The Fifth Liners

As the the free agency period drags on, there are still some note worthy names who have yet to find a new home. Here are the pick of the bunch who still remain un-signed. Cody Franson  The 27 year old blue-liner has been the source of much speculation this summer, but as yet no offer has been made. Last season splitting his time between Toronto and Nashville, his form declined after being traded in February. Franson has a good shot and has proven to be a solid D-Man in years gone by. The main problem is the $3.3 million cap hit that his signing would bring. Still, I believe this man is one name that shouldn't be left floundering in free agency for this long. Alexander Semin After having the remaining $7 million bought out of his contract after a poor season for Carolina, Semin is search for a new dawn. Although he has proven to be a solid pro, his point production has slowed over the years after leaving Washington. However, at only 31 years old, Semin still has plenty to pr...

Mike's question this week again focuses on my team the Vancouver Canucks and our currently shocking run of form, the question reads "The Vancouver Canucks have lost their last three games. Is this an Olympic hangover or are there deeper problems in BC?" This will be a tricky one for me to answer, particularly as I don't wish to incur the wrath of my fellow fans! But anyway, away we go! So far the Canucks are currently on a run that makes last season's 3rd place finish in the Western Conference seem like a beautiful dream, and currently our winning record stands at just one win from a possible 12 games! But the biggest question is what exactly causing this slump? In December we recorded an impressive 7 consecutive wins and after a slow start things appeared to be picking themselves up. The Olympic Hangover hasn't helped us, but I wouldn't point the blame squarely at this because there seems to have been a far worse problems  growing within the...