Oh Canaduh! Van City

Well Canucks fans got what they wanted, their two under-producing stars Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison are gone and they can no longer take up large dollars against the teams' salary cap. Unfortunately in a shallow free agent talent pool finding adequate replacements hasn't been easy. So far they have signed Ryan Johnson, Kyle Wellwood, Darcy Hordichuk and a few players from last years team. They also acquired Steve Bernier from Buffalo in a trade. It looks as though their fourth line is getting crowded. Kyle Wellwood has been plagued by injuries since his impressive rookie showing and many believe his lack of a fitness regimen is the culprit. Having broken his foot in the offseason it looks as though he will yet again be recovering from injury and may struggle as a result. Ryan Johnson is a third or fourth liner with minimal production. He will help their depth but they're not really lacking low caliber role players. Hordichuk will provide some toughness and help fill the void left by Cooke. Steve Bernier is a plus as he's filled with size and potential and may develop into a top line player. With Naslund, Morrison and Cooke off to new teams the Canucks are putting a load of pressure on unproven players. They've thrown far too much money at Sundin into an attempt to land a star but really what does he have to gain from joining Vancouver? The money certainly is good but he can almost make the playoffs on the Leafs and not have to move. If Sundin signs outside of Toronto you'd think it would be with a contending team. The big question I see is how long will Luongo be willing to carry a poor team. He left Florida for the same reasons and with a wife still living in Florida one could see the convenience of living closer to home. There's still plenty of time before the season and with rumors of Demitra signing in Vancouver they're still actively looking. Demitra would be helpful but certainly that's not enough and he certainly wont fill the shoes of Naslund and Morrison. They will have to orchestrate a trade to greatly improve the offense of this club. I'm not so sure they can do so without subtracting alot in terms of future. I think a Canucks rebuild may be imminent if the team starts poorly this season. Lets hope the demitra rumors are just the beginning of .what will be a busy offseason for Vancouver. Otherwise it may be a long year for Canucks fans