2006 Vancouver Canucks Preview

2006 Vancouver Canucks Preview from Maddux Sports. With the NHL Hockey Season now is the time to get aquatinted with the 2006 teams and players. Remember if you are NHL hockey betting look no further, as we offer hockey picks and can help you turn a profit betting on the NHL this season.

2006 Vancouver Canucks Hockey Season Preview

The Canucks missed the playoffs by three points last season. They’ve lost important scoring power but have gained one of the NHL’s best goalies by acquiring Roberto Luongo (75 GP, 35 W, 30 L, 9 OT, 2.97 GAA, .914 SP for Florida). With new coach Alain Vigneault, there’s some newfound optimism in Vancouver.

Todd Bertuzzi (71 Pts) and Anson Carter (55 Pts) are gone, leaving Markus Naslund (32 G, 47 A, 79 Pts), Henrik Sedin (18 G, 57 A, 75 Pts), Daniel Sedin (22 G, 49 A, 71 Pts) and Brendan Morrison (19 G, 37 A, 56 Pts) as the scorers. Last season the offense was 12th and power play tied for 11th; this year both of these will suffer.

The defense is the weakest part of this club, lacking depth. After you get past Mattias Ohlund (13 G, 20 A, 33 Pts), Willie Mitchell (2 G, 8 A, 10 Pts) and Sami Salo (10 G, 23 A, 33 Pts), the talent level drops off. Without an apparent two-way D-man and a blueline that’s comprised of mainly inexperienced players, look for this group to aspire to consistently capable play. With a defense that was tied for 14th and a penalty kill tied for 17th, there’s little room for error here.

The trade for Roberto Luongo addresses a problem that has plagued this club for years. Big, quick and smart, the net minder can win games for any team. He’s also proven to be durable, appearing in at least 70 games each season. Mika Noronen (GP 8, 2 W, 3 L, 0 OT, 3.89 GAA, .857 SP) secures the backup situation, while Cory Schneider (39 GP, 24 W, 13 L, 2 OT, 2.11 GAA, .929 SP for Boston College-HE) is one of the finest tending prospects in the league.

Can Luongo make a big enough difference? This is a team on the cusp of the playoffs. Expect a big year.

For more information on the 2006 Vancouver Hockey Club check out the Canucks team website.