I was expecting a quiet weekend after all the hullabaloo of the draft and free agency, but it looks like the new team is still hard at work.
This tweet sums up the work ethic of the new regime beautifully:
Thanks for all your votes and comments from yesterday's poll. I suspect the team would be very satisfied with an 83 percent approval rating from some of its most committed fans.
That approval level was higher than I expected, but made sense after I gave it some thought.
Even for someone like me, who's not thrilled about the contract handed to Ryan Miller and is apprehensive about Radim Vrbata, there has been a lot to like over the last three months. The team has been decisive in its choices, and has hit more often that it's missed when going after its desired personnel—starting with Jim Benning and Willie Desjardins. They handled the Kesler in a tough situation without letting it turn into a soap opera, the secondary deals seem solid, and the RFAs are being signed for decent money, also with minimal drama.
As far as we know, the only real miss so far was the failure to sign Jarome Iginla and not being able to convince Dale Tallon to part with that No. 1 draft pick.
When faced with a simple Yes/No question, I'd also be tempted to say that I'm satisfied so far. Now we need to see if the plan pays off when the team hits the ice this fall.
Tanev and Andersson Signed
This morning, we're hearing that the Canucks have signed Swedish defenseman Peter Andersson to a two-way contract, and Murph says a Chris Tanev deal could be near:
Just as I was about to publish this post, the Canucks make it official.
UPDATED: Elliotte Friedman is reporting a $2 million deal. That's great value for Vancouver.
The other good news about a one-year deal is that Tanev will still be a restricted free agent next season. It'll give the new regime a chance to see if he continues to improve and see whether it'll be him or Luca Sbisa holding down that last spot in the top four. Tanev has arbitration rights: it's a big win for management to lock him down and avoid the unpleasant arbitration process.
Prospects Invade Whistler
Also, though Prospects Camp doesn't start till Monday, the kids have assembled and headed up to Whistler for a bonding weekend.
I like this a lot: moves like these create that strong foundation, leading to an atmosphere where players look out for each other, like we've seen Los Angeles execute with great success.
Canucks team photographer Jeff Vinnick was taking headshots of the prospects yesterday:
Only Thatcher Demko seems confident that he can hold his nameplate with one hand.
Francesco Aquilini Still Wants to Win the Stanley Cup
Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini was the keynote speaker at the BCBusiness Top 100 Luncheon earlier this week. Greg Douglas covered the event for the Vancouver Sun.
Click here to read.
The key quotes:
I’m learning about the ups and downs of the business and realize the success of the hockey team is not in my control.
We just want Trevor to be what he is and who he is and leave it with him to put the best product possible on the ice.
That being said, I'm pretty sure that ownership did direct Trevor and his group to spend to the cap again this year and to sign some big-name free agents. Linden and Benning have been consistent with their statements that they want the team to be able to make the playoffs, and I think ownership is making every effort to erase the dark memories of last season as quickly and emphatically as possible.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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