BY JAMES HUNT – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
Simply put, the Canucks will not be sellers at this year’s trade deadline. They’re not a team looking to rebuild and the Roberto Luongo contract aside, they are not desperately looking to dump a load of salaries.
Despite what’s been an up and down season so far, this is a team that still considers itself a Stanley Cup contender and when you look at the Canucks on paper, they make a pretty good case.
After all, this is a Canucks team only two years removed from a Stanley Cup final and MOST of the core from that final is still intact today. Add to that core the likes of Jason Garrison, Zack Kassian, and the very improved play from both Chris Tanev and Jannik Hansen.
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Unfortunately the games aren’t played on paper and right now the Canucks medical room looks about the same now as it did after game seven against the Bruins two years ago and that’s the tricky bit Gillis has to consider heading into this year’s annual NHL swap meet.
Will Ryan Kesler be back in time to be a contributing factor on the second line?
Will Zack Kassian and his bad back be able to handle the rigors of playoff hockey?
Will David Booth see the ice again this year?
Will the Canucks D remain relatively healthy for the rest of the year and into the playoffs?
Will both of the Sedin’s be healthy when the quest for the Cup begins?
For argument’s sake, let’s assume that Ryan Kesler returns in time to pick up the slack as the Canucks number two pivot and let’s assume that Zack Kassian and his back are all mended up heading into the playoffs.
That leaves the Canucks with a top nine of Daniel, Henrik, Burrows, Kesler, Higgins, Kassian, Raymond, Hanson and Schroeder.
IF that’s the case, then I see Gillis looking for an experienced third line center, with a bit more size than Jordan Schroeder.
On the fourth line the Canucks presently have C Max Lapierre, with wingers Tom Sestito, Dale Weise and Steve Pinnizotto. Not a bad group, but I imagine Gillis would like another large bodied guy on standby, for either third or fourth line duty.
Finally, I see Gillis looking for some insurance on D. So far the Canucks have been fairly lucky on the back end with Bieksa being the only guy missing any significant time this year and as we all know, that can change in a heartbeat. If the Canucks are going to make any noise the playoffs, Cam Barker is not the answer. Nothing of the Ray Bourque variety, just a couple of seventh or eighth guys that have some experience and some size.
Naturally we can’t talk about the Canucks and the trade deadline without bringing up the name, Dale Weise. I mean, Roberto Luongo. As most NHL fans already know, Mike Gillis has been holding off on trading Luuuu until he gets a deal that makes sense for the Canucks and most seem to think that might be a long time coming. Right now the market isn’t really there, but the Canucks are facing some tough times with their cap next year, so we might see Luuu on the move in return for something slightly less than Gillis might have hoped for.
Aside from Luongo, the only other Canucks talked about in world of “Let’s Make a Deal” are impending UFA, Mason Raymond and D man, Keith Ballard. Raymond is playing inspired hockey this year and some are suggesting he might be able to fetch $3.5 to 4 million on the open market this summer. I’m not sure the Canucks want to go that high, especially with their tight cap situation. Then again, they probably don’t want him to walk for nothing at the end of this year either. Keith Ballard has also been an effective player for the Canucks this year and while he’s not totally out of coach Vigneault’s doghouse, he seems to finding his groove again.
So, what does Gillis do? Does he try and turn Luongo, Ballard and Raymond into a bona fide third line centre, a decently sized D-man, a no-nonsense 3rd liner and a couple of prospects OR, does he keep these guys and try to fill some holes using a combination of prospects and picks?
The window, as some say, is slowly closing and while many Canuck fans fret about the future of the Vancouver Canucks, many others are still looking forward to that elusive Stanley Cup parade.
Once again Gillis has to find a way to satisfy both parties and that’s why they pay GM’s like him the big bucks.
Let’s see if he’s worth it!