SPORTS

 

 

goaltending duties in Manitoba. After that, his future with Vancouver is up in the air, but he’ll be a solid, full-time NHL goalie in the near future.

Michael Grabner, 20, is easily the organization’s most explosive and offensively gifted prospect. He has a seemingly bottomless well of speed and NHL ready moves. The
Austrian right winger’s shot is electric and deadly accurate, and he’s coming off a 22-goal season with Manitoba, his first professional campaign. The only questions being raised
about Grabner’s potential are his willingness to get involved in the physical aspect of the game and to go into the corners and grind it out.

To his credit, Grabner, Vancouver’s first selection, 14" overall in the 2006 draft, has been a weight room fiend and has increased his conditioning significantly. He is
considered, along with Hodgson, to be one of the front running young guys to make the Canucks straight out of training camp this year. He showed potential in Manitoba and a
newfound maturity that he didn’t have back with the Spokane Chiefs, when he wouldn’t play tough and struggled with inconsistency, despite his slick scoring statistics.

After the big three, the prospect depth drops off a bit. Patrick White, Vancouver’s first round choice in 2007, has all the makings of a draft bust. He hasn’t progressed at all in
college and is no closer to making the Canucks, or the Moose, than he was on his draft day.

The Canucks have a pair of good defensive prospects in Yann Sauve and Taylor Ellington. Sauve was chosen in the second round of this year’s draft and was once ranked as a
high first round pick. After an inconsistent season in major junior last year, his stock dropped and the Canucks were able to snag him 41* overall. Sauve’s puck skills and offensive
game haven’t developed as planned, but he plays a very physical defending game. A hard hitter, he’Il return to the St. John’s Sea Dogs and is considered a long-term project for
Vancouver.

Ellington is another defensive defenseman who plays a hard-nosed game and isn’t afraid to play the dirty game. He’s big, 6’2 and 208 pounds, and has spent the past three
seasons with the Everett Silvertips, where he’s emerged as a leader.

Vancouver took another prospect from the Silvertips; forward Dan Gendur, as a 20-year-old in the seventh round of the 2007 draft. Now 22, Gendur has become a solid
prospect after his early days where he was considered an afterthought. He has a powerful shot and is very fast. His big drawback is his consistency. Gendur led the Silvertips in
scoring last year with 84 points in 60 games, and had a scorching January where he was named player of the month after scoring 26 points in only 14 games. WHL writers picked
Gendur as the guy with the WHL’s hardest shot last season. However, he ran into injury troubles and had a 12-game goal drought.

So the Canuck’s number of decent prospects is higher now than it has been the past ten years. How they will all pan out is open to debate, but it can be agreed that while the
immediate future doesn’t look bright, the long-term one does.

 

 

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Where are they mow sce sicrcss, sponse

 

      

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Barry Bonds Mike Tyson Pete Rose Tiger Woods
Once the biggest hitter in baseball, and Once the world’s most well-known athlete, Pete Rose, 67, is a close second for the No, Tiger isn’t retired, but the 14-time
always the biggest jerk in baseball, the Mike Tyson has fallen a long, long way most embattled baseball player of all time. major winner hasn’t been on the golf
game has finally, and thankfully, passed from where he once was. After his playing career concluded, Rose scene much lately. The reason for Woods’
the former San Francisco slugger by. Tyson, now 42, never fully recovered became a team manager for the Cincinnati disappearance is a very serious left knee
Now 44, Bonds tried and failed after his prison release in 1996, and his Reds. In 1989, it was discovered that injury that forced him to miss the British
to re-sign with the Giants, but nothing boxing career descended rapidly after Rose had bet on several Reds games while Open and PGA Championship, along with
materialized and he hasn’t suited up once that. Tyson never formally retired from he was the team manager. Immediately the bi-annual Ryder Cup.
this season. Bonds, who is still under professional boxing, but he hasn’t fought afterwards, he was permanently barred While Woods won’t be boosting PGA
investigation for perjury and justice since a sixth round TKO loss in late 2005 from entry into Cooperstown, the baseball television ratings with his presence any
obstruction charges, is set to go to trial in to journeyman fighter Kevin McBride. hall of fame. time soon, he redefined the term “going
March of 2009. He has run into a number Since then, Tyson seems to have Despite the fact that Rose was found out with a bang” on his way to the surgery
of legal troubles over his career and is one realized how hard he’s fallen. Despite to have bet on his own team, and that it table. Woods won a dramatic 18-hole
of the most embattled players in baseball earning an estimated $300 million dollars took place during his management career, playoff to capture his third U.S. Open
history. over the course of his career, Tyson not his playing one, Rose has never been championship over Rocco Mediate back in
Bonds is being charged because of filed for bankruptcy in 2005. Tyson has permitted to join the Hall of Fame. It has June. Woods himself called it his greatest
suspicions that he knowingly lied about promoted boxing shows in Las Vegas lately |} been one of baseball’s most contentious ever victory as he won the tournament
his steroid use. Bonds has continually and has tried to earn money by endorsing a issues ever since. despite limping through the whole thing. It
a denied all allegations of substance abuse, variety of websites and companies. Rose supporters have tried multiple is what will go down as the most incredible
but a vast number of people have reported Lately, Tyson has had several brushes times over the years to have him instated; putt in history; Woods drained a 12-foot
to the contrary. Bonds has been linked to with the law. He pleaded guilty to a all their efforts have failed. Rose has also birdie putt to force a playoff on the 18"
preliminary contract negotiations with the number of charges including felony drug pleaded guilty to tax evasion in the early hole on Sunday.
New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and possession. He’s also pleaded guilty to 90’s. In his absence, professional golf
Detroit Tigers, but nothing came of the narcotics possession and DUI. He received Rose today makes sporadic has tumbled worse than a Britney
talks. three years probation and has checked into appearances with WWE. Spears comeback attempt. Ratings have
a rehab facility. plummeted and national interest in the
game has been virtually non-existent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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