#2 in the West: Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks finished one win short of a Stanley Cup Championship last spring. An extremely successful season followed by a strong playoff run ended when the Canucks met a bigger Bruins’ lineup in the Finals. GM Mike Gillis has done a great job building a perennial contender for the past few years and should have continued success for years to come. Alain Vigneault has proven his abilities to coach this club efficiently – getting the most out of his superstars. This coming season will be no exception as the Canucks plow through what may now be the weakest division in hockey. They will likely finish at the top of the Western Conference because of their placement within it, but I still have some faith in the Sharks.

On the offensive side of the puck, Vancouver sports a dangerously talented group of individuals – from the first line to the fourth. The two most crucial pieces of this puzzle play on the same line and came from the same womb: the Sedin twins. Henrik Sedin is the current captain of this squad and will be for the foreseeable future. I don’t know if he is the most vocal captain in the world, but it doesn’t really matter because he leads by example on the ice. Henrik constantly sets up his linemates for easy, tap-in goals. He seems to have incredible telepathy with his twin brother Daniel. I have been watching hockey for my entire life and never have I seen two players work so well together. Even if their heads were always down, their passes to each other would probably still be tape-to-tape. Although the two share almost everything, Daniel plays a different role. He shoots. Henrik has the ability to score, but understands Daniel is the one who finishes. Henrik won the Art Ross Trophy in 2010. Daniel followed his lead in 2011. Expect the Sedin twins to continue their dominance over the league with 90-110 points each! The final member of this potent first line is Alexandre Burrows. After watching the Stanley Cup Finals, I lost a ton of respect for him. That being said, he’s still a terrific hockey player who can play a multitude of roles: pest, scorer, playmaker, etc. He eats up a lot of space on the ice for Henrik and Daniel to create. This is not to say he can’t match their level of play because he absolutely can…and does. Burrows consistently attacks the net and causes havoc for defensemen along the boards. Ryan Kesler centers the second line, but would easily be a number one with a different club. He is a premier two-way center who won the Frank J. Selke Trophy this past season for his outstanding defensive play in addition to his vital offensive production. Kesler will have another successful season – probably around 70-75 points – but may not see the same 41-goal production. Mason Raymond is next on the depth chart. He’s an explosive winger who doesn’t hesitate to use his speed.  He’s had a small history of injury woes and experienced an unfortunate check in the Finals that ended his season. If healthy, Raymond will return for a “bounce-back” year. His production dipped slightly last season, but I anticipate around 55 points from him in 2011-2012. Mikael Samuelsson provides the most bang for his buck. At 16 minutes of average ice time and making $2.5 million a year, his 50 points last season came at a small price. He works well on the power play, especially with his talented teammates. His turnovers cause Canuck fans an enormous amount of stress however. Manny Malhotra has exemplified his importance as a defensive forward for the past decade. After missing a portion of the season with an eye injury, Malhotra returned in the Stanley Cup Finals. To everyone’s surprise, it wasn’t just an emotional move. The Canucks relied on him to win numerous faceoffs – his greatest asset. He’ll be back again for what we all hope will be a healthy season and career. Marco Sturm was brought in to provide more veteran leadership to this group. Although his level of play has diminished over the years, an improved cast in Vancouver may result in improved numbers. Sturm still has the potential to reach 30-40 points. Over the past three seasons, Chris Higgins has played for a total of five teams: Montreal, Florida, New York, Calgary and now Vancouver. In the 14 games he played in Vancouver, he was able to muster five points. Higgins has a ton of potential but hasn’t found an environment to flourish. If one exists, it’s Vancouver. Jannik Hansen has slowly been earning his spot on the roster. Now that it’s solidified, he has the opportunity to really shine this season. He possesses all of the necessary tools to make it in the NHL, other than this. Dumb. Maxim Lapierre is garbage. I don’t enjoy having strong opinions, but this man and Matt Cooke are both despicable hockey players. I understand Lapierre’s role – it’s just obnoxious. He’ll chip in a few goals here and there but mostly, he’s just a distraction. Much like Higgins, Andrew Ebbett has played for 4 different teams over the past two seasons. He should see some fourth-line minutes with this club. That’s enough time to prove he belongs in the big league. Lastly, we have Mark Mancari. He has been valuable in the AHL, but these talents haven’t translated to the NHL. He has the potential to be a solid addition and Vancouver is the place to do it.

Offensive Score: A

Not only is this team effective up front, but also on the back-end. With a new  5-year contract signed over the summer, Kevin Bieksa becomes the highest paid defenseman on the team at $4.6 million per year. This is no accident. Bieksa is a talented, punishing individual. He throws his body around when needed, but most importantly, he can shoot and move the puck. The loss of Christian Ehrhoff hurts this team, but the resigning of Bieksa certainly lessens the blow. I expect nothing but the best from him this coming season. After spending his entire career in Nashville, Dan Hamhuis was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Canucks. His first and only year with the team, Hamhuis put up 23 points and was a positive 29. That’s definitely not something to scoff at, but for $4.5 million, he needs to contribute more offensively. He should see a bit more ice time with Ehrhoff’s absence. Alexander Edler led all Canuck defensemen last season in average time on ice. This is true testament to the level of his play, especially on a team with a defensive squad as good as the Canucks’. Back surgery limited him to 51 games last season, but he was still able to pile up a respectable 33 points. I anticipate Edler having an exceptional season with 45-50 points. Keith Ballard hasn’t quite been the defenseman the organization hoped for after he was acquired from the Panthers. He was benched for a portion of the playoffs for his less-than-stellar play (-4 and 0 points in 10 games). Hopefully, the 2011-2012 season can be a return to relevancy. Sami Salo is a 12-year veteran who missed the majority of last season with an injury. He only appeared in 27 games with this club, but if he should come back healthy, expect more solid defensive work along with a booming slap shot from the point. Andrew Alberts is another player who missed a significant amount of time last season. He isn't a big point-producer, however he is a big body on the back-end who makes smart decisions with the puck and that can't be overlooked. Aaron Rome is probably best remembered for his late hit on Nathan Horton in the Stanley Cup Finals that got him suspended. What confuses me is how you can concuss a player after being a victim of one yourself? That hit aside, Rome is a capable 5th or 6th defenseman. He will see some playing time this year, but he's going to have to battle for it. Finally, we end with Chris Tanev. He played 29 games for the Canucks last season accumulating a massive point in the process. It's going to be tough to crack this lineup, but I wish him the best. 

Defensive Score: A-

The Canucks have one of the best goalie tandems in the league. Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider are two talented goalies and should provide incredible stability for this club. Critics say Luongo won't last long as the starter, but I disagree. He is a professional and will always be a starter, until maybe the end of his career. The last seven games of his season weren't his best and he's well aware of that. I guarantee Luongo bounces right back into his best form. If not, Schneider will be there to pick up the pieces. Schneider is on the brink of a starting position - it's just a matter of when and where. 

Goaltending Score: A

A return to the Finals isn't out of the question.