[Signing] Canucks sign Vrbata (2yrs, $5mil AAV, limited NTC)

[Machiavelli]

Overrated.

You know the UFA pool sucks when Vrbata is a huge get.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by TriCitiesHockeyFan

?
the team is worse than last year- take a look at the projected lineup. it's among the worst in the league

lost Kesler, Booth and Garrison
added Bonino, Sbisa, Dorsett, Vrbata, Vey and Miller

I'm not sure they got a lot better, but I don't think they got worse.

[driveway]

Do people really think Vancouver's gotten worse since last season? A train wreck of a coach - gone. Goaltending headache - gone. Unhappy second-line-centre - gone. Both Sedins had significant injuries last year which caused their production to decline.

I think Vancouver is going to have a significantly better year this year than last year. I think they're in the group in the west with Colorado (who will decline), Minnesota, Anaheim (who did have league-best luck last year), and Dallas.

I see LA, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Jose as locks for the playoffs with that second group: four of Anaheim, Colorado, Vancouver, Dallas, Minnesota likely making the rest, Nashville, Arizona, and possibly (though not likely) Edmonton playing the role of spoilers, and Calgary and Winnipeg bringing up the rear.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

close to a cup no

but the Pacific is not a very good division, LA is the only elite team

Anaheim got a lot of puck luck last year, and all they added is Kesler (who everyone on this forum basically agreed is declining)

Calgary I think will be worse than last year, which is planned

Edmonton isn't a threat yet, I don't think Arizona is a great team, and SJ want to blow up their team and trade away their two best players after already losing their best PMD

it's going to be difficult not to make the playoffs in the pacific next year

Come on man...thats just friggin goofy.

The last 2 years they have won 84 of 130 regular season games...thats 65% of them....that doesnt happen by "luck".

They are a very very good and big hockey team and adding Kesler isnt gonna hurt them either.

[TriCitiesHockeyFan]

Originally Posted by devo22

lost Kesler and Garrison
added Bonino, Sbisa, Vrbata, Vey and Miller

I'm not sure they got a lot better, but I don't think they got worse.

so they lost a 2nd line center who takes all the tough matchups and replaced him with a 3rd line center who is mediocre defensively, and a 3rd pairing defense-man in which they already have a ton of. Vrbata, Vey and miller are all lateral moves at best

this team will be in the gutter for quite some time

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Overrated.

You know the UFA pool sucks when Vrbata is a huge get.

Agreed. I never understood the big fuss. I could see if he was coming into his prime, but he's 33.

Not a terrible contract, because of the term, but I still didn't want him on the Flames.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by devo22

lost Kesler, Booth and Garrison
added Bonino, Sbisa, Dorsett, Vrbata, Vey and Miller

I'm not sure they got a lot better, but I don't think they got worse.

Added another year to the Sedins as well. Daniel's going to be 34 to start the season, I think Henrik is as well. Coming off, relatively, terrible years and it might not be entirely because Torts was making them play defense but just because they are past their prime.

[sureLoss]

Jeff Paterson @patersonjeff
Agent says #Canucks have told Vrbata will play with Sedins

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by driveway

Vancouver with Colorado Minnesota, Anaheim and Dallas.

Yea, one of those teams is not like the others.

You're dreaming. Vancouver is trending down big time. You're out of a cliff (not a limb) suggesting they're going to compete with those teams.

[Coach]

Always best to set line combos before the season starts. Can't go wrong.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Added another year to the Sedins as well. Daniel's going to be 34 to start the season, I think Henrik is as well. Coming off, relatively, terrible years and it might not be entirely because Torts was making them play defense but just because they are past their prime.

[sun]

Solid contract. Underrated player, IMO. Would have liked to see him here.

[Jiggy]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

close to a cup no

but the Pacific is not a very good division, LA is the only elite team

Anaheim got a lot of puck luck last year, and all they added is Kesler (who everyone on this forum basically agreed is declining)

Calgary I think will be worse than last year, which is planned

Edmonton isn't a threat yet, I don't think Arizona is a great team, and SJ want to blow up their team and trade away their two best players after already losing their best PMD

it's going to be difficult not to make the playoffs in the pacific next year

The Flames were 6 points back of the Nucks in the standings. I guess the Flames should have a shot at the playoffs too even though neither team has gotten a lot better in the off season.

[Enoch Root]

Love this signing - was really hoping the Nucks would ink Miller and Vrbata.

With the coaching change, I see a big improvement this year! They should be able to blow past Winnipeg and Nashville, and maybe even Phoenix!

#fullrebuild

[Galakanokis]

I think there were some serious issues with the canucks last year some of which can be attributed to the coach and some to personalities. Issues in the dressing room kind of stuff. With that said I still think the canucks are no good but they are better than the team that finished the season. Vrbata is a solid hockey player and will look good playing with the Sedins. Also bumps Burrows down a line which is where he should be. They still lack depth especially high end players but they are better than last year in my mind.

But they are no where near being good enough to fight for the playoffs unless a team or two really implodes. The west has some really solid teams and the canucks to me fall in the 8 to 12 range.

Hard to make fun of this signing it is pretty good.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

close to a cup no

but the Pacific is not a very good division, LA is the only elite team

Anaheim got a lot of puck luck last year, and all they added is Kesler (who everyone on this forum basically agreed is declining)

Calgary I think will be worse than last year, which is planned

Edmonton isn't a threat yet, I don't think Arizona is a great team, and SJ want to blow up their team and trade away their two best players after already losing their best PMD

it's going to be difficult not to make the playoffs in the pacific next year

lol

You're out of your cotton-picking mind on that one.

Anaheim finished 33 points ahead of Vancouver last year. And the Ducks have improved. If they can cut the deficit to 30, I'll be impressed.

[getbak]

Coaching will be the big question next year. The team went in the toilet after Torts lost his mind. They were 20 points up on the Flames with 32 games left after that game. They were 5 points back of LA and sitting in a playoff spot.

They ended the year 6 points ahead of the Flames, 17 points behind the Kings, and 8 points out of a playoff spot.


Desjardins has had success everywhere he has coached before. He hasn't had a team finish with less than a 500 record in over a decade. Of course, NHL history is full of guys who had success in junior and minor pro who bombed badly in the NHL. All he has to do is look east over the mountains and see one coach who successfully made the jump, and one who didn't.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

close to a cup no

but the Pacific is not a very good division, LA is the only elite team

Anaheim got a lot of puck luck last year, and all they added is Kesler (who everyone on this forum basically agreed is declining)

Calgary I think will be worse than last year, which is planned

Edmonton isn't a threat yet, I don't think Arizona is a great team, and SJ want to blow up their team and trade away their two best players after already losing their best PMD

it's going to be difficult not to make the playoffs in the pacific next year

Thanks for the laugh. I love the conviction that SJ "want to blow up their team". Not what has been said at all by Doug Wilson. The guy is tight lipped with press....especially local yahoos. He says very little, and then guys like Kawakami make inferences that get distorted and amplified. Like below with "reportedly".

Wilson said he wants guys who aren't here for the lifestyle and gave his vets a heads up on a rebuild and an out if they want it. They could trade 19 or 12 still if they request it, but its not "blow it up" time.

This is probably the most accurate piece on SJ so far that i have seen:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=724198

When a team uses the term "rebuild," it generally means a long, arduous process of accumulating high draft picks and constructing a team with those young players. That is not exactly what Wilson is referring to with the Sharks.

He already has some of the young pieces in place and signed to long-term contracts: Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Brent Burns and Vlasic. But there are older veterans Wilson reportedly would like to move. Captain Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are signed for three more years and each has a no-movement clause.

But Wilson is steadfast in his belief the culture in the Sharks dressing room needs to change, and he feels his version of rebuilding will not be a painful process for San Jose fans.

"We've got key young players in key positions. If we didn't have that, then you're talking about a much longer type of rebuild," Wilson said. "It's not that you're far off and it's not that it can't be fixed quickly."

[PeteLFan]

Lol Pacific is a bad division lol. Anaheim got lucky? Lol. Oh Canucks fans all 15 that remain you won't be making the playoffs

[t0rrent98]

looks like they signed 3 others today as well

"Canucks sign centres Dustin Jeffrey and Cal O’Reilly and defenceman Bobby Sanguinetti."

http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=725177