Speculation: Canucks Off-Season is going to be Fun

[Canucks LB]

With the loss tonight, the Canucks are basically out of the playoffs for this season. It's been a pretty drama-filled year, alongside significant injuries across their lineup.

But most importantly, the Canucks have two years to convince Quinn Hughes to stay past the 2027 season.

This is going to be a monumental task, especially after what transpired this season, but as you know, things can change fast.

One thing we know for sure is that Rutherford is not shy to wheel and deal and make significant trades. I feel like there's going to be even more pressure on Jim and Allvin to make significant moves to improve the team with the two-year Quinn window.

Luckily for Vancouver, they have a ton of pieces, and most importantly, the defense is pretty much set, with a nice mix of youth and experience:

• Hughes - Hronek
• M. Petey - Myers
• D. Petey - Mancini / Willander

This is very strong, but I wouldn’t get too attached to Willander, because this brings me to the next issue.

The center position.
Currently, it's Pettersson, Blueger, Chytil, Raty, and Aman.

Suter is a UFA, and he's been great for us all season, but in my opinion, he's more of a winger.

Chytil's injury concerns are significant. We hope he gets better, but he can’t be relied on, and if he comes back, many people have him moving to the wing, because of the next issue.
But first, the Canucks' #1 priority this offseason is to find a young-ish center.
This is an incredibly hard task, but luckily, as I wrote above, they do have pieces.
For example, would a 1st round pick (12-15) + Willander / Lekkerimäki be enough to get that center? I feel there’s a shot.

Whether they want to do it is another issue altogether, because trading a guy like Willander would be a huge blow if the player they trade him for doesn’t pan out.

Also, which teams are going to trade a young center? It's a huge problem.

You can always look at the UFA market, but it's basically just Sam Bennett, who will cost a fortune. He’s not coming here, in my opinion.

The next issue is wingers. The Canucks will most likely let Boeser walk, which will free up a significant amount of cap space. The problem is that most teams in the league will also have a ton of cap space. Will the Canucks go for an impact player like Marner or Ehlers, or will they go for a mid-tier option?

Again, you need to sell Quinn Hughes on staying, so will the mid-tier option be enough?

The goalie situation will be fine with Demko and Lankinen.

And that’s where Vancouver is at. It’s going to be a pretty fascinating offseason.
What do you think they should do?

https://puckpedia.com/team/vancouver-canucks

here is the cap Situation for Vanouver.

Needs - Top 6 Center, 3rd Line Center (If Chytil moves to Wing) Top 6 Winger.
Assets - 1st + 2nd + 3rd Round Draft Picks. Lekkerimaki + Willander for significant trade pieces.

 

[Coffee]

Snag Barzal

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Willander for Shane Pinto? Sens C is a strength and
Sanderson-Willander
Chabot-Yakemchuk would set us up nicely for the the future.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

With the loss tonight, the Canucks are basically out of the playoffs for this season. It's been a pretty drama-filled year, alongside significant injuries across their lineup.

But most importantly, the Canucks have two years to convince Quinn Hughes to stay past the 2027 season.

This is going to be a monumental task, especially after what transpired this season, but as you know, things can change fast.

One thing we know for sure is that Rutherford is not shy to wheel and deal and make significant trades. I feel like there's going to be even more pressure on Jim and Allvin to make significant moves to improve the team with the two-year Quinn window.

Luckily for Vancouver, they have a ton of pieces, and most importantly, the defense is pretty much set, with a nice mix of youth and experience:

• Hughes - Hronek
• M. Petey - Myers
• D. Petey - Mancini / Willander

This is very strong, but I wouldn’t get too attached to Willander, because this brings me to the next issue.

The center position.
Currently, it's Pettersson, Blueger, Chytil, Raty, and Aman.

Suter is a UFA, and he's been great for us all season, but in my opinion, he's more of a winger.

Chytil's injury concerns are significant. We hope he gets better, but he can’t be relied on, and if he comes back, many people have him moving to the wing, because of the next issue.
But first, the Canucks' #1 priority this offseason is to find a young-ish center.
This is an incredibly hard task, but luckily, as I wrote above, they do have pieces.
For example, would a 1st round pick (12-15) + Willander / Lekkerimäki be enough to get that center? I feel there’s a shot.

Whether they want to do it is another issue altogether, because trading a guy like Willander would be a huge blow if the player they trade him for doesn’t pan out.

Also, which teams are going to trade a young center? It's a huge problem.

You can always look at the UFA market, but it's basically just Sam Bennett, who will cost a fortune. He’s not coming here, in my opinion.

The next issue is wingers. The Canucks will most likely let Boeser walk, which will free up a significant amount of cap space. The problem is that most teams in the league will also have a ton of cap space. Will the Canucks go for an impact player like Marner or Ehlers, or will they go for a mid-tier option?

Again, you need to sell Quinn Hughes on staying, so will the mid-tier option be enough?

The goalie situation will be fine with Demko and Lankinen.

And that’s where Vancouver is at. It’s going to be a pretty fascinating offseason.
What do you think they should do?

https://puckpedia.com/team/vancouver-canucks

here is the cap Situation for Vanouver.

Needs - Top 6 Center, 3rd Line Center (If Chytil moves to Wing) Top 6 Winger.
Assets - 1st + 2nd + 3rd Round Draft Picks. Lekkerimaki + Willander for significant trade pieces.

Goalie situation isnt fine with goalies who can't even get past .900 sv under this supposedly good defense. Probably need to upgrade on Myers who will be one year older. MPetterson is more of a number 4/5 than a 3. Young number 2 Centers are almost impossible to get so you might have to just go for Bennett. Rebuilding teams tend not to trade youngish centers. Maybe Zacha is still considered a C? Maybeee Minny hates Rossi for some unexplainable reason (but they will want win now pieces).

 

[Canucks LB]

Goalie situation isnt fine with goalies who can't even get past .900 sv under this supposedly good defense. Probably need to upgrade on Myers who will be one year older. MPetterson is more of a number 4/5 than a 3. Young number 2 Centers are almost impossible to get so you might have to just go for Bennett. Rebuilding teams tend not to trade youngish centers. Maybe Zacha is still considered a C? Maybeee Minny hates Rossi for some unexplainable reason (but they will want win now pieces).

Goalie situation is good because it’s already done, demko it’s not going anywhere, and lankinen signed.

Both are very good if They can stay healthy, which is a big ask.

Also, your not gonna be perfect, Cap needs to be spent on Forwards, Myers was good, Mpetey is a good #4 this year.

Overall D was good, and will get better with a full season, lets not forget our D before the trades, and injuries to hughes and hronek and having juulson for most of the year.

Now we have lots of youth, experience and talent.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Goalie situation is good because it’s already done, demko it’s not going anywhere, and lankinen signed.

They just need to stay healthy, which is a big ask.

Also, your not gonna be perfect, Cap needs to be spent on Forwards, Myers was good, Mpetey is a good #4 this year.

Overall D was good, and will get better, lots of youth, experience and talent.

Myers is 35 years old, an age where he could drop off a cliff like all the dmen that look good for a year in their mid 30s and then lose it.

 

[Three On Zero]

Goalie situation isnt fine with goalies who can't even get past .900 sv under this supposedly good defense. Probably need to upgrade on Myers who will be one year older. MPetterson is more of a number 4/5 than a 3. Young number 2 Centers are almost impossible to get so you might have to just go for Bennett. Rebuilding teams tend not to trade youngish centers. Maybe Zacha is still considered a C? Maybeee Minny hates Rossi for some unexplainable reason (but they will want win now pieces).

Goaltending is set although with an expensive backup Lankinen…. Marcus Pettersson is absolutely more of a #3 than he is a 4/5.

 

[Coffee]

Goalie situation is good because it’s already done, demko it’s not going anywhere, and lankinen signed.

Both are very good if They can stay healthy, which is a big ask.

Also, your not gonna be perfect, Cap needs to be spent on Forwards, Myers was good, Mpetey is a good #4 this year.

Overall D was good, and will get better with a full season, lets not forget our D before the trades, and injuries to hughes and hronek and having juulson for most of the year.

Now we have lots of youth, experience and talent.

Reply to the Ottawa guy also

 

[Coffee]

Myers is 35 years old, an age where he could drop off a cliff like all the dmen that look good for a year in their mid 30s and then lose it.

Makar and Hughes entering their primes right now. A decade will pass in a flash.

definitely going to look back during these times when Makar and Hughes were on top

 

[Goatlender]

Goalie situation isnt fine with goalies who can't even get past .900 sv under this supposedly good defense. Probably need to upgrade on Myers who will be one year older. MPetterson is more of a number 4/5 than a 3. Young number 2 Centers are almost impossible to get so you might have to just go for Bennett. Rebuilding teams tend not to trade youngish centers. Maybe Zacha is still considered a C? Maybeee Minny hates Rossi for some unexplainable reason (but they will want win now pieces).

The defence sucked for over half of the season though (until the Miller trade). It wasn’t until they acquired Marcus Pettersson and Mancini, and D-Petey graduated from the AHL, and Forbort/Hronek/Hughes all got healthy from injuries, that they had a good defence, which was fairly recent.

Players like Juulsen, Deshernais, Forbort, and Myers were playing top 4/top 2 minutes.

 

[Canucks LB]

The defence sucked for over half of the season though (until the Miller trade). It wasn’t until they acquired Marcus Pettersson and Mancini, and D-Petey graduated from the AHL, and Forbort/Hronek/Hughes all got healthy from injuries, that they had a good defence, which was fairly recent.

Players like Juulsen, Deshernais, Forbort, and Myers were playing top 4/top 2 minutes.

This is exactly it, people don’t realize we played half the season with either defenders higher up in the lineup, or just straight up not that good.

Halfway through the season, our defence completely got reworked, and it’s been really good since.

 

[Canucks LB]

Willander for Shane Pinto? Sens C is a strength and
Sanderson-Willander
Chabot-Yakemchuk would set us up nicely for the the future.

Reply to the Ottawa guy also

I would look around a bit more before I would pull the trigger around something like that.

The thing is, and I think you know this, I am a huge fan of Pinto, and I feel he has immense potential.

That being said, I would definitely still look around before I make that decision, right now I’m leaning towards No.

Willander is an extremely significant piece for Vancouver, 6,3 RHD that can skate like he does, but you need to be very careful trading him.

 

[Canovin]

Nucks would be foolish not to trade Hughes now and get something for him before he leaves

 

[HockeyVirus]

I don't really see how the Canucks manage to improve their centers. Unless the play is to throw a pile of money at Sam Bennett, what are they going to do trade multiple future firsts when they are not even a known playoff team for a 2C with term?

Is the plan to move Pettersson before his NMC kicks in for a 2C and a 3C and have that massive hole? Is it to hope and pray Pettersson remembers he is actually good and they address 2C at the TDL (assuming they are in a playoff spot by then?)

Otherwise the defense is going to have to lose a significant piece to address that hole. Also, I don't trust their goaltending. Demko is a sneeze from having his career be over and Lankanen gives me Riemer / Bernier / Campbell vibes.

 

[Chainshot]

Read that as "Faschingating" and was wondering why they would need Hudson.

 

[Canucks LB]

Nucks would be foolish not to trade Hughes now and get something for him before he leaves

They’re still a year away from that decision

 

[outlet]

What about the head coach?

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

All the makings of perpetual mediocrity for the Canucks.


You love to see it.

 

[eojsmada]

As long as Rutherford is pulling the strings, mediocrity will be the future. It's easy to construct a Cup roster when you already have 4 HoF'ers still in their primes and then ride a hot goalie. But having to push a team that was a playoff contender and get them over the hurdle into Cup contender is a much different animal.

 

[Diogenes92]

The issue with the Canucks is that they believe they are cup contenders and will continue to make moves that reflect that.

They are allergic to multiple 1st round picks and would rather cut corners to building a contender.

Itll be the same song and dance until Hughes ends up leaving.

 

[Canovin]

They’re still a year away from that decision

Another year isn't going to change. Quinn will want to play with his brothers

 

[SensontheRush]

I dunno, that defense is kinda shit IMO. Myers is going to fall apart next year, and Marcus Pettersson needs someone to cover his mistakes, not the other way around. That top-pairing of Hughes-Hronek is a pretty unbalanced pairing as well.

Willander for Shane Pinto? Sens C is a strength and
Sanderson-Willander
Chabot-Yakemchuk would set us up nicely for the the future.

Pls no.

We just got rid of Norris, so our centre depth is vastly overrated now. I don't see Cozens at C in the future at all. He plays like a winger.

 

[Coffee]

All the makings of perpetual mediocrity for the Canucks.


You love to see it.

I dunno, that defense is kinda shit IMO. Myers is going to fall apart next year, and Marcus Pettersson needs someone to cover his mistakes, not the other way around. That top-pairing of Hughes-Hronek is a pretty unbalanced pairing as well.

Another year isn't going to change. Quinn will want to play with his brothers

Okay fine. We’ll rebuild.

 

[Drew Doubty]

I dunno, that defense is kinda shit IMO. Myers is going to fall apart next year, and Marcus Pettersson needs someone to cover his mistakes, not the other way around. That top-pairing of Hughes-Hronek is a pretty unbalanced pairing as well.


Pls no.

We just got rid of Norris, so our centre depth is vastly overrated now. I don't see Cozens at C in the future at all. He plays like a winger.

I dunno, Myers has actually strung together his 2 best seasons as a Canucks in a row now. Age is a factor, but Willander is likely going to slot in as a third pair guy immediately and is more likely than not to become a top 4 guy.

I don't know what you're saying about MP - He's been a solid second pair guy for us. Love his game.

 

[landy]

Luckily for Vancouver, they have a ton of pieces, and most importantly, the defense is pretty much set, with a nice mix of youth and experience:

Lost me here. That defense is pretty bad and captain obvious, but Quinn is bolting for NJ first chance he gets.