Okay folks, after a lengthy hiatus I have decided to fire up the ole' blog once again. Let's talk some Canucks!
As it stands, Vancouver is in position to once again make a deep playoff run. They have it all, starting with great goaltending.
Roberto Luongo has arguably been the best goalie in hockey since December. After a notoriously (and all too common) slow start, he has bounced back and has been a cement wall for the Canucks in the last few months. Familiar story right? He was on the same path last season and we all know how that ended. Cory Schneider has proven himself as an NHL goalie, and has provided Vancouver with impeccable goaltending when needed. When Bobby Lou needs a rest, or gets injured, Canuck fans know that their net will be in good hands, or umm pads.
The defense has been solid. Alex Edler has stepped up his offense in the absence of Christian Ehrhoff and currently sits third in scoring by a defenseman in the NHL. Kevin Bieksa and Dan Hamhuis have become one of the top shut-down units in the whole league, a far-cry from where Bieksa was just a few seasons ago (check the archives). Aside from missing a few weeks thanks to a Brad Marchand cheapshot, Sami Salo has generally been injury-free this year (knock on wood), and when he's healthy, he's as solid as they come. Keith Ballard has been better than last year, but still fails to get the respect due to his high salary. This is where the good news ends on the backend, however. Andrew Alberts has been decent, but isn't a guy I feel too confident about playing regular minutes in the playoffs. Aaron Rome, whom for some reason seems to be coach Alain Vigneault's favourite player, is just plain awful. He often seems lost in his own zone, he brings nothing to the table offensively, and in my opinion, he should be abolished to the AHL and only be used in case the Canucks face some serious injury troubles to their rearguards. Chris Tanev has played a handful of games and seems to be the best option as our sixth d-man. He quietly makes great outlet passes and rarely makes mistakes in his own zone. You can't ask for much more from your sixth man. Hopefully AV figures this out sooner than later.
Offensively, the Canucks are as deep as any team in the league. As usual, the Sedin twins are leading the way. They are both in top 10 in league scoring, and rarely is there a night that they don't hit the scoresheet. Alex Burrows, a mainstay on the twins' wing, is once again putting up points and has proven himself to be a top line winger. Mid-season acquisition David Booth is finally looking comfortable on the West Coast, pairing with countryman Ryan Kesler to give the Canucks some secondary scoring. The third and fourth lines can also provide some scoring, while most importantly playing solid defense, winning the majority of their faceoffs, forechecking hard and playing a physical style.
What do the Canucks need most as the trade deadline looms?
1. No question, this team needs another defenseman. A guy who can slot in on the bottom pairing and play some valuable minutes in the post-season. I'd like to see a defense-first type guy who can kill penalties and play a physical game.
Ideal Pickup: Mark Fistric
2. Depth up front. Last year Vancouver acquired Chris Higgins and Maxime Lapierre at the deadline. Both moves were considered small, under-the-radar type moves. However, both players proved very valuable in the long playoff run and both were rewarded with new deals and are still key members of this year's team. Another bottom six player like these guys would be an important move for the Canucks as depth is always important heading into the playoffs. A physical player who could drop the gloves and stick up for teammates when needed would be great.
Ideal Pickup: Travis Moen
Many fans/pundits expect the Canucks to play that Ace up their sleeve and trade backup goalie Cory Schneider at the deadline to acquire the spare parts the Canucks need to finally win a Cup. I don't think they should, and I don't think they will for two reasons.
Firstly, despite having another spectacular season, questions still remain if Roberto Luongo can be the goalie that brings the Stanley Cup to Vancouver. He laid a few eggs in some of the most important games last post-season and looked to be mentally fragile at times. Having a goalie like Schneider that can be used as a replacement if need be is a HUGE accessory to have, and if the Canucks trade him you can assure they won't get a goalie of Schneider's caliber in return.
Secondly, Vancouver simply won't get a fair return for 'Schneids' at the deadline as they should in the off-season. Schneider is a Restricted Free Agent. Any team can send him an offer sheet, and based on his play the past two seasons, Schneider would likely demand a decent contract. As an RFA, teams who offer him a contract would have to send some high draft picks to Vancouver in return. The Canucks will likely shop Schneider in the off-season and if they can't get a package to their liking, they will probably accept the picks in return. Those picks will be higher than any team will pay at the deadline this year.
The trade deadline is Monday. Stay tuned to Canuck City for all the latest deals and my thoughts on how the deals will work out for our team.
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