Player of the Week
This was a very tough decision as there were many candidates. Marco Rosa put up 7 points (3 G 4 A) in 6 games and has impressed many fans who were not familiar with him when the season began. Sergei Shirokov could have wilted under the fact that he got sent down to the Moose but used his demotion as motivation to put up 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points in only 4 games. As strong as these candidates were, the POTW Award goes to Michael Grabner.
Grabner had 6 points (4 G 2 A) in 5 games and was called up to the Vancouver Canucks. He took a ton of shots, used his excellent speed to his advantage and was ready when called upon to lead the Moose to their great start. The former first round pick has continued to show he can dominate at the AHL level and for his performance is more than deserving of the Player of the Week award.
Transactions
This section will deal with notable transactions involving the Moose.
October 10 - Canucks recall Guillaume Desbiens
October 13 - Canucks re-assign Guillaume Desbiens
Many Canucks and Moose fans scratched their heads when Desbiens was recalled. He barely played in the pre-season due to injury and was getting the call instead of "more deserving" guys like Grabner and Shirokov. Head Coach of the Canucks Alain Vigneault stated that since Steve Bernier was moving to the top line, he wanted someone to replace Bernier on the third line, which Desbiens would do. Fair enough. As soon as he came, he went. Desbiens played about 9 minutes as a Canuck and is now back with the Moose.
October 14 - Manitoba Moose sign Matt Pettinger to PTO
Pettinger makes his return to the Canucks organization after a short hiatus. He played two games with the Moose last season before being claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Let me make something clear with a Pro Tryout Contract (PTO). This by no means the Canucks can call him up, nor does he count against the salary cap. AHL teams have the right to sign players on their own, which is exactly what this is. Should the Canucks want him to play for them, they would need to sign him to an NHL contract, just like any of the other 29 teams could. This is a signing for the Moose as the Canucks have run into injury problems and Manitoba is solidifying their depth.
October 14 - Canucks recall Michael Grabner
After a 3 year wait from hearing his name being called in the first round of the NHL entry draft Grabner finally makes his debut for the big club. Not only is he playing with the Canucks, he is scheduled to play on their first line with Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows. With Daniel Sedin injured long term Moose fans know they may have seen the last of Grabner for some time.
Players to Watch
Marco Rosa
Rosa has 7 points in 6 games to start the season and shows no sign of slowing down. With at least a point in every game thus far Rosa is impressing fans in his new hometown day by day.
Sergei Shirokov
Since being sent down to the Moose Shirokov has responded by contributing 7 points in the 4 games he has played. His skill level is extremely high and Shirokov can take over a game on his own with his speed, vision and soft hands. With Michael Grabner being called up, look for Shirokov to continue his rapid pace as he is counted on more and more.
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