The Trade Winds

Great things are happening in Canuckville, BC. Nonis has finally given me what I wanted in Roberto Luongo, In my opinion the best goaltender in the league not on a playoff team. I'm even happier he's inked the hard working tender to a lucrative long term deal. With Luongo in Vancouver for 4 years, in the prime of his career, we don't have to worry about arguably the most important position in hockey.

Transactions the good:

Signing the 29 year old Center Marc Chouinard is a positive move because of the Canucks' lack of depth down the middle. Choinard is a two-way specialist who'll be able to boost the third line who suffered from the absence of Matt Cooke who was struggling with injuries all last season.

Perhaps the cost of veteran blueliner Willie Mitchell was a little too much (4-year, 14-million dollar contract) but it was necessary considering the loss of Ed Jovanovski (we'll miss you man, thanks for all the hard work and great things you've done for the team!), and up and comer Bryan Allen. Mitchell won't make up for Jovanovski's offense but he'll improve on where Jovo Cop often times forgot about- his own zone.

Signing the Sedins was crucial. The loss of the twins would be devastating for the Canucks, it would have put them automatically into a rebuilding stage. Living off the offense from an older/slower Naslund and a struggling Morrison would be like a band of bloody leeches trying to live off a heart stroke patient. Phew- Nice job Dave Nonis!

Transaction the bad:

Giving away Dan Cloutier was not what any of us had in mind. Nonis had more time and smarts to exchange a starting goaltender for high round picks. It's not as if having Cloutier on the bench for the first part of the season and trading him when his stock is high (ie. when teams are frustrated with their struggling no. 1's) is necessarily a bad thing. It takes time, patience, and a good eye for the right oppurtunities to make good transactions. A sense of urgency is most often times a GM's downfall.

What's next:

Well number one priority in my mind is the re-signing of Anson Carter. He meshed so well with the Sedins last year that it would be a shame to break up that line. Since the twins have been steadily coming into their own, with a guy like Carter around the net, that line which should be the number one line for the Nucks on opening day, will be very dangerous for the opposition and would cause many match up problems if Morrison and Naslund return to form.

Filling up the empty spaces, because the key holes have been more or less filled. Perhaps signing one or two more skilled wingers would be necessary for early September success, but no hurry. If Nonis can grab an all-star calibre forward from the remaining flock of free agents it would be merely icing on the cake. But nobody should be surprised or disappointed if the signings stop here.

Depth Chart Thus Far:

Left Wing: Center: Right Wing:

Naslund H. Sedin A. Chubarov
D.Sedin B. Morrison B. Reid
A. Burrows M. Chouinard
J. Green M. Cooke
R. Kesler
T. Linden

Defensemen: Goaltenders:

M. Ohlund R. Luongo
S. Salo M. Noronen
W. Mitchell
L. Krajicek
L. Bourdon
K. Bieksa