Vancouver Canucks: Early-Season Report Card
The Vancouver Canucks have now completed the first 16 games of the 2010-2011 NHL season, with 10 wins, four regulation losses and two shootout losses. That record is good for 22 points, giving the Canucks a five-point lead atop the Northwest Division.
As 16 games is approximately 20 percent of the 82 game schedule, a statistically significant chunk of the season, I felt it appropriate to grade the players and team on their performance.
For a look at the grades for the first 10 percent of the season, see this article. I plan on issuing an updated report card every eight games or so throughout the season.
Methodology
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 top two lines, I'm primarily looking for scoring; the third line is a blend of secondary scoring and grit; and at the fourth line all I'm really looking for is physical play and not being a liability.
For the defense, I based the division of top-four defensemen vs. third pairing/depth defensemen 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 defensemen who play more minutes, especially on special teams, at 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:
Individual 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 27
First-line Center
Current Grade: A+
Previous Grade: A
Henrik Sedin has 20 points in 16 games, tying him for fifth overall in the NHL scoring race. This is a bit off his pace from last season, but still good for 103 points if extrapolated over a full season.
Missing so far, however, is a dominant three or four point night. Instead, Sedin has been steadily piling on the points, one or two every game without fail. Consistency isn't a bad thing, and his points per game average should increase once Burrows is back in game shape.
Daniel Sedin
2 of 27
First Line Winger
Current Grade: A+
Previous Grade: A
Like his twin, Daniel has 20 points in 16 games, good for fifth overall in the NHL scoring race. What is extraordinary, however, is his goals-to-assists ratio. Typically the Sedins would pile up four assists for every goal, but Daniel actually has more goals than assists this year.
His 11 goals puts Daniel just behind Steven Stamkos (15), Sidney Crosby (12) and Alex Semin (12) in the Rocket Richard race. More importantly, Daniel is on pace for a 56 goal season. Yes, that isn't a typo. Fifty-six goals.
When was the last time a Canuck scored 50+ goals? Naslund came close in the heyday of the West Coast Express line with 48 goals in 2002-2003, but you'd actually have to go back to Pavel Bure in 1997-1998, his last season in Vancouver.
If Daniel can stay on this pace, it would be a huge leap forward for both the team and Daniel himself.
Alex Burrows
3 of 27
First-line Winger
Grade: B
Previous Grade: Incomplete
I debated whether or not to grade Burrows at this point, as he has only played six games after missing training camp and the early portion of the season after shoulder surgery.
However, he seems to be getting back into game shape and rediscovering his chemistry with the twins. Burrows has 12 shots, one goal and one assist since coming back, which isn't bad considering he is a step behind most players at this point.
Expect Burrows to finish getting back into game shape and pick up where he left off last year. When I revisit the player grades in another eight games, I expect him to be somewhere in the vicinity of 10 points.
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Ryan Kesler
4 of 27
Second-line Center
Current Grade: A+
Previous Grade: B-
In the first report card, I gave Kesler a B-, calling him out for not living up to either his new contract or the expectations of a second-line center on a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. At that point in time, he had only two goals and one assist in the first eight games, and his linemates weren't producing, either.
Kesler hasn't been able to get his linemates going through playmaking, but instead has been doing all the heavy lifting himself on the second line, crashing the net and creating goals from within the blue paint.
In the last eight games, Kesler has seven goals and two assists, and came within a few posts of netting back-to-back hat tricks in the recent Ottawa and Toronto games.
To put in in perspective, Kesler's nine goals ties him with Alex Ovechkin and Claude Giroux for eighth place in the Rocket Richard race.
Kesler is on pace for 46 goals, and was only expected to score 30-35 goals at best this year, so if he can keep up anything like this pace, the Canucks second line will be fine, regardless of how his wingers do. A few more goals won't hurt his cause when it comes time to vote for the Selke this year either.
Mikael Samuelsson
5 of 27
Second Line Winger
Current Grade: C
Previous Grade: B-
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Samuelsson needs to be better.
He has 11 points in 16 games, which puts him on pace for 56 points, which is respectable for a second liner. But his meager two goals puts him on pace for only 10 goals. Yes, that isn't a typo, 10 goals, from a guy who had 30 regular season goals and eight playoff goals last year.
That just isn't good enough. Especially not from a veteran.
If Samuelsson doesn't start putting a few more into the net, he could be demoted to the third line to make way for either a promoted Raffi Torres or top prospect Cody Hodgson, who is tearing it up in the AHL currently. (Hodgson has a team leading nine goals and four assists in 15 games for the Manitoba Moose)
Mason Raymond
6 of 27
Second-line Winger
Current Grade: B
Previous Grade: B
Like his linemate Samuelsson, Mason Raymond needs to produce more. However, Raymond gets a B rather than the C Samuelsson recieved for a few reasons.
First, Raymond is the youngest player in the top-six forwards, and Samuelsson is the veteran with a Stanley Cup ring, so I cut Raymond a bit more slack.
Second, while Raymond only has four goals and seven assists for 11 points, he leads the team with three game winners, including tonight's goal against the Maple Leafs. Timely scoring is worth something more than just what the raw numbers would suggest.
Third, he is using his speed effectively, even if it isn't translating into as many goals as he would like. Raymond's 48 shots puts him second only to Kesler in shots on goal, and in 16 games, he has taken only a single minor penalty while recording a team high 11 takeaways.
Manny Malhotra
7 of 27
Third Line Center
Current Grade: A+
Previous Grade: A
Is there a third line center in the league better than Malhotra this season? I'll let the numbers speak for themselves: 62.3 percent in the face off circle, 17 hits, 11 takeaways, four goals and six assists.
Jannik Hansen
8 of 27
Third Line Winger
Current Grade: B
Previous Grade: B+
Another part of the best third line in hockey, Hansen has been using his speed to create havoc on the forecheck, recording a team high 41 hits.
However, he only has one goal and three assists, so he needs to produce a bit more, or he is in danger of being demoted to the fourth line. (Most likely replacement on the third line would Cody Hodgson or Mikael Samuelsson.)
Raffi Torres
9 of 27
Third Line Winger
Current Grade: A
Previous Grade: B+
A bargain at his contract, Torres is making GM Mike Gillis look pretty good after taking a chance on him this summer.
Last week, Torres was named NHL player of the week. The other player on the best third line in hockey right now, Torres has recorded an amazing seven goals and nine points while recording 29 hits, the second best amongst the Canucks forwards in that category.
I don't expect Torres to produce at this rate all season; indeed, the notoriously streaky winger hasn't scored in the last two games, but he is already almost halfway to the 20 goals that seemed the best case scenario for him this year.
Tanner Glass
10 of 27
Fourth Line Winger
Grade: B+
Previous Grade: B
Glass is on the team to hit people, both with clean checks and with his fists when the gloves are off. So far he has fulfilled his end of the bargain, putting up 26 hits and three fighting majors. And amazingly enough for a physical fourth liner, he hasn't taken a penalty outside of those fighting majors, which shows some nice discipline.
His one goal and three assists are just a bonus at this point, you can't ask for much more from a fourth liner.
Peter Schaefer
11 of 27
Fourth Line Winger
Grade: C
Previous Grade: C
Schaefer has been relegated to the press box since Burrows returned to the lineup, which is what was expected when he was signed. He provides depth amongst the forwards, and is a good penalty killer, but at this point his role is up in the press box until an injury or slump happens.
Rick Rypien
12 of 27
Fourth Line Center/Winger
Grade: C
Previous Grade: Incomplete
Between an early injury suffered in the preseason and his infamous suspension for shoving a Minnesota fan, Rypien has only played seven games this season. His role on the team is similiar to Tanner Glass. Hit people and drop the gloves when it is deemed necessary, while not being a liability on the ice.
So far Rypien has three fights and 12 hits in his seven games, so he is filling that part of the bargain. However, he is also minus-four so far this season, so he gets marked down for that.
Alex Edler
13 of 27
Top Four Defenceman
Grade: B+
Previous Grade: B
Alex Edler is the Canucks best defenseman, hands down. His 12 points in 16 games is tops amongst Canucks defenceman, and he is also the ice-time leader with an average of 24:52 per game.
He is second on the team with 30 hits, and leads the team in blocked shots with 35.
Christian Erhoff
14 of 27
Top Four Defenceman
Grade: B
Previous Grade: B+
Erhoff has fallen off his scoring pace a bit, but still has a respectable nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 16 games.
I'd still like to see a bit more physicality out of him, but that is unlikely at this point in his career.
Dan Hamhuis
15 of 27
Top Four Defenceman
Grade: B
Previous Grade: B
Hampered by a foot injury, Hamhuis has only played eight games so far this year. Nine hits, 10blocked shots and two points (one goal, one assist) are his contributions to the stat sheet so far this year. But his defensive awareness and positioning means that Hamhuis doesn't need to make the big hit or block a shot to break up a play, because he stops it before the play develops into a scoring chance.
Expect Hamhuis to be better as he gets back in to 100 percent after the foot injury.
Kevin Bieksa
16 of 27
Top Four Defenceman
Grade: B
Previous Grade: B-
Anyone want to take a guess who owns the best plus/minus rating amongst the defencemen? I'll give you a hint, it is someone who was a playoff scapegoat by the fans, and I'm not talking about Andrew Alberts.
Bieksa has played a solid physical game this year, and has a team high plus-five rating. He has recorded 22 hits and 24 blocked shots over the 16 games, as well.
Three assists still aren't enough from a guy with his skill set, but I'll take the trade of steady dependable play over the high risk/high reward style of years past. The Canucks can generate enough offense between Erhoff, Edler and the forwards, so we need Bieksa to lay people out with hits and punish opposing forwards more than we need him to rush the puck.
Aaron Rome
17 of 27
Third Pairing/Depth Defenseman
Grade: B
Previous Grade: B-
Rome is the seventh defenseman, so he only should be on the ice if there are injuries. However, as this is the cursed Canucks we are talking about, Rome has gotten into 12 of the 16 games so far this season.
He has played the same simple, physical game he did last year, recording 18 hits and 18 blocked shots, along with a pair of assists.
Andrew Alberts
18 of 27
Third Pairing/Depth Defenseman
Grade: A
Previous Grade: A
Alberts has been a rock on the backend, using his big 6'5" frame to demolish opposing forwards. Alberts has recorded a team high 48 hits while also recording 26 blocked shots en route to a nice plus-four rating. Not too bad for a third pairing defenseman who was a playoff scapegoat last spring.
Keith Ballard
19 of 27
Fourth Line Center/Winger
Grade: C+
Previous Grade: B
Ballard hasn't been good enough, with zero points, 10 hits and 18 blocked shots in eight games. He is also a team worst minus three.
However, Ballard has been hampered by off season hip surgery, as well as a concussion that kept him out of the lineup for two weeks. Coach Alain Vigneault has acknowledged that these injuries are affecting Ballard, and has pulled him from the starting lineup until he gets back up to game speed.
Expect Ballard to be back with a vengeance once he is inserted into the starting roster. A proud veteran, he can't like being a "healthy" scratch, but then again he hasn't ever been on a team where he wasn't one of the top defencemen, hampered by injuries or not. The Canucks have the luxury of depth, unlike his previous teams in Florida and Phoenix.
Roberto Luongo
20 of 27
Starting Goalie
Grade: B+
Previous Grade: B
When last I evaluated the team, Lou owned a dismal 1-3-2 record, 2.92 GAA and 0.903 save percentage.
He now has improved to 7-4-2, lowered his GAA to 2.66 and improved his save percentage to 0.914.
You could say the recent Toronto game was his season in a nutshell. Inconsistent early, lights out at the end.
Cory Schneider
21 of 27
Backup Goalie
Grade: A+
Previous Grade: A+
A perfect 3-0 in his starts, Schneider also sports a terrific 0.969 save percentage and amazing 0.90 GAA. One of the best backups in the league, look to see Schneider get a few more starts soon, now that Luongo is back in midseason form.
Incomplete Grades
22 of 27
The following players were not graded because they are either currently injured, or have not played enough games to date.
Sami Salo (0 GP): Top-four Defenceman. Suffered a burst ACL during offseason training; not expected back until early 2011.
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.
Jeff Tambellini (6 GP): Sent back to the minors once Burrows came off injured reserve
Mario Bliznak (2 GP): The former Vancouver Giant has looked good in his two games so far centering the fourth line, but I need to see more games before giving him a grade.
Guillaume Desbiens (12 GP): Desbiens has played a great physical game, but broke his hand in a recent fight.
Ryan Parent (4 GP): The eighth defenceman on the roster, Parent has been pencilled into the lineup for only four games so far.
Power Play
23 of 27
Grade: A+
Previous Grade: A
Scoring on 28.3 percent of their power plays, the Canucks currently have the No. 1 power play in the NHL.
Penalty Kill
24 of 27
Grade: B
Previous Grade: C
Previously, the PK was running at only 82.9 percent. The Canucks have improved recently, bringing it up to 85.0 percent, good for 11th in the NHL. Still needs to improve to be consistent with the rest of the Canucks' game, although the return of Hamhuis, Ballard and Burrows should help with that.
Coaching
25 of 27
Grade: B
Previous Grade: C
Previously I marked the coaching staff down because the special teams weren't special enough, and the team was seemingly unprepared for some games. Since then, the team has improved on both sides of special teams and gone on a hot streak.
Leadership
26 of 27
Grade: A
The leadership group of Captain Henrik Sedin, and assistants Daniel Sedin, Manny Malhotra, Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa have done a good job.
After the horrendous 6-2 loss in Minnesota, which also saw Rypien suspended, Henrik held a team meeting to get the team back on track. And it worked.
Since that meeting, the Canucks have gone 8-1-1, including a six game win streak and a pair of entertaining, come from behind wins against Toronto and Detroit on Hockey Night in Canada.
The team looks like they are loose and having fun, and it is translating into winning hockey.
Overall Team Grade
27 of 27
Grade: A+
Previous Grade: B
When I last graded the team, they were sitting ninth in the West. Now they are third in the West, and have a five point cushion over Colorado for the Northwest Division lead.
The Canucks are also one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now, with a 8-1-1 record (Philadelphia and Washington also have similar 8-1-1 records).
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