Slumping Canucks Head to the Joe; Trade with Montreal; Torts and Henrik Returns

It was a torturous month of January for the Vancouver Canucks.  It is a month they would like to forget.  After going 4-9-2, they are barely clinging to a potential playoff spot.  The injury list has piled up for the Canucks, which has also mixed with having a suspended head coach.

Torts and Henrik Returns

The Canucks will welcome back head coach John Tortorella to the fray tonight in Detroit.  The Canucks went 2-4 during his 15 day absence from the club.  Here is what Torts had to say on his return:

"I apologize first and foremost to the players, to the organization and to the league. It hasn't been a great two weeks" - Tortorella
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) February 3, 2014

"We had meetings this morning, we have a long list of things we need to improve at. We need to start over on the mental side" - Tortorella
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) February 3, 2014

"We're off the rails on a lot of different aspects. Every aspect of our game is off. This team can and will play the right way" - Tortorella
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) February 3, 2014

"We've let a lot of teams back into the picture here, we've got a job to do and we're going to face it head on" - Tortorella #Canucks
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) February 3, 2014

"I didn't help matters for this team and we're in a tough spot right now. It's up to me to do my job and get this team back" - Tortorella
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) February 3, 2014

Torts sounds completely apologetic for his actions a couple weeks ago and acknowledges the poor hockey that the Canucks have been playing.  It sounds like he is ready to get back to work and get this club securely back in playoff contention.

Canucks Captain Henrik Sedin will also make his return tonight for the Canucks after suffering injured ribs.  He has not suited up since January 18 against the Calgary Flames and has missed a total of six games this season.

Henrik is good to play. Sestito returns. Richardson out with undisclosed injury.
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) February 3, 2014

Trade with Montreal

#Canucks have acquired defenceman Raphael Diaz from Montreal in exchange for Dale Weise. Formal announcement to follow.
— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) February 3, 2014

The Canucks traded tough feisty fourth line winger Dale Weise to the Habs, who are desperately wanting to become a bigger team.  In return, the Habs sent Swiss defenseman Raphael Diaz to the Canucks, who have been racking up the blueline injuries.

This trade will work for both sides.  Diaz, 28, is a right handed shooting defenseman.  He is not a top pairing guy, but can provide the Canucks with 18-20 quality minutes on the blueline.  Diaz is a smallish defenseman at 5'11" tall.  He will provide the Canucks with blocked shots, something Torts is looking for in his defensive system.

I like Dale Weise and think he can be a useful bottom6 winger but I believe he and Torts had different ideas of what kind of player he was
— Dan Murphy (@sportsnetmurph) February 3, 2014

Torts and Dale Weise seemed to butt heads and had different ideas on what role Weise had with the Canucks.  Weise should help the Habs by giving them a little bit more sandpaper in their bottom six.

Canucks/Wings Preview

Vancouver Canucks: 56 GP: 27-20-9; 63 pts
Detroit Red Wings: 55 GP: 24-19-12; 60 pts

Both the Canucks and Red Wings are coming off losses.  The Red Wings lost an overtime thriller to the Capitals yesterday 6-5, while the Canucks lost last Friday 4-3 to the Jets.  Vancouver has losses in its last three games.

Detroit is ranked fifth in the Atlantic Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference.  The Red Wings are 4-4-2 in their last ten games.  Vancouver is ranked fourth in the Pacific Division and eighth in the Western Conference.  The Canucks have won just three games in their last ten contests.

This game can be viewed on Sportsnet Pacific or Fox Sports Detroit Plus at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT.

Here are the projected lineups:

Red Wings (the bad guys)

Forwards:
Gustav Nyquist - Henrik Zetterberg - Justin Abdelkader
Tomas Jurco - Riley Sheahan - Tomas Tatar
Joakim Andersson - Darren Helm - Daniel Alfredsson
Drew Miller - Luke Glendening - Patrick Eaves

Defensemen:
Niklas Kronwall - Jonathan Ericsson
Kyle Quincey - Danny DeKeyser
Brian Lashoff - Jakub Kindl

Goaltenders:
Jimmy Howard (starter)
Jonas Gustavsson

Canucks (the good guys)

Forwards:
Daniel Sedin - Henrik Sedin - Alex Burrows
Chris Higgins - Ryan Kesler - Zack Kassian
David Booth - Zac Dalpe - Jannik Hansen
Tom Sestito - Kellan Lain - Jordan Schroeder

Defensemen:
Jason Garrison - Alex Edler
Dan Hamhuis - Frank Corrado
Ryan Stanton - Yann Sauve

Goaltenders:
Eddie Lack (starter)
Roberto Luongo

Things to watch for - Red Wings:

Gustav Nyquist - coming off a hattrick against the Capitals, he has 8 points in his last 5 games.  The 24 year old Swede has found chemistry with fellow Swede Henrik Zetterberg.  He is a 2008 fourth round pick of the Detroit Red Wings and has finally broke his way into the NHL after spending some time in Grand Rapids (AHL).

Danny DeKeyser - what a nice find by Red Wings GM Ken Holland.  The Detroit native came out of college and is now playing in the NHL for his home team.  He played college at Western Michigan University and has provided the Red Wings some much needed depth on defense.

Things to watch for - Canucks:

Henrik Sedin - the Captain is back.  The quarterback of the Canucks powerplay and all around good guy Hank the Tank is back to lead the Canucks.  This will hopefully motivate brother Daniel as he has struggled to score lately, much like the rest of the Canucks.

Eddie Lack - he will make his second straight start to disappoint Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock.  Babcock.  Lack played an excellent game against the Jets, stopping 30 of 34 shots.  He only really let in one bad goal, which he eventually recovered from.  He has stood tall in the net and has tremendous poise.

Prediction:
4-1 Red Wings (Nyquist GWG)

Until next time, stay classy! -George