Questions For Gillis.

After only a tenth of the season the Canucks are already a changed team. Gone are depth players McIver and Pettinger. Injured are Demitra and Rypien. Goalless are Pyatt and  Salo. The team is at .500, though and there are signs of improvement. Some questions remain, however, for Mike Gillis' consideration.

First, what to do with the twins? Resigning them would protect the asset, but they want no trade clauses and cannot be separated. It is likely that they are still being evaluated and Bernier has a bearing on this. If this line begins to click they are fixtures. If they don't click with Bernier soon there will be changes. The Bernier experiment is beginning to look a little better. Bernier might get twenty plus goals if the twins can make better use of him. Other than that, they could try Krog I guess.

The second line is also a question mark with Demitra injured. A frightened (he stated his chances of returning to the NHL were five percent, after he was waived) Wellwood might catch fire but can he ignite Pyatt? Rumors of Vancouver interest in Minnesota's Gaborik  are fuelled by his friendship with Demitra and available cap space. Vancouver could afford him, but at what cost? Minnesota GM Risebrough will want a package for his franchise player, then he must be signed. Sundin would be cheaper which is why the Canucks are waiting. As well Gillis has stated the Sundin offer consists of two years at five million apiece with signing bonuses of five a year. This results in a cap hit of only five million a year, (room for a similar deal for Gaborik?) but I wonder if it is allowed by the league?

Mats Sundin has begun training and the Vancouver media points out that the Canucks will have already gotten a lot of travel out of the way. That this discussion can even take place demonstrates a grave lack of foresight by the league. With the NFL talking about expansion to England and the recent emergence of the KHL any commissioner responsible for an unbalanced travel schedule should be removed! Whatever. Sundin might come to Vancouver. I think he'll go back to Toronto or maybe Chicago. If he were to come west he'd have to play with the Sedins. Who else? Pyatt and Wellwood? Hahaha! Okay, Demitra will probably return by then but he might be busy on the Sedins' line. My point is that there isn't a set second line, a hindrance to signing help.

Beyond the top lines things are good. The third line is set with Hansen joining Burrows and Kesler. This line is technically the Canucks shut-down line but have been scoring.The fourth line features shot-blocking wonder Johnson, tough-guy Hordichuk and Brown or Krog replacing the injured Rypien. No problems here.

Defence depth has been impacted by the loss of top Mooses Bourdon and McIver. Newly aquired O'Brien is as advertised but is developing. Davison is solid enough. The real story is the top four, Bieksa and Mitchell and Ohlund and Edler who are all good. Out of the mix is Salo, rendered expendable by Edler and injury. Trade rumors swirling around Ohlund make a lot more sense if you substitute Salo's name. What could you get for Salo, Pyatt and a pick?

Goaltending has been a little spotty, but Luongo is warming up. I really wonder about Sanford, though. Schnieder isn't ready, yet. There isn't anybody I'd want to replace the Captain in the event of injury. No big deal, right? Luongo is a horse! Well, I think he has wilted late in the year and I think it's from overwork. There isn't really anybody in the organization that can over rule Luongo if he forces an issue. If he had a hall of famer back-up or coach he might defer, we'll never know. As it stands the eggs are in one basket.

Coaching hasn't been an issue, but will be if the team continues to show up for one game in three. Somebody's head has to roll if things aren't popping along by Christmas.

The other questions facing the Canucks are off-ice but formidable. The owners, the Aquillini brothers are real estate developers in a market that has lost about thirty percent in six months. Financing for several large projects in Vancouver has fallen through because of uncertainty in banking circles. Couple that with a seventy-seven cent dollar and you have to wonder how hard the Canucks are trying to spend to the cap.

Any mention of the available cap space provokes talk of trades or other acquisitions. I have yet to hear any strong arguments for trades or free agents. Sundin might help or he might only think he can help (did Messier teach us nothing?). Gaborik is injury prone, we might as well trade Salo for him, they both play the press box.

Tonight the Canucks face the Bruins and good Vancouver boy Lucic, whom I expect to mash a Canuck or two like potatoes. Since the Sedins must be protected I expect the second line to bear the brunt of the attack. Since Wellwood is too slow to get out of the way I'd play Krog. I'd sit Raymond, too. Maybe if they dress Nycholat the damage will be manageable. If not, there will be more questions asked with no answers presenting themselves.