Official 2010/2011 Canucks Thread
Well, once again and more than ever it looks like the Canucks are Canada's most likely team to win the cup.
You have Calgary, which has done little to improve and is relying on two faultering players to find their stride.
Edmonton who has great young prospects, but would be surprising to make the playoffs.
Ottawa and Montreal are both teams will skill, but are relying on superior goaltending which they may or may not get.
And Toronto is perpetually pathetic and this year is no different. Burke's attempt at building a tough team may or may not have succeeded, but there is little doubt that talent is few and far between.
Meanwhile, the Canucks have addressed what they believed to be the lesser points of their game.
While it would have been nice to get a known #1 guy on the back end, the addition of Hamhuis and Ballard make for a top pairing that should rank as good as any. While it is difficult to know exactly what will become of the Bieksa/Salo cap space issue, rest assured that Mike Gillis will not give Bieksa away for nothing. There are teams like the Ducks and Montreal who could really use the skill on their blueline and will pay to get it.
Continuing in the d corps, we have Edler and Erhoff - combining to create perhaps THE best 2nd pairing in the NHL. Finally, the bottom pair has options. Currently, it is likely to be Bieksa and O'Brien. But with a couple of prospects close to making the NHL and Salo's injury uncertain, the d has options and may be switched around. Either way you look at it, the d is probably the most talented in the NHL. I am, however, upset we got rid of Mitchell. While there is lots of scoring potential in the d-line, I hope players like Ballard are able to shut down the top opposing players.
While many felt Luongo had a poor season, that's not entirely true. While a gaa of 2.57 and save % of .913 is his worst showing since coming to Vancouver, it is still respectible for an NHL goalie. With a better defensive line and less late-game breakdowns, expect him to bounce back with numbers close to his personal bests. Which would be good - because ANY team needs to fire on all cylinders and Luongo only being "decent" is simply not enough to win a cup. Keep in mind that the Canucks want to showcase Schneider as well, which should help take the season load off Luongo and keep him fresh.
The Canucks top two lines were arguably the most prolific in last year. Career seasons all around, and second only to Washington in goals, if I'm not mistaken. Expect a performance close to or on par from these lines. They haven't been changed, and really didn't need to be either.
Perhaps the biggest area that has been upgraded is the bottom two lines. The complaint last season was that the 3rd line was not tough enough, and that the fourth line couldn't score at all. Probably true on both accounts. While somewhat unfortunate to lose names like Bernier and Wellwood, the Canucks have found much grittier talent for the third line in Malhotra and Torres. For the fourth line, they've added even more grit in Oreskovich, and someone who might actually score a few goals as opposed to the useless Hordichuk.
There are also wildcards in play. Hodgson (touted to be a poor man's Sydney Crosby) might have the ability to suit up for the big team this season. Brendan Morrison has a real chance to make the team, and would add an enormous two-way dimension to our lower lines. (Or, sit in the top two lines while Burrows is still out) There are a few other prospects which might surprise people in their NHL readiness - though I would not count on it.
All in all, I don't think I am out of line by suggesting this is the best Canucks team ever assembled. I'm totally stoked for this season, and truly think we have a shot at the cup.
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