I'm giving an offline Be-a-GM with write-ups a try. Some notes:
- There are a few ratings/potential changes (Varlamov, Haula, for example).
- I created Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin, and Andrei Vasilevski.
- Salary cap is on.
- Before going into the GM mode, I demoted some players on teams that were over the cap. Not every team entered under the cap, but it's at least not as bad where Crosby ended up making less than $7 million per season due to the game's adjustments.
The Vancouver Canucks are in need of a shake-up and a need to get younger. Instead of being a borderline playoff team, the organization is deciding to go for a rebuild. Every player on the roster has been made available. Ryan Kesler has reiterated his trade request to the new management group, so the team will look to move him. The Sedin twins are being shopped around, but they will not waive their no-trade clauses unless they are traded together, proving to be a difficult task given salary cap constraints.
2013 Off-Season
Sedin twins dealt to Senators
The Canucks and Senators pulled off a massive trade prior to the season. Ottawa acquires Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Mike Santorelli, and Brandon DeFazio from Vancouver in exchange for Kyle Turris, Ales Hemsky, Cody Ceci, and Jared Cowen. With their 1st round pick belonging to the Ducks, the Sens are going all-in this season.
Burrows heads to Habs
The Canadiens acquired Alex Burrows and Jeremy Welsh from the Canucks in exchange for Brian Gionta, Christian Thomas, and a 2014 1st round draft pick. Burrows, often seen as the face of why people dislike the Canucks, was in part moved in an effort to create a more likable team.
Kesler on the move
Ryan Kesler requested a trade from the rebuilding Canucks. Utilizing his no-trade clause, Kesler submitted a 6 team list of teams he would accept a trade to: Anaheim, Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay. Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Tampa weren't necessarily that interested in the veteran center, leaving 3 ideal destinations. After failed negotiations with the Ducks and the inability to match up on salary cap and assets with the Blackhawks, Kesler was shipped along with Chris Higgins, Henrik Tommernes, and Anton Cederholm in exchange for Ryan O'Reilly, Joey Hishon, Cory Sarich, and a 2014 1st round pick.
Canucks continue making moves
- Canucks trade Dan Hamhuis, Anton Rodin, and Ludwig Blomstrand to Detroit in exchange for Anthony Mantha, Kyle Quincey, Todd Bertuzzi, and 2014 2nd and 4th round picks.
- Vancouver trades Ales Hemsky to Buffalo in exchange for Nikita Zadorov and the Islanders 2014 1st round draft pick.
- Canucks trade Cory Sarich to Nashville for Pontus Aberg and a 2014 3rd round pick.
- Vancouver trades Jason Garrison, Jannik Hansen, 2014 3rd round pick (Nashville) and 2014 4th round pick (Detroit) to NY Islanders for Sebastian Collberg and Anders Lee.
- Canucks trade Brad Richardson, Joacim Eriksson, and 2014 3rd round pick to Dallas for Jack Campbell and Aleksi Makela.
2013-14 Season
The Canucks roll out a new-look lineup for opening night. The team has elected to enter the season without a captain, utilizing Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler, and Brian Gionta as their 3 alternate captains.
O'Reilly 84 - Turris 86 - (A) Gionta 82
Booth 81 - Lee 79 - Kassian 82
Dalpe 75 - Matthias 80 - Bertuzzi 80
Sestito 73 - Fox 71 - Ferriero 74
(A) Edler 85 - Cowen 84
(A) Bieksa 85 - Tanev 82
Alberts 75 - Quincey 83
Lack 80
Markstrom 80
2014 Trade Deadline
At the trade deadline, the Canucks have performed better than expected thus far this season. The team has a record of 32-27-4 (68 points), 8 points ahead of 9th place St. Louis. The Canucks are not in a position to trade away many of their draft picks in a buyer's mode at the trade deadline, but they also will not be selling off players as originally planned had the team not been in the playoff race.
Revisiting the draft picks from trades made before the season, the Islanders are the 9th best team in the league and the Canadiens are the 10th best. However, despite the acquisition of Ryan Kesler, the Avalanche are sitting in dead last in the league, 6 points behind the Oilers.
End of Regular Season
The Canucks complete a surprisingly good regular season, finishing with a record of 44-33-5, good for 93 points, 5th in the Western Conference, and 2nd in the Pacific Division. Eddie Lack was solid in goal as the starter, while Jacob Markstrom was phenomenal in limited duty as the backup. If Lack falters in the playoffs, Markstrom may get an opportunity.
Looking back at the previously acquired draft picks once again, Montreal was the 6th best team in the league during the regular season, the Islanders were 17th (missing the playoffs), and the Avalanche 28th.
Team leaders:
Goals - Gionta (33)
Assists - Edler (48)
Points - Gionta (64)
+/- - Lee (+12)
PIMs - Bieksa (134)
Goalies:
Lack: 33-31-4, 2.67 GAA, .917 SV%, 7 SO
Markstrom: 11-2-1, 2.02 GAA, .934 SV%, 0 SO
2014 Playoffs
Round 1 vs Los Angeles Kings
Game 1: Canucks win 2-0
Game 2: Canucks win 3-1
Game 3: Kings win 3-2
Game 4: Kings win 4-3
Game 5: Canucks win 4-3
Game 6: Kings win 6-1
Game 7: Canucks win 3-1
Canucks win series 4-3
Round 2 vs Phoenix Coyotes
Game 1: Coyotes win 3-0
Game 2: Canucks win 2-1
Game 3: Canucks win 4-2
Game 4: Canucks win 3-2
Game 5: Canucks win 5-2
Canucks win series 4-1
Round 3 vs Chicago Blackhawks
Game 1: Blackhawks win 4-3
Game 2: Blackhawks win 3-2
Game 3: Canucks win 4-3
Game 4: Canucks win 4-1
Game 5: Blackhawks win 3-0
Game 6: Blackhawks win 2-1
Blackhawks win series 4-2
The Canucks finish off an improbable run to the Western Conference Finals, falling to their old nemesis in the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks would go on to lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Team leaders:
Goals - Gionta (9)
Assists - Edler, Bieksa, Matthias (10)
Points - Matthias (16)
+/- - Bieksa (+8)
PIMs - Edler (32)
Goalies:
Lack: 10-5-3, 2.19 GAA, .931 SV%, 1 SO
Awards
Stanley Cup: Tampa Bay Lightning
Presidents' Trophy: Nashville Predators
Campbell Bowl: Chicago Blackhawks
Wales Trophy: Tampa Bay Lightning
Art Ross: Marian Hossa
Hart: Marian Hossa
Norris: Michael Del Zotto
Lady Byng: Marian Hossa
Calder: Evgeny Kuznetsov
Conn Smythe: Ben Bishop
Vezina: Pekka Rinne
Jennings: Ben Bishop
Masterton: Jan Hejda
Selke: Pavel Datsyuk
Lindsay: Pekka Rinne
Richard: Patrick Kane
I will continue on with this tomorrow.
)
