Looks like Wellwood has gone to the Canucks.



Canucks NEED anyone with offensive abilities.

Desperation has hit a new level with the Canucks.
I'm glad the Flames didn't get him.

I guess I have to wonder why...

Maybe they will go after Tucker, too, and then they can be the new Leafs.

Bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?

This is a low-risk move. He won't cost alot, and has shown alot of potential throughout his career. Injuries has slowed down his development over the last couple years, and I think toronto got tired of waiting. If he works out, then it is a great move. If not, the cost is only a little bit of cap space. Call it desperation if you want, but that's a bit of a stretch.

But when you think about it, here's a guy who relies on skill alone coming to the NW...if he had injury/conditioning issues in the east, look out.
But like you say, little ventured.
Have no doubt, he's as lazy as they come. The upside to that is it only takes a change in his mindset, he has the tools. If he's smart enough to want to do the things that will improve his game, you'll have a keeper.
It's definitely buyer beware, some people are simply wound a little differently...Wellwood's one of them.

Maybe Vigneault, a "hard work or else" kind of coach can help him to mature in that sense. Maybe he can't.

Maybe Wellwood will overcome his injury problems. Maybe he won't.

Maybe being put on waivers will be a wake-up call for him. Maybe it won't.

The bottom line is though, the Canuck picked up a player with alot of skill and upside for nothing. It is a low-risk move, so if it doesn't work what do we lose? $900,000 in cap space? Nothing significant.

Of all the teams to acquire Wellwood I didn't think the Canucks would be one of them. Sure, he certainly has some offensive upside but is he going to be able to fit into Vigneault's defense-first system?

The upside for this deal is that Wellwood becomes the Canucks Huselius.
The downside for this deal is that Wellwood becomes the Canucks Huselius.
Chances are he'll end up somewhere in between. (And if you follow that, you ARE a real hockey fan.)

But, as mentioned, he's not going to cost much he's young and they didn't have to give up a player to get him.

Nothing really to lose, I suppose.


edit- I got to thinking...Wellwood is a RFA. Why wouldn't Fletcher simply not give him a qualifying offer and allow him to become a free agent? Wellwood would then be able to sign with any team at market rates. Instead, he is forced to play for whatever team acquires him at his qualified rate. Seems like a somewhat vindictive move by Fletcher. I can't imagine that Wellwood would be happy about this.

Wellwood will center the second line behind H. Sedin, I'm assuming? Help me out Canucks fans, projected lines please.

Low risk high reward. Hes not going to command much and if he gets injured again or doesnt pan out it wont matter. Unless of coarse the Nucks sign him for like 4 years/12mil...

The possible reason(s) for putting Wellwood on Waivers, instead of re-signing/quailfying him:

1. He can't be traded again this season - without first being offered to other teams who had put in a waiver claim. Of course, considering the "season" is July 1 - June 30, that probably has no relevance here...

2. If Wellwood doesn't make the Cancuks team, he's put on Waivers before being sent to the minors. Toronto can claim him and send him to the minors without having to put him on waivers.

3. It looks like Vancouver may have to pay $67,500 compensation to Toronto? Based on Wellwood having played two years of a SPC. That section of the CBA is vague... It probably isn't the reason though.

4. Toronto is punishing Wellwood; as now Vancouver only has to give him a qualifying offer of $1 million. If he hit free agency, he could potentially earn more than that.

Those are all very, very stupid and/or petty reasons when all is said and done.

I know the Canucks free up a lot of cap space from the departure of Morrison and Naslund but you don't waste it like that on Wellwood. $900,000 is not much now but wait until UFA season is over and the Canucks are pushing the cap again.

It's hard to project what the lines will look like when we don't even know what the roster is going to look like.

Touche. Besides, now that I think about it, I don't care, it's the Canucks.

And Wellwood has come full circle and he's now back on waivers!!!

TSN

They have mention of this transaction buried in the article....

Making room for Sundin maybe?

No. Just trimming back to 23 I think.

Feel bad for the Kid....
Victim of the numbers game here.
Bieksa is expected back so that would make 24 players with Davidson, Nycholat, Brown and Wellwood as extras.

Pyatt's size and ability to work the corners makes him a necessary asset on the second line. Just simply no room for Wellwood..

The 2 Dmen are required for injury depth, and the team got information that Brown(and Nycholat) would be claimed if he was put on waivers so they pulled him off...

Only IF he was a step quicker..................

Hopefully he gets picked up by a team that has a more flexible roster. For selfish reasons i hope he makes it to the Moose. He could definitely have some fun with Grabner, Gendur, Ouellet, and Krog down there...

After all those long arguments about how Wellwood was better now and now this! Its hilarious!

Pretty much. Wouldnt it be hilarious if the Flames picked him up and all the Nuck fans start going on and on about how he is out of shape and sucks?

Lets do it .

Interesting mix of vets on the Moose right now...

Pettinger, Ouellet, Krog, Cowan, Jaffary, Baumgartner, Wellwood(if he passes)

Definitely no shortage of NHL-capable depth in case of injury.

Problem is, most if not all those guys have to clear re-entry before coming back.

I wouldnt mind seeing Ouellet or Pettinger brought up and given a shot with Demitra/Raymond....... Pyatt just seems to have hands of stone and takes penalties at the wrong time

this could end up proving to be the best signing of the year

So far so good.

Plus, Wellwood is freaking hilarious. The NHL should centre a marketing campaign around him.

We should all edit our earlier remarks on Wellwood.

Except for the fat bit

It will follow him around like it still follows Tkachuk around 3 years after the fact

And it has worked out so far.




I must say that is a great idea

Why? Because he has proven that he is and always will be only really effective on the PP?

Even with the way he is playing he wouldn't crack our lineup... That just tells you how much the Nucks are lacking offensive players.

His 2g 2a in the past 14 games is really quite an accomplishment... He must be getting sick of that new diet he required to get into decent shape...

Canuck fans were very high on Wellwood and Bernier at the beginning of this season.

Wellwood is on pace for 41 points(albeit 30 goals) but is slowing down big time... He can't take a normal shift...

Bernier is on pace for 36 points... and he gets a ton of PP time...

Oh and don't forget about almighty Raymond who is on pace for 40 points...

I would take Bourque, Glencross, Moss, Lombardi, Conroy(and I hate Conroy) ahead of those 3 any day...

Maybe the Canuck fans should go back and edit all their remarks about Bernier and Raymond being 50-60 point players etc...

Lol, the funny thing is that those three players you mentioned, all on pace for 40 (or close to it) points could make up our fourth line when Sundin arrives, if Hansen plays with the Sedins. They have the lowest ice time among current active forwards on the Canucks... excluding Hansen (who is also on pace for a 40 point rookie season).

In regards to your Flame comparison, take into account that the combined age of those Canucks is about 23.5, whereas the combined age of those Flames is around 28. Great comparison dude.

An interesting sidenote is that Bernier leads the league in hits, and missed about one open net per game on average, when playing with the Sedins... actually, that might be a little low.

Why the hell do you hate Conroy, Murray? He's been fantastic for a couple of months now. Well worth his contract.

Well he's no Jarome Iginla. He can miss the net perhaps the best in the NHL. Two times lastnight on the empty net, too!

He is definitely worth his contract. I just don't like him

I just can't stand watching him play an offensive role. It makes me sick.