Canadian Press - 10/9/2007 8:55:08 PM

VANCOUVER - Canuck centre Ryan Kesler has something to prove to both Philadelphia and Vancouver as the NHL teams prepare to meet for the first time in almost two years.

Courtesy of TSN.ca

Wednesday's meeting at GM Place marks the first time Kesler has faced Philadelphia since former Flyers general manager Bobby Clarke signed him to a one-year US$1.9-million offer sheet just before the start of the 2006-07 NHL season. Vancouver was forced to match the offer to retain Kesler's rights.

"It's going to be fun to play against a team that obviously wanted me," said Kesler. "So I'm gonna show them why they gave me the offer sheet and I'm gonna show 'em why I'm here."

Because of imbalances in the NHL's scheduling, the Canucks and Flyers have not played each other since Dec. 15, 2005.

Clarke thought highly enough of Kesler to offer him a deal, even though he had only played one full NHL season and a part of another.

Vancouver had a week to match the offer or take a second-round draft pick as compensation for the centre. Canuck GM Dave Nonis decided to keep Kesler, now 23, because he felt the Livonia, Mich., native could provide some badly needed offence.

Kesler managed only six goals and 10 assists in a 2006-07 campaign that was shortened to 48 games by a hip injury that required surgery in January.

"This year, I don't think I'm putting as much pressure on myself," he said. "I'm just going out and trying to have fun out there."

But a year after the controversial contract offer, the Canucks are still looking for more offence from the six-foot-two, 205-pound forward. Kesler produced one assist as the Canucks split their first two games of the season, losing at home to San Jose and beating the Flames in Calgary.

He was on the ice for all three first-period goals as the Canucks dropped their home opener 3-1 to the Sharks and has a minus-four mark thus far.

"I think I need to pick up my defensive game a little bit," said Kesler. "I never thought I'd be dash-four going into game three, but it happens.

"It seems like every time I was jumping on the ice I was getting scored on."

Kesler is confident that his offensive output will increase naturally if he thinks more about checking than scoring. And the Flyers will give him plenty of potential scorers to focus on.

Centre Daniel Briere, who joined the Flyers as an unrestricted free agent in the off-season after Buffalo declined to re-sign him, has three goals and an assist with his new team. Left winger Simon Gagne also has four points (one goal, three assists) and Mike Knuble, who was hobbled by injury much of last season, is averaging better than a point per game, with a goal and two assists.

New Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, who took over from Clarke last season, has drastically revamped his club's roster. Most Flyers, including notable newcomers Briere, Joffrey Lupul and Jason Smith, who were acquired in a trade over the summer with Edmonton, and left winger Scott Hartnell and defenceman Kimmo Timonen, acquired from Nashville at draft time, started last season with other clubs.

"We didn't see the Flyers last year," said Kesler, who would like to see the NHL's schedule revised so that all teams face each other at least once in the regular season. "It's going to be: Start from scratch basically." <

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault has shifted Kesler off the club's second line, inserting Brendan Morrison between captain Markus Naslund and second-year winger Ryan Shannon. But Kesler will still see power play duty as the special teams unit, which struggled most of last season, has been unexpectedly productive in the early going.

So far, four of Vancouver's five goals have come with the man advantage.

Vigneault said Kesler, who also kills penalties, has done "all right" this season. Some reporters translate such comments from Vigneault to mean "not great."

Either way, Vigneault left little doubt that he wants more points from Kesler.

"We said before the season started that we're expecting big things from him and, hopefully, he can produce," said Vigneault.

GM Nonis is gambling that he can. The Canucks signed Kesler to a new three-year deal in May that pays him an average of $1.75 million US per season.

Although Kesler has a bit of extra motivation to play well against the Flyers, neither the Philly offer sheet nor the new contract will be enough to sway Vigneault when he decides how to distribute ice time among his players.

"I couldn't care less about offer sheets," said Vigneault. "For me, it's about what they do on the ice. It's not about the contracts."

While the Flyers, 1-1, provide a tonic of sorts to Kesler, the Canucks might also be an elixir for a Philly club that missed the playoffs in 2006-07. They have posted five consecutive wins at Vancouver and are 13-3-1 in their last 17 games against the Canucks.

"Obviously, they seem like a very motivated group right now," said Vignault.

NOTES - Canuck defenceman Alex Edler, who missed the first two games of the regular season and a large part of the pre-season because of a hip flexor, practised Tuesday and could play against the Flyers. Fellow rearguard Sami Salo is still out with a hairline wrist fracture. .. Philadelphia signed free agent defenceman Rory Fitzpatrick, who played for the Canucks last season, to a one-year contract Tuesday after he passed a pre-season tryout. But he is not expected to play against Vancouver. .. The Flyers have listed Lupul (wrist) and defenceman Randy Jones (hip flexor) as day to day as they recuperate from injuries. .. The Flyers have spent the past couple of days on a retreat in Whistler, B.C., where they participated in team-bonding exercises, which included having a player fall backwards and allow his teammates to catch him. The purpose was to develop trust.