The Avalanche have mostly been in status-quo mode this offseason. Francois Giguere really hasn’t improved the team and if Joe Sakic doesn’t return, the team will actually be taking a big step backward. I thought it might be interesting, though, to take a look at the rest of the NW division - a division that last year had a difference of just 10 points from top to bottom. While the Avs are mostly standing pat, how have our division rivals changed this summer? First up:
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks were last in the division last year, although their record was a respectable 39-33-10. The Canucks scored 213 goals and allowed 215, both lowest in the NW. Roberto Luongo will be back, as will just about everyone on defense (Aaron Miller and Mike Weaver are the two notable UFAs and both are currently unsigned), so I’d expect that low goals-allowed total to remain that way as long as Luongo does not get traded or injured.
Offensively, the Canucks were below average last year and, amazingly, seem to have gotten worse. Out are Markus Naslund (55 pts), Brendan Morrison (25 pts), Trevor Linden (heart and soul). In are Kyle Wellwood (21 pts), Ryan Johnson (18 pts), Darcy Hordichuk (3 pts). Ouch. Do the Sedins have any more brothers in hiding somewhere?
This team seems to be an absolute mess. If not for the absolute fleece-job they pulled on Mike Keenan in Florida, they’d be barely functional. Luongo gives them a fighting chance most nights; imagine what he could do on a team that doesn’t stink (*hint hint*). The Canucks are so desperate that they offered Mats Sundin $20 million for two years…and he still said no. Gee, Vancouver, ain’t that karma a bitch? The Canucks still have about $16 million in cap room, so you can expect they’ll still be making some desperate bids for some of the few remaining names on the market. I don’t think it will help.
EDIT: It looks like Pavol Demitra is headed to Vancouver. And no, I don’t think it will help.
the canucks are going to be terrible, completely terrible, and then the Sedins will walk on them in the offseason and they’ll be worse. It’s remarkable what’s happened to that franchise since the Bertuzzi incident.
by the way, I want the Avs to take a hard look at signing the Sedins next offseason. This team will have the cap room and the positions in the top 6 available for sure, what with Sakic retiring. Imagine a top 6 with the Sedins on one line, and Stastny centering the other… I wonder how much they’ll be asking…6m each?
I think I agree with the consensus that the Canucks are in for a rough season. This was already a thing team up front and now Naslund and Morrison have departed. Even if Naslund has slowed down a bit, he was still the go to player of the offense for many years. I do not believe the Sedin twins can carry a team either. They are solid complimentary players when there is good talent around them, but considering they are the only legit scoring threats for Vancouver right now, I don’t think that’s a good situation if I were a Canucks fan.
The D isn’t bad but most of the players are more suited to a second or third pairing…there are no studs on the blueline that can take over a game.
Luongo will keep the team from sinking completely but I can see him losing a lot of 2-1 games. He couldn’t carry a bad Florida team into the playoffs all by himself and unfortunately for him it now looks like he is in the same situation.
No matter how pessimistic I may get about the Avs chances this season, I think the wheels will fall off in Vancouver first.