the way I see it, they have the pieces to make some noise if they get hot. I doubt they'll finish as division winners and I don't expect them to win in the playoffs BUT, all you need is a hot streak to do some damage.

The window is closing for sure but if 8th seed teams can make it to the cup final (although with long odds) then all you really need to do is make it to the dance. If the Isles had even a bad goalie they may have beaten Pittsburgh. Unfortunately we had a terrible performance by Nabby.
- Isles_since_6

Your top paragraph is the definition of a competitive team to me.

Don't really agree with your second paragraph, mainly because I don't believe the term "window" is an effective description of the varying levels of competitiveness that a team's core experiences in their time together.

There are too many factors in play to simply say a team's "window" is "open/opening" or "closed/closing".

$7 doesnt even get you a beer at Rogers.
- fiveandagame

287 for a season ticket in Fla and they will be first in line with their hands out for profiit sharing.

They do not deserve a tea, They suck the life out of proper teams.

They also take in top round draft picks every year while we get to draft Schroeder Jensen.

It's not so much the lack of competition. It's the higher fees and the frequency of flights. If westjet could expand their market share by lowering the prices - they certainly would. That and AC wouldn't be loosing money as badly as it has been in the last little while.
- Canuckleafer

I have been working in the Airline business for the past 36 years and most fares haven't gone up in years , in fact they have come way down. In Canada we have all of the privately run Airport Authorities who add very high fees onto the purchase of a ticket and then all of the government taxes are added on as well. The airlines are making very little money or in most cases no money from ticket sales. The little money they do make is from baggage fees , change fees and third party contracts.

287 for a season ticket in Fla and they will be first in line with their hands out for profiit sharing.

They do not deserve a tea, They suck the life out of proper teams.

They also take in top round draft picks every year while we get to draft Schroeder Jensen.
- VANTEL

Why don't you at least wait until Jensen gets a fair evaluation period before you start moaning about him as a prospect.

Could still turn out as good or better than many of the players picked in the top 10 of that draft.

Why don't you at least wait until Jensen gets a fair evaluation period before you start moaning about him as a prospect.

Could still turn out as good or better than many of the players picked in the top 10 of that draft.
- Fosco

I am avoiding the rush. Last prospects to make the team were Hansen and Schneider.

I am avoiding the rush. Last prospects to make the team were Hansen and Schneider.
- VANTEL

So you think Hodgson would have been cut had he not been traded? Grabner?

Does Kassian also not count, or Tanev, or Corrado (fair to say he hasn't "made it" just yet, I guess, but unless his development regresses it's nearly a sure bet).

Some prospects take longer than others—development curves vary. Doesn't necessarily mean there's a reason to get down on them.

Jensen is less than a year removed from an excellent offensive year in the SEL as a JR aged player, one of the best in recent years.

I'm not ready to write him off just because of sub-par transition back to NA, where he was improperly used.

He was pegged as a long term prospect before he was drafted.

So you think Hodgson would have been cut had he not been traded? Grabner?

Does Kassian also not count, or Tanev, or Corrado (fair to say he hasn't "made it" just yet, I guess, but unless his development regresses it's nearly a sure bet).

Some prospects take longer than others—development curves vary. Doesn't necessarily mean there's a reason to get down on them.

Jensen is less than a year removed from an excellent offensive year in the SEL as a JR aged player, one of the best in recent years.

I'm not ready to write him off just because of sub-par transition back to NA, where he was improperly used.

He was pegged as a long term prospect before he was drafted.
- Fosco

Did you think Jensen had any resemblence to a NHLer last year?

Corrado hasn't made the team yet. Tanev wasn't drafted.

Grabner Hodgson and Schneider have left Dodge . Kassian is not our draft pick.


I did like Grabner and thought the Canucks were crazy to trade him. Shows the scouting of young talent level that this team has. I could care less about Fla letting him go also. They are idiots too.

Did you think Jensen had any resemblence to a NHLer last year?


Corrado hasn't made the team last year. Tanev wasn't drafted.

Grabner Hodgson and Schneider have left Dodge . Kassian is not our draft pick.
- VANTEL

No, Jensen didn't look like and NHLer last year, if you take his entire year into consideration.

Thankfully, just because a prospect doesn't look like an NHLer at 19 years old, it doesn't mean he won't be one.

I've also seen you yourself post that his few games in the NHL last year aren't a valid sample to make a fair evaluation, so I'm not sure why you've changed your tune all of the sudden...

Like I said, Jensen was always pegged as a long term prospect.

He looked much better in the SEL than he did on the Wolves or Canucks. But you can't just take a mediocre half of a development year and ignore the good half, especially when the good half is the larger sample size.

He put up some of the best offensive numbers in the last 20 years. His goal totals are only matched by players like D. Sedin, Naslund, Forsberg, and Hornqvist at the same age.

Corrado made the team last year, unless I imagined those games he played...

He didn't make it out of camp, but he played in the NHL. Again, you can put an asterisk beside his name if you want, but it's a quite likely he will make the NHL.

The other players I listed still made the NHL.

It doesn't matter whether they made the Canucks or not—they were still Canucks prospects who were largely developed by the Canucks regardless of how poorly they were handled before their departure—I'm really not sure what argument you're trying to make here....other than just being a huge pessimist.

They are NHL impact players.

The Canucks also haven't had many spots available for rookies until the last year or so.

Now if you're using the fact that they didn't make it with the Canucks as evidence that the Canucks roster isn't a kind place for rookies, that pretty much went out the door with the last coaching staff.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what the new staff's views are towards young players and rookies.

It also doesn't matter whether Tanev was drafted or not. He's a Canucks prospect who made the team.

The fact that he was undrafted doesn't mean he wasn't a prospect.

No, Jensen didn't look like and NHLer last year, if you take his entire year into consideration.

Thankfully, just because a prospect doesn't look like an NHLer at 19 years old, it doesn't mean he won't be one.

I've also seen you yourself post that his few games in the NHL last year aren't a valid sample to make a fair evaluation, so I'm not sure why you've changed your tune all of the sudden...

Like I said, Jensen was always pegged as a long term prospect.

He looked much better in the SEL than he did on the Wolves or Canucks. But you can't just take a mediocre half of a development year and ignore the good half, especially when the good half is the larger sample size.

He put up some of the best offensive numbers in the last 20 years. His goal totals are only matched by players like D. Sedin, Naslund, Forsberg, and Hornqvist at the same age.

Corrado made the team last year, unless I imagined those games he played...

He didn't make it out of camp, but he played in the NHL. Again, you can put an asterisk beside his name if you want, but it's a quite likely he will make the NHL.

The other players I listed still made the NHL.

It doesn't matter whether they made the Canucks or not—they were still Canucks prospects who were largely developed by the Canucks regardless of how poorly they were handled before their departure—I'm really not sure what argument you're trying to make here....other than just being a huge pessimist.

They are NHL impact players.

Now if you're using the fact that they didn't make it with the Canucks as evidence that the Canucks roster isn't a kind place for rookies, that pretty much went out the door with the last coaching staff.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what the new staff's views are towards young players and rookies.

It also doesn't matter whether Tanev was drafted or not. He's a Canucks prospect who made the team.

The fact that he was undrafted doesn't mean he wasn't a prospect.
- Fosco

I like it when you type in bold, bro, it shows you mean business.

It's impossible for me to go to a game. I live out of town and between tickets, hotel, parking, food, drink etc. It would cost me between $800-$1000 for the night. For ONE freaking game! I would love to take my son one day but I don't see it happening any time soon. The good news is, if I start saving now I will get a chance to see guys like Corrado, Shinkrauk, Horvat and Gaunce ect, once they hit their prime.
- fiveandagame

Not true. I think the cost thing is overblown. I regularly sell my tickets for $40 per seat per game. I have 2nd row upper bowl. Good seats. I paid $40 for two seats at the whitecaps game. MLS is like the 20th best soccer league in the world. What the hell was I paying for?
For twice the price you can watch the best hockey players in the world. You don't need to buy food and drink. It's only 3 hours.
But if you are from out of town then yes it starts to get expensive. But that's not the canucks fault.

On top of that, not only was Kesler injured for the majority of the past two seasons, but he was also injured for both off seasons. Last time he was healthy for an off season he shot 100 pucks a day and had a career season. He's already said he's doing the same this summer. I expect a big year from #17.
- KB3Point0

The injury history you paint doesn't exactly give anyone the warm and fuzzies that Kesler will suddenly stay injury free. As long as he's healthy and in shape come playoff time...

I like it when you type in bold, bro, it shows you mean business.
- Fisticus

Oh, it's business time.

I'm even wearing my business socks...

Oh, it's business time.

I'm even wearing my business socks...
- Fosco

Flight of the Concords. Great stuff.

The injury history you paint doesn't exactly give anyone the warm and fuzzies that Kesler will suddenly stay injury free. As long as he's healthy and in shape come playoff time...
- AlexF

How does one actually achieve that? Take nights off?

The injury history you paint doesn't exactly give anyone the warm and fuzzies that Kesler will suddenly stay injury free. As long as he's healthy and in shape come playoff time...
- AlexF

Not sure if he'll ever be healthy come playoff time. He has a wreckless style of play that is going to leave him frequently banged up and that end of the season.

Flight of the Concords. Great stuff.
- AlexF

One of my all time favourites

How does one actually achieve that? Take nights off?
- bloatedmosquito

Carefully and with a lot of luck I suppose.

Gents, this is gold dust Canadiana

Adam Proteau ‏@Proteautype
Canada. RT @Gawker Canadian man sorry for chugging 8 beers & swimming to Detroit just to prove to friends he could. http://gaw.kr/hh84OEr

Not sure if he'll ever be healthy come playoff time. He has a wreckless style of play that is going to leave him frequently banged up and that end of the season.
- vancity787

Wait till Torts starts making him block shots.

One of my all time favourites
- Fosco

LOVED the "David Bowie" montage/dream!

LOVED the "David Bowie" montage/dream!
- Zogg

Yeah, that was awesome, and the "Bowie in space" song/video that followed was one of their best.

Yeah, that was awesome, and the "Bowie in space" song/video that followed was one of their best.
- Fosco

Brilliant

DP

Wait till Torts starts making him block shots.
- AlexF

I was just thinking the exact same thing

Gents, this is gold dust Canadiana

Adam Proteau ‏@Proteautype
Canada. RT @Gawker Canadian man sorry for chugging 8 beers & swimming to Detroit just to prove to friends he could. http://gaw.kr/hh84OEr
- AlexF

What is this world coming to when a guy has to feel sorry about an accomplishment like that...