Oct 12, 2007
Shannon sacrificed
Canucks coach calls winger's re-assignment to AHL "probably not fair"
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Losing to the Philadelphia Flyers, pitifully, 8-2 in only game three of the season on Wednesday night in Vancouver, Canucks coach Alain Vigneault had a decision to make.
It concerned propping an instant foundation beneath his 1-2 squad that had suffered a “total team collapse” vs. the Flyers, he had said on Oct. 11. Something needed to be done.
Problem is, that the foundation transplant proposed as a quick inexplicable fix, was to begin with first fitting Ryan Shannon with a set of cement skates.
"It's probably not fair either. I agree with that."
Vancouver Canucks coach Alain Vigneault
Sinking down to the AHL affiliate Manitoba Moose he goes. Re-assigned by the team Thursday afternoon.
This from a team in screaming need of offense — and also a team that has been outscored 10-1 in three games in 5-on-5 play — that has been led by none other than second year pro, winner of the Stanley Cup of ’07, 24-year-old Darien native Shannon.
Outside of a butchers shop, raw breaks don’t come much harsher than this. But, this, is the NHL, where blood on the floor is common in coaching circles, as a matter of course.
Shannon was the Canucks leading goal scorer, with two markers in three games, and more quality chances to score during each of those games than even the famous Sedins, or captain Markus Naslund.
So, what gives — in a situation where something clearly did have to give following the flop vs. the Flyers? It was more a matter of what Shannon gets. His two-way contract, and its intricacies visa vie league rules concerning waivers had a central role to play. And back to the butcher shop, that is one bum steer to swallow.
“After an 8-2 loss there's going to be some causalities,” Vigneault reportedly said. "In our situation it's probably the easy thing to do for us, in the sense you have a player who's scored two goals on the power play, yes, but he's on a two-way contract."
Two goals, two-way contracts — and tout de suite Shannon’s sent to Manitoba? That is just too, too much.
The winger was a minus seven, but those numbers had nothing to do with this. In fact, with his every-game offensive spark, playing on the top two lines, on the power-play — and considering the lack of power displayed by the veterans, up and down the Canucks roster — Shannon’s -7 does not stick out like a team worst stat normally would. Vigneault said as much.
After all, how do you differentiate between fish in a barrel anyway?
The contract provided the hook.
Had Shannon skated in just two more games it would have required that he clear waivers in order to be sent down to the Moose. Sending, him, to Manitoba now instead, was a no-cost move. For Vancouver.
Vigneault is open as a barn door about this peculiar situation.
“To give you an honest answer (as to why he was sent down), he has two games left before he needs waivers, and it's the beauty of the game sometimes," Vigneault reportedly, sharply said. "It's probably not fair either. I agree with that."
With a twin-edge too, Shannon is reported to have said “I'll see you soon," when taking leave of his locker, to Vigneault.
Shannon did what Vancouver, and Anaheim last season, demanded that he do. Score goals, and create opportunities for himself and his teammates to do so. There is documentary evidence of that bargain being kept.
"He's going to go down and he's going to work hard," Vigneault reportedly added. "And he's going to be one of the top players there. Depending on how things work out, we'll see from there.
"What this is doing is putting the ball into the hands of some of our other players. We either start playing the way we can or we're forced to make tougher decisions.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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