitoba and indeed that was the intention, but the the former cast off of the Florida Panthers has proven to be so much more.

Drafted 265th overall by the Panthers in 2003, Glass was considered an afterthought even then. Having spent some time in the BCHL and then attending Dartmouth College, Glass was viewed as a consistent and steady forward who wasnt afraid to mix it up when needed. Florida were impressed enough to give him a shot in 2007-08 with a 41 game stint, and though he showed a knack for never backing down, he got lost in the shuffle of the revolving door in Florida.

Vancouver signaled a new start and if rumours are true, they were the only team who contacted him in the summer of 2009. He has his work cut out for him to prove that he belonged. Glass has done more than just belong, he was lead.

The Canucks have been on an amazing run this season, showcasing possibly the best team they have ever had in their 40 year existence and though they sport a ton of depth at almost every position, the fourth line this year has been somewhat of an enigma. They have gone through Rick Rypien, Jonas Anderson, Mario Bliznak, Peter Schaefer, Guillame Desbiens, Aaron Volpatti and even Jeff Tambellini took a turn on the fourth line, but Glass has been the one constant, playing in all 39 games thus far and proving to management that his signing was no mistake.

Glass has balanced out the line and allowed for the Canucks fourth unit to take a regular turn, somethign which wasnt happening early in the year. Though only netting three goals, Glass has shown more of an offensive prowess this season, getting to the net more and even joining the rush. He is not afraid to do the dirty work, the whole reason he got this far in the first place.

Physical play was considered the Canucks weak point but Glass has even put that notion to rest with his impressive display of fisticuffs and hard hits. He is proving to be tough for opponents to play against, and thats just the type of guy you want on your team.

Glass has proven this season what his true worth is. He not flashy and will never be a power forward type, but he is surely up for the Canucks end of season Unsung Hero award as his brand of play has caught the attention of many in this city right from the day he surprised everyone (including management) and made the opening night roster of last seasons team.

Re-signing Glass at season end should be a no brainer though he will surely command a raise, but one thing is certain, if he goes to free agency this summer rest assured there will be more than just one suitor for his services this time around.

Here at NHLHS we have some great reporters doing articles on an impact player for their respective teams. I felt, as a Kings fan, I wanted to take a moment and talk about the most important King of the moment; the man who has built this team from the ashes into the envy of a lot of fans around the NHL. That man is the General Manager, Dean Lombardi.

Born in Hoyloke, Massachusetts, Dean attended to New Haven University and Tulane Law School. He was a player agent for three seasons before joining the front office of the Minnesota North Stars. Hired away by the expansion San Jose Sharks, Dean was one of people that helped the Sharks improve by a record 58 points in one season. He was named Vice President in Charge of Hockey Operations in 1992, and earned the title of General Manager four years later. Under his watch the Sharks drafted Patrick Marleau, Vesa Toskala, Jonathan Cheechoo, Brad Stuart, Scott Hannan, Marco Sturm, Marcel Goc, and Christian Ehrhoff among others. Lombardi’s history in San Jose as it relates to trades and free agency is impressive, too having brought in such players as Owen Nolan, Teemu Selanne, Adam Graves, Vincent Damphousse, Mike Ricci, Kyle McClaren, Mike Vernon, Todd Harvey, Bryan Marchment, and Scott Thornton. The year the Sharks advanced to the Western Conference Finals, 18 of the 23 players on the roster were acquired by Lombardi.

Relieved of his duties after the Sharks got off to a slow start in the 02 – 03 season, Dean became the pro scout for the Philadelphia Flyers. On April 21, 2006, Dean was hired as President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings.

Dean and the Kings

Dean came to the Kings with a vision. For the first time in the franchise’s long history the Kings were going to rebuild through the draft and player development. There were two solid young players in the Kings system already in Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar, and Dean quickly locked both of them up in long term deals. His first draft pick was goaltender Jonathan Bernier. On that same day, he dealt leading scorer Pavol Demitra to the Minnesota Wild for the 17th pick (Trevor Lewis) and Patrick O’Sullivan. So, in just two short months, the Kings acquired a future goaltender and two young forwards.

Now, there were mistakes made in the first few months. Dean would be the first to admit that Marc Crawford did his best for the Kings as head coach, but he was just not the right personality to lead young players in the NHL. Also, acquiring Dan Cloutier was a train wreck, ending a year and a half later with a buyout. On September 29, 2006, Dean made one of the best trades in franchise history acquiring the rights to young stud Jack Johnson and Oleg Tverdovsky for Tim Gleason and Éric Bélanger. Now with a solid plan, Dean focused on building the Kings at the draft table. In addition to the picks mentioned already, Dean has acquired Thomas Hickey, Brayden Schenn Colten Teubert, and Derek Forbort in the first round, not to mention the best draft pick so far, Norris Trophy finalist Drew Doughty. In later rounds, he has acquired the likes of Wayne Simmons, Oscar Moller, Kyle Clifford, Vyacheslav Voynov, and Jeff Zatkoff. More late round gems include: Andrei Loktionov, Justin Azevedo, Brandon Kozun, and Alec Martinez. The Kings have the #1 ranked prospect pool in the NHL according to The Hockey News and Hockey’s Future ranks the Kings second. So, for the first time in franchise history Kings fans can truly root for homegrown talent.

Free agency has been a mixed bag for Lombardi. Brad Stewart, Alyn McCauley, and Tom Preissing were busts. Michal Handzus and Rob Scuderi were great signings. Plucking Kyle Quincey and Randy Jones off the waiver wire were good moves as well, but it’s the trade market where Dean has performed better than anyone expected. This is where Dean acquired the already mentioned, Jack Johnson, Matt Greene, Jarret Stoll, Justin Willams, Ryan Smyth, and Brad Richardson. All have performed better than expected.

This season, Dean has acquired Alex Ponikarovsky and Willie Mitchell via free agency. Most importantly, he has put together a wonderful staff from head coach, Terry Murray, to his right-hand man, Ron Hextall, and much respected head of the scouting department Lee Callans. He has made several runs at other free agents such as Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa and Dan Hamhuis to no avail. In his defense, a lot of players feel that the travel playing on the west coast is too tough, and choose to stay east. By not landing any big contracts, the Kings are in a great cap position for when Doughty and Johnson are up for bigger contracts this summer. Dean has done such a remarkable job with the Kings, upper management rewarded him earlier this year with a two-year contract extension.

Moving forward and coming off a franchise best 102 points and the first playoff berth in 8 years, the Kings GM will now need to make the moves to take the franchise from playoff team to contender. Dean has cap space and a lot of tradable assists so, if needed, he can make a large splash in the free agent or trade market. With all that in place, Dean has given Kings fans something we have wanted for 40 years, a legitimate shot at Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Mike Murangi
NHLHS Los Angeles Kings Correspondent
mmurangi@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @Draft_Mike

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

Last night for the Vancouver Canucks, to quote legendary New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, it was deja vu…all over again.

The Vancouver Canucks were eliminated from the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, and in dishonorable fashion.

 It was exactly one year ago last night, the Chicago Blackhawks sent them home for a second consecutive spring, in the exact amount of games. There were two differences this time: this victory took place in Vancouver and this close-out affair wasn’t even close at all.

The final, in case you missed it, 5-1.

So many questions, so many fingers to point, but one player will get the lion’s share of the criticism.

Roberto Luongo.

The demons have rose from the dead to attack Luongo, yet again, and take the “elite” netminder directly into the post season, of course after cleaning out his locker at GM Place.

Roberto Luongo came undone early and often in the second period. Not all the blame could be heaped upon the face of this franchise, but he once again was unable to lift his team when they letdown in front of him. The Canucks defense, which has been exposed in this round became that much fragile when stalwart blueliner Alex Edler was unable to finish the contest, due to a crushing hit by Chicago forward Dustin Byfuglien.

That left Vancouver with five defenders to finish the game, well… sort of. As has been well documented blueliner Sami Salo was playing with an ailment I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Vancouver’s defense was about to be put to the ultimate test and inevitably failed miserably.

Two terrible gaffes led to two quick Chicago strikes early in the second, by British Columbia native Troy Brouwer and Vancouver nightlife loving Kris Versteeg. Neither goal was a soft one, as the Canucks left their leader out to dry on both. But, as evidenced time and time again in the postseason, goaltenders do often bail out their teammates. As we have seen with Luongo, he has often crumbled under the pressure of the being the savior of an organization that has yet to win the Stanley Cup.

It could be a case of running into a team that simply has the Canucks number, especially in GM Place. A venerable house of horrors for opposing teams this season, Vancouver boasted the best regular season home record, in the entire NHL. But for the boys from the ‘Windy City’, they took Vancouver’s comforts of home and turned it against them.

Chicago was un-phased playing in this arena, as they won all three games, by an aggregate score of 17-7. There are going to be a lot of question surrounding these Canucks, as for the second year in a row they are bowing out of the postseason in the second round for the third time in four seasons. Considering the expectations these last two seasons, this can’t be taken lightly, especially when the same old questions about Luongo will be asked.

Is he able to take his team to a championship? Can he be relied on to lead this team, on and off the ice? Can he take his team beyond a second round appearance? How will he respond after another disappointing end to a season?

That man is Ryan Kesler. This off-season’s to do list should have, if the brass know what’s right for the team, naming Kesler captain as number one.  He has leader written all over him and has been apart of this organization for seven seasons.

Being a captain holds a unique responsibility to do a lot of behind the scenes work and hold the team together. Lead by example, on and off the ice. Not everyone can handle this responsibility.

It’s apparent Luongo can’t handle much of anything, especially when his team needs him the most.

Los Angeles Kings by Anthony Curatolo

It’s been a season that saw the Kings earn the label “cardiac”.  This is due, much in part, to the fact that the Kings found ways to overcome adversity quite often during games this year.  Trailing time and time again, this Kings team had the “never say die” type attitude and were able to generate third period come backs that helped push them forward; now a Western Conference playoff team.

Over the course of the season, the Canucks and Kings played head to head four times.  The problem, the Canucks won three of the four.

Jonathan Quick was charged with all three losses while Jonathan Bernier was between the pipes on April 1st, the final meeting between the two teams which saw the Kings put eight pucks passed Canucks netminder Roberto Luongo in an 8-3 victory.

This is the playoffs and we can erase all regular season situations.

However, of the Kings main contributors, Alex Frolov, Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar are all appearing in their first playoff series. Add to that list Wayne Simmonds, Jack Johnson and Drew Doughty as well as the young Jon Quick.

Now, the veterans of the club, Michal Handzus, Sean O’Donnell, Ryan Smyth, Justin Williams, Rob Scuderi and Fredrik Modin have all been a part of the playoffs. Of those veterans, Williams, O’Donnell, Modin and Scuderi all own Stanley Cup rings.

It comes down to the veterans taking control and leading the youth movement of LA into the second round.

Vancouver Canucks by I-5 Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks survived an NHL record 14 game road trip and injuries to key players such as Kevin Bieksa, Pavol Demitra, Daniel Sedin, and Willie Mitchell to win the Northwest Division for the second time in three years. As a team, they also ended up second in goals for(272), team power-play goals(68), home wins(30), and victories by 3 or more goals(23) – finishing second or tied for first in those categories with the Washington Capitals. Vancouver also led the league in wins(11) when trailing after 2 periods.

In past seasons the Canucks success has been solely on the shoulders of goaltender Roberto Luongo. That wasn’t the case this season as the offense took center stage. Six players scored 25 or more goals and many others finished the season with career years. Veterans Henrik Sedin (Art Ross trophy winner & Hart trophy candidate), Alexandre Burrows, Daniel Sedin, and Ryan Kesler led the way with personal best seasons on the score sheet. Off-season acquisitions Mikael Samuelsson and Christian Erhoff also posted career years (something every GM hopes for when they add players to their team).

While the offense flourished, the defense was another story. Even with the emergence of Erhoff and Alexander Edler, injuries to Bieksa and Mitchell and issues with Mathieu Schneider and Shane O’Brien led to a lot of defensive breakdowns as players that were not expected to log top-4 minutes were called upon to do so night in and night out. Defense and goaltending are the biggest question marks for the Canucks heading into their first round matchup with the Kings. While many feel that Luongo will regain his form of past seasons, without the return of Mitchell (which doesn’t seem likely) the defense will have to play a disciplined game and rely on the forwards to backcheck and help out on defense.

Many Canucks fans were rooting for this matchup, but make no mistake about it this will be a tough series. The Kings have an excellent mix of experienced veterans and young players that have excelled in one of the toughest divisions in the NHL. In the end though, home ice advantage and a more experienced goaltender will lead the Canucks to victory in 6 games.

Henrik Sedin
Currently the NHL’s leading scorer with 101 points, Henrik is widely regarded as the Canucks’ MVP this season. Not only did he prove that he could score without his brother Daniel, who missed 18 games due to injury, but his play kept the team going during their early season struggles. He was in a bit of a funk coming out of the Olympic break, but he seems to have found his game again.

Alex Burrows
Setting career highs in goals and points a second season in a row, he continues to be a story for the Canucks. His rise through the ranks has been well documented and his work ethic is second to none. Always a valuable member of the penalty kill, including 5 short-handed goals this year, he’s finally getting some well-deserved power play time and proving that he’s worth every penny of his $3 million per year contract.

Ryan Kesler
Regarded as one of the top defensive centers in the league (he should be a Selke candidate again), Kesler has also achieved career highs in goals and points this season. His strong two-way play during the NHL season landed him on the US Olympic team, and his play in the tournament proved how much he’s elevated his game this season. Mike Gillis rewarded the pending RFA with a contract extension ensuring the Canucks forward core is locked up for the next few years.

Christian Erhoff
Obtained in a trade with the San Jose Sharks during the off season, Erhoff is leading the Canucks defense corps in scoring and has netted a career best 14 goals this season. He has put up career offensive numbers and played minutes well beyond what was expected of him at the start of the season due to the injuries of key defensemen Willie Mitchell, Kevin Bieksa, and Sami Salo. Now that he’s getting chance to play in the top pairing’s he is showing that San Jose scouts were right when they drafted him in 2001.

Mikael Samuelsson
A free agent signing in the off-season, Samuelsson has also set new career highs in goals and points, reaching the 30 goal mark for the first time in his career. This is exactly what GM’s hope for when they sign players in the offseason. A bottom 6 forward on the loaded Detroit lineup, he has shown he has a nose for the net while getting top 6 forward ice-time along with plenty of opportunities on the power play. His scoring really lessened the impact of missing Pavol Demitra for the first half of the season due to injury.

Daniel Sedin
Even after missing nearly a quarter of the season, Daniel is 15th in NHL scoring and recently potted his 200th career goal. It is really scary (for the rest of the league) to think about how many goals and points he would’ve been able to put up if he hadn’t gotten inured and how many more games the Canucks would’ve won. They lost some close ones during his absence and he might’ve made the difference. Henrik’s success is due in part to the play of Daniel this season as both players have continued to improve each year.

Nearly all of the above players have had career years. Is that a prerequisite for being an MVP candidate or is this award based on more than just personal stats?

Many would argue Roberto Luongo hasn’t had a “career year” as he’s had more off-nights than Canucks fans are used to seeing. For the first time in his career he hasn’t had to be the best player on the ice night in and night out. The Canucks have at times been a scoring machine and Luongo hasn’t had to be perfect to win every game. While there are a lot of questions about Roberto’s play by the fans and media, it’s widely known that he is his own harshest critic and sometimes when he’s let in a bad goal this year he hasn’t been able to refocus as quickly as in years past. But as many critics as he has there are just as many ready to argue that the Canucks would not be where they are without him in net. He’ll be fine as we enter the stretch drive and head into the playoffs, hopefully for a long run! So is Roberto Luongo an MVP candidate or not?

Tell us who would you pick as the Canucks MVP and why?

Canucks fans can vote for the Team MVP, Best Defenseman, and Most Exciting Player at Canucks.com.

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