Canucks Week at a Glance, Mar. 21-27 - Orland Kurt

Every Monday, we break down Vancouver's schedule for the upcoming week.


The Games: Wednesday at Detroit (4:30 p.m., TSN), Friday at Atlanta (4:30 p.m., Sportsnet-P), Sunday at Columbus (2 p.m., Sportsnet-P)

Top Three Storylines

BREAKING: According to a recent media release from the organization, Manny Malhotra is done for the year:

Vancouver, B.C. - Following an initial procedure and continued treatment it has been determined through consultation with team doctors and specialists that Manny Malhotra will not return to the Canucks lineup for the remainder of this regular season and playoffs. No further comment will be made at this time.


Okay, focus...gotta focus...must...write...glance...

1. Canucks team awards: Last week in Talk Amongst Yourselves (which you can read more about at the bottom of this post), we asked which Canucks -- if any -- would win NHL awards. Since that conversation was so much fun and we need to focus on something positive right now, let's take a look at some team awards for the 2010-11 season. Okay? Okay!

-- The Cyclone Taylor Award is given to the team MVP. Three current Canucks have captured this award (Roberto Luongo x2, Ryan Kesler, Henrik Sedin) which has gone a long way in eliminating the stink from when Alex Auld won it in 2005-06. Even though Henrik, Kesler and Luongo would be worthy winners this season, giving it to Daniel would be a nice gesture. You know, sharing and all that.

-- The Cyrus H. McLean Trophy is given to the leading scorer. Here's a fun fact: the last non-European to lead the Canucks in scoring was...wait for it...Trevor Linden! In...wait for it...1991-92! With...wait for it...70 points! Vancouver's had 19 leading scorers since Linden, none of which were born in North America. The chronology: Pavel Bure, Alex Mogilny, Bure again, Markus Naslund, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, then Henrik again.

-- The Babe "Oh, I thought you said Dave" Pratt Trophy goes to the best defenceman. Two current Canucks blueliners have won this award before -- Kevin Bieksa and Christian Ehrhoff -- and those two look to be the leading candidates for this year, along with Dan Hamhuis. But hey, let's get real -- Ehrhoff is going to win this award running away due to the fact that 1) he's played much more than Bieksa and Hamhuis and 2) he's got unreal offensive stats.

*Tangent*

In the most recent White Towel insert, we wrote about how big a raise Ehrhoff would be getting this summer. Here's the rationale:

-- Top-10 defeceman in scoring at even strength
-- Top-5 in scoring on the PP
-- 28 years old
-- Only missed 15 games over the last five seasons

Then there are the variables. On July 1, the top UFA defencemen alongside Ehrhoff will be James Wisniewski, Kevin Bieksa, Andrei Markov, Joni Pitkanen, Ed Jovanovski and Ian White (assuming Kaberle re-ups in Boston and Lidstrom does the same in Detroit). Not exactly a stellar free agent class. There's also the market value set on offensive defencemen during last year's shopping spree -- Sergei Gonchar got $5.5 million per, Paul Martin got $5 million -- and the fact the salary cap ceiling has risen every year (and is predicted to go to $62 million).

*End Tangent*

-- The Fred J. Hume Award goes to the team's unsung hero. Phrases most associated with this award include "hard-working", "willing to do the dirty work" and "does all the little things." The Hume is also a nice way to recognize someone who will never win an award otherwise, thus explaining why Murray Baron, Scott Lachance and Jarkko Ruutu have all won it since the turn of the century. This year's award simply has to go to Jannik Hansen. It will look great on his mantle next to the Kurtenblog's Breakout Player of the Year trophy, which is an empty beer can glued onto a skateboard.

-- The Most Exciting Player Award goes to...come on, it doesn't need explaining. Alex Burrows has been dubbed Vancouver's most exciting player three years on the trot., but I see his reign of terror ending this year as Ryan Kesler has been a beacon of excitement throughout the season. Oh yes, there's also the Least Exciting Player award. For the second consecutive year, that one goes to Aaron Rome.

2. Injury updates that don't make us as distraught:

-- Sounds like Kevin Bieksa will return from injury on Wednesday against Detroit. Juice has missed the last 15 games with a broken foot.

-- Alex Bolduc has been recalled from Manitoba. The Canucks required some additional depth at centre with Tanner Glass (ribs) and Manny Malhotra (eye) out of the lineup. It should be noted that Glass will resume practicing with the team in Detroit, the first time he's practiced in a week.

-- Ian Walker notes that while the Canucks are on the road for the next 10 days, Andrew Alberts and Alex Edler "will skate together" -- conjuring up images of Will Ferrell and Jon Heder in Blades of Glory:


3. Looking ahead...

Detroit: The Wings have been teetering on the brink of full health all season, and this might be the week they get there. Jiri Hudler, Johan Franzen and Pavel Datsyuk could all return to the lineup on Monday, putting Mike Babcock in a difficult spot -- he'll have 14 healthy forwards but only 12 spots available...Wednesday's game against Vancouver will be the second of Detroit's five-game homestand that will see the Wings play at the Joe until the end of April. Detroit has won two straight at home...

Atlanta: Atlanta laid a gigantic egg against Buffalo on Saturday, losing 8-2...That loss prompted coach Craig Ramsey to hold individual meetings with his players after blasting them in the media:

"I was very disappointed in our forwards, for sure, and their complete unwillingness to try to block a shot. I thought our defense let two goals come out the short side, which we’ve talked about all year long – never allow them out the short side. Twenty four seconds into the game they go out the short side for a goal to get us off to a start like that. It was really disappointing.

"We didn’t really compete. It shows up when players are trying to get out of the way of a shot rather than into the way a shot. That kind of says it all. It was extremely disappointing to watch that. We had a whole bunch of guys feeling sorry for themselves and looking around trying to find someone else to blame instead of looking at themselves and taking charge.”

Columbus: The Jackets have lost five straight games at home, the most recent one a 3-0 embarrassment at the hands of New Jersey...Columbus only managed 13 shots on goal (two in the first period) and the Rick Nash-Antoine Vermette-Jake Voracek line went a combined minus-5...Columbus' home record now sits at 16-16-4 -- only Ottawa, Colorado and Edmonton have more losses at home.

Playin' The Taps
The Kurtenblog does many things on many platforms. So here is what's on tap for the week.


KB Radio goes tonight (Mar. 21), Tuesday (22) and Thursday (24) from 10pm to Midnight on TEAM 1040.

FYI: Tonight was supposed to be mixtape Monday, but the Manny Malhotra news has turned it into Sad Song Monday. To submit a track that encapsulates your depression, email kurtenblog@yahoo.ca or get us on Twitter.

In The Province newspaper, Kurtenthoughts will run in tomorrow's (Tuesday's) edition. Be sure to pick up a copy from the foyer of any commercialized chain restaurant, like Red Robin.

At Kurtenblog.com, it'll be business as usual. Although we might dial it down with the cat videos this week.

Useless Canucks-Related eBay Crap
Scouring the online flea market dad refers to as "the eBays." Click here to see past volumes

Vancouver Canucks Budweiser Beer Bottle NHL Hockey


I was unaware this Budweiser/NHL campaign existed, and that's problematic. As a fan of alcohol and hockey, I feel like I should know about stuff like this.

What I do know, however, is that this item costs $4.99 despite the fact the bottle is empty. No beer? Why would I pay $4.99 for an empty bottle of beer when this guy is selling them for 99 cents?

Prediction time,lunette oakley radar!

Halford: Loss to Detroit, win over Atlanta, win over Columbus.

Brough: Loss to Detroit, win over Atlanta, win over Columbus.

Talk Amongst Yourselves
Respond in the comments section, we'll talk, no big whoop.


Last week, we asked you which Canucks -- if any -- would win NHL awards:

Greg: "I think most Canuck fans are secretly thinking this:

Hart: D. Sedin, H. Sedin, Kesler

Vezina: Luongo, Schneider, Lack (his pre-season was better then other goalies regular seasons)

Jack Adams: Vigneault, Newell Brown (turned around the special teams!), Melanson (fixed Luongo!)

Selke: Kesler, Malhotra, Kesler (he gets nominated twice because he's so good)

Calder: Schneider, Tanev, Hodgson

Norris: Edler, Hamhuis, Ehrhoff (Bieksa just misses out)

Ted Lindsey: Stamkos, Toews, Ovechkin (because the other 29 teams hate the Canucks and would never vote for them)"

KB says: Aaron Volpatti should've gotten that third Calder nomination. Just saying.

swizzler: "Salo will be the Canucks' candidate for the masterton trophy. no doubt there. Surely he has a legitimate shot at winning this year. Who is he going to be up against? You could write a post outlining why he deserves the award above all the others."

KB says: It's not a huge list of contenders. NHL.com has done a "Trophy Tracker" series throughout the season; names for the Masterton include Brent Burns, David Booth, Marco Sturm and Tim Thomas.

Mark: "Kesler wins the Selke. I like the previous comment on it being the Gold Glove award of the NHL. You have to be a good defender, but what you really need is the offensive stats to back it up. Or you can just be Derek Jeter."

KB says: Like the Gold Glove analogy, but Ozzie Smith pretty much ruins it. His 12 career home runs (okay, it was 28) and .262 batting average (that one was real) were pretty weak.

mc: "Tim Thomas [for Vezina]? He last won a game on March 3rd! Is nobody paying attention? He strung together a few great games in October and has been coasting ever since. Meanwhile, Rask has started the last two games (but continues to squander his opportunities)."

KB says: He hasn't been great in March, but that won't keep him from getting nominated. Carey Price could sneak up and steal the Vezina, but there's no way Thomas isn't voted as one of the three best goalies in the league. His overall body of work is too good.

Kermudgen: "... what Alain Vigneault has done this season might be more impressive than any reclamation project." Huh???????? Sorry, stepping back and letting the players run the team may take a big man but the Jack Adams is hardly award to the coach 'who was best at not coaching very much.'"

KB says: Are we forgetting Vigneault has been forced to use Chris Tanev, Alex Bolduc, Peter Schaefer, Aaron Volpatti, Guillaume Desbiens, Victor Oreskovich, Joel Perrault, Mario Bliznak, Jonas Andersson, Ryan Parent, Lee Sweatt, Yann Sauve, Sergei Shirokov and Evan Oberg for a combined 128 games this year?