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[Discussion] Interesting Unrestricted Free Agents


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Anaheim:

Jason Blake: Would have to take a huge paycut and so he should. Sturm didn't work out this year, but the idea was good. Having a hard-working winger ready to clean up Kesler or the Sedins' garbage 5-on-5. Blake knows how to get under the opposition's skin. Has 39 hits in 39 games this year despite injuries. His offense is lacking, but in a good situation - Blake returning to a 40 point ladder-type winger wouldn't be out of the question. The 38 year old might (and should) be willing to take a 1-year contract for one last chance at the cup.

George Parros: I'm not a big fan of having a one-dimensional fighter, but if Gillis is gonna get one, it might as well be Parros.

Sheldon Brookbank: With injuries earlier in the year it showed that having right-handed depth defenseman rather than 2 left-handed depth defenseman could be pretty useful. Sheldon is a big body, is learning to play a really solid defensive game and was an offensive all-star in the AHL at some point. Signing him and seeing who plays the best out of him, Alberts or Rome could end up paying dividends.

Boston:

Chris Kelly: I think Pahlsson might re-sign with the Canucks. If he doesn't? Kelly would be a great replacement. Was a huge factor in the playoffs and is about to hit 40 points this year. The cost might be too high however.

Greg Zanon: A shot blocking king. GMMG was all for players of this ilk when he began his tenure as GM and Zanon is definitely a solid bottom pairing guy who can PK very well and step up in the lineup if there are injuries.

Brian Rolston: Been really impressed with this guy lately. Had 14 points in the last 12 games of the season and is having a good playoff so far (3 points in 3 games in a low scoring series). Don't know what role he could play in Vancouver, but he's turning 40 and probably would like another shot at the cup - if he doesn't win this year.

Buffalo:

Brad Boyes: What has happened to him? Injuries and other things have sidetracked Boyes. Could be a project player. He's a strong guy with a right handed shot, can play C or RW and has scored 43 and 33 goals before. If anything putting him on the PP with the Sedins then trading him while his value is high might not be a bad idea.

Calgary:

David Moss: Especially if Raymond is dealt/not qualified. Moss can bring speed and would probably look good on a checking line that included Hansen. He's spent much of the year injured, but had 30 points in 58 games last year. Could be a good player in the Higgins-mold looking for a fresh start.

Carolina:

Bryan Allen: He was discussed to death on this forum on deadline day and apparently Gillis did have interest. Allen is solid defensively, very strong, big and has played on the same team as many current Canucks (both from his Vancouver and Florida days).

Chicago:

Andrew Brunette: The gritty winger is nearing the end of his career, but probably has another good 15 goal season in him. He's a big guy, strong on the puck and is usually all effort, all the time.

Brendan Morrison: Ex-Canuck from B.C.. Had a tryout with Gillis two seasons ago but wasn't a fit at that point for the 4th line... Now he probably is. Can play all 3 forward positions and has a lot of heart. His offensive game might be gone though.

Colorado:

David Jones: Good in front of the net, can be physical, possesses a nice shot. From B.C. Lots of rumours that he won't re-sign with the Avs. Takes some off nights, but I bet he would look good in the Canucks' system. Could play anywhere in the top-9 and wouldn't be a bad net presence on one of the PPs.

JS Giguere: Only if Schneider is dealt but JS is a goalie with a lot of experience and has re-found his touch with the Avalanche after a trying time in Toronto.

Columbus:

Kristian Huselius: Has only played 2 games this year. But is only two years removed from a 63 in 74 game season and could be a low-risk, huge reward type signing if he'll take a short-term deal. Would be a great playmaker next to Kesler if things worked out. He's put up 40+ assists 3 times at the NHL level.

Curtis Sanford: One again only if Schneider is dealt. Had a good relationship with Luongo and played fine when he was as backup in Vancouver.

Dallas:

Adam Burish: Not too long ago I would have hated this idea, but he has 14 goals since joining Dallas (in 121 games) which isn't bad for a 4th liner considering his ability to get under the opposition's skin. He has a cup ring and he called Pronger an idiot on national T.V.. IMO he might be able to play the 4th line RWer role better than Weise or Bitz.

Detroit:

Tomas Holmstrom: Okay, chances are this ol'dino will either play with Detroit like he always has or retire. But if he played on any other team, there's a decent chance it might be Vancouver (he's Swedish after all). The guy has a ton of experience, can play on any line, can help a PP still and plays with a lot of heart.

Jiri Hudler: Had a off-year upon his return to the NHL, but this season he refound his game. Put up 50 points in 81 games. The skilled forward is a little undersized, but has the hands and speed to make up for it. He also scored 2 goals in 5 playoff games. Might be the skilled player needed on the Kesler line.

Edmonton:

None.

Florida:

Jason Garrison: 6'2, 220 pound defenseman from White Rock who is on pace for 35 points? It'd be nice, but Tallon will probably give him a good offer to stick around.

Los Angeles:

Jarret Stoll: Could be a good replacement for anybody in the top-9. Is having a rough season offensively, but can put up 40+ points. Can play W or C no problem. Has 158 hits so far this year and you know he'll show up to play hard every night.

Minnesota:

None.

Montreal:

Travis Moen: Perfect 4th liner who has had previous chemistry with current Canuck Samuel Pahlsson. Has a cup ring. Will fight when needed.

Nashville:

Jordin Tootoo: Strong as heck. No longer has alcohol problems. Plays hard. Gets under the opposition's skin. Would be an awesome fit in the 4th RWer spot. Is gonna score 30+ points this year.

Andrei Kostitsyn: Big winger who plays a gritty enough game and has a big offensive arsenal. Will probably re-sign to play with his brother but would look good next to Kesler.

Brandon Yip: Local Vancouver boy who was on waivers earlier on this season via Colorado and his heart was questioned. However, after a couple of games under Trotz he seems to have refound his legs. When he's at his best he can bring quite a bit of energy to a game.

New Jersey:

Zach Parise: Kesler's linemate and friend during the Olympics. Works out in the off-season with Schroeder. Awesome defensively. Is gonna score 30-35 goals this year after missing a season. Could probably pop 50 in a good situation. Has awesome playoff stats so far. It's far-fetched, but it would be awesome. Parise - Kesler - Booth/Kassian/Burrows would be the best 2nd line in the league.

New York Isles:

P.A. Parenteau: Although overrated, his passing game has improved a lot this year. Will put up 50+ assists this year and could be the playmaker Kesler & Booth need.

New York Rags:

Ruslan Fedotenko: A winger with a good physical game. Lots of playoff experience. Can score 10-15 goals and throw a lot of hits still. Could be an affordable role player.

Brandon Prust: Turning into a solid bottom-six player under Torts. An upgrade over Weise easily.

Kris Newbury: Strong, good AHL center. Currently leading the Whale in points with 58 in 56. Would look good next to Haydar on a two-way contract. Can play anywhere in an NHL line-up and isn't afraid to drop the gloves. Has 66 NHL games under his belt (8 points).

Ottawa:

None.

Philadelphia:

Pavel Kubina: 6'4, 260 pound right-sided defenseman with good mobility, lots of playoff experience, throws lots of hits and has put up 30-40 points a bunch of times in his career.

Matt Carle: Proving he can be good sans Pronger. However, he's another left-sided defenseman and may not fit in with Vancouver or at least wouldn't be the right price.

Phoenix:

Shane Doan: If Phoenix moves next year, Doan might too. Will he move all the way to Vancouver? Maybe if he wants a shot at the cup. Might not hit 50 points this year, but brings determination and a decent physical game.

Ray Whitney: The ageless wizard. This guy setting up Kesler and Booth from the left-side would be a dream and I think he has 1 more year left in him. Great playoff guy and doesn't get pushed around despite his size.

Adrian Aucoin: Big right-sided/handed defenseman who is still logging a lot of minutes under Dave Tippet which says a lot about him. Might want a shot at the cup and once scored 23 goals as a Canuck. Would look good next to Edler on the PP and can still help the PK as well.

Pittsburgh:

Arron Asham: Was once the prototypical 4th line RWer, but looks like he might be burning out. I'm still a fan and GMMG should at least offer him a try-out. But he'll probably get a deal on a team with less depth.

Steve Sullivan: Hard to believe this guy is already 37. Ending up finishing the season with 48 points in 79 games. But that doesn't tell the whole story - in his first 13 games he had 3 points, obviously adjusting to a new system and still getting over some previous injuries. In the last 66 games he had 45 points which is definitely top-6 production. There is no questioning Sullivan's hockey IQ or offensive vision, but does he have enough gas in the tank for another season?

San Jose:

Torrey Mitchell: Speedy forward who is all effort all the time. Is good for 20 points and can play a good 2-way game. Might be tired of playing with a bunch of underperformers down there in California. Raymond - Mitchell - Hansen would be way too fast of a line.

Dominic Moore: Struggling with SJ right now but has had good playoff numbers. Can play a good 2 way game but can also be streaky offensively.

St.Louis:

Danny Syvret: Strong AHL defenseman who has never been able to stick in the NHL. Would be good on a two-way contract with Tanev sticking in the NHL.

Carlo Colaiacovo: Can score anywhere from 20-30 points and makes a good first pass. Has good mobility. However, will always be known as injury-prone.

Tampa Bay:

Brandon Segal: I really wanted GMMG to sign this guy last off-season. 6'2, 210 pound RWer from Richmond B.C.. Has 11 goals in 97 NHL games and will play a good physical game.

Toronto:

None.

Vancouver (to re-sign):

Samuel Pahlsson: Great bottom-six center who is strong along the boards and will be even more valuable after the playoffs.

Sami Salo: The calm, cool, and collected vet is the glue of the defense and can still control the speed of the game. I sure hope he doesn't decide to retire.

Aaron Rome: AV might love him a little too much, but he plays his role pretty well. At least give him the pre-season to fight for his job.

Washington:

Alex Semin: Depends what he truly wants. Despite his 'lack of heart' reputation he has A LOT of skill and actually has good playoff numbers. Is pretty big, he isn't physical but he can be strong on the puck. But with only 21 goals this season would he be willing to take a big paycut?

Dennis Wideman: Would look really good next to Edler, especially on the powerplay. Put up 11 goals/46 points this year and is right-sided/handed. Played really well with Boston in the playoffs.

Tomas Vokoun: Would be a great replacement for Schneider despite his streakiness this year. He proved with his paycut that he wants a cup badly.

Winnipeg:

Jason Jaffray: Good AHL winger who would probably look good next to Schroeder as he takes his next step next season. Jaffray-Schroeder-Rodin would probably be a good combination of speed & skill.

Jim Slater: A 20 point 4th liner with decent faceoff abilities who plays a north-south game? Far cry from where he should've been by now as a 1st round pick, but Gillis loves his first round picks and Slater is adapting his game to stay in the NHL. He also played an important part for Michigan on the same squad as David Booth (they were on the same team for 3 years).

Other:

Jeff Tambellini: Proved he had a lot of heart last time he played in Vancity. Showed flashes of brilliance with Kesler and was a good shootout asset. Because he is willing (most nights anyway) to be a physical player he makes for a good 13th forward. Playing in Vancouver was his 'dream'. This year he tore up the Swiss league with 45 points in 50 games while wearing an A. He now has 9 points in 8 playoff games.

Bud Holloway: 6'1, 201 pound RWer who was drafted by L.A. in the 2006 draft (3rd round). He didn't get a sniff with them and rejected their qualifying offer. This year he put up a big 49 points 55 SEL games and now 19 points in 16 playoff games to lead his team so far (and 1st in the SEL). Last year he had 61 points in 71 AHL games and 11 points in 7 AHL playoff games. His total AHL playoff numbers were 25 points in 23 games. He's 24 currently.

Dan Dekeyser: 6'3, 185 pound left-handed defenseman out of WMU. Has put up 34 points in the past 83 games. Last year he made the CCHA all-rookie 'team' and this year he won the CCHA best defensive defenseman award and was a 2nd team all-star. The 22 year old is reportedly sought after by the Red Wings and quite a few other teams. His average time on ice was THIRTY MINUTES this year.

Jack Connolly: 119 points in his last 83 games at the college level. Those are outstanding numbers. The problem? The guy is as tiny as you can get at 5'8/170 pounds. But he keeps proving critics wrong. Wore the 'C' for the UMD. His awards are piling up. With Schroeder already playing with the Wolves though, can the Canucks afford to have another undersized top-6 type player at the pro level?

Jeremy Welsh: Big forward who can play C or RW. Is 6'3, 201 pounds. Scored 27 goals in 39 games for Union this year and had 43 points. A second team all-star. Is known as being a good net presence and having a nice shot. Don't see any problems with adding this big winger.

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Semin, Parise, Moen, Stuart, and Vokoun please :)

Daniel - Henrik - Booth

Semin - Kesler - Parise

Burrows - Pahlsson - Moen

Higgins - Lapierre - Hansen

Edler - Stuart

Hamhuis - Bieksa

Ballard - Tanev/Gragnani

Luongo

Vokoun

So basically this line up is just asking for the cup.

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Re-sign Pahlsson, Rome, Gragnani, and Salo (if he doesn't retire). Sign Parenteau, Tambellini, and Wideman. Dump Raymond and Ballard for picks at the draft.

Sedin-Sedin-Burrows

Booth-Kesler-Parenteau

Higgins-Pahlsson-Hansen

Malholtra-Lappiere-Kassian

Tambellini

Bieksa-Hamhuis

Edler-Wideman

Salo-Tanev/Gragnani/Alberts

Luongo

Schneider?

about 65.2 mill, if Parenteau signs at 4.25, Pahlsson at 2, Tambellini at 600k, Wideman at 4.8, Grags at 800k, and Schneider at 1.

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Dominic Moore would rather play in a 3rd Division Swiss League than play for the organization that ended his brother's career. Other than that, Jarrett Stoll is a great 3rd line option/shootout specialist.

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Needs:

- Top 4 right d-man (partner for Edler)

- 3rd line centreman (I like Gaustad as a 3rd line centremen., but think they need a younger centre)

- Depth scoring - gritty 3rd line winger who can put up 20+ goals (not sure who?)

- Get rid of Ballard/Raymond contract

- Back up if they trade a goaltender (unless Lacks ready)

- Resign Salo, Grags, Rome

But it all comes down to how Gillis wants to build this team going forward. Friedman said Gillis is seriously thinking of going Boston style, that would require getting bigger and tougher.

According to Bob Mckenzie, Shultz is likely going to FA. Canucks should def go after him. If not, use goaltender trade to bring in top 4 defenseman.

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No mention of Kuba? From what I've heard, seen and read, he's been having a great season. Sure this guy has a bad season every second year and age is a factor at this point, but he'd definitely be an upgrade over Rome.

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