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1999-2000 Stat Leaders Stat  Leader  No.  Goals  Markus Naslund  27  Assists  Andrew Cassels  45  Points  Markus Naslund  65  +/-  Harold Druken  14  Shots  Markus Naslund  271  Ice Time (F)  Mark Messier  21:11  Ice Time (D)  Mattias Ohlund  27:40  Faceoff Pct.  Dave Scatchard  59.47%  Hits  Todd Bertuzzi  187     Murray Baron  187  PP Pts  Markus Naslund  25   SH Pts  Peter Schaefer  5

This is what general manger Brian Burke has been waiting for. Last year, after salivating over the thought of seeing Swedish twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin in Canucks uniforms, Burke will get his wish Oct. 5. That's when the real pressure mounts for the Sedins, who are viewed as saviors for a franchise that has missed the playoffs the last four years.

Whether that's a fair assessment of a couple of soon-to-be 20 year olds is immaterial. What's important is that Burke and coach Marc Crawford have steered the Canucks to respectability in the last couple of years.

Even though Vancouver went 30-37-15, there were a few encouraging signs as the season wore on. The club went 15-10-5 after the All-Star break, narrowly missing the playoffs by four points, due in large part to the play of goalie Felix Potvin.

Should the Sedins pan out, underrated defenseman Adrian Aucoin stay healthy the whole year and forward Todd Bertuzzi pick up where he left off, the Canucks will be in the thick of the playoff race.

For more on the Canucks, bookmark this page and check back Wednesday, Oct. 11 for a Sports Illustrated Scouting Report.

BRIGHT SPOTS		GRAY AREAS
Bertuzzi, a power forward, finished up last season with 21 points in his final 23 games. Five years ago defenseman Ed Jovanovski was hailed as a potential stud. Two teams later he's making fewer mistakes and settling in as a top player along the blue line. Signing Bob Essensa to back up Potvin may not be an upgrade over the departed Garth Snow, but Essensa knows his role and won't rock the boat as the intense Snow did on occasion. Stay-at-home defenseman Murray Baron, an unsung hero on the blue line, tied for the NHL lead with 185 blocked shots.		League-high eight losses in overtime sank their season. He may be a graybeard but the Canucks will miss Mark Messier's offense. He had the team's highest points-per-game ratio (.87). This season may be critical to the team's long-term health in Vancouver. Owners have reportedly lost between $80-100 million over the past five years, which may signal a push to relocate the franchise. Sixty minutes isn't enough obviously. The Canucks tied for the league lead for overtime appearances last year, with 28. That wasn't the bad news, though. Their OT record was (4-9-15).

Comings
Player	Pos.	From	Via
Bob Essensa	G	Phoenix	Free agent
Bryan Helmer	D	St. Louis	Free agent
Scott Lachance	D	Montreal	Free agent
Brendan Morrison	C	Vancouver	Re-signed
Felix Potvin	G	Vancouver	Re-signed
Jarkko Ruutu	RW	Vancouver	Re-signed
Corey Schwab	G	Vancouver	Re-signed

Goings
Player	Pos.	To	Via
Brian Bonin	C	Minnesota	Free agent
Mark Messier	C	NY Rangers	Free agent
Chris O'Sullivan	D	Anaheim	Free agent
Darby Hendrickson	F	Minnesota	Expansion
Steffan Nilsson	F	Minnesota	Expansion

Prospect Watch
Bryan Allen, D, 6'4", 210
Born: August 10, 1980 in Kingston, Ontario
Acquired: 1998 draft, first round (No. 4 overall)
Since being drafted he has been plagued by knee injuries. When healthy, Allen has a decent all-around game. He uses his size well and possesses a hard low shot. Scouts envision him anchoring the Canucks' defensive corps for years to come, but only if his knees hold up.

Get the Highlighter
Thurs., Oct. 5 at Philadelphia: It's important they start well on the road -- they were 14-17-10 last year -- because 15 of final 28 are away from Vancouver.
Thurs., Oct. 12 vs. Colorado: Canucks play nine of 11 at home after the Avs.
Wed., Dec. 20 at Edmonton: Crucial stretch has the team play seven of eight on the road, starting against the Oilers. Edmonton enforcer Georges Laraque called Canucks fighter Donald Brashear a chicken last year. Will it happen again?
Tues., March 13 at Detroit: Talk about brutal. Canucks take their show on the road again for seven straight matches, ending on March 25.
Mon., April 7 at Los Angeles: First meeting of home-and-home series with the Kings could prove to be pivotal.

Quoteworthy
"It wasn't a financial issue as much as there's a time when we had to let the kids start to play, and we thought it was the year after this one. It just so happens we have to move it up a year now."
--Dave Nonis, director of hockey operations, on moving forward without Messier

Team-by-team previews compiled by CNNSI.com's Ken Klavon, Jamie MacDonald and Jimmy Traina.

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