While the results of this season are obviously disappointing for the Vancouver Canucks -- disappointing enough to cost GM Mike Gillis his job -- this isnt necessarily a team in a terrible position. Steve DeBerg Jersey . In fact, with a few improvements, this could very well be a decent team over the next few seasons. I will go into more detail when digging into the Canucks Off-Season Game Plan, which will be coming earlier this year since they are part of the non-playoff contingent, there are some reasons to think this is a favourable situation for President of Hockey Operations Trevor Linden and whomever he selects to be the new general manager. This isnt to say everything is just fine, but there are teams in far worse situations than the Canucks. A look at some of the positives: Despite this season going off the rails, the Canucks ranked ninth in Fenwick Close, a measure of puck possession. Among the top dozen teams in that metric, only the Canucks and New Jersey Devils (who are an impossibly terrible 0-11 in shootouts) are not in playoff position. So why is that a positive? The Canucks arent going to the postseason, in large part, because theyve been terribly unlucky around the net. Their 7.2% even-strength shooting percentage is ranked 25th in the league this year after it was middle of the pack -- 15th (8.0%) and 14th (7.8%) -- in the previous two seasons. Its very difficult for a team to stray too far from the average over a longer period of time and while this doesnt mean the Canucks can just assume that they will score more next season, its pretty easy to forecast better luck for this group. As low as the team shooting percentage is at 5-on-5, having the likes of Alexandre Burrows, Chris Higgins, Ryan Kesler and both Sedins, their big minute forwards, all under 8.0% makes it likely that there will be some recovery towards more typical production, particularly because the Canucks top forwards still had strong seasons in terms of puck possession and as long as they are controlling play, the odds are in their favour that more pucks will end up in the oppositions net. Add a bona fide scorer to the mix and the odds of recovery would be even better. The Canucks have a solid group of defencemen. The top four of Dan Hamhuis, Kevin Bieksa, Alexander Edler and Jason Garrison is more than capable of anchoring a playoff team. Garrisons possession numbers took a dive this year but, on the whole, this group isnt a primary issue. Even better, they have relatively economical options Chris Tanev and Ryan Stanton to round out the top six. Tanev is also a viable candidate to move into the top four if one of those named above is convinced to waive a no-trade clause in order to upgrade elsewhere. There was a lot of talk around the trade deadline about Edler being available and, while it must be with the understanding that Edler was the unluckiest of Canucks blueliners this past season in terms of percentages going awry, he would be a top pair defenceman for quite a few teams and, since those arent made available often, he ought to bring a significant return. Also, as I noted on Twitter, the Canucks were on a 106-point pace through the first half of the season, but as January rolled around, they had some overlapping injuries. At some point, it was either Edler, Burrows, Roberto Luongo and/or Henrik Sedin missing time and they didnt have the depth to make up for those absences. That lack of depth brings us to some of the concerns that the new management will need to address. One, their core is older. Among the top six forwards in average ice time, 28-year-old Mike Santorelli, an unrestricted free agent coming off shoulder surgery, is the only one that wont be 30 by the time next season starts. On defence, Edler (27) and Tanev (24) are younger, but Garrison turns 30 in November and Bieksa and Hamhuis are already beyond. This doesnt mean that the moment a player hits 30, that they cease to have value, but age makes professional athletes a declining asset at a certain point and, by age 30, the vast majority are declining assets and most of Vancouvers core is in that neighbourhood now. Their goaltending situation, not-so-long-ago enviably deep, is decidedly suspect. 26-year-old Eddie Lack has had an okay rookie season, though if he had played well in January (1-5-2, 2.95 GAA, .908 SV%), that might have prevented, or at least slowed, the teams fade from contention and then his first couple weeks following the Luongo trade (.882 SV% in 8 GP) were a little rough as well but, on the whole, Lack has given the Canucks more than they had any right to expect from him coming into the season. Lack has played well enough to have a shot at competing for the starting job next year, with a veteran added to the mix to provide stability. There are free agents ranging in experience (Ryan Miller, Jaroslav Halak, Jonas Hiller, Brian Elliott, Ray Emery, Thomas Greiss) or a trade option like James Reimer that could upgrade the position from its suddenly subpar standing and an above-average possession team with stable goaltending is most of the way towards the playoffs. There is also the matter of Ryan Kesler reportedly asking out of Vancouver prior to the trade deadline. If that holds true, then there would be at least one blockbuster move to take care of this summer, but Kesler recently indicated that he intends to return to Vancouver next season. Even if they are capable of returning to the playoffs in short order, and thats possible, the Canucks need to beef up their young talent throughout the organization so that, even if the Canucks arent necessarily Cup-bound in the next couple years, that they have enough to be competitive as the core moves on. Young roster wingers Nicklas Jensen and Zack Kassian still have some potential to explore but may not ultimately be top-six performers. Bo Horvat and Brendan Gaunce, first rounders the past two seasons, could provide solid two-way play when they are deemed ready to play, but the Canucks need more. These are the challenges that come with the job for anyone running a hockey team and, given the Canucks above-average core, they have some easier issues to deal with than some other non-playoff clubs that dont have that foundation in place. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Curtis Martin Jersey . - Titans quarterback Jake Locker will miss the rest of the season with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, leaving Tennessee trying to rally with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Lawyer Milloy Jersey .The league also seems to have a fairly active Twitter account www.twitter.com/bikinihockey that features the description “We provide a positive alternative to the hockey community and a venue for adult female hockey athletes to continue in their sport. http://www.custompatriotsjersey.com/custom-larry-allen-jersey-large-1241f.html . Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres came to an agreement on a big trade that may only offer incremental improvement to the Blues in their quest for a Stanley Cup.Auburn, AL (SportsNetwork.com) - Auburn put up touchdown after touchdown in the second half and then finally stopped South Carolina on fourth down. When the Gamecocks got the ball back, there wasnt enough time to travel the length of the field again. Nick Marshall ran for three touchdowns and threw for another as the fifth- ranked Tigers defeated South Carolina 42-35 on Saturday night. Auburn scored touchdowns on six straight possessions at one point, with Marshalls go-ahead 5-yard TD sprint with 11:22 left providing the Tigers a 42-35 lead. The Gamecocks converted their first five fourth-down opportunities -- including two on their ensuing drive -- before Dylan Thompson overthrew Shaq Roland in the end zone on a 4th-and-14 at the Auburn 19. Four of those fourth-down conversions came in South Carolinas own territory. South Carolina then forced its first punt of the second half and regained possession at its own 15 with 1:08 to go and no timeouts. Jonathan Jones, though, intercepted his second pass on Thompsons Hail Mary heave in the end zone on the final play of the game to preserve the win and national title hopes for the Tigers. Cameron Artis-Payne ran for 167 of Auburns 395 yards on the ground to go with a touchdown. Marshall was 12-of-14 for 139 yards and a touchdown and added 89 yards rushing on 10 carries for the Tigers (6-1, 3-1 SEC), who bounced back from their lone loss of the season two weeks ago at Mississippi State. Thompson completed 29-of-50 passes for 402 yards with a school-record five touchdowns to go with three interceptions for South Carolina (4-4, 2-4), which has dropped three of its last four games. Ricardo Louis dashed down the left sideline for a 75-yard touchdown and a 35-28 Auburn cushion midway through the third quarter, just one snap after the Gamecocks Pharoh Cooper burst through the middle of the Tigers secondary on a quick slant that turned into a 51-yard TD reception. On the ensuing drive, Thompson hit Roland for a 12-yard completion on an out route to keep South Carolina a yard shy of the first-down marker on a 3rd- and-13. Cody Gibson committed a false start penalty to push it to a 4th-and-6 at the Gamecocks 40, but Steve Spurrier elected to go for it anyway. Thompson sprinted oout to his right and hooked up with Cooper for nine yards to move the chains. J. D. Smith Jersey. Mike Davis then broke off a 23-yard run, Thompson found Roland for an 18-yard completion two plays later and then fired a 10-yard TD strike to Nick Jones in the back of the end zone to tie the game late in the third. And Spurrier wasnt done gambling. South Carolina recovered an onside kick to regain possession, and Davis plunged for three yards up the middle on a 4th-and-1 at the Auburn 23. On 3rd-and-8 at the 18, however, Jonathan Jones made a diving interception on a pass floated in the back left corner of the end zone intended for Roland. It didnt take long for Auburn to strike. Marshall flipped a screen out to Quan Bray for a 20-yard reception and then fired a 28-yard completion to Corey Grant along the right sideline two plays later. Marshalls 9-yard TD run off the left side came a snap later. Earlier, Rolands 32-yard TD catch on South Carolinas opening drive began the scoring, and the Gamecocks marched into Auburn territory on their next offensive series following a Tigers punt. Cassanova McKinzy, though, picked off Thompson inside the 10 and Marshall flipped a 3-yard TD pass to Brandon Fulse to cap an 11-play, 92-yard sequence and knot the score late in the first. The Gamecocks first fourth-down make came on a 4th-and-2 at their own 33 early in the second quarter, when Davis took a swing pass and scampered 18 yards along the right sideline. Cooper hauled in a 16-yard TD reception before Auburn answered with Artis-Paynes 2-yard TD run for a 14-14 tie midway through the second. Bray fumbled on a punt return and Davis took a swing pass in the left flat 27 yards for a score to put South Carolina back ahead, but Marshall answered with a 37-yard TD sprint to knot the game at 21-21 late in the first half. Marshalls 4-yard TD run on Auburns opening touch of the second half gave it a 28-21 advantage. Game Notes Auburn has won 14 straight home games, tied with Florida State for the longest active FBS streak ... The Tigers were 6-of-8 on third down, while the Gamecocks finished 6-of-14 ... Auburn outgained South Carolina, 551-535 ... Auburn moved to 310-5 when scoring at least 30 points. ' ' '