Official 2008/2009 Canucks Thread

[trdees]

why the fuck would u trade a young star for an old fart

[AzNightmare]

I'll only want Sundin here if it's a deal that we can trade him for Gaborik.
Seriously don't want Sundin here anymore. Although it doesn't seem like Canucks really have any options should the oppurtunity actually does rise.

[Harvey Specter]

Lol, we need to drop the Sundin topic.

[goo3]

The Sedins need to step it up. They finally have a decent linemate so no more excuses for them. We go nowhere if we have to rely on Kesler and Burrows for our offense. And we go nowhere if we rely on Luongo to give us a GAA of less than 2.00.

[68style]

^
It'd be nice if his GAA would even go below 3.25 and his save percentage above .900 at this point

[SumAznGuy]

I wonder what would a line of Sedin/Sedin/Wellwood be like? Wellwood is a natural goal scorer, a little more skilled in that aspect then Bernier imo. Too bad Wellwood isn't that fast and doesn't crash the net.

[AzNightmare]

I just wished Canucks gave Wellwood an unbiased oppurtunity.
In the little amount of games he's played in, he has shown he had what it took to at least stay on the team.

There must be more to the story...

[411ken]

I'd leave Bernier with the Sedins. The game would have been easily tied if it wasn't for Leclaire'. So I say "no" to sedin/sedin/wellwood line.

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by AzNightmare

I just wished Canucks gave Wellwood an unbiased oppurtunity.

How do you know they aren't? They've made a relatively substantial investment in him - it would be stupid not to give him every chance to prove himself, otherwise they'd just be throwing that money away.

In the little amount of games he's played in, he has shown he had what it took to at least stay on the team.

There must be more to the story...

I'm sure there is. They know what it is... we don't. Whatever they do with him (or any player, for that matter), it's a pretty safe bet they have a better idea what they're doing than anyone here does.

[Hondaracer]

anyone saying take bernier off the sedim line is an idiot imo, the guys got skill and anyone with half a brain can see he is playing very well positionally with them he's got the skill to succeed and plays wayyy more physical then pylon did when he was on the line.

Speakin of pylon, av is fuckin nuts if he doesn't keep wellwood up, the guy is playing so much better then pylon that he should be injected into that demitra line for a few games if for nothing more than an epeeiment, regardless of what demitra wants.

[stuff99]

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Wednesday » October 22 » 2008

Just give Wellwood a break!
Four days' rest work wonders for reclaimed forward

Jason Botchford
The Province

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Kyle Wellwood, excellent at the start of what could be his last chance in the NHL, gets tripped by Jakub Voracek of the Blue Jackets.
CREDIT: Getty Images
Kyle Wellwood, excellent at the start of what could be his last chance in the NHL, gets tripped by Jakub Voracek of the Blue Jackets.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No one could have known that all Kyle Wellwood needed was four days of doing nothing.

Forget the gym. Give him a sofa, a TV and a soda.

That's what worked when Wellwood was reclaimed from hockey oblivion Tuesday. After he was waived by the Canucks, he did nothing for days before rejoining his teammates after clearing re-entry waivers.

Then he had a game that showed people it's not time to give up on him yet. He scored a goal, added an assist and didn't even break a sweat.

"I had four days off without skating and I felt better than I had in a long time," Wellwood said. "I did nothing. I'm not sure what to think. For 10 weeks, I had been going hard, doing extra workouts and extra bikes, everything I can to get in shape. I always just felt tired.

"To have those days off was big. I wasn't even sweating [against the Blue Jackets]. Somehow, the game was easy. I can't explain it."

He felt better than he had in months during the pregame skate.

"I was excited to play," the forward said. "I had some jump again and I could really feel it before the game, then on my first shift."

It showed when he confidently demanded the puck while crossing centre ice on the Canucks' first power play.

Mattias Ohlund gave him his wish and Wellwood started the sequence that led to a rarity -- a Canucks power-play goal.

"The confidence came with how I was skating," Wellwood said. "If I'm slow out there and tired, I'm not going to accomplish anything."

Skip the weights, team trainer Roger Takahashi needs to find him a regimen that includes a pillow-top mattress and a lounger.

On his goal, Wellwood slid the puck to Mason Raymond and then glided toward the net, where Ryan Kesler hit him as he popped into a hole and poked the puck in with those soft hands.

"It was really satisfying," Wellwood said. "I wasn't sure if Kesler saw me at first, but he did. I thanked him for that goal because it really helped me."

When Wellwood was waived Friday, he was torn.

He wanted to play and didn't think he would get the chance in Vancouver. At the same time, he knew what it meant for his chances of getting back to the NHL.

"To get out of the NHL completely like that ... it can take a long time to get back," he said. "The odds of coming back are extremely low when you are waived."

General manager Mike Gillis said the team never gave up on him. But the fact is Wellwood spent much of Sunday on the phone with his agent Mike Liut talking about his options, including playing in Europe.

"I just wanted a place to play," Wellwood said. "I didn't know how things were going to end up."

He made a big impression on Alain Vigneault, who regretted not playing Wellwood more in the third period when the Canucks were looking for the tying goal.

"I thought he played a really strong game," the coach said. "He probably deserved to be on the ice at the end of the game ... but I didn't make that decision."
© The Vancouver Province 2008

[stuff99]

btw anyone know why umberger and kesler hate each other so much?

[Noir]

I never really was bothered by Wellwood's lack of physique but didn't really defend him at the beginning from people criticizing him as a fat ass because the hate was too strong.

Anyhow, anyone here a regular at the Burnaby 8 Rinks circuit either via Ice604 or ASHL know the name Adam Flores? Rather big guy but can outplay and make any Spartan looking mofo look bad.

Ever since then I was convinced hockey players come from all shapes and sizes. People who think otherwise are just narrow minded.

[AzNightmare]

^ That's a pretty good article. Like I said, results are showing on the ice, regardless what he does in his spare time. I don't understand why they would waive him in the first place. If AV admited he had regrets not playing him enough in the third, even when he's having a good game, it seems to me there's some biased opinion on Wellwood. He may not be the greatest player, but hell, he deserves to play on this team more so than some other players.

[Noir]

Originally Posted by AzNightmare

I don't understand why they would waive him in the first place.

Because people thought hockey players are produced in a gym. BTW, weren't you one of those people who didn't like Wellwood simply for the fact he was overweight?

[winson604]

Originally Posted by stuff99

btw anyone know why umberger and kesler hate each other so much?

They played together in college. Kesler was put on a line with Umberger who was the top player on Ohio State, All- American, Hobey Baker nominee etc.

Kesler was an offensive liability and was taken off the line.

When Kesler was signed by Vancouver he made some derogatory comments about Umberger and his negotiations with the Canucks.

[AzNightmare]

Originally Posted by Noir

Because people thought hockey players are produced in a gym. BTW, weren't you one of those people who didn't like Wellwood simply for the fact he was overweight?

which is why I think it's BS that he wasn't getting an oppurtunity based on his reputation rather than looking at his on-ice performance. and he still wouldn't have had an oppurtunity if it wasn't for players being injured. Hopefully now, there can be some reconsideration.

I don't recall of me being a Wellwood basher. I honestly can't remember. Unless you had a quote, but I don't think you would want to dig through 20 pages just to see. lol. If I ever did bash Wellwood, it was probably more in terms of me not wanting any players that didn't seem passionate for the game to play on the team. Because there was that whole media thing about him being lazy which made us believe he's not passionate about hockey and he's not taking training camp seriously, etc. I'm not sure if I actually said that about Wellwood though. I know I've said that about Sundin. Anyway, after seeing him play in the exhibition, I would of changed my mind and supported him way back before the regular season started. And based on what we see now, it seems Wellwood is passionate for the game, but just has his own way of "training" during his spare time.

[SumAznGuy]

Originally Posted by Hondaracer

anyone saying take bernier off the sedim line is an idiot imo

I'm not saying Bernier wasn't doing a good job playing with the twins. I'm just saying would adding Wellwood onto that line make a good line better?

Sometimes as a coach, you need to take chances and try something out of the box. If Wellwood is too slow for the Demitra/Raymond line, why not add Bernier to that line.

Just a thought.

[SumAznGuy]

Originally Posted by Noir

Ever since then I was convinced hockey players come from all shapes and sizes. People who think otherwise are just narrow minded.

Haven't played at Ice604 or ASHL long enough to know Adam. Maybe I will look him up and stalk him a bit.

I agree. Lots of people said Theo Fleury was too small to play in the NHL. Same thing was said about Cliff Ronning.
Some people are just more talented than others, but in the end those that made the NHL were those that worked that much harder than the rest, and had some talent of course.

[AzNightmare]

And the opposite, they said Zdeno Chara was too tall and clumsy to skate.

[411ken]

I wouldn't mind seeing Burrows/Kesler/Wellwood
and bench hansen for a few more games. I really think that wellwood can blossom with kesler and burrows because as someone mentioned, he's got a nice set of hands. Wayy better than hansen at the moment. and no, i'm not saying this because he scored a goal yesterday with kes.

[Harvey Specter]

Does ice604 play at 6 rinks? I think my friends have a team over at ice604.

[Expresso]

^^^ Dunno Pyatt or Hansen its a toss up ahah

[Hondaracer]

Players like Raymond would have never broke into the NHL if the old rules still existed, the new NHL is why there are so many young skilled skaters in the NHL at this point

if the rules had never changed, kids like that would never even get a chance. Raymond and his dad said it themselves if u watch that "inside canucks" thing where it highlighted the trip the players took with their dads last year

Theo fluery had enough spunk and toughness to make it in a big mans league, as for Cliff ronning i dunno how the fuck he lasted as long as he did haha, i was behind him in line one time at GM place and i'm like 1/4 bigger then him in total size lol

[jigga250]

OMG MAKE WELLWOOD CaPTAIN