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stuff99 · 06-26-2009, 10:05 AM

Gaborik or not, get ready for ride

Next few weeks will be interesting, to say the least

By Tony Gallagher, The Province
June 26, 2009 8:12 AM

The spectre of Marian Gaborik playing with the Vancouver Canucks certainly puts the cat among the pigeons when it comes to speculation.

Nobody buys a house in a city, as Gaborik has done in West Vancouver, unless there is a pretty fair chance he intends to come to Vancouver and given there is no way Canucks GM Mike Gillis could have spoken with him, it's fair to assume that his old Slovak buddy and former Minnesota linemate Pavol Demitra has sold him on the team and the area with respect to life here on and off the ice.

If he's "Plan B," that's one thing and, at this point, that's the most likely scenario if he comes. But is it possible that the Canucks could fit the Sedins in under the cap and they would be joined by one of the most dynamic players in the game (if he's healthy)?

It's all fantasy stuff right now --wild fantasy, in fact, which might be snuffed out with a Sedins walkaway -- but if the latter were possible it would call for the most careful of all salary-cap management. And it would certainly provide a most splendid come-on to the twins and the likes of Ryan Kesler and Roberto Luongo next year to all go ahead and take a little less money to make something like that possible long term.

To make all this dream a possibility in the same lineup, the Sedins and the Minny phantom would have to produce a cap hit of an average of $5.8 million US per, each, and not a penny more. Hard to believe Gaborik would work for that kind of money, given he's already turned down an average of $7.8 million over 10 years from the Wild, but that was under Jacques Lemaire -- what the hell, we're probably dreaming here, anyway. Work with us.

Then again, if he were to be joining a team with his buddy and the Sedins, plus the back end and Luongo all in place, taking less money might not be so unattractive.

The Canucks already have $34 million committed for next year and to fit this fantasy team in under the cap they would need co-operation from everyone.

There have been small signs of such co-operation already. Steve Bernier took a $500,000 per year pay cut to re-sign here and Alex Burrows could have gotten much more had he gone to free agency and he knew it. He chose to stay here. The question is, will the Sedins do the same?

Right now, it doesn't look good and that's about all you can say. With Gaborik buying real estate here and virtually no progress of any sort to report in negotiations between the twins and the Canucks, you would have to think "Plan B" is already out on the drawing board.

That makes the money more manageable, perhaps even for the Canucks to take a run at Jay Bouwmeester, if in fact he becomes available July 1, or the cheaper budget version -- which would be New Jersey's departing defender Johnny Oduya.

If they went for Bouwmeester, it would leave them in a position of being at least one top-six forward short, hoping that Mason Raymond or Cody Hodgson could be good enough to play at that level given the greater push from the back end.

Oduya or a cheaper version of a fifth defenceman would allow for another top-six forward to come in either by the trade route or through free agency and leave the team less vulnerable offensively, but less formidable on defence.

Clearly, if the Canucks were to get a Bouwmeester or even Oduya and add some cheaper depth, they would be in a position to consider moving Kevin Bieksa, who at his salary level would certainly command huge interest around the league. Rest assured they don't want to move Bieksa, but it is an option moving forward.

Gillis wouldn't comment on any of this wild stuff, obviously, but he did say Thursday from Montreal: "There are plenty of players available," indicating as he always has that if the Sedins choose not to re-sign in Vancouver, it will not be the end of the world for the Canucks.

"We really want them back and they've said they want to be back, but in order for that to happen certain things have to happen," Gillis said of the twins, presumably referring to them accepting the Canucks' financial parameters. "We're getting down to it now and we'll soon know in what direction we're going."

No matter how this turns out, the next two or three weeks are going to be one helluva ride for Canucks fans.

Tony Gallagher
© Copyright (c) The Province

06-26-2009, 10:05 AM	#226
stuff99 I subscribe to the Fight Club ONLY Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver Posts: 7,316 Thanked 212 Times in 79 Posts Failed 35 Times in 23 Posts	Gaborik or not, get ready for ride Next few weeks will be interesting, to say the least By Tony Gallagher, The Province June 26, 2009 8:12 AM The spectre of Marian Gaborik playing with the Vancouver Canucks certainly puts the cat among the pigeons when it comes to speculation. Nobody buys a house in a city, as Gaborik has done in West Vancouver, unless there is a pretty fair chance he intends to come to Vancouver and given there is no way Canucks GM Mike Gillis could have spoken with him, it's fair to assume that his old Slovak buddy and former Minnesota linemate Pavol Demitra has sold him on the team and the area with respect to life here on and off the ice. If he's "Plan B," that's one thing and, at this point, that's the most likely scenario if he comes. But is it possible that the Canucks could fit the Sedins in under the cap and they would be joined by one of the most dynamic players in the game (if he's healthy)? It's all fantasy stuff right now --wild fantasy, in fact, which might be snuffed out with a Sedins walkaway -- but if the latter were possible it would call for the most careful of all salary-cap management. And it would certainly provide a most splendid come-on to the twins and the likes of Ryan Kesler and Roberto Luongo next year to all go ahead and take a little less money to make something like that possible long term. To make all this dream a possibility in the same lineup, the Sedins and the Minny phantom would have to produce a cap hit of an average of $5.8 million US per, each, and not a penny more. Hard to believe Gaborik would work for that kind of money, given he's already turned down an average of $7.8 million over 10 years from the Wild, but that was under Jacques Lemaire -- what the hell, we're probably dreaming here, anyway. Work with us. Then again, if he were to be joining a team with his buddy and the Sedins, plus the back end and Luongo all in place, taking less money might not be so unattractive. The Canucks already have $34 million committed for next year and to fit this fantasy team in under the cap they would need co-operation from everyone. There have been small signs of such co-operation already. Steve Bernier took a $500,000 per year pay cut to re-sign here and Alex Burrows could have gotten much more had he gone to free agency and he knew it. He chose to stay here. The question is, will the Sedins do the same? Right now, it doesn't look good and that's about all you can say. With Gaborik buying real estate here and virtually no progress of any sort to report in negotiations between the twins and the Canucks, you would have to think "Plan B" is already out on the drawing board. That makes the money more manageable, perhaps even for the Canucks to take a run at Jay Bouwmeester, if in fact he becomes available July 1, or the cheaper budget version -- which would be New Jersey's departing defender Johnny Oduya. If they went for Bouwmeester, it would leave them in a position of being at least one top-six forward short, hoping that Mason Raymond or Cody Hodgson could be good enough to play at that level given the greater push from the back end. Oduya or a cheaper version of a fifth defenceman would allow for another top-six forward to come in either by the trade route or through free agency and leave the team less vulnerable offensively, but less formidable on defence. Clearly, if the Canucks were to get a Bouwmeester or even Oduya and add some cheaper depth, they would be in a position to consider moving Kevin Bieksa, who at his salary level would certainly command huge interest around the league. Rest assured they don't want to move Bieksa, but it is an option moving forward. Gillis wouldn't comment on any of this wild stuff, obviously, but he did say Thursday from Montreal: "There are plenty of players available," indicating as he always has that if the Sedins choose not to re-sign in Vancouver, it will not be the end of the world for the Canucks. "We really want them back and they've said they want to be back, but in order for that to happen certain things have to happen," Gillis said of the twins, presumably referring to them accepting the Canucks' financial parameters. "We're getting down to it now and we'll soon know in what direction we're going." No matter how this turns out, the next two or three weeks are going to be one helluva ride for Canucks fans. Tony Gallagher © Copyright (c) The Province __________________ ....