CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence
I thought he’d be a cross between Nick Lidstrom and Ulfie Samuelsson – in a ‘nucks’ uniform.
He was the Swedish Rookie of the Year – in 1998-99 – and played with an edge.

“Another mean defensive-minded defenseman,” wrote Hockey’s Future, “but more in the Darius Kasparitis mold than Bonni’s up-front toughness. David has slightly [...]

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by Ron Spence
The Canucks’ netminding is the best ever.
Roberto has signed a 12 year deal – with a few outs along the way – but has still made a commitment to the franchise – and the fans.
And the best goalie in the AHL is Vancouver’s number two guy.
It’s a long way from Brian Burke’s goalie [...]

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by Ron Spence
I had made a spreadsheet of Mike Gillis’ empty cupboard last season, and decided to compare it with this year’s prospects – and missing was Charles-Antoine Messier.
I  remembered that he had been a so so prospect, ranked along with Patrick White, Matt Butcher, etc. by Hockey’s Future.

Messier had been drafted in the sixth [...]

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by Ron Spence
There have been some comments to the effect that Brad Lukowich could be dispatched to Manitoba – that he’s not an NHL calibre Dman.
Some San Jose fans were glad to get rid of him.
“I don’t think you’re able to rid yourself of Brad Lukowich without packaging him with Ehrhoff,” wrote fan blog Fear the [...]

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by Ron Spence

“He’s not good enough to make Vancouver,” the prairie pundit said of Cody Hodgson. “…he’s got big holes in his game right now…Defensively, he’s very deficient – he doesn’t have a clue to be honest with you. He hasn’t had to play that part of the game in junior hockey because he’s so [...]

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by Ron Spence
Michael Ward isn’t the second coming of Luc Bourdon.
Like Bourdon, however, he grew up in Shippagan, New Brunswick, and played for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
Bourdon was drafted 10th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2005, and Ward was drafted 197th – in the 8th round – by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2007.
Ward, [...]

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by Ron Spence
Of course the kid’s tough.

“I grew up on a farm,” Tanner Glass explains, ”and we had to cut a hole in the ice for our cows to drink out of during the winter. My dad would put my skates on and let me skate around while he cut a hole in the ice. My [...]

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by Ron Spence
You lit it up in Major Junior.
You tallied 129 and 131 points in 70 and 72 games.
And for this you were drafted 11th overall.
You show up at the big  boy’s camp and who’s ahead of you on the depth chart – at centre?
Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Shawn Burr – who can also play [...]

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There are two stories here: how the Canucks signed Mikael Samuelsson, and the cap problems that the Red Wings are facing.
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DETROIT — The NHL salary cap continues to eat away at the Detroit Red Wings’ depth.
On Friday, Mikael Samuelsson became the third free-agent forward the Red Wings lost in three days when he signed a [...]

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