TEAM PREVIEWS: THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS

Introduction:
I like the Canucks, but at this point in the season, looking at the Oilers and Minnesota, you have to wonder if the winner of this division is going to have to go undefeated. Edmonton and Minnesota have the benefit have the benefit of icing mostly the same squad that they iced the year before but Vancouver.... well they've changed significantly.

The defense, which missed 174 man-games to injury last season, remains mostly intact and the Canucks still have one of steadiest players in the league in net in their new captain Roberto Luongo so defense shouldn't be much of a problem once they work through early game jitters.

Key Departures:
Brendan Morrison
Markus Naslund

Morrison leaves a gaping hole at second line center that will be competed for all season by Kyle Wellwood (currently on waivers) and Ryan Kesler (currently dominant).

Naslund's defection to New York completes the exodus of the Canucks top line and identity for seasons (Bertuzzi-Morrison-Naslund). As if it wasn't already obvious, this is now definitely the Sedin Twins team.

New Faces:
Steve Bernier
Pavol Demitra

Bernier is a physical presence and relatively fast for a big man. He will be playing the Holmstrom role on the Canucks top line with the Sedins.

Demitra hasn't quite clicked yet with his linemates in Vancouver. Considering that we are five games in that means we are 5 games closer to Demitra's eventual injury. Perhaps this is the year that Demitra finally loses all fantasy value.

The Offense:
There are two givens on this team and then a bunch of question marks. You can't go wrong drafting a Sedin though. Whether they are the team's best option or just a clever marketing gimmick is for another blog to discuss.

You Should Be Happy You Drafted:
Henrik Sedin
Daniel Sedin

Henrik is, in my humble opinion, where all of the skill likes. Daniel scores the goals but Henrik set them up. So do you want to not ever worry about assists? Draft Henrik as your second (or even third in some leagues) center and watch them come rolling in.
FACT: Henrik is the oldest, born five minutes before his brother Daniel.

Daniel is one of the most valuable Left Wings in fantasy hockey. He is goo for between 30 and 40 gaols and 70 and 80 points. He doesn't really get PIM but he takes plenty of shots and is a powerplay monster.
FACT: He may be the youngest but he was selected before Henrik was (by one pick) in the 1999 NHL draft.

You Want to Be Ready to Snag:
Pavol Demitra
Steve Bernier
Ryan Kesler

Though Demitra hasn't played a full season since 2001-2002 he has usually been operating at a point a game pace when he WAS playing. This finally went away last season when Demitra scored only 54 points in 68 games. That's still pretty good, but should be viewed as a sign of Pavol's stock beginning to dip. Keep an eye on him, but don't get excited or expect too much.
FACT: Demitra failed to reach 20 goals last season for the first time since he started playing full seasons in 1997-1998.

Bernier is still young and has all kinds of time to deliver on his potential as a power forward, but until he does you should probably stay away from him. If he continues to play on the Sedin's wing then he could definitely be worth your time. Be patient.
FACT: Many scouts have questioned his endurance, skating ability and commitment. Bernier needs to find the right fit team-wise and the right motivation before he can be a true star in this league.

Ryan Kesler has been the surprise of the season so far, as he and linemate Alex Burrows have combined for 6 goals and 5 assists. This is one of those things that you expect will go away at some point. Should they remain even semi-hot however (I guess warm?) Kesler is an attractive pickup because of his PIM and respectable shot total.
FACT: Did you know that Ryan Kesler scored 21 goals last season? Neither did I.

The Defense:
A fundamentally sound crew that are top to bottom injury risks. There are three players that could have fantasy value, including the consistently underrated Mattias Ohlund and Sami Salo and the consistently overrated Kevin Bieska, and one whom the Canucks seem very high on, Alexander Edler.

You Should Be Happy You Drafted:
Mattias Ohlund
Kevin Bieska

Ohlund has been playing in the NHL for 10 seasons now. He has never scored 40 points or more. So keep that in mind before you get too excited about the 3 point outburst at the beginning of this season. When Ohlund is rolling however he tends to be getting the majority of his points on the powerplay and he is usually good for between 80 and 90 PIM.
FACT: While he has never cracked 40 points, in seasons where he played 70 or more games he has also never failed to reach 30 points.

But... I thought. I said he was consistently overrated, I didn't say he wasn't valuable. He gets points (even last year he was on pace for over 30 before getting injured) while putting up a ton of PIM (last year he was on pace for 180) while still taking an acceptable number of shots. All I've ever said then Bieska is that there are better more reliable options. Considering he has already missed three games to injury this year and hasn't scored a point it would appear I'm right.
FACT: If you are a fan of physical hockey, you'll like this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKXZC4x7hO8.

You Want to Be Ready to Snag:
Sami Salo
Alexander Edler

I think of the two Edler is the guy you want to keep an eye on, but Salo has shown himself to be an offensive threat in the past and both are off to strong starts so far this season. Edler was called up last season to fill in the gaps as various d-men were injured and has performed admirably so far in an expanded role this season.
FACT: Detroit wanted to draft Edler. Thats about all you need to know right?

The Powerplay:
Daniel Sedin
Henrik Sedin
Pavol Demitra
Kevin Bieska
Mattias Ohlund

The point men will rotate between Bieska, Ohlund, Salo and Edler, making it difficult to determine who really has the most fantasy value. Any unit with the Sedin's is a good unit but this one won't start producing until they can find the right combination of players, something Vancouver has been trying to do with the Sedin's for about 5 years now.

The Goalie(s):

Luongo. This team's chances begin and end with Roberto. Thought by many to be the best goalie in the NHL, and in the top 5 by pretty much everyone else, Luongo is going to have his work cut out for him again this season. A top 5 goalie in any fantasy format.
FACT: Luongo was part of the absolutely worst trade in NHL history... no not the Bertuzzi deal. Luongo and Olli Jokinen were traded to the Florida Panthers by the New York Islanders for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish. We make fun of the Islanders a lot in this blog, and now you know why. They are the Keystone Cops of Hockey Franchise Management.

The Verdict:
The Canucks will be competitive but not great. The addition of say... Mats Sundin... could change things literally over night but until something like that happens I will comfortably state that the Canucks will miss the playoffs this year in a heart breaker.