30 in 30 with the Vancouver Canucks

DP · Sep 1, 2011

NHL.com

How does a team get over the heartache of losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in its own building?

It plans and trains for the next season. There is no other way.

The hurt may not have totally worn off yet, but maybe that's the motivator the Canucks need heading into the 2011-12 season, which by all accounts should be another memorable one for this now 41-year-old franchise.

The big guns are all back in blue and white, and odds are they're hungrier than ever because they now know what it's like to play and lose with the Stanley Cup in the building. Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, Roberto Luongo, Ryan Kesler and Co. have vivid memories of another team celebrating on their own ice, so they can probably imagine what it's like to play and win with the Cup in the building.

The Canucks know it won't be easy. Their path is already littered with obstacles.

Kesler is likely going to miss the start of the season after having hip surgery in late July. His optimistic recovery time is 10 weeks, but that would put him right at the start of the season. Unless he heals and rehabs quicker than the medical experts predict, he will not take part in training camp, which could set him back until November.

Mason Raymond is not expected to join the Canucks' lineup until November at the earliest, but that's an optimistic estimate. Raymond suffered a vertebrae compression fracture when Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk drove him backside into the corner boards in Game 6 of the Cup Final. The club announced then that he could be out anywhere between four to six months.

The news appears to be better for defenseman Dan Hamhuis and winger Mikael Samuelsson, both of whom missed the end of the playoffs last season with injuries. Hamhuis and Samuelsson will likely be ready to start training camp.

However, provided Kesler and Raymond are able to make seamless returns to the lineup, the Canucks appear to have the same amount of talent and depth that led them to 117 regular-season points and Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season. Now they can add experience to the overall team resume.
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As long as Henrik and Daniel Sedin are around, the Canucks will contend. Save for Ehrhoff, the core of last season's team is still in place and now they know what the grind is all about and what it takes to get through it.

However, there are some lingering questions that will need immediate answers or Gillis could be left scrambling by the trade deadline? The most pressing involves Keith Ballard. Can the maligned yet well-paid defenseman be the answer in the wake of Ehrhoff's departure?

Ballard has to find his way onto coach Alain Vigneault's good side and earn a regular place in the top six. He's making $4.2 million in each of the next four seasons, so he has to show Vigneault that he can be responsible enough to play important minutes. He couldn't do that last season and wound up as a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs.

The Canucks have to give Ballard every opportunity to succeed because they're paying him big money and trading him could prove to be impossible. They don't want to dump him in the minors and eat that contract.

It's up to Ballard to prove he can play for this team without making the costly mistake at the worst time. He will have competition as Chris Tanev, Andrew Alberts and Aaron Rome are also vying to earn top-six minutes behind Hamhuis, Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler and Sami Salo.

Vancouver's brass is also wondering if Cody Hodgson is ready to step up and play a bigger role. The young center might have to with Kesler likely starting the season on injured reserve.

Despite not having those answers yet, the Canucks still look good and they should be considered the odds-on favorite to win the Northwest Division for the fourth straight season.

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl
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30 in 30 with the Vancouver Canucks

DP He shoots, he scores!

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30 in 30 with the Vancouver Canucks

DP He shoots, he scores!

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