K-mode's quarter mark rankings and grades

Goalie's

Roberto Luongo - C+ - Luongo got off to an awful start - even worse than usual. He seemed to have turned his play around just when he was got injured and missed a few weeks. Since his return, Bobby Lou has been very good and seems to be back to his top form.

Andrew Raycroft - A - No-one could have predicted that Raycroft would step in for an injured Roberto Luongo and outperfrom him. Raycroft was at one stretch, leading all goalies in GAA, and was right up there in save %. Considering his expectations (very low), Raycroft must be commended for his play.

Defense

Willie Mitchell - A- - Mitchell has been an anchor of consistency on an otherwise inconsistent Canucks blueline. He is rarely out of position and rarely turns the puck over, something that we couldn't say for the previous couple of years. He has also chipped in offensively a little more, especially at the start of the season.

Christian Ehrhoff - B+ - Ehrhoff has been almost exactly what I was expecting - a solid D-man with some offensive ability that can make some nice outlet passes and generate some offense from the backend. I was expecting a bigger presence on the powerplay but overall I am quite happy with him. Other than the odd turnover and defensive gaffe, the german blueliner has at least met my expectations.

Shane O'Brien - B- - O'Brien, at least in my eyes, hasn't been nearly as bad as many Canucks fans are portraying so far this year. He hasn't taken nearly as many dumb penalities as last year and has limited his turnovers dramatically. I think his good play has been quiet because he doesn't bring much to the table offensively, but I think he has been pretty solid all year.

Sami Salo - C - To no-one's surprise, Sami Salo has already missed a significant period of time with an injury, and although he has been pretty solid defensively, he hasn't brought much to the table offensively. With his booming shot he is usually a factor on the powerplay, but not so much so far this year. Here's to hoping he can stay off the IR and start contributing with some goals.

Alex Edler - C- - Edler's defensive gaffe's and awful turnovers have greatly outshone his signs of potential. There's no doubt Edler has the tools and ability to be a top 3 d-man on any team, but his consistently poor defensive play has really cost the team at some crucial times. He is prone to bad turnovers in his own zone that leave us wondering what the hell he sees out there. His offensive ability is nice, but overall he has to turn it around in his own zone in order to get a better grade.

Mathieu Schneider - C- - For a guy of his age to come off major surgery and get a late start on the season, it's no wonder he is off to a rough start. He has been average defensively and average offensively, but I expect him to keep improving as the year goes on. One thing I do like about him, which is different than almost every other D-man on this team, is that he can hit the net with his shot resulting in rebounds and scoring chances. I expect his grade to keep rising slowly.

Kevin Bieksa - D+ - I have always been a huge Bieksa supporter but my god has he been bad this year. Between mindless defensive turnovers in his own end, terrible decisions to pinch resulting in him getting caught deep and his forgetfullness to take the open guy in front of his own net - Bieksa's defensive play has been horrendous. He was more affective as a winger on the forecheck than he has been on the backend. And where has his physical play gone? Argh, he is frustrating!

Aaron Rome - D+ - It must be tough for a guy like Rome to get comfortable in the lineup considering how sporatically he plays. Also, he has played forward just as often as he has played defense, his natural position. With that said, he hasn't been overly affective at either position and needs to turn his play around in order to get more time.

Forwards

Mikael Samuelsson - A - I for one thought this guy would be a bust, but up until this point he has been a pleasant surprise. He loves shooting the puck, which is a great asset and has resulted in lots of points by rebound or tip shots. He has been pretty affective and 30 goals isn't out of the question.

Ryan Kesler - A - This guy is Mr. Everything for the Canucks. He can score, he is very good defensively and he is a leader and plays tough. Even when the points aren't there, the guy is affective. Mike Gillis better lock this guy up long-term, and do it fast because I think all 30 teams would have interest in a stud like Kesler.

Henrik Sedin - B+ - Despite being invisible for a couple games this year, and not having his brother, and lifelong linemate by his side, Henrik has put up some pretty incredible numbers. He is currently tied for 9th in league scoring, and also tied for 9th in the NHL in goals. Yes, Henrik Sedin, not Daniel is tied for 9th in the NHL in goals! Imagine how many goals he would have if he shot the puck as much as he should or if he could raise the puck off the ice!

Mason Raymond - B+ - We have seen the flashes of brilliance before from Raymond, but he has been consistent all year which has been his biggfest problem since becoming a regular NHLer. His speed makes him a threat everytime he is on the ice, and he has added some much needed finish to his game. The best thing about him might just be that he is still young and can probably only get better from here.

Michael Grabner - B - Who would have thought after his horrid pre-season that he would even be discussed in this thread? Grabner really gelled on a line with Raymond and Kesler, and found his hands and confidence and played remarkably well for a 3 week stretch before getting injured. Like Raymond, his speed makes him a threat whenever he is on the ice, and this kid has a rocket for a shot! He rarely hits the net, but he has shown signs of greatness that Canuck fans can only pray he can continue upon his return from the IR.

Matt Pettinger - C+ - He was signed as a temporary injury replacement and has been a pleasant surprise. He has been much more affective than he was a couple years ago as a Canuck. He has played his role very well, and has also killed penalties affectively and netted a few points as well. When everyone is back from injury, and someone has to be waived, Pettinger might just make a case for himself to stick around a little longer as he has outplayed the likes of other 4th liners like Darcy Hordichuk or Tanner Glass.

Rick Rypien - C+ - This grade might be strictly refelcted on him kicking dudes asses! He is one of the best fighters in the league, especially considering his diminutive stature and his willingness to scrap anyone, including guys twice his size. Defensively he has been average as our 4th line has often been outplayed by the opposition's 4th line, but his physical play and speed have been a factor. Regardless of production (or lack thereof), he is an exciting player and deserves to stay in the lineup.

Steve Bernier - C- - With the amount of chances this guy gets, he should have at least 15 goals by now, no joke. Bernier came into camp in great shape and with high expectations, and to this point it is fair to say that he has been a major disappointment. He has been invisible most games, and other games he is in the right places and gets the opportunities but for the life of him he cannot finish. A very frustrating player so far but shows signs of turning it around. Here's to hoping!

Tanner Glass - C- - Glass has been decent. That's about all you can say. He plays a pretty physical game and has surprised me with his willingness and affectiveness in fighting. However, he along with the rest of the 4th liners on this team have been getting outplayed quite dramatically and aren't producing offensively.

Alex Burrows - C- - Coming off a great year and signing a new long-term extension, expectations were high for Alex Burrows. Needless to say he hasn't met those expectations and is very much a disappointment to this point. He started the year with the Sedins on the top line and was pretty much inaffective in that short stint. It seems like he isn't sure of his role anymore as he isn't scoring, nor is he being the pest that originally worked for him when he entered the league. Burrows needs to find his place and work on being affective at that specific role.

Ryan Johnson - C- - Johnson is a good penalty killer and one of the best in the league at blocking shots, but aside from that he isn't particularly useful. He has zero offensive ability and his faceoff percentage isn't anywhere near what it should be. He is a member of the aforementioned 4th line which is getting badly outplayed consistently.

Kyle Wellwood - D+ - Wellwood is very frustrating mainly because we know how talented he is and he should be able to put up some decent numbers. He has 1assist all year and has passed the puck on so many good scoring attempts that it is mind boggling. With that said, he has been a pretty solid defensive center all year and is quite noticeable as a deep back-checking forward however Wellwood recieved a raise this year with expectations of raising his point stats too. Clearly this hasn't happened so Wellwood must be considered a disappointment to date.

Darcy Hordichuk - F - This guy is in the lineup to provide energy, hit and fight. I don't know if he has done any of these on a regular basis and when he does fight.....he usually gets dropped. Also a member of the now infamously hated on 4th line, Hordichuk has my vote for the waiver wire.

Daniel Sedin and Jannik Hansen - N/A - Neither player has played enough games to acquire a grade but both guys are important parts of the team and are expected to be valuable when in the lineup.