Vancouver Canucks Hockey Blog

After another pair of exhibition games the roster picture is getting a little clearer, but there are still some question marks.

Up front the Canucks have to decide if there is a role for Morrison and whether they can work out a deal to satisfy both sides. After that things should fall into place on the forward lines. On the back end it looks like Shane O'Brien is the odd man out. Alberts has been better and O'Brien makes too much money to be a 7th(or 8th) defenseman.

Cody Hogdson appears destined for a stint with the Moose. Consider that in place of Hogdson's cap hit the Canucks could carry Glass, Bolduc and Tambellini. Then consider his pre-season play and the fact that he barely played any hockey last year and it's a no-brainer for him to start with the Moose.

Here are the pre-season depth chart rankings heading into the last game against Anaheim...

Forwards

"Safe Group"

Daniel Sedin; Henrik Sedin; Ryan Kesler; Mason Raymond; Mikael Samuelsson; Manny Malhotra; Raffi Torres; Jannik Hansen;

"Should Make It"

• 9 Tanner Glass (10) - Don't see anyone pushing him off the roster.
• 10 Rick Rypien (12) - Likely to stick with the team whether he is healthy by opening night or not

"Outside Looking In"

• 11 Brendan Morrison (9) - Had a few good shifts in SJ, but overall didn't like his game. Not sure if he's the right fit for the Canucks, at least not for the money he could likely get somewhere else.
• 12 Darcy Hordichuk (13) - No one else has really done anything to push him off the roster.
• 13 Alexandre Bolduc (18) - One of the best Canucks in SJ, played with intensity and showed that he wants it. Might be the best option for the 4th line centre position.
• 14 Jeff Tambellini (15) - If he killed penalties he would probably have a spot locked up, but I'm still not sure if he fits in. Has one more game.
• 15 Cody Hodgson (11) - Isn't ready yet and needs to play hockey. Better off with the Moose, especially when you consider that the Canucks can have two or three players on the roster for the same cap hit as Hogdson.
• 16 Victor Oreskovich (14) - I believe he is exempt from waivers so he is likely to be a guy who shuttles between Vancouver and Winnipeg. Hasn't done enough to unseat one of the incumbent 4th liners.
• 17 Peter Schaefer (16) - Has the smarts and some offensive skill, but showed in SJ that he still doesn't move his feet enough. Canucks are too close to the 50 contract limit, so I don't see a contract heading Shaeffer's way.
• 18 Joel Perrault (17) - Completely eclipsed by Bolduc in the SJ game.
• 19 Guillaume Desbiens (19) - The Canucks like him, but as another waiver exempt player he's heading back to the farm for now.
• 20 Sergei Shirokov (20)- Will be on his way to Moose camp soon.
• Aaron Volpatti
• Jordan Schroeder

Defencemen

"Safe Group"

Christian Ehrhoff; Keith Ballard; Alexander Edler; Dan Hamhuis; Kevin Bieksa;

"On The Bubble"

• 6 Andrew Alberts (6) - Has been better than O'Brien and is cheaper.
• 7 Aaron Rome (7) - Solid in SJ despite his partner (see below)
• 8 Shane O'Brien (8) - At $1.6m SOB is not doing enough. Isn't playing tough enough while his competition is.

"The Depth Guys"

• Lee Sweatt - Still around, but he's not anywhere near ready for the NHL
• Nolan Baumgartner
• Evan Oberg
• Christopher Tanev
• Kevin Connauton
• Sean Zimmerman

Goalies

1. Roberto Luongo - Was on the ice today, will be good to go by opening night, maybe sooner.
2. Cory Schneider - Much better game against SJ.
3. Eddie Lack - Got shelled in SJ, but there's still a lot to like. Great net coverage and rebound control. For a big guy he does a real good job of covering the 5-hole.
4. Tyler Weiman

Injured

• F Alexandre Burrows
• D Sami Salo
• D Yann Sauve

One more game and then it's decision time. The Canucks will then trim the roster down, but may not make any immediate decisions as they still have a week of practice time before they have to decide on their final roster.

As expected the Vancouver Canucks have made some roster cuts after their weekend games. The following players are on their way to the Manitoba Moose: Nolan Baumgartner, Mario Bliznak, Kevin Connauton, Evan Oberg, Prab Rai, Jordan Schroeder, Chris Tanev, Aaron Volpatti, and Sean Zimmerman. The most notable name on the list is Schroeder who was likely destined for the Moose no matter what he did.

Here is the third edition of the pre-season depth chart rankings...

Forwards

"Safe Group"

Daniel Sedin; Henrik Sedin; Ryan Kesler; Mason Raymond; Mikael Samuelsson; Manny Malhotra; Raffi Torres; Jannik Hansen;

"Should Make It"

• 9 Brendan Morrison (10) - Has had a very strong pre-season, the Canucks will do their best to fit him in under the cap. If not he'll have a job somewhere.
• 10 Tanner Glass (13) - Has the confidence of the coaching staff as evidenced by his pk time.
• 11 Cody Hodgson (9) - Has the skills with the puck, skating and strength are still questionable. Cap hit also working against him.
• 12 Rick Rypien (11) - Likely to stick with the team whether he is healthy by opening night or not
• 13 Darcy Hordichuk (14) - Willing to take on anyone, has a good chance of being the 13th forward.

"Outside Looking In"

• 14 Victor Oreskovich (12) - Decent game in Edm on a very bad night. Has to keep going to the dirty areas.
• 15 Jeff Tambellini (16) - Wasn't great, but also wasn't bad with the Sedins. He'll still get a good look.
• 16 Peter Schaefer (17) - Has looked pretty good but it's hard to see a fit contract wise with the Canucks, but should catch on somewhere.
• 17 Joel Perrault (15) - Hasn't been bad but hasn't done anything to take the 4th line centre job. Still has a chance though.
• 18 Alexandre Bolduc (21) - Was a little better on the weekend, but still not outplaying his competition.
• 19 Guillaume Desbiens (19) - Unlikely to make it, but should get another chance after surviving monday cuts.
• 20 Sergei Shirokov (20)- "Getting extra work" with the conditioning coach - not a good sign for Sergei.
• Aaron Volpatti
• Jordan Schroeder

Defencemen

"Safe Group"

Christian Ehrhoff; Keith Ballard; Alexander Edler; Dan Hamhuis; Kevin Bieksa;

"On The Bubble"

• 6 Andrew Alberts (8) - Had a good game against Anaheim.
• 7 Aaron Rome (6) - Not a great night in Edm.
• 8 Shane O'Brien (7) - See above.

"The Depth Guys"

• Lee Sweatt - Not good in Edm, no one was, but has had a good camp
• Nolan Baumgartner
• Evan Oberg
• Christopher Tanev
• Kevin Connauton
• Sean Zimmerman

Goalies

1. Roberto Luongo - Looked great against Anaheim, tweaked groin will leave him out until Friday.
2. Cory Schneider - Soldiered through a terrible performance by the team in front of him in Edm.
3. Eddie Lack - Should get one more start before heading to Winnipeg to battle for the starting Moose job.
4. Tyler Weiman - Moose bound soon.

Injured

• F Alexandre Burrows
• D Sami Salo
• D Yann Sauve

There are a few main stories going on. The first is Morrison, who is now a lock to make the team... that is if they can work out a contract.

The second is Hodgson who has his work cut out for him. Skillwise he is ready for the NHL, but his strength and skating aren't quite there yet. He's not ready to play centre ice in the NHL, but he is capable of playing the wing and the powerplay. Hogdson's $1.6m cap hit is also working against him. Having Hodgson in Manitoba playing 18-20 minutes a night and also saving salary cap room is an attractive scenario for the Canucks. Still, with Burrows out, there is quality ice time available, so with three games remaining he has a chance to play his way into a spot.

Finally, there's a good battle on the 4th line with Darcy Hordichuk showing that he can be effective as a fighter.

After four pre-season games Cody Hogdson is finally going to make his much anticipated debut tonight. Those who have seen him practice say he looks way better than a year ago. Hogdson doesn't have much time to show that he is ready to play in the NHL this year, but there is definitely a spot available should he have a strong showing.

Some quick thoughts on last nights win over Anaheim...

• Brendan Morrison had another strong game and judging by Mike Gillis' comments on HNIC the Canucks seem to be serious about getting him under contract should he continue to play well.
• Dan Hamhuis looked really good. His puck moving skills are very strong.
• Luongo was very sharp in the 3rd period, and as was pointed out on HNIC, new goalie coach Rollie Malanson has him playing deeper in his net. So far the change looks like a good one, as Luongo was not nearly has vulnerable to the cross crease pass type plays.
• Jeff Tambellini had a decent game with the Sedins although he didn't finish off any chances. Not sure if there is a spot for him on the team. If he can't score he's not going to be doing much else.
• Jordan Schroeder had a pretty good game and unlike Tambellini he did finish off his scoring chance.

Tonight will be the last chance for several players to make an impression as the Canucks will likely make many cuts on Monday. You can watch the game on Sportsnet pacific at 5:00pm.

After three pre-season games here are the updated depth chart rankings. Check out the initial rankings here.

Forwards

"Safe Group"

Daniel Sedin; Henrik Sedin; Ryan Kesler; Mason Raymond; Mikael Samuelsson; Manny Malhotra; Raffi Torres; Jannik Hansen;

"Should Make It"

• 9 Cody Hodgson (9) - Appears ready to play his first game, it's his spot to lose.
• 10 Brendan Morrison (10) - Had a strong first game
• 11 Rick Rypien (12) - Out of the lineup again, but the Canucks know what he can deliver, should still have a spot locked down.
• 12 Victor Oreskovich (11) - Not going to be the answer as an enforcer, but still should be able to find room on the 4th line.
• 13 Tanner Glass (13) - His spot isn't assured, needs to play like he did last pre-season.

"Outside Looking In"

• 14 Darcy Hordichuk - The Canucks might need a fighter so he has a decent chance of making it.
• 15 Joel Perrault - Decent game in CGY, RH shot would help the team in the faceoff dept.
• 16 Jeff Tambellini - Great speed, but is there a role for him?
• 17 Peter Schaefer - Decent first game, but will really need to force his way on to the team.
• 18 Aaron Volpatti - Good physical play, outside chance of a 4th line job.
• 19 Guillaume Desbiens - Needs to step up physically.
• 20 Sergei Shirokov - Coach didn't like his game and didn't show any signs of improvment over last year.
• 21 Alexandre Bolduc - Needs to get noticed out there, Perrault knocks him down the C depth chart.
• 22 Jordan Schroeder - Talent is there, but has no chance this year without some big numbers.

Defencemen

"Safe Group"

Christian Ehrhoff; Keith Ballard; Alexander Edler; Dan Hamhuis; Kevin Bieksa;

"On The Bubble"

• 6 Aaron Rome (6) - With his cap friendly salary would really need to crap the bed not to make it.
• 7 Shane O'Brien (7) - Salary doesn't help his case, might need to show more.
• 8 Andrew Alberts (8) - Good start, looks a little quicker.

"The Depth Guys"

• Nolan Baumgartner - Destined for Manitoba, decent depth option
• Lee Sweatt - Showed off his offensive skills
• Evan Oberg
• Christopher Tanev
• Kevin Connauton - Needs more pro experience.
• Yann Sauve - Still out due to injury.
• Sean Zimmerman - Awful game in CGY.

Goalies

1. Roberto Luongo
2. Cory Schneider - Has looked good so far, looks quicker going across the crease.
3. Eddie Lack - Very impressive game in CGY, could still give Schneider a run.
4. Tyler Weiman - Will be fighting for starts against Lack

Injured

• F Alexandre Burrows - Career as a colour guy seriously in doubt
• D Sami Salo

There are some interesting battles going on, especially for jobs on the 4th line. Morrison and Hodgson are likely to be the big stories over the next couple games. It's going to be interesting to see what direction the Canucks want to go. There are several guys who aren't going to make the team simply because they won't fit in to the role the Canucks are looking for. Guys like Tambellini and Schaefer really need to do something exceptional to steal a roster spot from a bigger more physical player. At the same time the physical grinder types need to step up and show they can 1)play physical consistently; 2) take a regular shift and be effective; 3) fight.

The two weekend games are really going to narrow down the field.

All Games Pacific Time - SNV = Sporstnet One/Vancouver - SNP = Sportsnet Pacific

The Canucks pre-season gets under way Tuesday, with two squads playing the Flames.

Game 1 in Calgary (6:00pm SNP - Team 1410)

Forwards

• Tambellini – Perrault – Hansen
• Glass – Bolduc – Schroeder
• Volpatti – Bliznak – Morin
• Hordichuk – Rosa – Anthony

Defense

• Ballard – Baumgartner
• O’Brien – Ramsay
• Zimmerman – Alberts
• Polasek

Goalies

• Weiman
• Lack

Game 2 in Vancouver (7:00pm Canucks.com - Team 1040 (w\ Alex Burrows))

Forwards

• Schaefer – Rypien – Oreskovich
• Torres – ?? – Desbiens
• Sweatt – Morrison – Shirokov
• Rai – Schneider – Weller

Defense

• Rome – Sweatt
• Connauton – Bieksa
• Oberg – Tanev
• Ellington

Goalies

• Schneider
• Shantz

These lineups are obviously subject to change and likely will. It's too bad the more interesting team is not involved in the televised game.

Courtesy Canucks.com

With the pre-season officially getting underway Monday, here's a look at where everyone stands in the battle for roster spots.

Rankings will be updated as the pre-season progresses.

Forwards

The Canucks will likely carry 13 forwards, but that could change due to cap considerations.

"Safe Group"

• 1 Daniel Sedin
• 2 Henrik Sedin
• 3 Ryan Kesler
• 4 Mason Raymond
• 5 Mikael Samuelsson
• 6 Manny Malhotra
• 7 Raffi Torres
• 8 Jannik Hansen

"Should Make It"

• 9 Cody Hodgson
• 10 Brendan Morrison
• 11 Victor Oreskovich
• 12 Rick Rypien
• 13 Tanner Glass

"Outside Looking In"

• Darcy Hordichuk
• Jeff Tambellini
• Alexandre Bolduc
• Joel Perrault
• Peter Schaefer
• Aaron Volpatti
• Jordan Schroeder
• Sergei Shirokov

Defencemen

For now the defense rankings will be based on merit and not salary cap considerations, with the exception of Aaron Rome who is a lock to make the team due to his cap friendly $750k contract. That leaves O'Brien and Alberts battling for the 6-7 spot.

"Safe Group"

1. Christian Ehrhoff
2. Keith Ballard
3. Alexander Edler
4. Dan Hamhuis
5. Kevin Bieksa
6. Aaron Rome

"On The Bubble"

• Shane O'Brien
• Andrew Alberts

"The Depth Guys"

• Nolan Baumgartner
• Evan Oberg
• Lee Sweatt
• Kevin Connauton
• Yann Sauve
• Christopher Tanev
• Sean Zimmerman

Goalies

These are unlikely to change, but their is a small possibility that Lack puts a little pressure on Schneider.

1. Roberto Luongo
2. Cory Schneider
3. Eddie Lack
4. Tyler Weiman

Injured

• F Alexandre Burrows
• D Sami Salo

So that's how things stack up heading into the pre-season. Unlike most years there are many jobs available in 2010.

Up front spots in the bottom 6 are up in the air, while there's even room for someone to jump into the top 6. Will Hodgson earn a spot and if so can the Canucks afford the cap hit? Will one of the ex Canucks earn a contract? Will the Canucks go with muscle or is there room for Tambellini in the bottom 6?

On defense, the Canucks are very deep and very expensive. The salary cap will likely decide who makes it and who does not.

• Tuesday, September 21st vs Calgary (7:00 PM)
• Tuesday, September 21st @ Calgary (6:00 PM - SNP)
• Wednesday, September 22nd vs Edmonton (7:00 PM)
• Saturday, September 25th vs Anaheim (7:00 PM - CBC)
• Sunday, September 26th @ Edmonton(5:00 PM - SNP)
• Tuesday, September 28th vs San Jose (7:00 PM)
• Wednesday, September 29th @ San Jose (7:30 PM - TSN)
• Friday, October 1st @ Anaheim (7:00 PM)

All games are supposed to be televised, however not all games are officially scheduled to be televised. Sportsnet should be picking up the remaining games. All games are available on the Team 1040 and on Canucks.com

It's that time of year again, training camp has officially opened!

For the hardcore fans you can actually watch the camp scrimmages live on Canucks.com

The Vancouver Canucks Hockey Blog will have new content soon and is currently being re-designed (so things may look a little strange at the moment)