Bleacher Report - Articles by Kevin Lee

Markus Naslund to Scout For Leafs? Hansen Offered a Contract; Cullen to 'Hawks

Kevin Lee — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:54:09 -0400

Maple Leafs Hot Stove is reporting that a source is telling them that the Toronto Maple Leafs are set to hire Canuck great Markus Naslund to be their European scout.

While it's not completely shocking that Markus Naslund has chosen to continue his involvement in hockey by becoming a scout, but choosing to work for another organization other than the Canucks is a surprise, considering that Mike Gillis hinted that Naslund's No. 19 could be raised to the rafters this upcoming season. Furthermore, as everybody knows Gillis is Naslund's friend and former agent.

But at the same time, maybe we should not be overly shocked since Naslund's former general managers Brian Burke and Dave Nonis are in Toronto.

Naslund, 35, retired after the 2008-09 season after he collected only 46 points in his one-year stint with the New York Rangers. He spent parts of twelve seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, serving captain from the 2000-01 season to the 2007-08 season, and is the franchise leader in goals, points, powerplay goals, and shots.

JANNIK HANSEN OFFERED A CONTRACT

A Danish website is reporting negotiations for a new contract between the Canucks and restricted free agent forward Jannik Hansen are on-going and the Canucks have offered a two-way contract to him. But Hansen and his camp are seeking a one-way contract.

Hansen, 23, was the Canucks' 9th round pick, 287th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut in the midst of the Canucks playoff run in 2007 and would spend the 2007-08 season primarily in the minors before earning him a NHL job this past season.

Hansen started on an effective third line with Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows before playing himself off the line on to the fourth line then a healthy scratch.

He did not have arbitration rights.

MARK CULLEN SIGNS WITH CHICAGO

The Manitoba Moose lost another player off their Calder Cup appearing team as centre Mark Cullen has signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. This is Cullen's second tour of duty with the Chicago organization, having spent the 2005-06 there

Vancouver Canucks Release 2009 Preseason Schedule

Kevin Lee — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:20:59 -0400

The Vancouver Canucks released their nine game preseason schedule for the 2009-10 NHL season. The Canucks' preseason is from September 14 to September 27.

The first game is on Monday, September 14 and we will see the Canucks face off with John Tavares and the New York Islanders in Terrace. The town won Kraft Hockeyville 2009.

The rest of the games will feature a game on the road and at home against the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and San Jose Sharks.

All games will be on the TEAM 1040 with a television schedule to be released later. Last year we saw four of nine preseason games broadcasted on TV—three on Rogers Sportsnet Pacific and one on TSN.

The schedule is as followed:

Mon., Sept. 14th**	vs NY Islanders	TBC
Thur., Sept. 17th	@ Anaheim	7:05 pm
Fri., Sept. 18th	@ San Jose	7:30 pm
Sat., Sept. 19th	vs Edmonton	7:00 pm
Mon., Sept. 21st	vs Calgary	7:00 pm
Wed., Sept. 23rd	vs San Jose	7:00 pm
Thurs., Sept. 24th	vs Anaheim	7:00 pm
Sat., Sept. 26th	@ Calgary	7:00 pm
Sun., Sept. 27th	@ Edmonton	6:00 pm

**The start time for the Terrace game is still to be confirmed.

2009 Canucks Training Camp to Be Held at UBC, Vancouver to Add Defenceman

Kevin Lee — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:40:40 -0400

Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun is reporting that the 2009 Vancouver Canucks training camp will be held at the University of British Columbia's Thunderbird Arena.

The rookies will report on September 7 and the veterans will report on September 12 for the main camp.

The main camp will be only two days long as on September 14, the Canucks will begin their nine game preseason schedule in Terrace facing the New York Islanders as the town won Kraft Hockeyville 2009.

It is also expected that this year that once again there will be a rookies tournament between the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks. It is unclear if this year's tournament would be held in Camrose, Alberta last year or moved to another venue.

In another story, Pap reports that Canucks general manager Mike Gillis plans to add a defenceman before training camp begins.

"We're going to add a defenceman before the end of the summer. We've got four or five things in the air with respect to that and we'll sort through them as we move along in the next few days," said Gillis.

Currently, there are still several quality offensive NHL defenceman available on the free agent market. The list includes Derek Morris, Mathieu Schneider, Sergei Zubov, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Dennis Seidenberg, and Cory Murphy.

It should be interesting to note that Mathieu Schneider is a former client of Mike Gillis when he was still an agent.

The Canucks were rumoured to have been interested in acquiring Schneider from the Anaheim Ducks last season, but they were waiting for Sundin so ultimately they did not pull the trigger on the deal.

The Canucks once again expressed interest in Schneider at the trade deadline, but the price of a second and third round pick being asked by Atlanta was too steep.

Canucks Ink 22-Year Old Free Agent Defenceman Mike Funk

Kevin Lee — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:05:18 -0400

According to various sources, the Vancouver Canucks have signed 22-year-old free agent defenceman Michael Funk to a one-year, two-way contract.

Funk, a 2004 second round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, was slated to be a restricted free agent on July 1, but his rights were not qualified after suffering two concussions and post-concussion syndrome in the 2008-09 season in the minors.

"I've been working out for the past two months, and I haven't had any headaches in that time," he told the Abbotsford News in an interview. "I haven't been knocked around or anything like that, but I probably won't be doing that for another month yet anyway."

Both the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators expressed interest in the defenceman, but he ultimately decided to sign with his hometown Canucks.

He is described as a reliable two-way defenceman with good skating ability for a man his size. He also displays a good shot and the ability to make the first pass out of his own zone. However, the knock on him is his inability to use his size effectively.

He is expected to fight for a job in training camp, but most likely will spend most of his time this season in the minors with the Manitoba Moose.

The Moose top-six could feature the aforementioned Funk, Nathan McIver, Nolan Baumgartner, Taylor Ellington, Evan Oberg and Daniel Rahimi.

The salary has not been disclosed, but his 2008-09 salary with the Buffalo Sabres was $635,000. Expect it to be something similar.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Andrew Raycroft and Shane O'Brien

Kevin Lee — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:38:48 -0400

The Vancouver Canucks announced today that they have inked free agent goaltender Andrew Raycroft to a one-year, one-way contract worth $500,000.

Raycroft, 29, will be joining the fourth NHL team of his career after stops in Boston, Toronto, and Colorado. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's top rookie in the 2003-04 season, but his NHL career has gone downhill since that high—he was once regarded as a goalie with a bright future, drawing comparisons to Marty Turco and Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

With the signing of Raycroft, you can probably expect him to play about 15 games next season with Luongo starting the other 67 games. Every year we head into the regular season, Alain Vigneault talks about reducing the number of games Luongo plays to keep him well-rested for the playoffs, but we will see if it happens this year.

At the same time, it appears that Cory Schneider will not be Luongo's backup this year. Instead, he will spend another year in the minors with the Manitoba Moose. Schneider recently told the Vancouver Province that he would like to play in the NHL next season and believes he has accomplished all he could in the American Hockey League.

So what could this mean?

It could mean one of two things: Either Schneider is going to be traded before the season starts, or the two will compete for the backup job in training camp.

General manager Mike Gillis and owner Francesco Aquilini have shown the willingness to have players with one-way contracts playing in the minors. This past season, the Canucks had Michel Ouellet, Jeff Cowan, Jason Krog, Curtis Sanford, and Matt Pettinger playing in the minors at one point or another. Kyle Wellwood and Lawrence Nycholat were both sent down with the intention of reporting to the Moose.

The Canucks also announced today that they have signed restricted free agent defenceman Shane O'Brien to a one-year deal worth $1.6 million, a $575,000 raise. O'Brien had his rights qualified at $1,025,000.

O'Brien, 25, had an up and down first season with the Canucks. The most memorable moment came when he and Willie Mitchell had a little skirmish at practice when he came to the defence of Mason Raymond.

O'Brien was also a healthy scratch five times this past season. Frustrated, he publicly criticized the team to the media saying that general manager Mike Gillis wanted him to fight more and saw him as a fighter more than a player.

Canucks Sign Tanner Glass, Lose Krog; Summer Conditioning Camp Roster

Kevin Lee — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:32:12 -0400

It had been reported by various online blogs and message boards that the Vancouver Canucks have signed free agent forward Tanner Glass, and it has now been confirmed by the Hockey News. It is a two-way, one-year deal for $500,000.

Glass, 25, was suppose to be a restricted free agent July 1, but his rights were not qualified by Florida Panthers, thus making him an unrestricted free agent. Scouts describe him as a two-way forward who likes to play physical and dropping the gloves occasionally to bring energy and protect his teammates. Think Mike Brown.

Jason Krog, who played primarily on the Manitoba Moose last season, has departed the Canucks through free agency by signing a two-year deal worth $1.1 million with the Atlanta Thrashers.

This will be Krog's third tour of duty with the Atlanta Thrashers organization. He led the Thrashers farm team, the Chicago Wolves, to the Calder Cup in 2008.

Former Canuck goalie Drew MacIntyre has also signed with the Thrashers.

In other news, the Canucks Summer Conditioning Camp rosters have been released by local reporter Farhan Devji on his blog.

The year we will see 27 players attend following the increased budget for player development. The attendees include all of the 2009 draft picks, college free agent signings Eric Walsky and Evan Oberg, Cody Hodgson, Thomas Gradin, draft pick Mats Froshaug, and a number of free agent players.

College prospects Kris Fredheim, Matt Butcher, Taylor Matson, and Patrick White are also attending. As per NCAA rules the players cannot have their pro team pay for their travel expenses. Instead they will have to pay for themselves to keep their NCAA eligibility.

The camp runs from July 6 to July 10 and the players will participate in on-ice and off-ice workouts, the Grouse Grind, and conduct a session with the Vancouver media.

Canucks Ink Mikael Samuelsson to Three-Year Contract

Kevin Lee — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:11:36 -0400

The Vancouver Canucks announced yesterday that the club has signed free agent forward Mikael Samuelsson to a three-year contract worth $7.5 million.

Samuelsson, 32, spent the past four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings primarily in a third line role and due to cap constraints; the Wings had offered a significantly lower salary of $1.2 million.

In a conference call, Samuelsson said he chose Vancouver over Detroit for money reasons and the opportunity to play in the top-six for the Canucks. He expects both more offensive and defensive opportunities on the team.

Canucks' assistant general manager envisions Samuelsson being the right-hand shot on the power play for the Sedins and possibly even playing the point. But obviously the decision is up to Canucks coach Alain Vigneault.

But don't get too excited about Samuelsson being the next Anson Carter. Remember last summer? The Canucks traded for and signed restricted free agent forward Steve Bernier and he was hailed as the next Anson Carter. The experiment lasted all of the preseason and two games into the regular season before being broken up. Bernier was a right-hand shot and had size, but had no hands to finish the opportunities around the net.

Following the signing of Samuelsson, it only leaves the Canucks with $7,266,667 in cap space remaining to sign Shane O'Brien, Kyle Wellwood, Jannik Hansen, a backup goalie, and possibly a No. 5 or 6 defenceman with an offensive upside.

O'Brien and Wellwood should cost a little over $1 million to sign each. It is presumed the backup goalie will be top prospect Cory Schneider, whose cap hit is $1,084,200, while Hansen is rumoured to be on the trade block.

Factor all that in, and it leaves the Canucks with about $4 million in cap space to pick up a No. 5 or 6 defenceman with an offensive upside unless you choose to use Aaron Rome and Lawrence Nycholat as your sixth defenceman.

Canucks Re-Acquire Lawrence Nycholat; Re-Sign Nolan Baumgartner

Kevin Lee — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:34:11 -0400

The Vancouver Canucks announced two more free agent signings today.

The team re-signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Nolan Baumgartner to a two-way, two-year contract worth $1.1 million and signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Lawrence Nycholat to a one-way, one-year contract worth $500,000.

It came as no surprise that Baumgartner was re-signed, as it brings a veteran presence to the Manitoba Moose to mentor the team's young prospects as well as providing depth for the Canucks.

Baumgartner, 33, was the 10th overall selection in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, but he never developed into the promising defenseman he was suppose to be.

Baumgartner has spent most of his career as a minor leaguer, with the exception of the 2005-06 season where he played one full season with the Vancouver Canucks, scoring 34 points to lead the team.

He departed the Canucks organization the following year through free agency, signing a one-way two-year deal with the Flyers before being claimed off waivers by Dallas and eventually loaned to the Manitoba Moose.

He was brought back to the Canucks organization last offseason as a free agent.

The Nycholat signing was somewhat of a surprise, but at the same time it was not a total shock. It was made clear by Mike Gillis when he placed Nycholat on waivers that he did not wish to lose him and wanted him in the organization for depth.

Nycholat, 30, was acquired by the Canucks in the 2008 NHL offseason from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for speedster Ryan Shannon. Nycholat spent most of the season as the team's eighth defenseman before being placed on waivers after the club acquired Finnish blue-liner Ossi Vaananen off waivers.

Nycholat was claimed by Northwest Division rival Calgary Flames before being packaged one day later in a trade to Colorado.

Baumgartner is expected to log regular minutes with the Manitoba Moose in the minors this coming season, while we can expect Nycholat to compete with recently-signed Aaron Rome for ice-time and a roster spot with the Canucks.

In other news, Mike Gillis told the TEAM 1040 that he was interested in Marian Gaborik, but was not about to give him $7.5 million a year due to his injury history.

The team also officially announced the signing of free agent forward Matt Pope.

The team has yet to announce the Aaron Rome signing, but it has been confirmed by multiple sources.

Jannik Hansen on The Trade Block

Kevin Lee — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:10:39 -0400

Dan Russell reported on his radio show Sportstalk just before 11:30pm on July 1 that the Vancouver Canucks have put winger Jannik Hansen on the trade block.

Hansen started on an effective third line with Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows before playing himself off the line on to the fourth line then a healthy scratch.

Canucks Pickup Defenceman Aaron Rome

Kevin Lee — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:22:14 -0400

No Marian Gaborik yet on July 1, but the Canucks did add depth on their defense by signing defenseman Aaron Rome to a one-year, one-way contract worth $550,000 US.

Rome is described by scouts as an all-around defenseman who can bring toughness to a lineup as well as bringing a little bit of offense and playing on the power play.

We can expect Rome to serve as the seventh defenseman for the team this upcoming season. While Gillis targets puckmovers, the likes of Marc-Andre Bergeron and Steve Eminger to replace Mattias Ohlund.

According to NHL.com's free agents list, the Vancouver Canucks have qualified the rights to restricted free agents Shane O'Brien, Kyle Wellwood, and Jannik Hansen. Wellwood and O'Brien are salary arbitration eligible. While Zack Fitzgerald, Julien Ellis, and Patrick Coulombe were not qualified, thus are currently unrestricted free agents.

Davison And Pyatt To Hit The Open Market; Canucks Qualify Kyle Wellwood

Kevin Lee — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:21:36 -0400

Vancouver Province writer Jim Jamieson is reporting on the White Towel blog that Vancouver Canucks defenceman Rob Davison has had discussions with the Canucks regarding a new contract, but will test the free agency waters tomorrow hoping to land a contract with a team where he will play regularly.

“We’ve had some cordial discussions with the Canucks, but at this point we’re looking after Jul. 1,” Davison’s agent, Dan Palango told Jim Jamieson. “Rob loved his time in Vancouver, but he wants to see what opportunities open up for him.”

Davison, 29, signed as a free agent with the Canucks on Jul. 10, 2008 and competed in 23 games this season filling in for injured defencemen. He served as the team's seventh and eighth defenceman with Lawrence Nycholat and, eventually, Ossi Vaananen.

It also says that the Vancouver Canucks have made no contact with Taylor Pyatt's agent Todd Christie, meaning Pyatt will also hit the open market tomorrow.

Kyle Wellwood has also been extended a qualifying offer by the Canucks. He made $997,500 last season which means he is entitled to a qualifying offer of 105 percent of that salary which is $1,047,375.

Wellwood, 26, was claimed off waivers from Toronto on June 25, 2008 and was subsequently signed to an one-year qualifying offer of $997,500. He was criticized by the Canucks coaching staff at training camp for showing up out of shape before getting back in shape and earning himself a spot on the opening roster as a healthy scratch.

After a horrible game in Washington—where he was rocked by Alexander Ovechkin—Wellwood was placed on waivers and assigned to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL before an injury to Pavol Demitra forced the Canucks to place him on re-entry waivers and to recall him.

Wellwood returned as the second-line centre and the right-hand shot on the power play with the Sedins before finding a home on a dominant third line that consisted of him, Mason Raymond, and Steve Bernier.

No word on if the other Canucks restricted free agents have been qualified, but you can bet that the likes of Shane O'Brien and Jannik Hansen got their qualifying offers.

Demitra Denies Gaborik Has Purchased a House; Canucks And Bouwmeester

Kevin Lee — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:57:46 -0400

CKNW is reporting that Canucks winger Pavol Demitra has denied reports that suggest his close friend and countryman Marian Gaborik has purchased a house in Vancouver.

He also stated that he talks to Gaborik every day and would love to see him sign with the Canucks as a free agent.

Last year when word got out that Pavol Demitra was going to sign with the Canucks, him and his agent kept on denying the reports, but ultimately he signed in Vancouver.

Furthermore, you got to believe that if Demitra actually does want Gaborik to sign with the Canucks and they communicate every day, that Demitra would be selling the city of Vancouver to him and how great of a team and organization the Canucks are.

Although Blues-and-Pronger-e3--Isles-may-fly-1-to-Nassau/1/21717" target="_blank">Eklund may not be a reputable source, he is reporting that the Canucks are the closest team to acquiring the negotiating rights for Jay Bouwmeester and one of his sources is telling him that the deal is 90 percent done.

There were rumours that at the trade deadline the Canucks tried to acquire Jay Bouwmeester for a package that involved Kevin Bieksa, but obviously the deal did not happen.

TSN's Darren Dreger is reporting that a source has told him the asking price for Bouwmeester's rights is a third round pick.

BC Lions To Play at Empire Stadium Once Again?

Kevin Lee — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:17:21 -0400

The Vancouver Sun is reporting the British Columbia Lions could play a few games in the 2010 Canadian Football League season where Empire Stadium once stood while the new retractable roof is installed at BC Place. Construction on the roof is expected to begin right after the 2010 Winter Olympics and will not be ready in time for the beginning of the 2010 CFL season.

Empire Stadium was torn down in 1993, converted into a parking lot for Hastings Park and the Pacific National Exhibition, and then converted into a soccer field.

The plan is to bring in 30,000 temporary bleachers and concession stands to Empire Stadium.

The report has not been confirmed or denied by the parties involved.

Empire Stadium is the only place with a large enough field to house the Lions as both Swangard Stadium and fields at local universities are too small.

Karri Ramo Leaves Tampa Bay Lightning for Russia

Kevin Lee — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:04:33 -0400

Lightning-Goalie-Karri-Ramo-Signs-in-Russia/5/21687" target="_blank">Andy Strickland is reporting that Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Karri Ramo has signed a two year contract with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. This signing has not been confirmed by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This is certainly a blow to the Lightning's goaltending as starter Mike Smith is still recovering from post-concussion syndrome and it is still unknown if he can be ready for training camp. Even if Smith is ready to return for training camp, he still has not played hockey for half a year, so it could take awhile before he regain his form.

The Lightning have an abundance of goalies in their system which include Mike McKenna, 2006 first rounder Riku Helenius, 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships gold medalist Dustin Tokarski, and Mike Lundin. But all are not considered ready for the NHL.

Expect the Lightning to dip into the free agent market to pickup a backup goalie. Cheap and available goalies include Jason LaBarbera, Andrew Raycroft, Curtis Sanford, Brent Johnson, Dany Sabourin, and Marc Denis.

Jerry Reinsdorf to Apply to Purchase the Phoenix Coyotes

Kevin Lee — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:55:04 -0400

The Associated Press is reporting Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf will apply to the National Hockey League to purchase the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes from Jerry Moyes by Friday.

In the hearing today, a new deadline for the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to a local owner was set for August 5. A date was also set in September in case a local owner could not be found and at which point the NHL team will move to Hamilton.

The NHL believes a sale of the team could be completed by August 5, but does not believe a lease agreement could be negotiated by that date.

Report: Marian Gaborik Purchases House in Vancouver

Kevin Lee — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:12:05 -0400

Vancouver Province writer Jason Botchford is reporting on The White Towel blog that Slovakian winger Marian Gaborik has purchased a house in Vancouver. Gaborik is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and is not expected to re-sign with the Minnesota Wild.

More on this story is expected in the June 24 edition of the Vancouver Province.

Prior to July 1 last season. Pavol Demitra was shown around in Vancouver by then-Canucks captain Markus Naslund and subsequently signed with the team on July 10. Demitra was also Mike Gillis' former client.

The Minnesota Wild accused the Canucks of tampering and were investigated by the NHL, but no wrong doing was found.

In the same report, Botchford says Pavol Demitra and Marian Gaborik are apparently close friends. In addition, he says partly for the firing of the general manager and coach in Minnesota is so they could institute a run and gun style to sway their 3rd overall pick in 2000 into staying in the Twin Cities.

It would not come completely as a shock to me if we hear that Marian Gaborik has signed with the Canucks next Wednesday.

Botchford on his Twitter page is reporting that Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo is building a new home in Nicola Valley in the British Columbia Interior.

This probably does not necessarily mean that Roberto Luongo will re-sign with the team soon or ever. The Nicola Valley home could just be built to serve as vacation home, something many players have, and can afford to have.

Chris Chelios Not Offered a Contract by the Red Wings

Kevin Lee — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:29:30 -0400

TSN.ca and the Detroit Free Press are reporting that Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland will not offer 47-year-old defenceman Chris Chelios a contract to return to the team for the 2009-10 NHL season.

"I met with Chelios and told him we would not be offering him a contract," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland told the Detroit Free Press. "He wants to play again. I really think that he does have another year in him. I think he can play 10 to 15 minutes. I think he can play on a third pair."

This past season, Chelios missed 52 games due to a fractured right tibia injury and appeared in only 28 games. In the playoffs, he was a healthy scratch for most of the Red Wings march to the Stanley Cup Finals with the exception of six games.

While Chelios could undoubtedly play another season of NHL hockey, it is highly unlikely that he would relocate his family to another city so he could play maybe one more year of hockey. He is also the owner of three restaurants in Michigan.

However, if Chelios does decide to continue his career, the Chicago Blackhawks could be a possible suitor. Chelios played for the Blackhawks from 1990 to 1999 and served as captain from 1995 to 1999. The young Blackhawks could be seeking leadership, and that is something Chelios could provide.

Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane is Cover Boy for NHL 10

Kevin Lee — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:02:14 -0400

While Alexander Ovechkin is the cover boy for the rival 2K Sports NHL 2K10 game, Patrick Kane has been announced today as the cover by for the EA Sports NHL 10.

EA Sports also announced today that it has signed John Tavares, who is expected to go first overall at this Friday's draft, to promote the game.

Washington Capitals centre Nicklas Backstrom will be on the cover of the Swedish version of NHL 10. Different athletes will also appear in the Danish, Finnish, and Swiss versions.

NHL 10 will be released on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on September 15th

NHL 2K10 will be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, and PC sometime in September.

Adrian Dater: Martin Biron or Ty Conklin, the Next Avalanche Starter

Kevin Lee — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:10:53 -0400

The Denver Post's Colorado Avalanche beat writer Adrian Dater was interviewed on the June 22nd, 2009 edition of NHL Live! with E.J. Hradek and Deb Placey and he stated that he believes that either Martin Biron or Ty Conklin will become the next starter for the Avalanche.

Martin Biron was originally acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers for a second round pick in 2007 and has been the team's starter since. He was inconsistent throughout his Flyer career and the team has decided to move on by signing free agent goalie Ray Emery.

Subsequently, Biron is not expected to be retained and will hit the open market on July 1st.

Ty Conklin's NHL career looked all but over in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals when he coughed up the puck behind the net to Carolina Hurricanes' captain Rod Brind'Amour with 31.1 seconds left, allowing him to score the game winning goal into an empty net.

Conklin returned to the NHL in the 2007-08 season following injuries to Marc-Andre Fleury and Dany Sabourin in Pittsburgh. He would hold the starting position until Fleury's return from injury.

Conklin then spent this past season sharing time with Chris Osgood in Detroit.

Of note, Conklin has played in both Winter Classics and has been in the Stanley Cup Finals three times, all losses.

Comments: Another option could be Nikolai Khabibulin. The Avalanche need goaltending badly and cannot wait until next summer when the likes of Roberto Luongo, Marty Turco, and Evgeni Nabokov could hit the market.

Canucks Ink Free Agent Matt Pope To Two-Way Contract

Kevin Lee — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:09:46 -0400

It was reported today by the Langley Times that the Vancouver Canucks have inked free agent forward, and Langley, BC product Matt Pope, to a two-way contract.

Pope, who is 25, signed a standard player's contract as he is not subject to entry-level restrictions.

The Vancouver Canucks and Manitoba Moose have been known recently for being able to discover virtually unknown talent and developing them into NHL players. The list includes Alexandre Bolduc, Jason Jaffray, Rick Rypien, and of course Alexandre Burrows.

Pope will be attending the Vancouver Canucks rookie development camp next month before attending the main camp in September, where he will fight for a job with the Canucks.

Another player to keep your eye on is Guillaume Desbiens who also played on the Manitoba Moose this past season and is also a free agent. Desbiens had a breakout season and could be inked to a NHL contract by the Canucks or another team very soon as well.

2009 Canucks Training Camp Could Be in Terrace, BC

Kevin Lee — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:35:47 -0400

The 2009 Vancouver Canucks training camp could be held in Terrace, BC this year. The community was recently crowned Kraft Hockeyville 2009 and will play host to a pre-season game between the Canucks and New York Islanders on September 14th, 2009.

As a result, I expect the team will have training camp in Terrace, as opposed to having it in another community and then travelling up to Terrace to play a single pre-season game.

Players will report to General Motors Place for physicals before travelling as a team to the training camp location.

Head Coach Scott Arniel and Mike Keane Expected to Return To Moose

Kevin Lee — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:06 -0400

According to the Winnipeg Sun and Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba Moose head coach Scott Arniel is expected to return next season as the bench boss. Arniel's contract whose contract expires at the end of the month has begun contract talks with the Canucks regarding an extension.

While there are currently several NHL coaching positions open, Arniel says he has no interviews scheduled at this time. Arniel had been offered an interview for the Edmonton head coaching job, but the position was filled by Pat Quinn before an interview could happen. Arniel wanted the interview after the Calder Cup playoffs.

Arniel was hired by Dave Nonis and Steve Tambellini in the summer of 2006 and has served as the Canucks top minor league affiliate's head coach since.

The Winnipeg Sun also reports that 42-year old winger and one-time Canuck Mike Keane is leaning towards returning next season as the captain instead of retiring. But the ultimate decision will come during off-season training.

It is expected he will ink an American Hockey League contract with the Moose if he does choose to return as a player. If not, we could see him ink a deal as an associate coach.

Thirty-three year old defenceman Nolan Baumgartner is also expected to be retained by the Canucks for depth and leadership on their minor league team.

Could We See Anaheim's Prospects on The Manitoba Moose Next Season?

Kevin Lee — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:34:42 -0400

For the 2008-2009 American Hockey League, the Manitoba Moose had an affiliation agreement with the Vancouver Canucks as well as the partial affiliation agreement with the Dallas Stars. As a result, the Moose received top prospects from two National Hockey League teams, sending the team to Game 6 of the AHL Calder Cup Final.

Starting next season, the Dallas Stars will once again have their own AHL affiliate. The team will be named the Texas Stars and will play out of Cedar Park, Texas.

But the Anaheim Ducks do not have an AHL team after they terminated their affiliation agreement with the Iowa Chops. The Chops ownership was unable to meet financial obligations and the team's operations have been suspended.

So could the Manitoba Moose sign a partial affiliation agreement with the Ducks?

"I think Anaheim, at the end of the day, is going to have their own team," Manitoba Moose general Manager Craig Heisinger told Ken Wiebe of Sun Media "The Dallas thing worked for different reasons and as much as think it would be a benefit to add some top prospects, I just don't think the Anaheim situation would be a very good fit."

It will be interesting next year to see how much of an effect Dallas' prospects Maxime Fortunus, Mark Fistric and Ray Sawada had on the team and if the Moose can make it back to the Calder Cup Final.

Whitecaps Wesley Charles and Charles Gbeke Suspended

Kevin Lee — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:12:51 -0400

Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Wesley Charles and striker Charles Gbeke were handed down suspensions by both the United Soccer League and the club for their on-field altercation during last Friday's 3-2 victory victory over Miami FC and subsequent locker room fight.

The two were suspended for one game by the United Soccer League, an additional game by Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and fined an undisclosed amount by the team.

The Whitecaps are on the road the next two games and will be playing the Montreal Impact on Saturday and Cleveland City Stars next Tuesday.

CSKA Moscow Launch Legal Action Over Shirokov

Kevin Lee — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:10:34 -0400

As reported by various sources last week, the Vancouver Canucks have indeed signed Russian winger Sergei Shirokov to a two-year entry-level contract at a base salary of $875,000 per season plus bonuses.

However, James Mirtle of From the Rink is reporting that Shirokov's Kontinental Hockey League team, CSKA Moscow has launched legal action over the signing. This could explain why the signing has not been formally announced by the team yet.

Shirokov was the Canucks' sixth round selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. The pick was acquired as part of the Roberto Luongo trade from Florida.

Comments: What can the court do to stop a player from wanting out? They couldn't stop Evgeni Malkin from coming over to North America and couldn't stop Alexander Radulov from bolting to Russia.

Canucks Hold Picks in All Seven Rounds in '09 Draft

Kevin Lee — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:59:44 -0400

Despite being only one year later, the 2008 NHL Entry Draft has already been heralded as one of the most successful Canucks drafts in recent history due to the selection of Cody Hodgson at 10th overall.

At the time of the draft, some scouts described Hodgson's hockey smarts and skill are as good as that of first overall pick Steven Stamkos, but his skating was not quite there for him to be a slam dunk NHL impact player.

Hodgson was ranked ninth amongst North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting which was lower than local boy Kyle Beach, who was ranked at seventh.

Many expected when then-Canucks assistant general manager Steve Tambellini went up to the podium to announce the Canucks selection to say, "The Vancouver Canucks are very proud to select from the Everett Silvertips, Kyle Beach."

Instead, the Canucks announced Cody Hodgson as their pick.

"The Vancouver Canucks are very proud to select from the Brampton Battalion, Cody Hodgson."

There was immediate uproar in Vancouver and people began calling for Ron Delorme's head once again. But now that we look back on it, probably the best selection ever in Canucks history.

Now, this year at 22nd overall, the Canucks hope they can find themselves another gem. This year also marks the first time since 1998 the Canucks have held at least one draft pick in each round of the NHL Entry Draft. In 1998, they held twelve picks in nine rounds and three NHLers came out of that draft—Bryan Allen, Artem Chubarov, and Jarkko Ruutu.

The "overall" position is subject to change with the inclusion of compensatory picks. But in the first round, the Canucks will be picking 22nd overall, unless there is a trade by the Canucks.

The Canucks picks are as followed:

Vancouver's first round, 22nd overall
Vancouver's second round, 53rd overall
Vancouver's third round, 83rd overall
Vancouver's fourth round, 113th overall
Vancouver's fifth round, 142nd overall
Vancouver's sixth round, 172nd overall
Chicago's seventh round, 208th overall (acquired from Chicago for Jim Sharrow)

The following picks have been traded away by the Canucks:

Los Angeles' third round, 66th overall (traded with 2010 2nd round pick for Steve Bernier)
Vancouver's seventh round, 202nd overall (traded to Los Angeles for Jason Labarbera)

Canucks Options at Backup

Kevin Lee — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:54:27 -0400

There are many questions regarding the backup position heading into the 2009-2010 NHL season. What are some of the options the Canucks have?

Re-sign Jason Labarbera

Labarbera was acquired from the Los Angeles Kings where he had been the third-stringer and odd man out for a seventh round pick in this month's draft. Upon his arrival in Vancouver, he was thrown into action and had spectacular performances in his first few games as a Canuck.

He also displayed the ability to come off the bench cold to help his team to a victory, something Curtis Sanford could not do.

Labarbera's probably the most talented and best backup goalie Luongo has had in Vancouver, but it is highly unlikely the team would be able to retain him as he most likely want to go a team where he will have a chance to be the number one guy or at least get more than the 10 starts he will get as Luongo's backup. Nor would he welcome the possibility of being demoted to the minors if he is outperformed by prospect Cory Schneider in training camp.

Bring Curtis Sanford back

Curtis Sanford has been a popular backup among his teammates, but he has been unable to secure his job as the Canucks backup.

After, the 2008 season, Canucks general manager Mike Gillis had hoped to bring his former client Stephen Valiquette over from the New York Rangers to serve as the Canucks backup, but was snubbed and retained Curtis Sanford as there were no other better options out there.

This past season, Curtis Sanford lost his starting job to Cory Schneider and then Jason Labarbera while Luongo was injured, then demoted to the minors where he primarily served as the backup to Cory Schneider.

Sanford's been inconsistent during his time as a Canuck mainly due to his lack of size and his chance of getting back into the NHL as a backup is unlikely next season. Sanford will most likely have to take a two-way contract from either the Canucks or another NHL team to work himself back up from the NHL again. Another option could be the Kontinental Hockey League.

Promote Cory Schneider

The general consensus amongst Vancouver Canucks fans is to promote goalie prospect Cory Schneider from starter in the American Hockey League to backup for the Canucks.

Many fans feel that this will prepare Schneider for the starting position the following season (2010-2011) if Roberto Luongo leaves via unrestricted free agency or gets dealt at the 2010 NHL trading deadline. This move will allow Schneider to practice regularly with a NHL club, facing NHL calibre shots and getting in a few starts.

In my opinion, the likely scenario next season is we will see Cory Schneider as the backup to Roberto Luongo and Curtis Sanford retained to be the third-stringer in Manitoba.

In his limited action this past season, Schneider has shown he has NHL potential, but needs to build his book on NHL shooters.