TimmyTabasco
9-11-05, 3:24 PM
Jason BotchfordThe Province
Sunday, September 11, 2005
It's battle royale time for Canucks prospects chasing the big carrot.
Head coach Marc Crawford said Saturday the fight has begun to fill out his NHL team's defensive corps and it's a wide-open race.
There are at least a half-dozen candidates Vancouver will be eyeing during the next month to see who will be eating up major NHL minutes as the team's sixth defenceman.
It's so wide open, even impressive first-round draft pick Luc Bourdon, 18, who had been pegged for a trip back to the QMJHL, is earning a little consideration, Crawford said.
"The whole thing has us very intrigued," Crawford said. "It's going to be wide open as we see how everyone fits in. It's nice to have some options and we have some nice options."
The three early frontrunners as camp begins are 6-foot-4 German Sven Butenschon and Manitoba Moose teammates Nolan Baumgartner and Kevin Bieksa.
The darkhorses are former Capitals defenceman Jason Doig, Brett Skinner and Thomas Mojzis. The longshot is Bourdon.
Crawford said he hasn't even decided the type of player he's seeking.
"We may look during the preseason and say it needs to be more of a skill person," Crawford said. "Or it may end up being more of a powerful guy we take because maybe we'll need some toughness. We have a lot of those decisions to make and we certainly aren't making them yet."
Baumgartner, who's in his fourth Canucks camp and coming off a good year in Manitoba, said he's jacked-up and ready to try and finally win an NHL job.
"You know there's a spot there and you really have to come in and compete right from the start," Baumgartner said. "We're competitive people by nature. It makes it so much fun when there's a spot or two open and you're fighting for that position. That's why we're here."
Throughout the offseason Canucks GM Dave Nonis said he was eager to give Bieksa a real chance to step up his game this year.
Bieksa, 24, probably has the most upside among the legitimate contenders but he also has the least experience.
He signed a two-year deal in 2004 after playing a few games on an amateur tryout. With considerable offensive talent and a big shot, the fourth-round 2001 pick has since rocketed up the Vancouver depth chart.
"It's a great compliment that the team has some confidence in me," Bieksa said. "But now I have to go out there and go hard and do my talking on the ice. I'm coming in here and I'm really trying to win this spot."
Crawford said he will take almost the entire month to figure out his choice.
"That sixth guy will have to carry a pretty substantial amount of minutes," Crawford said. "We're going to take our time and figure out who can best handle that."
Source (http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=cf846fcd-ecef-4a9e-95c4-98b14a6fa893)
Jason Doig Bio (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/player_bio.asp?player_id=1660&hubName=WSH)
Sunday, September 11, 2005
It's battle royale time for Canucks prospects chasing the big carrot.
Head coach Marc Crawford said Saturday the fight has begun to fill out his NHL team's defensive corps and it's a wide-open race.
There are at least a half-dozen candidates Vancouver will be eyeing during the next month to see who will be eating up major NHL minutes as the team's sixth defenceman.
It's so wide open, even impressive first-round draft pick Luc Bourdon, 18, who had been pegged for a trip back to the QMJHL, is earning a little consideration, Crawford said.
"The whole thing has us very intrigued," Crawford said. "It's going to be wide open as we see how everyone fits in. It's nice to have some options and we have some nice options."
The three early frontrunners as camp begins are 6-foot-4 German Sven Butenschon and Manitoba Moose teammates Nolan Baumgartner and Kevin Bieksa.
The darkhorses are former Capitals defenceman Jason Doig, Brett Skinner and Thomas Mojzis. The longshot is Bourdon.
Crawford said he hasn't even decided the type of player he's seeking.
"We may look during the preseason and say it needs to be more of a skill person," Crawford said. "Or it may end up being more of a powerful guy we take because maybe we'll need some toughness. We have a lot of those decisions to make and we certainly aren't making them yet."
Baumgartner, who's in his fourth Canucks camp and coming off a good year in Manitoba, said he's jacked-up and ready to try and finally win an NHL job.
"You know there's a spot there and you really have to come in and compete right from the start," Baumgartner said. "We're competitive people by nature. It makes it so much fun when there's a spot or two open and you're fighting for that position. That's why we're here."
Throughout the offseason Canucks GM Dave Nonis said he was eager to give Bieksa a real chance to step up his game this year.
Bieksa, 24, probably has the most upside among the legitimate contenders but he also has the least experience.
He signed a two-year deal in 2004 after playing a few games on an amateur tryout. With considerable offensive talent and a big shot, the fourth-round 2001 pick has since rocketed up the Vancouver depth chart.
"It's a great compliment that the team has some confidence in me," Bieksa said. "But now I have to go out there and go hard and do my talking on the ice. I'm coming in here and I'm really trying to win this spot."
Crawford said he will take almost the entire month to figure out his choice.
"That sixth guy will have to carry a pretty substantial amount of minutes," Crawford said. "We're going to take our time and figure out who can best handle that."
Source (http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=cf846fcd-ecef-4a9e-95c4-98b14a6fa893)
Jason Doig Bio (http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/player_bio.asp?player_id=1660&hubName=WSH)