After being ousted from the playoffs by the Chicago Blackhawks for the second consecutive season, the Vancouver Canucks are hoping to make some noise this year. That could be easier said then done for the Canucks, as they haven’t been past the second round of the playoffs since 1993-94 when they lost to the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup final. To this end, the Canucks added defensemen Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis, as well as veteran role players Manny Malhotra and Raffi Torres.
The Canucks appear poised to post their third straight 100 points season, so the playoffs should be a safe bet. The Northwest Division should once again belong to the Canucks, as the Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild have a number of question marks surrounding their teams, while Edmonton is still a few years away. Colorado is perhaps the biggest threat against them to win the division but must rely heavily on a number of youngsters, and while talented, they probably won’t have enough to dethrone Vancouver. Things are not a guarantee in the Western Conference though as any prolonged slump or key injury can quickly deflate a team’s playoff aspirations.
NOTE: The Canucks Stanley Cup Betting Odds are currently set at +900
Scoring is definitely a strength for Vancouver, as only the Washington Capitals scored more goals last season. Henrik Sedin had a career year scoring 29 goals and 112 points on route to his first Art Ross and Hart Trophies. He accomplished this despite playing without twin brother Daniel for 19 games. For his part Daniel still had 29 goals and 85 points in only 63 games. When healthy, both Sedins’ should be able to challenge for the league lead again. The Canucks also enjoyed break out seasons from Ryan Kesler (25 goals, 75 points), Alexandre Burrows (35 goals, 67 points), Mikael Samuelsson (30 goals, 53 points), and Mason Raymond (25 goals, 53 points). Malhotra and Torres should be good additions to join Jannick Hanson for added scoring from the bottom six forwards. Also look for top prospect Cody Hodgson to be watched closely. The former top CHL player of the year missed all but 13 games last season and will likely start the year with the Manitoba Moose. If he can show he’s ready and over his injury problems expect Vancouver to find a spot for him with the big club.
While Vancouver will miss Mitchell, the additions of Ballard and Hamhuis should help. Christian Erhoff and Alex Edler should get the bulk of the power play time but look for Ballard and Sami Salo (once he returns) to also chip in. Defensively; Edler, Hamhuis and Kevin Bieska need to fill the void left by Mitchell, the team’s primary shutdown defenseman until he was injured. Look for Bieska to possibly be moved as most of the Canucks ice time will go to Erhoff, Edler, Ballard and Hamhuis.
This is the year Roberto Luongo needs to show what he’s really capable of. While he has always shown flashes of greatness, he has been incredibly inconsistent since joining Vancouver. Despite winning 40 games last season he posted a .913 save percentage, his lowest since being a New York Islander. He also led Canada to a gold medal at the Olympics despite looking quite shaky at times. It should help him without the added responsibilities of being team captain. Cory Schneider will back Luongo up, giving Vancouver a fairly solid tandem.
All of Canada could be watching the Canucks with interest as the team with the best chance of bringing the Stanley Cup back to Canada, a drought of 17 years that dates back to the 92/93 Montreal Canadians. And after witnessing the gold medal in 2010, Vancouver fans have gotten a taste for the celebration that would follow. It has created a buzz in the city that could very well carry the team to its’ first Stanley Cup. The biggest key will be Luongo. If he can find the consistency to play at his best level through the entire playoffs then Vancouver will be celebrating again in 2011, or I could just be another Canadian dreaming.