"When the Vancouver Canucks officially resurface today for training camp, there will be none of the excitement or urgency which enveloped everything they did just three months ago.

There is just no easy way to go from the Stanley Cup final to the first day of school.

To go from Game 7 to physicals could make camp feel more meaningless than usual. There is a long, arduous road ahead. Really, it's a monumental task for this team to get back and it'd be natural if it produced some emotional sag.

The Canucks know all about sagging early. With Alain Vigneault and Roberto Luongo, the team hasn't had one decent start to a season in five years. They sit 31-28-3 in October overall under Vigneault, suggesting it may be time for some changes in the way the team approaches preseason.

Much of September, in years past, has been used to evaluate organizational depth and gauge prospects. Both noble pursuits. Let the young guys play a lot and use lineups which would never be considered when games count."