Vancouver Signs Mikael Samuelsson
Dobber Sports
2009-07-03
The Vancouver Canucks have signed winger Mikael Samuelsson to a three-year contract worth $7.5 million total.
Fantasy Impact: This was not unexpected that Detroit would lose him, as the team had their eye on Ville Leino making the jump, along with Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader. So Marian Hossa and Samuelsson will be replaced by good young players (though these kids could never fill the shoes of a Hossa obviously).
In Vancouver, the team needs scoring wingers and Samuelsson will provide that on a secondary level. He'll replace what Taylor Pyatt brought, though with less size and more goals. He managed 40-45 points in three of his last four seasons, but he had a place in Detroit's system that suited him really well. I don't think he slots in quite as neatly with Vancouver, so expect 36-41 points as his range.
Michael Grabner won't make this team in the fall anymore. Sergei Shirokov may find things tough as well, so perhaps he won't be so inclined to come over – he signed a two-way deal, so he'll have to really make an impression to stick. In the KHL he doesn't have that problem.