A New Out-look & Upgraded Team For 2013... (Long Read)

[Kesler's Nose]

There are obvious proposals and ideas all floating around, now that we have chosen to go with Cory Schneider as our number one goaltender and since free agency opened up July 1st. I've been following along very closely, as I'm sure many of you have as well.

I'm confident all of you have come up with your own plans and by popular decision have also gone along with a few from others, I'm just putting my own and some of your ideas down on here to try and gain some perspective on what could possibly or will possibly happen in the next little while.

The team that will be shaped here-- after the departure of Lu, will form the future and impact our chances at returning to the SC final, as well as having another shot at winning the holy grail. So by no means do I take it lightly, I put my full trust in MG. The following is just a proposal within my own experience and hockey knowledge that I think will benefit this team.

Firstly, I would like to say that we should in fact pursue a trade with Toronto, instead of Florida. (Unless MG or Luongo himself says he is only interested in heading to Florida)

My trade proposal would then be as follows:

To Vancouver:

Rights to Cody Franson, Joe Colborne, 1st round pick (2013)

To Toronto:

Roberto Luongo, 1st round pick (2013), Conditional 3rd (2014) 'Dependant on whether or not Franson chooses to sign.'

When ever the right time for a real trade involving Toronto is, I hope that it is soon. It's common knowledge that they desperately need a franchise goaltender. This deal seems fair, we both get what we need, perhaps a bit of an over payment in some of the Maple Leafs/Canucks fans eyes but a good trade none the less.

We could then proceed to sign Franson to a two year deal paying 2.5 mil each season, then hit the FA market (Assuming this deal happens asap) to sign a forward that we need to fill out our top 6. Shane Doan or Alexander Semin come instantly to mind, the first being the preference. We could send Doan an offer for about 5 mil for three seasons, or 18 mil over four seasons (According to his own preference) --We may have to fork out more though, due to other bidding teams.

If he elects to go back to Phoenix we could then go after Semin or perhaps right away if Semin is the safer option (Considering he may be off the market before Doan makes his decision) sending him a contract offer valued at 6 mil for approximately one year. We could send Mason Raymond to Anaheim or another team of interest for picks (2nd, 3rd?) and then proceed to sign Jason Arnott for one season at 2.5-3 mil, who would be a good option to take over the 2nd line while Kes makes a steady recovery.

Lastly, we could then sign a back up goaltender like Al Montoya for a one year two-way deal valued at around 950k, giving Lack the opportunity to be back up to Schneids or sending him back down to the Wolves and going with Montoya, dependant on who shows more promise.

The line up would look as follows for the playoffs:

D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Doan/Semin

Booth - Kesler - Burrows

Higgins - Arnott - Hansen

Malhotra - Lapierre - Kassian

-- Volaptti, Ebbett, Colborne

Edler - Garrison

Hamhuis - Bieksa

Ballard - Franson

-- Tanev, Alberts

Schneider

Lack/Montoya

To me this looks like an instant contender, with a lot of UFA's coming after this season (Within our team as well) it wouldn't be the worst of ideas.. With next season Shea Weber being a target or whoever else might tickle MG's fancy, there isn't too much risk involved in going with this proposal.

I think the addition of Franson, being a former Nashville Predator and another BC boy being added to that list, Weber will have his eye's kept on Vancouver as a likely destination. (Assuming Suter leaves and he chooses to test FA next season)

Doan would obviously be the best applicant, but perhaps we could see flashes of brilliance along the lines of Pavel Bure by signing a highly touted russian born player like Alexander Semin?

Either way, just a thought.. Would love to hear my fellow fan bases opinions?

[Rey]

I actually want Tanev to be a regular because I see upside in him, at the same time, i know he can be reliable defensively. Franson and Ballard pairing isn't very safe. Franson's size and potential is intriguing but i don't think I'd play him over Tanev.

I think Semin has the best shot in the game, but you can't rely on him to be consistent to be on the first line.

Goaltending is really young, it's better off to get a veteran to be able to keep Schneider grounded.

[Kesler's Nose]

I actually want Tanev to be a regular because I see upside in him, at the same time, i know he can be reliable defensively. Franson and Ballard pairing isn't very safe. Franson's size and potential is intriguing but i don't think I'd play him over Tanev.

I think Semin has the best shot in the game, but you can't rely on him to be consistent to be on the first line.

[Rey]

Depending on who plays better, as well as the many possible injury's during a regular season, we could see Tanev have ice time.

In my opinion, he isn't completely NHL or playoff ready for a team competing for the cup. Another year or two of development would do him great, Franson on the other hand is about to become an NHL regular, having quite a bit more NHL experience.

His offensive side also helps, with Ballard choosing to play more defensively than offensively in Vancouver these past two years.

[Steve Kariya]

This is a surprisingly well thought out post, that is both reasonable and realistic. (Making it a rarity on CDC). Sorry that the first three replies focused on the smallest detail of your post (whether Tanev or Ballard is in the 3rd pairing - important but not the main point).

The approach is solid in terms of the deal with Toronto as it addresses some needs for us, and does not set them back very far as an organization to get a huge upgrade in goal for them. Colborne fills a potential long term need for us of a 3rd line center with great size and some skill, and Franson would be a good #6 dman for us (whether replacing Ballard or Tanev in the line-up - and could free us up to move one of them if the right opportunity came along). The only negative in terms of perception is there's little contract $ coming back, so that's where maybe you could see Connolly (as mentioned in another thread) get put into it, which we could include Raymond or a mid-level prospect to balance it out (Rodin, Sauve, etc). I'd do the deal as a Canuck fan. If we could get more than that from them or Florida, awesome, but I'd be content with that for sure.

[DarthNinja]

I say frack Semin!

[Peter Gunn]

The line up would look as follows for the playoffs:

D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Doan/Semin

Booth - Kesler - Burrows

Higgins - Arnott - Hansen

Malhotra - Lapierre - Kassian

-- Volaptti, Ebbett

Edler - Garrison

Hamhuis - Bieksa

Ballard - Franson

-- Tanev, Alberts

Schneider

Lack/Montoya

[Kesler's Nose]

This is a surprisingly well thought out post, that is both reasonable and realistic. (Making it a rarity on CDC). Sorry that the first three replies focused on the smallest detail of your post (whether Tanev or Ballard is in the 3rd pairing - important but not the main point).

The approach is solid in terms of the deal with Toronto as it addresses some needs for us, and does not set them back very far as an organization to get a huge upgrade in goal for them. Colborne fills a potential long term need for us of a 3rd line center with great size and some skill, and Franson would be a good #6 dman for us (whether replacing Ballard or Tanev in the line-up - and could free us up to move one of them if the right opportunity came along). The only negative in terms of perception is there's little contract $ coming back, so that's where maybe you could see Connolly (as mentioned in another thread) get put into it, which we could include Raymond or a mid-level prospect to balance it out (Rodin, Sauve, etc). I'd do the deal as a Canuck fan. If we could get more than that from them or Florida, awesome, but I'd be content with that for sure.

[Gally]

Apparently there are 20 teams that are interested in Doan so it is unlikely we will sign him. I'm all for making a push for him but if he doesn't re-sign in Phoinex it is unlikely he will be a Canuck. Also, Semin has no heart and isn't the type of player that Gillis would even consider. And NHL 12 is misleading, a 2 way contract doesn't mean that a player can be sent down without going through waivers. They have to be 26 or younger and/or played under 100 games I believe. Just my 2 cents.

[Rey]

This is a surprisingly well thought out post, that is both reasonable and realistic. (Making it a rarity on CDC). Sorry that the first three replies focused on the smallest detail of your post (whether Tanev or Ballard is in the 3rd pairing - important but not the main point).

[dura_mater]

There are obvious proposals and ideas all floating around, now that we have chosen to go with Cory Schneider as our number one goaltender and since free agency opened up July 1st. I've been following along very closely, as I'm sure many of you have as well.

I'm confident all of you have come up with your own plans and by popular decision have also gone along with a few from others, I'm just putting my own and some of your ideas down on here to try and gain some perspective on what could possibly or will possibly happen in the next little while.

The team that will be shaped here-- after the departure of Lu, will form the future and impact our chances at returning to the SC final, as well as having another shot at winning the holy grail. So by no means do I take it lightly, I put my full trust in MG. The following is just a proposal within my own experience and hockey knowledge that I think will benefit this team.

Firstly, I would like to say that we should in fact pursue a trade with Toronto, instead of Florida. (Unless MG or Luongo himself says he is only interested in heading to Florida)

My trade proposal would then be as follows:

To Vancouver:

Rights to Cody Franson, Joe Colborne, 1st round pick (2013)

To Toronto:

Roberto Luongo, 1st round pick (2013), Conditional 3rd (2014) 'Dependant on whether or not Franson chooses to sign.'

When ever the right time for a real trade involving Toronto is, I hope that it is soon. It's common knowledge that they desperately need a franchise goaltender. This deal seems fair, we both get what we need, perhaps a bit of an over payment in some of the Maple Leafs fans eyes but a good trade none the less.

We could then proceed to sign Franson to a 2 year deal paying 2.5 mil each season, then hit the FA market (Assuming this deal happens asap) to sign a forward that we need to fill out our top 6. Shane Doan or Alexander Semin come instantly to mind, the first being the preference. We could send Doan an offer for about 5 mil for three seasons, or 4.5 for four seasons. (If he prefers an added year)

If he elects to go back to Phoenix we could then go after Semin or perhaps right away if Semin is the safer option (Considering he may be off the market before Doan makes his decision) sending him a contract offer valued at 6 mil for approximately one year. We could send Mason Raymond to Anaheim or another team of interest for picks (2nd, 3rd?) and then proceed to sign Jason Arnott for one season at 2.5-3 mil, who would be a good option to take over the 2nd line while Kes makes a steady recovery.

Lastly, we could then sign a back up goaltender like Al Montoya for a one year two-way deal valued at around 950k, giving Lack the opportunity to be back up to Schneids or sending him back down to the Wolves and going with Montoya, dependant on who shows more promise.

The line up would look as follows for the playoffs:

D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Doan/Semin

Booth - Kesler - Burrows

Higgins - Arnott - Hansen

Malhotra - Lapierre - Kassian

-- Volaptti, Ebbett

Edler - Garrison

Hamhuis - Bieksa

Ballard - Franson

-- Tanev, Alberts

Schneider

Lack/Montoya

To me this looks like an instant contender, with a lot of UFA coming after this season it wouldn't be the worst of ideas.. With next season Shea Weber being a target or whoever else might tickle MG's fancy, there isn't too much risk involved in going with this proposal.

I think the addition of Franson, being a former Nashville Predator and another BC boy being added to that list, Weber will have his eye's kept on Vancouver as a likely destination. (Assuming Suter leaves and he chooses to test FA next season)

Doan would obviously be the best applicant, but perhaps we could see flashes of brilliance along the lines of Pavel Bure by signing a highly touted russian born player like Alexander Semin?

Either way, just a thought.. Would love to hear the fellow fan bases opinions?

[Jägermeister]

Montoya and Doan = Good.

Semin and the Luongo trade = Not so much.

I would want a bit more in return for Lu, especially if we are throwing our 1st in with him. Plus Toronto's 1st wouldn't be a hot commodity if they had Luongo, it would probably be between 15th and 20th overall.

And Semin is not a good fit for our team. Awful defensively, soft as warm butter, and he dissapears in the playoffs. Don't want.

[Kesler's Nose]

Rather have Doan with Booth and Kesler and I think Tanev a better fit with Ballard than Franson.

[Kesler's Nose]

Why does everybody want Semin? He is the worst idea for this team ever. You want a team whose issue in the playoffs the past 5 years is toughness, to bring in a soft, albeit talented, Russian? Shane Doan would be perfect, Semin horrible.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDRCpN4OMpM^Is that really what you want for the playoffs?

[Rey]

Scoring was also a big problem in the playoffs as you might recall.. lol Bringing Semin in is a solution.

The FA market is thin, there aren't much better players you are gonna find.. We don't have much to give up in the form of a trade next to Luongo, most pieces of this team being important for a cup run.

EDIT: @Rey -- Just who do you think we are going to receive that are roster players from Florida? We'll be lucky if we can land someone like Versteeg, most players coming back being prospects. Colborne can give us a solid one, as well as could be a projected 3rd line center replacement.. The 1st pick (swap) Gets us a chance at drafting another great player, give me a better trade proposal and we can talk. And make it realistic please.

[Kesler's Nose]

Apparently there are 20 teams that are interested in Doan so it is unlikely we will sign him. I'm all for making a push for him but if he doesn't re-sign in Phoinex it is unlikely he will be a Canuck. Also, Semin has no heart and isn't the type of player that Gillis would even consider. And NHL 12 is misleading, a 2 way contract doesn't mean that a player can be sent down without going through waivers. They have to be 26 or younger and/or played under 100 games I believe. Just my 2 cents.

[Kesler's Nose]

Save the cap. The Canuck's have time to experiment. There's still trade deadline to acquire another scorer.

The reason why Luongo hasn't been traded is because Gillis wants roster players, because the Canucks are contenders now. No way he settles for only prospects. Teams don't throw 1st and highly touted prospects away like candy, either.

[Phil_314]

Not sure this thread is actually realistic... so many premium-priced players (Doan, Semin), some way past their prime (Arnott) doesn't provide the longevity that MG would look for in building his rosters IMHO (plus if he can't stand Cody, then how could he stand Semin with his attitude?)

Furthermore, I doubt that Ballard would stay around if MG was going to make so many signings.

I also think that in the Lu trade we overpay... Franson hasn't reached his potential and is undervalued by Burke, nor has Colborne (and who knows if he will or not?), and their 1st will drop sharply in value with Lu in net, since they'll be a contender with a starting goalie of his caliber.

I like the Montoya signing though, liked him since he was drafted by Phoenix. Good effort overall!

[Kesler's Nose]

Not sure this thread is actually realistic... so many premium-priced players (Doan, Semin), some way past their prime (Arnott) doesn't provide the longevity that MG would look for in building his rosters IMHO (plus if he can't stand Cody, then how could he stand Semin with his attitude?)

Furthermore, I doubt that Ballard would stay around if MG was going to make so many signings.

I also think that in the Lu trade we overpay... Franson hasn't reached his potential and is undervalued by Burke, nor has Colborne (and who knows if he will or not?), and their 1st will drop sharply in value with Lu in net, since they'll be a contender with a starting goalie of his caliber.

I like the Montoya signing though, liked him since he was drafted by Phoenix. Good effort overall!

[Steve Kariya]

It isn't minor at all. He's trading Luongo for Franson, who is the only guy in the deal that could become a roster player right now on a contending team. Franson already expressed that he does not want to sit on the bench, he wants to be a regular.

You have a major problem here because Ballard and Tanev are both better than Franson. If Franson is the odd man out, then why would he sign with the Canucks in the first place? What purpose is there, to acquire him? if he isn't capable of making the team? A 6-7 defense man on the 3rd worse defensive team last year. Does that not tell you anything at all?

Also - After losing Seguin and Hamilton. You'd think Burke would think twice before trading his first.