Western Conference Predictions

1) Anaheim Ducks

2) Vancouver Canucks

3) Detroit Red Wings

4) San Jose Sharks

5) Chicago Blackhawks

6) Calgary Flames

7) Columbus Blue Jackets

8) Dallas Stars

9) St. Louis Blues

10) L.A Kings

11) Edmonton Oilers

12) Minnesota Wild

13) Nashville Predators

14) Phoenix Coyotes

15) Colorado Avalanche

Northwest

1) Vancouver Canucks

Last year's division winner went out and improved in all areas. With Roberto Luongo locked down long term, and the Sedin's under contract for 5 more years, the nucleus of this team is intact, and GM Mike Gillis went out and improved the depth of this team to complement the stars. The pain of last year's disappointing playoff exit, combined with the hunger to meet and exceed high expectations should make for an exciting season for Canuck fans.

Daniel and Henrik Sedin are in the best shape of their lives and hitting close to 100 points is realistic. Ryan Kesler should improve once again on a career year offensively, while continuing to be one of the best defensive players in the game. Sergei Shirokov is a youngster to look out for as are Steve Bernier, Kyle Wellwood and Mason Raymond.

Expect another battle with Calgary for the division lead.

2) Calgary Flames

They gained Jay Bouwmeester which will improve an already solid backend but they also lost quite a bit of scoring depth. Their biggest move this off-season - getting coach Brent Sutter. The Flames should be better coached and in turn have a better season.

Jarome Iginla is one of the deadliest snipers in the game. Coming off an off-year (for him), expect over 90 points. Iginla is expected to play with Olli Jokinen for much of the year, increasing Jokinen's value tremendously. Dion Phaneuf should bounce back from his awful year, and the aforementioned Jay Bouwmeester could excel playing for a better team.

With little big name depth on the squad, look for players like David Moss, Dustin Boyd and Nigel Dawes to produce decent numbers. As usual, they should be neck and neck with the Canucks at the end of the year.

3) Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton hasn't improved enough to become a Stanley Cup contender, but with the addition of Nikolai Khabibulin in net, they have become a playoff contender. They are too small up front and aren't an overly tough team to play against. With no clear offensive leader, this team is going to have to rely heavily on two defensemen to contribute - Sheldon Souray and Lubomir Visnovsky. Ales Hemsky is very skilled, but can't seem to get passed the 70 point mark and has injury issues. Youngsters Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner could breakout this year, and might be relied upon to get some excitement in this hockey-crazed city again.

With new coach Pat Quinn and Tom Renney behind the bench this year, expect a different style of play from the Oilers, but another 9th-12th place finish is probably in the cards.

4) Minnesota Wild

Minnesota has taken a step back this year by losing their only marquee player, the oft-injured Marian Gaborik, and replacing him with the also oft-injured Martin Havlat. Granted, Havlat actually played a full season last year for the first time in years. With Niklas Backstrom in net, they will always be tough to score against, but with a new coach we have no idea what kind of a system they'll play. Regardless, they just aren't talented enough to compete in a tough Western Conference.

If Havlat can stay healthy, another 70-80 point year could be realistic. P.M Bouchard and Mikko Koivu will also be relied upon to contribute offensively with young guns James Sheppard and Benoit Pouliot needing to finally step up their play. A full year from Brent Burns would help this team tremendously.

5) Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche are in a rebuilding phase that hockey fans in Denver have never seen before. With longtime face of the franchise Joe Sakic retiring in the off-season, and a lack of free agent signings, it's evident this team is going in a new direction. With arguably the worst goaltending in the league, and a team full of young NHLers, look for the Avs to sink near the bottom of the the Western Conference Seas.

A healthy Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk will be huge if these guys have any chance of competing. Youngster Matt Duchene should contribute right away and could be a contender for the Calder trophy for the league's rookie of the year. A solid, veteran laden blueline should keep these guys from getting lit up like a christmas tree every night, but it will certainly be a long year for Colorado.

Pacific

1) Anaheim Ducks

The loss of Chris Pronger will undoubtedly be a big one for the Ducks, but the off-season additions definitely outweigh their losses this year. Saku Koivu's arrival to a new team should certainly revive his career, especially alongside countrymen Teemu Selanne. Expect some nice chemistry with these two. Joffrey Lupul could pot 30 goals playing with the two Fins. Anaheim also boasts maybe the best line in hockey. Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry could absolutely tear up the league this year, and should pose problems for opposing d-men and goalies alike.

Scott Niedermeyer is an anchor on defense, and your Ryan Whitney might finally breakout now that Pronger is gone. Some good off-season defenseman signings in Nick Boynton and Steve Eminger, along with young Luca Sbisa, the Ducks actually have a solid backend. Throw in two capable goalies and you have yourself a Stanley Cup contender.

2) San Jose Sharks

An already deadly team just added one of the top snipers in the game. A Joe Thornton - Dany Heatley combo is just plain scary. I expect Heatley to get over 50 goals, and Thornton to assist on about 40 of them. San Jose's top six is out of this world, and once again they should compete for the top of the Western Conference. But is this the year they can finally generate some playoff success?

Dan Boyle and Rob Blake will once again anchor the SJ defense, and they will need a few youngsters to step up and play solid defensively. Evgeni Nabokov is one of the best goalies in the game, and should have another solid year.

3) Dallas Stars

Not many people are giving the Stars a chance this year and looking at them on paper, there's a reason for it. The Stars lack the depth necessary to be considered a contender, but with Marc Crawford as their new coach, I think they will be a tough team to play against. A full year from Brenden Morrow will do wonders for Dallas, and if Loui Erikkson can repeat his 36 goal season from last year and guys like Mike Ribeiro and Mike Modano can contribute, these guys might just battle for a playoff spot.

Marty Turco should rebound from a poor season, and a young up and coming D corps might surprise some people resulting in a decent season for the guys from big D.

4) L.A Kings

Every year people say, "In three years the Kings will be unreal!" Well about five years have passed since they were first saying that and they certainly aren't unreal yet. Sure they are an exciting young team who could do some damage this year, but until they get some more proven talent, especially in goal, they will continue to start golfing early.

Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown are a great young nucleus, but the Kings need more than just that. Drew Doughty could be an all-star this year and Jack Johnson could finally breakout for L.A on the backend. This should be an exciting team to watch, but a team who will finish out of the playoffs once again.

5) Phoenix Coyotes

Not much good to say about this team and franchise in general. After an off-season of off-ice distractions, not much has been done to improve the on-ice product. Robert Lang and Taylor Pyatt are the only noticeable additions, which says something about their improvement. The 'Yotes have a great young nucleus in Peter Mueller, Mikkel Boedker, Martin Hanzal and Viktor Tikhnov and veteran Shane Doan is always the anchor, but an overall lack of depth and experience will cost this team yet another playoff berth.

Also, Wayne Gretzky has stepped down as coach in Phoenix, and we are unsure how Dave Tippett will deal with all the youngsters and all of the drama in the desert.

Central

1) Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings will always be a contender, at least that's how it seems. With a nucleus of Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Lidstrom and Johan Franzen all locked up for the near future, expect a team at or near the top of the Conference standings. Throw in Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall and depth untouched by any other organization and you have a recipe for success. Oh yeah, they also have the best coach, GM and scouting in the game.

As long as Chris Osgood can play decent, this team will vie for the Cup.

2) Chicago Blackhawks

No team save for Phoenix is looking forward to puck-drop more than Chicago. A crazy off-season which saw them screw up on their restriced free agent offers (which never ended up affecting anything), their star player getting arrested for allegedly assaulting a cab driver and replacing their General Manager, the start of the season is a welcome sight for this organization. With a promising young nucleus of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Cam Barker and the off-season addition of Marian Hossa, the Hawks look to improve on their Conference Final appearance of a year ago.

The only question mark might be in net where they are relying on Cristobal Huet as their full-time tender. Expectations are high in the Windy City, and deservedly so. This team is a Stanley Cup contender.

3) Columbus Blue Jackets

A year after making their first ever playoff appearance, the Jackets actually have high expectations for the first time in franchise history. Rick Nash is a cornerstone player, and Steve Mason a cornerstone goalie. Having those two guys as franchise players is certainly an exciting thing for hockey fans in Ohio.

A full year from Derrick Brassard, and a bigger, better Jakub Voracek should allow this team to make another run at a playoff berth, and maybe even improve on their first round exit of last season.

4) St. Louis Blues

A young, exciting team that made a crazy end of the season run to earn a playoff spot last year, the Blues are expecting a lot this season. Paul Kariya, Eric Brewer and Erik Johnson are back after missing all or the majority of last year with injuries. Youngsters Patrick Berglund, T.J Oshie and David Perron should all improve on their already impressive 2008'09 stats, and Chris Mason has proved himself as a good starting goalie in the NHL.

Some think this team overachieved last season, but we will soon find out. They should definitely compete for a playoff spot.

5) Nashville Predators

The Preds have maybe the best young defense in the NHL, but their lack of offense will hinder them from making the playoffs once again. Jason Arnott, J.P Dumont and Martin Erat will lead the offense once again, while Ryan Suter, Shea Weber and Dan Hamhuis will run the backend. Pekka Rinne stepped up as the number one goalie last year and should continue with the solid stats that he ended up with last year.

Nashville will be a tough team to play against, but will probably end up on the outside looking in once again.

Season Preview - Eastern Conference

As we approach another NHL season, one that will be interesting in so many ways, in every different NHL city, its that time of year when everyone has predictions - including me.

The Eastern Conference is just as wide open this year, as it was last year. Let's start in the:

Northeast

1. Boston Bruins

The Bruins are poised to win the Northeast again, despite the loss of Phil Kessel as a cap casualty. The B's are solid up front with one of the deepest forward groups in the league. Star playmaker Marc Savard should have a chip on his shoulder this year, after being snubbed again by the experts in hockey by not even being invited to Team Canada's orientation camp in Calgary this past summer.

Look for Savard to be hovering around 85 - 90 points (and still get no respect next year). Along with veterans like Mark Recchi and Marco Sturm, their young players are impressive as well, David Krejci and Milan Lucic should take further strides in their development also. On defense, you can't bet against the big man, Zdeno Chara is unstoppable when he's on his game, and Tim Thomas is awkward, but effective.

This team should be challenging to win the East again.

2. Montreal Canadiens

Two words: major overhaul, come to mind. Never has there been a Habs team that has come off such a complete shakeup, as this one today. Gone is longtime captain Saku Koivu and enigmatic superstar Alex Kovalev. Mike Komisarek has done the unthinkable, and joined the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chris Higgings was dealt in a package for Scott Gomez. In come Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri, rounding out the top line in Montreal.

Size can and will be an issue at times for this Canadiens team, but there is enough talent and speed here to score enough to compete in the East. With uncertainty surrounding the other teams in their division (Ottawa, Toronto, and Buffalo) they are expected to give the Bruins a run for thier money for 1st in the Northeast (but fall short). Expect Carey Price to rebound, he won't be near Vezina voting, but he'll get back to respectability and get his career back on track.

Mike Cammalleri should lead this team in scoring. Andrei Markov will continue to be one of the premier offensive defensemen in the league.

3. Ottawa Senators

There was no other team in the NHL last season that had a bumpier and more depressing ride than the team from the nation's capital. A mid season coaching change, a group of underachieving premier forwards, a defense that couldn't move the puck, and a serious lack of secondary forward talent led to a disappointing year for the Ottawa Senators.

All offseason, Dany Heatley was the topic of conversation. Finally, he was dealt to the San Jose Sharks for Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek, two forwards that can provide some significant depth up front for this Ottawa team. Their biggest offseason acquisition remains Alex Kovalev, who didn't travel far despite switching jerseys, he will be counted upon to bring back the days of the Senators being an offensive power house.

The Senators now have some options up front, and their defense core is solid and servicable. Pascal Leclaire has the talent to be a number one goalie, but will he be rusty and get off to a bad start? The Sens will need him to be durable, something he hasn't been able to do in his career thus far. The Sens should get bounce back years from Mike Fisher, Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, and breakout years from youngsters Nick Foligno and emerging defenseman Brian Lee.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

There is just something about this Maple Leafs team that is intriguing enough to not rank them in the basement of their division. The one thing I really like about their team is their blueline. Adding Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin to a defense that already contained Tomas Kaberle and Luke Schenn is a big positive for this team.

Up front, they're young and energetic - especially after Brian Burke landed his big fish - Phil Kessel, from the Boston Bruins. He'll be the go to guy in Toronto, and will be expected to contribute immediately. Veterans Jason Blake and Alexei Ponikarovsky will be counted on heavily for offense as well, but scoring goals wasn't the Leafs problem last year - it was keeping them out of their own net. An area where they should improve. In goal, it should be a two headed monster this year, with Vesa Toskala and Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson sharing the load.

In the end, the Leafs will fall short of a post season birth (again). Too much youth up front and unstable goaltending will be the downfall of the Maple Leafs, which might not be a bad thing considering they can add to their crop of youngsters (Luke Schenn, Nazem Kadri, Viktor Stalberg and Christopher Hanson)

5. Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres remain virtually the same after last season. They are still a young team with the potential to get better, unfortunately, as everyone in their division is a step ahead of them (except the Leafs, but they're determined to screw themselves out of a lottery pick....again) they may have a tough time keeping up. Forwards Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy and Jason Pominville will be the focal point of the Sabres attack, they are in desperate need of a break out season from promising youngster Drew Stafford.

On the backend, Craig Rivet is the number one defenseman. Supported by Henrik Tallinder, Steve Montador, Toni Lydman, and Andrej Sekera, the Buffalo defense is a simple group that gets the job done - on most nights.

Between the pipes, Ryan Miller is an above avergae starter in this league, but it remains to be seen if he can put it together for an entire year, and stay healthy, which has been a concern surrounding him in recent seasons.

Atlantic

1. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Stanley Cup Champions should find themselves at the top of their division when its all said and done, even though I expect a slight Stanley Cup hangover to occur, which is inevitable for most teams. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are one of the best duos in the history of hockey, and they will battle each other (and Alex Ovechkin) for the scoring title this year.

On the backend, a healthy Sergei Gonchar should make a world of difference, while youngster Kris Letang should continue to mature offensively. Alex Goligoski will be counted on in more of an important role with the departure of Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi.

Marc Andre Fluery proved the doubters wrong last season, as he silenced his critics by winning a Stanley Cup. He is one of the emerging stars in goal in the Eastern Conference and should continue to post solid numbers.

This team will again be a force.

2. Philadelphia Flyers

Different year, same story in the city of Brotherly Love. What will become of the Flyers goaltending situation? Is Ray Emery really the answer? Flyers fans are hoping so. Up front, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards will continue to be the noisemakers offensively. Carter is coming off a career high 40+ goal season, while Mike Richards will be tested early after coming off double shoulder surgery in the offseason. The rest of the forwards, Simon Gagne and Daniel Briere will be counted on in a supporting role, with youngtser Claude Giroux being pegged as the breakout candidate of the year.

On the backend, Chris Pronger finds himself in Philadelphia. The gritty blueliner signed a monster contract in the offseason which will keep him in Philly for years to come. Pronger adds to an already stable and talented blueline, featuring Kimmo Timonen, Ryan Parent, and Braydon Coburn.

The Flyers are the total package - speed, talent and grit. Unfortunately for Flyers fans, the package will remain fragile with Ray Emery between the pipes, who has a lot to prove at the NHL since his exile in recent years.

3. New York Rangers

There is no other team in the Eastern Conference whose offense rests solely in the hands of one player - as much as it does in New York. The addition of Marion Gaborik talent wise, was a massive upgrade on anything the Rangers had in their arsenal in recent years. Although the fact is, Gaborik is rarely in the lineup for more than 20 games a season.

Showing flashes of being one of the better talents in the league, Gaborik provides the glimmer of hope, that if he is healthy, he can challenge for the scoring title and the Rocket Richard - but that is a bif IF. Second line forward Chris Higgins has come over from Montreal, while youngsters Artem Anisimov and Brandon Dubinsky seem ready for primetime in the NHL.

Defensively, the Rangers are an iffy bunch. Wade Redden continues to burden the Rangers with his massive (and ridiculous) contract. Marc Staal remains their most solid defensive option, with Michal Roszival and college standout Matt Gilroy rounding out the top 4.

In goal, the Rangers are strong, Henrik Lundqvist is one of the best in the business.

4. New Jersey Devils

Jacques Lemaire returns to New Jersey. Hopefully that doesn't mean hockey fans can return to their slumber. The defensive minded genius is back behind the bench in Jersey and fans are hoping his presence doesn't include the offensive regression of American star Zach Parise, who put up 94 points and 40 goals in a stunning 08-09 campaign.

The offensive supporting cast is for once, solid in New Jersey. Jamie Langenbrunner and Patrik Elias (out 3 - 6 weeks) will contribute offensively, while Travis Zajac should hover around 50 points this season.

Defensively, the Devils are an unspectacular bunch lead by Colin White and Johnny Oduya. They're underrated but rarely make critical mistakes, so they should be fine on the back end. In goal, Martin Brodeur is coming of a season in which he faced a major injury. Elbow surgery held him out of the line up for a significant stretch of time, but he's expected to bounce back with the extra carrot of Team Canada's Olympic gig being dangled in front of him.

5. New York Islanders

John Tavares to the rescue. But not this season. The Islanders are one of the worst teams in the league, an organization that has fallen flat on its face, got a major boost this offseason. Landing the first overall pick in the entry draft, lead to the selection of John Tavares. A super talented rookie that should be a building block to finally provide some hope on Long Island.

They are a green squad up front, Kyle Okposo (if he ever wakes up after the Phaneuf hit), along with Frans Nielsen and veterans Trent Hunter and Doug Weight (and that's a stretch...) are really the only serious threats to score. Defensively, they'll be a no-name group with Jack Hillen joining Radek Martinek, Bruno Gervais, Andy Sutton and Mark Sreit to form a patchwork defense.

In goal, who knows. Rick Dipietro is skating again, but he's still a ways away. Martin Biron, Dwayne Roloson...it doesn't even matter, they're still finishing last in this division.

Southeast

1. Washington Capitals

One of the most exciting and entertaining teams in the NHL resides in the U.S. capital. Alexander Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Niklas Backstrom, and Mike Green are one of the most talented foursomes in the entire league. Ovechkin is coming off another 100 plus point campaign, and should easily shatter that mark again this year. Let's just put it this way, when you're not only expected to break 50 goals, but expected to destroy that number, you're a special player.

Defensively, they'll have the same core group as last season. Green, Jurcina, Erskine, Poti, Pothier and Morrison make up the top 6. A group that can move the puck with some underrated defensive skills. Mike Green should make the Canadian Olympic squad if he has a year resembling last season.

In goal, Semyon Varlamov and Jose Theodore will battle it out for starts. In the playoffs, Varlamov was solid, but showed signs of youth and inexperience with the collapse in Game 7 against the Penguins. Despite the uncertainty in goal, this team is too good up front to not run away with this division.

2. Carolina Hurricanes

A veteran lineup with one last kick at the can so to speak, the Carolina Hurricanes could be facing a re-tooling in the next year or two. The only real youth on their team right now still remains top scorer Eric Staal, who is coming off a sub-par campaign and is expected to get back above 85 points, and goaltender Cam Ward, who was amazing in the Postseason for the Canes.

Elsewhere, Ray Whitney, Scott Walker, Tuomo Ruutu, Sergei Samsonov and Rod Brindamour are the other notable names up front. On the blueline, Joni Pitkanen and Joe Corvo are two offensive minded defensemen that are solid Powerplay quarterbacks, but they also have troubles in their own end.

This team is the beneficiary of being in the Southeast Division. It should fight for a playoff spot and could get hot again come playoff time. It will be a bumpy ride though.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning

Vincent Lecavalier is coming off the worst statistical campaign of his career. He should have a lot to prove, both for the Lightning, and for Team Canada. Expect the talented Center to get back to at least 80, most likely 90 points, as he finally has a supporting cast around him.

Martin St. Louis is as consistent as they come, and Alex Tanguay should flourish on a fast skating Tampa team that is skilled with the puck up front. Young gun Steve Stamkos should continue the roll he was on at the end of last season, expect a breakout year of 60 - 70 points for Stamkos.

On the blueline, the Lightning landed the 2nd overall pick in the entry draft, and selected Swedish defenseman, Victor Hedman. One of the most highly touted defenseman prospects in the last few years, Hedman is expected to make an impact right away. The signing of Mattias Ohlund from Vancouver was a smart one, as he should pose as a solid mentor for Hedman as he enters his first season.

Mike Smith should be ready to be an above average starter in this league, and with a better defense corps in front of him, expect him to solidify the starting job and finally see some stability in his career.

4. Atlanta Thrashers

Quietly, the Thrashers have built a solid group of forwards that can put the puck in the net. Lead by Ilya Kovalchuk, a consistent point producer and elite level talent, Bryan Little, Slava Kozlov, Todd White, Nik Antropov, and youngster Evander Kane should be a solid offensive group.

Defensively, they will recieve an added boost from Pavel Kubina and another year of development from Zach Bogosian. After those two, it drops off, Boris Valabik is a big, but non-mobile defender, and Ron Hainsey's best days are behind him. This team will have trouble in its own end, especially playing Washington and Tampa Bay 6 times a year each.

Kari Lehtonen has still yet to prove he is ever going to live up to his potential as a star netminder in this league, with the defense in front of him, he'll have to progress fast for the Thrashers to have a shot at a Playoff Spot.

5. Florida Panthers

The loss of Jay Bouwmeester is really going to hurt. an already weak offensive team, just took a huge blow on their back end. The problem with the Panthers is their lack of real star power at any position. Up front, their mediocre, with Stephen Weiss, Nathan Horton, Michael Frolik, Rostislav Olesz and Richard Zednik. 1 bright spot in the forward group will be emerging star David Booth, who is poised to take the next step and possibly break the 40 goal plateau in the next few year or two.

Bryan McCabe, Bryan Allen, Keith Ballard and Jordan Leopold comprise a top 4 defensive group that is respectable, but not overly impressive. Tomas Vokoun will carry the load in the goal, but most nights, he'll face a ton of shots, and will need to play above and beyond his current level to give the Panthers a legitimate shot at the Post Season.

Top Prospect Hodgson Sent Back to Junior

Canucks top prospect Cody Hodgson has been sent back to his junior team the Brampton Batallion. After an injury at the Hockey Canada World Junior camp set him back, Hodgson never seemed to recover from missing the opening of training camp. His conditioning could have been an issue, as his skating and energy levels seemed as though they were not NHL calibre.

The Canucks remain very high on Hodgson, stating that he is still very young, and that he can go back to junior and dominate statistically while also having an opportunity to get his game shape back up and potentially be the Captain of the Canadian World Junior Team.

Cody Hodgson should have every opportunity to make the team again next season.

Pre-season observations and predictions for 2009'10

It's that time a year again! Pre-season is over and there's only a few days until the regular season starts. The following is the good, the bad, and the ugly from pre-season, and some predictions for the regular season. Stay tuned for a more complete look at all the teams in the West, and our predictions for Western Conference, Eastern Conference, and Stanley Cup Playoff predictions.

The good - Sergei Shirokov

The young Russian has lived up to the hype and then some. We have to keep in mind that he has been playing professional hockey for a couple years now, and at 23 years old, he isn’t your typical rookie. In four pre-season games, Shirokov has scored 2 goals and added 5 assists, leading all Canuck players. He is shifty, creative and a very smart, heads up player, and best of all – he seems to have clicked with the Sedins already. Based on his pre-season play, 60 points is not out of the question.

Honorable mention - Roberto Luongo, the Sedins, Aaron Rome, Andrew Raycroft, Evan Oberg, Tanner Glass

The bad - Cody Hodgson

It’s tough to say why he was disappointing this pre-season, or is it? Hodgson was injured for the first few weeks of training camp, limiting his training and his preparation. Upon arrival back into the lineup, he looked very slow and very awkward. The coaching staff won’t admit that his injury is still nagging him, but I truly believe that it is. There’s no way a kid as good as Hodgson could look so out of place. Heck, he looked better at last year’s camp, and there is absolutely no way his play has declined since then. Adding to his problems is all the hype put on the 19 year old Center. Everyone is expecting him to come in and be the next Gretzky, and realistically it may take a few years before he can actually make an impact. It’s hard to believe that Hodgson might end up in junior again, but with the way he’s played and the depth in Vancouver’s lineup – it’s not too far of a stretch. I think the Canucks give him his 9 game tryout and then decide from there what to do with him.

Honorable mention - Cory Schneider, Mikael Samuelsson, Alex Burrows

The ugly - Michael Grabner

Again, maybe a case of being too highly hyped, but Grabner was just plain bad. After such a promising year with the Moose last season, many were expecting him to take his game to the next level. It didn’t happen. Grabner has a huge shot, and great speed – tools you would think would make a guy standout – but again, it didn’t happen. His inability to bury his chances, and his shyness to the physical game definitely overshadowed his strengths. Canuck fans can only hope that he is a late bloomer, and will step up his play in the AHL once again this year, and make a case for a late season call-up.

Honorable mention - Dave Scatchard (released), P.C Labrie (Moose)

Looking forward; Predictions:

MVP – Roberto Luongo

Without question, the Canucks will only go as far as Bobby Lou will take them. With a disappointing season behind him, and a deal that will see him stay in Vancouver for the rest of his career – expect a bounce back year for the star goalie. 40 wins, a low 2.00GAA and a 930% with 10 shutouts is not out of the question.

MVPNG (Non goalie) - Ryan Kesler

If Kesler can produce the same offensive numbers he did last year, and continue his great defensive game, there is no reason he shouldn’t repeat as team MVP. Sure, Daniel and Henrik Sedin will lead the team in scoring once again, but Kesler’s overall game is just so well rounded.

Breakout season – Steve Bernier and Kyle Wellwood

Both players lost weight in the off-season, and their newfound off-season training regiments look to have paid off. Both players are noticeably quicker this year, and at their age and with their skill set, it’s time they prove they are worth the weight, umm, I mean wait. I expect 50 points from Wellwood and over 20 goals from Bernier. Their other linemate Mason Raymond deserves some mention here too as he looks great so far this year. The best thing is that this is expected to be a line to open the year. Canuck fans should be excited.

Unsung Hero – Ryan Johnson

Some people have said he was a disappointment last year. Were they watching different games than me? Johnson was a very important role player for the Canucks. Sure he doesn’t put up many points, but that’s not what he’s here for. Johnson blocks shots, wins faceoffs, brings energy every night and kills penalties. The kicker – he did all this with a badly mangled finger that would leave most of us out of work for a few months. Johnson is a quality player and a quality guy, and I pray fans can look outside the box scores to see how he contributes.

Best addition – Christian Ehrhoff

This guy can move the puck, he skates well, he contributes offensively and he is good defensively. So far he has taken a few dumb penalties which is concerning, but afterall, he is a Canuck, so he felt it necessary to fit in. I think he will help this team greatly and was a great pickup by Mike Gillis.

Worst addition – Mikael Samuelsson

I hope he proves me wrong, but I am just not sold on this guy. In Detroit, you are setup to succeed. 20 goal scorers there are often 10 goal scorers elsewhere. Unless he can click with the Sedins, I don’t expect numbers any better than he had last year, in fact, I expect less. 30-40 points. Trust me, I hate that I feel this way too.

Most over-rated - Mikael Samuelsson

Read above article. Also, he hasn't shown anything in the pre-season.

Most under-rated - Daniel and Henrik Sedin

Considering the bad press these guys get outside of Vancouver, they are easily the most under-rated Canucks. They consistently put up over 80 points a year, and dominate with their puck possession, but still fail to get the recognition they deserve. On top of that, they are in the best shape of their lives, and are just entering their prime. I could see over 90 points from each of them this year.

Player to watch – Sergei Shirokov

Vancouver fans are excited for this kid, and after his pre-season they should be. 60 points isn’t out of the question, but neither is a spot on the Moose a few weeks into the season. I for one think that he will be an affective player for the Canucks all season and is a star in the making. If he can hold down a spot with the Sedins – watch out!

Canucks cut eight

Eight players have been sent to the Manitoba Moose today. No real surprises considering their play in the pre-season, but many Canuck fans would have liked to see Michael Grabner and Corey Schneider make the opening night roster. Once again, that won't be the case as both players were among todays cuts. Joining Grabner and Schneider en route to Winnipeg will be defensemen Nolan Baumgartner and Nathan McIver, and forwards Matt Pope, Alexander Bolduc, Guillame Desbiens and Mario Bliznak. Bubble players still on the current roster include Cody Hodgson, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen (injured), Michael Funk, Aaron Rome, Brad Lukowich and Lawrence Nycholat. Vancouver has 29 players left on their roster, but must be down to 23 by Thursday.

Our take: No surprises at all. It's pretty much inevitable which players will be cut from the backend, but that might depend on how Mike Gillis and the Canucks plan on cutting salary. They are currently over the cap and will have to waive or trade a few players, so stay tuned for that news. Up front however, they have some decisions to make. Do you send Cody Hodgson back to junior? Who takes the 13th forward spot. Is Sergei Shirokov a true top 6 NHL talent? Answers to come people!

Edmonton defeats Vancouver in OT to end the pre-season

The Vancouver Canucks lost their pre-season finale to the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Sunday night. They did however earn 14 of a possible 16 points, so their pre-season was undoubtedly a success. Kyle Wellwood, Sami Salo, Henrik Sedin and Christian Ehrhoff scored for Vancouver, while Mike Comrie with two goals, JF Jacques and Shawn Horcoff replied for Edmonton in regulation. Tom Gilbert scored the winner in OT for the Oilers.

Corey Schneider went the distance in net for the Canucks, while Nikolai Khabibulin got the win for Edmonton. Russian prospect Sergei Shirokov looked good once again, he had 2 assists, both on the powerplay.

Our take: Take it for what it's worth, but Vancouver has looked strong this pre-season. They finished 6-0-2, often icing a lineup with less proven players than their opponent. The Canucks open their regular season on Thursday in Calgary.

Canucks beat Flames in shootout

Mason Raymond scored the shootout winner for the second time already this pre-season as the Canucks beat the Flames 2-1. Mikael Samuelsson scored in regulation for Vancouver off a sweet feed from Shane O'Brien, while David Moss scored Calgary's lone goal. Roberto Luongo stopped all four Flames shooters in the shootout to earn yet another win.

Our take: Again, both Michael Grabner and Cody Hodgson were unimpressive and it looks like both them of them will not crack the opening day lineup. Luckily for the first time in years, Vancouver has enough depth that they can afford to send them packing.

Canucks Look to Rebound in Cowtown

After finally losing a game in the Pre-Season to the Anaheim Ducks, the Canucks head on the road to round out their exhibition schedule against their Alberta rivals, the Flames and Oilers. It starts tonight in Calgary where a "bubble" line-up will take to the ice.

Shirokov - Kesler - Samuelsson
Raymond - Hodgson - Grabner
Hordichuk - Johnson - Rypien
Glass - Bliznak - Hansen

Lukowich - Rome
Edler - O'Brien
Ehrhoff - Funk

Luongo (Full game)

Young russian Sergei Shirokov is ready to return tonight in his bid to claim a spot in the Canucks top 6 forward group on opening night. He'll be set up for success tonight as he skates on a line with Ryan Kesler and Mikael Samuelsson. Cody Hodgson and Michael Grabner have (still) yet to impress in the Pre-Season, both for different reasons of course, but they will get another chance tonight and hopefully the speed of Mason Raymond can help both of the youngsters.

Roberto Luongo is expected to play the full game, which will be the key for the Canucks tonight as the Flames are sending out a very skilled and veteran line up:

Moss - Jokinen - Iginla
Dawes - Langkow - Bourque
Glencross - Conroy - Sjostrom
Nystrom - Boyd - Prust

Regehr - Bouwmeester
Giordano - Phaneuf
Pardy - Stralman

Our take: Michael Grabner is all but done. He will not be here on opening night next week. Cody Hodgson needs to recover his conditioning fast, as his opportunities to make an impact this season are dwindling, unlike Sergei Shirokov, who could cement a starting spot on this team with a solid performance tonight.

Duck Hunting in Vancouver; Canucks host Anaheim

It's becoming a common sentence on here, but the Canucks are looking to remain undefeated in the pre-season as they host the Anaheim Ducks. Much like last night against the Sharks, on paper Vancouver looks overmatched, but again like last night, they will look to somehow pull off the victory. The Sedins are back in the lineup and will have Mikael Samuelsson on the right wing. Andrew Raycroft will go the distance in net for the Canucks, while youngsters Michael Grabner and Cody Hodgson (normally a center) will flank the wings beside Kyle Wellwood in an attempt to jumpstart their play. Vancouver's lineup is as follows:

Sedin - Sedin - Samuelsson

Grabner - Wellwood - Hodgson

Rypien - Bliznak - Parrish

Glass - Johnson - Pope

Mitchell - Salo

Rome - O'Brien

Ehrhoff - Funk

Raycroft

The Ducks will ice all their big guns save for Joffrey Lupul who is nursing a sore back. Their top 2 lines will be as followed:

Ryan - Getzlaf - Perry

Ebbett - Koivu - Selanne

At this point I don't know the rest of their roster but will update it if I can find anything before I go to work.

Canucks extend coach Alain Vigneault for three more years

If everything goes as planned, Alain Vigneault and his coaching staff will be behind the bench for the Vancouver Canucks until at least after the 2012'13 season. Mike Gillis confirmed today that AV is "his guy", evidenced by the signing.

“This is an exciting day for me and my coaching staff,” said Vigneault. “Having the opportunity to work with the Aquilini family, Mike and his staff and our players has been very rewarding. I love working and coaching in this tremendous hockey city and look forward to continuing to build on our previous success.”

As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Our take: Hard to believe that it was just January that fans and media alike were calling for his head. For those of you who don't remember, the Canucks were in the midst of a nine game home losing streak and I believe 11 games overall. Obviously they turned it around and finished the season strong and AV has proved to Mike Gillis that they are on the same page. Good signing for sure, but a lot can happen in four years, so giving a coach that long of a term is always risky.

Canucks cut nine

The Canucks have reduced their roster by nine players after another set of cuts on Thursday. Defenseman Yann Sauve was sent back to junior while defensemen Taylor Ellington, Evan Oberg and Travis Ramsey, along with forwards P.C Labrie and Eric Walsky and goalie Darren Machesney have been sent to the Manitoba Moose. Forwards Dave Scatchard and Ronald Petrovicky have been given their outright release after being invited to training camp on a tryout basis. Vancouver now has 38 players on their pre-season roster.

Our take: No real surprises here, except for maybe the fact that Michael Grabner wasn't a part of the cuts. The Canucks are clearly giving Grabner and Cody Hodgson all the opportunity in the world to crack the lineup, but so far it's not looking good. Hodgson is nowhere near 100%, no matter what the team is saying. It's clear based on his play that he is struggling with his back and his skating looks just awful. I know he isn't the strongest skater by any means, but it's evident that there's something wrong. Both kids are in the lineup tonight vs the Ducks.

Canucks Battle Back to Beat Sharks in Shootout

The Canucks moved to 6 - 0 in the Pre-Season after a character comeback win against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night. The first period was sloppy, with both teams having trouble getting pucks to the net and generating quality scoring chances.

Benn Ferriero, one of the Sharks promising youngsters, opened the scoring early in the second with Kent Huskins doubling the Sharks lead to 2 - 0 on a PowerPlay late in the period. The Canucks were hoping for more from Cody Hodgson and Michael Grabner who were both not easy to find out on the ice. Hodgson seemed slow, and did not seem 100% as his skating was suffering all night. At times Hodgson was guilty of doing too much, and forcing pucks into areas that lead to turnovers.

Michael Grabner had jump at times during the game, he worked well on the forecheck during short periods of time, but in the end, he has yet to make an impact offensively and it seems more and more likely that the writing is on the wall for Grabner.

The Canucks got on the board when Mason Raymond fired home a rebound in the slot, Alex Edler then tied the game at two with a seeing eye shot from the blueline. Tanner Glass then took a Bernier feed off the half boards and shelfed one over the shoulder of Nabokov to give the Canucks their first lead of the game. Rob Blake then tied the game at 3 on a PowerPlay with Kevin Bieksa in the box to send the game to overtime, and then a shootout.

The Canucks put on a show in the shootout, and Alex Edler and Mason Raymond lead the way.



The Canucks secured the 4 - 3 win in the shootout and get ready to face the Ducks at 7PM tomorrow night at GM Place.

Canucks resume preseason at home against the Sharks; Hodgson centering top line

The Canucks look to improve to 6-0 tonight at GM place as they host the San Jose Sharks. However, the big story isn't if they can stay undefeated, but rather that top prospect Cody Hodgson will be centering Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler on Vancouver's top line. The Canucks lineup is extremely thin of veterans tonight (see lineup below), meaning they will rely heavily on that first line to produce. Clearly, coach Alain Vigneault is putting Hodgson in a position to succeed, and is looking to see what he can bring to the table in a starring role.

As per the Vancouver Sun

Burrows - Hodgson - Kesler

Hordichuk - Scatchard - Hansen

Raymond - Bolduc - Pope

Glass - Bliznak - Bernier

Funk - Edler

Oberg - Lukowich

Sauve - Bieksa

Luongo (Full game)

Raycroft?

Ferriero-Thornton-Setoguchi

Marleau-Pavelski-Clowe

McLaren-Malhotra-Ortmeyer

Shelley-Nichol-Staubitz

Murray-Demers

Joslin-Blake

Huskins-Callahan

Nabokov

Greiss

The Sharks on the otherhand are expected to ice a strong lineup, although Danny Heatley will NOT be in the lineup for the San Jose. Evgeni Nabokov and Tomas Greiss are expected to share the duties in net. Puck drops at 7pm. Check back in following the game for a complete review and analysis of the matchup.

Our take: Everyone is expecting big things from Hodgson tonight, and the pressure is definitely on him to succeed. With the thin lineup the Canucks are icing tonight, it's pretty evident remaining undefeated is not overly important to them. Many players in Vancouver's lineup are on the bubble and this may be the last chance for many of them to make an impression. Cuts are expected on Friday, a day after the Canucks host the Ducks.

Preseason Thriller - Canucks Beat Flames in Shootout

We have to start every sentence right now with the phrase "I know its Pre-Season...but..." the Canucks are 5 - 0. For an exhibition game, this one had some excitement, and definitely some drama.

The Canucks jumped out to a quick lead after Kyle Wellwood put home a penalty shot just 3 and a half minutes into the first period, Wellwood made a nice deke on Flames netminder Curtis Mcelhinney to give the Canucks the 1 - 0 lead. Daniel Sedin added his 2nd of the Pre-Season on a feed from Henrik, Cory Schneider wasn't very busy in the first period at all as the Flames were sleepwalking through most of the first.

The Canucks extended their lead to 3 - 0, but the Flames wouldn't go away. Goals from Curtis Glencross, Jamie Lundmark, and Jay Bouwmeester knotted the game at 3 when the Canucks ran into penalty trouble. The Flames capitalized on the man advantage on a one timer by Nigel Dawes that was re-directed by Olli Jokinen with 7 minutes to go in regulation.

The Canucks were pressing late, scrambling to get the equalizer, which they thought they had when Mason Raymond slid the puck through Mcelhinney's pads with 10 seconds left on the clock, but the goal was disallowed. With 10 seconds left on the clock and the faceoff in the neautral zone, it was all but over - for everyone except Daniel Sedin.

Christian Ehrhoff fed Daniel in the slot with about 2 seconds left on the clock, and he made no mistake, sliding it under Mcelhinney with 0.2 ticks left - sending the game to a shootout.

Cody Hodgson opened the scoring in the shootout, and Daniel Sedin scored the Shootout winner on a laser beam that beat Mcelhinney top corner to seal the victory for the Canucks.

Next up: San Jose Sharks vs. Vancouver Canucks - Wednesday, September 23rd - 7PM SNET

Our take: The Canucks dominated the first half of the game, but they showed signs of slipping back into some bad habits from last year. It's a good thing that these habits are showing themselves now, so that the coaching staff can fix them before the games start to mean something next week. The two standouts from the Canucks point of view had to be Daniel Sedin and Christrian Ehrhoff. Daniel having 2 goals, tying the game late, and sniping the shootout winner was the best player on the ice. Ehrhoff was skating well and made a great first pass all night.

Canucks host Flames; Look to remain undefeated in preseason

The Vancouver Canucks are looking to go 5-0 in the preseason as they host the Calgary Flames tonight in what may be the best rivalry in the NHL. Both teams are expected to dress a number of regulars mixed with young prospects and tryout players. Corey Schneider is expected to go the distance for Vancouver, while Flames backup Curtis McElhinney is expected to play the full game for Calgary. These are the rumoured lineups:

Canucks Roster

Sedin Sedin Burrows
Bernier Hodgson Grabner
Raymond Wellwood Parrish
Glass Rypien Labrie

Ehrhoff - Ramsey
Mitchell - Salo
O'Brien - Rome

Schneider (Full game)
Luongo

(Forward lines confirmed by Vancouver Sun, D pairings according to Team 1040)

Flames Roster

Bourque Jokinen Dawes
Glencross Langkow Fleury
Sjostrom Lundmark Sutter
Nystrom Backlund Prust

Bouwmeester Regeher
Giordano Sarich
Pardy Kronwall

McElhinney (full game)
???

Our take: You gotta love this rivalry. These 2 teams absolutely HATE each other, and I don't expect it to be any different tonight. Michael Grabner is surely on a short leash, and is getting a shot at playing with Cody Hodgson. I'm anxious to see how those 2 work together. Also, Corey Schneider will play the whole game for the Canucks, and it should be an important one for him, whether it be to showcase himself for a trade or for Vancouver's backup job.

Canucks Down Oilers 3 - 1

The Vancouver Canucks remain undefeated in the NHL Pre-Season thanks to a 3 - 1 win over the Oilers last night in what was the first game back at GM Place since Game 5 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals.

Alex Edler opened the scoring on the PowerPlay using the Canucks top prospect, Cody Hodgson, as a screen. Hodgson made his Pre-Season debut after being held out of contact drills for most of training camp due to a bulging disc in his back. Sheldon Souray tied the game for the Oilers on a seeing eye shot from the point that beat Roberto Luongo, but Darcy Hordichuk gave the Canucks the lead on a 2 on 1.

Cody Hodgson finished off an overall solid debut by scoring the empty netter to give the Canucks a 3 - 1 win. After these 3 straight games, the Canucks are expected to start considering some cuts, most expect Dave Scatchard, Alex Bolduc and Mark Parrish to be among the first cuts made.

The Canucks entertain the Flames on Monday at the garage to continue their Pre-Season schedule.

Our Take: Cody Hodgson looked good despite this being his first Pre-Season game, he was calm and poised with the puck and seemed to go to the right areas when he was on the ice. Dave Scatchard needs to be sent home soon, I'm all for healthy competition in training camp, but that is ice time that can be given to other players on the bubble - Scatchard does not belong in the NHL.

Canucks win 6-2 in San Jose; Stay undefeated in preseason

Daniel and Henrik Sedin looked to be worth every penny of their new contract money in San Jose on Friday night, combining for 7 points as the Vancouver Canucks downed the San Jose Sharks 6-2. Playing alongside highly touted prospect Sergei Shirokov (2 assists), the Sedin's looked like men among boys against a young, prospect laden Sharks lineup. Henrik finished with 2 goals and 2 assists, while Daniel finished with 1 goal and 2 assists. Former Shark Christian Ehrhoff had a goal and an assist in his first game as a Canuck, while Willie Mitchell and Dave Scatchard provided the other tallies. Andrew Raycroft looked sharp in net for Vancouver, stopping 27 of 29 shots faced. The Canucks play their 3rd game in as many nights tonight, as they host the Edmonton Oilers at GM place. Cody Hodgson will make his season debut after finally recovering from his back injury.

Our take: It's very nice to see the twins and Shirokov have some chemistry. As of right now with the way Shirokov has played, it's hard to imagine he won't crack the opening day lineup, and if Friday night was any indication, it will probably be playing alongside the Sedins. Also, Andrew Raycroft played very well in net, which will make it a tough decision for management as to who will back up Roberto Luongo in net this year. Considering Raycroft makes almost half as what Corey Schneider makes, it's probably his job to lose at this point.

Canucks win 3-0 in Anaheim

The Vancouver Canucks remain undefeated so far in the preseason, improving their record to 2-0 with a 3-0 win in Anaheim on Thursday night. Steve Bernier, Kevin Bieksa and Aaron Rome scored for the Canucks, while Roberto Luongo and Corey Schneider combined for the shutout in net.

It was a fight filled game with lots of emotion, and that atmosphere should carry over into the regular season when the teams meet up on October. 30th.

The Canucks resume their preseason tonight (Friday) in San Jose.

Our take: The pace in this game was way better than in Terrace. Even though it's preseason, Vancouver should be happy with the way they've played so far. It's apparent that the Canucks have more depth than in past years, and there are only a couple of roster spots up for grabs. Speaking of "Grabs", prospect Michael Grabner looked out of place on Thursday, which is bad news for hopeful Vancouver fans who were expecting a good camp from the young Austrian.

Roberto Luongo will get the start in net tonight in Anaheim against the Ducks. He is expected to play the first half of the game, while Corey Schneider will play the latter half.

Also expected to play are forwards Ryan Kesler, Kyle Wellwood, Ryan Johnson, Steve Bernier, Mason Raymond, Mikael Samuelsson, Darcy Hordichuk and prospect Michael Grabner. Defensemen Sami Salo, Kevin Bieksa and Alex Edler are also expected to be in the lineup. Stay tuned for full game details!

Canucks cut 2 more players

Defenseman Kevin Connauton has been sent back to his Junior team, but will not have to travel anywhere. That's because his Junior team is the Vancouver Giants. Also cut was forward Marco Rosa, who was given his outright release. Vancouver now has 47 player's still in camp. The Canucks resume their pre-season schedule tonight in Anaheim against the Ducks.

Canucks reduce roster to 49 players

The Vancouver Canucks made 7 cuts Wednesday morning. Forward Dan Gendur was assigned to the Manitoba Moose, while forwards Steven Anthony, Prab Rai and Kellen Tochkin, and goalie Morgan Clark were sent back to their respective Junior clubs. Meanwhile forward Dusty Collins and defenseman Nolan Toigo were given their outright release.

Our take: No surprises here. Hopefully the youngsters can make some strides in Juniors this year and come back next year looking stronger. Expect more cuts sometime this week as the Canucks are still carrying 49 players on their pre-season roster

Canucks 2-1 winners over the Islanders in Terrace

The trip to "Hockeyville" was a successful one for the Vancouver Canucks, as they topped the New York Islanders 2-1 on Monday night in Terrace. Both teams iced lineups with very few veterans, and it was one of the Canucks top prospects who stole the show. No, not Cody Hodgson - who was out of the lineup with a back injury - but rather Sergei Shirokov. Shirokov has been impressive thus far in training camp, and proved today that he can do it in a game as well. Vancouver's 6th round pick in the 2006 draft scored both of the Canucks goals, while Jon Sim scored for the Isles. Corey Schneider earned the win for the B.C boys by stopping every shot he faced in the 2nd half of the game, while Andrew Raycroft played well, but allowed one goal in the first half. Both goalies are fighting for the chance to backup starting goalie Roberto Luongo this year.

Terrace earned the label as "Hockeyville" by beating out numerous other small town Canadian cities in a nationwide promotion put on by the NHL.

Vancouver is back in action on Thursday in Anaheim.

Our take: It was a pretty sloppy game, which is to be expected for the first preseason game of the year. Shirokov looked great which is good news for Canuck fans, while both goalies also looked on top of their game. Other than Shirokov, no-one really displayed anything amazing. Expect some cuts soon.

Canucks training camp - day 1

Some news, notes and observations from day 1 of training camp.

Firstly, no Cody Hodgson, which is discouraging considering the doctors figured he would be ready to go by now. This worries me a bit considering he is so young, and already having back problems. Clearly, he will NOT PLAY against the Islanders in Terrace Monday night.

Here are some observations on some of the players.

P.C Labrie - This guy is so awful it's almost amusing. He couldn't receive or make a pass, his skating is god awful, and he never hit the net on his shot. Hate to be so negative to anyone, but in this case it is certainly warranted.

Shirokov - This guy has CRAZY puck handling skills. Very shifty and quick, but not fast. Was maybe the best player on the ice.

Grabner - He has a great shot and great speed, but even in practice he shies away from the physical play. Was almost scared to go into the corners, even against his own teammates in a practice.

Hansen - Looked really good. Has a very good shot, quick and hard. Worked hard too, definitely looked determined and looked like a player that knows he has to impress bigtime in camp to make the roster.

Oberg and Walsky - Both were very average and were pretty much invisible, even though I was watching out for them.

O'Brien - He was goofing off out there alot. For a guy that needs to play extremely well this pre-season to ensure a spot on the team, I thought he should have been a little more serious. Got danced around a couple times in the drills. Keep in mind however that he is a guy that needs to play physical in order to be effective, and in camp you aren't really trying to punish anyone.

Wellwood - Looks slim, almost tough to recognize him. He looked good out there.

C. Schneider - Looked really good. Made some incredible recovery saves on rebounds. Played hard like he has something to prove.

Raycroft - Looked gross. Has no confidence and he often was yelling at himself after he got beat (which was often).

Didn't stick around for long at the 2nd group's practice, mainly because I realized it wasn't the type of practice that you can judge too much from. A few minor observations though.


- Bernier looks slim and seemed to be skating better.

- Kesler's shot was insane. Never really noticed that before so maybe it has improved?

- No Tochkin, Rai and a number of other young guys. Sounds like they are keeping them around for the experience, but won't be using them in camp.

Hockeyville Matchup: Will Hodgson Be Ready to Take on Tavares?

With the Canucks back on the ice for the first time since the debacle in Chicago during Game 6 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, Monday's match up with the Islanders marks the beginning of a new journey.

The Canucks are hoping their prized first round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft Cody Hodgson, will be able to join them in Terrace as they get set to embark on another NHL season. So far, there are mixed reports about Hodgson's status, as he was held out of contact drills and prospects games due to precautionary reasons for his ailing back.

The matchup has lit up the entire community of Terrace, which was awarded the exhibition game and the title of Hockeyville in early of 2009. Of course, many Canucks fans were hoping to catch a glimpse of Cody Hodgson facing off against his World Junior Gold Medallist counterpart - John Tavares (The first overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft).

Will Hodgson play? "We expect him to be ready by the 12th," coach Alain Vigneault said.

Right now, we'll just have to keep a close eye on how Hodgson looks out there on Sunday (September 13th) when the real camp gets going, before we can judge whether he'll play on Monday.

Keith Carney retires

Keith Carney has decided not to attend the Canucks training camp as previously expected. He has decided to hang up the skates and retire.

Our take: Carney had a pretty solid NHL career but he realistically didn't have a chance of cracking the Canucks top 10 defenseman. I would imagine he realized this and decided he didn't want to play in the AHL, therefore called it quits.

Mark Parrish to attend training camp on a tryout basis

According to TSN, former Wild captain Mark Parrish will join the Canucks on a tryout basis for training camp starting this weekend at UBC. Parrish played in 44 games for the Dallas Stars last year before being bought out this off-season.

Our take: Mike Gillis promised he would bring in some unsigned veterans to camp this year, and he has definitely delivered on that promise. Dave Scatchard, Keith Carney and Ronald Petrovicky will join Parrish as veteran's on a tryout with the Canucks. Vancouver is already loaded up front so it's unrealistic that any of these guys will make their roster. It is however possible that Parrish, or any of the others could get signed to play for the Moose this year. Regardless, they should add a little more competition to training camp.

Alain Vigneault extended?

According to several sources, the Canucks are close to signing coach Alain Vigneault (and his staff) to a lengthy contract extension. The rumoured deal is expected to keep AV around until the 2012'13 season. GM Mike Gillis has said he expects the deal to be finalized before the start of the regular season on October 1st. (source)

Our take: It's almost hard to believe that just earlier this year (last season), fans and media were calling for his firing. It seems that AV is a good fit for Gillis' style and that the two are on the same page. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Canucks release 7 players before training camp.

Forwards Matthew Ford, Joe Plekaitis and Justin Taylor, defensemen Mitch McColm and Michael Ward and goaltenders Bobby Nadeau and James Reid have all been released from Canucks camp. The main training camp gets underway tomorrow at UBC.

Sundin to return to the Canucks?

According to http://www.sportsnet.ca/, the Vancouver Canucks have told Mats Sundin that he is still in their plans, and that the team wants him to return for another year. They have reportedly offered him a one year deal worth around 2 million dollars. (source)

Our take: Take this with a grain of salt as Bob Mackenzie of TSN reports that this rumour is false, and that Sundin hasn't received any offers from any team. Also, Vancouver is already well over the salary cap and would need to make some serious roster moves to get under it.