Isn’t it interesting how the Vancouver Canucks are trying to have the best of both worlds? Allow me to explain.
When GM Dave Nonis acquired superstud goaltender Roberto Luongo from the Florida Panthers, the Canucks brass and PR machine quickly made a concerted effort to preach defensively minded hockey to their legions of loyal fans. The transformation from offensive powerhouse to defensive juggernaut happened almost overnight. There were some resistors to change when the notion of winning hockey games 2-1 or 3-2 became the staple of rhetoric spewed to the masses, but those detractors eventually boarded the defensive bandwagon when the Canucks went on their remarkable 29-8-6 record from January thru April and then made it to the second round of the playoffs, only to be ousted by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Anaheim Ducks.
There’s undeniable merit in building a winning hockey team from the net out; it’s a proven recipe for success. The New Jersey Devils and Martin Brodeur; the Colorado Avalanche and Patrick Roy; and the Ducks with Jean-Sebastian Giguere are just a few past examples. I could go on.
But let’s not forget one important factor with regards to their defensive system: It won’t last forever.
Nonis is up against the salary cap, and offensive talent costs money. Big money. The gap between his teams payroll and the cap isn’t as small as it was last year, but nevertheless, the roughly $3 million dollars of spending room isn’t nearly enough to bring in the offensive sniper needed to round out the lineup this season. Far from it.
Could Nonis shuffle the lineup with a trade? Perhaps. But the savvy GM has gone on record as saying he won’t move any of his prospects unless he can bring in players who will stick with the club for more than a year; that all but eliminates potential UFA’s as rentals. Combine that stance with the gamut of no trade clauses amongst the Vancouver defencemen, and the chances of swapping roster players might be as likely as Britney Spears suddenly becoming a model parent. Would you want to leave Vancouver?
The Canucks management and their fans are in a virtual holding pattern until next season when Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison and Matt Cooke – who have a combined salary of over $10 million dollars – are off the books (assuming they don’t re-sign with the Canucks).
And here lies the paradox.
Luongo, the $6.5 million dollar man has his mug plastered all over billboards, city buses and all throughout GM Place in a marketing campaign geared towards recouping his salary and beyond. Meanwhile, the Canucks pay-per-view schedule features 16 games versus teams who could be considered offensive stalwarts in relation to the stifled Canucks. For $12.95 per game (or as John Shorthouse likes to say, “For less than $13 bucks a game”) fans can enjoy the Philadelphia Flyers, the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks, to only name a few.
Is it a coincidence fans are asked to fork out the cost of a medium pizza to watch these teams on PPV? Not a chance. It’s because Canucks Nation is probably willing to pay to watch visiting teams who can score and provide an entertaining style of play with their collection of superstars. If that wasn’t the case, the PPV skedge would include offensively challenged teams like the Phoenix Coyotes or the Nashville Predators. What’s that you say? The Nov. 1st game versus Nashville is on PPV? Wow, they must have made the PPV schedule before the Preds had their team fire-sale.
And I don’t think I need to remind Canucks’ fans who buy tickets to games about the premium ticket package; a collection of 12 games throughout the season when the Canucks charge additional hard-earned dollars for select games they deem to be big draws. Again, teams like the Flyers, Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins are on the list. It’s understandable the Canucks are a money making business and the Flyers and Pens rarely visit Vancity, but it’s also important to look at why fans are willing to pay above and beyond for these bluechip games: There’s usually more bang for the buck.
Most fans in Vancouver understand the predicament Nonis finds himself in, and they’re willing to remain steadfast in their belief that defensive hockey wins championships; it’s just what Canucks’ fans do. But Canucks Nation would be shocked and ready to turn in their Canucks’ colors if the GM went out and acquired more defensive specialists and third and fourth lines players in the upcoming free agent market.
The Canucks have the goaltending position covered; the defensive pairings have the potential to be dominant; and the offense will hopefully arrive next season in the form of a top six winger. In the meantime, Vancouver fans are being asked to shell out big bucks to watch opponents with offensive firepower while the Canucks continue to build from the net out – one year at a time.
For some, next year can’t get here soon enough.
