Now That Morrison is Gone, Let's Try to Gather Our Wits

Did you hear the news? Like many of us suspected he might, Brendan Morrison has signed with the Calgary Flames. Their sudden dearth of quality made the move a no-brainer for Flames GM Daryl Sutter, and thank goodness. That's about the only way Sutter makes a smart move; this offseason, he's appeared so brainless he might be zombie-proof. Morrison's contract in Calgary is a happy ending to an alarming moment of silliness for Vancouver fans, who seemed to lose all sense, reason and perspective after learning of Morrison's player tryout.

There was never a place for Morrison in Vancouver. The Canucks' big weakness in the bottom-six last year was lack of size and defensive ability. Was Morrison going to fill that void? Only half of it. Vigneault has long preferred a fourth-line that can crash and bang over one that can score. Problem was that last season's 4th line crashed and banged with utter disregard for whether or not the puck was going into their net. AV wanted better energy guys, not bottom-line offense. Morrison couldn't be that.

I gave in to the local hype not long after Skeeter tried to quell it, arguing that Morrison might be the ultimate depth guy. This was Morrison's argument as well. But wing depth is not something we were lacking either. Jannik Hansen and Jeff Tambellini are already going to be fighting one another to be the official utility winger. They're just as fleet of foot as Morrison, capable of offense, much more likely to throw a body-check, and already under contract. They showed they could play, and Morrison was superfluous there too.

One could argue that, if you play well enough, the team makes room for you. This is true, but Morrison didn't play well enough. He had one great game, one good game, and the others were forgettable. And yet, despite the reality (which I suspect most of us saw and ignored) that Brendan Morrison didn't deserve a contract here, the city of Vancouver was up in arms this weekend when he didn't get one. The Canucks message board exploded with doom-and-gloom posts so dumb I can't quote most of them without dulling my wit to comprehend them. If you're feeling brave, there's a lot of fun stuff in here. Even the media couldn't help but frown and bluster: "With Morrison out, looks again like Canucks have 4th line that wont score. Vigneault will love it. Then playoffs. Madden was CHI 4th line C," Iain MacIntyre tweeted dourly. Everyone was pissed. I had a slough of Vancouver fans tell me that the Canucks were stupid not to sign him, but they were speaking from their hearts, not from their heads.

Ian Walker summed it up nicely:

The 35-year-old former Canuck wasn't expected be out of work long, and I for one am glad it happened sooner than later. The dude is a class act all the way and it was hard not to feel for the guy throughout training camp. Here he was trying to extend his career while his wife was at home, schooling his three young children out of the family's rented two-bedroom townhouse. Now I know I'm going to get skewered for saying that as a lot of people wish they had Morrison's problems. But those people are missing the point. As anyone with a family can attest, you want the best for them. And when they're missing out on things because your job is up in the air, well, I'm just saying I'm sympathetic to the cause.

Despite our best efforts to pretend he did, Morrison didn't fit here. We just refused to face it because we liked him so much. B-Mo? He was that friend from back in the day who needed a place to stay. We didn't have a room for him, but we felt so bad for him we almost let him crash on the couch. Yes. Brendan Morrison was Dupree, and we narrowly lost sight of ourselves with him around.

Folks, let us finally let Brendan Morrison go. Be glad he's moved on to Calgary because, just like when an old college buddy visits from out of town, we all got a little silly with him around.

Canucks Training Camp Roster VII

Apparently unaware that the Sabbath is a day of rest, Alain Vigneault and his staff answered a lot of questions on Sunday about the opening night lineup. Sent to the minors were Victor Oreskovich and the Sweatt brothers (forward Billy and defenseman Lee), and Brendan Morrison was released from his player tryout. And if that wasn't enough for you on a weekend afternoon, AV went on the record, stating that the Canucks' would open the season with a fourth line consisting of Alex Bolduc between Guillaume Desbiens and Tanner Glass.

It's no surprise about the Sweatt brothers. I wold argue that both Billy and Lee have NHL talent, but neither is quite ready for regular action. Ironically, Lee the defenseman needs to work on his defensive coverage, and Billy the forward needs to work on his hands. Still, Billy's checking speed and Lee's poise and puck-moving ability are excellent assets to have down on the farm. They're sure to make that team better, as well as push one another to see which can get to the NHL level first. Here's hoping we see another brother tandem on the Canucks someday soon. We seem to have good success with brothers.

Victor Oreskovich's demotion was a disappointment, but he'll play games with the Canucks this season. Count on that. He has great skating ability and he hits like a truck, but his defensive coverage was suspect. Oreskovich is a real wild-card and could have paid off in spades, but I like that Vigneault and the coaching staff avoided the risky, sexy pick and went with big guys they were confident weren't going to get scored on.

Brendan Morrison's release is really disappointing, both for fans and for B-Mo himself. But, like Skeeter said earlier in the preseason, the only available job is one he wasn't quite cut out for. He could have brought wing depth, but so can Jannik Hansen and Jeff Tambellini, who were already Canucks property. Unlike Edmonton, Vancouver is aware you can only have so many small forwards under contract, and Morrison's lack of a contract coming into training camp made it easy not to give him one. Here's hoping he can land on his feet somewhere. As much as it pains me to say it, Calgary would be a good fit for him.

There are a few more questions, but they're all likely be resolved in exactly the way we think they will. Joel Perrault, Eddie Lack, and Cody Hodgson are more than likely headed to Manitoba. Peter Schaefer is more than likely being released. But, if Alex Burrows goes on LTI, and with Rypien hurt to start the season, the Canucks could keep 15 of the 17 forwards below. Something to think about if you're wondering, like I am, why Hodgson hasn't yet been spotted at YVR. Here are the 28 guys who remain in training camp.

Forwards (17)
Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Joel Perrault, Mason Raymond, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres.

Defensemen (8)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Dan Hamhuis, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo.

Goalies (3)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider.

Canucks Training Camp Roster VI

In this visual metaphor, Ryan Hollweg is Darcy Hordichuk, and Darcy Hordichuk is the harsh reality of the new NHL.

We're a little late on the draw here but I just found out that, before the Anaheim game, the Canucks sent two more players down to Manitoba: Sergei Shirokov and Yann Sauve. As well, since our last roster update, Shane O'Brien and Darcy Hordichuk were put on waivers in what might have been the most shocking moves of the preseason, for some. Skeeter and I kinda figured. I don't think the Canucks were ever happy with Shane O'Brien's play here, and his ticket out of town was punched when Andrew Alberts proved he could provide what the Canucks acquired him for. Hordichuk lost his job two years ago when the NHL changed and he didn't, but, like Office Space's Milton Waddams, he somehow stuck around doing nothing. We wish he and his red Swingline stapler all the best in Manitoba. Skeeter has more on these two big-time demotions.

Shirokov and Sauve's causes for demotion are completely opposite. Sauve never even got a chance: he was in a car accident that left him unable to play for the time being. It sucks for him as he never got a chance to show the Canucks what he could do or how he'd improved. On the bright side, it was the sort of car accident one can walk away from and, as car accidents go, that's all you can really hope for.

Shirokov, on the other hand, was given every opportunity. It seems to me the Canucks figured he'd make the opening night roster, much like he did last year. The hope was that a year in the AHL had given him a new defensive awareness and ability to play North American-style hockey. The Canucks gave him a training regimen to follow over the summer, optimistic he'd follow it. Unfortunately, Shirokov didn't, instead becoming the fourth player in the Gillis era to have his conditioning publicly decried. Like Cody Hodgson (who spent the summer rehabbing his back rather than eating Arby's on it), he'll have to get himself back to NHL shape before he can challenge for the right to live in a hotel in Vancouver.

This leaves the Canucks with 32 guys on the training camp roster, below, and now the real questions begin. You'll notice that Alex Burrows and Sami Salo are still on these lists. That's by design, as they have to be put on the original 23-man roster before they can be put on Long-term injury and gives the Canucks the cap relief. You have to believe that's the plan.

On defense, that means that the opening night seven are basically set. Lee Sweatt will be sent down to Manitoba, and Aaron Rome will occupy the pressbox. The other six are the six you'll see. We can only hope that, among those six, Juice and Hips find different partners than one another.

At forward, questions continue to linger. Alex Burrows aside, the Canucks can keep twelve forwards with the club. The rest have to be sent down or waived before one of them can be brought back up. We know that Kesler, Malhotra, Raymond, Samuelsson, the Sedins and Raffi Torres are safe. The other five spots are a toss-up. I'm sure there will be at least one decision in the next week that will stir a hearty debate between Skeeter and I. For example: it could be argued that one of Peter Schaefer and Brendan Morrison could be offered a contract. Who and why?

Here are the remaining 32 guys:

Forwards (20)
Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Mason Raymond, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres.

Defensemen (9)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Dan Hamhuis, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Lee Sweatt.

Goalies (3)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider.

Canucks Training Camp Roster V

Are you ready for a huge round of shocking cuts? Here goes. According to the Vancouver Canucks Twitter account, Mario Bliznak, Kevin Connauton, Evan Oberg, Prab Rai, Jordan Schroeder, Chris Tanev, Aaron Volpatti have been assigned to the Moose, while Travis Ramsay, who does not have a contract with Vancouver, has been released to them outright. Also, Tyler Weiman is on waivers, which is understandable. While there is a goaltending battle brewing for the second spot, Weiman wasn't a part of it, and he'll back up either Schneider or, more likely, Lack, depending on what happens in these last two games.

As for the rest of them, there are very few unexpected moves here. Let's start on defense: Kevin Connauton showed he's nearly NHL-ready and might be in lie for a callup this season, but his defensive coverage needs to catch up to his offensive acumen before he can be considered a Canuck. Chris Tanev simply needs more seasoning, but he showed some promise. Evan Oberg, who surprised last year and was one of the Canucks' first defensive callups, seems to have either regressed, or worse, shrunk. It will be worth watching if he can get back to last year's level of play. I don't even remember Travis Ramsey, but he was never Canucks property, so that's okay.

As for the forwards, I thought Bliznak had moments, but that's all--he's not an NHL regular. He's a valuable checker when the game isn't too fast for him, so Manitoba will love him. Prab Rai, like Chris Tanev, needs more seasoning, but he got me more excited for him than I was prior to training camp. He'll come through Abbotsford a few times this season. Expect the Lower Mainland's high Indo-Canadian population to go nuts for him. I'm a bit bummed about Aaron Volpatti, who had such a great prospects camp, but, again, he was seven years older than most of those kids. Against men, he just didn't have it. He might be in line for a callup later on this year.

The big surprise is Jordan Schroeder. He was quiet during prospects camp and the early stages of training camp, but I really felt like he got his legs under him in the Anaheim game. He scored a goal, showed some good hands, and demonstrated his NHL skating. I guess it was too little, too late, however. Don't worry, Canuck fans: Schroeder will be a top-line guy in Manitoba, and he'll be in the NHL soon enough.

Now it gets interesting. This leaves the Canucks with 36 guys in training camp, below:

Forwards (22)
Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Mason Raymond, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sergei Shirokov, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres.

Defensemen (11)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Dan Hamhuis, Shane O’Brien, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Yann Sauve, Lee Sweatt.

Goalies (3)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider.

Canucks Training Camp Roster IV

Edit: apparently, according to Sportsnet, the Canucks have also placed defensemen Nolan Baumgartner and Sean Zimmerman on waivers. Zimmerman I know nothing about, so he likely deserved it, but for Baumgartner, well, my heart goes out to him. Baumer is a great team guy with the skill set of an all-star--unfortunately, an AHL all-star. He's also a savvy veteran, so he kind of saw this coming, but nobody likes to predict their own demise. His consolation prize is the captaincy in Manitoba, but you've got to think he'd trade it in for a longer sniff of the big leagues. His other consolation prize? He and Wade Redden can meet up at that Burger King in Hartford way more often now.

According to Kristin Reid's Twitter, The Canucks have made one cut this Saturday, sending defenseman Taylor Ellington back to Manitoba. If, like me, you forgot that Taylor Ellington was even at training camp, you're not alone. The Canucks management felt the same way, which is why he's been sent down. But let's not be too hard on the kid. Ellington is still young, and it's not his fault that he was selected in the Draft of Many Tears (an accurate name for Dave Nonis's 2007 prospect selections), or that his game was a lot more tailor-made (pun resisted) for the old NHL than the new one. Ellington is an unflashy, bank-it-off-the-glass sort of defenceman, and he's going to have a hard time standing out in a training camp guys the likes of Lee Sweatt, Kevin Connauton, and Chris Tanev, who aren't allergic to the puck. There's still a place for a player of Ellington's ilk, but he needs to be absolutely rock-solid and a lot more hitty to be an NHLer. Ellington isn't there yet, which is why he isn't here now; he'll likely be a shutdown defenseman for the Moose this season.

This leaves the Canucks with 45 guys in training camp, below:

Forwards (26)
Mario Bliznak, Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Prab Rai, Mason Raymond, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Jordan Schroeder, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sergei Shirokov, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres, Aaron Volpatti.

Defensemen (15)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Kevin Bieksa, Kevin Connauton, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Dan Hamhuis, Shane O’Brien, Evan Oberg, Travis Ramsey, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Yann Sauve, Lee Sweatt, Chris Tanev.

Goalies (4)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider, and Tyler Weiman.

Canucks Training Camp Roster III

There is quite a logjam among potential bottom-six forwards. These guys would have had to do this just to rise above it.

According to Kristin Reid's Twitter, The Canucks have made seven more cuts, sending Marco Rosa, Stefan Schneider, Shawn Weller, and David Shantz to the Moose, releasing Pierre-Olivier Morin outright, and sending Steven Anthony and Adam Polasek back to their junior clubs. That's too bad for Morin, who Skeeter sort of figured might be offered a contract before being sent back. Not so. Still, he made it the farthest of all the invitees, so there's at least a moral victory in it for him.

The cut was probably a kick in the pants to Rosa, who scored a goal tonight and showed some good hands and defensive skill. But, with a logjam among potential bottom-six guys, he never stood a chance. He would have had to dance on the logs like the guy from Log Driver's Waltz (obscure Canadiana reference, embedded above because we love our country).

Steven Anthony's cut is no surprise. He showed very little despite being given some plumb power-play time, and clearly needs more seasoning before he's ready to make any kind of jump.

Polasek, on the other hand, made it farther than anyone expected, especially considering he was drafted in the 5th round, this year. He showed some kill and he showed some toughness, but he also showed he didn't have the decision-making skill for this level when he let Jarome Iginla get in behind him in his first preseason game. That's like leaving a thing of lasagna out when you're Jon Arbuckle. Still, it looks like Polasek can play, and Canucks management was pleased with him. His extended stay will hopefully give him some confidence going back to junior.

Weller and Shantz I knew nothing about. I never saw them play, or at least, didn't notice them when they did play. Maybe we'll notice them when they come to Abbotsford to play the Heat.

Kristin Reid just about gave Canucks fans a heart attack by originally tweeting that "C Schneider" had been assigned to the Moose. Thankfully, she meant Stefan Schneider who plays Center, hence "C." Schneider was a darkhorse for the 4th-line center role. I'm talking The Phantom Blot dark. He didn't look out of place, but could certainly use some time in the AHL to get used to the professional game and fill out his frame. He has, after all, only been playing center for one season. With his size and defensive ability, he'll be a prime candidate for the role in a couple years.

This leaves the Canucks with 48 guys in training camp, below:

Forwards (26)
Mario Bliznak, Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Prab Rai, Mason Raymond, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Jordan Schroeder, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sergei Shirokov, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres, Aaron Volpatti.

Defensemen (18)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Nolan Baumgartner, Kevin Bieksa, Kevin Connauton, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Taylor Ellington, Dan Hamhuis, Shane O’Brien, Evan Oberg, Travis Ramsey, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Yann Sauve, Lee Sweatt, Chris Tanev, Sean Zimmerman.

Goalies (4)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, Cory Schneider, and Tyler Weiman.

Canucks Training Camp Roster II

According to the White Towel, The Canucks have made three cuts, sending Sawyer Hannay and Alex Friesen back to their junior clubs and releasing Matt Fraser outright. As the Canucks continue to trim the roster, PiTB will be following the dudes they keep, and saying a few words about the dearly departed, but there isn't much to say about these guys. Friesen and Hannay are recent draft picks that showed some kill, but, understandably, aren't ready for this level at all. We'll see them next year and hopefully their improvements impress. You've gotta feel for Fraser, though, who earned an invite to this camp out of the prospects tournament but didn't get a chance to get into a real preseason game. Hopefully this isn't the last we hear of him.

This leaves the Canucks with 55 guys in training camp, below:

Forwards (31)
Steven Anthony, Mario Bliznak, Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Pierre-Olivier Morin, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Prab Rai, Mason Raymond, Marco Rosa, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Stefan Schneider, Jordan Schroeder, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sergei Shirokov, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres, Aaron Volpatti, Shawn Weller.

Defensemen (19)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Nolan Baumgartner, Kevin Bieksa, Kevin Connauton, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Taylor Ellington, Dan Hamhuis, Shane O’Brien, Evan Oberg, Adam Polasek, Travis Ramsey, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Yann Sauve, Lee Sweatt, Chris Tanev, Sean Zimmerman.

Goalies (5)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, David Shantz, Cory Schneider, and Tyler Weiman.

Is Lee Sweatt the Next Brian Rafalski?

Lee Sweatt is a little guy with pretty big potential.

It was easy to miss the acquisition of Lee Sweatt. The Canucks' announced the signing of the American-born defenseman at the same time they announced the signing of college standout Chris Tanev and 41st overall draft pick Yann Sauve--two defensemen with good size and better stories to tell. Tanev was a late bloomer who grew nearly a foot in the year as well as a standout for the Rochester Institute of Technology. Yann Sauve was a Canucks' prospect that appeared to be developing nicely, still a rare treat for Vancouver fans. Lee Sweatt was an undrafted, undersized d-man that had bounced around European leagues. Things got worse for Lee when he became not only the least publicized Canuck defense signing of the offseason, but the least publicized Canuck signing within his own family. Later in the summer, his brother Bill signed with the Canucks, amidst a typical Burkean maelstrom and some Twitter hullabaloo. Clearly, Lee Sweatt is a Milford man.

Often, NHL fans will overlook an undrafted player because the experts did, and we often shrug our shoulders at a European signing because of the non-success of much-discussed players like Fabian Brunnstrom. In Sweatt's particular case, he may be suffering from the soreness Vancouver fans still feel over Patrick Coulombe, a skilled but diminutive defenseman who played with Sidney Crosby in Rimouski, showed enough to get into an NHL game, then somehow got sent all the way down to the ECHL. And, after being pushed around by a larger Chicago Blackhawks team two years in a row, we're might just be tired of little guys in general. But, don't discount little Lee Sweatt: he's got the potential for big things. How big? Well, his career has an eerie similarity to Brian Rafalski's.

Who is Lee Sweatt? Born August 13, 1985, Sweatt played four years at Colorado College before getting on with the San Antonio Rampage for 11 games without landing an NHL contract. In 2007, he signed with the Finnish club TPS in the SM-liiga. Sweatt finished the season with 33 points in 56 games. In keeping with his pedigree, nobody seemed to take notice of him, despite solid point totals. From there, he bounced around, playing in the Austrian league, skating with the US men's inline hockey team, and serving a brief term in the KHL. He rejoined TPS well into the 09-10 season, and finally stood out, scoring 16 points in 21 games, setting a record for most points for a TPS defenseman during the playoffs, and winning the Pekka Rautakallio trophy for the best defenseman in the league.

This is a trophy that Brian Rafalski--the undrafted Detroit Red Wings defenseman who scored more points than anyone from the back end during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, if you recall--won twice: once in 96-97 and again in 98-99. Sweatt and Rafalski's European careers are nearly identical. They both bounced around Europe and found their best success in the SM-liiga, where they not only played in the same league and won the same award; they put up similar point totals. Interestingly, Rafalski's first-win came in a 35-point season, similar to Sweatt's totals. Rafalski's second-win came in a season where he averaged a point a game, which Sweatt nearly did in his most recent SM-liiga stint.

Like Sweatt, Rafalski could also be the mayor of Tiny Towne. Rafalski is 5'10", 191 lbs. Sweatt is 5'9", 193. Effectively, they're the same size, though word has it Sweatt's has a slightly thicker frame. Both are heady, puck-moving defensemen who play sound positionally and can quarterback a power play, but that sort of stature (as a defender) will always make teams think twice. The team that finally came calling for Rafalski was the New Jersey Devils, and they reaped the rewards. In his first season in the NHL, at 26 (one year older than Sweatt), Rafalski put up 32 points and was named to the NHL all-rookie team. He's been one of the league's best ever since. He's a two-time NHL all star and a three-time Stanley Cup winner. Rafalski is a potential Hall of Famer.

Can Sweatt come anywhere near these lofty achievements?

Probably not at first, but Sweatt could be a good NHLer someday soon, and, considering the above similarities, maybe even a very good one. In the short term, it's likely that Sweatt will do what he always does and get lost in the shuffle at training camp, as the Canucks have about nine NHL-calibre defenseman, as well as a pretty impressive roster of defensive prospects in guys like Kevin Connauton, Yann Sauve, Evan Oberg, and Chris Tanev. Hopefully, Sweatt can start by being a standout at the AHL level. On a two-way contract with a high AHL salary ($150,000), he will be called on to lead the Moose, and if he can show flashes of the guy to whom his career is eerily similar, he might be called on for more than that.


This post is drenched in Sweatt! Here is a video of every goal Lee scored last season in SM-liiga, if you're into that sort of thing. Just a warning, though: the video wants you to know it was created with some non-activated software. It can't help but remind you.

Brendan Morrison's Outside Shot

Earlier this week, Skeeter wrote a sobering piece regarding Brendan Morrison's tryout with the Vancouver Canucks in which he contended that there's really no room for him. Skeeter's argument? As a center, Morrison would have to slot in on the top three lines, because the fourth-line is not suited to his style of play:

On a tertiary scoring line, Morrison fits. On a fourth-line that plays under 10 minutes a night, is expected to bang and crash, and might slot into penalty killing duty, Morrison doesn't come even close to fitting. Morrison doesn't hit often enough (he had 33 hits last season), doesn't kill penalties (he averaged a whopping 34 seconds of shorthanded ice-time per game last season), and he obviously doesn't fight. He's a playmaker who would have no one to pass to (a situation Kyle Wellwood faced constantly). His skills would be wasted and his role would require skills that he simply doesn't have.

Unfortunately, this is a valid argument, and I mostly agree with Skeeter. Morrison is a smallish, offensive center and he's not the permanent answer on a crashy, bangy, hands-free sort of line. The Ryan Johnson experiment and his subsequent crumminess (apart from shot-blocking) got us wanting a center with some size and some grit, and sadly, Morrison is not that. In this, Skeeter is correct.

There are, however, other considerations. First, Brendan Morrison is really nice. I forgot how much I missed his good-natured repartee with the press and his innate Vancouverism. It's hard to be analytical, sobering and dispassionate when I am so, so biased in favour of B-Mo. I love this guy. A friend of mine used to be his nanny. He scored this goal (also above). He played his heart out for this city. He's got no friggin' teeth and he lost them for you, Vancouver.

Okay, so that's not really a reason. Here's one though: Morrison's can play the wing.

From the mouth of Morrison himself, on Ben Kuzma's Twitter: "I will bring depth and versatility. I have played the wing with Backstrom and Ovechkin. I can fit on any line, any role." Morrison is a smart, smart guy, and here is a soundbite that sounds straight from a job interview. Way to sell yourself.

Looking outside, there are spots aplenty on the wing, especially to start the season. Alex Burrows is hurt, which means Mikael Samuelsson likely moves up, leaving a spot next to Raymond and Kesler. Who takes that? Hodgson? Schroeder? Tambellini? Shirokov? Hansen? Morrison? The spot that Canucks fans had reserved for Cody Hodgson on the third line is even more wide open now that Hodgson's skating injured. The same guys are vying for that.

More sobering than Skeeter's initital article is that even the Canucks' depth down the center is one injury away from real trouble. We have our top-three centres, yes, but they're all healthy now. What about in February? Consider that an injury to Kesler or Sedin last season would have made Kyle Wellwood our second-line center with absolutely no wiggle room. Injuries are a part of the game, and the Canucks prospects might not be ready to help absorb them just yet. As Jason Botchford pointed out, it's fairly likely that none of the Canucks' kids are ready for full-time duty.

It takes time, especially on good teams. Shouldn't be revealing. Patience has been reaping rewards for some teams for a long time. 
Few are better than the Detroit Red Wings. Many around the league, including the Canucks, idolize their player development and how slowly they bring in their talent.

We've all seen, by now, how Mike Gillis loves a convertible center, and we know about his search for depth. Is it possible that Brendan Morrison is the ultimate depth player? If I were Jannik Hansen, the everyman who, in the past has been slotted in wherever needed in the short-term without ever nailing down a permanent spot, I'd be wringing my hands at the thought of a Morrison contract. Not only can Morrison do Hansen's job on the wing, but he can step in at center in a pinch. Effectively, Morrison affords the Canucks a backup for any forward spot, 1 through 12, and Vigneault doesn't have to worry about intermittent rookie mistakes. The fact is that Jannik Hansen is inconsistent. Personally? He's not my favourite player. He tends to show great offensive flair and couple it with poor defensive play, or shine defensively only to disappear on offense. Hansen isn't really a two-way player; he's an inconsistent one-way player. Morrison, on the other hand, is a little more predictable.

I agree with Skeeter that Brendan Morrison might not be the best fit as a fourth-line center, but he might be the best fit as a thirteenth forward. And, considering that injuries have been all too common with this team, the thirteen forward is going to play.

The Complete Canucks Training Camp

In case anybody was wondering about the complete training camp roster, the Canucks are currently carrying 58 players, listed below:

Forwards (33)
Steven Anthony, Mario Bliznak, Alex Bolduc, Alex Burrows, Guillaume Desbiens, Matt Fraser, Alex Friesen, Tanner Glass, Jannik Hansen, Cody Hodgson, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhotra, Pierre-Olivier Morin, Brendan Morrison, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Prab Rai, Mason Raymond, Marco Rosa, Rick Rypien, Mikael Samuelsson, Peter Schaefer, Stefan Schneider, Jordan Schroeder, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Sergei Shirokov, Bill Sweatt, Jeff Tambellini, Raffi Torres, Aaron Volpatti, Shawn Weller.

Defensemen (20)
Andrew Alberts, Keith Ballard, Nolan Baumgartner, Kevin Bieksa, Kevin Connauton, Alex Edler, Christian Ehrhoff, Taylor Ellington, Dan Hamhuis, Sawyer Hannay, Shane O’Brien, Evan Oberg, Adam Polasek, Travis Ramsey, Aaron Rome, Sami Salo, Yann Sauve, Lee Sweatt, Chris Tanev, Sean Zimmerman.

Goalies (5)
Eddie Lack, Roberto Luongo, David Shantz, Cory Schneider, and Tyler Weiman.


We will be updating this list as players are cut, so check back often. Good luck to all these guys as they fight for spots. Hockey! Hockey! Hockey!