Vancouver
Canucks

Canucks Team Report

Updated: May 29, 2012 06:25 EST

Alain Vigneault never intended to go anywhere else.

And, it turns out the Vancouver Canucks did not want their coach to leave after all.

Vigneault signed a two-year contract extension, ending weeks -- and almost months -- of speculation on his future. The 51-year-old Quebec City native had a year remaining on his previous contract.

"I've been with Vancouver for six years and I was between (NHL) jobs for six years from the time I went from Montreal to Vancouver," Vigneault said on a May 23 conference call. "There are only 30 of these jobs available. I know how hard they are to get and, when you've got one, you do everything you can to keep it, especially in a great market like we have in Vancouver, where everybody is so passionate about the game.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I think I've got a great vote of confidence from our ownership and management, and I don't intend to let anybody down. I'm going to do what I do every day, and that's come to work, be happy to come to work, be real positive and try to get the best I can out of the group. That's not going to change, and I wouldn't want to do that any other place than Vancouver."

The revised agreement means he will return for a seventh season and, if he stays through to the end, will have served in the organization for a decade. He also served as coach of Vancouver's former farm club in Manitoba for one campaign.

Vigneault has guided the Canucks to first place overall the past two seasons while also racking up five Northwest Division titles. But he faced criticism this year after the Canucks fell well short of their quest to return to the Stanley Cup finals, losing in the first round to the upstart Los Angeles Kings.

Vigneault caused waves in Canuck Nation when he did not appear alongside general manager Mike Gillis at a news conference to assess the season. The same day Gillis said publicly he wanted Vigneault back, he told the coach the same thing privately. But Gillis had to determine his status first, subsequently receiving an undisclosed contract extension.

Then, according to Vigneault, it took another couple of weeks to get the contract sorted out. Vigneault said it was never his intention to cause the speculation that played out.

All of his assistant coaches are also expected to return. Such stability, he said, gives the Canuck players the confidence to excel.

Vigneault has coached the Canucks to more playoff wins -- 33 -- than any other Vancouver bench boss. He is also a former coach of the year and runner-up following a second nomination in 2010-11.

Now, he can get to work on his goal of helping players improve mentally and physically so they don't peak too early, as they did with an emotional win over Boston in early January.

And the onus reverts to Gillis to get the coach the consistent scoring the team lacked in the playoffs.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT: The Canucks won 18 of 25 games between Oct. 29 and Dec. 21 and then culminated a strong October-to-January run with a 4-3 victory in Boston on Jan. 7. Vancouver's power play converted seven of 11 opportunities in the first meeting between the teams since Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. It looked like the Canucks finally had the toughness to match the Big Bad Bruins, but Vancouver faltered down the stretch.

TURNING POINT: The Jan. 7 victory over the Bruins in Boston was supposed to be a milestone on the way back to the Stanley Cup Finals. Instead, it was a millstone. As GM Mike Gillis noted in his end-of-season news conference, the Canucks were never the same team emotionally again. In other words, they peaked too early and could not reproduce the same emotional high. This fact was evident as they beat Stanley Cup contenders but lost to cellar dwellers. Despite wins over top teams like St. Louis, Chicago and Nashville, Vancouver's power play was never the same and declined steadily. Daniel and Henrik Sedin could not sustain their offensive output of the previous two seasons, when they respectively won the NHL scoring title, and none of the forwards came to the offensive rescue.

--Temperamental Canucks chairman Francesco Aquilini, whose family owns the club, has opted to maintain stability in the management and coach ranks. General manager Mike Gillis signed an undisclosed contract extension. Coach Alain Vigneault also signed an extension, which he revealed is for two years. He also has another year remaining from his previous contract.

Now that he has a new contract, Vigneault is pledging to take a "more scientific approach" -- with the aid of Gillis. The aim is to avoid a repeat of the emotional letdown that resulted after Vancouver's long run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2010-11.

--Regrets? Coach Alain Vigneault had at least one as the Canucks were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup finals by the Los Angeles Kings.

"Looking back, if there was one thing that I could have a do-over, where I made a mistake and I'm fully responsible for it, was in Daniel Sedin's case. The information I was getting from our medical staff, and from Daniel, was that he was going to be ready for the playoffs," Vigneault said. "At one point, we didn't even think he had a concussion. (We thought) it was neck injury related and was just giving him a little stiffness and, now and then, a little pressure in his head. Throughout the whole thing, we all felt it was just a matter of days for Danny to come back.

"Those days ended up being week and then, all of the sudden, I find myself with two games left in the regular season, I think it was, and we're starting to get a sense there's a possibility he might not be back," the coach said. "Obviously if I would have been under the impression he was not going to be ready, I would have handled the situation a little differently. Not a lot differently but a little differently as far as line combinations and power-play personnel and things like that.

"But I was always under the impression he was going to be there, and I learned a valuable lesson on that. I think it's going to make me a better coach."

--Assistant coach Newell Brown, the architect of a Canuck power play that nosedived in the second half of the season, has earned a reprieve. He and associate coach Rick Bowness, goaltending coach Rollie Melanson and skills coach Darryl Williams are all expected to return.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I've been with Vancouver for six years and I was between (NHL) jobs for six years from the time I went from Montreal to Vancouver. There are only 30 of these jobs available. I know how hard they are to get and, when you've got one, you do everything you can to keep it, especially in a great market like we have in Vancouver, where everybody is so passionate about the game. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." -- Coach Alain Vigneault.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Henrik Sedin played every game and was needed in each. Nobody could beat his offensive output (81 points). Although his production was down from the previous two seasons, the Canucks would have been much worse off without him. He was a strong presence on a power play that got progressively weaker and led every day by example and, again, would have been much worse without him. Contrary to his reputation and that of twin brother Daniel, he was Vancouver's toughest player, taking a pounding unlike another -- except perhaps Daniel -- and still producing. He also provided invaluable leadership and maintained dressing room harmony, tightening bonds on a team that is especially close and has several players who have taken hometown salary discounts.

MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: The obvious choice is Mason Raymond, whose production fell to just nine goals and 10 assists from 25 goals and 28 assists two seasons ago. But the truth is: Raymond was the biggest disappointment last season while playing 70 games. This season, he was limited to just 55 games because of a compressed vertebrae fracture suffered in last spring's Stanley Cup finals. He is too easy a target and deserves some slack. The Canucks chose to bring him back right away in December when a conditioning stint in the minors likely would have enhanced his confidence.

This season's dishonor goes to C Ryan Kesler. He was clearly not the same player he was last season or the season before. It turns out he had been playing with a torn labrum since January. By playing injured, he hurt his team. The fact that the team let him play while knowing the problem existed just adds to the disappointment and raises an ethical question. The team announced on May 8 that Kesler had surgery to repair the torn labrum and is expected to "make a full recovery in six months." That would mean Kesler may not return until late October or November.

Even more disappointing: Kesler played because the team clearly did not have an adequate replacement for him. Under normal circumstances, he would have been out, and a third- or fourth-line center would have stepped up to his spot while a minor-league filled the hole on the lower line.

BIGGEST NEEDS: The Canucks need a backup goaltender who can help make Cory Schneider's anticipated transition to the starting role smooth. That may rule out minor-leaguer Eddie Lack, who probably needs more playing time on the farm before he comes up, sits on the bench and goes in occasionally. More pressing, however, is Vancouver's need for goal scoring from its top two forwards. G Roberto Luongo's expected trade should bring at least one veteran in return, and the anticipated big contract must be justified by good offensive numbers.

FREE AGENT FOCUS: G Cory Schneider is the most important free agent to deal with. The 26-year-old Marblehead, Mass., native is slated to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. RFAs usually pose less concern than unrestricted free agents. However, Schneider's new deal will be the catalyst for the expected trade of Roberto Luongo, who has said he will waive his no-movement clause. The Canucks have two bona fide starters, but can only afford to keep one of them.

--LW Mason Raymond, who played on all four lines in 2011-12, is set to become an unrestricted free agent. It appears unlikely the Canucks will make him a qualifying offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights. Raymond earned $2.5 million this season, but his offensive numbers do not justify a similar outlay of cash in 2012-13.

--F Aaron Volpatti, who has recuperated from a shoulder injury that ended his season in December, and F Byron Bitz are among Vancouver's pending unrestricted free agents. They could draw interest from other clubs looking for size and toughness. Both are expected to receive contract offers from the Canucks before July 1.

--D Sami Salo's future remains uncertain. He is due to become an unrestricted free agent.

PLAYER NOTES:

--C Ryan Kesler played the playoffs with a shoulder injury that he sustained in February. Kesler has since had surgery to repair a torn labrum and is expected to be out until about December. However, coach Alain Vigneault said the injury could not be used as an excuse for the center's lack of offensive production. "That shoulder was not 100 percent, but there is no player that is 100 percent during the playoffs," Vigneault said. "Our medical staff and Ryan did a great job of maintaining the strength."

--C Jordan Schroeder, Vancouver's first-round draft pick in 2010, is back on management's radar as a result of Kesler's shoulder injury. After spending the past two seasons in the minors, Schroeder is expected to receive a long look in the preseason. Center has suddenly gone from a position of strength to one of potential weakness. In addition to dealing with Kesler's injury, the Canucks have to decide what to do with the third-line center position. Manny Malhotra's eye injury a season earlier limited his activity at center to face-offs primarily. Meanwhile, the Canucks shipped Cody Hodgson to Buffalo at the trade deadline, and his replacement, Sammy Pahlsson, acquired in a trade from Columbus, is due to become an unrestricted free agent.

--LW Alex Burrows suffered a slight concussion while playing for Canada at the World Championships in Helsinki. But he was able to return to action before the tournament ended and had a strong showing.

MEDICAL WATCH:

--C Ryan Kesler's shoulder surgery marks the second straight offseason he has had to recuperate from an injury. In 2011, he underwent hip surgery that forced him to miss training camp and the first five games of the season.

--D Alex Edler (finger) is expected to be ready for training camp.

--LW Aaron Volpatti has recuperated from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the season in December. He was close to returning during the playoffs. His return will add more grit to Vancouver's bottom-six forwards, presuming he re-signs with the team.

--LW Steve Pinizzotto was a forgotten man all season while he was sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered in the exhibition campaign. He should be ready for training camp and will add more muscle and scoring potential to the third or fourth line.