JANNIK HANSEN Jannik Hansen wasn't one of the front-runners to be a first-line winger at the start of camp but it's looking more and more likely that is where he's going to slot in when the regular season opens in one week. Hansen has spent the most of the past two games lining up on Vancouver's top unit alongside Henrik and Daniel Sedin and he certainly has not looked out of place. The 27-year-old Dane has also been one of the Canucks' most consistent forwards so far in pre-season play as far as his offensive output is concerned. He has two goals and three points in four games played to go along with 14 shots. Hansen finished last season as Vancouver's third-leading point producers behind only the twins with 10 goals and 27 points. He was on pace to set a new career-high in points had the season not been shortened due to the lockout.

BRAD RICHARDS If there was one member of the Rangers who wasn't too choked up about their head coaching change in the off-season, it would probably be Brad Richards. The 33-year-old, who signed a massive nine-year deal worth $60 million with the Blueshirts two summers ago, had a tough time trying to live up to the expectations in his second stint working with John Tortorella. In the past two seasons since joining the Rangers, Richards has only managed to amass 36 goals and 100 points in 128 games. He's seen his ice-time diminish to the point where he ultimately became a healthy scratch in New York's brief playoff run last year. Richards hasn't exactly lit it up playing under Alain Vigneault either albeit the sample size has been quite small. In two pre-season games, he has zero points and a minus-three rating.