2006-07 record: 49-26-7, 105 points.  1^st in division/3^rd in conference.  Lost in second round to Anaheim Ducks. 

Head Coach:	Alain Vigneault (2nd season)
General Manager:	Dave Nonis (3rd season)
Home Arena:	General Motors Place
Capacity:	18,630

The Canucks won Northwest Division last season on the back of goaltender Roberto Luongo. Vancouver finished with a record of 49-26-7 (105 points), and Luongo played in 76 of their 82 games en route to a 47-22 record, tying Bernie Parent’s record for most wins in a season (though New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur broke the record with 48 wins). Luongo finished second to Brodeur in Vezina Trophy voting but still finished with a season for the ages. The Canucks advanced to the second round of the playoffs by beating the Dallas Stars 4-3 in Round One, but then lost 4-1 to the Anaheim Ducks, who used their momentum to win the Stanley Cup. Luongo finished the playoffs with a goals-against average of 1.77, but the Canucks’ anemic offense caused their exit from the playoffs.

Twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin paced the Canucks in scoring during the regular season; Daniel tallied 36 goals and 48 assists, and Henrik tallied 10 goals and 71 assists. Winger Markus Naslund finished second on the team with just 24 goals, marking the fourth straight season that his goal total has declined, but the team did get double-digit goals from three defencemen: Kevin Bieksa, Sami Salo and Mattias Ohlund. Daniel Sedin was the only player to post double-digit power play goals (16) and one of only two players to post a scoring  percentage over 15 percent (Sedin and Taylor Pyatt each converted 15.3% of their shots). Vancouver will need to rely heavily on the Sedin twins for offense in the coming season, as they have added very little help to a team that ranked 10^th in the Western Conference in goals.

Depth Chart

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Daniel Sedin	Henrik Sedin	Taylor Pyatt
Markus Naslund	Brendan Morrison	Matt Cooke
Trevor Linden	Ryan Kesler	Jeff Cowan
Alex Burrows	Byron Ritchie	Ryan Shannon
Brad Isbister	Brad Moran	Jannik Hansen
Defence	Defence	Goaltending
Kevin Bieksa	Mattias Ohlund	Roberto Luongo
Willie Mitchell	Sami Salo	Curtis Sanford
Lukas Krajicek	Aaron Miller	Cory Schneider
Luc Bourdon	Alexander Edler

Forwards

Scoring was an issue for the Canucks last year, and they did not do much to address the problem. Centre Bryan Smolinski signed a free-agent deal with the Kings, and while he only scored four goals in 20 games for Vancouver, every little bit helps. Vancouver will be relying on Naslund and Henrik Sedin to carry the load this season, along with Brendan Morrison and Taylor Pyatt. Morrison and Pyatt scored nine and ten goals after the all-star game (in 34 and 33 games, respectively), so the potential is there for some increased scoring. The Canucks also have the ability to get some offence from their defencemen, specifically Bieksa, Ohlund, and Salo. Still, even if things break right for the Canucks, their offence will be average at best.

Defence

To some extent, the Canucks rely on their defence for scoring and their forwards for defence. Henrik Sedin is an outstanding defensive player, and his brother is solid as well. With limited scoring potential and a rock-solid goalie, the Canucks are more willing than most teams to play a defensive scheme with their forwards, and this is reflected in their plus/minus numbers. Defenceman Willie Mitchell is a stay-at-home defender who allows the other defencemen to join the rush as needed, and Rory Fitzpatrick is also solid in his own end. Keep an eye on Lukas Krajicek, an offensive defenceman acquired from the Panthers in the Luongo deal.

Goaltending

Luongo had a season for the ages last year, and clearly benefits from having a better team in front of him than the Florida Panthers could provide. The 2006-2007 season was his sixth consecutive with a Save Percentage of .914 or better, and he faced almost 300 less shots than his final season with the Panthers (while playing 180 more minutes). The Canucks signed former St. Louis netminder Curtis Sanford to a 1-year deal to provide a solid backup option, but 2004 first round pick Cory Schneider could also win the job.  Schneider is more likely to get playing time at the AHL level, however. 

Outlook

Vancouver’s solid defensive season last year should provide an indication of what to expect from this team going forward, but as evidenced by their second round playoff exit, a little more offence could be required for the Canucks to move to the next level.  The team was rumored to have sought free agent forward Peter Forsberg, who would instantly add some much-needed scoring punch.  Either way, the Vancouver Canucks will go as far as Luongo’s excellent goalkeeping will take them.

Possible Rookies: 2006 first round pick Michael Grabner scored 39 goals in 55 WHL games last season, and the Canucks can always use an offensive spark. 2004 first round pick G Cory Schneider could crack the lineup in case of an injury. 2005 first round pick D Luc Bourdon is extremely talented, but has bounced around a bit in the minor leagues. He could make an impact if he gets off to a good start on the farm and the Canucks need depth on the blueline.