Ephin Canucks

April 6th, 2008, 11:34 PM

I think if the sedins were gone, and replaced with a couple of top quality scoring forwards,
the team would instantly change it's personality. One of the forwards could come from the sedin twins, and one can come from either free agency, or another trade deal.

I think if naslund was put with a couple of top forwards on first line, his game would improve, and the team would also look very different, and Vineault wouldn't have to put
such a defensive personality on the play, he has no choice right now, as he has no one able to score. Even last night when he let the twins go out there on the first line and do
something, they couldn't, they were knocked all over the place, their legs are weak, and
other players just have to push them and they 'crumple'. There game is methodical, slow
and when the tough get going they fall down, they can't raise their level of play for the
crunch time of the year, when everyone else does. With sedins gone, the constant cycling in the corners would stop, at least for the most part, and with new strong forwards, there could be more scoring off the rush.
Luongo has two years left on his contract, and Nonis owes it to him to put a better team
in front of him, and luongo's poor play recently is because of his distraction in his personal
life. If you heard Hrudy's story last night on CBC, he explained his situation in similar times.
I would love to have Spezza here, he is one of my favourite players, but why on earth
would Ottawa ever let him go, but I guess 'never say never', twins for spezza ,to me would
be a wonderful trade for Vancouver, he is not only a great player, he is a great person, and
Canadian.
They just might trade Spezza for Luongo, but then we would take a big step back, and have to wait till we get a top goalie, as schneider is untested right now, but maybe when
Luongo's contract is up, he will be ready to step right in and take over, he is only out of junior last year I think. We spent too many years with goalies who would let us down when we needed them the most, Luongo should at least play out his contract, which would be four years, he is the last player we should be getting rid of, have a little patience, what is happening isn't his fault.
Yeah, we do need a goon, why didn't we just keep Brashear when we had him, he's on
Washington now, and doing OK I guess, we need a couple of those guys.
Look what Minnesota did, they picked up Simon, and they have Boogard, and they used
to be very soft, not any more, and they have Fedorick too, another tough guy.
I wouldn't have Carter back here at all, he was far too greedy, his head blew up too big, then he was on columbus and 'dropped', had a try out somewhere else, I think Edmonton, and couldn't even make the team. He had one lucky year, after many very mediocre ones, and all of a sudden he thought he was gods gift to the canucks, forget it.

April 7th, 2008, 09:28 AM

I don't think the blame can rest on the Sedins. Aside from them and Naslund there were only 3 other players that scored more than 9 goals. Secondary scoring was the biggest problem. If there had been some scoring support they would be in playoffs. I'm not a big Sedins fan but I'm even a less fan of the rest of the group.

April 7th, 2008, 09:46 AM

Good post talloola

Just a couple points. I think we are burning Luongo out. We have had games where he stands on his head and makes 35 saves and we still manage to lose by a couple goals. Often Luongo is abandoned by the younger defencemen who are both behind the net chasing an opposing winger leaving Luongo to face the other two forwards
I had forgotten that Luongo had two years left but I think Sandford is a very good backup and with more playing time he could replace Luongo if we got somebody like Spezza for him. As you say, we need to score more goals and we need to be tougher. I'm afraid the twins are just not strong enough, mentally, or physically.. Naslund could be salvaged with a couple good, tough, fowards.
One problem is still that the Vancouver management don't like to spend money, but this has always been a problem in Vancouver.

April 7th, 2008, 12:44 PM

The secondary scorers became the people who were depended on to score more, as the first line
scorers couldn't get the job done, hence, burrows and kessler, and when those kinds of
players become your best players on 'many' occasions, the problem is not secondary scoring.
When we get a couple of strong scoring forwards, vineault can soften his defensive
style, and let some of these guys loose, and make offence become defence sometimes,
as when you have the puck in the other teams end, that is good defence as well.
We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one I guess.
Everyone talks about Marion Hossa, but I'm not sure if I like that idea, as he is a chech.
and not a very good leader-type, as many of them aren't, I'd rather have a canadian, or
even an american, but he is a big strong high scoring foward, and a talented player, but
I question his loyalty and passion, but I guess if he wasn't the 'top' guy, and there was
someone else to lead the way, it would be OK.
This team needs a strong leader, at the top. I wish Jovo was still here, he was naturally
cut out to be 'just that'.
Lets not forget, the sedins only did the job during the 'softer' regular season, and if
they come back nextyear , they will probably do the same, and get us all excited about these
two nifty guys, who look like magic out there, seeing each other everywhere, (but
often don't see others), BUT, when the crunch comes, they are embarrassing.

April 7th, 2008, 12:55 PM

That's right, they don't like to spend money, but after last year they didn't have any,
but now they have money, AND new owners, who are local and very passionate about
the team. They will spend money now, cause Naslund's and Morrison's contracts run out, and
there are quite a few other free agents as well, and the cap is higher. If Nonis wants a job after next Xmas
he must do something, THIS IS HIS TIME, lets see what he can do.
I like Sanford too, but if we let Luongo go now, the rest of the league would think we
are crazy, we haven't given him a real chance, and if we have to trade him, it should be
before the trade deadline of his last year, so that we get TOP players for him, or next
year, if all goes 'wrong', which I don't think will happen, unless of course Nonis 'chokes'.
If the Sedins do stay next year, they have to be dropped to the second line, as they
are not first line players, but could, 'with a good winger with them' play second line
again, and help the team, but I'd rather see Naslund stay than them, and I'm not sure
about Morrison, he is having surgery today, and it will take 6 months for him to be
ready, so the jury will be out on him, for some time.
The defence: Canucks had a horrific beginning right from training camp, with all the injuries.
It mixed the pairings up quite a bit all year, and yes, the young ones at times lost their position
and Luongo was abandoned. edler had an amazing year, until the crunch time came, then it seems
his age and lack of experience showed, and of course Bieksa never did reach his potential this year.
Next year I expect, 'barring more injuries' that the defence will again be solid, and edler will be a year
older. I hope Bourdon picks it up a little too, he was also overwhelmed, but he is still very young, and they
say defencemen take longer to break in, so lets give him some more time, edler is an exception in this department
he is very mature mentally, and quick to make the right decision, so I think we have a good one with him, but he
should work on his skating this summer.

April 7th, 2008, 01:19 PM

The Sedins did more scoring than a lot of guys in the league. Fortunately for those other guys they could rely on at least a goal every once in awhile from someone else to break a one goal game. We can't expect Luongo to stand on his head every night and win 1-0 or 2-1. Like #juan said, the guy must be heading for burnout if he isn't there already. Look at last year's playoffs, if it wasn't for Luongo playing beyond rational and Sedins chipping in their part it would've ended way earlier, and it should've. They weren't a very good, playing above their heads in results, and it showed this year when a goalie game back to Earth. They need more scoring, not just more from whoever would replace the Sedins but more from the rest of the team.

April 7th, 2008, 05:05 PM

As I said before I loved the Sedins till after the trade deadline, but unfortunately that is
the most impotant time of year, as all teams rachet up their games, play is more physical
and rougher, and faster, that is when they showed their lack of all of the above.
Of course the team needs more than just replacing them, I agree, and if they stay and
play on a second line with a player, who is big, mean, tough, and talented, they will
be OK, as they won't have to play against the best defence on the opposition.
And, that is probably what nonis will do, but the sedins would bring back one top player
in a trade, and we don't have that much to work with when trading. The team shouldn't
have to play above their heads to win, as teams like that come back down to earth, and
play at their real level most of the time.
The team has no character, no leadership, no spunk, no backbone. Look at Washington,
they have one player who has all of those things, and it rubs off on others, and they find
out they have much more to offer than they thought they had, and along with the change in coaching, that team stepped up and played with lots of energy and heart, and played up to the energy of their leader, Ovetchkin.
Our 'socalled' 4 top players, all swedes, i'll include Ohlund, are a completely dead bunch, but I do see some
spunk coming out of Naslund recently, although he should never be captain, but I see
the talent, and playmaking and scoring ability, and how he can bring the puck up the ice
and start a good play, so I don't want to lose him, he just needs a couple of talented players, who will have
puck control along with him, so they can make plays and score lots of goals, as when he plays with the sedins
they don't see him most of the time, they see each other.
A guy called in on 1040 today, and said that next year vineault should have a cattle prod
on the bench, and as soon as the sedins start all of that useless cycling he should give them a little zap, and remind them what it is for.
OK, back to my scalloped potatoes and yummy cheese sauce.

April 7th, 2008, 06:41 PM

Picking the Sedins in that draft was still a good move. Most every other 1st rounder in that draft has been a complete dud, worse than they. The problem is what they haven't got in nearly every other draft. The Sedins would be good second liners if they had ever drafted someone else that made the team. I don't think anyone is going to give up a 50 or 60 goal scorer for them so I don't really see the point if no one else can score, other than as you say creating a different chemistry. I would seriously consider a Luongo deal for a major forward. What Vancouver needs is excitement more than anything. If I was a paying customer I'd rather see a 6-5 loss than this constant 2-1 stuff. If they don't change they're going to lose a lot of television viewers. I personally can't stand it.

April 7th, 2008, 07:27 PM

I tuned into team 1040 a little while ago, and their poll question was, do you think the sedins should be traded. I didn't listen long enough to find out what most think, but
Dave Pratt said that anyone who wants them traded is a 'pin head', if I had any respect
for anything pratt says, I would have been 'shattered'.
But, I guess I do kind of sit on the fence with this one, they should actually stay if they
can play on second line, not the top line.
I would like to be a fly on the wall when nonis and tambalini are having their chats, and
discussing the team and the future.
They just had the lottery draw, and tampa bay won the 1st pick, l.a. has second.
If we acquire a couple of big, talented scoring forwards, our team will instantly become
more exciting. The defensive game is boring if your losing, but as soon as you start winning, nobody cares how you play, but if we score a lot more, we won't be so defensive,just responsible. The outcome is the bottom line.
Don't forget we also have Mason Raymond, with a huge upside for scoring goals and
assists, what I saw in him this year was very exciting, too bad he was injured, kind of a
dirty hit. He is still very raw, but so talented, and made huge strides in a short time, so
I feel good about his future.

April 14th, 2008, 11:34 PM

It has just been anounced that Dave Nonis has been fired. Quick a surprise to me, I
didn't expect that. And now I wonder who's next, will it be Vineault and company, as
Nonis hired him, so maybe he's toast too.
Press conference tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. on team 1040.