Vancouver Canucks: Report Card on the First 8 Games
Eight games into the 2010-2011 season, the Canucks have completed 10 percent of the marathon that is the NHL regular season, so it seems appropriate to assess how the team is doing so far. It is early, but trends have already started to develop.
Methodology:
Grading the season at this early junction is more like grading an English paper rather than a physics test—it is open to interpretation rather than being black and white.
A key point is that I'm looking at how the player does in their position, i.e. I'm not judging Tanner Glass by the same criteria as Daniel Sedin.
For the forwards, I'm basing the positional analysis on their most common position due to the rotating cast of wingers. Going forward, once Alex Burrows returns, things should stabilize, but right now, the line combinations have been chaotic.
For the defence, I based the division of top four defencemen vs. third pairing/depth defencemen on the average ice-time per game. (So yes, Kevin Bieksa is being judged as a top four, regardless of public opinion on his actual capabilities) I judge the defencemen who play more minutes, especially on special teams, to a higher standard than I do the third pairing.
Lastly, I also graded the team as a whole on a few broader categories, such as special teams, coaching and leadership.
Here are my standards for assigning the grades:
Player Grades
A = One of the best in the NHL at that position.
B = Acceptable performance at that position for a playoff team
C = Acceptable performance at that position for the NHL but not good enough to be on a playoff team
D = Not ready or able to play at the NHL level
Incomplete = Due to suspension or injury, did not play in half the games to date.
Team Grades
A = Performance worthy of a playoff team that earns home ice advantage
B = Performance worthy of a playoff team, without home ice advantage
C = Performance worthy of an NHL team, but not one that makes the playoffs
D = Performance worthy of getting the GM and/or coach fired, not NHL caliber
Henrik Sedin
1 of 26
First Line Center
Grade: A
Tied for seventh in the NHL scoring race, defending Art Ross winner Henrik Sedin has quietly continued to pile up points, with 10 points, all assists, in eight games. This production is even more impressive given that Henrik and twin Daniel are missing their regular right winger in Alex Burrows (shoulder injury) and have had five different wingers on their line in eight games.
Daniel Sedin
2 of 26
First Line Winger
Grade: A
Like twin Henrik, Daniel Sedin has picked up where he left off last season, racking up points while playing with a revolving cast of right wingers.
Seven goals (tied for third in the NHL with Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks) and 11 points (tied for second in the NHL with the likes of Hossa, Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks, Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins), Daniel is seemingly on a mission to dethrone his brother of the Art Ross Trophy.
Ryan Kesler
3 of 26
Second Line Center
Grade: B-
Last season, the Sedins got new big money contracts and then more than earned them through superb on ice production. This season, Ryan Kesler is the one with the new contract, and he isn't producing enough to warrant it. The two-time Selke nominee is struggling to produce, with only three points (two goals, one assist) in eight games.
Kesler has been good in the faceoff circle with 57.6 percent and has played well in front of the net during the power play, screening opposing goalies on numerous goals by Daniel Sedin and Christian Erhoff. But with his new salary, Kesler is being paid like an elite player, and the bottom line is that he has to be better and make his entire line better by extension, if the Canucks are to live up to their advance billing as playoff contenders.
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=256 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=256)
Mikael Samuelsson
4 of 26
Second Line Winger
Grade: B-
Mikael Samuelsson has bounced from the first line to the third line during the Canucks' quest for chemistry amongst their forwards, but his true home should be the second line. He leads the Canucks forwards in shots with 28 in eight games for an average of 4.5 shots per game but isn't being rewarded with goals. Samuelsson has just one goal and five assists in eight games, and the bulk of those came in a pair of multi-point games.
Being on pace for 60 points is good for second liner, but being on pace for just 10 goals isn't, especially for a guy who had 30 regular season and 8 playoff goals last year.
Like his linemates, Samuelsson gets a B. He needs to be better if the Canucks are to be true playoff contenders. Or at least get more than one goal out of his next 28 shots.
Mason Raymond
5 of 26
Second Line Winger
Grade: B
Mason Raymond looks to be even faster than last year and could in all honesty be the quickest player in the NHL today.
In eight games, he has two goals and two assists and seems to be taking a step back from his scoring pace of last season (53 points in 82 games). However, Raymond has been taking the puck to the net and getting shots away, averaging 3.375 shots per game. If he continues to burst past defenders and get those shots off, the goals will come.
Like his linemates Kesler and Samuelsson, Raymond receives a B grade for his performance so far.
Manny Malhotra
6 of 26
Third Line Center
Grade: A
Malhotra was signed to anchor an upgraded third line, taking over for the departed Kyle Wellwood. Pundits opined that he was overpaid as a UFA signing on July 1st, but he has earned his money so far.
Two goals and three assists are a nice offensive contribution, especially since he is the only forward on the top three lines to have NOT lined up with the Sedins for a game so far. But Malhotra was signed for reasons other than his offence, and he currently leads the NHL with an uncanny 66.9 percent faceoff percentage.
Jannik Hansen
7 of 26
Third Line Winger
Grade: B+
I'll be honest, I thought Hansen had lost his spot on the team after winning his salary arbitration last summer, as I thought he had priced himself off the fourth line.
However, so far we have seen the scrappy, speedy Dane who likes to throw hits and get dirty every game, not the inconsistent perimeter player we saw get benched or scratched for extended periods over the last few years.
Hansen has been a great fit on the third line, using his speed to get in on the forecheck and deliver a team leading 23 hits. He has also chipped in a pair of assists. More offence would be ideal, but his hitting and forechecking are more than balancing out his meager point totals.
Raffi Torres
8 of 26
Third Line Winger
Grade: B+
For a winger making "only" a million dollars, you couldn't ask Raffi Torres for more. He has scored two goals, thrown 15 hits and instigated a fight against Sheldon Brookbank of the Anaheim Ducks to stand up for his teammates.
Ok, I'll admit it would have been better if he won the fight, but guys able to play a regular shift and still be willing to jump in like that have been few and far between on the Canucks, since the days when Ed Jovanovski patrolled the blueline.
Tanner Glass
9 of 26
Fourth Line Center/Winger
Grade: B
Last year, Tanner Glass was a surprise addition to the Canucks, and he ended up leading the forwards in hits while also being willing to drop the gloves.
This year, Glass is providing the same physical presence with 15 hits to date.
Guillaume Desbiens
10 of 26
Fourth Line Winger
Grade: B
A stocky 6'2", 210 lbs, Desbiens made the Canucks to supply a physical presence on the fourth line. He has delivered with 17 hits and has also shown that he has NHL skating ability, using his speed to get in on the forecheck and create a few breakaways and odd man rushes so far. Unfortunately, he has yet to convert on those chances.
Peter Schaefer
11 of 26
Fourth Line Winger
Grade: C
Another reclamation project like Torres, Schaefer hasn't played in the NHL for the last two years after being bought out by the Bruins. However, he surprised critics by winning a spot out of training camp, and he has been an effective
Schaeffer has been an effective penalty killer and has shown his versatility by being played throughout the lineup. However, I'd like to see more than 10 hits in eight games out of a bottom six winger without any points this season.
Either on the forecheck or the scoreboard, Schaefer has to do more, or he is in danger of being the odd man out when Burrows returns from the LTIR list shortly.
Jeff Tambellini
12 of 26
??? Winger
Grade: B
A utility player with one goal and one assist in four games, Tambellini has been contributing offensively, especially for a guy who seemingly has played on all four lines. He might be the winner of the lottery the next few games until Burrows returns, as he had decent chemistry with the Sedins in the most recent game.
Alex Edler
13 of 26
Top Four Defenceman
Grade: B
Edler leads the Canucks defence in icetime this season, averageing 25:15 per game. He has also been contributing offensively, teeing up his big shot 20 times so far, and picking up five assists. Edler is also second amongst the defence with 15 hits and leads the defence in blocked shots with 15.
The only thing more I could ask of Edler would be a few more highlight reel hits like this one where he demolished Drew Doughty in the first round last year. Scoring a few goals with that slapshot would be nice too.
Christian Erhoff
14 of 26
Top Four Defenceman
Grade: B+
Like Edler, Erhoff has been a rock on the blueline. Two powerplay goals, two assists and a plus-five rating (tops amongst defencemen) are good numbers, on pace with last season. He also has nine hits and eight blocked shots, but I'd like to see a bit more physicality out of a defenceman playing that many minutes. But I can't complain given his offensive contributions.
Kevin Bieksa
15 of 26
Top Four Defenceman
Grade: B-
Ok, hands up if you are a Canucks fan who thought Bieksa would be traded before the season opened. That was the popular theme this summer after the Canucks signed Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard, but Bieksa is still here and has been rewarded with an A by new captain Henrik Sedin.
Zero points in eight games is a horrible start for a defenceman who is capable of putting up 40-45 points, barring a third skate cut injury. (Really, if Bieksa suffers another skate cut, he is the new Sami Salo)
But he has been a force physically with 14 hits and 12 blocked shots, second in both categories amongst Canucks defence. Bieksa also sports a minus-one rating, but considering that only two of the Canucks defence can boast a positive rating (Erhoff plus-five and Alberts plus-one), that isn't too bad.
Right now I'm giving Bieksa a B- based on his physical play, but he needs to pick up points or it could quickly become a failing grade. Of course, if he shifts down to the third pairing once Salo, Hamhuis and Ballard return, his lack of offense isn't so bad.
Dan Hamhuis
16 of 26
Top Four Defenceman
Grade: B
Hamhuis is wearing Mattias Ohlund's old No. 2, and Canucks fans could be forgiven if they forgot the name on the back of the jersey at times, as both Hamhuis and Ohlund are similar solid, smooth skating defencemen.
Hamhuis has one assist, five hits and five blocked shots so far this season, but his solid skating and positioning have been a great addition to the Canucks, more than his numbers indicate.
Unfortunately, the previously durable Hamhuis has inherited more than Ohlund's old number, he also inherited the Canucks penchant for brittle defencemen, having missed three games so far with an injured foot after blocking a shot. Hopefully this was his first, and last, injury as a Canuck.
Keith Ballard
17 of 26
Third Pairing/Depth Defenceman
Grade: B
Like Hamhuis, Ballard was acquired to help solidify the Canucks injury-riddled defence, which has been decimated in the spring the last few seasons.
Unfortunately, he played a mere four games before suffering a concussion early on in the fifth game of the season.
Up until that point, his play had been solid, with eight hits and eight blocked shots. Those are pretty good numbers considering that Ballard was being eased back into the lineup with limited ice time after offseason hip surgery.
Andrew Alberts
18 of 26
Third Pairing/Depth Defenceman
Grade: A
Andrew Alberts had a solid training camp, outplaying Shane O'Brien (since traded) and has looked more like the player Mike Gillis thought he was trading for last spring, rather than the scapegoat he was during the playoffs.
The only defenceman who isn't named Erhoff that can boast a positive +/- rating, Alberts has been huge physically in the Canucks' end, throwing his big 6'5" frame around. In eight games, he had 13 blocked shots and a team leading 23 hits. Perhaps more importantly, the only major penalty he has taken so far this year was a fighting major.
Alberts also has a goal and an assist, but that is just gravy for a stay at home defenceman acquired more for his toughness than his scoring prowess.
Aaron Rome
19 of 26
Third Pairing/Depth Defenceman
Grade: B-
A dependable seventh defenceman, Rome has been pressed into service since Ballard suffered his concussion, playing the last four Canucks' games. Eight hits and five blocked shots are respectable for a sixth defenceman playing limited icetime.
Roberto Luongo
20 of 26
Starting Goalie
Grade: B
With a 1-3-2 record, 2.92 GAA and 0.903 Save Percentage, Luongo appears to be off to his regular October start, which is to say a slow start if you want to be charitable.
Here are a few quick points about his performance so far:
First, Luongo looks good with his new style, playing deeper in the net when the puck is below the circles, as suggested by new goalie coach Rollie Melanson.
There were several plays in each game down low where he came across smoothly to calmly make a save, whereas last year it would have been either a heroic lunge across the crease or the puck would be in the back of the net.
Second, the team has been the problem in some of the losses, which is to say that while Luongo isn't blameless, he wasn't exactly helped out by his skaters. In the two shootout losses (LA Kings and Chicago Blackhawks), the Canucks only scored one regulation time goal. If you only score one goal in 60 minutes, it is hard to pin the loss on your own goalie.
Third, he was brutal in the first game against the Minnesota Wild (final score 6-2), being pulled after giving up six goals in the first two periods. However, I'd say only maybe 3-4 players came to play in that game, so again while he was brutal, it is hard to blame it all on Lou.
*For the record, only the Sedins (2 goals), Schneider (flawless third period in relief) and Rypien (willing to scrap with anyone and everyone in a Wild jersey, including fans) came to play with emotion in that game.
A note for optimism however is how Luongo came back the next night against Chicago and played an almost flawless 65 minutes (giving up 1 goal) before losing in the shootout.
Cory Schneider
21 of 26
Backup Goalie
Grade: A+
Finally winning a spot on the big team, blue chip goalie prospect Cory Schneider has been excellent in his seven periods of work so far.
He has a pair of wins in two starts, plus a period of relief in place of Luongo. His 0.86 GAA and 0.968 Save Percentage are second in the NHL to the Boston Bruin's Tim Thomas. Look for Schneider to get more starts in the future, as the Canucks are trying to showcase him for an eventual trade.
A note of caution here about his winning record. While his save percentage and GAA are excellent, the Canucks have also outscored opponents 11-2 in the seven periods Schneider has been in net. I wouldn't expect him to get a five-goal cushion on a regular basis, but then again, maybe head coach Alain Vigneault should consider starting Schneider whenever he needs to get the offence back on track.
Incomplete Grades
22 of 26
The following players were not graded because they played less than 50% of the games to date.
Rick Rypien (3 GP) Fourth line winger/center. Injured to start the season and suspended following the incident in Minnesota; Rypien hasn't played enough to evaluate.
Alex Bolduc (1 GP) Fourth line center. Bolduc won the fourth line role out of camp, then promptly went on the IR after the first game with a high ankle sprain.
Ryan Parent (3 GP) The eighth defenceman on the roster, Parent has drawn into the lineup the last three games with Hamhuis nursing his injured foot. Zero points and minus-three rating.
Alex Burrows (0 GP) First line winger. Rehabbing after offseason surgery on his shoulder, Burrows was placed on LTIR to start the season but now is back practicing with the team and should be able to return once he misses the minimum 10 games.
Sami Salo (0 GP) Top Four Defenceman. Suffered a burst ACL during offseason training; not expected back until early 2011.
Power Play
23 of 26
Grade: A
The bread and butter of the Canucks' offence last year, the power play has continued to produce this year, scoring at a 21.9 percent clip, good for seventh in the NHL.
Unfortunately, the Canucks haven't been drawing penalties at the same rate as last year, having only had 32 power plays in eight games this year, 18th in the NHL in that category. A skilled team like this needs to drive the net and draw more penalties.
Penalty Kill
24 of 26
Grade: C
Partially skewed by the horrible game in Minnesota that is better forgotten, the Canucks PK is a miserable 82.9 percent.
Bottom line, this needs to improve drastically if the Canucks hope to have to be playoff contenders, not pretenders.
Coaching
25 of 26
Grade: C
The Canucks' coaching staff hasn't been good enough so far this season, at least not on a consistent basis. There are too many players under achieving their potential this year, the PK is horrible, excessive line juggling is preventing chemistry from forming and most importantly, there have been 2-3 games so far this year already where the team came out flat and not ready to play.
There are bright spots, like the power play, and mitigating factors like injuries, but bottom line is that the coaches have to do a better job preparing the team.
I will say that I like the recent change in the shootout, a Canucks weak point in recent years. Vigneault wasn't letting the shooters know ahead of time, just tapping them immediately before their turn, so they didn't have time to over think it. Simple, yet effective so far.
Overall Team Grade
26 of 26
Overall Team Grade: B
The Canucks are playing well enough to squeak into the playoffs, so I'm putting them at a B currently. Reinforcements are incoming as the walking wounded start to return to the lineup shortly (specifically Burrows, Hamhuis and Ballard), and this will have a trickle down effect that should improve the whole lineup, allowing the Canucks to achieve closer to their true potential than they have been doing so far this season.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=480 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "B/R NHL Staff Second-Round Predictions 🏒")
