Moving forward…

The trade deadline is over. How did other fans fare today?  Did your team make any bold moves or stand pat today? Were you disappointed or excited by the results? Did any moves shock you?[The move that shocked me most of all was Tampa’s trade of Cory Conacher!!!! I know they needed a goalie but really that was quite the gamble trading away potentially the rookie of the year.]

Well now that the trade deadline has come and gone, can we please stop commenting on Luongo’s contract and his position with the team? He is officially a part of the team for the remainder of the season, accept that reality. I am more than happy to see LOU still with the Canucks and I think it provides stability having BOTH him & Schneids playing down the stretch. I doubt anyone will complain about having two elite goal-tenders IF the Canucks play deep into June. Next, stop complaining about moves Gillis did not make and instead think of the potential in the move that he did make in acquiring Derek Roy. Do not worry about his rental status or potential to re-sign with the team moving forward but rather the impact he can have with the team NOW and in the playoffs.

Roberto Luongo and Derek Roy will both have an impact on the team moving forward. Let’s enjoy getting to have them as a part of our team whether it is just the remainder of this season or beyond to next season. They both will do their best to help the Canucks to achieve their primary goal of an extended playoff run. Maybe the Canucks did not make the moves people expected them to BUT remember the Canucks have help coming with Kesler, Raymond, Kassian & Weise returning to the line up this week.  Perhaps Roy will be exactly the spark that will aid our ailing powerplay and turn Kesler back into his unstoppable #beastmode self. Roy will provide some stability to the 2nd/3rd lines that has been lacking this season with both Kesler and Malhotra being out of the line up.

The stretch drive begins NOW, most teams [Canucks included] have just 12 games left to secure playoff positioning. Some teams will surprise us and some will disappoint and some will be completely unpredictable. The playoffs are just around the corner and as we all know: ANYTHING can happen once the playoffs begin. The best is yet to come, are you prepared? Here is a little treat to get you pumped for the impending playoffs[there’s a little shout out to most teams]:

Next up, the Canucks will host the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night and will look to exact a little revenge for the way that the Oilers stomped on them the last time these two met. Tomorrow will also mark the Annual Canucks for Kids Fund Telethon, all the proceeds will go their various children’s charities. Click to link to donate: https://canuckplace.helpforcharities.com/

Trades are said and done. Whatever the results, it is time to move on and accept whatever moves were or were not made. Enjoy the remainder of the season as it comes! It’s an exciting time of year to watch hockey as things tighten up in each conference and teams just outside the top 8 attempt to push themselves into the playoff contention. Enjoy these next 4 weeks before playoffs begin, the final standings and playoff match ups are still to be determined. The trade deadline has come and gone, rosters are locked and the drive to the playoffs is just beginning. Can you feel the excitement beginning to take over in some cities?

Whatever moves your team made or did not make, do not focus on what you expected or did not expect but rather just enjoy the remainder of the season, it is nearly over!

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.

T’was the night before the NHL trade deadline…

T’WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE THE NHL TRADE DEADLINE:

T’was the night before the NHL trade deadline,

when all through the league not a GM was supposed to stir,

when suddenly more than 10 deals were made and the quiet was but an echo

as teams began making deals in the days prior to deadline day.

Hockey fans and media alike thought themselves ready for the circus

while they made dream predictions for their teams and their prospective playoff hopes

and coaches hoped that the difficult decisions would not be theirs to make or break the team

as they prepared for the media storm that would inevitably follow a busy trade deadline.

When all of a sudden one team made a move that shook league to the core,

fans and media sprung to sports centre and social media to share their collective reactions

as the players looked to each other as to what this would mean to their team and their playoff hopes,

and the hours became minutes, and the minutes became seconds as the eve of the trade deadline slipped away as all must now see what will follow each move.

These are but a few thoughts surrounding each team tonight as we all wait to see what tomorrow’s circus shall bring. We do not know what it means just yet, but many teams have begun to make big moves prior to the big day which is slightly out of the norm.

So far the notable moves are these:

Jarome Iginla was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for prospects and a 1st round draft pick.

Brendan Morrow was traded from the Dallas Stars to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a prospect and a draft pick.

Douglas Murray was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for two draft picks.

Jaromir Jagr was traded from the Dallas Stars to the Boston Bruins in exchange for prospects & a draft pick.

Kent Huskins was traded from the Detroit Red Wings to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a draft pick.

Jordan Leopold was traded from the Buffalo Sabres to the St.Louis Blues in exchange for two draft picks.

Michal Handzus was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a draft pick.

Jay Bouwmeester was traded from the Calgary Flames to the St.Louis Blues in exchange for two prospects and two draft picks.

Robyn Regehr was traded from the Buffalo Sabres to the LA Kings in exchange two draft picks.

Marc-Andre Bergeron was traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Adam Hall and a draft pick.

Derek Roy was traded from the Dallas Stars to the VANCOUVER CANUCKS in exchange for a prospect and draft pick.

Ryane Clowe was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the New York Rangers in exchange for three draft picks.

There is bound to be a media storm in the final minutes of the deadline tomorrow as the clock winds down to 12 PM[pacific time]. What will happen? Will your team be improved? Will favourites be moved? Will new favourites emerge? Will one team steal all the thunder with one big move? Will any teams stand pat? All will be revealed and once that clock strikes 12, all rosters will be set until the end of the season. We will have to wait and see what this trade deadline has in store for us!

I would like to say WELCOME to CANUCK NATION, Derek Roy! We look forward to seeing you help the Canucks down the stretch this year! This is a great pick up by the Canucks and will help address a gaping hole in centre and also allow the option of having Kesler play wing when he returns. Rumor has it that MR.RK17 could be slipped back into the line-up this week. Roy is expected to arrive in Vancouver for practice with the team tomorrow. In acquiring Roy, the Canucks gave up defense prospect Kevin Connauton, best of luck in Dallas!

In other Canuck news, today marks Chris Higgins re-signed with the team. He signed a 4-year $10 million contract extension[an annual hit of $2.5 million]. This guy plays with so much heart, great to see him get rewarded.

The Canucks are officially 3/4 through this shortened season. The team sits tied with the Minnesota Wild in points and are locked in a battle for the division title. The stretch drive begins now. #GoCanucksGo!

Keep your eye on the trades tomorrow as you never know what will happen, and the most active time will be in that final hour as some teams may surprise us!

As always, until next time, nuck said.

Sarah E.L.