OK, I'll start this post of by looking at where Canucks players are projected to finish the regular season in the basic stats categories. The 41-game mark is exactly half-way through the season so all I have to do is multiply their current totals by 2. OK, so it's not quite that easy because of games missed to injury, so I'll have to pull out my calculator, but please rely on the points per game average.
After each projected total I will mention their output from last season, career best totals and then run my mouth about whether or not each player is meeting my expectations.
FORWARDS
Henrik Sedin (age 34)
Projected 2014-25: 82 GP: 18 - 54 - 72, .878 points per game
Last season: 70 GP, 11 - 39 - 50, .714 ppg
Career year: 82 GP: 29 - 83 - 112, 1.36 ppg (2009/10)
Point of view: I'm not satisfied with 72 points. I want 80-85. At least, that is what I expected. 34 isn't grandpa status for f&($*'s sakes.
Daniel Sedin (34)
Projected: 82 GP: 16 - 54 - 70 (.853 ppg)
Last season: 16 - 31 - 47 (.644 ppg)
Career year: 82 GP: 41 - 63 - 104, 1.27 ppg (2010/11)
POV: Same as his brother. Except: what the hell happened to his sniper ways? Did it die in Duncan Keith's elbow? Answer: yes. yes it did.Put your big-boy pants on Daniel. Oh, and f*ck you, Duncan Keith.
Radim Vrbata (33)
Projected: 72 GP: 32 - 26 - 58 (.805 ppg)
Last season: 80 GP: 20 - 31 - 51 (.637 ppg)
Career year: 77 GP: 35 - 27 - 62, .805 ppg (2011/12 PHX)
POV: I already knew Vrbata was a streaky player when we signed him but...well he is on pace to match his career year so I commend him for that. I guess I expected he would exceed his career year because he was now playing with the Sedins. Cuz the Sedins are great!
Alexandre Burrows (33)
Projected: 72 GP: 18 - 16 - 34 (.472 ppg)
Last season: 49 GP: 5 - 10 - 15 (.306 ppg)
Career year: 82 GP: 35 - 32 - 67, .817 ppg (2009/10)
POV: He is exceeding my expectations barely. He's not getting much time on the top line. He is exceeding last year's injury - plagued madness but, I think it's fair to say that Burr over-achieved in 2009/10. Plain and simple.
Nick Bonino (26)
Projected: 82 GP: 18 - 26 - 46 (.561 ppg)
Last Season: 77 GP: 22 - 27 - 49 (.636 ppg)
Career year: 77 GP: 22 - 27 - 49 (.636 ppg, 2013/14, Ducks)
POV: Bonino is a tricky cat. He had different linemates and more power play time in Anaheim. For a staple on the second line with less power play icetime this season I have to say that I am not satisfied. I hoped that he would be reliable 2nd line center. So far, he has not been that.
Chris Higgins (31)
Projected: 80 GP: 12 -22 - 34 (.475 ppg)
Last Season: 78 GP: 17 - 22 - 39 (.500 ppg)
Career year: 82 GP: 27 - 25 - 52 (.634 ppg, 2007/08, Canadiens)
POV: Chris Higgins is exactly what he is. He is a streaky player. He always has been. Higgins was one player that did fairly well under John Tortorella. Just sayin'. But asking for 40 points out of Higgins on any line other than the top line is like asking for manna to fall from heaven.
Brad Richardson (29)
Projected: 82 GP: 16 - 22 - 38 (.463 ppg)
Last Season: 73 GP: 11 - 12 - 23 (.315 ppg)
Career Year: GP: 81: 11 - 16 - 27 (.333 ppg, 2009/10, Kings)
POV: I am not gonna knock Richie. He's on pace for a career year in a bottom 6 role. Good job, Brad!
Shawn Matthias (26)
Projected: 78 GP: 14 - 9 - 23 (.295 ppg)
Last Season (FLA/VAN): 77 GP : 12 - 11 - 23 (.298 ppg)
Career Year: 48 GP: 14 - 7- 21 (.438 ppg, 2012/13, Florida)
POV: Matthias' career year in Florida was with extra time on ice. At this point I give him a question mark because I don't know what his ceiling is. I want to see him get more top 6 minutes to form a greater opinion.
Jannik Hansen (28)
Projected: 80 GP: 18 - 12 -30 (.375 ppg)
Last Season: 71 GP: 11 - 9 - 20 (.282 ppg)
Career Year: 47 GP: 10 - 17 - 27 (.574 ppg, 2012/13)
POV: Yergh! Still waiting to see what Hansen's full potential is. At the same time, I make rash judgmental assumptions on him like I do Matthias: you see how they play....is there anything in their consistency that suggests they are top 6 players? No.
Derek Dorsett (28)
Projected: 78 GP: 8 - 18 - 26 (.333)
Last Season: 51 GP: 4 - 4 - 8 (.157 ppg)
Career Year: 24 GP: 3 - 6 - 9 (.375 ppg, 2012/13, Columbus)
POV: I really don't think we can expect more from Double D. He is exactly what we expected, maybe more for many. DD had more ice time in Columbus yet in Vancouver on the fourth damned line he is quietly having close to a career year.
Zack Kassian (23)
Projected: 44 GP: 4 - 6 - 10 (.227 ppg)
Last Season: 73 GP: 14 - 15 - 29 (.397 ppg)
Career Year: Last Season
POV: Far too soon to see what this 23 year-old is capable of. I hear he's lazy and a party animal and I take those things into consideration on my overall opinion of the guy, but god damn it, Zack has better hands than most of the Canucks players do. So here I sit and wait.
Linden Vey (23)
Projected: 74 GP: 14 - 18 - 32 (.432 ppg)
Last Season: 18 GP: 0 - 5 - 5 (.278 ppg)
Career Year: Right now baby yea!
Bo Horvat (19)
Projected: 54 GP: 4 - 10 - 14 (.259 ppg)
Last Season: He's a rookie ffs!
POV: I really like what I see from this tough kid. Just needs more time.
DEFENCEMEN
Kevin Bieksa (33)
Projected: 82 GP: 6 - 8 - 14 (.170 ppg)
Last Season: 76 GP: 4 - 20 - 24 (.316 ppg)
Career Year: 72 GP: 11 - 32 - 43 (.597 ppg, 2008/09)
POV: Juice put up 44 points in 78 games in 2011-12 but good lord that seems like a long time ago. In the past couple of season I do not see a 40 point season out of Bieksa anymore. 40+ point seasons often masked his mistakes on defence. No longer....none of it (Nunavit).
Alexander Edler (28)
Projected: 82 GP: 10 - 18 - 28 (.341 ppg)
Last Season: 63 GP: 7 - 15 - 22 (.349 ppg)
Career Year: 51 GP: 8 - 25 - 33 (.647 ppg, 2010/11)
POV: That career year, plus a .598 ppg pace in 2011-12 had all of us giddy that we had a superstar defenceman on our hands. The heir to Lidstrom right? Wrong. What a sad state of affairs. I'm still holding out hope for E-Money though.
Dan Hamhuis (32)
Projected: 40 GP: 0 - 12 - 12 (.300 ppg)
Last Season: 79 GP: 5 - 17 - 22 (.278 ppg)
Career Year: 82 GP: 7 - 31 - 38 (.463 ppg)
POV: Hammer's career year in Nashville was pretty much equaled in 2011-12 with the Canucks. I laugh at how fans now miss Hamhuis given the team's current skid. The team performed quite admirably in Hammer's absence.
I used to think Hamhuis would be a dynamo on offence.....yea I don't think that anymore. However, he is a steady and reliable defenceman. He returns to the lineup very soon.
Chris Tanev (25)
Projected: 82 GP: 4 - 16 - 20 (.244 ppg)
Last Season: 64 GP: 6 - 11- 17 (.266 ppg)
Career Year: Last season, so far.
POV: I see a defenceman that is steady, reliable, and can pile up the assists. I do not see a lot of goals ever from Tanev.
Yannick Weber (26)
Projected: 68 GP: 6 - 14 - 20 (.294 ppg)
Last Season: 49 GP: 6 - 4- 10 (.204 ppg)
Career Year: Weber is living da dream right now, yo!
POV: Bah! I really don't care about Weber. If he was a physical machine I'd care more. M'eh.
Ryan Stanton (25)
Projected: 62 GP: 2-4-6 (.097 ppg)
Last Season: 64 GP: 1 - 15 -16 (.250 ppg)
POV: Last season was his career NHL year. I blame Willie D for Stanton's shortcomings this season, because that is what it is, right Smo? F*ck that. Stanton is a stay-at-home defenceman and a good one at that. Just let him be at home! Be at home!
Luca Sbisa (24)
Projected: 72 GP: 4 - 4- 8 (.111111 ppg)
Last Season: 30 GP: 1 - 5- 6 (.20 ppg)
Career Year: 80 GP: 5 - 19 - 24 (.30000 ppg, 2011/12, Ducks)
POV: What the hell happened with Sbisa between 2012 and now??? The same can be said about a lot of Canucks defencemen at this point
GOALIES
What the hell am I supposed to do with these guys? I hate goalie stats more than anything. I hate how the media states bullshit things such as: "Miller was pulled after allowing 3 goals on 10 shots.............." blah dee blah.
Hey, sure Eddie Lack let a couple late crappy goals against the Predators last game...and Miller has had his few melt downs as well. Take a look back. How many times have these goaltenders given this team a chance to win yet have had no support on offence?
The problems in Vancouver are not goaltending. When the Canucks were cruising not-so long ago, they had quick and confident puck movement from all 4 lines. They buried their chances. They were confident. 3 goals scored in their last 3 losses speaks volumes.