The Vancouver Canucks drafted C Alex Friesen from the Niagara IceDogs in the 2010 NHL draft at 172nd overall in the sixth round. Friesen is played major junior in his hometown, Niagara-on-the-lake, Ontario, and he enjoyed a rare five-season OHL ...
Throughout May, we’re taking a look at the Canucks’ roster and organization. Today’s subject: Alex Burrows. That Alex Burrows was an add-on to Team Canada for the abortive 2012 IIHF world championship would have been the best news to greet ...
John Tortorella: “We tell our players, ‘Don’t stay down on the ice. Get up.' I’ll leave it at that. If we want to start discussing officials with the media, I have a long list here.”
Source: The Province
John Tortorella: “We tell our players, ‘Don’t stay down on the ice. Get up.' I’ll leave it at that. If we want to start discussing officials with the media, I have a long list here.”Source: The Province
The earliest the Canadiens’ most remarkable Stanley Cup playoff record can be challenged will be in 2016.Source: The Province
The man recently investigated for veiled threats about U.S. President Barack Obama supports Booth's hunting exploits, and the Canucks winger is letting the world know it.Source: The White Towel by Erik Rolfsen
Well, at least David Booth has Ted Nugent on his side.
The Vancouver Canucks winger, who has been fighting a losing PR battle here in Vancouver since killing a black bear while on vacation in Alberta last month, received some support on Twitter Sunday from the aging rocker Nugent:
Email
Twitter
Facebook
David Booth the great NHL Warrior is a tru conservationist supporting the proven success of Canadian bear mgt. Godbless the wildlife hero
—
Ted Nugent (@TedNugent) May 20, 2012Booth was emboldened enough by Nugent’s comment to re-tweet it to his 42,518 followers.
Nugent, of course, has been fighting a losing PR battle of his own since remarking last month that he would “either be dead or in jail” by this time next year if U.S. President Barack Obama is re-elected. His comments were perceived as a potential threat by the U.S. Secret Service, who later asked to meet with him.
Booth’s hunting adventures since the Canucks exited the Stanley Cup playoffs have stirred up controversy among animal lovers. He used a technique called “bear baiting,” luring the bear to his area with food before killing it with crossbow. He later tweeted a picture of himself with the bear’s carcass, and even after the fuss had kicked up, posted a video from the hunt (since removed).
You all know i shot a bear heres how youtube.com/watch?v=ssCRQM… you have every right not to watch just like i have the right to choose to hunt.
—
David Booth (@D_Booth7) May 12, 2012Nugent — whose hits include “Cat Scratch Fever” and “Wango Tango” — is a National Rifle Association member who once described his own hunting technique as “whack ‘em and stack ‘em.” It’s doubtful an endorsement from him will calm the growing hostility toward Booth from the left-leaning element of the Canucks’ fan base.
Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas could not be reached for comment.
Source: Yahoo! Sports
You've got your stick in hand and all you want to do is score, but someone is denying you that moment of euphoria. Husbands of the world, the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues and the Phoenix Coyotes feel your frustration … and this display ad outside of Staples Center around LA Live during Game 4 of the Western Conference Final is hilarious. Over the last two years, the Boston Bruins offered some hilarious (and hilariously offensive, to some parties) display advertisements. For example: "Never, Ever Date A Flyers Fan. Even If She Shaves Her Moustache." Whoever put this Jonathan Quick tribute up — the Los Angeles Kings? Reebok? Some mysterious goalie-loving benefactor? — is giving those Boston ads a run for comedic genius in playoff display advertising. Although, a word of advice for that frustrated husband: Try shooting from center ice. s/t @bloodyeyeballs, via @hockeydoc21 and @tonybova
Source: CanucksArmy by NationRadio
In Alberta the off-season has become a question of coaches with both the Flames and Oilers looking to fill vacancies behind the bench. With the NHL playoffs winding down and the Memorial cup firing up, attentions are turning towards prospects and the impending free agent season as well.
The guests this week include Jonathan Willis, Tom Lynn and Corey Pronman. They joined Lowetide to talk the above topics and others including hedge fund management strategy, the importance of sustainable lifestyles in the 21st century and the best places to find a good sandwich in Western Canada (not really).
This is Nation Radio.
First up is Jonathan Willis of OilersNation and the Cult of Hockey. JW looks at the dismissal of Tom Renney, the possibility of Brent Sutter joining the Oilers, the upcoming entry draft and the launch of NHLNumbers.
Next we invited player agent Tom Lynn to discuss players and teams heading to the draft as well as the NHL's collective bargaining agreement.
Regular guest and prospect guru Corey Pronman shares some of his insights about the kids.
Oil Kings Color Commentator Kent Simpson is back to talk the Oil Kings WHL victory and trip to the Memorial Cup. Tom Renney comes up as well.
Bruce McCurdy of the Cult of Hockey looks at the Oil Kings as well, in addition to looking back at Tom Renney's time behind the Oilers bench.
In the final segment Lowetide goes it alone to wrap things up.
The whole enchilada.
Nation Radio would like to remind prospect advertisers and partners that we still have very reasonable sponsorship packages available. If you're interested, don't hesitate to contact Kent Wilson (kent.wilson@gmail.com) for more information.
Source: Yahoo! Sports
The Staples Center in Los Angeles has been busy this weekend with six playoff games in four days between the Clippers, Kings and Lakers with today featuring a day/night hockey/basketball doubleheader. And while arena workers change the surface from ice to a basketball court sometime this afternoon, at the same time, there could be some celebrating going on in the home locker room. The Stanley Cup Final awaits the Kings with a win today over the Phoenix Coyotes. It's been 19 years since they've been at this point in the postseason, but there are plenty of players on the roster that have played this late in a season before. Despite that experience, there will be nerves and likely some minds looking ahead before the puck drops on Game 4. "Everyone talks about getting to the Stanley Cup Final, but I can only speak really for myself, playing in that game tomorrow [Sunday] night is pretty fun, as well," said Kings captain Dustin Brown yesterday. "It's one of the things where you gotta really enjoy the journey. We're one game away from the Cup Final. But it's one game we have to win." It's only human nature for Brown and his teammates to picture what a celebration might be like in front of the home crowd after another series sweep. And, in Brown's case, he may have taken a moment to ponder whether or not he touches the Clarence Campbell Bowl out of superstition. Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, however, were a bit more cautious.
Source: Nucks Misconduct by Sean Zandberg
Russia vs Slovakia Gold Medal Game
TIME: 10:15 AM
TV: TSN
Usually I pay no attention to this event. But since my father-in-law is here, and he's straight out of St. Petersburg, Russia and is watching this competition, I will watch this game. Finally, he gets to watch it on my big screen TV on TSN as Canada is eliminated. So I am pulling for Russia, of course. They look absolutely dominant and are the favorites. Evgeni Malkin is smokin': 9 games played, 10 goals and 8 assists and a +14. Scoring leaders can be found
Source: The Province
During a turn-back-the-clock, sunset run for Martin Brodeur, which began at the all-star break, the evidence has been mounting the 40-year-old is not ready to retire.Source: The Province
Not much is know about impending negociations over new CBASource: Nucks Misconduct by Kent Basky
Who Is This Guy?
Aka Juice. He is a key member of the Canucks defensive Top 4.
Position: Defence
Shoots: Right
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 206 pounds
Born: June 16, 1981 in Grimsby, ON
Drafted: 151st overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2001 Entry Draft.
What Did He Do?
He's one of the most controversial figures on the team, with absolutely no middle ground when it comes to opinion. People either love him or hate him. He can look all world one minute, and
Source: Nucks Misconduct by Sean Zandberg
Game Time: 10:00 AM PST
TV: CBC, NBC, RDS
Game Preview: NHL.com
SBN Blog Battle: In Lou We Trust vs Blueshirt Banter.
Brandon Dubinsky practiced in no-contact fashion for the Rangers on Friday. He may almost be ready to play, which would be huge for the Rangers.
Isn't
Source: Nucks Misconduct by Kieran gunn
Gillis on Vigneault, Luongo, booth, and Playoffs (Team 1040)No hurry to make decisions on Luongo or Vigneault
BY IAIN MCLETCHIE THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012
Canucks GM Mike Gillis joined BMac and Taylor Thursday afternoon on TEAM1040, discussing a number of Canucks-related topics.
Gillis says he’s been talking to Alain Vigneault about the club’s plans going forward, but is in no hurry to announce anything related to Vigneault’s job safety or regarding a rumoured extension for Vigneault.
He also talked with Roberto Luongo today (Thursday), but Gillis chose not to comment on whether he’s making progress towards
Source: Bleacher Report
Patrick McNally is an offensive defenseman drafted in the fourth round (115th overall) in the 2010 NHL draft. He happened to be the Canucks' No. 1 pick in 2010, due to a trade that sent Keith Ballard to Vancouver.
McNally grew up playing hockey in the Suffolk PAL program, where famous coach Alexi Nikiforov has groomed numerous quality NHLers. Canucks forward Chris Higgins, Dallas forward Eric Nystrom and Toronto defenseman Mike Komisarek are a few notable names that have come out of the system.
The Glen Head, New York native played high school hockey for Milton Academy in Massachusetts. He recorded 14 goals and 21 assists (35 points) in 28 games played—making him the team's leading scorer for the 2009-10 season.
McNally has the size (6'2'' and 180 lbs) to play with speed, athleticism and passion to generate offense. He displays sound hockey sense offensively, and he plays a tight, clean defensive game, closing quickly on the forward entering zone.
With McNally playing his first season at Harvard this year, he has found a lot of success in ECAC Hockey of the NCAA. In his freshman year, McNally scored an impressive six goals and 22 assists (28 points) in 34 games played. With that, the ECAC nominated him as one of three finalists to win the Rookie of the Year award.
The Vancouver Canucks will probably be patient with McNally and let him develop in college for four complete years. This is the first season that McNally has faced strong competition, and he also needs to build more muscle to handle to rigors of the NHL 82-game regular season.
With the success this season, the Canucks know that in two or three seasons, they can expect to have a very solid offensive defenseman ready to jump in on the roster if he develops according to plan.
Canucks prospect defensemen are becoming impressive, boasting the likes of Kevin Connauton, Yann Sauve, Chris Tanev, Patrick McNally, Marc-Andre Gragnani and Frank Corrado.
This is Joseph Trenton reporting from Vancouver.
Related Articles from Canucks Prospect Series
1. Chicago Wolves Prospect D Yann Sauve
2. Chicago Wolves Prospect D Kevin Connauton
3. Vancouver Canucks Prospect D Chris Tanev
Read more Vancouver Canucks news on BleacherReport.com
Source: NWSportsBeat.com by Richard Hodges
It seems like a lifetime ago, but the Canucks were once in these playoffs facing the eighth seed Los Angeles Kings in the first round of what promised to be many.
Well, it didn’t go well.
The Kings rolled the Canucks in five games and sent the Canucks goaltending situation into chaos due to the fact that Roberto Luongo was ineffective manning the point on the powerplay.
Not realizing quite yet that the Kings are some kind of freaky team of destiny, the knives came out for the greatest Canucks choke job since last year and the year before that and probably also the year before that too.
The fallout currently stands at another bout of long-term surgery for Ryan Kesler, a well publicized goaltending debate that perhaps finally gets solved at the draft, and a coach who is currently in hiding who hasn’t been fired but also hasn’t exactly recieved a vote of confidence from his boss Mike Gillis.
Tellingly, Alain Vigneault hasn’t spoken to the press since the Canucks first round defeat, a signal that his future with the club is still a bit uncertain. With one year left on his contract, and Gillis already receiving a juicy extension from the Aquaman, any questions from the media to AV that aren’t a form of “What the hell happened?” will be contract-related.
Considering how little fun Luongo had answering contract questions with an actual answer in regards to his NTC, it’s not suprising neither Alain Vigneault nor Mike Gillis want to put the coach in a situation to answer a variant of “no comment” 20 times.
Obviously right after the series loss to LA, the easy answer was to scapegoat him and find some new blood since the core of this team, outside of the goaltenders, is pretty much unmovable.
Vigneault has been criticized in the past for being unable to adept in the playoffs and stop the bleeding, relying for better or for worse on the performance of his players.
To his detractors, he is easily outcoachable and far from the reason the Canucks came within a game of the Stanley Cup last year and perhaps the reason they couldn’t win one more. Last spring, over half of the Canucks defeats were by 4 or more goals.
Vigneault has been criticized in the past for being unable to adapt.
When the AV Canucks are rolling, they’re unstoppable.
When they’re not…
Yet as the Kings continue to roll, Alain Vigneault has more wins over Los Angeles than the master tacticians Ken Hitchcock and Dave Tippet.
It should be obvious by now that the Kings aren’t your typical eighth seed but rather a team that came within a few points of winning their division and one that acquired their regular season record mostly without the services of whatever Sutter brother is coaching them and and Mike Richard’s linemate Jeff Carter, two vital components to their playoff run.
The problem with sending Alain Vigneault the way of Roberto Luongo is that there’s no Cory Schneider equivalent waiting in the wings.
Earlier last week, I attempted to write about five possible replacements for AV and after slotting Marc Crawford in the fourth position I stopped completely. Barring capturing lightning in a bottle there simply isn’t a better option out there but hey I hear Tom Renney’s available now.
So barring some kind of surprise, I fully expect Vigneault to be back behind the Canucks bench this year.
The light at the end of this window is fast approaching, a couple years maybe, and I doubt Gillis wants to roll the dice too much by replacing a known commodity.
Whether or not Vigneault receives an extension over the summer will be the real tell in the organization’s confidence and whether they see him more of a Bylsma or a Therrien.
Critics of AV will probably decry this as more of the same but the same is back-to-back President’s Trophies and a legendary playoff run that was a lot of things but was also indisputably one of the best times to be a Canucks fan.
It’s just weird we haven’t resolved this yet or, you know, seen him in three weeks.
Please comment below or hit me up on twitter today!
CLICK HERE CHECK OUT THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS CLUBHOUSE TODAY ON NWSB!
© Richard Hodges for North West Sports Beat, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |
Follow NWSB on Twitter or join US on Facebook for real-time updates OR... | Share This on Twitter | Share NWSportsBeat.com on Facebook
Post tags: Alain Vigneault, Canucks Blog, Canucks Coach, Canucks coaching condundrum, Canucks news, canucks websites, Cory Schneider, Dave Tippett, Ken Hitchcock, los angeles kings, Marc Crawford, Mike Gillis, NHL Coaches, Roberto Luongo, Ryan Kesler, Tom Renney, Vancouver CanucksSource: Bleacher Report
For up-to-the-minute news on the Vancouver Canucks and the rest of the NHL, Twitter is proving to be an excellent source of information.
During the season, if you follow the Canucks' official feeds, their fan clubs and their top beat writers, you'll never be caught unaware of the action. You can just follow along on your smartphone.
Now that the Canucks' games have wrapped for the season, our Twitter needs have shifted. Of course, we still want information on organizational and roster changes, the draft and any new initiatives the team might set up over the summer.
But we also need some entertainment. What are the boys up to?
Here's a look at five Twitter feeds that will be worth the time of any Canucks fan.
You can also follow me: @pool88
Source: Vancouver Sun
Think of one word to describe this year’s Vancouver Canucks, after such an early and heartbreaking playoff exit, and it’s probably this: Underachieving. So much talent, so much potential, and yet unable to emerge from the first round with more than a single win. That in mind, maybe it’s time for a little history lesson.Source: Vancouver Sun
The general manager likes his coach. The coach likes Vancouver. So why has Canuck general manager Mike Gillis been unable so far to finalize an extension for coach Alain Vigneault?Source: Nucks Misconduct by Sean Zandberg
Got to give you kids a place to hang out. Please don't litter the Canucks Trade History post comments thread! Leave that one for hockey talk.
Source: CanucksArmy by Kent Wilson
With the launch of the new NHLNumbers blog and the continued development of the site's resources and functions, we figured it's time to update the graphics around here. Specifically, we're looking for a new logo for the site.
Now, we could have gone to some pro graphic designer and spent thousands of dollars only to be slightly disappointed by the outcome, but instead we're opening up the project to the Nation readers instead.
- A logo that can be used on the site, on facebook and as an avatar on twitter. That means it needs to be more square than rectangular in shape.
- Something that works with the existing format and color scheme of NHLnumbers.com.
- A logo that doesn't violate current copyrights or trademarks. So no integrating or "borrowing" the NHL's official logo, for instance.
For Alberta residents, we can offer gift certificates to the Pint in Edmonton, or Hudson's Taphouse in Edmonton and Calgary. For folks outside of Alberta, we can offer a modest cash prize of $100.
Of course, the primary prize will be the affection of the writers and contributors at NHLNumbers as well as the exposure of having your work seen by over 1 million unique visitors every year.
Send your entries to either Kent (Kent.wilson@gmail.com) or Derek (dpzona@gmail.com). The contest will be open until Sunday, May 26th at which point we'll post our favorites and solicit reader opinions. We'll decide the winner based on our own preferences as well as overall impressions.
Thanks and good luck everyone. We're looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Source: CanucksArmy by Tinfoil Tuque
The Good and the Bad of this past week.
It's Friday. So we close out the "Week That Was" with our latest volume of... "Cheers and Jeers!"
This week, I check the terrible sources from CTV News and NBC LA, but write a tome of historical signifance for Jo Innes and @LAKINGS.
JEERS to CTV News for the use of their "sources". In a story about David Booth and his bear hunting controversy, CTV News decided to quote fan reaction to his use of a bear baiting technique. Instead of correctly crediting the quote to a commenter on a specific blog, they twice credited the comments to "one blogger". Fortunately, the story has since been updated to correctly cite the sources of the quotes.
CHEERS to Jo Innes (@jonana) for her excellent piece on The Score's Backhand Shelf on shoulder labrums and how it related to Canucks' center Ryan Kesler. It is an incredibly insightful and detailed post that gives people some real, tangible information on how Kesler potentially suffered this injury and what his recovery process will look like.
JEERS to NBCLA for employing a moron in their graphics department. NBCLA ran a story last week about the hype in the LA sports world with the three occupants of Staples Center (Kings, Lakers and Clippers) all in the playoffs. However, instead of the LA Kings logo, the simpleton in the graphics department put up the logo from the Sacramento Kings. My question for the guy who made this mistake... Did you miss the giant purple basketball? Or the name "SACRAMENTO"?
CHEERS to LA Kings twitter account, yet again, for being awesome. In response to the stupid mistake from NBCLA, @LAKINGS tweeted the following, "Hey @NBCLA. Can we talk about everything that is wrong with this: lockerz.com/s/209070756". HAHAHAHA. Dynamite. It's tough to figure who's having a better playoffs - the team on the ice, or the social media team, because both have been outstanding for the past 5 weeks.
JEERS to the Phoenix Coyotes for completely losing the plot in games 2 and 3, and ultimately now the series. In game 2, you have Shane Doan with a hit from behind (which earned him a five and a game), Martin Hanzal with an even worse hit from behind (five and a game and a one game suspension) and Derek Morris with a nasty looking knee-on-knee hit (2 min penalty). In game 3, the Coyotes were okay through 2 periods then collapsed again once Dwight King scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period. After that goal, which put the Kings up 2-1, the Coyotes took four penalties (one off-setting) with the final slashing penalty to Radim Vrbata, with less than a minute to play, acting as the nail in the coffin of their third straight loss. It's absolutely stupid behavior and shows that the Coyotes have collapsed. They're done. When you fold like a tent after being down ONE goal with almost an entire period to come back, you've mentally checked out. Say goodnight, Phoenix.
CHEERS to the researchers who discovered the earliest known reference to the game of hockey, going all the way back to the 18th century. According to the article posted on Global Toronto (via NBC's Pro Hockey Talk), two Swedish researchers uncovered the earliest known image and reference to ice hockey, dating back to December 1796. This is pretty amazing, as it pre-dates other known references by several decades, and indicates that the subject of the book may have been playing hockey on ice for several decades BEFORE the book was published. So it's safe to assume that earliest notions of ice hockey date back to the mid-18th century. Amazing stuff.
Source: Vancouver Sun
The general manager likes his coach. The coach likes Vancouver. So why has Canuck general manager Mike Gillis been unable so far to finalize an extension for coach Alain Vigneault?Source: The Province
A poor judgment call which led to Booth posting a kill video from a hunting expedition, where he bear baited, might be enough to push the image conscious Canucks to trade him less than a year after they acquired him.Source: The Province
Vancouver forward is not apologizing about his physical style of play, either.Source: Yahoo! Sports
Source: Yahoo! Sports
Los Angeles continued its dominant roll with a Game 3 decision over Phoenix in the West final, moving within one win of a title shot and a chance at history.Source: The White Towel by Jason Botchford
Mayday! Throughout the month of May, we’re taking a look at the Canucks roster, and the organization, every weekday. Today’s subject: David Booth
Would the Vancouver Canucks trade David Booth?
Would a poor judgment call which led to him posting a kill video from a hunting expedition, where he bear baited, be enough to push the image conscious Canucks to trade him less than a year after they acquired him?
Probably not. Even if they were irked in a “what the hell was this guy thinking” sort of way. But there are reasons they may want to consider it.
First, let’s be real, posting a video of some legal hunting, however disturbing, is not how Booth inflicted his most damage on the Canucks. No, he took care of that in the first round of the playoffs.
For years, the Canucks have been searching for a power forward to play wing alongside Ryan Kesler. A player would could crash the net, pounce on rebounds and maybe even bump some goalies. And for some time leading up to the October trade with Florida, their target was Booth.
He’s big, loves to shoot and is in ridiculous shape. Even on that hunting trip he was running 8-10 miles a day. Look around the NHL. Heck, just look around the LA Kings and there are all kinds of guys built like Booth who are playing like they are built for the playoffs, including Brown, Kopitar, and Dwight King. But being a physical specimen doesn’t always translate on the ice, and it sure didn’t for Booth in his first postseason.
Playing more than 16 minutes a game, on each of the top two lines, Booth didn’t score goal in five games. Worse, he had just seven shots, and only three in the final four games. Consider that in his last regular season game he had 11.
Maybe we should have seen it coming. Down the stretch of the regular season, Booth made a couple of mistakes, in meaningless games, and was benched. Twice. It had a negative impact and it may have been one which dogged him during the playoffs.
In his pre-playoff preview interview with The Province’s Ben Kuzma, Booth was pretty revealing. The comments were overlooked at the time, lost in the Daniel Sedin-goalie controversy vortex. But looking back now, we can see Booth portraying himself as a player who was having a hard time transitioning in Vancouver under head coach Alain Vigneault. And one who may have had a confidence crisis.
“It’s been a weird year with the trade and definitely a lot of ups and downs with the expectations here and a different role than I’m used to,” Booth told the Province.
“That’s been difficult at times. But I’m not satisfied and I know there’s always stuff to work on. The game is so mental and one thing leads to another and you question yourself. You make a mistake in the game and that [benching] is what happens. That’s all right. You’ve got to brush it off and keep going.”
Booth continued, touching on his ice time and how he’s coping with some of the mental strains.
“I can’t worry about my playing time — and on a personal level it’s not the best feeling — but it is the best feeling when you’re winning,” Booth told Kuzma. “On an off-night I tell myself that hockey is not what defines me as a person. I can’t let it seep in there, the feeling that your worth is based on how you play.
“I’m really trying to get over that and realize at the end of the day that this is not what makes me a human being and a person.
“My faith has a big thing to do with that and the sun is going to rise again, and you’re going to have more of an opportunity.”
He doesn’t come across as a player having an easy time with things. And those things just got a wee bit more complicated with the hunting furor he helped generate.
But as you dismiss his season as one of failed expectations, it’s important to remember a couple of things. Ryan Kesler was not Ryan Kesler. He wasn’t anywhere near the player who had 50 assists in 2009-10 ago and he was light years from the player who had 41 goals last year. Vigneault was bent on keeping Booth with Kesler for most of the year, even though it was Kesler who was helping to derail the Booth train.
Kesler’s 27 assists where his lowest in four years. And is inability to see the ice and make plays was underscored because he started the year coming back too early from a hip labrum and he finished it playing the final two months of the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder.
Booth also dealt with a significant injury this year. After taking about a month to fit in, he was just starting to heat up in December when Avalanche forward Kevin Porter flung his knee out, trying to stop Booth from driving the net.
He missed six weeks with a sprained MCL.
So the Canucks understand they haven’t seen the best of Booth, and trading him now. Some faith in him could be rewarded. And his season wasn’t a disaster (16-14-30 in 62 games).
But it is hard to get around this: Despite the trade for Booth, which added to their lineup another expensive top-six forward, the Canucks enter this offseason still needing a legitimate top-six winger, preferably a power forward.
Source: Yahoo! Sports
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The giant-killing Los Angeles Kings extended their magical playoff run, moving to just one win from their first Stanley Cup finals appearance since 1993 with a 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday. With Dwight King's go-ahead goal 1.47 minutes into the third period breaking the deadlock, the eighth-seeded Kings took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference final. ...Source: The Province
Canucks GM Mike Gillis revealed on Thursday that a review of the organization and how he and the coach work together is underway.Source: Yahoo! Sports
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The giant-killing Los Angeles Kings extended their magical playoff run, moving to just one win from their first Stanley Cup finals appearance since 1993 with a 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday. With Dwight King's go-ahead goal 1.47 minutes into the third period breaking the deadlock, the eighth-seeded Kings took a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference final. Los Angeles, who crushed the third-seeded Coyotes 4-0 in Phoenix on Tuesday, have now won eight consecutive post-season games. ...Source: The Province
As a newly minted honourary Vancouver Canuck, Adam Hadwin would probably impart more wisdom than he’d receive, the Canucks hitting the golf course earlier than expected this spring.Source: The Province
Gallagher: Where Versus failed, NBA is succeeding wildly.Source: The Province
Vancouver forward isn't apologizing about his physical style of play, either.
Source: Canucks Puck by charliemacfarlan
Although he scored his 3rd goal of the tournament, Vancouver Canuck winger Alex Burrows and his Canadian teammates fell 4-3 to Slovakia today in what can only be described as an upset. In spite of the loss, it was a good tournament for Burrows who only played 5 games because of a concussion he suffered in the first game of the tournament against the Slovaks.
Boston Bruin defenseman and part-time Canuck nemesis Zdeno Chara played a key role for the Slovakians in his first World Championship since 2007. He made a goal line stand that was more of a goal line sit during a 5-on-3 in the middle of the second period. Chara kneeled on the line and hugged the post while the Canadians attempted to poke it past him for a solid 5 seconds before a whistle was blown. Canada had five forwards to start the powerplay and still couldn’t break the 2-2 tie.
On his scoring play, Burrows dug a shoot-in out of the corner late in the 2nd with the score still tied 2-2. He then fed it around the back boards to Winnipeg Jet captain Andrew Ladd. Ladd bounced off a couple of Slovaks and walked off the half wall for a shot. The rebound was kicked out to St. Louis Blues defenseman Kris Russel, who joined the team after the Blues were swept by the Los Angeles Kings. Russel fired another shot towards the net and Burrows banged home a rebound. It was a classic Burrows goal as he capped off good hard work with some timely finishing. The guy seems to have a knack for scoring clutch goals.
It was actually a huge goal for Burrows and Team Canada. They took a 3-2 lead into the third period, but then they blew it. After a wild second where Canada had 17 shots, they came out absolutely flat in the third frame. They wanted to sit on their lead. The Slovaks pushed for goals and they got them. First, Detroit Red Wing prospect Tomas Tatar scooped up an errant Canadian pass inside his own blueline and whizzed up the ice. He dropped to Milan Bartovic, veteran of 50 NHL games, whose initial shot was blocked before he buried his own rebound.
Then the game really turned on it’s head. The moment that Edmonton Oiler youngster Ryan Nugent-Hopkins stepped out of the box after a boarding penalty, Anaheim Duck captain Ryan Getzlaf took a kneeing penalty with only 2:28 left in the third. The action was apparently deemed severe enough to warrant a five minute major and a game misconduct for Getzlaf. A poetic ending for a player that came to Helsinki trying to reach the Triple Gold Club with a World Championship win; he instead found himself arguing with drunken Finns and taking a costly penalty in what would be his team’s final game. On the faceoff in Canada’s end following the call, San Jose Shark Michal Handzus won the draw back to fellow NHL’er Andrej Sekera of the Buffalo Sabres. Sekera let a quick shot go and as Handzus drove to the front of the net, he tipped it past Carolina Hurricane netminder Cam Ward.
The major penalty meant the Canadians had to pull their goalie in the final minute just to give them five skaters. It didn’t pay off. The mighty Team Canada crashed out of the World Championship tournament in the quarterfinals.
It’s hard to point fingers at players who are representing their countries and putting their bodies on the line late in the season, but Ward had a number of weak games and especially weak first periods in this tournament. He gave up a goal to Florida Panther Tomas Kopecky less than six minutes into this game, and it wasn’t the first time the Canadians had to battle back from an early defecit. Ward fumbled pucks and kicked out juicy as rebounds as the Canadians seemed to get in a lot of early holes. A performance like that will definitely be noteworthy, if not concerning, for a Team Canada management staff that have surely started thinking about which players will defend Canada’s Olympic Gold Medal on international ice at the 2014 Sochi Games.
Source: Yahoo! Sports
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Tom Renney is out as coach of the Edmonton Oilers.Source: Yahoo! Sports
Boston Bruins fans will get to enjoy a different kind of deep playoff run as the two Bruins in the IIHF World Championship advance to the semifinals and keep their medal hopes alive. Sure, it's not the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but either Zdeno Chara or David Krejci could very well bring their home country some glory soon.Source: Yahoo! Sports
(Reuters) - The struggling Edmonton Oilers will not renew head coach Tom Renney's contract after two losing seasons, the National Hockey League (NHL) team said on Thursday.Source: Yahoo! Sports
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) The Edmonton Oilers are searching for a new coach after deciding to let Tom Renney go following two losing seasons.Source: Yahoo! Sports
Holders Finland advanced to the semi-finals of the world ice hockey championships with a last-gasp winner against the United States on Thursday, but Olympic champions Canada were shocked by Slovakia.Source: CanucksArmy by Marda Miller
Maybe Hank can pick up a new helmet at the Equipment Sale.
I bet the "Daniel" would fit him just fine.
(Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images North America)
This is a weekly feature that will highlight The Good, The Bad and The *fill in the blank* exciting things that are currently happening in the NHL. The Canucks are not playing hockey and John Tortorella has apparently taken a media vow of silence. These are officially the most uninteresting playoffs.
The Good: Equipment Sales!
Hey look - the Canucks are having an end of season equipment and apparel sale on June 9th! Yes, this is our reality and it really sucks. It seems like a not too distant memory that just one year ago the Canucks were kicking ass in the Western Conference Final. Life was good then. I was creating a Canucks Kickass Playlist on my iPod. The sun was shining, the beer was flowing and Canucks fans proudly wore their Canucks jerseys despite how hot it was outside. Now, the city of Vancouver is so eerily empty of Canucks garb - I don’t like it.
I have really had to dig to find something good to write about. The New Jersey Devils won a game in the enemy territory of Madison Square Gardens, yay Devils. The New York Rangers are playing intense playoff hockey while NOT making it seem like they just sauntered onto the ice and decided to pick up some sticks and score some goals like it was the easiest thing in the world. Thanks for your dedication to keeping it an entertaining sport, Rangers. Also, Henrik Lundqvist has eyes that are so blue and startling that he could hypnotize everyone trying to score on him if they weren’t hidden behind a mask. Like I said, digging for good news. Unlike the bad, of which there is plenty.
The Bad: The Kings Playoff Voodoo
What kind of mental warfare have the LA Kings been dishing out on every opponent that they have faced thus far in the playoffs and, is it legal? I’m still trying to understand just how they went from barely making it into the last playoff spot in the west to annihilating the President’s Trophy winners, the number two seed and now are halfway to beating the third seeded Coyotes in an attempt to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. I am perplexed, truly.
The Kings have lost ONE playoff game so far. ONE. And that one loss happened because of the Canucks, which feels like it was ages ago. This is not what playoff hockey is supposed to be like! Where is the challenge? The difficulty? The nail-biting, heart pounding excitement? The Kings terrifying tear through these teams needs to stop because they are making an already boring series even more so. Dear Kings: YOU ARE RUINING HOCKEY. Stop being so damn good already. It really wouldn’t hurt you to lose a game or two and at least give the Coyotes, and the rest of us who torture ourselves by watching, the impression that they can compete against you.
And The More Bad
Off season is supposed to be fun for hockey players, providing that they don’t require any serious surgical repairs. Some drink beers with college pals while others go hunting for bears. Those seem like reasonably normal things. However, when your name is Patrick Kane and you are the darling of the image conscious Chicago Blackhawks, your inebriated escapades will not go unnoticed. And if you are David Booth and love to hunt and kill wildlife, people will scrutinize your decisions therefore posting photos and videos of your adventures will probably generate a strong response.
I wonder if the appearance on HBO’s 24/7 had any effect on John Tortorella and his decision to suddenly become mute during the press conferences. He is much more entertaining when he is screaming insults at reporters, especially after his team loses a game. He always has such insightful things to say. I hope this is just a phase and will not continue when the Rangers advance to the Final. Yes, I am pretty certain that they will. Also, I am undecided if it’s cruel to be amused at the Coyotes scrambling, panicking and become increasingly frustrated while ‘playing’ against the Kings (let’s face it, they are just puppets that are going to die a slow painful playoff death) or if I just feel sorry and commiserate with their suddenly huge fan base. The Finals train is rolling into the west and I am not sure that the desert dogs will get their ticket in time. Hollywood vs Broadway, East vs. West, what a showdown that would be. Two Vezina nominated goalies facing off ... one can only dream.
Source: CanucksArmy by Cam Charron
Yesterday Thomas wrote a very scary post about David Booth's on-ice shooting percentage numbers, where he addresses the possibility that "significantly below average at driving on-ice shooting percentage".
Well, I'm not too sure what I think of that. When we mention "shooting percentage" or "save percentage" around here, which commonly regress to a certain mean, a lot of people interpret that as "shot quality" which means that better quality shots yield higher shooting percentages. I'm not sure whether I buy that. Booth had extremely good numbers if you count "quality shots" explicitly, as Thom and I did throughout this year, as expressed here in our year-end plus/minus scoring chance differential.
Today, I listed a bunch of forwards over at the Legion of Blog who scored fewer goals per 60 minutes than Booth and played more. Booth's offensive abilities are totally understanded: He was 84th among forwards with at least 40 games this year in goals per 60 minutes. A lot of his problems tend to be that his linemates don't shoot particularly well, or whatever. His underlying numbers are exceptional.
But what is he worth? Is 16 goals and 30 points worth $4.25M? Probably not, but when you consider that Booth only played 62 games. What more, he had 16 goals in 56 games with the Vancouver Canucks, so if you eliminate the parts of the season that don't count (ie: ones he played with Florida) you're golden. You have a guy who scored 23 goals per 82 games, which is pretty respectable for a 2nd line forward whose powerplay time melted away this season to the tune of 125:32, which cost him about 4 goals, according to Booth's team-high PP scoring rate.
Who compares with Booth? I checked for forwards who have similar underlying statistics to Booth, in Relative Corsi, Corsi Rel QoC, Ozone% and Goals/60 this season. The closest name I came up with was Andrew Ladd, who captained Winnipeg this season and made $4.4M.
Here's the full list of closest comparables:
| NAME | TEAM | POS | Cor Rel QoC | Corsi Rel | Ozone % | G/60 | $ Hit |
| Daniel Sedin | VAN | LW | 0.363 | 22.5 | 79.6 | 0.98 | $6,100,000.00 |
| Daniel Alfredsson | OTT | RW | 0.280 | 13.4 | 58.3 | 0.85 | $4,875,000.00 |
| Andrew Ladd | WPG | LW | 0.487 | 17.1 | 57.8 | 1.08 | $4,400,000.00 |
| David Booth | VAN | LW | 0.407 | 16.1 | 58.4 | 0.91 | $4,250,000.00 |
| Nathan Horton | BOS | RW | 0.281 | 16.6 | 56.0 | 1.10 | $4,000,000.00 |
| Chris Kunitz | PIT | LW | 0.467 | 14.7 | 62.1 | 1.03 | $3,750,000.00 |
| Taylor Hall | EDM | LW | 0.858 | 15.2 | 56.5 | 0.87 | $3,750,000.00 |
| Justin Williams | L.A | RW | 0.654 | 16.1 | 52.9 | 0.68 | $3,650,000.00 |
| Patric Hornqvist | NSH | LW | 0.449 | 16.8 | 54.8 | 1.17 | $3,083,000.00 |
| Alex Burrows | VAN | RW | 0.568 | 16.1 | 73.8 | 1.23 | $2,000,000.00 |
| Lee Stempniak | CGY | LW | 0.437 | 10.5 | 49.4 | 0.94 | UFA |
I wouldn't say this is scientifically precise, but these are guys who saw similar results in similar situations to Booth. Other than Burrows and Hornqvist, who I believe are two exceptional value guys, the going rate for an above-average play-driving second-line winger appears to be about $4M.
So if Booth is overpaid, it isn't by a whole heck of a lot for the results he drives. As for total production, adding up "G/$MM" over at NHLNumbers, you get 3.75 goals per million spend on Booth, which is right around where Rick Nash, Brad Richards, Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar, Steve Ott and Alex Tanguay are, for some big names. He's 275th out of 363 guys that NHL Numbers lists. That isn't good, but there's no right way to do this because there are a lot of guys who are on rookie deals.
I'll concede Booth may be a overpaid from a purely offensive standpoint, but that's with absurdly bad puckluck over the last few seasons. His defensive value is sublime; only Chris Higgins had a higher zone-adjusted scoring chance differential this season than Booth, and his tied-Fenwick rate of 60.2% was the highest on the team.
Source: NWSportsBeat.com by Phil Slater
Ever since the Canucks were ousted from the playoffs by the LA Kings this April, there has been a significant amount of chatter about the state of the franchise and the always contentious starting goaltender debate.
Both goalies have merited the right to continue being a Canuck, both have faults and question marks surrounding their game and both have good results based on how the team in front of them plays.
Cory Schneider is the blue-chip, up and comer who has never started more than 30 games at the NHL level. Clouds of doubt surround his ability to start and play in 55 to 65 games.
Roberto Luongo has the regular season success, but is a notoriously slow starter and for every jaw dropping save, there is a cringe worthy soft goal.
After he submitted his list of trade worthy teams, he seems the likely choice for a change of address.
Move Luongo and the Canucks drop the largest salary in franchise history. Freeing up enough cash to go after any of the available free-agents in the NHL.
Schneider is widely considered the best trade prospect in the league.
"Yo Lu, What did he just say?" "Je ne sais pas qu'il est fou!"
Canucks GM Mike Gillis can ship Schneider to anywhere for anyone. Consider this; Schneider is also due a significant pay raise this off-season, moving him will also help free up much needed cap space.
This bold move would seemingly leave the Nucks net empty, except for the fact that they have one of the finest goalies in the AHL in Eddie Lack.
According to Canucks brass and Lack’s current coach Craig MacTavish, he is ready for the big club now.
The Canucks could bring in a veteran goalie to help ease the workload and show the young Lack the ropes of being a professional hockey player.
For the record there are a number of tenders that could fit this bill, most likely Jose Theodore, Tomas Vokoun, or even ex-Canuck Alex Auld.
So embrace change, make a huge splash when it’s not expected, listen to all those Wall Street execs and sell high.
The time will never be better to make a more sudden impact.
Nice to meet you Mr. Nash. Welcome home Mr. Weber.
Cheers – The Bartender
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE CANUCKS BLOG IN THE CLUBHOUSE TODAY!
© Phil Slater for North West Sports Beat, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |
Follow NWSB on Twitter or join US on Facebook for real-time updates OR... | Share This on Twitter | Share NWSportsBeat.com on Facebook
Post tags: Alain Vigneault, Alex Auld, Canucks, Canucks Rumors, Canucks trades, Chicago Wolves, Cory Schneider, Craig Mactavish, Eddie Lack, Jose Theodore, LA Kings, Mike Gillis, NHL, NHL Off-Season, off-season, Rick Nash, Roberto Luongo, Shea Weber, Tomas Vokoun, Trade, vancouver, Vancouver CanucksSource: Yahoo! Sports
Reigning champions Finland advanced into the semi-finals of the world ice hockey championships with a last-gasp winner against the USA, but Olympic gold medallists Canada suffered a shock loss to Slovakia.Source: NWSportsBeat.com by Kevin Vanstone
After a one-round mourning period, The Flying V is back to break down the best of a season gone far too soon for the Vancouver Canucks. Given the gracious grieving period, let us begin with some summer optimism.
A number of Vancouver Canucks had a solid season in 2012, and there are several reasons to be happy about the state of Vancouver’s favourite team heading forward.
Of the forwards that flourished throughout the season, the Honey Badger Jannik Hansen had an amazing year.
Hansen put up career numbers during his second consecutive 82-game season with the Canucks this year, registering 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points. After emerging with the Canucks in his first few seasons exclusively as a checker with a frustrating (lack of) finish, the young Dane again demonstrated a heightened nose for the net this year.
Hansen’s continuous progress in the offensive zone even earned him a temporary promotion alongside the Sedin twins on Vancouver’s top line, demonstrating to Canucks’ coaching staff and fans that he can play proficiently at both ends of the ice.
Hansen has taken what he wants when it comes to his role with the Canucks over his first five seasons, consistently earning additional minutes over the years as he continues to improve his game under Head Coach Alain Vigneault.
Jannik Hansen will push his coach for additional ice time in the future, but could eventually come down with Cody Hodgson syndrome, unable to earn ice already locked down by forwards higher on the payroll.
Honey Badger don't care about celebrations - (Photo - Rich Lam/Getty Images)
Hansen is signed with the Canucks through the 2013-14, and at a $1.35 million cap hit, the Danish forward appears to be suffering from a skewed exchange rate. That’s just not enough Kroner for the effective, hard working brand of hockey he brings consistently to the Canucks lineup.
While his current contract is that of a young, third of fourth line forward, Hansen is headed towards a hefty pay raise on his next deal.
The key for Hansen heading forward is his dynamic ability to be effective in all three zones. Under Alain Vigneault’s system of constant zone start optimization, Hansen started only 40.4% of his shifts in the offensive zone this year, taking a cut in order to afford the consistent deployment of Henrik and Daniel Sedin and other top scorers.
Despite the raw deal starting a decent percentage of his shifts, the feisty forward managed to finish 46.9% of his time on ice well away from his own net.
On a stat sheet a measly seven percent jump seems miniscule, but that positive margin means puck possession for Vancouver’s offensive zone studs.
At age 26, Jannik Hansen is only approaching his prime as an NHL hockey player, and continues to add elements to his game despite beginning a humble checker.
Affordable (for now), hard working, and ultimately effective, Hansen has what it takes for a lengthy NHL career.
While the Canucks struggled as a whole against the LA Kings during this year’s first round playoff loss, the Honey Badger himself has consistently managed to elevate his game during the playoffs and should continue to shine in Vancouver for the considerable future.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE CANUCKS BLOG IN THE CLUBHOUSE TODAY!
© Kevin Vanstone for North West Sports Beat, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |
Follow NWSB on Twitter or join US on Facebook for real-time updates OR... | Share This on Twitter | Share NWSportsBeat.com on Facebook
Post tags: Alain Vigneault, Canucks, Canucks blogs, Canucks hockey blog, Canucks Stats, Cody Hodgson, Daniel Sedin, Denmark, Henrik Sedin, honey badger, Jannik Hansen, NHL, off-season, The Flying V, vancouver, Vancouver CanucksSource: The Province
Jason Garrison has a heavy shot but his trump card is a vastly-improved overall game and the White Rock native could be on the radar of the Presidents Trophy winners.Source: The Province
If you are Keith Ballard, you must be wondering where you go from here.Source: CanucksArmy by Thomas Drance
Google “Ryan Parent bust” and close to 200,000 results come up (although in fairness many of them link to article about Ryan Leaf). Parent was once an important piece of the trade that sent Peter Forsberg from Philadelphia to Nashville. How far has he fallen? In December 0f 2011, the Chicago Wolves pawned him off on Canada’s Spengler Cup team. Parent was barely playing, and the Wolves wanted to give ice time to their better defensemen.
Click past the jump for more.
At his peak, Parent formed a dominant shutdown defensive pairing with Marc Staal for Canada, winning consecutive gold medals at the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships. The Predators liked what they saw out of him during the 2004-05 season, selecting him 18th overall that summer (his Guelph Storm teammate, Dan Girardi, went undrafted and has gone on to become one of the best defensive defensemen in the game).
Parent was an imposing figure on the ice in the OHL, but he didn’t play with a physical edge (although teams thought he would develop that part of his game as he matured). Scouts were intrigued by his combination of mobility and size/strength, and they chose to overlook his glaring lack of production. From The Hockey News:
“Parent's overall game far outweighs his production at this stage of his development; plays a no- nonsense style with plenty of intangibles; captained the Canadian entry at the 2005 World under-18 tournament and led the club to a silver medal--despite not earning a point in six games; needs to add more aggression to his game in order to eventually keep NHL forwards honest.”
Key parts – lack of production, intangibles, needs to add more aggression. Hmmm…
Even though he focused on the defensive side of the game, Parent’s lack of offensive production should have been an early warning sign. He scored only 10 goals in 227 OHL games, well below the production of a few draft peers and a former teammate:
Parent had the pedigree to succeed. He was a high draft pick (8 th overall) in the 2003 OHL Priority Selection. He had a solid OHL career, and he was a key piece for Canada against the best competition at his age level.
The lack of production in the OHL was a warning sign, but it was one that was overlooked.
Parent turned professional after his 2006-07 season concluded. He joined Philadelphia’s farm team (he had been traded from Nashville a few months previous), and he was a full-time member of the Phantoms in 2007-08. Parent’s tenure in Philadelphia would have completely forgettable had it not been for the 2009-10 playoff run. Due to a number of injuries on the back end, Parent was forced in to duty, suiting up for 17 of the 23 postseason games. He suited up for a grand total of 41 seconds in the Cup Final (one shift in game one, and it probably wasn’t a good one).
Philadelphia didn’t have any confidence in him. During those 17 postseason games, he played over 12 minutes only twice. His ice time was sheltered, and he still struggled.
Since we love advanced stats at Canucks Army, let’s see how Parent stacked up in 2009-10 against his teammates. Parent’s Relative Corsi number (the difference in Corsi rating when a player is on the ice compared to when he is on the bench) was a miserable -22 during his final season with the Flyers. When he was on the ice, the Flyers were giving up a ton of shots. It was even worse in the postseason (-24.9).
Parent was facing weak competition, playing for a strong hockey team, and still struggling. As if more warning signs were needed, Parent then underwent back surgery in January of 2010.
That summer, the Flyers traded him back to Nashville in a deal to acquire the rights to Dan Hamhuis. The Predators must have subscribed to the ‘fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me’ philosophy, as Parent had done absolutely nothing to show himself worthy of reacquiring. His highest goal total in any single season since turning pro was one (a number he hit a few times).
The Predators sold high on Parent back in 2007 after his impressive performance at the World Juniors (for more on selling high on players after the World Juniors, read this piece I wrote a few years ago), and they bought low on him after a miserable start to his professional career in Philadelphia.
Parent didn’t last long in his second stint with the Predators. The team flipped him a few months later to Vancouver for Shane O’Brien. Being traded for Shane O’Brien was warning sign three. Canuck fans quickly saw what Philadelphia fans were subjected to – a smooth skating defenseman with good size and nothing else. It was quickly apparent that Parent lacked basic puck skills in all three zones, and he struggled consistently with his decision making in his own zone (it is hard for a defenseman to be successful if he doesn’t know what to do defensively).
Claude Noel coached Parent in Manitoba for a season, and delivered one of the greatest hyperboles of our time when assessing his game:
“He reminds me of the Ken Morrows of the world,” said Noel.” Coaches have a lot of appreciation for those types of guys that fall under the radar of glitz and flash, but are staples of your defense.”
Morrow, one of the best defensive defensemen in NHL history, recorded 15 goals and 52 points in his final season of college hockey before turning pro. Obviously he played in a different era and a different league, but production is production.
Broad Street Hockey delivered a brutally honest evaluation of Parent’s play during the 2009-10 season here. If the advanced statistics from earlier weren’t enough:
“What is there to say about Ryan Parent? It's all been said before. He had a really bad (not quite terrible) regular season, got injured, came back and continued his really bad season. This then turned into a terrible playoffs for Ryan Parent, eventually leading to him being benched and then scratched.”
Parent’s contract expires this summer and he won’t be brought back by the Canucks. He seems destined to ply his trade in Europe, as he has failed multiple times to prove he is anything more than a borderline AHL defenseman. The warning signs were there all along, but multiple teams chose to ignore them, intoxicated by Parent’s size and mobility. You can’t teach size, but often times you can’t teach hockey sense, either.
Why Sign Up?
Dominate your fantasy league with player news tracking.
Learn more
Reopen Closed Window
