Vancouver Canucks Spotlight: Kyle Wellwood, the Unheralded One

I was going to write this article anyway about Kyle Wellwood a few games ago, so I had better get it in before this series finishes.

In the playoffs he is by far the second best center on the Canucks (behind Henrik Sedin)  overall and is the best centre defensively. Did I really say that when Ryan Kesler is a Selke Trophy finalist?

I case you missed him and I don't see how, watch how he comes back into his end, supports the D-men and usually in a crowd walks out with the puck or gets it to an open man to break out.

He leads the Canucks in FO percentage and is third amongst centres in the NHL playoffs at 60 percent.

Although Ryan Kesler has better stats (except in FO’s) he has been ineffective and at times hardly noticeable in the Chicago series.

He doesn’t appear to be playing with an injury that would affect his game and if it is, it would have to be an upper body one (shoulder maybe - he's not throwng any checks). He just doesn’t seem to be able to generate much in the offensive area.

Although Wellwood is the smallest player on the team he continues to impress me with his compete level, no matter how big the task. He may bounce of his checks but you have to give him a A for his desire.

His skating speed is the best I’ve seen since he joined the ‘Nucks (even at training camp) and even though he may not have stood out during the regular season, he's cranked it up in the playoffs.

He has proved over the last two playoff seasons that he is a money player and with his contract up at the end of this season, the Canucks would be wise to lock him in for more than one year.

Right now the way he’s playing, they should move him up into the second line centre spot, and shift Kesler down to the third line.

Wellwood has been wasted at times paired up with players that are more plumbers than scorers and since he creates like an artist out there, it would be interesting to see him play with some offensively gifted players.

Footnote: Looks like the ‘Nucks will have to play without Sami Salo who has...well let’s just call it a lower body injury in the groin area.

I believe he has had 39 injuries in his career and that includes five separate injuries during the past regular season.

That means without Willie Mitchell (out since January) and now Sami Salo, the Canucks are without their top two shut-down players.

Lawrence Nycholat, who is tenth on the depth chart, draws in for Tuesday’s game but don’t look for him to log many minutes.

If you are a believer in the odds, then with the Canucks finishing in a tie for first with 30 home wins during the regular season, you would think that they are due to win one in this series.