I came across this post on the Canucks forum. Since July 1st Free agent players are being picked up left right and center. Signed for millions of dollars. As for the Canucks they haven't really spent much or made any significant moves to help out the offense for next season. But be patient ... this post explains what I've been seeing too:
When Dave Nonis replaced Brian Burke as GM of the Vancouver Canucks, the team was considered a potential Stanley Cup contender. Nonis was eager to put his stamp on the club, but the uncertainty of working under a brand-new collective bargaining agreement combined with a collective gust of pressure from Canuck fans resulted in a few minor signings but otherwise the team was kept in tact for one last hurrah -- one last run at the Cup.
The following summer, Nonis began building the team. HIS team.
His first major transaction was profound. Nonis managed to unload Todd Bertuzzi -- perhaps the biggest underachiever on the team at the time, and certainly the biggest distraction -- along with stop-gap starter Alex Auld and solid top-4 stay at home dman/1st round pick Bryan Allen for Roberto Luongo. In retrospect, the deal has practically cemented the GM's position in this city for several more years while the losing GM lost his job and the trade single-handedly spun the Florida Panthers about 10 steps back into the rebuilding mode they had seemed poised to get out of.
"Building from the net out", "It all starts in net", "Now we need to focus on our defense" were words you could hear Nonis repeat in interviews after the trade. And of course "Luongo" was the answer to a question posed to him years before on HNIC: "Dave, if you could build your team around one player in the NHL, who would it be?"
The following day, Nonis decided not to bask in the glory of pulling off such a heist and got back to work, building from the back out. Hometown boy Willie Mitchell was exactly the type of player the Canucks needed. It was a common theme at trade-deadline day: "If we could just get a Chelios-type nasty shut-down guy. You know...a Mitchell type guy".
One month later, Nonis continued to solidify the top-4 by avoiding arbitration and locking up Mattias Ohlund to a 4-year deal.Late in the 2006-07 season, the astute GM then avoided losing the Finnish-MacInnis Sami Salo without anything in return via unrestriced free agency by signing the Fin to a 4-year deal worth 3.5 million per season. Another great move by Nonis, as retrospect shows us he would have likely commanded much more had he become unrestricted. Everyone knows about Salo's cannon of a shot, but it's also his poise and confidence that has made him such a critical element to the Canucks blueline.
With goaltending and one of the leagues best top-5 d-core solidified, there was really only one way for Nonis to go to begin the 2007 offseason:"The Bottom Six".Cowan, Ritchie, Isbister. In the former 2, Nonis has locked up two players with what he calls "tremendous compete". Nonis said one of the reasons he signed Ritchie was when the Canucks played the Flames last year, none of the players liked playing against him. This is the type of guy that Nonis clearly wants in the bottom 6. Add other similar type players: Cooke, Burrows, Rypien, Kesler and Jack Adams Trophy winner Alain Vigneault has some serious mustard available at his convenience. While these bottom six may not light the lamp with regularity, there appears to be one thing clear: Nonis expect his 3rd and 4th lines, when not scoring, to work hard, skate fast, hit, fight, and perhaps their most important job description: DRAW PENALTIES.
While it is obvious that the team is going to need more offensive production next year, there simply wasn't money in the kitty (barring trade) to do so. That said, it's still early.
And Dave Nonis clearly has a plan: Build from the back-end out.
1. Goalie CHECK
2. D CHECK
3. 4th line CHECK
4. 3rd line CHECK5.
2nd line _______
...it's so brilliant it's almost funny.....
-end post-
ps (by the way, I'm loving the ritchie, isbister, shannon pickups)
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