we will we will suck you! suck you!

[frkncanuckfan]

I've seen a lot of posts about lost points due to departed players.

This is my take on this issue.

If I am correct Bertuzzi got 71 points(25g-46a) but he was also -17 and I would like to know how many goals were scored while he was in the box. To me losing him makes it even because we will not allow as many goals (Luongo instead of Cloutier) as last year.

And the issue of Carter. I have nothing against Carter but i think he took some bad advise from his agent. Carter didn't make the Sedins good, they made him good.
I could probably score 20 goals playing 82 games with the Sedins. They're that good.

My only concern of lost players is the loss of Jovo.
I just hope someone on the backend steps up to his role.

[jchockey]

I'm not really concerned about anything. We'll finish close to where we finished last year.

The only issue I'm concerned about is the departure of Jovanovski. Jovanovski is one of the premier gamebreakers today and not having one to spark the players will hurt.

[*CanucksForLife*]

My only concern of lost players is the loss of Jovo.
I just hope someone on the backend steps up to his role.

Also True.
We need someone to really step up this year...
Let's see what we got...our top 3.
-Mattias Ohlund - If he steps up, who takes his spot?
-Sami Salo - I don't think he has enough ability to match up to Jovo.
- Willi Mitchell - Pressure's on on this guy this year. he really needs to step it up and in a few yaers, he could be a dominant D-man.
Let's just hope that the Wild will be nice to us in this pickup.
Rememebr Richard Park? He came from the Wild... Not too great of a season with the Nucks.
Opening night tommorow. Good Luck Nucks.

[munter]

I'm really looking forward to this season because for the first time in the last 5 years or so I can go in with low expectations. Last season was was the most gut wrenching for me because you expected the Canucks to dominate right from the get go. Here's to breaking 500.

[Nanaimo_Nuck]

I'm really looking forward to this season.

I can see the Sedins becoming huge forces this year and with Naslund hooked up with them Naslund should see his point totals rise immensely bring confidence and that swagger which will make him a more quality captain compared to last years depressing season. 3.5 million/season for the Sedins will be damn cheap if they have Naslund on their line... I can see three 80 plus point players and the Sedins as puck possesion players Naslund should see his plus minus rise again and have less defensive problems. Nothing but confidence builders.

A defensive minded team should be good... some fans I can see writing the team off as slow and boring and that they dont have what it takes... BUT defensive shut down in the playoffs WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS (look at New Jersey in the playoffs... scary).

Now, if the canucks have offensively talented players and have a defensive mindset first.... then that creates turnovers which create MORE OFFENSIVE CHANCES in the end.

There's not much pressure on this team this year. It's like having your boss at work looking over your shoulder all shift breating down your neck. That feeling is gone, now the team can focus on what really matters. Hard work, dedication, self confidence and most importantly, winning.

JUST WATCH AND BE PATIENT...

some fans are snapper heads

[levelheaded]

Between this thread and Pratts burning questions thread, I have a question...

Would it be possible to perhaps get through, I dunno, 10 games or so before we write off this team? Maybe see the team as a whole and see how they play?

Yes, we don't have last years team on paper. Yes, we're missing some of our biggest point getters (Bertuzzi, Carter). Yes, we lost a little big of depth on D.

But we also got a top netminder, a very decent shutdown defenseman (Mitchell) and we still have 2/3rds of our top 2 lines. We still have one of the best players in the NHL (Naslund) and one of the great agitators in the game (Cooke) who, if he can stay healthy during practice this season, can even pot some goals.

Can we at least see how Alain Vigneault is going prep the team and keep them movtivated?

Holy crap guys. I expected a little more from the "fans" of this team.

Couldn't have said said it better myself. All that depth on paper really didn't take us anywhere last year. A lot of players who were never given a chance under our old system have a chance to prove themselves. Look as Jason Pomminville in Buffalo. He cleared waivers at the begging of the season before turning into a solid all round player and a playoff hero. For all we know Alexandre Burrows could come out of nowhere and pot 25. Let's not write them off JUST yet.

[*CanucksForLife*]

I'd jsut like to say to BingoTouch...
I could be wrong but....WE WON 3-1 LAST NIGHT.
After a stellar performance...And Luongo playing great.
I can just see him crawling back a few more games in when the Canucks have a great record.
My point is, don't write them off before they've even played a reglar season game!

[Madcombinepilot]

My take on the lost production....

We lost 56 goals with Carter and Bertuzzi gone (I think I could get 30 with Danrik as my line)

We replaced about 35 (or so) of them with Pyatt and Bulis (who got 20 on the third line).

So we are still down about 20 or so--- BUT WAIT! - what about Jovo's production??

I think Jovo (while a game breakers, leader, and a great hitter) was good for about 20 as well.

Lets check the math...

56 - 35 (replacements) -20(we didn't call him 'Special Ed' for nothing) is about a 1 goal difference. Yuppers, I just said that losing Jovo will save us 20 goals -against. The number of times we lost momentum because we had a special moment which ended up behind Cloutier...well, I lost count.

So, Louongo is good for us to make up a single goal difference.

It's simply all about how you want to look at the math.

Why don't we just let the boys play before they all get written off??