Kukla's Korner Hockey
Canucks Forwards Battling For Jobs
by Paul on 09/14/09 at 01:57 PM ET
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from Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province,
With the clock having struck midnight on GM Mike Gillis’s Mats Sundin deadline, and given word he’s not even skating, the Canucks are moving on.
With the Swede quickly disappearing from their radar, the Canucks are focusing instead on the forwards who will actually be at UBC this week for training camp. And there are plenty of them. Lots has been made about the defensive logjam, but the more interesting story lines are up front.
There are 12 forwards with one-way deals, and that doesn’t include Cody Hodgson, Jannik Hansen, Michael Grabner or Sergei Shirokov, the Russian pro who got a couple gushing reviews in Alberta for tallying a few assists in two prospects games against university kids and amateurs. Though he’ll have to do a lot more than that, he is seen, by some, as one of the players on the outside who can push for a job.
With a push from below, two veterans who are expected to at least feel a pinch are Kyle Wellwood and Mason Raymond, a pair known for offensive skill and unrealized potential who both had frustrating seasons last year before finding salvation through the defensive part of their games.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
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