Brendan Morrison wanted to stay on West Coast

From Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

I guesstimated inside the Blog comments yesterday that it might have been a
first-come, first-serve thing between Owen Nolan and Brendan Morrison here (in
other words, who called the Wild back first). I couched it as speculation. I
have since learned that the Wild was informed Morrison decided he wanted to stay
on the West coast, and that the Wild signed Nolan once it knew it was out of the
Morrison sweepstakes. He’s since signed with Anaheim.

As I wrote many, many times leading up to free agency, the center position
was horrific in this class. In fact, I think Bobby Holik was the only center to
sign on July 1 despite a feeding frenzy for players. Once the Wild didn’t get
Morrison, it didn’t feel it was worth spending lots of term and bucks on lesser
centers.

Read more news and notes from Russo here.

Interesting details from Russo here. Morrison would have fit into the Wild's plans better than Nolan, but the Wild obviously felt signing one was surely better than none.

Morrison heads to Anaheim

From TSN:

Free agent centre Brendan Morrison is off the free agent list, as the B.C. native is set to join the Anaheim Ducks. Terms of the impending contract are not known, but it is expected to be a one- or two-year deal.

Read the entire report here.

Good signing by the Ducks. Since they dealt Andy MacDonald last season, the team has been looking for a center to line-up behind Ryan Getzlaf. Morrison is the perfect fit for that spot and would be a nice center for Teemu Selanne should he decide to return. If the contract is two years, then it is probably around $6.5 million.

Could Brendan Morrison land in Minnesota?

From Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

Hey, hey, thought I’d jump on here real quick. Hope you had a terrific Fourth of July. I had a great one. Pretty mentally refreshing to be on a boat in the middle of a lake rather than sitting in front of my laptop with my cell burning up my brain.

As I’ve been reporting since July 1, the Wild has an offer in on the Vancouver Canucks unrestricted free agent. The two sides have talked a lot.

Morrison is expected to make a decision early next week, and I can tell you, the Wild has no clue which way he’s leaning. The offer is there. It’s up to him. I’ve been talking to my Vancouver colleagues for five days now about this, and the Vancouver Province has reported that Morrison will not be returning to the Canucks.

Read more from Russo's Rants here.

Morrison would be a nice fit in Minny considering the fact that the team is extremely, extremely weak up the middle right now.

Blue Jackets in on Huselius, out on Morrison

From Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch:

The Dispatch has learned the Blue Jackets are negotiating with free-agent forward Kristian Huselius, who played the past three seasons with the Flames. A deal could be struck later tonight. Huselius has scored 59 goals over the past two seasons.

In other free-agent news, the Blue Jackets appear to be out of the running for center Brendan Morrison..

Read more from Puck-rakes here.

Interesting news out of Columbus. The Jackets acquired two defensemen this afternoon and one yesterday, so they have to be increasing their efforts to add some offensive forwards to the mix. Ideally, they would be looking at adding a centerman to play with Rick Nash, but they don't look like they'll overpay just to get a center. If they do add Huselius, he would replace the scoring they lost when they traded Nikolai Zherdev this afternoon. As I said earlier today, Huselius is probably in the market for a 4 year, $20 million deal.

Blue Jackets interested in Morrison?

From Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch:

-- Center Brendan Morrison, according to a report in Vancouver, is on the Blue Jackets' free agency wish list. When you look at the list of available centers, Morrison is clearly at the top of the list, so it's not a surprise. Howson will not comment. He's not allowed to until Morrison is a free agent, on July 1. At 32 years old, Morrison is coming off two significant injuries, to his wrist and his knee. Doctors have sent an email to select clubs informing them that Morrison will be 100 percent by the start of training camp. When Morrison is healthy, he's a very good NHL center.

Read more news and notes about the Blue Jackets here.

Morrison has struggled the past two seasons, and at 32 years old, it is tough to say if he will return to the form of a few seasons ago. I don't know how much I'd invest in the 32 year old center, but if a team like Columbus could get him for a reasonable 2 year deal, then I'd probably look closely at that.

Unselfishness Cost Dave Nonis His Job

Over the past couple days, many people have chimed in with their opinion on the Dave Nonis firing. While there is support both for and against the move, I am going to count myself in the "against the move" camp. To me, it is quite simple what cost Dave Nonis his job--he's not selfish.

Bear with me for a second here. Let's all think back to right before last season's trade deadline. Does anyone remember Don Waddell's pre-deadline moves? His trade of draft picks for soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Keith Tkachuk. Or, better yet, his trade of Braydon Coburn for Alexei Zhitnik. Both these moves were short-sighted, and lopsided in the other team's favor; however, Waddell's team made the playoffs last season. Forget the fact that they were swept easily by the Rangers, they made the playoffs! Isn't that terrific! A team made the playoffs and was out in four games.

You know, all I keep hearing about Dave Nonis was that he missed the playoffs in two of his three seasons as GM of the Canucks. But does anyone honestly think that if the Canucks snuck into the playoffs, that they could have beat the Red Wings or the Sharks? C'mon now. The team just was not good enough.

Now, I'm not here to absolve Nonis of all the blame. He did put this team together and the group completely lacked secondary scoring. That, rightfully, falls on his shoulders. But his solid defensive corps was injured all year, and if they had been healthy, they'd surely have made the playoffs. However, as we have pointed out, the team wasn't going to win this season regardless. Sometimes you just aren't good enough.

That brings us to this summer. If you look closely, you will notice that Nonis (try saying that fives times over) did not mortgage the team's future. In fact, he held onto all the team's top prospects. He did what was right for the organization, not himself. Surely, Nonis could have sold off his team's cheap assets to get into the playoffs. If that happened, Nonis would have been to the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. He probably would have saved his job just like Don Waddell did. But, unselfishly, he didn't. He put the organization and team first, and was building for the future. A future he hoped would include a Stanley Cup, not just some measly playoff birth.

The action by the Vancouver ownership was unfortunate. The team is heading into this summer having just less than ten million dollars to spend on offense, with Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison coming off the books. Moreover, Nonis was apparently close to securing much sought after Swede Fabian Brunnstrom's services. In short, the team was moving in the right direction, and had room to grow. Now, however, uncertainty is abound and no one, maybe not even ownership, knows what the vision of the organization is.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Tonights Linkage

Tonights Links

• The Senators talks with Dany Heatley hit a speedbump on Thursday as negociations took place for five hours but a deal could not be reached. TSN reports that Heatley is seeking $8.5 million while the Senators want to pay $7 million similar to Joe Thornton and Jarome Iginla. Somewhere Eugene Melnyk is cursing Daniel Brieres $10 million salary.
• Todd Bertuzzi is feeling lighter and younger skating with the Ducks. He is fitting in nicely with the Ducks and wants to repay his father...I mean General Manager Brian Burke for believing in him.
  
• Eric Duhatchek also wonders if the RBK Edge jerseys will go the way of the synthetic basketball
• Dean McAmmond accepts Steve Downies phone call apology.
  
• The Score lists 10 players not named Sidney Crosby to keep your eye on this upcoming season
• Teppo Numminen was released from the hospital. I wish the former Winnipeg Jet a speedy recovery, and hope to see him playing for the Sabres later this year.
• Apparently, Joffrey Lupul's wrist isn't broken. Unfortunately, their diagnosis was correct for Scottie Upshall and RJ Umberger who will miss up to six, and two weeks respectively.
• Donna Spencer wonders if Mike Keenan is a right fit for the Calgary Flames
• St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay McKee who is in the second year of a four year $16 million deal, will be out 4-6 weeks with a fractured right foot.
• Brendan Morrison could end his consecutive games played streak (512) with an injured wrist
  
• Sports Illustrated gives their Atlantic Division previews and lists the Rangers as the team to beat.

Morning Musings: Evaluating the Canucks

(Note: The morning papers can be found at the bottom of this post below my evaluation of the Vancouver Canucks)

After pulling off one of the most lopsided trades of all-time in the summer of 2006, Dave Nonis saw his Vancouver Canucks bow out in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in Anaheim. While a second round exit can be seen as progress, Nonis had the job, this off-season, of trying to push his team to the next level. As Nonis knows, once your team takes a giant step forward in the standings, expectations only increase, especially in a hockey hotbed like Vancouver.

Here are six questions that people have about the Canucks heading into 2007/08?

Does the team have enough offense to contend for the Stanley Cup?
Not likely. Creating offense was the Canucks' biggest problem during the playoffs and all the team added up-front during the off-season was Ryan Shannon, Brad Isbister and Byron Ritchie. Needless to say, that is not a list of forwards that will suddenly instill fear into opponents. Some may cite the possible rebound seasons of Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund but, in reality, what reason do we have to believe that they will suddenly return to pre-lockout form? If anything, they are both a year older and their play should fall-off.

Was the addition of Aaron Miller significant?
It is hard to say the addition of a defenseman who is likely to play sixth defenseman minutes is significant, but playing in a Canadian city can do that. Jokes aside, Miller is an upgrade over Rory Fitzpatrick and the other end of the bench defensemen he will play in place of. The Canucks top four defense is very strong and Miller should be able to handle an increased workload if one of the defensemen were to go down to injury.

Can the Sedin twins each crack the 100 point plateau?
Anything is possible, and with their progression over the past couple of years the twins have begun to carry the Canucks' offense. Nonetheless, the 100 point plateau is generally reserved for the creme de la creme and the Sedins seem more likely to slot in around the 85-90 point range.

Was Kevin Bieksa's breakout season a fluke?
Coming into last season's training camp, Bieksa was just hoping to crack the Canucks' roster. It is fair to say he did far more than just that, as the Grimsby, Ontario native cracked the team's top-four defensive rotation and was a consistent workhorse all season long. Bieksa is no fluke, he proved his worth for a couple of seasons with the AHL's Manitoba Moose and used that experience in the minors to better himself in all areas of the game. The 26 year old rearguard was given a three-year contract extension this off-season that will take his tenure with the Canucks through at least 2011-2012. Expect another solid season from the gritty Bieksa.

Do questions 1-4 even matter if Roberto Luongo has a sub-par campaign?
In short, no. Roberto Luongo is the best goaltender in the NHL and, some believe (including this writer) that Luongo was the sole reason that the Canucks advanced to the second round of the playoffs and had a 100+ point year in the standings. It is a fairly simple equation in Vancouver, if Luongo plays up to his capabilities, the Canucks have a chance to make a Stanley Cup run; if he doesn't play up to his capabilities, the Canucks will be fighting for a playoff spot.

Can the Canucks win the Stanley Cup?
They weren't good enough to win it last year as they exhibited by just squeaking by an overrated Dallas squad and then getting dominated in round two by Anaheim. The Canucks have a very good one through six defense and the best goaltender in the world, but their offense leaves much to be desired. There is always a chance that Luongo becomes simply unbeatable and takes the team on a long playoff run; however, it says here that the world-class goaltender can only do so much and the team is most likely headed for another second round exit.

On to the morning papers:

• In an attempt to ratchet up training camp competition, Alain Vigneault said the only players with guaranteed roster spots in camp are Roberto Luongo and the Sedin twins; Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province has the story.
• The pressure is on Markus Naslund this season to help increase the Canucks' offensive output after a disappointing 2006/07.
• The last thing head coach Alain Vigneault wants his team to do is look ahead to the playoffs before even making it writes Bob Mackin of the Vancouver Sun.
• Alexander Ovechkin is awfully excited to get the season underway and says he's in the best shape of his young career.
• Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the story of Andy Murray's long and inspiring journey to become a head coach in the NHL.
• In one of the better reads this morning, Toronto Star columnist Damien Cox believes the NHL necessarily put the clamp down on Mark Bell.
• In light of the Mark Bell suspension, Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail has an interesting article this morning on athletes indiscretions and poor business for the NHL.
• Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail believes that Gary Bettman needs to be more consistent in levying his suspensions, therefore, forewarning other NHL'ers when their actions will be worthy of suspension.
• Aaron Ward is now fully integrated in the Boston community and is looking forward to getting the season underway writes Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe.
• Kevin Paul Dupont has the story of the Bruins' most recent acquisition Petteri Nokelainen (trying spelling that name correctly!) and the attributes that the organization feels he can bring to the table. That being said, there are few spots up-for-grabs at Bruins' training camp.
• There are some questions as to whether the winner of the Flames' second goaltending spot will actually start the season in Calgary or as the starter for team's AHL affiliate in Quad City.
• Mike Keenan has high expectactions for his veterans heading into camp writes Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun.
• It looks like both Dustin Boyd and Cam Cunning have made a good first impression on head coach Mike Keenan writes Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald.
• Without the distractions that come with defending the Stanley Cup the Carolina Hurricanes are focused on bouncing back from a subpar 2006/07 season; Luke Decock of the News Observer has the details.
• The Dallas Morning News has an interview with Brenden Morrow conducted by the fans.
• The Red Wings plan to split up Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk this season writes George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press.
• Mike Illitch, owner of the Red Wings, is looking forward to getting back to a more balanced schedule after the 2007/08 season. (Writer's note: Thank goodness. This unbalanced schedule needs to go.)
• Noah Welch, the player that the Panthers acquired for Gary Roberts at last season's trade deadline, has signed a new two-year contract.
• Derek Armstrong of the Kings has always been a team player and he is proving that once again with his willingness to take a reduced role in 2007/08 with all the off-season acquisitions Dean Lombardi brought in.
• Michael Russo of Star-Tribune has questions and answers on the 2007/08 season for the Minnesota Wild.
• The Nashville Predators named Jason Arnott captain on Wednesday and Arnott couldn't have been happier writes John Glennon of the Tennessean. (Writer's note: Why did Steve Sullivan get passed over?)
• As Pat Hickey details in this morning's Montreal Gazette, if you are attempting to crack the Canadiens' roster, rest must not be part of your vocabulary.
• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger previews the 2007/08 version of the New Jersey Devils.
• Tom Renney expects to contend for a championship this season, a far cry from his early days on Broadway; John Dellapina of the Daily News has the story.
• Chris Stevenson has the story of Martin Gerber's new black helmet (Writer's note: You know you are in Canada when...).
• The Senators want to guard against complacency and comeback hungrier this season writes Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen.
• Jim Gontonio details the story of Bill Thomas and his attempts to make the Coyotes in this morning's Arizona Republic. However, Thomas won't be without lots of competition from the 50 plus players the Coyotes have at camp.
• Flyers' coach John Stevens is keeping a close on the rookie battles at camp, and with few spots up for grabs, you better be on your game to make the Flyers.
• Even with increased expectations, Pens' coach Michel Therrien doesn't plan on changing his training camp routine writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Apparently Ron Wilson is not a man without a plan, as the veteran coach has only three things that he wants to make a decision on in Sharks' camp.
• Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune answers five burning questions surrounding the Lightning heading into 2007/08.
• According to Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun, John Ferguson Jr. is unafraid of free agency.
• Do the Leafs lack hometown supporters? Matthew Chung of the Toronto Star provides us with the real answer.