Pre-Season Press Conference
Conference Manager: Alright welcome to the 2009-2010 Vancouver Canucks Summer Press Conference. This is your chance to ask questions, discuss rumors, and more with your general manager and head coach. So without anymore delay, lets begin the conference.
Jack Thompson: Hi, Jack Thompson, CKNW 980 AM. This question is towards Mr. Wenger. Seeing as you’re the new GM in Vancouver, what are your goals for the team this year?
Alex Wenger: Well that’s a good question. My number one goal is to make the playoffs first and foremost. In this hockey savvy market, it is expected that we make the playoffs each and every year without fail. I have a plan set in place that I’ve discussed with Mr. Vigneault that will introduce a new style of play that hasn’t been seen in Vancouver in quite awhile. All that’s needed is to set the plan in motion. I also have many players that need new contracts and I shall begin those talks as of July 1st. Right now, my main goal at the moment is to make the playoffs and go far in those playoffs.
Jack Thompson: Can you care to elaborate on this plan?
Alex Wenger: Not at the moment.
Dan McLean: Hi, Dan McLean, The Province Newspaper. A question to Mr. Vigneault, with the NHL Draft just days away, what are your primary objectives to complete during the draft? Are you planning to move up the draft order? Are you planning to trade players away?
Vigneault: We want to make this team younger and faster I think that has been talked about quite a bit. We’ve been heavily scouting Russian and North American players for sometime now and have a few players in our sightlines that are high in the draft but higher than out current pick of 22nd. As for trades go, we aren’t planning to trade away any players as of this moment. We feel that our team has the necessary players we need to make it all the way this year as we’ve built from the goalie out, but anything can happen at the draft.
Squire Barnes: Hi, Squire Barnes, Global News. This question is directed towards Mr. Wenger. As a new GM, what do you see in this team that will help you try to become a legitimate contender for the cup this year?
Alex Wenger: This team has tremendous depth at the defensive position. We have a good one two punch when it comes to our defensive core, which can be grouped in anyway we see fit during our games. Our forward lines are mostly complete although we are looking to add youth and speed to our club. Our first line includes the Sedin twins who never fail to disappoint, our second line is stellar with Kesler and Wellwood and our third and fourth lines are good but need a bit more work.
Squire Barnes: You mentioned the Sedin twins, who will play along side them this season?
Alex Wenger: We plan to have Burrows play the wing with them this year as he did last year. Nothing is for certain until Training Camp begins but as of now, Burrows still owns the spot with the Sedin Twins.
Squire Barnes: If and when you make the playoffs, do you believe that you’ll have enough scoring punch this year compared to last years playoffs?
Alex Wenger: We had the scoring punch last year, we’ve never been short of it. We just didn’t execute the game plan that was in place last year and we lost because of it, it’s not a matter of your scoring depth, it’s a matter of putting your strategies to work against your opponent. In the case of the Chicago series, we didn’t.
Laura Tocket: Hello, Laura Tocket, CTV News. I have a question for Mr. Vigneault. Your team had a major breakdown last year in mid December to early January as well as at the beginning of the season. What will you do to remedy this?
Vigneault: Well Roberto was injured during our losing stretch so that hurt us. Labarbera played good for us, allowing us a chance to win each and every game but it was just a matter of putting the puck in the net, which we couldn’t do. Our players were getting injured requiring us to make call ups from Manitoba, which thus hurt the team morale and overall chemistry. We just have to make sure we assign players certain roles so they don’t focus on many things at once and we’ll be fine. We just have to make sure to play as a team.
Bobby Lang: Hi there, Bobby Lang, The Vancouver Sun. This question is for Mr. Wenger. What are your plans with the games Luongo plays and the signing of Free Agents this coming year?
Alex Wenger: Luongo had it tough last year being out so long with that injury and then playing pretty much every night during the home stretch of the season and into the playoffs. My plan would be the same for any GM of a goalie of this caliber. I would like to see him play 55-65 games this year and have the back up play the rest. I know other GM’s and coaches would want 60-75 but I find this is still too much for a goalie especially when the goalie gives you a chance to make playoffs. My priority shall be to find a suitable back-up that is capable of playing 15+ games per season. As for free agents, like we’ve been saying over the past few days, making this team younger and faster is our number one priority. Whether it’s through drafting or trading players to other teams, that is our goal for this year. As the game of hockey gets faster, we need to get faster. It’s as simple as that.
Bobby Lang: Do you have any free agents in mind?
Alex Wenger: I do but I cannot go into much detail at this time.
Conference Manager: That’s all the time we have for today. Thank you for all of your questions.