Did you feel those winds gusting in Vancouver yesterday? They were quite a welcome as I landed back in town.
Looks like we've got sunshine on the horizon for the next few days as I settle back into the grind. The Canucks are now already six weeks into their offseason but over the next month, we've still got the Memorial Cup, the Stanley Cup Final, NHL awards, the draft, the expansion draft and free agency to look forward to.
Tonight's the final game of the round robin, with the two undefeated clubs from the OHL going head-to-head at 4 p.m. on Sportsnet. The host team from Windsor was knocked out of the OHL playoffs in the first round by Olli Juolevi's London Knights but has gone 2-0 so far in the Memorial Cup round robin, primarily on the strength of tournament-leading goaltending of draft-eligible Michael DiPietro, who doesn't even turn 18 until June 9.
Canucks' free-agent defense signing Jalen Chatfield is pointless so far for Windsor, with three shots on goal and two penalties in the first two games of the round robin.
The Spitfires co-captain, Chatfield's strength is his defensive work.
The other Canucks-related storyline in Windsor surrounds the Spitfires coach, Rocky Thompson, who is rumoured to be a candidate to fill the open head-coaching job in Utica next season or possible work as an assistant to Travis Green in Vancouver.
But apparently the Canucks aren't alone in their interest in the 39-year-old Calgary native, who had a cup of coffee in the NHL with 25 games played in Calgary and Florida in the late 90s and early 2000s.
@mattsekeres Sekeres: "I'm also told that the #Canucks have competition for Rocky Thompson's services. There are 3 other teams interested."
Thompson spent one year behind the bench as an assistant in Edmonton in 2014-15 as Dallas Eakins was dismissed and Todd Nelson finished out the season. He started his coaching career as an assistant with the WHL Edmonton Oil Kings in 2007, then became an AHL assistant in Oklahoma City in 2010.
The host Spitfires will face their biggest challenge of the tournament to date when they go up against the OHL champs from Erie tonight. The Otters boast the top four scorers in the tournament thanks to a 12-5 blowout win over Saint John on Monday, led by Dylan Strome (Arizona) and Taylor Raddysh (Tampa Bay), each with eight points.
Taylor's brother Darren, who has been linked to the Canucks as another possible free-agent signee, leads all defensemen in the tournament with 2-2-4.
Also on the free-agent defenseman front—you laughed when I brought it up, but the buzz is getting stronger that KHL defenseman Chris Lee might make his NHL debut next season at age 37.
Lee set a KHL record for scoring by a defenseman last season with 14 goals and 65 points. It'd be quite a story if he's able to use his run with Team Canada as a launchpad to get back to hockey in North America.
Right now in the NHL, we've got former Canuck Yannick Weber on his way to the Stanley Cup Final as part of the Western Conference champion Nashville Predators.
Who woulda thought that Carey Price's sister would be closer to the Stanley Cup than Carey himself?
In the Eastern Conference, either Nick Bonino or Alex Burrows will be our ex-Canuck rep after Game 7 between Pittsburgh and Ottawa unfolds on Thursday.
Bonino has been much more low-profile than last season, as the HBK line is no longer a thing. Carl Hagelin has been dealing with injuries and has just one assist in the 10 games he has played. Bonino has two goals and five points in 18 playoff games, including one game-winner in Game 1 of the second round against Washington—off the rush, no less!
Though he's nowhere near the 18 points he put up in last year's playoffs, he's still getting plenty of work. Bonino is fifth among Pittsburgh forwards with an average of 16:38 of ice time per game, and gets work on both special-teams units—especially the penalty kill, where his 2:31 of ice per game leads all Penguins forwards.
Burrows hasn't played since suffering a leg injury in Game 3 against the Penguins. Looks like it could be pretty bad.
Before he was hurt, Burrows had five assists and 18 penalty minutes in 15 playoff games, averaging 14:23 of ice time per game, including two minutes a game on the power play.
To wrap up today—a couple of personnel notes on the Canucks' impending free agents:
Hearing the #Canucks are leaning towards qualifying the contract of RFA Joe Labate who played 13 games in Vancouver this season.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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