Under appreciated Canucks of All Time

[racerjoe]

Erm, well, no. Willie signed with the Canucks (July 1, 2006) when Naslund was "captain" (possibly the worst captain in NHL history IMHO). Lou was traded to the Canucks on June 23, 2006 and was named captain on Sept. 30, 2008. Willie's contract with the Canucks ended on July 1, 2010. Hank was named captain Oct. 9, 2010. Hank was never captain of the team when Willie was here. See, I like facts fine. You might want to try researching your gibberish occasionally...

After you get an entire argument wrong and I miss one thing by what a few months, you calling me gibberish is funny.

 

[lakai17]

Sami Salo, to me, had a legitimate claim to being one of the best Canucks defenders we ever had. If he was healthier, I think that argument would have been even louder. I truly feel that when he was healthy, he was the team’s best defender at both ends of the ice during his tenure in Vancouver.

His offense and defense both underrated during his career. He was an impact defenseman all around even if his stats never showed it all. Although some decent stats still in some offense and blocked shots as well.

 

[Tim Calhoun]

Artem Chubarov
Josh Green
Kyle Wellwood
Aaron Rome
Mike Santorelli
Nick Bonino
Alex Biega

 

[Hit the post]

I'll give an honorable mention to Dale Tallon.

A very gifted prospect but put into less than an ideal situation (not to mention being forever compared to legit HHOF Gilbert Perrault). Didn't help team screwed up his development by shifting him from D to F and back again.

 

[MS]

Before my time, but the most unappreciated Canuck ever is probably Don Lever.

It’s bizarre how the 1970-78 blue uniform years just evaporated from public consciousness aside from Orland Kurtenbach and Suitcase Smith. In a way, it’s almost like this franchise’s history really started in 1978 with the gaudy uniforms and Smyl/Gradin.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Before my time, but the most unappreciated Canuck ever is probably Don Lever.

It’s bizarre how the 1970-78 blue uniform years just evaporated from public consciousness aside from Orland Kurtenbach and Suitcase Smith. In a way, it’s almost like this franchise’s history really started in 1978 with the gaudy uniforms and Smyl/Gradin.

Chris Odleiffson is definitely one of the franchise’s “forgotten captains”. Gary Monahan played some respectable hockey for the team, including scoring the franchise’s first ever playoff GWG.

(In general, you’re right - I think partly it’s because it’s a different era of which footage is scarce and some of the people involved have passed on)

 

[Hit the post]

Chris Odleiffson is definitely one of the franchise’s “forgotten captains”.

I actually had his game used hockey stick (from my dad he knew "someone" on the Canucks back then). Bernie, you SOB, I lent you the stick as a kid & you NEVER returned it!

 

[RobertKron]

Artem Chubarov
Josh Green
Kyle Wellwood
Aaron Rome
Mike Santorelli
Nick Bonino
Alex Biega

Was going to make posts for Green and Rome, but didn't bother. I thought I was the only Josh Green fan club member.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

Brad Richardson. Probably our best 4th line center in recent memory.

 

[Wry n Ginger]

Geoff Courtnall
Doug Lidster
Greg Adams
Manny Malhotra
Jiri Bubla

 

[F A N]

Just a few...

Petr Nedved. Was my fav player when he was here. Few talk about him as some sort of loss because the return immediately led to the '94 Cup run. But he left here as a 21/22 year old coming off a 38 goal 71 point season. Take away Jagr and that was a very solid pick.

Adrian Aucoin. Another home grown talent that few talk about as some sort of loss. Aucoin in his prime was a very productive and effective top 4 Dman. I like Cloutier but in hindsight this can't be looked upon as a good deal.

Marek Malik/Scott Lachance. Malik especially was very skilled for a stay at home Dman. They both stabilized the tough to play with Jovo.

Kyle Wellwood. Posters here lament the fact we didn't re-sign Richardson but the version of Wellwood that left here was an excellent 3rd line C. He was like Chris Tanev in his prime back there. When he got the puck he would just transition it out. Plus he was very good at the faceoff circle.

Edler. I think for too many years he was considered the closest thing to a #1 Dman and partly due to injuries he simply never reached that level. It's unfortunate that he can't play the physical brand of hockey that he's capable of for a game or two every game. Edler can absolutely dominate at his best. But most of the time he's consistently playing at a 70-80% level.

Honourable Mentions

Salo is only underrated because he couldn't stay healthy. I think everyone of us knew how good he was.

Hansen/Cooke/3rd line grinder - There have been many 3rd line grinder types that were very well liked here when they were a Canuck. For years they solidified the 3rd line only to not be much thought of when the leave.

 

[Bertuzzzi44]

Matt Cooke and Jannik Hansen.

 

[RobertKron]

The positives that Cooke brought to the table were definitely overshadowed by how much of a piece of shit he was and went on to be. He was a very solid player when he wasn't causing Matthias Ohlund to fight his battles for him.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Sami Salo, to me, had a legitimate claim to being one of the best Canucks defenders we ever had. If he was healthier, I think that argument would have been even louder. I truly feel that when he was healthy, he was the team’s best defender at both ends of the ice during his tenure in Vancouver.

mitchell - salo is almost certainly the best regular defensive pair we've ever had

i'm trying to remember which year they were together... but man

 

[VanJack]

Going back to the beginning, I never thought Dale Tallon got the credit he deserved....probably the misfortune of the Canucks missing out on Gilbert Perreaut with the spin of the lottery wheel, tainted his career a little.

But he was a very good two-way d-man during his Canuck years, generating offense from the back-end.

Another underrated player was J.J. Daigneault and Rick Vaive.

 

[Didalee Hed]

He is for sure,

But if talking about a defenseman, I would still say Salo. If he had better health I think we would be talking about a Norris. Rock solid defensively good puck mover, and this isn't even talking about his shot.

The best part of the second goal shown here, besides the fact it was a goal, isn't shown. Salo skates outside of the zone while the play is going on, loops back, and has like a 25 foot run into that one timer.

 

[vanuck]

Among regulars, definitely Wellwood and Raymond for me. Also think Rome gets a little underrated because of what AV was like with Ballard.

Hansen never got overly much love (at least from what I recall) but he was like the perfect top 9 forward.

 

[vanuck]

mitchell - salo is almost certainly the best regular defensive pair we've ever had

i'm trying to remember which year they were together... but man

I think they played together in 2009-10 but I'd have to look it up to be sure. They killed it together before Mitchell went down in January from that Malkin hit. Screwed our season and was one of the biggest reasons we were so poor on special teams and defensively in the playoffs IMO.

 

[Didalee Hed]

The 10-11 Canucks were so loaded at forward.

sedin-sedin-burr

raymond/higgins-kes-samuelsson

raymond/higgins/torres-malhotra/lappierre-hansen

Then some kinda combo of raymond/higgins/torres-malhotra/lappierre-glass/tambellini/oreskovich

 

[PavelBure10]

Martin Gelinas was a very highly likable player. Always gave 110% on every shift. He's underrated.

Backup Bob Essensa played very well when he was with the Canucks. He was one of the only bright spots during the whole goalie graveyard tenure.

Peter Schaefer gave the Canucks a few very solid seasons. I thought he was going to have a very long and bright future with the Canucks.

Also like the Mitchell, Diduck, Baron, Chubarov, and Hansen mentions.

 

[FroshaugFan2]

Mike Weaver was a very solid defenceman. He would have been a great depth player to keep around instead of acquiring O'Brien, Alberts, Vaananen, etc. He was better than all the depth defenders the Canucks tried to replace him with. Only Rome you could make an argument for being at Weaver's level.

Jason Jaffray should have been a fourth line mainstay. Instead he was typecast as a AHLer. He much better than Hordichuk and Johnson who were seen as more traditional fourth line role players.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

Mike Weaver was a very solid defenceman. He would have been a great depth player to keep around instead of acquiring O'Brien, Alberts, Vaananen, etc. He was better than all the depth defenders the Canucks tried to replace him with. Only Rome you could make an argument for being at Weaver's level.

What sticks out to me about Weaver was the brawl with the Oilers where a much bigger Curtis Glencross jumped him. Weaver proceeded to acquit himself fantastically and took it to him, to the delight of the fans.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

Brent Peterson.

He was a waiver pickup from Scotty Bowman's Sabres at the beginning of the 85-86 season. A defensive forward, he'd already received a few stray Selke votes in the previous couple of seasons. He was a perfect pickup for defensive-minded coach Tom Watt. When captain Stan Smyl fell to injury just before the playoffs, Peterson was named captain and was arguably the Canucks' best player. The Oilers shellacked us 17-5 in a three game sweep, with Peterson getting 2 out of our 5 goals, and generally carrying the team on his back along with Thomas Gradin. His play wasn't quite as strong the next season, but he was one of the Canucks' most solid players his first year here.

 

[RandV]

Lots of Sami Salo mentions, so how about Adrian Aucoin? If you want to talk about goal scoring dmen he has the best single season by a decent margin.

While the WCE days were fun feels like we lost what could have been some key components too easily: Adrian Aucoin and Dave Scatchard in separate goalie trades, then Scott Walker to expansion.

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

Before my time, but the most unappreciated Canuck ever is probably Don Lever.

It’s bizarre how the 1970-78 blue uniform years just evaporated from public consciousness aside from Orland Kurtenbach and Suitcase Smith. In a way, it’s almost like this franchise’s history really started in 1978 with the gaudy uniforms and Smyl/Gradin.

78-79 was like a seismic shift for the Canucks - and this is fairly bang-on, this is how I experienced it real time. The Canucks as an entity sort of had this sleepy, provincial quality to them - sort of like watching a rec game or something. The new Jake Milford-Harry Neale regime was a shakeup, and with the drafting and quick integration into the new team of a young core consisting of Gradin, Smyl, Glen Hanlon, Kevin McCarthy, Curt Fraser, Rick Vaive and Bill Derlago, it was clear that the new, young group was an exciting upgrade on guys like Rick Blight and Ron Sedlbauer. The trade of Lever sort of signaled the end of the old Canucks.