Welcome Mikael Samuelsson

by Yankee Canuck on Jul 3, 2009 6:47 PM PDT in Free Agency Comment 30 comments

More photos » Paul Sancya - ASSOCIATED PRESS

Welcome Mikael. Please take that wheel off your chest and replace it with a giant whale please. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

First, my apologies for not being around this afternoon. Naturally after covering the FA period for two straight days, I took a day off to go to a Yankees game and the Mikael Samuelsson deal comes down. I tried to update the site via the iPhone but that was a giant fail so, yeah, a bit of a delay. Kudos to the crowd who covered it in the comments.

If it makes the situation any better, I cheered on the Blue Jays. They lost. Lyle Overbay tried though.

So, yeah, back to the point...we got a right winger! Holy slewfoot Batman. You realize Bernier, Demitra and Burrows are all switch right wingers? The only pure right winger on the rostrer is Raymond?

Adding Samuelsson means he either joins the Sedins on yet another pure Swede attack or he shifts Kesler to the center and joins Demitra on the wing for the second line? Not too shabby at all. And a pure Gillis move as well; not overpaying but finding value and a Cup-experienced winger to boot.

I'll have more as soon as I can, but for now, Gillis strikes again and it's all good.

(thanks to Baroque for helping out in the comments! much obliged)

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So which thousand dollar seat did you sit in?

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Jul 3, 2009 7:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Just the $100 buck seats. Still had a waitress though which was odd. And sushi does NOT belong in a ballpark. Period.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Jul 4, 2009 6:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I hear that. The only thing that gets me down to Safeco to see the Mariners is the garlic fries.Mmmmmm, garlic fries.

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Jul 4, 2009 6:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Swede line

I’m not sure anyone’s mentioned this, but didn’t Sammy play on the Sedins’ line at the Olympics? Probably makes trying him there a no brainer, bumping Burrows down to second line duty with Demitra and Kesler? Or maybe put Grabner/Hodgson on the second line, and let Burrows play on the third line? Hmm…

Here are the lines I like:

Sammy-Sedin-Sedin
Demitra-Kesler-Grabner/Hodgson
Burrows-Wellwood-Bernier
Rypien-Johnson-Raymond/Hordichuck

by treved on Jul 3, 2009 7:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Raymond needs more minutes to develop his skills, and build his confidence. He’s not going to get those playing on the fourth line.

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Jul 3, 2009 8:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

it has been mentioned elsewhere that he played on a line with the twins when sweden won gold in torino.

GO CANUCKS GO!

by missy on Jul 3, 2009 9:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’d kind of like to see Hodgson playing center as it’s his natural position. We’ve already invested a year in his development and I’d like him to have as many opportunities as possible to succeed. It sort of puts Wellwood in an awkward situation though, as I don’t think he’s ever played on the wing in his life. I’ve actually been wondering about this conundrum all offseason.

Bring me Stanley. Alive if possible, dead... just as good.

by King Luongshanks on Jul 4, 2009 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

But Woody was so good at faceoffs, I can’t see them taking him off center. Wait, Woody isn’t even signed yet is he?

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Jul 4, 2009 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He will be

He wants to play here; has said he wants to build on his newly-discovered scoring prowess; and lost teeth in the playoffs. He’s made a lot of noise about knowing that he’ll have to show this past season wasn’t a fluke.

by Thursday on Jul 4, 2009 10:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

D-Man Next?

Seidenberg?

by Iceisnice on Jul 3, 2009 8:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Sorry all, but Samuelsson doesn’t exactly make me jump up and down. I like his 2-way game and his Cup experience, but like Barocque said in the previous posts’ comments: he’s streaky. I’m wiling to cling to a hope that he produces in the top 6 and stays there but that is a question mark in my opinion.

Who was talking about trading Demitra? I highly doubt Gillis does that. I’d love it if he did.

I don’t think Burrows is leaving the Sedin line either, unless he fails to produce in the first couple of weeks.

It looks like the Canucks are at about 49.5 million in cap spending. Yeah, time to patch up the D and re-sign Woody.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Jul 3, 2009 8:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Here’s hoping Samuelsson’s scoring improves with the opportunity to play as a top six forward.

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Jul 3, 2009 8:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he's good enough for Detroit,

he’s good enough for me!

Here’s hoping he makes it with Kes and Mitre. That could be gold right there.

I am a Free Canadian
Real Eyes Realize Real Lies

by Temujin on Jul 3, 2009 9:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I sarcastically metioned the banishment of Demitra earlier, and yep, it is unlikely.

Streaky or not, a guy with Samuelsson’s experience is aces for the Nucks come playoff time,
this is the smartest signing under the Gillis regime.

by Sneps-ish on Jul 3, 2009 11:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Right, he’s not a jump up and down sort of person. But he beats the project route that Vancouver does all the time. I’d say he’s an upgrade to the Bernier and Pyatt’s of the past.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Jul 4, 2009 6:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Looks like it will be a Demitra-Kesler-Samuelsson line, with the opportunities for Bernier or Raymond to move up again.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Jul 3, 2009 8:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

As I said in the other thread, we had a glut of 2.5 line players before and we just added one more. Between Sammuelson, Raymond, Welly, Bernier, Hodgson, Grabner, Hansen, we got 3 spots on the third line and I guess one spot on the second line since we’ve added nothing else. The talk is Hansen is on the trade block, but I’m guessing one more of those guys should be as well. We need 2 defencemen, one of whom needs to be very good and the other needs to be NHL-capable. Let’s make it work.

by Beantown Canuck on Jul 3, 2009 8:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

What do you think about Paul Mara? How about we take a stab at Beauchemin? What is happening with Beauchemin? He must want a butt load of money.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Jul 3, 2009 8:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

We should all chip in cash for a bouquet of flowers for Mrs.Beauchemin right now.
No roses thought, too damn expensive nowadays.

by Sneps-ish on Jul 3, 2009 11:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Seems a team has to spend more time kissing up to the WAG these days.

I've seen enough to know that I've seen too much.

by Smoboy41 on Jul 4, 2009 6:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

OT: The Colorado Avalanche have traded Smyth to the Los Angeles Kings for puck-moving defencemen Kyle Quincey, Tom Preissing and a fifth-round pick.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Jul 3, 2009 8:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Nice Move

By the Avs.

by Thursday on Jul 3, 2009 9:59 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Here you go, Yankee. Tip to “Al Strachan” at CDC for Photoshopping it.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Jul 3, 2009 9:13 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Chris Nichols From Sportsnet Fantasy Hockey On Samuelsson

What happened: Mikael Samuelsson signs with Vancouver for three years at $7.5M total.
Fantasy impact: Good salary boost for the winger, who couldn’t have gotten that amount with Detroit given the cap situation. Samuelsson will be a good two-way forward for the Canucks who has middle-of-the-road fantasy league value. He likes to shoot the puck a lot, which is why he gets snapped up over players with similar point totals, but he just doesn’t collect enough points to generally make it worthwhile to have him unless your league is really deep. That said, he will likely line up as an L2 winger in Vancouver alongside Ryan Kesler and that’ll give Samuelsson a bit of a boost in point potential. In Detroit he was most often used on L3, which was still a pretty decent spot given the richness of talent, but he could be in line for slightly more minutes (15:22 in ‘08-9) on the coast. He’s also a good PP guy with his big shot and will likely see at least second unit duty in Vancouver. With both Samuelsson and Hossa gone from Detroit, the path has officially been cleared for Ville Leino’s potential breakout rookie campaign. He had nine points in 13 GP in limited duty this past season. Without Samuelsson on the point of PP2 in Detroit that should also mean a slot is opening up for young blueliner Jonathan Ericsson, who’ll play alongside Niklas Kronwall.

by Iceisnice on Jul 3, 2009 9:41 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

15:22 of ice time and he still put up middle numbers. Hmm, that’s impressive.

Nucks Misconduct

by Sean Zandberg on Jul 4, 2009 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Canucks Still Need A D-Man

Allan Muir from Sports Illustrated says it’s Seidenberg from Carolina.

by Iceisnice on Jul 3, 2009 9:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Seidenberg works for me.

'Nucks Misconduct - Housing Swedish Millionaires Since 2000.

by Yankee Canuck on Jul 4, 2009 6:06 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm thinking

Sam’s on every line at some point in this season. Though I’ve gotta ask: 250 shots? My word.

I’d still love to see Demitra moved for something a bit younger back on D, but that’s going to be a tough salary to move. But if he starts next season, I’m okay with that, too: I’ll just be keeping the voodoo dolls handy to ward off injury juju.

by Thursday on Jul 3, 2009 10:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs