Kukla's Korner Hockey
Entries with the tag: kevin bieksa
Kevin Bieksa Still Without Work
by Paul on 08/31/18 at 05:26 PM ET
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from Rob Williams of the Daily Hive,
The summer is coming to an end and Kevin Bieksa is still looking for a place to play.
These are unchartered waters for the former Vancouver Canucks defenceman, who turned 37 this offseason.
After spending the past three years with the Anaheim Ducks, Bieksa is likely facing the possibility of having to accept a pro tryout contract or leave the league altogether, provided a late offer doesn’t come his way.
That would seem unlikely at this point, given he failed to score a goal and had just eight assists in 59 games with the Ducks last season, the worst of his career. Advanced stats suggest he was a liability defensively too, as his Corsi-for percentage (44.5%) was the worst among regular Ducks defencemen.
Bieksa missed the final month of the regular season after undergoing surgery to remove scar tissue from his left hand.
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Hand Surgery For Kevin Bieksa, Out 2-5 Weeks
by Paul on 03/16/18 at 01:07 PM ET
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via the Anaheim Ducks,
The Ducks announced that defenseman Kevin Bieksa will undergo surgery on his left hand today to remove scar tissue. He is expected to be out of the lineup for 2-5 weeks.
Bieksa has appeared in 59 games this season, earning eight points (all assists). The 36-year-old defenseman appeared in his 800th NHL game on February 11 vs. San Jose and played his 200th career game as a Duck on February 5 at Toronto. He posted a season-high +3 rating on December 31 vs. Arizona and earned a career-high seven blocked shots on December 29 vs. Calgary.
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Video- Kevin Bieksa, Security Guard
by Paul on 11/09/17 at 01:22 PM ET
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Some guys keep falling for it.
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Videos- Nolan Patrick Hurt And Kevin Bieksa’s One Punch
by Paul on 10/25/17 at 06:42 AM ET
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The Philadelphia Flyers suffered a 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks and in the process lost Nolan Patrick.
The Flyers say they will know more on Patrick today, who did not return to the game.
via Sportsnet,
Below, Kevin Bieksa takes down Radko Gudas with one punch...
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nolan+patrick
Kevin Bieksa May Hold The Key For The Ducks’ Off-Season
by Paul on 06/13/17 at 07:27 AM ET
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from Eric Stephens of the OC Register,
Kevin Bieksa could hold the keys to the kind of player the Ducks will lose in the upcoming NHL expansion draft.
The veteran defenseman has a no-movement clause in a contract that enters its final year in July. And with that, Bieksa can make the Ducks protect him along with the other three players with such clauses who’ll certainly be kept from the draft – Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler and Corey Perry.
The expansion Vegas Golden Knights will select one player from each of the other 30 teams, and Bieksa’s clause presents a challenge for the Ducks in terms of those they want to keep. The Ducks are aiming to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie.
To keep a critical forward such as Jakob Silfverberg from exposure, the Ducks were expected to ask Bieksa to waive his no-movement clause so that would allow them to protect either defenders Josh Manson or Sami Vatanen along with Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler.
Bieksa had to be notified of the team’s intent by 2 p.m.(PT) Monday and, if asked as is expected, has until Friday to decide if he’ll waive it or not. The team did not comment and Bieksa’s agent, Kurt Overhardt, would not confirm if his client had been asked.
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Kevin Bieksa Is Playoff-Tough
by Paul on 04/19/17 at 10:18 AM ET
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from Helene Elliott of the LA Times,
On Tuesday, Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle pronounced Bieksa’s name with a distinct air of respect, and with good reason. “We like Kevin Bieksa,” Carlyle said. “I don’t care what anybody else says about him, personally.”
Carlyle and his coaching staff appreciated the physical price Bieksa paid on Monday in the Ducks’ comeback for a 5-4 overtime victory over the Flames, which gave them a 3-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series that resumes Wednesday in Calgary.
A popular target in the Flames’ strategy of being physical against the Ducks’ depleted defense corps, Bieksa twice went to the locker room for repairs but contributed two assists and a stellar block on a Calgary two-on-one rush. “It felt like a playoff game,” Bieksa said, and he didn’t have to say anything else.
Carlyle said he believes Bieksa’s competitiveness is a good example for his teammates, and it certainly fueled what Carlyle called Bieksa’s best performance of the season. Bieksa took no penalties, dished out two hits and turned the other cheek, never straying from Carlyle’s game plan.
“And he holds other people accountable. I’d like to say that he’s going to play mistake-free hockey, and I would say no because that’s the type of player he is and I don’t think there’s a player on the ice surface who doesn’t make mistakes,” Carlyle said.
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The Prankster Kevin Bieksa
by Paul on 11/02/16 at 02:30 PM ET
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from Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated,
With all the pranks Bieksa has performed over the years, the prosecution could assemble quite the case. “He’s got a large repertoire of stuff that the can pull out,” says Flyers forward Dale Weise, Some of the known favorites: filling shower towels with shaving cream, tornado-ing hotel rooms into oblivion, texting players from a front-office official’s phone, and executing what are known as “leaners”—in other words, filling a garbage can with water, propping it against someone’s door, knocking, and bolting.
Here, Burrows would like to contribute a favorite story. The Canucks were staying overnight in Chicago after playing the Blackhawks, scheduled to bus to the airport around dawn. That morning, Bieksa called Burrows’ room, complaining of soreness from a blocked shot and asking that Burrows bring him ice. “I got some ice bags ready, go and knock on his door,” Burrows recalls. “I didn’t know that was the neighbor’s room he gave me.” Neighbors, as evidenced by the furious naked man who answered, who had been engaging in some rather loud daylight delight.
“Then we go in the lobby to catch the bus and Kevin’s telling this story about how he’s looking at me knock on the door,” Burrows says. “Then the guy stormed out of the elevator. He wanted to complain, get the manager, I don't know to do what, but he wanted to fight me because he thought I was being rude, bringing him some ice bags. Kevin stepped in, told him to chill out, it’s just a joke. He settled everything.”
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Video- Kevin Bieksa Goes Undercover
by Paul on 10/11/16 at 01:04 PM ET
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Morning Line- Kevin Bieksa
by Paul on 08/22/16 at 06:25 AM ET
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“If you ask me, I’m going to play as long as I feel good and feel I can contribute. My body feels great right now. Training has gone really well. I don’t feel like I’m 35 years old physically.
“Who knows? If we had won a Stanley Cup back in 2011, maybe my perspective would have changed. I’m at the point in my career where I really want to win a Stanley Cup and I’ve wanted to win one for 30 years and I’ve dreamed about it for 30 years and I’ve been as close you can get.
“I’m going to keep playing for that. I’ll take whatever role it takes to help my team get there.”
-Kevin Bieksa of the Anaheim Ducks. Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province has more on Bieksa.
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Kevin Bieksa Fits Right In With The Anaheim Ducks
by Paul on 09/19/15 at 06:09 AM ET
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from Eric Stephens of the OC Register,
It is indeed a new day for Kevin Bieksa. New city, new colors, new coaches, new teammates.
Ah, new teammates. Once he was traded to the Ducks and promptly signed a two-year contract extension with his new team, Bieksa received well wishes from franchise bedrocks Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry – with whom he had numerous run-ins on the ice for a decade.
And when Bieksa went out to dine with Perry and Ryan Kesler, his teammate-turned-foe-turned-teammate again, the three of them couldn’t ignore the delicious slice of irony in front of them.
So what happens when three proud and fierce combatants gather socially?
“That was weird at first but after a while, we were just kind of laughing about it all and saying who would have thought that me, Kes and Perry would be sitting at a table having a drink together,” Bieksa said Friday as the Ducks officially opened their training camp at Anaheim Ice.
“That’s the way it is and I think it’s pretty seamless.”
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Anaheim Ducks/Kevin Bieksa Agree To Two-Year Extension
by Paul on 07/02/15 at 06:42 PM ET
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ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Anaheim Ducks announced today that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed defenseman Kevin Bieksa to a two-year contract extension through the 2017-18 NHL season. Per club policy, no financial terms of the deal were disclosed.
Bieksa, 34 (6/16/81), was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a second-round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft on June 30, 2015. Bieksa collected 56-185=241 points with a +22 rating and 879 penalty minutes (PIM) in 597 career NHL games with Vancouver. Among all-time franchise defensemen, the 6-1, 198-pound blueliner ranked sixth in scoring, assists and games, and fourth in PIM. Among franchise playoff leaders for defensemen, he led in goals (10), ranked third in appearances (71) and sixth in scoring. Bieksa helped lead Vancouver to Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final vs. Boston, earning 5-5=10 points in 25 postseason games.
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Two-Year Extension For Kevin Bieksa With The Ducks
by Paul on 07/01/15 at 08:46 AM ET
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Vancouver Trades Kevin Bieksa To The Anaheim Ducks
by Paul on 06/30/15 at 05:01 PM ET
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Vancouver, B.C. - Vancouver Canucks General Manager Jim Benning announced today that the Canucks have acquired a 2016 second round draft pick from Anaheim in exchange for defenceman Kevin Bieksa.
“We would like to thank Kevin and his wife Katie for their incredible commitment to this team and community,” said General Manager Jim Benning. “It’s always a difficult decision to trade a player who’s been such a big part of an organization for so long and we wanted to make sure we did what was best for both Kevin and the Canucks. Kevin was a leader for us and will always be connected with our fans and the Vancouver Canucks because of all he did for this province and team. We wish him and his family the very best.”
added 6:06pm,
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The Latest On Eric Staal And Kevin Bieksa
by Paul on 06/27/15 at 05:05 PM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
- General manager Ron Francis made it clear that the priority at this point is to try and sign Staal to an extension.
"I’ve had a general and open and honest conversation with Eric’s agent on things," Francis said Saturday. "We’ll continue to have those as we move into the summer. Eric has indicated he wants to be part of the Hurricanes moving forward, and we’ll see if we can get that worked out."
- General manager Jim Benning shed a bit more light on the deal that wasn’t completed with San Jose for Bieksa on Friday. It fell apart because the Canucks wanted a second-round pick in this year’s draft and the Sharks were only willing to provide a second-rounder next year.
"Going in, the market place dictates that Johnny Boychuk went for two second-round picks," Benning said, citing last fall’s deal between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders. "Kevin is a little bit older. That’s what our asking price was [a second-round pick this year]. I don’t think it’s too much, I think it’s fair. That’s what we were trying to get if we were going to move Kevin."
But for now, Bieksa remains a Canuck, although sources suggest Vancouver is talking to other teams.
"He’s still part of our team. We’ll continue to explore options and see where it goes," said Benning.
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kevin+bieksa
Is Kevin Bieksa Headed To San Jose?
by Paul on 06/26/15 at 07:09 AM ET
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Any Interest In Kevin Bieksa?
by Paul on 06/25/15 at 12:27 PM ET
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added 1:35pm,
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Video- Kevin Bieksa Hit On Victor Stalberg
by Paul on 03/31/15 at 09:32 PM ET
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via Sportsnet,
Watch as Vancouver Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa delivers a blow to the head of winger Viktor Stalberg from the Nashville Predators.
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Videos- Kevin Bieksa And Tom Sestito Injured In Vancouver/Nashville Game
by Paul on 11/03/14 at 07:23 AM ET
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via TSN,
Head coach Willie Desjardins didn't reveal too much about the injuries after the game saying "Bieksa is going to get looked at" and Sestito "might be a couple of days." The Bieksa injury isn't believed to be serious, but Sestito was seen leaving the building on crutches.
Tom Sestito video below...
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tom+sestito
Kevin Bieksa Believes In The Canucks
by Paul on 08/28/14 at 04:11 PM ET
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from Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province,
“I still believe in our group. I trust the twins are going to come here and be ready. (Defenceman Dan Hamhuis) will be hungrier than ever. We have a lot of pride on this team, a lot of integrity, and we’re not happy about what happened last year. I think we’re all going to look in the mirror and come back motivated. I’m excited about this year.”
After an offseason in which the organization was taken down to the studs, so are a lot of people. But it’s a funny thing.
For all the changes made to the Canucks this summer — and that was everything except the drapes and carpeting — the team’s fortunes are still very much tied to a group of players who’ve been together for almost a decade. The Canucks are younger. They should be deeper. There’s a new president, a new GM and a new coach, to say nothing of a new goaltending tandem and a new second-line centre.
But, for all that, this team will still go as far as the Sedins, Bieksa, Alex Burrows, Alex Edler and Hamhuis (admittedly a late-comer to the Founders’ Club) can carry them. The look will be different. The supporting cast will be different. But the core group, at least at the start of the season, will be the same.
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Kevin Bieksa Out At Least Through The Olympic Break
by Paul on 01/30/14 at 03:53 PM ET
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via TSN,
The Vancouver Canucks will be without defenceman Kevin Bieksa for at least the next five games with an undisclosed injury.
Canucks acting head coach Mike Sullivan said the 32-year-old won't be going with the team on their upcoming road trip meaning he's out until at least after the Olympic break.
The eight-year veteran has three points in his last three games and 19 in 55 games this season. He played more than 23 minutes in Vancouver's loss to Chicago on Wednesday.
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Video- Kevin Bieksa Gets His Money’s Worth
by Paul on 11/30/13 at 05:46 PM ET
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On the losing end of a 5-2 score to the New York Rangers, Bieksa fought Brian Boyle and Boyle's helmet too.
Both received 5 for fighting at the 20 minute mark of the 3rd period.
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NHLPA approving hybrid icing: no shoo-in
by George Malik on 09/30/13 at 12:49 AM ET
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Hybrid icing has been neither a cure-all nor a disaster.
In instances where there's a race for the puck and a defenseman has a clear advantage heading toward the faceoff dot, he no longer needs to fear someone trying to ram him into the end boards between the dot and the icing line. The play's simply blown dead.
In instances where teams nursing a lead hope to prey upon their opponents' desperation by pursuing iced pucks at Larry Murphy speed, burning clock until they reluctantly touch the puck, and in instances where teams desperate to tie the game find that the "attainable passing" rule's abolishment yields home-run passes that don't click wrecking precious seconds off the clock late in games, they can still "go for it."
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john+tortorella,
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vancouver+canucks
Afternoon Line
by Paul on 05/06/13 at 04:15 PM ET
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via Mark Spector tweets,
VAN's Bieksa calls out Couture and Thornton for embellishing calls. "It's a lack of integrity."
Bieksa - “Thornton, another so-called Canadian ... He gets slashed, takes his glove off, shakes his hand."
Bieksa: “Couture has been snapping his head back. This isn’t my opinion. The evidence is in the video.”
More Bieksa: “Those are 2 Canadian guys who are supposed to be playing the game with integrity. Maybe our team has to do more of that.”
added 9:07pm, Want to see the video of Bieksa talking abou the Sharks, watch it below via Sporstnet...
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LA Radio Guy Thinks He Is Interviewing Kesler…
by Paul on 04/21/12 at 06:16 PM ET
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but it is Bieksa. Listen to the interview, then click the link below the video.
More at The Legion of Blog at the Vancouver Province.
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ryan+kesler
Video- “The Old Ball Hockey Guy From Grimsby” (Ont), That’s Kevin Bieksa
by Paul on 02/04/12 at 08:10 PM ET
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A save to prevent a two goal lead and a goal to tie the game.
Canucks did win in the shootout.
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Afternoon Line
by Paul on 05/24/11 at 05:59 PM ET
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“I don’t think we’ll focus on his shoulder too much — he’s a pretty hard guy to hit. For me, if I can put him though the boards, I’ll do that regardless if he has a sore shoulder or not.”
-Kevin Bieksa of the Vancouver Canucks talking about Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks. More on game 5 from Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province.
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Bieksa Still In Vancouver
by Paul on 02/14/11 at 11:49 AM ET
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from Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province,
After all, when Ballard and Hamhuis were acquired, Bieksa looked like the sacrificial salary cap lamb before Sami Salo ruptured an Achilles’ tendon on July 22. Even though his name would surface again in trade debate, Bieksa resolved to remain calm and concentrate on his game. His teammates certainly noticed. Bieksa paired with Andrew Alberts and Aaron Rome on Saturday in a 4-2 win over Calgary and has become the glue on a back end that’s trying to keep from coming unglued. Although not on pace to match his breakout 42-point season in 2006-07, Bieksa has 19 points (6-13) in 55 games and is a better all-round player.
“His high-percentage plays, work ethic and attitude have been team-oriented and he’s been a great model for the younger guys,” said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. “When he was telling people he wasn’t paying attention to what was going on [trade rumours], I think he really meant it. That’s why he could focus.”...
“He’s dealt with a lot of crap the past couple of years with the trade rumours and he was probably not playing his best hockey,” said Kesler. “But he’s been one of our top D-men.”
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Kevin Bieksa & Alex Burrows Share A Chat In The Dressing Room
by Paul on 01/27/11 at 05:24 PM ET
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ESPN captures the moment.
Yes, I had Kesler in the headline instead of Bieksa and now fixed. Told you folks I need to recharge, I could feel it and this proves it.
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kevin+bieksa
Bieksa Taken Down With One Punch
by Paul on 01/23/11 at 11:41 AM ET
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from Gordon McIntyre of The White Towel,
Kevin Bieksa was 2-0 in fights this season, but he took one on the button in the first period Saturday night and didn’t return to the game.
Tom Kostopoulos, fresh off serving a six-game suspension for breaking the jaw of Detroit defenceman Brad Stuart with a shoulder to the head, was jamming at Roberto Luongo after the Canucks goalie had covered up the puck.
Bieksa and Kostopoulos dropped the gloves, each threw two or three blows that missed, then Kostopoulos connected, buckling Bieksa’s knees.
The Canucks defender looked wobbly and was escorted to the dressing room.
continued and watch the fight below…
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tom+kostopoulos
Losing To Chicago Still On Bieksa’s Mind
by Paul on 01/13/11 at 01:31 PM ET
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from Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com,
Kevin Bieksa said he believes the Vancouver Canucks deserved a better fate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past two seasons.
Back-to-back six-game losses in the Western Conference semifinals, courtesy the Chicago Blackhawks, will do that to one’s psyche. While the results haven’t sat well with the defenseman, Bieksa also feels lessons learned in those losses only will strengthen the group in its pursuit of the big trophy this season.
“Losing when you think you deserve better is a tough thing,” Bieksa told NHL.com.
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Bieksa Less Likely To Be Traded
by Paul on 01/11/11 at 11:21 PM ET
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from Matthew Sekeres of the Globe and Mail,
The Canucks did entertain moving Bieksa, who is in the final year of a contract that pays him $3.75-million, prior to the season, but they kept coming back to one difficult truth. Their team was run out of playoff-quality defencemen in a second straight postseason loss to the Chicago Blackhawks last spring, and trading Bieksa would allow for that possibility again.
That same logic – and Sami Salo’s uncertain return from a ruptured Achilles tendon – still applies heading into next month’s trade deadline, and moreover, Bieksa may have made himself too valuable to trade. (Being Vancouver’s only right-handed defencemen also helps his odds of staying).
The Canucks still must clear salary-cap space, about $1.5-million, to get Salo back on the active roster, but it appears less and less likely that they will move Bieksa to do so.
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Bieksa Continues To Deal With The Rumors
by Paul on 11/29/10 at 07:15 PM ET
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from Ben Kuzma of The White Towel,
Bieksa hasn’t lost any sleep over the latest rumoured scenario that would see him shipped to Washington for under-achieving Capitals forward Tomas Fleischmann. The upside for the Canucks would be getting something now for the pending unrestricted free agent. The downside is losing a veteran blueliner, risking another injury on the back end and leaving the Canucks with only Sami Salo as a right-hand shot. And there’s no guarantee how well Salo will perform when he eventually recovers from a ruptured Achilles suffered July 22. Add it all up and Bieksa is amused by it all.
“I think it’s hilarious,” said Bieksa. “It’s funny how you guys keep throwing my name out there and I’m still standing here. I don’t think I can comment on every rumour that’s out there, but certainly with his one, I’m still here today and that’s all I can say. Rumours are out there and I’ve had my fair share. I’ve learned to deal with it and it doesn’t bother me.”
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Habs-Sens redux, Saturday notes
by The Upper Canadien on 10/23/10 at 10:30 AM ET
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Tonight, the Canadiens take on the Senators in Ottawa, perhaps still recovering from their 3-0 loss at the hands of New Jersey on Thursday. The Canadiens looked terrible against the Devils, going long stretches without a shot as New Jersey invoked pre-lockout hockey to shut down any offence the Habs could muster. Sure, the Devils were helped by the inane refereeing of Stéphane Auger, but the Canadiens themselves were to fault on Thursday as they failed to put forth the effort needed to beat Martin Brodeur.
As an aside, Brodeur did make some fantastic saves, but so did Carey Price. With an average goaltender, the Habs may have lost 6-0. It was that one sided at times.
So, while the Habs prepare for the Sens, a few questions linger from Thursday:
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What’s Going On With Bieksa?
by Paul on 08/25/10 at 01:22 PM ET
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from Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province,
The Canucks will still look at trading Bieksa. But they aren’t in a rush. It’s moved the betting line. People are beginning to see there remains a good chance now Bieksa will start the season with Vancouver. There are a number of reasons why.
The trade market is barren (see Tomas Kaberle). The Canucks have some flexibility under the salary cap with both Alex Burrows and Salo expected to start the season on injured reserve.
Bieksa is the Canucks only healthy defencemen, among eight, with a right-handed shot. Losing him now would begin to unravel Gillis’s nearly single-minded pursuit this offseason — to get better and deeper on defence.
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Is Bieksa A Fit In Dallas?
by Paul on 08/16/10 at 11:08 PM ET
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from Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News,
The problem with Bieksa is that Vancouver needs good, young cheap players or draft picks because they are close to the salary cap and they cannot take salary back. Bieksa has one year left at $3.75 million, so the Stars would have to be able to fit in Bieksa, move out one of their current defensemen, and give up some prospects.
I just don’t know how you make that work on their current budget, or if it’s worth it to get one year of Bieksa.
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What Vancouver Would Want To Send Bieksa To Anaheim
by Paul on 07/22/10 at 07:52 PM ET
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from Ben Kuzma of the White Towel at the Vancouver Province,
The Anaheim Ducks are doing more than kicking the tires on Kevin Bieksa. They’re checking the sticker price.
If the Ducks are willing to part with a draft pick and a prospect, that could send the Vancouver Canucks defenceman and the $3.75 million US remaining on his salary to a team in need of back-end help. It would also ease salary cap concerns for the Canucks, who added $825,000 to the mix Thursday in Jannik Hansen’s arbitration settlement that puts the the club more than $1 million over the $59.4 million ceiling.
After trading defenceman Steve Eminger to the New York Rangers — and losing Scott Niedermayer to retirement — the Ducks are down to Lumobir Visnovsky, Sheldon Brookbank, Tony Lydman and Danny Syvret as roster veterans and have yet to sign restricted free agent James Wisniewski.
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Bieksa Or Souray Could Help Ducks
by Paul on 07/21/10 at 10:09 PM ET
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from Eric Stephens of Ducks Blog,
No one is saying it on the record but the Ducks still want to add another defenseman of some significance and their prime target as of now would be Vancouver’s Kevin Bieksa.
Let’s get this straight. Bieksa would not be the cure-all to a unit whose current top two performers are Lubomir Visnovsky and James Wisniewski, who’s still unsigned and likely won’t be before his Aug. 3 arbitration hearing given the sizable difference between the defenseman and the club.
But there are advantages to acquiring Bieksa, who’s clearly on the trade market after the Canucks added veterans Keith Ballard and Dan Hamhuis. He’s 29 and relatively affordable with $3.5 million owed this season on an expiring contract. He’s also productive when healthy as he has twice put up 40-point seasons….
If the Ducks are unable to land Bieksa, would they consider taking a flier on oft-injured, big-salaried Sheldon Souray if they can get Edmonton to take streaky, big-salaried Jason Blake?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: kevin+bieksa,
sheldon+souray
Canucks Defense Takes A Hit
by Paul on 01/04/10 at 07:55 PM ET
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from TSN,
The Vancouver Canucks received some awful news on the injury front Monday when they learned that they would be without defenceman Kevin Bieksa for up to three months with severed tendons in his left ankle.
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Tags: kevin+bieksa
Bieksa Suffers Leg Cut
by Paul on 12/30/09 at 11:13 AM ET
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from Ian MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun,
“I went to put pressure on it to skate back to the net and my ankle kind of gave out,” Bieksa said. “I thought maybe my skate blade was broken, but I kind of figured it out from there. It’s not my Achilles at all.”
Bieksa said he didn’t want to discuss any details about the injury until he knows more. But he leaned heavily on a crutch as he left the dressing room and will be going back to Vancouver today. The injury will probably be measured in weeks, possibly many of them, not days.
Asked the extent of it, coach Alain Vigneault said: “We’re not quite sure yet. He got a skate cut and we’re not sure of the severity of it, so we’ll know tomorrow after a MRI.”
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Tags: kevin+bieksa
Can Better Hockey Socks Help Prevent Injuries?
by Paul on 12/22/08 at 11:06 AM ET
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from Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province,
It has taken a self-inflicted wound to keep Teemu Selanne from inflicting more pain on the Vancouver Canucks tonight at GM Place. It has also reopened debate within the NHL Players Association whether players are properly protected from razor-sharp blades penetrating ultra-thin uniforms….
“You think about the socks and how much that plays a role in it and how thin they are these days,” Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa said Sunday. “I know I’ve spoken about it to a few people on the NHLPA and hopefully it’s something they address.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: kevin+bieksa,
mats+sundin
Bieksa Should Play Sunday
by Paul on 10/18/08 at 03:14 PM ET
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from Iain MacIntrye of the Vancouver Sun,
Winger Kyle Wellwood has been given a few days off. He cleared waivers this morning and is back in Vancouver waiting for the Canucks to find him a place to play in the minors….
The Canucks are trying to find another minor-league team with room for Wellwood, although Vancouver will be paying his NHL salary of $998,000 US.
Bieksa is eligible to come off the injured list today will likely play Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks. He strained his knee early in the Canucks’ victory in Calgary one week ago.
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MRI For Bieksa
by Paul on 10/12/08 at 02:45 PM ET
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from Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province,
While his teammates flew to Washington on Sunday to continue a six-game road trip, Kevin Bieksa flew back to Vancouver to have his injured left knee further evaluated.
The Canucks defenceman will have an MRI [magnetic resonance image] on Sunday to assess how long he’ll be sidelined following a first-period collision Saturday with Wayne Primeau..
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Bieksa On The Road Back
by Paul on 01/07/08 at 11:31 AM ET
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from the Vancouver Province,
In one summation, Kevin Bieksa explains the elation of finally focussing on weight-bearing exercises to strengthen his surgically- repaired calf muscle.
In the next summation, the Vancouver Canucks defenceman admits there’s no timetable for his return from the laceration he suffered Nov. 1. And he doesn’t want to think about the prospect of not playing again until next fall.
“I’ll deal with that when I get there,” said Bieksa
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Tags: kevin+bieksa
