Sedin Twins and Bernier still feeling each other out...

The two most notable forwards to join the Vancouver Canucks in the off-season were Pavol Demitra, from division rivals Minnesota Wild and Steve Bernier from the Buffalo Sabres. The task of the newcomers was not a simple one. They were expected to fill the shoes of Brendan Morrison (off to Anaheim) and Markus Naslund (starring on Broadway), who had been the 2 offensive mainstays with the Canucks organization for several years.

As the Canucks have been scoring at an impressive pace, no one has really had much to say for or against these acquisitions. It’s difficult to say much about Demitra, as he finds himself in a familiar situation yet again this season: on the sidelines with an injury.

Sedin Twins & Steve Bernier

Steve Bernier was expected to be featured on the right wing of the top line. While Bernier hasn’t put up big offensive numbers in the NHL to this point in his career, there are big expectations for him in Vancouver, as he’s found himself with the Sedin twins.

While Bernier has showed some flashes of offensive skill and chemistry with the twins, he’s also looked a little out of place at times. 4 goals and 3 assists in 12 games is not a bad start, but it’s likely taking the former Shark and Sabre a little bit of time to get adjusted to the Canucks system.

Bernier possesses the physical attributes that would lead one to believe that he would be the perfect fit to play alongside Henrik and Daniel. He is big, strong and possesses a good right handed shot. The twins love to cycle the puck, and all Bernier has to do really is find the open areas in the slot, the “soft spots” of the coverage. I think that it will take a little more time for the trio to find some consistency.