Bieksa, Max, and Ehrhoff Too?

So I got sidetracked writing this last night, however my boy Max Lapierre also resigned. Looks like Mike GIllis has been reading my blog. There has been a lot of talk of Bieksa taking a discount to stay in Vancouver. Some people scoff at this, but its a win-win situation, especially in this case. Bieksa stays on a winner, gets a nice raise of $1.1 million per season over five years (the per year pay is front loaded, but cap hit of $4.6 million), and he stays in not only a great hockey city, but a great city overall. He would be stupid not to take this deal.

Plus lets be honest, is the extra $1 million worth going to the Islanders, or Anaheim, or Phoenix, or Florida? When you look at who can really afford to pay big money for Bieksa, or Ehrhoff, for that matter, its a no-brainer. The no-trade clause was a throw in considering the discount I am sure. Thumbs up Mike, bravo sir.

Max Lapierre came in at a full million less than I had anticipated, signing a two year contract worth $2 million total. $1 million per year for a guy who annoys the absolute crap out of the oppsition and can net a few goals when the mood strikes, is not a bad deal at all. So as of right now Mike Gillis is making me look stupid (shocking that an NHL GM makes a blogger look stupid I know).

So it appears that Ehrhoff and his agent aren't exactly looking to go for the Bieksa discount. This is completely understandable, especially looking at the Unrestricted Free Agent Defenseman on the board. Ironically enough, Bieksa coming off the board has shot Ehrhoff's value up even more, because he is clearly the best available right now. He will get his pay day, and he should, he played great. Plus the way he played, especially in the finals, you can't justify the contract he wants. Good luck Christian.

Free Agency: Forwards

I finally had sometime to sit down and actually look at Free Agents. I went to our friends over at Cap Geek, if you have never checked this site out it is must viewing for Hockey fans, and reviewed the upcoming Free Agent Frenzy. The way I broke it down in the following paragraphs is first by who on the Canucks are Free Agents (Restricted and Unrestricted) and who should be kept, then I looked at who will be available. 

For evaluating the current, and hopefully future, Canucks I have looked at level of play, for the regular and post seasons, cost, what other teams are willing to pay, and my opinion. I am going to start off with looking at the Cap, then players from last year's team, then go to NHL Free Agents. Here we go:

CAP:

The Salary Cap went up this year to $64,300,000 this year. The Canucks current payroll is at $45,683,333, which covers 13 players. Luckily for the Canucks this covers the core of the team, with most of this should be going to the Defense, but we will get into that later. So to start off we have $18,616,667 of Cap Space to have some fun with. I will be keeping track as I am "spending money" with parenthesis throughout. Lets do this!

FORWARDS:

The Canucks have two Restricted Free Agents: Jannik Hansen and Max Lapierre. I would love to see both of  these guys back in the Blue, Green and White next season. 

Jannik Hansen played great with Manny and Raffi, and stepped his game up in the playoffs. At times he seemed to be the only one trying. He could also score when he had to. Last year he made $825,000, and I see no problem giving him a raise by doubling his salary to $1.6 million for three years ($17,016,667).

Max Lapierre is such a pain in the butt. He mouths-off, hooks, and takes his shots when he can. I hate him...until the Canucks got him. Total case of a guy you hate until he is on your team. I think sometimes last year he was a little too unleashed, but he did his job well. Another high-energy guy that can score occasionally. Guys have made a career out of it for sure (i.e. Jarkko Ruutu and Matt Cooke). I would pay Max $1.5 million over three years, no problem ($15,516,667).

The Canucks have four Unrestricted Free Agent Forwards: Chris Higgins, Raffi Torres, Tanner Glass, and Jeff Tambellini. These are tougher to decide on, especially with the Cap being down to $15 million and the Defense hasn't even been addressed yet.

Chris Higgins was acquired at the deadline and played fairly well. He played 14 Regular Season games having 2 G, 3 A, and was an even rating. In the playoffs he played in 25 games scoring 4 G, 4 A and was a plus one rating. Not setting the world on fire, but he was injured and went to a new team. He made $1.6 million last year and has been traded around quite a bit. He is a guy who can play Wing or Center, and even get some Power Play time. I say if you can get him at the same price you have to do it ($13,916,667).

Raffi Torres was a beast on the third line with Manny and Jannik. He was a back-checking, hitting machine. I always loved seeing that line out there, and especially Raffi. He also came through big a few times and scored some memorable goals. That's why it will be tough to see him go. They got him at a bargain for $1 million last year, and it was his audition. Someone will come through with an offer the Canucks won't be able to match. Good luck Raffi, you will be missed  ($13,916,667).

Tanner Glass is another one of those guys I liked seeing on the ice. The guy played with a lot of energy and was a good fourth-liner. He came in at a $625,000 last year and had 3 G, 7 A, and was a -5. Pretty much what you expect out of a fourth liner. I would say with the emergence of Viktor Oreskovich Tanner Glass is expendable. I would let him walk  ($13,916,667).

Jeff Tambellini is much like Tanner Glass. Good fourth-liner, and even got some time on the third line, but he was very streaky. He finished the year with 17 points in 62 games, and was a plus 10. He is only 27, so if they could get him for a little bump in salary, say $650,000 (up $150,000 from last year) I would do it  ($13,266,667).

NHL FREE AGENTS:

Upon reviewing the Unrestricted Free Agent Forwards, pickings look slim. I don't think the Canucks will be looking to snag away any Restricted Free Agents either. Plus the  I found three players that I think would fit in well on this team:

Erik Cole is a little older (32), but has regained his scoring touch back in Carolina (26G, 26A, -1). However, he saw substantial time on the Power Play and Penalty Kill. He performed well playing with talented Centers (Jeff Skinner and Eric Staal), so he could play with Henrik on the PP and Kesler for five-on-five. He made $3 million last year, but they could probably get him away from the Hurricanes for a raise, maybe around $4 million for three years.

Brooks Laich is a little more intriguing being on the good side of 30 (28). He played fairly well last year with the Capitals (16 G, 32 A, +14 in 82 games). He would be a nice extra weapon on the PP, with the Sedins or on a second unit with Kesler and Jannik, or Sammy. He made $2.4 million last year and would most likely be looking for a raise and something more long term. I bet they could get him for 5 years at about $3.7 million per year.

Patrick Eaves would be more of an addition for the third or fourth lines. I think he would be a great addition to the third line with Manny and either Jannik or Mason Raymond. He is constantly moving on the ice and always gives 100% effort. He is only 27, and played pretty well for the Red Wings last year (13 G, 7 A, -2 in 63 games). He could even see a little time on the Power Play if there were injuries. He made $1.7 million last year, but he would be a nice addition for around $2 million per year.

After the Defense additions and subtractions we are still left with a nice amount to play with (5,616,667). The team needs some upgrading upfront, especially with the injuries late in the season and playoffs. also we have to take into account Mason Raymond will not be available until November at the very earliest. I would offer Brooks Laich a front loaded contract, with a cap hit of about $3.7 million per year, which would still leave the Canucks with a little room for late season moves or other additions ($1,916,667).

So as of now this is how my Canucks Forwards look:

Line 1    D. Sedin             H. Sedin           A. Burrows

Line 2    B. Laich              R. Kesler         C. Higgins

Line 3    J. Hansen            M. Malhotra    M. Sammuelson

Line 4    V. Oreskovich    M. Lapierre      J. Tambellini

With M. Raymond (returning at some point), Hodgson, Volpatti, Rypien, Shirokov, and Bolduc in addition.

Free Agency: Defense

I finally had sometime to sit down and actually look at Free Agents. I went to our friends over at Cap Geek, if you have never checked this site out it is must viewing for Hockey fans, and reviewed the upcoming Free Agent Frenzy. The way I broke it down in the following paragraphs is first by who on the Canucks are Free Agents (Restricted and Unrestricted) and who should be kept, then I looked at who will be available.
For evaluating the current, and hopefully future, Canucks I have looked at level of play, for the regular and post seasons, cost, what other teams are willing to pay, and my opinion. I am going to start off with looking at the Cap, then players from last year's team, then go to NHL Free Agents. Here we go:
CAP:
The Salary Cap went up this year to $64,300,000 this year. The Canucks current payroll (with my moves for Forwards) is at $51,033,333, which covers 17 players. Luckily for the Canucks this covers the core of the team, with most of this should be going to the Defense, but we will get into that later. So to start off we have $13,266,667 of Cap Space to have some fun with after my spending on Forwards. I will be keeping track as I am "spending money" with parenthesis throughout. Lets do this!

DEFENSE:


The depth of the Defense definitely carried the team last year. With all the games lost to injury Christopher Tanev, Andrew Alberts and Aaron Rome became key players for this team. This depth will help as Kevin Bieksa, Christian Ehrhoff, Sami Salo, and Andrew Alberts are all Unrestricted Free Agents. Lets start with the obvious:

Sami Salo came back at the right time for this time, although it looked as if it was a little bit early. I like the guy. He keeps coming back from all these injuries and just puts his head down and grinds it out. However, after watching him last season, and in the playoffs, he has lost a lot of his former luster. He looked timid, slow, and lost. He made half-hearted attempts at poke-checks and got beat time and time again. He made $3.4 million last year, and even if he would play for half that he is not worth it. This is a business move and for what you get, he's not worth it. See you Sami ($13,266,667).

Christian Ehrhoff was the rock for the blue-line last year, playing in 79 games. He also came through offensively with 14 G, 36 A, and a plus 19. He played well in the playoffs, but was up and down in the playoffs. He was up and down in the playoffs, looking spectacular at times, and giving up breakaways and odd-man rushes. He is by far the biggest Free Agent Defenseman this year. He will go for big money, bigger money than the Canucks can afford. Thanks Christian, enjoy the big bucks ($13,266,667).

Kevin Bieksa stepped up his game in the playoffs big time. He hit, blocked shots and scored. He wasn't as offensively-gifted as Ehrhoff (6 G, 16 A, and was a ridiculous plus 32), but keep in mind that was in 66 games. He is a huge presence in the locker room and is a popular player. He made $3.5 million last year, and will get paid this year. At 30 years old, he will get a long term deal at around $6 million per year. I think the Canucks will pay him that ($7,266,667).

Andrew Alberts was almost a savior for the Canucks down the stretch with all the injuries. He played big minutes in 42 games and was an even rating, with seven points. With the departures of Salo and Ehrhoff, he and Tanev will have to shoulder much of the load. He made $1.4 million last year, and at 29 he will get a bump in pay, at around $1.8 million per year ($5,466,667).

With these changes my Canucks blue-line looks like this: Edler, Bieksa, Hamhuis, Tanev, Ballard, Rome, Alberts, and Sauve every now and then. Not too formidable and not much money ($5,466,667) to bring in new players. But this is where they need to trade Keith Ballard. It's obvious Alain Vigneault hates him since he only played him when he had to during the playoffs. The guy had seven points in 64 games and makes $4.2 million per year for the next four years.

Now I know this is better said than done, but there are plenty of teams that need to reach the salary floor, (New York Islanders) or teams looking for a revival (Anaheim Ducks). Ballard is still a good player, but at that salary and the fact the coach hates him, you have to ship him out, no matter what you get in return. I would rather have $4.2 million than a high pick and Keith Ballard ($9,666,667).

NHL FREE AGENTS:


I am going to start first with the bargain guys. I have found three that would be a great fit in Vancouver:

Ed Jovanovski's triumphant return to Vancouver would be nice. He is older (34) and coming off a big contract with a lackluster season in the desert with the Coyotes. At this point I have to expect he is motivated to win a Cup and will come at a much lower price tag as before. Plus he used to play in Vancouver, so that would garner a nice discount as well. They could probably get Jovo-Cop for around $1.5 to $2 million per year.

Andreas Lilja doesn't set the league on fire, but is a very nice third pairing guy, that can eat up games during the season. He is 35 years old and coming off an average season for him. At this point he is most likely a one-year contract guy for the rest of his career, which means he will be motivated to increase his pay for the next year. He could come in at a price tag of about $1.5 million or less a year. Not a bad addition for a big, tough Defenseman.

I have narrowed down the big guns to four players that I think could be great contributors to this team and would come in at a fairly decent price.

Anton Babchuk benefited from a change of scenery after being dealt from Carolina to Calgary last year. He finished with 11 G, 24 A, and an impressive plus 14 on a non-playoff team in all 82 games. Now as of this morning Calgary had dealt Robin Regyhr to Buffalo, possibly with the idea of resigning Babchuk. He is only 27 years old and will probably garner a lot of attention. He will probably get around $4 to $5 million per year.

Joni Pitkanen is a big puck moving Defenseman that hasn't really been living up to his $4.5 million per year contract. He is another Defenseman that had a nice year on a non-playoff team (5 G, 30 A, -2 in 72 games). He was floundering in Edmonton and a change of scenery seemed to do some good for him as well. He will command a little less than his previous contract but still around $3 to $4 million per year.

James Wisniewski is yet another Defenseman that benefited from a change of scenery (I see a pattern) after being dealt to Montreal last year (10 G, 41 A, -14 in 75 games). This high point total will most likely garner him offers of pretty hefty dollar amounts, not much higher than the $3.25 million he made last year. He will probably command around $5 million per year.

Andy Greene is my fourth choice for possible top line Defense. He was a lone bright spot for the New Jersey Devils last year (4 G, 19 A, -23 in all 82 games last season). He is still relatively young (28), and had only 22 PIM, which means he is smart as well. I think he would be a great fit for the Canucks, and coming off a $750,000 per year contract he would not go for too high of price. I would figure him to be around $2.5 to $3 million per season.

So with the subtraction of Ballard we are left with a nice amount ($9,666,667). If I were the Canucks I would go after Andy Greene at about $2.75 million per year and Andreas Lilja at $1.3 million. This would give us a blue-line of Edler, Bieksa, Hamhuis, Greene, Alberts, Lilja, Tanev, and Rome, with a decent amount left over ($5,616,667).



 

Back From The Brink

So I have had a week, well just over a week, to digest what occurred and accept what I witnessed as fact, and not some awful nightmare. I will not dwell on the negatives (A double dose of quitter or a fragile psyche), but look forward to what is to come. The past cannot be changed, so there is no use dwelling on it.

I want to touch a bit on the NHL Awards, happenings around the league, and finally the draft. However, I want to devote an entire post to the draft, so I will be going through every draft pick tomorrow afternoon, reading scouting reports, looking at stats, and seeing what the "experts" say. So lets go around the league first:

-The biggest news post Stanley Cup has to be the return of hockey to Winnipeg. As it turns out it was Atlanta that lost its team, and wasn't the return of the original franchise. But I don't think these people really cared. Plus you have to name them the Jets, that was a given. This is just further proof that Gary Bettman has been an epic failure for the NHL. Once Phoenix or Florida moves to Quebec, its time for him to go. I don't care what anybody says, Vancouver fans were right to boo that midget, and throw cups at him.

-Philadelphia traded for the rights to Ilya Bryzgalov and then signed him to a 9-year $51 million deal. This was after they traded Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. They got a nice package of picks, and Voracek, Simmonds, and Brayden Schenn. But I don't know if this guy is the answer to your goaltending woes or worth giving up your top two Centers. Good luck Philly.

-The NHL Awards ended up pretty much how I figured. Although how Steve Yzerman and Guy Boucher did not win for GM and Coach of the Year is beyond me. What a joke. They turned an 80 point team into a 103 point team. Oh and both of them were in their first years at their respective positions. These awards feel more and more like the Grammy's every year.

-Our friends at Canucks Army take a Conference view on the moves in Philadelphia. Paul Holmgren just made the Western Conference a lot better. He took a head-case goalie and gave up two top notch Centers. Good news is Brian Boucher will get a lot of time in net.

-This is definitely an Oilers story, but I just find it funny that Edmonton reacquires Ryan Smyth after refusing to sign him to the contract he is under. I think Kevin Lowe has lost his mind.

What A Disgrace

This is a complete joke. What a bunch of jackasses. There is no excuse for this. None at all. It was bad enough watching the team quit and lose, but now to be associated with these low-lifes makes me disgusted to be a Canucks fan right now. Just despicable. 

I have heard people say "Theses aren't real fans, they were just there to cause trouble." I wish I could believe that but its not true. I am not saying these fans are good fans, or even that big of fans, but alcohol brings out the douche bag in people. And I am a firm believer of a person is smart, but people are stupid. Get that mob-mentality going its hard to stop:

Bad enough we lost, but worse is this. Almost makes me not want to be a fan anymore.

The Worst Way To Lose

So this is how it ends huh? Best team all regular-season. First President's Trophy in team history. Came back and bested your demons in the first round. Steam-rolled through the best the Western Conference had to offer. Win the first two games of your first Stanley Cup Final in 17 years. Then what? Just quit.

Boston started being physical? Oh Daniel and Henrik had a solution for that: don't go into the corners and don't go to the front of the net. Just stand off to the side, or take shots from terrible angles that have the worst percentages. My personal favorite though, no back-checking. That one is awesome.

There is a famous quote by Albert Einstein that is perfect for this situation: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." That was the Canucks Games 3 through 7. Shot after shot, after FREAKING shot from the sides and the points, either through too much traffic or not enough. No one was there for rebounds, and no one was there to get the team back on track. 

Pierre McGuire illustrated it perfectly. After Boston's first goal the Boston bench was lively and talking, Vancouver's was dead silent. Good captains know how to keep their teams focus and attention where it needs to be. Great captains stop momentum shifts, and keep their team's in games when they shouldn't be. Bad captains? The perfect example, Henrik Sedin.

When the going got tough, he disappeared. Guess we should have seen this coming, he and his brother did the same thing in the first round against Chicago. They disappeared and relied on everyone else to carry them through. It was a disgrace and they are a disgrace, not only to the team but to the sport, and to every player who ever wore a Canucks jersey. It makes me sick to think he is a captain of the same team that Trevor Linden captained. 

The Apathetic Twins aren't the only ones to blame here. Sami Salo was lackadaisical on almost everything he did. He looked as if he was going through the motions for a majority of the playoffs. Christian Ehrhoff spent most of his playoffs standing around watching opposing players make plays. Just like in Game 7 when he watched Patrice Bergeron take the puck down for a short-handed goal. And as much as it pains me to say, as good as Roberto looked, he failed them one too many times.

My number one quitter and person unfit for their position has to be Alain Vigneault. His constant changing of the roster made no sense. Neither did his constant changing of lines. You had most of these guys playing together all year and then you just switch them up inexplicably. I know a lot had to do with injuries, but a lot can be said for consistency.

Also the most energy he showed was down 3-0 halfway through the third period of Game 7. I guarantee you the locker room was dead silent in every intermission this post-season. He showed no ability to change his strategy at all throughout the playoffs, even when it was abundantly clear he had too. Lets not forget his awful ability to know when to pull Luongo. He still has no clue how to handle his goalie. I said it before and I will stop when it stops being true: This team won in spite of their coach.

If you would have put any top coach behind that bench I guarantee they wouldn't have let their team blow series leads like Alain did. Or have two chances to win the Cup and squander both because you have no idea how to make the correct adjustments. I would put money on the fact he spent more time determining if he would play Ballard, Rome or Alberts than he did coming up with a strategy for the entire team.

These of course are my opinions and what I believe the short-comings of this team were. You can believe whatever you want. But do me a favor, remember the Sedins reactions after Game 7. See if they have any tears in their eyes, or show any disappointment at all. Then tell me if I am over-reacting about their heart, effort, and determination.

Still One Win Away

I was expecting a 10-0 victory last night, but I was expecting a closer game than what we saw. It was just mind-blowing. That close, that freaking close, and you don't close it out. The loss itself wasn't as disappointing as the performance. 

They came out flying and looked good. They didn't start out like the other games where they were outplayed from the first drop of the puck. They had energy, and looked as if they weren't going to be pushed around. Then Mason Raymond gets hit (don't even get me started on that), and they completely collapse. 

I feel like I should say it, but I won't. I have said it until I was blue in the face. It comes down to one thing. When you have a team of guys who have never been in this situation before, someone has to step up, and its usually the guy with the "C" on his chest. but apparently it will have to be someone else.

Not much more you can say. Game 7 in Vancouver....Here. We. Go.