Prior to the Vancouver Canucks Veteran camp in Penticton, the NHL’s youngest and most notable up-and-comers will be on display September 12-16, 2010.

Jordan Schroeder during the 2009 Entry Draft, being selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round

The Young Stars tournament will be an 8 game round robin tournament, featuring some blue chip talent from the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers.  Dan Ashton, Mayor of Penticton, spoke to the upcoming event.  ”When we built our events centre, part of our vision was to have the Canucks come and utilize it as a training facility… now to have  five NHL teams come to Penticton for five days… this is a tremendous opportunity for us to showcase our facility and community.”

At this time, the details of which prospects will be playing has yet to be announced, but it figures to be an important proving grounds.  With the possibility that some of the prospects looking for regular NHL jobs this fall will be involved, there is the potential for several nigh-household names.  Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Mikael Backlund, Nick Petrecki, Luca Sbisa, Jake Gardiner – all prospects that might be involved in the tournament.

Cody Hodgson: Vancouver's number one prospect (all photos courtesy of Yardbarker.com)

From a Canucks fan point of view, the real draw will be witnessing the unfolding storyline between Prior Lake, Minnesotan Jordan Schroeder and Markham, Ontario’s Cody Hodgson.  The two centers will look to make an early impression on Canucks’ brass, meanwhile competing for what should essentially be the 4th line center position with the club.  With Manny Malholtra’s tenacious, time-proven checking track record, it appears that’s the slot available.  One has to factor in, though, Hodgson’s $1.6 M cap hit into the equation, which might be enough, provided he has a solid camp, to make him the incumbent fourth line center.

Canucks President and General Manager Mike Gillis commented on the Young Stars tournament that precedes the Veteran camp (which starts Sept. 18).  ”Penticton has a deep hockey history and we look forward in continuing to celebrate that legacy with our NHL players and prospects this fall.”  A tournament package, which starts at $66 plus applicable taxes (www.valleyfirstTIX.com), receives a ticket to each of the eight games, and the first 1000 fans to purchase tickets also receive an exclusive pass to the Canucks Veteran’s Training Camp, providing reserved seating and priority access to the Veteran’s Camp.

Jordan Eberle should be in the hunt for a roster spot with the talent-strapped Oilers

The hockey world is Mikael Backlund's oyster... he's the Flames equivalent of Hodgson

Nick Petrecki (6'3, 220 lbs) has a heavy shot, and hits even harder, could crack the Sharks' lineup this year

To be frank, though I’m very interested in how things shake down during Veteran’s Camp, I’m salivating to see how the neophytes perform during the Young Stars tournament.  Of course, I’m wary of another Sergei Shirokov-esque performance:  One of the prospects performs very well, has a great pre-season, and then fades shortly after.  But make no mistake about it, there are a couple of jobs up for grabs, and with Michael Grabner being shipped to Florida, the door is open.  The only remaining question:  Who will walk through?

During an interview with Ben Kuzma and Jason Botchford (from The Province) on Team 1040 radio, Barry MacDonald spoke about Mike Gillis’ cap room situation, and the Vancouver Canucks need to move Kevin Bieksa, soon.

According to Team 1040, at least 6 teams are bidding right now to obtain Bieksa

With the somewhat surprising additions of Dan Hamhuis and Keith Ballard to the Vancouver defensive core, Kevin Bieksa looks to have played his last game as a Canuck.  After losing in the second round to the cup-winning Blackhawks, the situation wasn’t as transparent.  Everyone knew changes were on the way, and probably to the defensive structure, but initially Bieksa was only one of a few names bandied about.   But the impending Free Agent arbitration meeting next week over Mason Raymond has given Bieksa’s position a more cellophane appearance.

Because Arbitrators used in the process are not “hockey” people, but rather “numbers” people, it would appear that Mason Raymond will be set to receive at least $3 M per season, with Jason Botchford and Ben Kuzma hinting that number could gravitate closer to $4 M per season.  Players such as Atlanta’s Clarke MacArthur, who was awarded a $2.4 M per season ruling in arbitration (that ATL declined the option on) for his 16 goal, 19 assist campaign, as well as Toronto’s Nikolai Kulemin who has been signed to a 2 year, $2.35 M per season deal (78 games, 16 goals, 20 assists)  had inferior seasons to Raymond.  Raymond scored 25 goals, added 28 assists for 53 points and played all 82 games.   But with the departure of Michael Grabner in the Ballard deal, Mike Gillis’ hands are tied to whatever the arbitrator decides.  Unlike Atlanta, the Canucks cannot afford to let go of a top 6 forward, which is exactly what would happen if they don’t accept the decision next week.  Mason Raymond would become an Unrestricted Free Agent, with the caveat that the team that signs him would have to pay the amount decided in arbitration.

Little did Kevin know at the end of the second round of the playoffs...

... that his fate would be so closely tied to Mason Raymond's because of salary arbitration and cap concerns

Word out of Anaheim Wednesday night was that, because of the interest of at least six teams, that the asking price on Bieksa has inched upward.  Essentially, Gillis has stated that he’ll move Kevin to the highest bidder.  Initially, it was a higher draft pick, but now the price has reached a high draft pick and a prospect.  With the retirement of Scott Neidermeyer, Anaheim really needs to bulk up their defense, and appear to be the front-runners for his services.  Other interest has come from Columbus, as well as Washington, and ideally Gillis would like to move him to the Eastern conference.  But as was pointed out in the Team 1040 interview, time is of the essence.  It is true,  that with a type of bidding war starting to take place for Kevin Bieksa (who Botchford referred to as a “poor man’s Pronger”) that Mike Gillis currently “holds the cards”.

Though others felt he had a mediocre playoffs, I enjoy the grit/skill mix "Boom-Boom" Bieksa brings to the table

In theory, it’s best to try not to ‘leave anything on the table’ when it comes to renumeration for a player of Bieksa’s calibre.  But with rosters, contracts and new signings changing the NHL landscape daily, it’s imperative not to price yourself out of everyone’s market.  I believe the time to square away a deal for Bieksa is very soon, because team needs are shrinking.  Gillis said he wanted to “Make a hockey deal”, and is probably part of the reason why he’s got a good response from other GM’s.  But interest is there, and it seems the competition has stepped up.  Now, all Canuck fans can hope for is that the ‘closer’ in Mike Gillis, the former player agent, steps up and makes a decision soon.  He certainly holds the cards, but as Barry MacDonald said, “You can’t hold the cards forever”.

Kevin gave CFOX radio listeners really entertaining interviews; especially when he singled out Adam Burish

In the same offseason that Commissioner Gary Bettman receives a pay hike to $7.23 M per, Willie Mitchell will receive less money because of Bettman’s indifference.

It’s not easy being a Vancouver Canuck defenseman these days.  In the 2009/10 season, the Canucks lost the most man games for blueliners.  The competition arising from those stifling injuries is intense, with Keith Ballard and  Dan Hamhuis being brought into the ranks.  Willie Mitchell was hit from behind January 15th by Evgeni Malkin, and missed the remaining 48 regular season games, as well as two rounds of the playoffs, due to being concussed.   Gary Bettman’s inability to put together proper discipline for headshots and dangerous play was a direct contributor to Willie Mitchell’s plight.   There’s a certain amount of travesty, if not irony, stemming from the fact that players like Willie Mitchell lose money (which I’ll get to briefly) while the professed Commissioner gets a pay hike.

If Willie Mitchell has this picture up on his wall, it surely has a dart board right behind it

The fact remains that, because of Bettman’s indifference to the headshots issue, players like Willie Mitchell, ie – the “product”, are set to lose money.   Do you really think that Mitchell will land the kind of contract now that he would have been looking for this offseason?  Perhaps more importantly, will he get the number of years that he was looking for?

Mitchell would rather take a punch from Pronger than watch Bettman twiddle his thumbs on the headshots issue

Please don’t misread this; I am not a ‘bleeding heart’, nor do I secretly have a man-crush on Willie Mitchell.  But I do sympathize with him, and particularly with his sentiments uttered at a press conference approximately 6 weeks ago.  He is now considered “damaged product”, and has been labelled the same way Eric Lindros was after his concussion.  Essentially, fairly or unfairly, there are concerns regarding his health, and some GM’s would probably be thinking that he’s one big hit away from retirement.

My last muse on the matter:  The biggest pity is that Canucks fans will almost certainly never know what could have been.  If you don’t believe that losing your best shutdown defenseman before the playoffs is a big deal, then the Stanley Cup winning GM Stan Bowman’s words won’t hold any meaning for you.  ”I think you win with defense.  I think the success of our team is that we’ve got some very skilled forwards, but they get the puck a lot.  We want to keep that part of our game intact.”

With all that said, I truly hope Willie will again play meaningful hockey, be it in Vancouver, or even Edmonton or Washington for that matter.  He knows full well that Mike Gillis’ hands were tied at the beginning of Free Agency, and with 3 (defensive) contracts expiring at the end of next season, he had to make a move.  Believe me, should you ever read this Willie, that we WOULD have waited for you to heal if we could have.   It sure would have made Round 2 very interesting.  But time waits for no man… perhaps except the Commissioner.  Sometimes it looks like he’s got all the time in the world.

Every year, the NHL witnesses an influx of talent, some of which will never play in the big leagues, destined to toil on the farm club.  Others still will occasionally get called up to fill the odd gap or hole in the main lineup, but never truly make their mark as an NHL’er.  Finally, though, there are those young men who aspire to greatness, catch the probing eyes of scouts and team management, and play regularly at the highest level on earth.  This season, the Vancouver Canucks have a selection at 25th overall, with the hopes that the young man they choose will become a roster player in the future for the big club.  But before we get to that, there are a few pieces of information to share about the upcoming Entry Draft.

Here is the link to the entire 1st round Mock Draft as performed by the writers of Fansided.com:

http://toomanymenonthesite.com/2010/06/23/2010-fansided-nhl-mock-draft-part-2-the-mock/

These are the picks the Canucks hold as of this moment:  No. 25, 115, 145, 172, 175, 205.

As reported on in the last Canuck Way, it appears the Canucks might be shopping the #25 selection.  The reason for this is that they do not currently own a 2nd or 3rd round pick.  Again, the second round pick was used in obtaining Steve Bernier from the San Jose Sharks.  In a similar move, Andrew Alberts was relocated from Carolina in exchange for their 3rd round pick, to help add a little depth heading into the 2010 Playoffs.  During a recent TSN interview with Mike Gillis (General Manager), he said that in order to give them options in the 2nd and 3rd round, they might move the 25th pick.

The following “Mock Draft” was initiated and enabled by my parent site, Fansided.com.  Basically, each representative (writer) from each NHL club was invited to share in the drafting process.  Using the prospect pool from the upcoming draft, we simulated the 1st round picks, chronologically according to NHL listed drafting order.  In my humble opinion, I believe there to be a few strong, defensively responsible defensemen available at the 25th pick.  I feel the Canucks would be remiss to do anything than obtain a shutdown defender, especially with the very real possibility that Willie Mitchell might not re-sign with the Canucks.  Yann Suave and Taylor Ellington may have a future on the Canucks blueline, but to what extent the more defensively minded youngsters could reach ’shutdown’ status is questionable.

6'1, 173 lbs Mark Pysyk of the Edmonton Oil Kings (stats: 48 GP, 7G, 17A, 24P, 48 PIM) Photo courtesy of thescoutingreport.org

Pysyk has drawn comparisons to Jordan Leopold early in his career.   At the 25th selection, two other noteworthy defenders had been chosen prior to him.  Though I had hoped for a more punishing, physical defenceman, Pysyk has the skating and mental capacity to flourish under the right circumstances.  It has been reported that he is exceptionally good using his stick, which, combined with his speed, is very effective.  He attempts moves and makes plays that other juniors dare not.  The new NHL seems to cater to the faster, quicker players, and with the calibre of speed that many NHL forwards possess, it’s imperative that defensemen be fleet of foot.

Cons:  The injury bug hampered Pysyk this past season in the WHL.  After capturing gold for Canada at the Ivan Hlinka tournament, he was concussed after 8 games, missing two weeks of action.  Then, in January, he broke his foot (a la Ryan Johnson) blocking a shot, though he played 4 games before realizing the seriousness of the injury.  Those things being said, it’s encouraging that he returned as quickly as possible from those injuries, even playing through pain for 4 games.

All things considered, it would have been ideal for my own selection had the Thrashers not selected Dylan McIlrath from the Moose Jaw Warriors.  But, as in real life, the player you’re hoping for doesn’t always last on the board as long as you need him to, so it’s all about having a backup plan.  Still, Mark Pysyk was slated to go earlier than this selection, so I believe the Canucks would do well to draft someone with his pedigree and natural talent.  No matter what, we’ll find out tomorrow what they’ll really do with the pick, whether it’s dealt, kept, or used to bring in additional 2nd and 3rd round picks.  Who will don the teal and blue this year?

During a recent interview, Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis announced that he is happy with the state of his defense corps, which he had better be: The Free Agent market has already lost one big player.

Vancouver fans might not buy into Gillis' "Less is more" philosophy on defense; Dan Hamhuis' rights were just acquired by Philadelphia

During a recent interview with TSN, Gillis spoke to the Canucks 25th overall draft pick, and the potential for the team to move the pick, to address their lack of a 2nd and 3rd round pick.  The picks were spent previously in acquiring Steve Bernier and Andrew Alberts.

But the most interesting part of the interview was regarding the Canucks situation on defense, which I alluded to in the last installment of The Canuck Way.  It’s my firm belief that the Canucks cannot be complacent in this Free Agency market, with a few top drawer defenders available.  The playoff exit at the hands to the (Cup-winning) Chicago Blackhawks exposed Vancouver’s defense, particularly in Game Six.  This is not a news flash.  The same weakness was their downfall the previous year, and Gillis is kidding himself if he believes the fan base will take another early playoff exit with graciousness.   This market will be judged next season by it’s playoff success or lack thereof.   To be frank, if the team fails now to re-sign Willie Mitchell, Canucks fans are in for a bumpy ride next April.

During the interview, he said that many of the Canucks defensive prospects are “Closer to NHL duty than most people think”.   That mindset exposes some faulty thinking.  Let’s just play that thought out, for the sake of argument.   Even if they should have a defenseman make the jump to the bigs next year, how much of an impact will he make?  How many NHL teams have had a rookie defenseman step right into the lineup and play top four minutes?  In my years of observing the game, I can count that number on one hand.  Gillis is basically explaining away their indifference in the Free Agency market to a non-necessity.  Are the Canucks really that confident that one of the Manitoba Moose are going to be able to step in and fill a whole on the backend?

I’m not trying to be overly critical here of Gillis; again, I feel he has been patient in areas where he needs to be patient.  He has put the proper resources into scouting, and possibly even more importantly, the development and coaching of these young prospects.  But lets not lose sight of the fact that Scott Arniel (Manitoba Moose head coach) was just lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, so the young prospect pool will have to adjust to a new coaching style, and possibly system.  In the Canucks system, none of their current prospect defensemen rank higher than 8th on the depth chart.  Yann Suave is ranked 8th, Taylor Ellington is ranked 9th, and Kevin Connauton ranked 10th.  Hockeysfuture.com says that Suave projects as a 2nd pairing defender in the future, but may need 2 or 3 years further seasoning.  They also project further time is needed for Ellington, so it’s hard to believe Gillis will have either player step into a roll this season, with 2011/12 even a tad hopeful.

Yann Suave: Highest ranked defenseman (8th) on Canucks depth chart (photo courtesy of fanatique.com)

Taylor Ellington - 6'2 Victoria BC product, selected 33rd overall in 2007 (photo courtesy of www.whl.ca)

With the recent acquisition of Dan Hamhuis by the Philadelphia Flyers, it would appear Anton Volchenkov from the Ottawa Senators becomes one of the premier defenseman available through Free Agency.  The 6′1, 226 lbs Moscow, USSR native was the 21st overall player selected in the 2000 NHL entry draft.   He commanded  $3.2 m last season, and will most likely jump to the $4 M mark or thereabouts.  Hockey writers in Ottawa are already talking about him like he’s gone, so there’s very little chance he’ll remain with the Sens.  Heavier rumours floating around are that the Washington Capitals will make a play for the heady defender, needing a physical player on the blue.  After Gillis’ TSN interview, I’d be very surprised to see the Canucks field an offer to Volchenkov.  But mark my words:  If injury ravages the Canuck blueline again this season, and it hampers them in the playoffs (ie – they do not advance past the 2nd round) there are going to be even MORE questions that the organization will “need time to assess” in the 2010/11 offseason.  One of those will be regarding whether Gillis is fit to carry on in his current capacity.  The city of Vancouver will not be looking for excuses; only results will suffice.

Big, strong Russian Anton Volchenkov would surely give the Canucks a much needed insurance policy on defense (image courtesy of Yardbarker.com)

With Willie Mitchell’s uncertain status within the Canucks organization, it’s imperative the Vancouver Canucks make a play to obtain Dan Hamhuis during Unrestricted Free Agency.

It was an extremely cold January day, back in Quesnel, BC in 2000.  A friend of mine from work asked if I wanted to make the trip to Prince George that night to watch the Cougars play the Kamloops Blazers.  There was certainly some trepidation on my part; it’s a 250 km round trip to the Prince George Multiplex (since renamed CN Centre), and it was to drop to -30 C overnight.   But Kelly had a reliable Toyota, so I agreed, and it would be the first of multiple trips that season to watch the Cougars.  Oh, and was it ever worth the trip!

Dan Hamhuis checks Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews during Game 2 at the United Center

To be frank, the largest draw for myself was watching the newly named captain, Dan Hamhuis play, and by extension, hit.   I couldn’t recall watching a more skilled, heavy hitting defenseman ever, even during the odd trip to watch the Canucks play.  In the final minutes of that game against the Blazers, Dan Hamhuis hit one of their wingers so hard in the corner boards that they had to fix 2 glass panels.  His thunderous, and extremely well calculated hits brought 5000 people to their feet.  He would score a goal, add an assist and throw 5 huge hits that game, en route to being the games’ 1st star.  Hamhuis would be a large reason for many future trips up north.

Dan Hamhuis keeps Andrew Ladd at bay during Game 5 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals

The following year, in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft on June 23rd, Dan Hamhuis would be selected in the first round, 12th overall by the Nashville Predators.

Since that time, the Predators have made selecting top tier defenders their trademark, such as Shea Weber, Cody Franson, and Jonathan Blum.  But nearly a decade has passed since they drafted Hamhuis, and the financial mechanics of the NHL have changed somewhat.  Though they will probably give it a good solid go, resigning Hamhuis could be problematic for the Predators.  Patric Hornqvist, the aforementioned Franson, and newly acquired (from Oilers) Denis Grebeshkov are all Restricted Free Agents.  While Grebeshkov will probably look for a similar amount of money ($3.150 m), Hornqvist and Franson will need to at least double in salary, if not triple, depending on length of contract.

Dan Hamhuis (Smithers BC)

Shea Weber (Sicamous, BC)

Cody Franson (Salmon Arm, BC)

The teams “big 5″, Martin Erat, David Legwand, Jason Arnott, Jean-Pierre Dumont and Steve Sullivan command $22 m in total.  Arnott and Sullivan are entering the final year of their contracts.  That number represents their forward corps, give or take, and their blueline poses even more of a challenge with the addition of Grebeshkov.  Shea Weber and Ryan Suter alone combine for an $8 m cap hit, even before the raises for Franson and Grebeshkov are factored in.  Oh, and Dan Ellis is now an UFA, so they need to account for a backup goaltender to Pekka Rinne.

Ok, so lots of talk about the Predators, and very little about the Canucks.  But it’s quite simple, really:  Vancouver has needed a strong, hard-hitting defenseman since Mattias Ohlund (man, do I miss him) bolted for Tampa Bay.  Don’t get me wrong, I really like the direction Edler has been taking, and Shane O’Brien has helped make up for some of the lost grit.  But the 6′1, 205 lbs Smithers, BC native would make such a huge difference in the lineup.

With so many defensive injuries (Salo pictured), Vancouver should be seeking backup (images courtesy of Yardbarker)

He has played many valuable minutes in Nashville, and the workhorse rarely misses a game.  He has averaged at least 25 points a season for nearly 10 years.   Most importantly, he would represent an insurance policy for the oft-injured defensive core.  With Mitchell and Salo both missing significant stretches due to injury, the writing is on the wall:  The $2 m Hamhuis averaged over the last 3 years pales in comparison to what he brings to the table.   Give him a raise, offer him a solid 4 or 5 years, and make GM Place an even better place to watch a hockey game in 2010/11 and beyond.

Is it just me… or did the sweeping of the San Jose Sharks and the quick 2-0 series lead by the Chicago Blackhawks help ease the pain of the Canucks 2nd round playoff exit?

Now before I get any Phlyer fans jumping on my back about the Finals not being decided yet, I just want to reiterate that Chicago’s momentum through the last six games is quite noteworthy.  Though none of the Hawks would admit it, I’m sure they breathed a sigh of relief that they were able to topple the Canucks and their gold-medal winning goaltender.  As difficult as it might be to accept any consolation prizes, I still believe firmly that the Canucks game them the best fight thus far.  After the Canucks’ Game 1 thumping, they most surely were not taking them so lightly, I assure you.    All I’m trying to point out is that, if you’re going to bow out of the tournament, the sting is lessened when you have to concede to the eventual Champions.   Two more wins in the next 5 games for the Blackhawks, and that’s the boat Canucks fans are in, like it or like it not.

Rest up, Roberto, next season is another year, and there are new goals in sight

As promised, there are still personnel issues to investigate for the upcoming Free Agency.  Probably the single largest question mark is whether or not Willie Mitchell will be wearing the blue and teal next season.  If you browse some of the comment forums on TSN or Canucks.com, it appears a slight majority believe he’s gone.  Prior to the 2007/08 season, Willie signed a 4 year, $3.5 m (per) contract that has recently expired.

Willie Mitchell, scoring his last goal of the season, would be concussed in this game January 16, 2010 (all photos courtesy of Yardbarker)

It’s my belief, though, that it’s not quite time to turn the page yet.  Ultimately, it will boil down to what both parties intend to do, and how his kind of money would fit into their cap structure.  According to nhlnumbers.com, the Canucks have 8 defensemen under contract for the 2010/11 season, with a combined salary of $16.238 m.  In addition, Shane O’Brien and Michael Funk are Restricted Free Agents (RFA), meaning other clubs can tender Offer Sheets to them, with the caveat that the Canucks have the right to match that offer.  If they chose not to, then the offering team has to pay Vancouver compensation in the form of draft picks, according to a chart value.  In most cases, the chart value for RFA’s is quite high, prohibitive.

We'd sure miss Willie and his long reach and his shutdown capabilities

Simply put, though, I would think Mitchell to have some ‘unfinished business’ as far as the Canucks are concerned.  The mechanics of being an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) are intricate, and the Canucks will no doubt not be alone in their pursuit of Mitchell.  But Willie grew up in Port McNeil on Vancouver Island, and seemed quite at home playing 3 years with the Canucks.  Who knew January 16th that he would be out the rest of the regular season and the playoffs with post-concussion syndrome?  He wasn’t alone in voicing the opinion that Vancouver had a lot of pieces to the puzzle in pursuit of a championship.  It’s hard to imagine that he feels any differently now, and has set up a nice life in Vancouver.   Even if he were looking for additional money on a new contract, or be slanted in favor of a longer-term deal, surely Vancouver is still a strong possibility.  Many on the forums say that the Canucks should shake hands, move on, and spend the money elsewhere.  But replacing what Mitchell brings to the table will be a difficult task, and though this summers crop of (defensive) Free Agents isn’t slim pickings, it’s far from bountiful.

Shane O'Brien grew as a player last season, and his new contract should reflect that

As mentioned, Shane O’Brien and Mason Raymond are two noteworthy RFA’s.  The playoffs proved that players with speed, grit, and determination are best suited to succeed.  O’Brien’s Irish heart brims with grit, while Raymond’s speed and flash have surely caught others’ attention.  Of the two, Raymond is most likely to receive an offer sheet from another club, a la Ryan Kesler and the Philadelphia Flyers (Bobby Clarke).  The Canucks matched the $1.75 m contract offer that some scoffed at during the time, but with Kesler’s production and growth, they soon realized $1.75 m was bargain basement.  If Raymond receives an offer, it would probably be around that mark ($2 m or so).  The other mitigating factor is how badly another club would want to bring on Raymond’s goal-scoring capability.  They know they’d pay dearly for it, with a possible first round pick, and potentially another 2nd round pick leaving for compensation, depending on the size of contract.  The new NHL puts a premium on young talent; whatever the case, the $760,000 Raymond made last season will look like a down payment on the new contract he signs, whichever team that might be.   Below I’ve included the 2009 table for compensation upon signing a Restricted Free Agent.

2009 Compensation

• $994,433 or below – None
• $994,433 to $1,506,716 – 3rd round pick
• $1,506,716 to $3,013,434 – 2nd round pick
• $3,013,434 to $4,520,150 – 1st and 3rd round pick
• $4,520,150 to $6,026,867 – 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick
• $6,026,867 to $7,533,584 – 2 1st round picks, a 2nd and 3rd round pick
• $7,533,584 – 4 1st round picks

So, based on the above scenario, the $1.75 m contract the Flyers offered Ryan Kesler, they would have had to give up a 2nd round pick to the Canucks.  As you can see, $3.014 m is the magical number, whereby a team would have to compensate the club that held that players rights a 1st and 3rd round draft pick.  Again, the team owning the players rights ALWAYS has the option to match.

After Mason Raymond's break-out season, will other NHL teams pony up draft picks to sign him to contract?

So less than a month from now hockey fans will start to feel the flicker of some hockey excitement again, with the NHL Entry Draft descending upon them June 25th.  Shortly after that, July 1st will mark the start of Free Agency, and for a few weeks following, some NHL players will be finding themselves moving to new cities.

Join me June 25th (and of course, weekly before then) as Fansided.com and it’s writers (myself included) prepare not only a Fantasy ‘Mock’ draft live, but also play General Manager for a day and deliberate on who the Vancouver Canucks should select with their 18th pick in the first round, right here on The Canuck Way.

In a poll conducted Tuesday by Team 1040 Radio, 40 per cent of Vancouver Canucks fans polled said they would give up sex for a year if the team won the Stanley Cup.

Actor AJ Buckley cheers during Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Canucks and Blackhawks

The poll was a crossover from a recent English poll that suggested that 12 per cent of soccer fans would give up sex for a year if the Three Lions won the World Cup.  Neither of the polls indicated the percentages as broken down by gender, but I assume it’s safe to say that the majority would be male.  Regardless, the number is quite impressive when you think about what’s at stake.  Personally, having followed the Canucks faithfully for 28 years, and hoped, laughed and cried along with them every step of the way, I still don’t know that I would wager a year without sex.  I don’t think my fiance would appreciate me placing that kind of bet either.  It kind of makes me wonder if they’re engaging in the same activity…

Canucks fans at GM Place show their support during Game 3 of the semifinals (All photos courtesy of Yardbarker)

The beauty of polls like this is that no one will be held responsible to carry out the parameters of the wager.  With that in mind, let’s follow through on my promise to take a look at the personnel that will (or will not) help Vancouver reach the Holy Grail.

Fans jested (coach) Vigneault should have let Demitra wear his Slovakian uniform during games to improve his performance

Pavol Demitra:

Age: 35

Cap Hit: $4,000,000

Status: Unrestricted Free Agent

Stats (Games, Goals, Assists, Total points)

28 games      3-13-16    +3 rating

Playoffs:  11 games,  2-4-6    +2 rating

Pavol Demitra turned out to be another Canuck Free Agent experiment  gone awry.  Based on The Province (newspaper) reader response, it’s easy to see that fans are quite unhappy with the return on investment for the streaky Slovak.  Paul from Vancouver wrote: “Don’t answer the $4 -million call from the dreadful Demitra Experiment”.  At least with Mats Sundin, there was a certain level of commitment and grit that was displayed for the monumental amount of cash he received.  But Demitra never really hit his stride in Vancouver, save for the two week period of the Olympics in which he led the tournament for points.  Elvis sightings will be more frequent than Demitra sightings in Vancouver after July 1st, I can assure you of that.

Kyle Wellwood is congratulated by teammates after a second period goal in Game 1

Some Canucks fans have given Kyle the nickname "Charlie Brown" for his interesting facial expressions

Kyle Wellwood:

Age:  27

Cap Hit:  $1,200,000

Status:  Unrestricted Free Agent

Reg. Season:  75 games, 14-11-25   +6 rating

Playoffs:  12 games,  2-5-7   -1 rating

Wellwood showed he knows when to turn up the compete level.  CBC Analyst Jim Hughson commented a couple of times about Wellwood’s speed in the playoffs.  For two years running, the diminutive center has saved his best hockey for the playoffs, and gave the Canucks an additional dimension on their checking line.  With excellent stick-handling abilities, and good vision on the ice, the Canucks will probably make an offer in the same ballpark as the previous one.  The only question is whether he’ll accept or not; may get a longer look from other clubs, which could push his value up somewhat.

Ryan Johnson is stopped by Antti Niemi in Game 5 at the United Center in Chicago

Foot injuries caught up to one of the NHL's bravest shot-blockers, right into the playoffs

Ryan Johnson:

Age: 33

Cap Hit:  $1,150,000

Status: Unrestricted Free Agent

Reg. Season: 58 games,  1-4-5    -4 rating

Playoffs: 4 games,  0-0-0    -2 rating

Having played playoff hockey myself while suffering from a serious injury, my heart really went out to Johnson this post-season.  He was listed as a late May return from his broken foot, but managed 4 games with the Canucks in Round 2.  Probably motivated by the Canucks lack of success on the penalty kill, it was obvious Johnson returned too early.  The Thunder Bay, Ont. product had a tough time being reinserted smack in the middle of the playoffs.  But nobody questions his heart, and though he’s not a shoe-in, one would think the Canucks will try to get him back in the fold for similar money.

Alexandre Bolduc, Class VI Unrestricted Free Agent

Tanner Glass, 25, Restricted Free Agent

In the next Canuck Way installment, we’ll continue our investigation into what the team may look like for the 2010/11 season.  Of particular note, I’ll take stock of the Willie Mitchell situation and potential complications in re-signing Mason Raymond, who is coming off his breakout season.