A little perspective from an NHL legend about slow starts in the NHL season...
I just got off the phone with New Jersey Devils' legend Ken Daneyko, a three-time Stanley Cup winner whose number hangs in the rafters at Prudential Center in Newark. The interview is for another story that I'm working on.
When I asked Daneyko about the high expectations that built for the Devils over the summer, he immediately expressed concern about the team's first two games—a 4-0 lead against Winnipeg that turned into a 5-4 shootout loss, then a 7-2 loss in Buffalo.
As much as he's hoping for a win for his team on Wednesday, he also said that sometimes it's not a bad thing for a club to face a little adversity early on. He said there's no doubt that the Devils are a more talented group this year, but that doesn't guarantee anything. Time and time again, we see how work ethic and intangibles like team chemistry can make the difference between wins and losses. He said the Devils might be able to use their weekend games as a lesson that they can't coast on talent alone and will need to dig deeper if they want to have success this season.
Daneyko also talked about how teams that make a lot of offseason changes may not gel immediately — and cited last year's St. Louis Blues as a prime example of a group that needed some time to find its footing. After we've heard for years that the playoff picture is pretty much set by the end of November, the Blues' run last year has crushed that narrative. Every team in the league should believe it's still in the mix until the New Year, at least.
Bringing things back home — yes, it's disappointing that the Canucks came home from Alberta with no points in their pocket, and especially that they were shut out by the Flames. But like Daneyko says, hopefully those results will help light a fire under their butts. And, they've got three winnable games scheduled for their upcoming homestand — Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers and next Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings.
That Red Wings game could feature Alex Biega on the other side, after the veteran depth defenseman was dealt to Detroit on Sunday night in exchange for left-wing prospect David Pope.
Biega cleared waivers last week and was set to report to Utica before the trade.
A bit of a folk hero around these parts, the Bulldog was signed to a two-way contract by the Canucks during the summer of 2013, three years after finishing up at Harvard. Undersized at 5'10" and 187 pounds, Biega always played bigger — never hesitating to throw a hit when the opportunity presented itself.
With the Canucks' blue-line injuries being what they've been, Biega eventually became the next man up. He earned his first recall late in 2014 and became an instant franchise legend when he scored the game-winning goal in his first NHL game — a 3-2 Canucks home win over Minnesota on February 16, 2015.
Eventually, Biega began to spend more time with the big club than he did on the farm, carving out a niche for himself as the perfect extra defenseman who would practice hard and keep a positive attitude without sacrificing valuable development time when he sat in the press box.
Biega played 51 games for Vancouver in 2015-16, then 36 the following year, 44 in 2017-18 and 41 last season — where he pushed his offensive output up to career highs of two goals and 14 assists for 16 points. All told, he was 4-32-36 in 179 games in a Vancouver uniform.
My favourite personal Biega memory goes back to his first or second year with the team. When he was healthy-scratched during a preseason game, he grabbed an empty seat next to me in the press box for the third period. He watched for a bit as I inputted my data for Stats, and eventually asked what I was doing and how it worked — the only player ever to take an active interest in what I was up to. To me, that's a snapshot that matches up with his reputation as a smart, engaged guy who makes his dressing room a better place.
Not surprisingly, Biega moves on with his head held high.
The trade came at the request of Biega and his agent after his waiver assignment last week. Jim Benning told
Ben Kuzma of The Province that he feels the organization now has enough defensive depth that the Canucks can call up a young player if injuries strike, and that he wants to see those young players like Guillaume Brisebois, Jalen Chatfield, Brogan Rafferty and Olli Juolevi get big minutes when they are playing with the Comets.
Word is that the Red Wings sniffed around Biega when he was on the waiver wire. Their need for a right-handed defenseman increased after Trevor Daley was injured on Sunday against Dallas. Veteran Jonathan Ericsson also has not yet played this season. Madison Bowey is a righty who's available after being scratched for the last two games; that's who Biega will be battling for that third slot on the right side behind Filip Hronek and Mike Green.
Since Biega has already cleared waivers, he can spend up to 10 games or 30 days with the Wings before he needs to clear again, if they do decide they want to send him to Grand Rapids at some point. Given that this destination has been hand-picked, it seems like the expectation is that he'll stick with the big club.
As for the man he has been traded for, David Pope is a 25-year-old from Edmonton who was drafted in the fourth round by Detroit in 2013. A one-time West Kelowna Warrior, Pope finished four years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2018, and was named an NCAA first-team all-star in his senior year.
Pope's transition to the pros last season was bumpy. He managed just three points in 28 games with Grand Rapids and was demoted to the ECHL, but went on a good playoff run with the Toledo Walleye. Pope finished the playoffs with 4-9-13 in 20 games as the Walleye reached Game 7 of the Kelly Cup finals before falling to the Newfoundland Growlers.
Pope turned 25 last month and is listed at 6'3" and 205 pounds on HockeyDB. “He’s got good size and had a good year in college in his senior year. He’s got a power-forward type of game,” Benning told Kuzma about his new acquisition.
With Sven Baertschi and Nikolay Goldobin due to arrive at any time, the Comets are already crowded on the wing, so Pope will return to the ECHL to start his tenure with the Canucks organization.
Back in Vancouver — the Canucks are off on Monday but will attend the Sports Celebrities Festival at the Hotel Vancouver on Monday evening.
After a frustrating weekend, Travis Green did swap the new wingers in his top six at practice on Sunday.
Tyler Motte was also back with the team in a full-contact jersey on Sunday after missing a week with an upper-body injury.
Tuesday's practice should give us a better idea of how the lines will roll out before the big home opener on Wednesday night.
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