The NHL has released the 2009-2010 schedule and for some teams, it will not be pretty.

Team Cons
-The Vancouver Canucks will have the longest road trip in NHL history, with 14 games from January 30th to March 10th.
-The LA Kings play 17 of their first 31 games on the road.
-The Blues, Blackhawks, Panthers, and Red Wings have only 40 home games, due to them playing games in Europe and serving as the “home team”.

Team Pros
-The Anahiem Ducks have 3 6+ game home stands, including 1 6-game and 2 7-game straight games played at home.
-For the 1st time in 11 years, the New York Islanders will play their first regular season game at home.
-The Penguins last 6 games are all at home.

Thu Oct 1, 2009 Canucks@Flames
Sat Oct 3, 2009 Canucks@Avalanche
Mon Oct 5, 2009 Blue Jackets@Canucks
Wed Oct 7, 2009 Canadiens@Canucks
Sun Oct 11, 2009 Stars@Canucks
Fri Oct 16, 2009 Canucks@Flames
Sat Oct 17, 2009 Wild@Canucks
Mon Oct 19, 2009 Canucks@Oilers
Wed Oct 21, 2009 Canucks@Blackhawks
Sat Oct 24, 2009 Maple Leafs@Canucks
Sun Oct 25, 2009 Oilers@Canucks
Tue Oct 27, 2009 Red Wings@Canucks
Thu Oct 29, 2009 Canucks@Kings
Fri Oct 30, 2009 Canucks@Ducks
Sun Nov 1, 2009 Avalanche@Canucks
Tue Nov 3, 2009 Rangers@Canucks
Thu Nov 5, 2009 Canucks@Wild
Fri Nov 6, 2009 Canucks@Stars
Tue Nov 10, 2009 Canucks@Blues
Thu Nov 12, 2009 Canucks@Red Wings
Sat Nov 14, 2009 Canucks@Avalanche
Fri Nov 20, 2009 Avalanche@Canucks
Sun Nov 22, 2009 Blackhawks@Canucks
Thu Nov 26, 2009 Kings@Canucks
Sat Nov 28, 2009 Oilers@Canucks
Sun Nov 29, 2009 Sharks@Canucks
Wed Dec 2, 2009 Canucks@Devils
Thu Dec 3, 2009 Canucks@Flyers
Sat Dec 5, 2009 Canucks@Hurricanes
Tue Dec 8, 2009 Canucks@Predators
Thu Dec 10, 2009 Thrashers@Canucks
Sat Dec 12, 2009 Wild@Canucks
Mon Dec 14, 2009 Kings@Canucks
Wed Dec 16, 2009 Ducks@Canucks
Fri Dec 18, 2009 Capitals@Canucks
Tue Dec 22, 2009 Predators@Canucks
Sat Dec 26, 2009 Oilers@Canucks
Sun Dec 27, 2009 Canucks@Flames
Tue Dec 29, 2009 Canucks@Coyotes
Thu Dec 31, 2009 Canucks@Blues
Sat Jan 2, 2010 Canucks@Stars
Tue Jan 5, 2010 Blue Jackets@Canucks
Thu Jan 7, 2010 Coyotes@Canucks
Sat Jan 9, 2010 Flames@Canucks
Mon Jan 11, 2010 Predators@Canucks
Wed Jan 13, 2010 Canucks@Wild
Sat Jan 16, 2010 Penguins@Canucks
Wed Jan 20, 2010 Canucks@Oilers
Thu Jan 21, 2010 Stars@Canucks
Sat Jan 23, 2010 Blackhawks@Canucks
Mon Jan 25, 2010 Sabres@Canucks
Wed Jan 27, 2010 Blues@Canucks
Sat Jan 30, 2010 Canucks@Maple Leafs
Tue Feb 2, 2010 Canucks@Canadiens
Thu Feb 4, 2010 Canucks@Senators
Sat Feb 6, 2010 Canucks@Bruins
Tue Feb 9, 2010 Canucks@Lightning
Thu Feb 11, 2010 Canucks@Panthers
Fri Feb 12, 2010 Canucks@Blue Jackets
Sun Feb 14, 2010 Canucks@Wild
Tue Mar 2, 2010 Canucks@Blue Jackets
Wed Mar 3, 2010 Canucks@Red Wings
Fri Mar 5, 2010 Canucks@Blackhawks
Sun Mar 7, 2010 Canucks Predators
Tue Mar 9, 2010 Canucks@Avalanche
Wed Mar 10, 2010 Canucks@Coyotes
Sat Mar 13, 2010 Senators@Canucks
Sun Mar 14, 2010 Flames@Canucks
Tue Mar 16, 2010 Islanders@Canucks
Thu Mar 18, 2010 Sharks@Canucks
Sat Mar 20, 2010 Red Wings@Canucks
Tue Mar 23, 2010 Canucks@Oilers
Wed Mar 24, 2010 Ducks@Canucks
Sat Mar 27, 2010 Canucks@Sharks
Tue Mar 30, 2010 Coyotes@Canucks
Thu Apr 1, 2010 Canucks@Kings
Fri Apr 2, 2010 Canucks@Ducks
Sun Apr 4, 2010 Wild@Canucks
Tue Apr 6, 2010 Avalanche@Canucks
Thu Apr 8, 2010 Canucks@Sharks
Sat Apr 10, 2010 Flames@Canucks

Dates to put on your calendar
-Croz vs Ovie, Part 1, 2, 3, and 4. Jan. 21, Feb. 5, Mar. 24, and Apr. 6.
-Olympics. From Feb. 15 to the end of February.
-Red Wings-Penguins rematch. Jan. 31.
-Blues-Red Wings game in Stockholm, Sweden and Panthers-Hawks game in Helsinki, Finland.
-Winter Classic-Bruins to host Flyers.
-First John Tavares-Victor Hedman game. Dec. 5.
-Jay Bouwmeester back in Florida. Feb. 5.
-Saku Koivu in Montreal. March 7.
-Nov. 12. Mikael Samuelsson returns to Hockeytown. To be booed.

The No.1 pick of the 2009 draft has been locked up. The New York Islanders signed forward John Tavares to an entry level deal Wednesday. Tavares had 433 points in the OHL over 4 years.

The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed 2 players from their championship squad. Ben Lovejoy and Tim Wallace are both signed for next season, and Wallace for 2010-2011 as well.

Did you know- Jared Staal was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2nd rd. of the 2008 entry draft. He is the only Staal not to be taken in the 1st rd. and the only to be selected by a Western Conference team.

The Vancouver Canucks have agreed to a contract extension with Scott Arniel, coach of the Manitoba Moose.

Saw this rant in the WE newspaper the other day written by Scott.

An Anglophile says…
This is a rant for anyone foolish enough to still be flying those idiotic Canucks flags on their cars. Stop it! It’s over. They lost again! Get over it with a nice cup of tea and an episode of Coronation Street.

Scott, here is a word from a long time Canucks fan. The Canucks are our team. We need to support them whether they win or lose. We fly our flags because we love the Canucks regardless. Get over it. Get yourself a Canucks flag and fly it from your car. If more people gave their support to the team, we might actually win. Right now all we get is people like you whining and complaining, then jumping on the bandwagon if they win a game. You are either on or off. Support your team or move to another city where they have never heard of hockey. Some city in the middle of Africa should work.

I believe that out of the remaining free-agents, the Canucks should sign Denis Seidenberg and Dominic Moore or Maxim Afinogenov. That is all.

The Montreal Canadiens have signed Paul Mara and Travis Moen. Former Canuck Brendan Morrison has signed with the Washington Capitals.

Players at the 5th day of the Canucks Prospect Camp
Yann Sauve, D
Mario Bliznak, C
Patrick Coulombe, D
Jordie Benn, D
Taylor Ellington, D
Daniel Rahimi, D
Cody Hodgson, C
Dan Gendur, RW
Michael Grabner, RW
Cory Schneider, G
Juraj Simek, W
Travis Ramsey, D
Shawn Morton-Boutin, D
Oren Eizenman, F
Scott Howes, LW
Pierre-Cedric Labrie, LW
Prab Rab, C
Jordan Skellett, LW
Julien Ellis, G
Morgan Clark, G
Kyle Neuber, RW
Tyler Matheson, F

Finn Antero Nittymaki has been signed by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nittymaki carried Finland to the gold medal game in the 2006 Olympics.

Canucks Lines [possibly]
1st line: D. Sedin, H.Sedin, Samuelsson
2nd line: Burrows, Kesler, Bernier
3rd line: Raymond*, Grabner, Hodgson
4th line: Hortichuk, Rypien, Johnson
Scratched: Wellwood*
*Wellwood has yet to be signed, but if he is, he will rotate with Mason Raymond, as he did with Taylor Pyatt last year.

1st pair: Bieksa, Edler
2nd pair: Salo, Mitchell
3rd pair: O’Brien, Rome*
Scratched: Nycholat*, Baumgartner*
*Rome may switch with Nycholat or Baumgartner

1st goalie: Roberto Luongo
2nd Goalie: Andrew Raycroft

Canucks must trade Pavol Demitra!!!!!

The Colorado Avalanche will retire the Number “19″. As expected. Nobody can get over the fact that Joe Sakic will never lace ‘em up again for a professional game. Sakic announced his retirement today, choking up during his speech. Who wouldn’t? Sakic was one of the first players to record his first 500 goals with the same team. He scored his 500th in his hometown Vancouver [actually Burnaby, whatever] and received a standing ovation. You can watch his tribute at www.nhl.com. Sorry this isn’t a link.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed Victor Hedman to an entry level contract. The New York Rangers have signed Ales Kotalik for 3 years.
Other Main Transactions
-Anaheim signs Nick Boynton.
-Buffalo signs Matt Ellis.
-Carolina signs Jay Harrison.
-Chicago signs Richard Petiot.

Volume 039: The Jekyll and Hyde of Summer

It’s been a month since I made my last post, been going through school work and project. The weather is still wacky and crazy here in Southern Ontario. One day its cold, raining, and windy, next day its clear skies and scorching sun in 25+ degrees. Very weird indeed. So I’m compiling a rapid fire list of things I observed in the past month:

1. Several celebrities passing away, they will be missed
2. The Leafs actually signing several good players, I’m hoping next season is not a let down
3. People are finally answering about the  Urbana Conference, for a moment I thought I would be the only one going, it will be quite a lonely trip if it was the case
4. Interest rates on banking stink for the moment
5. People at RHCBC had no clue about Urbana, talk about bad word-of-mouth transmission rate
6. Dr. Wong blasting CCF, that was a wake call, I still feel the sting of inaction
7. People gotta learn to drive on the highway with common sense, so many avoidable collisons I see on the 401
8. Mom planning to sell the car and get a new car, she admits the horsepower on the Toyota Matrix is just inadequate (and many family friends wondering we got a weak powered vehicle)
9. The hilarious part is that our Corolla is much more powered and smoother to drive than our older Matrix (and cheaper!), another point for Corolla reputation
10. To my knowledge, no cows got punched during the past month
11. 3 hockey games/practices in two days, gonna get real tired
12. I still think Twitter is just a fad, just like hi5.com, you do remember that one right?
13. Someone mentioned AsianAvenue, I haven’t heard that in almost 9 years, (apparently called AsianAve now and Obama visited it!)
14. I have found students on campus who have no idea what ICQ is, I feel very old!
15. I am the only one in my CS class who remembers (or had) the 3hr exam slots, I feel VERY OLD!
16. When I got my updated student card, I browsed my Ontario driver’s license, apparently I have G class for 5 years now, wow, I never thanked my parents for pushing me to get it back in high school, I had time back then!
17. iPhone 3GS users are complaining about overheating, Apple says its their fault, here we go with the lawsuits LOL
18. Google finally getting stuff out of Beta, which lasted up to 5 years, you feel old yet?
19. The only thing I remember from C4C speech, “Who cares what your stupid Biology prof says!”, awesome wake up call
20. I just discovered lifehacker website, so many useful tidbits, and great place to waste LOTS of time
21. I’m debating whether to get the next generation iPod Touch (I have never owned an Apple product in my life)
22. I was thinking of the overpriced Macbook until I heard about its bad heating issues, now its overpriced and overheated
23. I noticed Amazon.ca carries Zune, but no iPod, hmm
24. Just installed Windows 7 Release candidate on the desktop, it’s fast, and looks slightly prettier than Vista, only had a day to tinker with it
25. I realized that Mozilla Fireworks had themes to change UI of the browser, got some themes and now my web browsing feels “awesome blossom”
26. I started watching the Simpsons again, starting from season 10, I’m trying to pinpoint the exact season/episode that the series stopped being funny
27. My group told me about online citation tools for APA/MLA, kinda wished I had this tool long ago for other courses
28. EA sports decided no more NHL for PC, which of course they did a poor job for several years. I’m very disappointed with them
29. An online survey I did rewarded me a $5 Starbucks card, then I realized I still have to spend money at Starbucks to get a drink (wowza)
30. Missed out on the “Welcome back from Japan, Kevin!” reception, I heard it was only a couple days
31. More folks show up for badminton on Fridays now, that’s good to see, couldn’t play before because not enough people (1 vs self?)
32. Got a dream for a crazy fictional story set in the future (surprise surprise), kinda a warning story
33. Very disappointed in the Blue Jays season so far, it’s like every season
34. Attending my uncle’s wedding in August, should be exciting, haven’t been to a banquet/ceremony in years
35. I still don’t get why Air Canada continues to overcharge, lose money, lose customers, and still acts like a clueless corporation unaware of anything wrong, guess we just let them burn (that way everyone in business class can learn from their stupidity)
36. What I learn at Waterloo: donate millions to the university and get your name on a building, I donate a few bucks and they give me grief, I can only imagine how much trouble they give me when they ask for thousands later on
37. Of the hundreds of people I interact from Waterloo, I still have yet to meet one who likes “PD”
38. I just looked at the mathematics faculty bursary/scholarship list, it should be renamed scholarship list, I don’t see a single bursary there
39. Federal Government sent me a list of 40 scholarships and bursaries to Canadian students out of a few hundred, problem is half the list already passed the deadline, Thank you Canada for giving me an expired list
40. OSAP sent me a letter to pay back my loan, I told them I’m still in school, they said “you should develop good habits, like paying us back EARLY!”
41. UW already asking me to start donating to the alumni fund, I’m still in school! Just like OSAP, “We want you to plan your donations early.” What’s going on here?
42. My mom is trying to get tickets to see a musical in Waterloo, I was shocked. She said don’t worry about price, I told her it’s not price, it’s in Waterloo!
43. Fall term starts on September 14, that’s the latest we ever had a start (thanks to September starting on a Tuesday)
44. Reports from a Blizzard interview of Starcraft 2 coming out this year, I wonder if people will show up for class anymore
45. The Vancouver Canucks remind me of the Leafs (Sundin, Wellwood, Raycroft)
46. I’m divided whether to root for Jim Balsillie and his quest for an NHL franchise, we shall wait and see
47. Still waiting for blu-ray prices to fall down to “reasonable”
48. I only have two albums of music (U2 and Mamma Mia) after I deleted everything else
49. Did some Gmail spring cleaning, deleted a few hundred stored emails, went from 100MB to 42MB of space (there’s that 42 popping up again)
50. I recently watched Diamonds are Forever starring Sean Connery, he looks so old and aged compared to his first Bond film, Dr. No

Well that’s all I can thing of for now. I want to send out my Congratulations to all the couple I know tying the knot (it’s that season again). Remember not to punch the cow.
Huntz

Former Canuck Dany Sabourin has signed a 1 year contract with the Boston Bruins.
Other signings
Player, 2008 team, 2009-10 team
-Jeff Woywitka, St.L, Dal
-Drew Fata, Ott, Bos
-Stephane Veilleux, Min, TB

The Best BC boy to ever hit the ice has decided to hang up his skates and call it a career. Joe Sakic, or Burnaby Joe, was born on July 7th, in 1969. When he was 18 years old, he was drafted 15th overall in the 1987 NHL entry draft by the Quebec Nordiques. He had 62 points in his rookie season. When the Nordiques moved to Colorado and were renamed the Avalanche, Joe had 120 regular season points and carried the team to a Stanley Cup win. He repeated this in 2001. He won the Conn Smythe trophy once, the Hart trophy once, the Lady Byng trophy once, and the Lester B. Pearson trophy once. He also was the All-star game MVP in 2004 and was named to 3 1st all-star teams. From 1990 to 2008, he attended 13 all-star games. He finished his career with 1,641 points. He had 15 +25 goal seasons, 17 +35 assists seasons, 9 +90 point seasons, 6 +100 point seasons, and 15 point per game seasons. He grew up as a Vancouver Canucks fan.

Chris Pronger has signed a 7 year deal worth 35 million big ones with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Calgary Flames have signed Jason Jaffray. Jaffray played mostly with the Manitoba Moose last year, but had call-ups from the Canucks. Also, Tood Marchant has re-signed with the Anahiem Ducks.

That question was raised in the Freep this morning, as the curious Andrew Raycroft signing by the Vancouver Canucks puts Schneider’s jump to the NHL in serious doubt. Canucks general manager Mike Gillis indicated the battle for the back-up job behind Roberto Luongo is still wide open but from the sounds it, Raycroft seems to think he’ll be the guy:

“Obviously Louie is the 1-1A goalie in the league and he’s going to play when he feels good,” said Raycroft, 29. “I understand that and I’m well aware of that. When you get the call, you have to play well. Practice also becomes very important and being the consummate team guy and getting along with everyone and everything else. Every team needs a second guy who can play, so I look forward to having that chance and just being around Louie every day and hopefully being a sponge and learning from him.”

Working in Raycroft’s favour is the fact that he’ll earn the league minimum ($500,000) this season. That’s less than half of what Schneider would make as Luongo’s caddy and with the Canucks expected to be up or near the salary cap ceiling when all is said and done this summer, the extra wiggle room means more than the $600,000 in space Raycroft’s contract provides. It’s a raw deal for Schneider. The guy has nothing left to prove in the AHL and deserves to be in the NHL this season.

What is interesting in all this is the prospects of a trade involving the redheaded stopper. The whispers of Luongo signing an extension have quieted slightly over the last week, but everyone seems to believe that will get done now that the Sedins have been locked up. Once that happens, you have to think Gillis would start dangling the AHL goaltender of the year around the league, looking for either a Top 4 defenceman or a Top 6 forward in return.

The problem with that scenario is where do you start shopping? Outside of Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Dallas, Tampa Bay and maybe Atlanta, it’s not a great market to move a goaltender these days. The hot rumour had Schneider going to Toronto for Tomas Kaberle, but that deal is dead with the signing of ‘The Monster Bust’ this morning.

However, Gillis hinted to the Province that more crease movement may be coming:

“Cory still hasn’t really played in the NHL — except for emergency recall [last December] — and he’ll be competing for a spot on this team like everybody else. We’re thinking what’s best for Cory and what’s best for everybody and we need to have goaltending depth. You just can’t go into a season with two goalies. And we’re looking at other goalies to supplement the group. We’ll see what happens in the next couple of months.”

Bottom line is the Canucks need to do something with Schneider this summer. They’ve treated him with kid gloves during his tenure. Protecting, nurturing and incubating the 22-year-old to the point where it’s time for him to leave the Manitoba Moose nest and try his wings. If the Canucks are going to make a run next season, and everyone seems to think they are close to doing that, it’s time to flip this future chip into something tangible for the present.

The Chicago Blackhawks signed their 6th player in 2 days, signing one of the best free-agents left, Cam Barker. Barker signed a 3y/9.25m deal with the Blackhawks, whom he played with last season. The Canucks have released how much they have signed their players for: Andrew Raycroft, 500,000; Shane O’Brien, 1.6m; Mikael Samuelsson, 2.5m; Aaron Rome, 525, 000; Lawrence Nycholat, 500,000; Matt Pope*, Nolan Baumgartner*.
*Value not yet reported-Once out, I will mention it.

Canucks need: 0 G, 0-1 D, 0 F [1 C, but Cody Hodgson can fill that spot-Plus backup forwards, Michael Grabner, Jordan Schroeder, maybe]
Remaining money: 5.2m average

The bad news: The Canucks have lost 2 players to the Atlanta Thrashers. The good news: The players were Jason Krog and Drew MacIntyre. Krog was signed last year at free-agency by the Canucks. He had 86 points for the Manitoba Moose, but only 1 goal with the Canucks. The Thrashers also signed G Peter Mannino and D Joel Kwiatkowski. Kwiatkowski played the 2007-08 season with the Thrashers, but played last year in the KHL. Another team to go on a signing spree was the Chicago Blackhawks, who re-signed Aaron Johnson, Ben Eager, Troy Brouwer, Colin Fraser, and Corey Crawford. The New York Islanders were also very active today signing 4 players, including Mark Flood, Matt Moulsen, Greg Moore, and Greg Mauldin. Other players signed since my last post are Warren Peters, signed by Dallas from Calgary, and Brian Salcido, re-signed by Anahiem. Notice that Cam Barker was not signed by the Hawks. Gillis still has a chance.

Baumgartner, 33, recorded 33 points (11-22-33) and 50 penalty minutes in 72 games with the Canucks AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose last season. Between 2002-03 and 2005-06 Baumgartner played 87 games with Vancouver scoring six goals and 34 assists (6-34-40). Baumgartner has played for six NHL teams in his career recording 45 points (6-39-45) and 67 penalty minutes in 131 games. The 6???2″, 205-lbs native of Calgary, Alberta was originally drafted by Washington 10th overall, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft and first signed with Vancouver as a free agent on July 2, 2008.

Nycholat, 30, re-joins the Canucks after finishing the 2008-09 season with the Colorado Avalanche. Originally acquired by trade with Ottawa on September 2, 2008, Nycholat played 14 games with Vancouver during the 2008-09 season. In 50 career NHL games with five teams the defenceman has recorded nine points (2-7-9) and 24 penalty minutes. The 6???0″, 190-lbs Calgary, Alberta native began his NHL career as a free agent, signing with the Minnesota Wild on August 31, 2000.

Pope, 24, played the bulk of the 2008-09 season with Bakersfield of the ECHL and finished the season with the Manitoba Moose after a four-game stint with the Binghamton Senators. Pope recorded 63 points (30-33-63) in 54 games with Bakersfield and played another 12 AHL games with Binghamton and Manitoba recording eight points (4-4-8) and 10 penalty minutes. In 12 postseason contests with the Moose, Pope had six points (3-3-6) and 2 penalty minutes. The 6???1″, 185-lbs forward is a Langley, British Columbia native.

Primera Liga round-up
Naslund officially retires from NHL

Hours after Bob Gainey announced that he would not sign Alexei Kovalev, the Russian forward turned around and stabbed the Canadiens in the back by signing with their division rivals, the Ottawa Senators. The value of the deal has not yet been released, but it is over 2 years. The Canadiens will also have to play against Francois Beauchemin. The former Anahiem Ducks defenseman signed a 3 year-11 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs also signed an entry level deal with 7th overall pick Nazem Kadri. The Vancouver Canucks fixed their goaltending dilemna, signing former Calder trophy winner Andrew Raycroft. The Canucks also signed Shane O’Brien. The New York Rangers signed Chris Higgins.

After going nearly 2 days of hardly any news, there is finally something to talk about. The St.Louis Blues have locked up forward BJ Crombeen for next year and who knows how many more? Blues president John Davidson anounced Sunday that the Blues had signed Crombeen. The length and value of the deal has not been released to the public, but I’m thinking a 2 year deal worth 775,000 on average per year. Also, Canadiens GM Bob Gainey has reported that he will not sign forward Alexei Kovalev, so Kovalev’s time in Montreal is over. After signing Mike Cammaleri, Brian Gionta, and Jaroslav Spacek plus trading for Scott Gomez, the Canadiens won’t likely bother re-signing Saku Koivu either.

Quotes on Dany Heatley
Jason Spezza-”I don’t hold it against him at all, you know. I just hope it doesn’t stall our organization, and we want to move forward”.
Bryan Murray-”I’m disappointed, there was no question that there was a commitment made a couple of years ago, that Dany would be here for a long part of his career. He’s a good player, he’s a good guy, I’m not sure what is the total reason this came about”.
Cory Clouston-”I think if you asked him to assess his season, he would probably say he was not as consistent as he wanted to be”.

List of Locations Dany Heatley has expressed interest in
1. New York Rangers-Impossible. Not enough cap room after signing Gaborik.
2. Vancouver Canucks-Possible. Canucks have 7 million in cap space, and bargaining tools.
3. Boston Bruins-Possible. Bruins would have to give up someone expensive though.
4. San Jose Sharks-Improbable. Sharks don’t have much cap space, but they could trade someone really good. Unlikely.
5. Detroit Red Wings-Impossible. Wings don’t have enough cap room to accommodate Freddy Fish.
6. Los Angeles Kings-Likely. LA has tons of cap room, good picks to bargain with. When trading with them, what’s not to love?
7. Chicago Blackhawks-Improbable. Hawks would need to trade someone great-Plus they signed Marian Hossa.
Also, the Sens have not released it, but I think Heatley is also hinting of a trade to the Coyotes.

Possible Deals
Ott, Dany Heatley<->NYR, Chris Drury, 2010 6th rd.
Ott, Dany Heatley, 2010 5th rd, Alex Auld<->NYR, Henrik Lundqvist, Nikolai Zherdev, future considerations
Ott, Dany Heatley<->Van, Mason Raymond, 2011 2nd rd., Pavol Demitra
Ott, Dany Heatley<->Bos, Phil Kessel, 2010 7th rd.
Ott, Dany Heatley<->SJ, Ryan Clowe, Rob Blake
Ott, Dany Heatley<->Det, Johan Franzen
Ott, Dany Heatley<->LA, Alexander Frolov, JF Berube*
Ott, Dany Heatley<->LA, Matt Greene, 2010 1st rd.
Ott, Dany Heatley<->Chi, Patrick Sharp, Niklas Hjallmarsson
Ott, Dany Heatley<->Phx, Ed Jovonovski, Mikkel Boedker*
Ott, Dany Heatley<->Phx, Justin Weller, Michael Lee, Vern Fiddler, 2013 5th , 6th , or 7th rd.*
*=most likely to happen

Come check out my Etsy store for more retro fun!

Paul Sancya - AP photo

Like every new member of the Canucks family, Mikael Samuelsson comes as a free agent (3 years, $2.5 per)  with a mix of both optimisim and a fear of unfulfilled expectations. What is his role expected to be on the Canucks? With Detroit last year, behind such forwards as Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Hossa, Franzen et all, Samuelsson played a solid two way game, picking up 40 points in his first injury free season since 2002. And yes, injuries have been a part of his game too, something to consider when you realize that the swede will be 35 at the end of this contract.  He does though bring experience (including hockey’s three biggest prizes, the Stanley Cup, World Championships Gold and Olympic gold) and familiarity (played with the Sedins on team Sweden and Luongo and Hordichuck while they were with Florida). But the real question is: will he bring secondary scoring?

Seen as a potential top 6 forward, Samuelsson has done well over his career to, when he’s not injured, put up roughly a point every other game. Should the team not get another top 6 forward before the start of the season, he’ll be given every opportunity to provide responsible offense. I have some thoughts to why he can put up even better numbers here in Vancouver.

1. Increased ice time compared to last season, including time possibly on the PP as a tall, right shooting presence. Like most free agents, will be given an opportunity to fit as the Triplet on the first line, but could skate beside Ryan Kesler on the second line too.

2. Speaking of shooting, his shot is both deceptive and quick when he’s given time to launch one. Don’t believe me? Just watch the replays and check out the goalies face…WTF?!

3. Potential for chemistry is high. Vancouver is a team that believe it or not plays a game very similar to the Wings, though of course lacking the same personnel. Samuelsson, an intelligent player, will have little trouble adjusting to coach Vigneault’s systems. He also adds to the Swedish flavor so popular on the west coast, joining countrymen Daniel and Henrik, Alex Edler and possibly Mats Sundin should he re-sign.

4. Sameulsson may find his injury problems easier to handle on the west coast. Canucks management have invested heavily into off-ice programs, and like all players, he’ll go through a summer training and diet program intended to help him come to camp in great shape. It’s done wonders for Steve Bernier and Kyle Wellwood, it should help Samuelsson be fitter and hopefully avoid injuries.

Of course, all of this is moot if the Canucks do in fact manage to get another top 6 forward. Mats Sundin is still a possibility, but the addition of Samelsson has made that less likely.  Prosepcts Cody Hodgson and Michael Grabner will be watched closely, and after excellent seasons last year may find themselves on the big team this year and on the top lines. Should Sameulsson get lost in the shuffle, he can still play excellent third line minutes on a team that is starting to look very defensively responsible throughout the forward ranks (quietly ignoring Demitra).

So please Canucks fans, before you go shouting about why GM Mike Gillis got Samuelsson and not Hossa, think about the role he’ll play on this team, and how valuable it is.  Detroit was able to win a championship based on his depth contributions, so to have a player of this quality joining the forward ranks, I feel very comfortable! As long as he’s healthy.

That’s all for today, thanks everybody! Check me out soon, when I’ll profile this summer’s Quest For The Offensive Dman!!

Cheers, Ken

As Mattias Ohlund signed a 7-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Mike Gillis should be thinking about someone to fill his spot, as signing Lawrence Nycholat and Nolan Baumgartner doesn’t quite cut it. Earlier he made progress signing Mikael Samuelsson, but Samuelsson, if anybody hasn’t noticed, is a winger that scores, not defend. Some OK defenseman out there are Roman Polak, Cam Barker, Denis Seidenberg, Andre Roy, Denis Grebeshkov, Greg De Vries, and Rob Schremp, though with all of those players, you need to get 2 as they aren’t quite as good separately. The only D you could get on his own now is Francois Beauchemin.

Player, Former Team, New Team
Ryan Clowe, SJ, SJ
Mikael Samuelsson, Det, Van
Tyler Arnason, Col, NYR

The Canucks have made their first big signing of free-agency. A few hours ago, the Canucks signed Swede Mikael Samuelsson to a 3 year deal. Samuelsson was a member of Detroit’s 2008 cup winning season and last season’s finals for the Red Wings.

Players that could fit
Player, 2008-2009 Team
Maxim Afinogenov, Buf
Rob Niedermayer, Ana
Tuomo Ruutu, Car
Kris Versteeg, Chi
Jiri Hudler, Det
Mikael Samuelsson, Det
Gilbert Brule, Edm
Ales Kotalik, Edm
Cam Barker, Chi
Denis Grebeshkov, Edm
Kari Lehtonen, Atl
Josh Harding, Min
Tomas Plekanec, Mon
Nikolai Zherdev, NYR
Mike Comrie, Ott
Antero Nittymaki, Phi
Joakim Lindstrom, Phx
Petr Sykora, Pit
Roman Polak, St.L
Manny Legace, St.L, Peoria
Ashton Rome, SJ*
Karri Ramo, TB
Olaf Kolzig, Tor
Shaone Morrisson, Was
Viktor Kozlov, Was
Kyle Wellwood, Van
Jannik Hansen, Van
Shane O’Brien, Van
Patrick Coulombe, Van-Manitoba
*Not because Ashton Rome would fit in-Because then their could be a line of Aaron Rome-Ashton Rome-Roman Polak!