CrashingTheGoalie

by Bill Heintz

After the boys most recent performances against the crème de la crème, the chat boards are buzzing with controversy.

The problem?

Why, simply its; do we need a third line centre upgrade?

Many fans have given up on Kyle Wellwood. He’s not producing the offence and he isn’t playing on the PK so what good is he? The number one favourite replacement seems to be Matt Cullen out of Carolina. And who do we offer up for this? Well the debate rages around Michael Grabner or maybe even Kevin Bieksa.

MATT CULLEN

I wrote a few months back that we needed a third line centre and a stud D-man. I speculated about Scott Neidermayer and whether Anaheim would move him…and what would we offer up?

And therein lies the luxury for Canuck fans.

Calgary is wondering whether they will make the playoffs…or whether they will ever score again (answers: in doubt; and, yes). Edmonton fans are rallying around the “Fall for Hall” which allows some small measure of comfort after each excruciating loss.

As bad as it is in Alberta, it’s worse in Toronto where Brian Burke’s shenanigans have resulted in Leaf fans facing the possibility that the pick traded for Phil Kessel could be a lottery pick. And Burke can rationalize all he wants, Phil Kessel arrived at the center of the universe with considerable baggage. Sure, he may be a great kid, but he’s more like Camalleri than he is like a Stamkos. Some little guys with speed are franchise players. Some are just streaky scorers. Phil is just a streaky scorer. If the pick Boston gets turns out to be a franchise player, it just adds more woe to this once storied team.

And again, therein lies our luxury. While other Canadian teams are worried about making the playoffs or which lottery pick they might get (or lose) we are debating an upgrade on our third line and maybe acquiring some more blue line depth.

Nice.

But rub those eyes Canuck fans because after the St. Lou game, it’s about to get real.

Very real.

Sure we have a bit of swagger and we have owned the east this year. But there is danger ahead…with a capital D.
I love the Luko story and Bomber has been a steady fill in as well. But if we want to stay in the race for the division lead, we’ll need a better than .500 showing on the monster road trip if we want to stay within shouting distance of Colorado.

Because if it all goes south, we’ll be debating more than a third line centre upgrade at the March trading deadline.