- The latest addition to the Canucks coaching sweepstakes is former Dallas Stars bench boss Glen Gulutzan, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
But the delicious part is that Dallas is reportedly interested in recently fired Canucks coach Alain Vigneault as a candidate to fill their vacant job.
Gulutzan, 41, was hired in Dallas by then-GM Joe Nieuwendyk two seasons ago, but was let go after new GM Jim Nill was hired in late April.
It was no surprise that a new GM would want to hire his own coaching staff, but Gulutzan had also failed to get the Stars to the playoffs in his two seasons there – going 64-57-9.
Is Gulutzan a match for the Canucks? On the surface, he looks like a long shot. Among the Manitoba native’s strengths are his exuberance and his ability to work with young players – though the Canucks’ core is for the most part vets who are mid-to-later in their careers. As well, Gulutzan’s last two years in Dallas were his first two in the NHL, so he’s still on the front end of that learning curve. And we’re not just talking Xs and Os here. The whole culture of the NHL is a big challenge for anybody working in it – especially in a hockey-mad Canadian city.
Nieuwendyk surprised a few people when he hired Gulutzan, as he’d only had two years’ experience at the AHL level before a longer stint in the East Coast League.
Also, it was reported by Hockey Night In Canada’s Elliotte Friedman that the Canucks have asked permission from the Maple Leafs to speak with their AHL head coach Dallas Eakins.
2. Canucks fans remember only too well the deal that sent Cody Hodgson, 23, to Buffalo for hulking Zack Kassian at the trade deadline of 2011. That deal will be judged on the progress of the two young players for years to come. The Sabres clearly have the early edge, with Hodgson’s 15 goals – despite well-documented defensive issues – making him the NHL’s top sophomore goalscorer. Kassian, 22, on the other hand, showed he’s still got a long way to go to reach his potential.
How about some sizzle with your steak? If you haven’t already seen it, you’ve got to watch Hodgson’s shorthanded goal against Carolina on March 5, where he basically beat the entire team before scoring on goalie Justin Peters. You can watch it here.
But – and let’s not get sidetracked — you might not remember the lesser pieces of that significant deal.
The Canucks also sent little-used defenceman Alexander Sulzer to the Sabres and in return got blueliner Marc-Andre Gragnani.
Sulzer rarely got into the lineup for the Canucks — just 12 games up to the Feb. 27 trade deadline as the team enjoyed a rare season of relative health for its defencemen – but flourished after the move to Buffalo. Sulzer, a quiet German who was always upbeat despite long stretches of not playing here, moved right into the Sabres lineup and collected 3-5-8 in 15 games while logging a ton of ice-time for then-coach Lindy Ruff. The Sabres were happy enough with Sulzer that they resigned him to a new one-year deal, but played just 17 games this past season due to a torn ACL on Feb. 23.
Gragnani? The young D-man the Canucks touted at the time of the trade was horribly inconsistent in the 14 games he did play before being a healthy scratch in the five-game playoff loss to the Kings. It turned out the Canucks had to play him that many regular-season games to prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Then they opted not to qualify him in June, turning Gragnani into a UFA anyway.
Now Gragnani – who signed last summer with Carolina but played all but one game in the AHL — has reportedly inked a deal with Lev of the KHL next season. So, at 26, he’s now out of the NHL.
Not that Gragnani didn’t have some impressive details on his resume. He was voted the AHL’s top defenceman in 2011, but success at the minor pro level doesn’t always translate to the next level.
The Canucks’ pro scouts evidently thought it did in Gragnani’s case.
Said GM Mike Gillis on the day of the trade: “And in Marc-Andre we got a power-play defenceman who can play on the power play.”
He just didn’t say when or with which team.
3. If you watched the recent world hockey championship and were fantasizing about how great Loui Eriksson would fit as a winger for Daniel and Henrik Sedin, you weren’t alone.
The 27-year-old goalscorer was dynamite on a line with Danny and Hank as the Swedes won gold. Eriksson, who plays for Dallas Stars, scored five goals and 10 points in 10 games and said after one game he’d score 40 goals in the NHL if he played with the Sedins.
Would the rebuilding Stars be willing to part with Eriksson? Sure, a veteran Stars watcher tells us, but the price would be steep. Yes, Eriksson’s numbers have declined over the past three seasons, but he’s still an elite player. Add to this the fact Eriksson’s salary is a relatively modest $4.25 million and it runs for three more years – so he’s an attractive asset.
The thinking is the Stars would want either a No. 1 centre or No. 1 defenceman in return, preferably the former. They could then move Jamie Benn from centre to the wing, where they believe he is more effective.
Would Alex Edler get it done? Doubtful.
Ryan Kesler? Unless the Canucks are thinking about tearing the team apart, he’s untouchable.
Anyway, it was fun to watch while it lasted.
