Free Agent Frenzy!

[Yoda]

The Canucks also signed free agent forward Darcy Hordichuk. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hordichuk, 27, joins the Canucks from Nashville where last season he recorded three points and 60 penalty minutes in 45 games.

In 302 regular season games with Nashville, Florida, Phoenix and Atlanta, Hordichuk has recorded 26 points and 747 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 212 lbs. native of Kamsack, Saskatchewan, was originally selected in the 6th round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Thrashers.

Not moving forward with improving the team

[suburbanator]

Hordichuk is a good signing, but doesn't address our scoring needs.

Hordichuk is tough, easily a top 10 heavyweight in the NHL.

Check out his website: The Official Website of Darcy Hordichuk

12 fights last season, 10 the year before and not many penalty minutes other than for fighting as pointed out by many of the news sources. Hockeyfights.com has his fight stats for last season at 7w, 4 draws and one loss to DJ King.

Sundin will make a decision tomorow AM and the Canucks have made the strongest offer. DO they have a backup plan should Sundin turn them down, and whats is the back up plan?


Remember the asshanding that Stortini from Edmonton Handed Vancouver late last year? Heres your answer.
YouTube - Hordichuk vs Stortini, Smithson vs Staios Mar 4, 2008

[Dude]

In one day more action than from Noonis in a year. Can't say I like the target, but at least it is something.

Still disappointed they missed or passed on Brule.

[Yoda]

Great, we have to see Aevery for 20 something games next year.
Can't wait.

[girth]

I like Sundin! I think he'll look great on the Nucks and just happy that their going to make a change. Yes he's old but still puts the puck in the net. We need some excitement in this city and the way to make it happen is with big names.

[Yoda]

Just heard Canucks also signed Ryan Johnson from St. Louis.
A 32 centreman with 18 points in 79 games

[Mr Base]

We are better team vith Hodachek an Jonstone.Looks like we will get Sadin for twenty milion doolars for two years.Waste of good money.Sadin is a good player but let face it twenty milion no way.Two more younger players with size and toughness in the corners and good feet we will be fine.I just can not see us going back to Naslan Morison as line one.Twins and a youger tough winger we will do better.Twins should get the top dollar.This twenty milion thing can send the club bacwards.

[Reccos]

Originally Posted by knvb

Give him the C and call it MarK Messier Part II...

Did they not learn anything?

No they didn't. The owner is a whack job and the new GM is desperate. If Sundin comes in he will look like he tried to do something which will buy some time. $10 million is over priced for a guy who doesn't want to go to a team like Vancouver. He can score at least in the East: "Still, Sundin has been remarkably consistent and durable. At age 37, he produced 78 points in 74 games for the Leafs, almost bang-on his 10-year averages."

"Sources tell TSN as many as four teams have tabled offers for the 37-year-old, including the Vancouver Canucks, who have offered a whopping $10 million per year on a two-year contract. The Canucks' offer includes a $5 million signing bonus, plus $5 million to play in 2008-09. There would be $5 million due on July 1, 2009 and another $5 million to play in 2009-2010.

Sundin is said to be flattered by the offer, however he continues to absorb interest from a number of teams and hasn't yet decided as to whether he will play or not next season.

"I was a bit surpised at them, but not at the attention to Mats," Sundin's agent J.P. Barry told TSN. "That was a very strong offer from Vancouver.""

This is the best part from the Sun:
"So much so, Gillis is willing to lavish nearly half his available salary-cap space on one player. And since Sundin is older than 35, if he were to retire after one season in Vancouver, the Canucks would still be on the hook for a $10-million cap hit in 2009-10."

The cold hard reality is that if the Canucks lose Naslund and Morrison and get two forwards they are no further ahead than before.

[LION]

Wellwood played great with Sundin. If I remember correctly.
They were line mates in T.

The Sedins will be the best second line in the league, with Naslund?

Vancouver Canucks/Team Sweden.

I don't mind this Sundin thing. He is proven, and still puts up over a point a game.
Who else is there right now? WHat other options could they go for?

[Dude]

Originally Posted by Mr Base

We are better team vith Hodachek an Jonstone.Looks like we will get Sadin for twenty milion doolars for two years.Waste of good money.Sadin is a good player but let face it twenty milion no way.Two more younger players with size and toughness in the corners and good feet we will be fine.I just can not see us going back to Naslan Morison as line one.Twins and a youger tough winger we will do better.Twins should get the top dollar.This twenty milion thing can send the club bacwards.

Eyes...bleeding...


Reccos,

What did the Aquilini familly do to hurt you? Wow...so much hate...so much bitterness.

Gillis said he'd be aggressive in the UFA market. This is about as aggressive as he could be at the one position where the team is absolutely desperate. The offer- on the surface- is a lot, but frankly, to get those free agents, you have to be the highest bidder.

Personally, I like the player, just not super keen on the situation it creates. This means Naslund is coming back. I was really hoping he'd move on. That being said, I'm quite sure Gillis and Naslund have been chatting a lot, and have a scenario lined up where Naslund returns for a hometown discount if they in fact land the big man.

The other part of this is the perception of Vancouver. If they land Sundin, all of a sudden Vancouver is a much more attractive place to play, if you are a mid-level UFA.

Where does that leave Morrison? Pretty sure he'll be out of the plans.

[Reccos]

Dude.... actually I have never met any of them but I did read some of the testimony in the papers he gave in that goofy court case with the Gagliardi group and I was not impressed. The firing of Nonis looked amateurish and the hiring of Gillis moreso the way that unfolded. How many did he interview prior to hiring the guy who moved to Vancouver for his daughter's sports career? Even if you have no intent in hiring anyone other than Gillis, any owner with a scintilla of brains will bring in other guys to get their views on how they see your team, what they think you need to do to improve and what value they could add. All of this is used to reassess your team and help evaluate which job candidate fits your needs. He did - apparently - none of this so that is why I am critical.

You may be right that Sundin might make Vancouver more attractive a play to play but the dollars make no sense but then again the entire NHL is paying dollars for guys that have done not much that makes no sense. That is not bad thinking.

Morrison had injuries last season but didn't he go for four or five hundred games in a row before that as an ironman. To me that guy is like a Linden - good leader, wants to be here, plays hard every game, a keeper.

The new guy Gillis has trashed his entire organization and questioned just about every roster player and alienated GMs across the league who respected the job that Nonis did and find Gillis to be like sandpaper to deal with. His approach to the job sounded amateurish and it is.

When the Aquilinis see no improvement but a more bloated payroll we shall see what happens. Gillis was smart not to change his HC as at his first crisis he can fire the guy and buy some time. He can say that Alain V didn't buy into his philosophy blah blah blah. Compare that to Burke who went to Anahaim and didn't rehire Babcock but went to Randy Caryle instead. Granted he hung the guy out to dry about his philosophy but he didn't keep the guy like Gillis has just to have someone to blame if things don't work out.

[Dude]

I was just fishing. Wondering if you were one of the long line of guys who have been burned by the Aquilini Family.

You may be right that Sundin might make Vancouver more attractive a play to play but the dollars make no sense but then again the entire NHL is paying dollars for guys that have done not much that makes no sense. That is not bad thinking.

That's my point. To be in the UFA game, you have to overpay. At least Sundin has shown the character of a champion. Maybe not in winning the Stanley Cup, but he has never had a team there that could go past round two. You can't argue his success internationally. The guy is a winner.

Agree w/ you on Morrison, just that it appears there will be no spot for him. Is he going to be a 1st, 2nd, or 4th line winger? Mo has all the attributes Gillis wants, except size. I don't know if he could last a full season along the boards.

The new guy Gillis has trashed his entire organization and questioned just about every roster player and alienated GMs across the league who respected the job that Nonis did and find Gillis to be like sandpaper to deal with. His approach to the job sounded amateurish and it is.

You know, I think a lot of the GMs liked Nonis because he was a "Nice guy". Nonis never rocked the boat, and never stuck his neck out. Again, Luongo = silver platter. Borat could have made that trade. Very nice. Nonis was left out of the picture when it came to the trade deadline dealings.

Yes- nice guy that Nonis. Over conservative, and like it or not, he wasn't part of the "Old Boys" network either. Gillis actually does have more of a foot in that door, does have more relevant experience in deal making, and certainly has the relationships built w/ the other half of the deal-makers: the agents. To make a deal for a big name, both GMs will certainly need to go through the player agent, especially w/ all the no-trades out there. The selling GM these days has less and less power. They are almost always selling for less value in return- either to dump a high salary, or move an underperformer. The only guys w/ a hammer are the teams on the outside of the playoff picture w/ pending UFAs that happen to be playing well.

[trece verde]

Dude:

Look up "Aquilini & Zen" and "real estate management" for the answer to your question.

Not exactly sure how a highly-overpriced 37 year-old injury-prone Swedish player makes Vancouver a more attractive place to play except for being able to smear obnoxious people on the sidewalk while wearing roller blades.

But what happens if they can't land him? All this cash that is suddenly available to land one player sure looks awful interesting if your last name is Sedin or Luongo, and you've previously been the guys with the biggest contracts on the team (excepting Naslund, of course).

I think you're right about Morrison. It definitely leaves him on the outside looking in.

Now fcuk off, I'm way too busy to be doing this...

Trece

[The Franchise]

Landing Sundin is huge. Finally this town would see what a "Real" captain is suppose to do. He plays 100% every night, great skater, goal scorer, great in the shoot-out, very strong and actually goes into the corner.

He will be also be the highest paid player in the NHL so I don't see how he could turn this deal down but if he does Van-city is in a heep of trouble has Hossa is the only superstar left and Edmonton has offered him 9.5 million a year so they better get a Sundin answer soon.


BTW Sundin signs here....Naslund will be back as Sundin will need someone to play with on the first line.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by Yoda

The Canucks also signed free agent forward Darcy Hordichuk. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hordichuk, 27, joins the Canucks from Nashville where last season he recorded three points and 60 penalty minutes in 45 games.

In 302 regular season games with Nashville, Florida, Phoenix and Atlanta, Hordichuk has recorded 26 points and 747 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 212 lbs. native of Kamsack, Saskatchewan, was originally selected in the 6th round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Thrashers.

Not moving forward with improving the team

All of his penalty minutes were also fighting majors. In his interview yesterday he enjoys sticking up for his teammates and likes to fight. With his 1 goal last year, throwing the bombs is all he has got

[Polska]

there goes HOSSA. freakin red wings enough already

Red Wings sign Hossa to one-year contract

[italian_stallion21]

Originally Posted by Polska

there goes HOSSA. freakin red wings enough already

Red Wings sign Hossa to one-year contract

Yeah, they needed to add some scoring, the didn't have enough good forwards last year

[suburbanator]

Originally Posted by Polska

there goes HOSSA. freakin red wings enough already

Red Wings sign Hossa to one-year contract

Shows how little some of the 1040 guys know. All week they have been gobbing about hossa and how he'd want a 5+ year deal. 1 year @ that price is a good gamble. Though I very much doubt Hossa would have come west for those types of numbers.

Canucks re-inked Sanford as backup to Luongo.

[italian_stallion21]

Originally Posted by suburbanator

Shows how little some of the 1040 guys know. All week they have been gobbing about hossa and how he'd want a 5+ year deal. 1 year @ that price is a good gamble. Though I very much doubt Hossa would have come west for those types of numbers.

Canucks re-inked Sanford as backup to Luongo.

No doubt, he could have signed for much more on any other team but was willing to take less to play for the Wings, who no doubt have the best chance to repeat next year.

[italian_stallion21]

Just read on Sportsnet that Sundin won't be deciding this week (or possibly later) on his future, if he'll even play again. What does that do for us as the players left are being scooped up as we speak.