Sami Salo Signs with Tampa
Thomas Drance
July 01 2012 03:55PM
Gillis' inaction today bothered Canucks fans, who are quick to point out that, while the team has most of its high-end core locked up, the roster only managed to win one postseason game this Spring and is clearly in need of augmentation and improvement. To rub salt in the wound, the team lost out on Unrestricted Free-Agent defenseman Sami Salo, who has signed a two year deal worth 7.5 million dollars with the Tampa Bay Lightning:
Sammy Salo signed a two year deal with Tampa for $3.75m per year.
— Gord Miller (@GMillerTSN) July 1, 2012
Sami Salo is a battler, and a very intelligent defenseman. He once took a Duncan Keith slap-shot in the balls during a playoff game, was taken to hospital, and returned to play in the very next game. Beyond that, Salo was a Canuck for 9 seasons and was a classy, low-key guy who led in the room, and carried himself well both on and off the ice. For his tenacity in always battling back from a myriad of injuries, for his loyalty to the organization, and for his persona in the community - he was beloved by the Canucks fan-base.
Read past the jump for more
Tanner Glass Almost Returned to Vancouver...
Thomas Drance
July 01 2012 01:10PM
That the Canucks were in on fourth-line winger Tanner Glass, and that they nearly landed him comes to us via the News1130Sports twitter account, which, has been absolutely crushing it of late.
Glass had several offers including talks with #Canucks. Glass's agent says very tough decision for Tanner.
— News1130 Sports (@News1130Sports) July 1, 2012
Tanner Glass was a reliable fourth liner, and a good soldier during his Vancouver Canucks tenure. During the 2010-11 postseason, however, he was injured and became something of a liability on the Canucks toothless fourth-line.
Read past the jump!
Strombabble: Florida Re-Signs Clemmensen
Thomas Drance
July 01 2012 11:02AM
RED ALERT: #FlaPanthers have agreed to a two-year contract extension with goalie Scott Clemmensen ow.ly/bWvF7 #NHLTrades
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) July 1, 2012
One of the first signings of the day concerned the Panthers, a team that has long been rumoured as a likely - and preferred - destination for Roberto Luongo. Moreover it concerned a goaltender, Scott Clemmensen, which means that the Panters now have three capable NHL goalies under contract in Clemmensen, Theodore and Markstrom. Are the Canucks out of luck, and down a potential Luongo dance partner as a result of this trade?
Click past the jump for more.
Justin Schultz Snubs the Canucks
Thomas Drance
June 30 2012 01:10PM
After months of speculation, a week of pitches and meetings, and a breathless afternoon, in which, Schultz and his agents called teams who'd been on his shortlist one by one to let them know he wouldn't be signing with them - Justin Schultz has decided to sign with Edmonton, rather than the Canucks, reportedly his favorite team growing up.
VAN is out on Schultz.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 30, 2012
It's not a big surprise, the Canucks are deep on the blue-line and were likely unwilling to guarantee him either ice-time or a roster spot. Schultz's signing would've been a coup and a game-changer for Vancouver's prospect pool. As Corey Pronman explains:
If VAN gets Schultz it would really change the outlook of their system. They have talent, but lack a premier prospect.
— Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) June 30, 2012
Oh well, at least the Canucks still have Chris Tanev - who is definitely NHL-ready, and is a possession demon!
July 1st Preview: Inventory, History and UFA Targets
Thomas Drance
June 30 2012 11:36AM
On Sunday at noon EST (9 am PST), unrestricted free agents will be free to talk to teams, and sign with them. This years free agent class has been described as one of the thinnest in history, and beyond the "big name" players like Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the lack of quality if evident.
After Suter, the most highly regarded defenseman is probably Jason Garrison - he of two and a half seasons of NHL experience, and 34 points last year. Matt Carle will also be pursued heavily, and while he's an advanced stat darling, he's constantly grated on Philadelphia Flyers fans as a result of his penchant for turning the puck over. At forward, beyond Parise, the most heavily sought after guys will likely be either Shane Doan, who is old and has a penchant for cheap shots, or the younger P.A Parentheau - who is only a few seasons removed from being waiver fodder. Up the middle, the top available name is Olli Jokinen, and in goal, the best available free-agent is likely to be Martin Brodeur, who is ancient and struggled mightily this past season and then put together some solid performances in the playoffs. Yikes.
A shallow pool has been even further gutted over the past several days, as many of the tier-two free agents who were due to the hit the market, ultimately re-signed with their current teams. It's going to be slim picking on the open market this year, and teams looking to significantly improve their roster simply won't have as many options as they've had in previous years. Not that, that will stop teams from throwing mind-blowing amounts of money and term around in an effort to land those few difference makers who are available.
Let's look at what the Canucks "need" to find on the market, what free-agents the team should target, and take a quick glance at Gillis' history on July 1st in the past. Click past the jump!
