NHL 2008-2009 Season

[Matrix XII]

Even though they say otherwise, I still think they did it because they are worried he might want to leave as Gillis has done absolutely nothing for your team in the off season.

Yeah, I kind of took it that way too.

That's the only thing I could come up with, because it's just stupid.

[vip]

@gregb0b ... first of all, glad to see another South Florida fan! I started watching them in Matts Freshman year ...was betting a lot then, haha ... also a BAMA fan, all my life, born in Tuscaloosa ;) ... now on to hockey!

I've been a redwings fan since I was a young kid! So, go DETROIT! :D

[gregb0b]

@gregb0b ... first of all, glad to see another South Florida fan! I started watching them in Matts Freshman year ...was betting a lot then, haha ... also a BAMA fan, all my life, born in Tuscaloosa ;) ... now on to hockey!

I've been a redwings fan since I was a young kid! So, go DETROIT! :D

cool :)! I go to USF and currently Intern with the The Lightning for web development. Its an awesome opportunity.

[rajputwarrior]

i like how the canucks goalie is a captain, but not a captain, what a joke.

[sn00pie]

How is it a joke? Luongo is the leader of the team, so it's only right for him to be the official captain of the team. He is the face of the team, and we know he has been one of the off-ice leaders since he joined the club.

We have 3 assistant captains and basically the two will do the job as a 'Captain' would. Mitchell will do all the talking with the referees and such, while Ohlund will be the one who takes things like the ceremonial face-offs. Kesler is the third assistant captain, but I'm not sure what he's going to be doing.

I'm still hoping to see Sundin in a Canucks uniform. If he comes here, I can definitely see a run for the Stanley Cup in Vancouver. :yes:

To be honest, I think Gillis has done a good job so far. Yeah, he's no Brian Burke, but Gillis is better than Dave Nonis (except for dealing for Luongo).

[Matrix XII]

No, Gillis is not better than Nonis. If he was still GM we would have had Cammalerri (sp) and a couple other players that were slated to come here.

Everyone already knows Luongo is the dressing room leader and the best player on our team, but you don't have to officially name him captain, now no one on our team wears a C, that is ridiculous if you ask me. I think they should have given the C to Mitchell.

Oh yeah and btw, Sundin is NOT coming here, so get that out of your head. I'd be surprised if he even comes back this year that guy cannot make up his mind.

[rajputwarrior]

How is it a joke? Luongo is the leader of the team, so it's only right for him to be the official captain of the team. He is the face of the team, and we know he has been one of the off-ice leaders since he joined the club.

We have 3 assistant captains and basically the two will do the job as a 'Captain' would. Mitchell will do all the talking with the referees and such, while Ohlund will be the one who takes things like the ceremonial face-offs. Kesler is the third assistant captain, but I'm not sure what he's going to be doing.

I'm still hoping to see Sundin in a Canucks uniform. If he comes here, I can definitely see a run for the Stanley Cup in Vancouver. :yes:

To be honest, I think Gillis has done a good job so far. Yeah, he's no Brian Burke, but Gillis is better than Dave Nonis (except for dealing for Luongo).

it is a joke, your team doesn't officially have a captain. To me its a publicity stunt and just a way to get luongo to stay. It made sense when the habs did it out of respect of koivu when he was fighting cancer, but this is just dumb to me. And honestly, if you think Sundin will make the canucks a stanley cup contender you are just blinded by your love for the team. They would be lucky to make the playoffs with this team. Sundin would help them get there, but not much else. And no, Gillis is a terrible GM, how can you call someone good when they are willing to throw 20 million on a guy who doesn't really want to play? He has done nothing for the team so far, you guys should have stuck with Nonis.

No, Gillis is not better than Nonis. If he was still GM we would have had Cammalerri (sp) and a couple other players that were slated to come here.

Everyone already knows Luongo is the dressing room leader and the best player on our team, but you don't have to officially name him captain, now no one on our team wears a C, that is ridiculous if you ask me. I think they should have given the C to Mitchell.

Oh yeah and btw, Sundin is NOT coming here, so get that out of your head. I'd be surprised if he even comes back this year that guy cannot make up his mind.

Matrix, for once i agree with you, why they can't give it to Mitchell is beyond me. Everyone knows that Luongo is the key member of the team, and he is the face of the franchise now, but having no C just to make him captain is dumb.

[sn00pie]

I do agree that it is not to have a "real" Captain on the ice, but from a dressing room and team standpoint Luongo is the leader of the team.

If Sundin actually did come here, I wouldn't be surprised if the Canucks had a great year at the least. Sundin has been playing on lines with some of the least talented players in the NHL and has still been able to be consistently one of the best players in the league, year after year after year. I agree that 10 million a year is a steep price to pay, but there aren't alot of bargain deals out there... and if you want to add a player of Sundin's calibre and experience you need to pay.

Hell, I've seen a 'genuine' Sundin #13 Canucks jersey for sale in the Jersey shops downtown. :p

[ambiance]

To be honest, I think Gillis has done a good job so far. Yeah, he's no Brian Burke, but Gillis is better than Dave Nonis (except for dealing for Luongo).

Gillis alienated your former Captain, let Morrison go and will not land Sundin. He will not sign because his hip will not hold up to the demanding travel schedule the Canucks have to deal with. This gamble has left a huge hole upfront and there is still a need for an elite defender(s) as well. I don't see how this makes him better than Nonis, as anyone who can shop a player with a lot of baggage for a world class goalie is a genius in my books.

I realize you already alluded to that, but truth be told, he has damaged the team. They were a low scoring team last year, now they'll be lucky to score at all.

[Matrix XII]

Yay! rajputwarrior and I agreed on something, the world may end soon people :| hehe

I also agree with what ambiance is saying. We have Demitra and Bernier but are they even better than Naslund and Morrison? Probably around equal, which means we will have trouble scoring. I think we'll make the first round though.

[Matrix XII]

Canucks 5-0 now w00t

I hope we can start of the real season like this :|

[rajputwarrior]

the habs went perfect in the pre season two years ago... then they didn't make the playoffs. I would never read into anything pre season.

Edited October 2, 2008 by rajputwarrior

[Matrix XII]

Well you can't read much, but it surely isn't a bad sign that they are winning :p

[sn00pie]

Canucks 6-1 over Calgary last night. I think thats more goals against them then they scored all of last year (Y)

[rajputwarrior]

i like how the habs have taken out lidstrom and chelios so far...

[Boffa Jones Veteran]

They seem like stand up guys and it is kind of harsh to revel in their injuries. I would definitely be ****ed if someone took out kovy for a month or so.

[Shekers]

it is a joke, your team doesn't officially have a captain. To me its a publicity stunt and just a way to get luongo to stay. It made sense when the habs did it out of respect of koivu when he was fighting cancer, but this is just dumb to me. And honestly, if you think Sundin will make the canucks a stanley cup contender you are just blinded by your love for the team. They would be lucky to make the playoffs with this team. Sundin would help them get there, but not much else. And no, Gillis is a terrible GM, how can you call someone good when they are willing to throw 20 million on a guy who doesn't really want to play? He has done nothing for the team so far, you guys should have stuck with Nonis.

Matrix, for once i agree with you, why they can't give it to Mitchell is beyond me. Everyone knows that Luongo is the key member of the team, and he is the face of the franchise now, but having no C just to make him captain is dumb.

The Wilds is on a rotating C system...they dont have a true captain...i dont hear ppl talk about that. In fact some actually think it's a good system.

Gillis alienated your former Captain, let Morrison go and will not land Sundin. He will not sign because his hip will not hold up to the demanding travel schedule the Canucks have to deal with. This gamble has left a huge hole upfront and there is still a need for an elite defender(s) as well. I don't see how this makes him better than Nonis, as anyone who can shop a player with a lot of baggage for a world class goalie is a genius in my books.

I realize you already alluded to that, but truth be told, he has damaged the team. They were a low scoring team last year, now they'll be lucky to score at all.

Still a need for elite defender?! Ohlund, Mitchell, Salo? Ever heard of them? Defense is definitely not something Canucks have to worry about, unless we have the bad luck like we had last year...with 2 weeks having the whole D-core started by depth players and the starting D missing a total of 1/3 of the season. Canucks is better than fine on D.

Nasland had lost that locker room long ago. He was no longer an effective leader and some would argue as a player on the team. Morrison without the sniper and power forward which he had when the West Coast Express was around, he is basically useless. It was time to part way with both those players.

It's true that Canuck's top six needs work, but it really isn't much worse than what they had a year ago or even two years ago when they won the division with 105 pts...Demitra and Benier are both building tremendous chemistry with their new line mates, sedins and the speedy raymond. They really are one true sniper away from a top-tier caliber 1a 1b line. With Kesler, Burrows and Hansen as a gritty scoring line, they potentially have 3 very good scoring lines. And look at their energy line...Darcy Hordichuk and Ryan Johnson the blocking machine...One of the best energy line with some skills. I have my canucks goggles on and i know you can't prove anything from pre-season, but you can tell that the pop, the desire which they lacked last year is fueling this whole team on. They are much like the same team last year on paper, but they just seem so different mentally.

Gillis probably didn't envision the canucks as it is today when he was first hired, but he and his staff has stumbled into something which can be great. Many people dont realize that a hockey club isn't just what you see on the rink...there's so much happening in the background in the back office and training staff and scouting...Gillis has made many changes in those department which might not be seen in the short-run but in the long-haul, those changes can make this team a lot more sustainable with new talents coming from the farm. With the NHL today, the only true way to improve consistently is to build your own talent, which the old Canucks totally lacked. People rarely realize that. Canucks probably wont win the cup this year, or the year after, but Gillis is surrounding himself with hockey sense and smart people. The organization might be managed by Gillis but there are so many things which is done and advised by people around him. Gillis has set that foundation. Something Nonis didn't have. Although Nonis did land Luongo from Keenan, there are NO noteble moves from Nonis afterwards...it was ALL pluggers which never planned out...bullis, isbister, carney...He NEVER landed a big fish. Gillis still hasn't other than demitra...but as a new GM who has been on the job for about 5 months...i say he's doing pretty well.

Time will tell. Being the underdog is GREAT...it doesnt break your heart as much when you see them do bad...but when they do well...WOW..."IN YOUR FACE..."

[rajputwarrior]

The Wilds is on a rotating C system...they dont have a true captain...i dont hear ppl talk about that. In fact some actually think it's a good system.

they have a "C" on someone jersey though right? So sorry buddy, its not remotely the same.

[ambiance]

Ohlund, Mitchell, Salo?

Nasland had lost that locker room long ago. He was no longer an effective leader and some would argue as a player on the team. Morrison without the sniper and power forward which he had when the West Coast Express was around, he is basically useless. It was time to part way with both those players.

Time will tell. Being the underdog is GREAT...it doesnt break your heart as much when you see them do bad...but when they do well...WOW..."IN YOUR FACE..."

Ohlund is your best defencemen and Salo is good, but can he stay healthy? Mitchell is often injured as well and I would put a giant question mark around him. If all goes well, then yes, you should be fine. You also forgot to mention Edler.

Your probably right about Naslund and Morrison. Thing is, they do not have an obvious successor and their offence has always been a problem. They need to stop leaning on their blue liners for goals.

I agree that being the underdog can be a win/win situation. If Vancouver can stay healthy they'll make the playoffs, although they won't be expected to go deep into them. You can only lean on a goalie so much and the Sedins have yet to assert themselves in the playoffs. Then again, anything can happen. I wish I could say the same for the Leafs.

[Shekers]

they have a "C" on someone jersey though right? So sorry buddy, its not remotely the same.

If I get this right...you said, "it is a joke, your team doesn't officially have a captain."...and then you are saying that because minnesota has a different person wearing the C every night makes them having a captain...So this means...your definition of a captain MUST have a C on their jersey to be a "real" captain...then you win that argument there lol.

The C is just an object to me...and i'm sure Luongo would say the same thing. I just don't get why having no one wearing the C make SUCH a huge fuss ALL AROUND THE LEAGUE. The C on the sweater is just as useless as the guy who turns on the red light behind the goalie lol.

A captain in my books is the leader of the team, which we lacked for some time. Luongo and Mitchell and Ohlund are the true leaders of this team. Luongo shows so much heart...so much commitment... something we did not see from the previous guy who wore the C. He was the obvious choice. With so much talk about lunogo and his lack-luster closing of the previous season, this is definitely a huge boost for him and well deserved. You think it's a publicity stunt...SO WHAT if it is...It isn't a joke to the fans or the players...We support that decision. I rather have ONE true captain than having no identity of leadership. We HAVE a captain, his name is Roberto Luongo.

Ohlund is your best defencemen and Salo is good, but can he stay healthy? Mitchell is often injured as well and I would put a giant question mark around him. If all goes well, then yes, you should be fine. You also forgot to mention Edler.

Your probably right about Naslund and Morrison. Thing is, they do not have an obvious successor and their offence has always been a problem. They need to stop leaning on their blue liners for goals.

I agree that being the underdog can be a win/win situation. If Vancouver can stay healthy they'll make the playoffs, although they won't be expected to go deep into them. You can only lean on a goalie so much and the Sedins have yet to assert themselves in the playoffs. Then again, anything can happen. I wish I could say the same for the Leafs.

I didn't forget to mention edler, he is a rising star...but you said we lacked "elite" defenseman...i dont think we can classify edler as an elite player just yet. Injury happens...and yes, our core is pretty much made of glass last year...When they are good, and have a bit of luck...like two years before, this D is very good. And there is always Bieksa...who has to proof he is worth 3.75 a year.

Naslund when he was at his prime is no doubt better than demitra...but naslund on his worse which was basically last year...can easily be replaced by an injury-filled-season demitra. It is too early to tell, but Raymond with his speed and hands, can probably do just as well as morrison.

There are so many players who are in need to prove something this year...It's that kind of player that will carry a team. Look how much people bashed Wellwood...Yes he was out of shape, yes he's slow, yes he might be soft...but no one ever talks about how great he is with the puck...how much patience he has and how he can really snipe that puck. Toronto was raving about this guy only 2 years ago!

Bieksa is another which has to go out to proof that he is worth every penny he is getting paid. He has been under intense scrutiny in the Vancouver area, because of the poor defensive plays he makes. But he is also one of the grittiest D we have on the roster.

Bernier also needs to proof that he is indeed a top-six power forward. With players like Anson Carter, Pyatt and even BULIS as the sedins linemate...it's very easy for them to make ANYONE look good on their line. But Bernier unlike all the previous players actually have a much higher ceiling for potential. He has to show that this year...because he's needs that to get a fatter pay check next year.

It is also no surprise that the Wild's system is heavily geared toward defensive first. As a center, Demitra ALWAYS had to be the first forward back in the defensive zone, which reduces his ability as an offensive forward. He had to play a 2-way game...that's why Demitra wanted to play the wing in the wild.

Like i said before, i wear the canucks-tinted googles. But seriously...look at the roster they have 2 years ago, 1 year ago and this year. It's pretty similar...if not better because of the increased grit and speed and DEPTH (forwards and defense). I agree that even if the canucks get into the playoffs this year, they might not go far...but then again who knows... look at edmonton 2 years ago, and calgary the year before. But to say that Canucks is a bottom-feeder teams in the likes of the LA kings (a LOT of analyst are saying that)...is just rediculous. They are basing it on last year's injury filled performance...

BUT, at least we can definitely agree on the fact...that Toronto IS most definitely is the worst of all canadian teams lol. I think this is a fact that most of us in here will agree lol. It's what links all of us together.

[ambiance]

BUT, at least we can definitely agree on the fact...that Toronto IS most definitely is the worst of all canadian teams lol. I think this is a fact that most of us in here will agree lol. It's what links all of us together.

Yeah, rebuilding hurts, but it's a necessary evil after years of mortgaging the future. I have no problems with the low expectations because I don't have to worry about getting my hopes up.

There is no denying Wellwood has good hands, it's his conditioning is suspect. Kyle's a one way player, so if he's not scoring, he might as well be a pylon and that's why we parted ways. Watch him, Tucker and McCabe have career years just to spite to Toronto.

This season (and the next, the next, the next...) will be a bust and I'll cheer for any Canadian team in the playoffs with exception to Ottawa.

[mikebiacsi]

So we've had the first two games of the season with the Rangers beating Tampa 2-1 and the pens beating the sens 4-3 in OT. I missed the pens-sens game but managed to catch the Tampa- New York one, maybe not the start that the new tampa envisioned?

I was quite impressed with Mike Smith even though he was on the losing team.

[rajputwarrior]

smith did well considering he had to face 41 shots, tbay has no defense...

[Matrix XII]

Good postage people, entertaining to read (Y)

I agree with Shekers though that Vancouver could have a good year. We have a lot more team speed this year which makes a difference.

Did anyone see Mason Raymond's goal tonight? Beauty..

[Sanbon]

Good postage people, entertaining to read (Y)

I agree with Shekers though that Vancouver could have a good year. We have a lot more team speed this year which makes a difference.

Did anyone see Mason Raymond's goal tonight? Beauty..

The Canucks will be better than last year. That's not saying much though cuz they sucked last year. My early prediction is that Colorado will win the NW division. And I think its going to be more competitive than a lot of people are saying. It may not be the best div in the league this year but its still going to be very close.