• Young forwards like Steve Bernier Mason Raymond and highly touted first-round draft pick Cody Hodgson look like they're ready to contribute. "As far as I'm concerned, I haven't earned a spot here, and I'm out to do that," Raymond said. "I have to earn my spot, earn my ice time. This job is not secure, especially not for me."• It's often true that teams need to lose before they can win -- and the Canucks haven't forgotten what happened last May during their second-round playoff exit against the Chicago Blackhawks . They're determined to make amends for that collective meltdown. "There's a lot of bitterness in the way things ended," fourth-line center Ryan Johnson said. "Guys really feel like we left something on the table."• The Canucks kept their three most important players, inking the Sedin twins to five-year deals and Luongo to a 12-year pact that will keep him a Canuck for life. Retaining Luongo, who would have been entering the last year of his contract, was vital. GM Mike Gillis "told me he wants to build a championship team, and that's the only thing he wants," Luongo said. "I'm the same type of person."