[The Province] Raymond, Malhotra Might Not Fit In Picture Next Season

[LegionOfDoom]

3 years ago Raymond was a prototype player with his speed and the NHL's obstruction penalties, he drew a ton of penalties and our powerplay made them pay. A lot has changed, Big forwards and the trap is back, never see obstruction even called anymore.

[-AJ-]

If we could sign MayRay for like1-1.5M I'd be fine with it, but not sure if that'll happen. Manny could be helpful, but I feel like Pahlsson's taken his place.

[Bodee]

I don't see why the Canucks would keep Raymond when they have a similar player already in the system in Bill Sweatt who is younger and can easily replace the main thing Raymond brings to the team which is speed.

[Bodee]

Pahlsson hasn't shown he is the equal to Manny yet. If Manny gets a decent pre season I'm sure he will be back better than ever.

We keep thinking new guys are automatically better than people who have shown week in, week out they CAN cut it in this team.

[Burnsey]

I want to keep Manny, just for the sake he seems like a great person and really seems the team respects him a lot. he was with the team all throughout the playoffs last year when he wasn't playing. Not many players would do that. I hope he gets back to his old form but if not, he is still a great PKer and fourth liner which i would want to see here for a few more years.

[Canuck Surfer]

I enjoyed a post in a discussion about Gillis; which commented that you do build Vancouver as a premiere destination (that will continue to attract free agents) by hanging your injured out to dry.

This changed my thinking about the subject, as I was more ready to search for a Malhotra replacement. Now, not so much.

Raymond, Malhotra might not fit in picture next season:

The art of deflection applies when trying to project and protect the playing future of Mason Raymond and Manny Malhotra. They finished sour seasons on the fourth line, and because both were beset by long treks back from significant back and eye injuries respectively, Mike Gillis cut them some slack rather than cut their games to shreds in a season-ending assessment by the Vancouver Canucks general manager.

In the short term, that's understandable. What it means long term is debatable. Raymond is a restricted free agent of diminishing value and Malhotra has a year left on his contract, but could be a buyout candidate because winning faceoffs and killing penalties simply aren't enough.

Raymond missed his offseason regimen, training camp and the first 25 games of the season while recovering from a compression vertebrae fracture suffered in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final. While his career could have been in jeopardy, he returned, and so did his speed. But the rest of his game never did and the knock that the 26-year-old winger remains a peripheral player who's easily knocked down played out in the season finale. Raymond failed to covert a wrap-around attempt in overtime and it was the snapshot of a 10-goal campaign that raises doubt. Then again, he doesn't have contract leverage after earning $2.55 million US this season and not qualifying Raymond would make him an unrestricted free agent. Teams would be tempted by his speed and he would fetch something in a trade.

"If you're asking am I'm giving up, the answer is no," said Gillis. "He's going to have to make a step now that he wasn't able to make coming back from that injury. He knows it and we know it and he'll be evaluated. The potential for dire consequences was there with that injury and emotionally it's going to take some time for him to get over that."

Getting over the injury is one thing. Returning to the career 25 goals he scored in 2009-10 seems like a stretch but not out of the question if Raymond can tailor his game. That's what interests Gillis. Raymond had six points (3-3) in his first seven games after returning Dec. 4 but was also a healthy scratch on two occasions. At his best, he's a top-six fit that plays in the middle of the ice and drives the net. At his worst, he's reduced to being defensively responsible and a penalty killer.

"I know who I am as a player and I believe in myself," said Raymond. "I know I can go and do those things and maybe I need a little more will to go in and get those pucks in. I believe the law of averages will work their way out and I've learned that so much of this game is mental — maybe 70 per cent. I played 82 games when I scored 25 goals and played in different situations and on the power play. I believe I can be that player and I'm looking forward to having a full summer and a full training camp and being more prepared.

"I'll go above and beyond that to strengthen muscles around the damaged area to be able to do other movements in the gym that I've been unable to do in the past. It will be a continuous thing forever but something that is manageable."

As for Malhotra, it's hard to imagine how his game can return to a strong third-line presence because of the eye injury and the challenges it has presented the 31-year-old centre to adjust a game that needs to be good in all areas. And when you can't battle because two offseason eye procedures limited training time, the Canucks are in a quandary because Malhotra is not a winger. They will need to find a third-line centre because bringing back UFA Samme Pahlsson at age 35 doesn't fit the Gillis model and prospect Jordan Schroeder wouldn't fill that two-way role. If Malhotra isn't the answer, does the GM try to buy him out at two-thirds of the remaining $2.5 million deal? That total would be applied to the cap.

"An extremely difficult question to answer and I'm not going to answer it," said Gillis. "Manny is an extremely wonderful person and he suffered through this injury and is doing everything he can to improve it. We have the luxury of time on our hands to to see if it improves the next couple of months. We'll make all those decisions down the road."

Malhotra won't talk of any vision impairment he may have suffered when struck in the left eye by a deflected puck on March 16, 2011 injury or the four subsequent procedures to reduce pressure and the pooling of blood. He will talk of what a full summer to train will mean next fall. He still managed to finish fourth in NHL faceoff percentage at 58.5 per cent and third in the postseason at 64.6 per cent.

"I definitely feel confident in my abilities and I'm definitely looking forward to this summer and getting back in shape and being ready from the start instead of playing catch-up," said Malhotra, who had seven goals in 78 games. "It's frustrating to not feel the way you want coming out of the gate. I fully believe I can get to that level I'm accustomed to and what I expect of myself.

"I know it's still in me and it's just a manner of putting the work in."

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[Canuck Surfer]

Cliff Ronning played with Mogilny and played PP and offensive situations, same with St Louis and Stamkos.

I suppose you anticipate Schroeder taking defensive draws against Joe Thornton on the PK, which is Malhotra's role?

Yeah tell Martin St. Louis that...Theo Fleury ect how about Cliff Ronning should I stop now

[suolucidir]

Raymond would be easier to move. He'd be worth keeping around if he bulks up over the summer, as he did the years previous to his injury. And he'd need to accept that he's basically a Jannik Hansen. He's got value, but he's not the player that CDC thinks he was supposed to be.

Malhotra's not going anywhere unless he retires..

[afan]

Both Raymond and Malhotra must go if Vancouver wants to get better. Raymond is absolutely useless playing on the top two lines who cannot even stand on his skates. He cannot score and he cannot make plays and he is the turnover king in the offensive zone plaing in the perimeter.

Malhotra is a different player after the injury. Winning faceoffs is the only thing he can still achieve. But his turnovers in the defensive zone has been costly. No wonder he has the worst minus rating of the team.

If MG thinks that providing rehab for these two is more important than winning, then the next season does not look good. I would rather want to take a look at Kassian, Schroeder and Jensen and see what they can offer playing on the 3rd and 4th lines.

[Primal Optimist]

keep manny, trade rights to raymond. no discussion required.

[Tystick]

Raymond - They WILL sign him, not for long, but a contract non the less (AV and MG have faith in him, and frankly so do I). If he doesn't do well in training camp, or for the beginning of the season, he will probably be traded.

Malhotra - Staying, don't even know why people want him out. He has 4th line minutes, and is our best faceoff man, seriously...

Did anyone even care to point out how much better he's been this year since his injury? Everyone just wants everyone to produce 24/7, even if they're injured.

0 patience on CDC.

[Trebreh]

Raymond - They WILL sign him, not for long, but a contract non the less (AV and MG have faith in him, and frankly so do I). If he doesn't do well in training camp, or for the beginning of the season, he will probably be traded.

Malhotra - Staying, don't even know why people want him out. He has 4th line minutes, and is our best faceoff man, seriously...

Did anyone even care to point out how much better he's been this year since his injury? Everyone just wants everyone to produce 24/7, even if they're injured.

0 patience on CDC.

[Cannucker]

I think Manny will start next year back as the third line centre. He did not have the chance to train at all and you can tell that because he was always "catching up" to the rest of the team it hurt his confidence. He got through this season and with a chance to train in the offseason he will be close to his old form.

[Bodee]

I think Manny will start next year back as the third line centre. He did not have the chance to train at all and you can tell that because he was always "catching up" to the rest of the team it hurt his confidence. He got through this season and with a chance to train in the offseason he will be close to his old form.

[Drop Em]

Sorry, but do you watch Chicago? Did you see Sweatt when he was up?

He's not ready to lace Raymond's skates. Jeez get real, all these fantasy world ideas look good on paper but the truth is Raymond is a hard nosed, 15+ mins/game, 2 way skater who carries a threat when he is fit at any level. (probably why MG doesn't want to let him go) Sweatt won't be ready to come in for 5 mins a game until after next year.

[Drop Em]

umm.. what??

Malhotra has never been the same after the eye injury and perhaps will never be back to his old self.

He wasnt a fit this year, we had him in the lineup even though there were clearly better players because that was the classy thing to do.

Next year though, we cant continue feeling bad for him, time to move on, there are players who can do what Malhotra does for half the price.

[Trebreh]

I have to agree, Manny has not been the same since his injury and I'm not too sure that he ever will be. I also don't know how much vision that he has in that eye and I'm not sure that we'll ever know. I have no idea what Tystick was talking about when he said that he wasn't too sure why nobody has pointed out how much better he's been this year since his injury because it's actually been the EXACT opposite and Malhotra admitted that himself.

I'd be willing to give him another chance although he doesn't really help us get younger which is what Gillis wants.

[Drop Em]

Rumour is AV will be back, so we can expect Raymond and Malhotra back. Which is the last thing I want to happen.

I hope a full year of Malhotra and Raymond + playoffs is enough for MG to realise we will not win when these 2 players and dump them and give the young prospects a chance.

In todays NHL, impactful ELC players + a good core is what will win you a cup, having 2.5m on a faceoff specialist and another 2.5m to a figure skater is a waste of roster spots and cap space.

Just take a look at LA for example, Malhotra makes more than the entire Kings 4th line, a line that absolutely owned ours head to head.

Malhotra and Raymond has got to go.

[Drop Em]

I'd give Raymond one last shot, at less than a million.

[CrazyAL]

From what I heard to qualify Raymond they have to pay him in the 2.8mil ballpark. They are way better off letting him walk and become a UFA for that kind of money, it's time to move on already.