Why Buying Out Alex Burrows Makes Sense

I know right?!? You’re already disgusted. You love Alex Burrows. But hear me out on this.

Forget a rock and a hard place; the Canucks are laid out on a torture table having their limbs extended in difficult positions with their current cap situation. 17 players signed, no 3^rd or 4^th line centre and according to Capgeek  a mere $47,222 to pull it off. Oh and still needing to sign restricted free agent defenceman Chris Tanev.

No Mans Land

This isn’t about if the fit is right or wrong. That won’t be determined until we see the results because the sporting world is a results based industry. Win a cup and keep your job; don’t win a cup... thanks for the memories but you need to find new work (See: Alain Vigneault firing). John Tortorella has become the 17^th Head Coach in Vancouver Canucks history. And now, much like Roberto Luongo at a poker tournament, this Canucks core and management has declared that they are going all in.

NHL Playoffs Conference Finals Previews

The 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs continue! TJ is 9-3 through 2 rounds while Bik sits at 7-5. The e-mail exchanges continue for the Conference Finals Preview!

Ranking Coaches

In light of the Alain Vigneault firing, TJ & Bik examine how valuable AV actually is in the league of head coaches. After making lists on their own, here are the average rankings comparisons of the top 20 coaches in the league.

NHL Playoffs Conference Semi-Finals Preview Part 2

The 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs continue! TJ went 6-2 last round while Bik went 4-4. The e-mail exchanges continue in Part 1 of the Conference Semi-Finals Preview!

NHL Playoffs Conference Semi-Finals Preview Part 1

The 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs continue! TJ went 6-2 last round while Bik went 4-4. The e-mail exchanges continue in Part 1 of the Conference Semi-Finals Preview!

NHL Playoffs Eastern Conference Preview

The 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally upon us! TJ & Bik talk about each of the series in the Eastern Conference in this email exchange and pick their winners:

NHL Playoffs Western Conference Preview

The 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally upon us! TJ & Bik talk about each of the series in the Western Conference in this email exchange and pick their winners:

The Kassian Chat

What generates the 1st e-mail exchange of the NHL season between Bik and TJ? Why its 4 goals in 5 games from Zack Kassian! The Canucks winger sensation is the topic of discussion between these 2 as they discuss Kassian's explosion onto the Vancouver and NHL scene.

Bik: Well TJ - its time to echo the voice of Canuck Nation. Didn't we have a guy.... what was his name... It rhymed with Brody Schmodgson I know that much. But we traded him.... for the One.... the Only.... The Main Attraction.... The Big Event.... The.... I'm running out of names..... how about just... THE KASSASSIN!!!! It's a small sample size, but it appears like Zack Kassian might have found himself a role with this club and surprise surprise, its with the Twins who can now add Kassian to their list of players who they have made look fantastic. On a level of 1-10.... 9.7 being the lowest, and 10 being the highest... How excited are you about this guy right now?

Canucks 5, Ducks 0: They followed the leader

As teams often do in sports, the Anaheim Ducks followed their captain’s lead on Friday night. In this case, that wasn’t a good thing.

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The Canucks were in Anaheim seeking revenge after an embarrassing 7-3 defeat to the Ducks in Vancouver’s home opener six days prior.

Time to Get Rid of the Knuckle Draggers

It is only day 3 of the NHL and I am already going there. I know teams want to get their fans excited for a new season, and want to make an impact....but was this really necessary? P.C. Labrie dropped with Joe Finley while Matt Martin and B.J. Crombeen also tussled.....at the one second mark of the game. Really guys?

Mike Gillis and The Myth of Success

The roster move to send down Jordan Schroeder from the Vancouver Canucks back to the AHL looks to be a rather innocuous move. After all it’s the final cut of a training-camp in a lockout shortened season. It’s easy for a simple move like that to get lost in the shuffle. But what does Jordan Schroeder not making this team in his 4^th professional season mean for the Vancouver Canucks?

NHL Season Preview - 5 Teams to Watch

I didn't think we would get it but we finally have an NHL season to get excited for. It's been a bit of a scramble to get myself re-acquainted with who went where and how teams shaped up over the off-season but I think I finally have a hand on it. With that said I want to present 5 teams to watch for this year. Not all Stanley Cup contenders just teams worth keeping an eye on this season for different reasons. And here we go...

Bik's Divisional Round Picks: Welcome Back

Let’s hail the Johnny Come Lately’s that are the NHL and NHLPA.

Sure it was only 113 days after the previous CBA expired that they managed to agree to a new one to get the 2012-2013 season underway, but better late than never. And why wouldn’t you announce the new deal on a Sunday morning when everyone is either asleep or getting ready for the opening week of NFL Playoff Football. NHL – you always entertain me.

Now of course even better than that is the league holding off on releasing a schedule and actually starting the schedule on the same weekend the NFL is in its Conference Championships Games. Thumbs up.

But I’m not going to pretend that I won’t watch. Call me a hypocrite or whatever. I love the game too much to not get sucked into debates about which center the Canucks should use in neutral-zone 2^nd period face-offs on the left boards. It’s going to happen. But like many friends I’ve spoken to about the NHL returning, I’m adhering to a cool principle. “I’ll watch – but I won’t pay.” Works for me.

So while the NHL makes dubiously entertaining decision after dubiously entertaining decision... here are 10 things that you can get excited about for the upcoming season.

Bik's Week 10 Picks: A Moment of Silence

If you’re not the type of person that will stop and pause for a moment of silence NO MATTER WHAT YOU’RE DOING this Sunday for Remembrance Day – then this piece is not for you. Just skip ahead to the picks below.

But if you will take a moment to remember those who sacrificed so much and have allowed us to live with the freedoms we have today, then join me and take a moment, or a few, to also remember the following:

Bik's Week 9 Picks: June 20th 1994

I may have only been a mere 9 years old but it’s stuck with me since then. And really its something that I will always look back to. I think about why can’t we get back to that point? But also about how we got to this point. And how potentially different it could have been.

As the NHL has finally done the inevitable and cancelled its show-piece regular season game, The Winter Classic, I think back to when I was 9 years old. June 20^th 1994 to be exact.

Negotiating - A New Term to the NHL

Negotiate [ni-goh-shee-eyt] verb:

1. To work or talk (with others) to achieve (a transaction, anagreement, etc)
2. To communicate in search of mutual agreement

It seems like neither the NHLPA or the NHL knows the correct meaning of the term. It seems they have forgot that to negotiate you need to communicate.

CBA Hat-Trick from The Extra Period

Now that you've had 24 hours to deal with whichever emotions have been evoked from the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring, we present to you: The Extra Period CBA Hat-Trick

Lockout Imminent. What else is there?

So the NHL and the NHLPA are still apparently 8% apart on revenue sharing. For the players a lockout seems all but imminent. The current collective bargaining agreement has expired and another NHL season seems to be in jeopardy. The preseason is most likely going to be the first casualty of these ongoing negotiations between the two sides. Really any hockey fan isn't going to care all that much until the regular season which is supposed to start in October when we start losing a portion of those 82 games that we love to watch. Whether you sit in front of your television with specific food and beverage that goes with that game of the night. Or maybe you're unable to be seated in front of your tv and you are constantly checking your phone or computer for updates on all of your favorite teams that might be playing that night. You are still going to need to find other sports or hobbies to fill the void these unfortunate events have caused.

Friends Off

Imagine that you are friends with me.

We've been friends since you found me. We’ve had our highs, we've had our lows. We see each other at least 82 times a year. Usually I come visit you in the comfort of your own home but on some rare occasions, roughly once or twice a year, you visit me. In fact, you pay good money to see me. It doesn’t bother you, you're glad to do it especially since it helps me and you're thrilled to see me do well. The 3 hours we visit are great. Sometimes it’s a winning visit, sometimes a losing one, but you're happy to see me because I entertain you.