HE’S HAD WORSE
Philip Larsen is feeling better after being knocked out in Tuesday’s game. Meanwhile, his veteran Canucks teammates can breathe easier with the news that management will not be asking them to waive their no-trade clauses
If you’re a Vancouver Canuck, there were two things to be thrilled about Wednesday. On the first, everyone will agree. It was heartwarming to hear Philip Larsen was incredibly positive, alert, cleared to fly home and even telling people he had suffered a worse concussion years ago than the one he has now.
On the second, reactions are mixed. In Vancouver, news the Canucks front office will not approach veterans about waiving their no-trade clauses landed with all the appeal of a really bad Saturday Night Live skit. Like the bit where the “unfunny comedian” kept telling unfunny jokes about women not getting sports. It happened and it bombed.
This Canucks guarantee may not be what’s best for the organization, but it is what’s best for the organization’s players.
In the locker-room, it was inspiriting. Mostly because it means months of potential trade speculation have been vaporized. Remember what Dan Hamhuis went through last season? Remember the unceasing questions? Have you been asked to waive? Would you waive? Why won’t you waive? Hey, Dan, you like Chicago or what?
Of course, the Canucks, in their current state, could use all the draft picks they can get, and with the way Alex Burrows is playing, they had a chance at a decent one.
But the commitment the front office is showing here means something to the players. Take Burrows, who was on the ice Wednesday, one of only two veterans who play regularly out for an optional skate, the other being Bo Horvat.
“I did’t feel like we had a good game (Tuesday). Personally, I didn’t think I was very good,” Burrows said.
“I remember when I was younger, I used to go on the ice all the time. When there’s a smaller group, you can work on smaller aspects of the game. I thought today, we worked more on the offensive zone, shooting pucks, tipping pucks. It gets you back focused and it gets your confidence up.”
It doesn’t take long to figure out that Burrows, along with Horvat and their current linemate Sven Baertschi, could have the biggest impact in ensuring this doesn’t blow up in the front office’s face.
Because if the Canucks are out of the playoff race by, let’s say, 10 points in late February and they’re still refusing to ask veterans to waive no-trade clauses, the city will boil.
To avoid it, this team needs to be a whole lot better during the next six weeks.
It will need Jannik Hansen healthy and back next week, making the Sedins better. It will need Loui Eriksson to find some sort of chemistry with Brandon Sutter. And, most importantly, it will need that Burrows line to be among the best on the team.
If all that happens, the Canucks will have three lines that can score and discussions about a playoff spot may not just be had by lunatics.
“I think we can use (the guarantee),” coach Willie Desjardins said. “We can say, ‘This is what we got, guys.’ Let’s find a way to make it work. We’ve had more consistency out of our lines than we have had in quite a while.”
If, however, it all continues to fall apart, the Canucks may have a problem making good on their promise, and even the players know there’s a possibility things could change..
“Now that (general manager) Jim (Benning) said that, well, for me, I love my teammates, I love my team and I love this organization,” Burrows said. “But at the same time, things can change quickly in this business. I’ve learned that before. I learned that last year, last summer. So for me, it’s take it one day at a time.”
Also on that optional skate with Burrows was Alex Biega, who will be replacing Larsen in the lineup.
The Canucks, including the coach, general manager and players, seemed to be in agreement, Taylor Hall’s hit on Larsen was a hockey play, and did not break any rules.
“On the next faceoff, Hall was apologizing,” Burrows said. “He didn’t mean to (hurt Larsen). He said he had played with (Larsen in Edmonton) and he likes the guy.
“For me, I looked at the replay and it is a hockey play. The only thing is, you don’t normally see a guy on the forecheck go behind the net like that. Normally, you come from the front of the net.
“But I didn’t see him being vicious, I even think he let up a little bit. I think it was just one of those hockey plays where it was unfortunate.”