The Power Forward

[Southern_Canuck]

...and how can the Canucks get one? Well, I would classify Kesler as one, so actually it should be how can the Canucks get another one?

I, like many here, believe that the Canucks need a big, gritty, scoring forward to patrol Kesler's wing in order to create the right mix of skill, finesse, size, intimidation, and scoring amongst the Canucks' top 6.

I took a look through the NHL for who I thought could/would be classified as a top 6 power forward, and here is what I thought:

Anaheim - Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan
Boston - Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton
Buffalo - (Drew Stafford?)
Calgary - Jarome Iginla, Rene Bourque, (Olli Jokinen)
Carolina - Eric Staal, (Tuomo Ruutu), (Anthony Stewart)
Chicago - Jonathan Toews, (Bryan Bickell)
Colorado - (David Jones?)
Columbus - Rick Nash
Dallas - Brenden Morrow, Michael Ryder, Jamie Benn
Detroit - Johan Franzen, Dan Cleary
Edmonton - Ryan Smyth
Florida - David Booth, (Scottie Upshall), Tomas Kopecky
Los Angeles - Dustin Brown, Mike Richards, Dustin Penner
Minnesota - (Dany Heatley), (Cal Clutterbuck)
Montreal - Erik Cole
Nashville -
New Jersey -
NYI - Kyle Okposo
NYR - Brandon Dubinsky, (Derek Stepan)
Ottawa - (Nick Foligno)
Philadelphia - Wayne Simmonds, Scott Hartnell, (James van Riemsdyk)
Phoenix - Shane Doan, (Radim Vrbata)
Pittsburgh - James Neal
San Jose - Joe Thornton, Ryan Clowe, Patrick Marleau
St. Louis - David Backes, Chris Stewart
Tampa Bay - Ryan Malone, (Vincent Lecavalier), (Steve Downie)
Toronto - Colby Armstrong, (Clarke MacArthur)
Vancouver - Ryan Kesler
Washington - Alex Ovechkin, Mike Knuble, (Brooks Laich)
Winnipeg - Andrew Ladd, Evander Kane, (Blake Wheeler), (Eric Fehr)

Red = unlikely candidate due to recent signing, captaincy, importance to current team, etc.
Green = a good candidate

From this list I targeted the following:

Brenden Morrow: 32, 2 more years at $4.1 cap hit (then UFA)
Reasonable cap hit and term, plays with reckless abandon, scores clutch goals - Morrow would be a great addition, and with the Stars in ownership limbo, may be easier to get than we think.

Jamie Benn: 22, 1 year at $822k (RFA)
Would be tougher to get than Morrow because of the value he provides at a low salary, but he has yet to post top 6 offensive numbers. Has to be re-signed, and maybe Dallas will balk at the possible future contract numbers?

David Booth: 26, 4 years at $4.25M (UFA)
Concussion concerns. Probably too much of a risk, and I don't know if Florida can get to the salary floor without Booth's contract.

Brandon Dubinsky: 25, (RFA)
Dubinsky would be a perfect fit. With arbitration looming, the Canucks would have to hope for a sign and trade, which seems unlikely.

Shane Doan: 34, 1 year $4.55M (UFA)
With Phoenix in turmoil, here is a great player the Canucks might be able to acquire - maybe a Schneider deal? Are they set with Mike Smith and Labarbera?

Ryan Malone: 31, 4 years $4.5M (UFA)
Hasn't lived up to expectations in Tampa, but I still remember the dominant grit and passion he displayed in the Pittsburgh Cup run... Expensive and getting old, so probably not the one.

Evander Kane: 19, 1 year $3.1M (RFA)
One can hope? Yeah, like Winnipeg will trade Kane to us...! OK, then.

So my best bets boil down to Brenden Morrow, Brandon Dubinsky, or Shane Doan. What do you think?

S_C

[BladesofSteel]

Nice SC.

Count me in for one of Morrow or Doan.

Both have tremendous work ethic, character, physical presence and clutch-ability. While Doan boasts a bigger, typically healthier frame, Morrow owns better mobility. They bring a team-first attitude and would seemingly compliment this teams two-way style.

As you can see, I'm looking at a veteran winger who, while counted on in past to be a key guy, would come in here to be a more complementary player who would add a serious boast to an already deep club.

Both would salivate at an opportunity to play on this top six for a chance to hoist the cup.

Either could be had at the right price IMO.

[Fred]

Both Morrow and Doan are over $4 mill whch is more than the Cap space the Canucks have ( Raymond is out for 4-6 week back in November) but the relief is temporary. I'd love to see Doan in Vcr rugged with skill and he doesn't want to move to Winterpeg. The fact is unless you're going to pick up another "B" grade winger ( which we have enough of ) some one has to move the other way to make space

[Southern_Canuck]

Either (Doan, Morrow) could be had at the right price IMO.

I wonder what the "right" price would be?

It struck me that several teams seem to have two or even three "power forwards", however Vancouver really only has Ryan Kesler. I think this is a problem that needs to be solved. And Sturm is not the answer.

What does Phoenix (Doan) or Dallas (Morrow) want in trade? A 1st round pick? A prospect and lower pick?

The Canucks have Tanev, Schneider, and Hodgson that have NHL value... but what about Schroeder, Rodin, Sauve, Lack, Jensen... and are the Canucks willing to give up any of these players?

IMO, Raymond and Samuelsson should be available as well, because they have NHL value, but are not the right element for what the Canucks need.

All in all, I believe that if the Canucks do not add a "power forward" to their top 6, they won't make the Stanley Cup Finals again anytime soon.

S_C

[Southern_Canuck]

Both Morrow and Doan are over $4 mill whch is more than the Cap space the Canucks have ( Raymond is out for 4-6 week back in November) but the relief is temporary. I'd love to see Doan in Vcr rugged with skill and he doesn't want to move to Winterpeg. The fact is unless you're going to pick up another "B" grade winger ( which we have enough of ) some one has to move the other way to make space

Well, if you are in the coco_canuck camp, and believe that the Canucks are willing to park a significant 1-way salary in the minors (Sturm?), or work some LTIR magic during the season (first Raymond, then when he gets back someone else is injured?), one could imagine fitting a $4.5M salary under the cap.

Under that premise, Morrow or Doan "could" fit...

S_C

[Hank]

Out of those three choices, I would go with Dubinsky first... due to his age and potential. He should have many more good years ahead. Don't know how realistic it would be to land him though.

Doan even at 34, still seems not to have tailed off. Very consistent and has the type of game and leadership that this team could use. Only 1 more year on his contract... I'd drive Sammy and his salary to the airport right now.

Morrow looked like his style of play was catching up to him 3 years ago... although he did have a very good bounce back year last season, playing the full schedule. But 2 more years at that cap hit? Not sure about that.

See SC? You're way more productive when you don't keep going on and on about a certain player

[coco_canuck]

Both Morrow and Doan are over $4 mill whch is more than the Cap space the Canucks have ( Raymond is out for 4-6 week back in November) but the relief is temporary. I'd love to see Doan in Vcr rugged with skill and he doesn't want to move to Winterpeg. The fact is unless you're going to pick up another "B" grade winger ( which we have enough of ) some one has to move the other way to make space

You're too concerned about cap space.

As I posted in the other thread, the Canucks have about $3.5M in cap space including Hansen at $1.5M, and including Sulzer on D.

If they move Sulzer down and go with a 21 man roster, including Raymond, we have $4.2M in cap space.

If Gillis has to move a salary, he can put it off until later if another long-term injury doesn't happen by mid-November.

[ESQ]

I'd be concerned about turning to Doan as the guy to get you over the hump, considering he has never won a playoff series. Also he is getting long in the tooth, and I've never considered him a very clutch player or a big-goal guy (maybe that's because there was no clutch situations for most of his career...) I guess I'm wary of players so closely identified with a loser franchise for so long, kinda like Jokinen. I'm especially wary when a player's numbers take a big dip when the team finally starts improving

Morrow on the other hand interests me a lot. He's tough, he's put up big numbers when with solid players, and might juuuuust be injury-prone enough to fit into MG's cap structure.

Actually, the cap for a player like this (4-5 mil) doesn't concern me, I have serious doubts that we see Mason back in November. That back injury is devastating, and to my knowledge has no comparable injury in terms of recovery. I'm no expert, but that corset thing scared the hell out of me! He was like a hobbit-stormtrooper! If Gillis was somehow able to package him with a prospect for any of these guys it would be a helluva deal, but is likely a pipedream.

I know NYR is a CBA king, to get Dubinsky he would have to be signed before arbitration for a sign-and-trade, no? After the arb's decision is accepted he cannot be traded (same goes for Hansen, fwiw).

[sagebrush]

I can't get past Evander Kane. Young, tough, wheels, puts up points, local boy.
Winnipeg would want a lot, and I would be inclined to give a lot.
It might take a three team swap to cash in Schneider's value as part of a package.
Difficult, but worth a try.

[Strangelove]

Morrow on the other hand interests me a lot. He's tough, he's put up big numbers when with solid players, and might juuuuust be injury-prone enough to fit into MG's cap structure.

I could certainly live with Morrow.

Canuck fans everywhere tend to agree we need a power forward for the top 6.

As i said in another post, I would've gone for Upshall as a UFA ($4M per on a 5 yr deal?)

Jamie Benn is the best player on that list imo, but Dallas would never give him up!

[Farhan Lalji]

Thanks to Clam Russell and the fake twitter account of Nick Kypreos, I am now obsessed with Zack Parise!

[Jovocop]

I'd be concerned about turning to Doan as the guy to get you over the hump, considering he has never won a playoff series. Also he is getting long in the tooth, and I've never considered him a very clutch player or a big-goal guy (maybe that's because there was no clutch situations for most of his career...) I guess I'm wary of players so closely identified with a loser franchise for so long, kinda like Jokinen. I'm especially wary when a player's numbers take a big dip when the team finally starts improving

I agree, ESQ. Doan is one of those players that I don't like. He seems to be happy in a non-hockey market with not much of a chance winning anything. Besides the physical presence, the Canucks need more veteran leadership with playoffs success. Doan just does not fit the bill at all.

[BladesofSteel]

I don't put too much stock in NHL playoff success when you look at everything someone like Doan would bring to the team. Where he lacks in post season play, he certainly makes up in making 6 appearances (49 games) at the Worlds Championships, an Olympian, a World Cup champ and a Memorial Cup MVP. His team sucks balls and they always have, that is in no way a reflection of him.

Just because he's been a committed franchise player and humanitarian, doesn't mean he's happy playing for a losing franchise.

The dude has got plenty of cred and would without question be a valuable addition to this team.

[Uncle dans leg]

David Backes! The perfect player that we will never pry out of STL....sigh

As far as SC's list...I have to take Morrow. He's all guts and is exactly what we need to win. Notice how the SC winners always have that older warrior type giving it his all? That's Morrow for us!

[Diehard1]

For me Morrow is the guy - tough, good skater, goes to all the high traffic areas. He can be injury prone but that's simply because he plays so hard.

I'd be happy with a lot of the guys on that list though - you never know who is available in the NHL given the need to cut salary, bad ownership, etc. Gillis knows what his team's weaknesses are and I'm sure he's doing what he can to shore them up.