// Canucks, oh Canucks

Ever since hockey has made it's triumphant return, I haven't really posted much about the Canucks this year and how I've been enjoying the season. Overall, I am disappointed, and a little disgusted.

Here is the one major thing that bugs me. There is a 40 million dollar salary cap and the Canucks can't afford to sign any foreign talent in the off season, such as Scott Niedermayer, or Peter Forsberg, and they practically keep the same team together, when the same team has had problems in the playoffs. The one thing I really could not understand was how power-house teams like Detroit and Colorado could afford to keep their all-star players. Why? Because their star players took pay cuts, when are star players, and not even star players, got pay raises.

It comes back to Vancouver's "we must keep the core of the team together because one day we eventually will win" theory... And it has really started to piss me off! The team might not even make the playoffs at this rate! We have a team that can not function properly!

Let's look at the top line:

Markus Naslund, the captain of are team has a 6 million dollar contract. He has had somewhat of a decent season, however he is only 24th place in the league with 64 points, and after tonight, teammate Henrik Sedin passed him. The point here is that a player making 6 million dollars should be up in the top ten scoring leaders, not below the top 20. Need I mention that he is a -10 as well. I remember when Markus would just go to the top of the circle, and snap a wrist shot, and it was almost a guaranteed goal every time. Now the guy can barely get a shot on net. Naslund has to pick up his game for the team to go anywhere far in the playoffs.

Todd Bertuzzi has been rendered useless in my books this year. After he started to look a little better half way through the season, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, only to be disappointed my his poor numbers, and stupid penalties he takes. He often shows the fans the he is a very lazy player, and he never parks himself in front of the net anymore. I guess with 5.3 million dollar contract, you don't have to work hard anymore. For a 5 million dollar player, he isn't even in the top 50 point leaders, and has a pitiful -12. Bertuzzi has to get a reality check. Canucks fans complained when we didn't have him in the playoffs against the flames last season, but right now I don't think it would make a difference.

Brendan Morrison was a player I actually liked before he became incredibly high on himself, and decided that he deserves 3.2 million dollars. Moe is not an elite center-man, if fact, far from it. Here is a list of center-men that are, from my point of view, are much better then Morrison, and make under 3.2 million dollars: Steve Yzerman, Pierre Turgeon, Brian Rolston, Craig Conroy, Shane Doan, Mike Ricci, Mike Comrie, Scott Gomez, Petr Nedved, Daniel Briere, Jason Spezza, Olli Jokinen. Honestly, where does Morrison get the idea that he is better then all these players? How does he figure he deserves more money then these guys? Morrison is having a horrible season, with only 45 points, and with a -1, and he is only 97th in points. The guy has had no impact on the team this season, and it was only sensible to bring in another center-men, and get ride of Brendan Morrison's huge salary, or at least put him on the third or fourth line, make him so he can realize "oh wait, I'm not that good..."

Vancouver's Top Line
Total points: 164
Salaries Combined: $14.5 Million

Here are some other stats for top lines around the NHL, all teams that are higher in the standings then the Canucks

Detroit's Top Line
Total points: 210
Salaries Combined: $8.9 Million

Colorado's Top Line
Total points: 178
Salaries Combined: $13 Million

Nashville's Top Line
Total points: 136
Salaries Combined: $9 Million
*Note. Legwand has been injured for some of the season.

Dallas Top Line
Total points: 150
Salaries Combined: $12 Million
*Note. Modano not on top line

The point I'm trying to get across here is that are top line is too expensive and they are over-rated. I can't blame Nonis completely here, because the fans in this town believe they should keep the team together, when in reality, change is needed badly. Bertuzzi was signed by Burke however, and not by Nonis, but this was back when Bertuzzi was actually good. Morrison never was as good as they thought he was back in the summer. With the money we save on those salaries by bringing them down a bit, we could have been able to afford Forsberg, and it would have been a completely different game.

Goaltending has never been a problem for me, and in fact, I'm rather happy Dan Cloutier was injured this year. As much as I am a Cloutier fan, he never really did prove himself in the playoffs, and he had a rather large raise in the summer, even with a poor playoff background, and no positive statistics. Who could have done well against Calgary, but who knows. Nevertheless, Auld has stepped up to the plate, and answered the call rather well. He may be taking a lot of heat this season for the lack of success with the Canucks, but look at it, does Cloutier do any better? I think this will be an eye opener, and the Canucks will deal Cloutier away sooner then later, and we'll have a little more cap room.

The new players we got on the deadline are alright, but I haven't really seen them in action all that much. I was really hoping we would get more forwards, but that never happened. I had a high potential for Richard Park, but he never really did as well as I thought he would do.

The Sedin's and Carter, now there is line Canucks fans can be proud of. I never really liked the Sedin's, because they were so inconsistent, but then again, I used to like Bertuzzi and Morrison. Henrik is having a career high season, and he makes how much money? Not 6 million, not 5 million, not even 3! He makes 1.25 million dollars. Wow. We pay a player that much money for 65 points? That's robbery for the Canucks right now...

Canuck's Second Line
Total points: 169
Salaries Combined: $3.5 Million

I thank the Sedin-Carter line for actually doing something.

What do the Canucks need to do to win? Honestly, I'm not sure. Right now it looks as if half the team isn't trying, and that they really don't care anymore. They are making there millions of dollars, why work hard for it? Until they realize that they aren't invincible, and that they are not an elite team, which everyone thinks they are, we will never go far in the playoffs.

Why can't the Canucks just pick up the slack?