SLUMP BUSTERS
Although the Canucks said they weren’t really worried about the number of goalless and pointless streaks that were strangling the offence out of the club prior to Tuesday’s game versus the Stars, you can bet that privately a few guys were doing a jig after the 7-1 win.
And if you’re a fan of the team (or the coach for that matter), then you no doubt are pleased about who bumped their slumps in that game.
Because when it comes right down to it, it’s far more important to get Alex Burrows, Mason Raymond and Mikael Samuelsson going, than Manny Malhotra, Raffi Torres and Jeff Tambellini.
Sure the Canucks would love to have balanced scoring throughout the line-up all the time but that’s just not realistic.
So the next best thing is to have the top two lines clicking offensively with the bottom two chipping in with the odd timely goal. Throw in the offence that Vancouver gets from its D and you’ve got a pretty good formula for success.
Last season the Canucks finished second in the league in goals but that didn’t do them any good in the playoffs.
So Mike Gillis decided he needed to acquire some role players to fill the holes that he felt his team had. If that meant leaving goals on the table, so be it.
Out the door went offensive players like Kyle Wellwood and Michael Grabner.
Taking their place was the grit of Raffi Torres and the faceoff and penalty killing ability of Manny Malhotra.
Are these guys capable of producing more offence than they have lately? Sure.
But it’s more importance for Torres to really amp up his physical game, while Malhotra continues to focus on the little things that will help his team succeed.
And if that ends up meaning less goals this season than last, who cares?
SALO SITUATION
Sami Salo continues to work hard in preparation for a return to the NHL and I don’t pretend to have any inside information for when that might be.
All I can say is he is starting to look very good in practice with his teammates.
How the Canucks clear the cap space for (or if as the club would like you believe) his return is Laurence Gilman’s problem (and then Gillis’s decision), but one option he may have is to trade Christian Ehrhoff.
Now I’m not saying they are trying to deal the German, in fact I have no doubt they are trying to sign him.
But what if negotiations aren’t going well or ultimately hit a wall?
What if you’re not sure you will be able to re-sign him?
Do you play out the season and hope something gets done in the summer with the risk letting him walk for nothing?
Or do you trade him when Salo is ready to return, to clear the cap space for Salo and maybe a little more depth at the deadline?
One reason the club may feel they can let him go is because of how well Bieksa has played this season.
Perhaps re-signing Bieksa, who seemed like a goner last summer, is now seen as a priority too?
Who knows?
But when Salo is set to come back, these questions will start to have some answers.
Mike Gillis said in New York that there may be a way to bring Salo back into the fold, without really touching the current make up of the team.
That would ultimately be the best scenario for Canuck fans, as Bieksa/Hamhuis, Edler/Ehrhoff and Ballard/Salo would be three very impressive pairings indeed.
CRAIG CONROY
If Craig Conroy’s career is done now that the Flames have waived the veteran centre, I surely won’t be the first or the last too say that the league is losing one of the nicest guys to play the game.
I rarely ever saw Conroy without a smile on his face and he always had time to talk to everyone.
Just last Saturday before a handful of Flames got set for an optional skate at Rogers Arena and Conroy stopped to talk to a few of us schmoes from the media.
He made light of his situation as a healthy scratch, calling himself the highest paid fantasy camper alive.
And then he went out and hit the ice with a smile on his face, like he’s done since he came into the league 16 years ago.