NorthWest Sports Blog brings you daily features on Oregon, Washington State, and BC amateur and pro sports teams.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Josh Hall tells us today the Nucks made a series of move to help with the playoff stretch. Derek Roy is a Vancouver Canuck and should provide some flexibility down the middle but I don’t buy the whole Ryan Kesler on the wing idea. Josh says if you’re asking and he’s betting, Roberto Luongo will be a Vancouver Canuck after Wednesday’s NHL trade deadline. Plus Chris Higgins has a new contract.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck brings us up to speed on the storylines involving Ryan Kesler and his possible first game of the season this week vs. the Dallas Stars on Friday night. While he’s itching to get back into the lineup, you have to admire him for not rushing back like he did last season after only five games. Kesler wasn’t the same player that scored 41 goals and won the Selke award in 2011 during the 2011-12 season.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck reports today on the news that has surfaced about netminder Cory Schneider. He is in Switzerland and “ready to go” according to his agent Mike Liut. Early on in the lockout Schneider wasn’t sure about playing overseas and getting used to the larger ice surface, but with no end for the lockout in sight, it was time to make a decision.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck points out five key reasons why today is a good day for the Canucks after re-signing Alex Burrows. In seven NHL seasons, all with the Canucks, Burrows has 139 goals and 131 assists in 522 games. Burrows, 31, was entering the final season of a four-year contract and would have been an unrestricted free agent following the 2012-13 season. He got a no trade clause too.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck weighs in today on some classic Rick Rypien moments in time today one year to the day since the death of Ryp. He recounts a special goal in this one. Vancouver had many highlight reel goals in 2008/09, but to see Rick Rypien and Darcy Hordichuk combine on a goal was pretty special. Not to mention some good scraps like one with Hal Gill.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger the Flying V remembers Rick Rypien one year after his tragic death. Depression is a deceptive issue, one that rarely manifests itself publicly, instead secluding the mind to the dark recesses found behind a fake smile. In the macho-man world of professional hockey, there seems to be little room for talk about depression, a disease still perceived by many to be a simple weakness.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck points weighs in today on a possible NHL lock out coming up in 2012, plus how it effects the Vancouver Canucks. From today there are 37 days until an agreement has to be reached. Remember seven years ago when people thought there would be multiple 11th hour deals before the season and during the lost portions of the season?
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck points weighs in today on a possible signing by the Vancouver Canucks Cristobal Huet. While Huet’s numbers haven’t been bad while overseas, it’s a different game than the one in North America. He points out Eddie Lack is ready for the NHL. He thinks this is the least likely, simply because the Canucks have reached out to Huet.
NWSB Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck points out today that Shane Doan is the guy the Canucks really want, but they are also talking with Jason Arnott. See him as fit for 3rd line centre position. He could also fill in as 2nd line center if prospect Jordan Schroeder isn’t ready for the NHL while Ryan Kesler recovers from off season shoulder surgery.
NWSB Rookie Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck puts pen to paper today with some more thoughts on the Canucks non-roster sheet for Weber, As well as an in depth look at the top six Canucks defenseman currently on the Vancouver roster. Dan Hamhuis, Alex Edler, Kevin Bieksa, Keith Ballard, Chris Tanev, and Jason Garrison. Kevin Connauton has made strides in the minors.
NWSB Rookie Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck puts pen to paper today with some thoughts on the Canucks not putting an offer sheet or a trade offer in on Shea Weber. He asks was GM Mike Gillis a sleep at the wheel or was he that confident that Weber would play just one year in Nashville and become an unrestricted free agent after? Or if Vancouver was involved, was the price to high?
NWSB Rookie Insider and Vancouver Canucks blogger Mitch Dyck puts pen to paper today with some thoughts on the Canucks pending 2013 Free agent Maxim Lapierre. it’s part 5 of his 2012 offseason series Future Forecast. Mitch thinks that although he doesn’t make a lot of money, Lapierre doesn’t want to stay a 4th line center for the rest of his career. We’ll know more in July of 2013.
