Prediction Time! Where Do We Finish In The Division?

[TruKnyte]

If things break our way, wild card. Otherwise I wouldn't be surprised to see them end up in the same spot.

 

[theoriginalBCF]

I have zero doubt the Canucks will win the division for a few reasons:
1). They are hungry. After the last 2 covid seasons, injuries, etc, the team is going to be very eager to prove all the "prognosticators" and "doomsayers", especially on this board, wrong.
2). They are 3 lines top 9 deep, which is essential for success. The reality is, we don't know what we are getting with Kuzmenko, but we know with all the others, and they're all solid top 6 forwards for the most part. The Canucks will have a 2a, 2b lines
3). Top 10 pp, with a vastly improved 2nd unit. This should push the 1st PP
4). The PK will be better. It could not have been worse for the Canucks than the start last season. Once BB came in they stabilized, but still needed work Funny how putting EP40 out on it made a huge difference as did putting out 43...
5). Top 5 GA 5v5. I mean this is the most important stat. They rarely gave up 5v5 goals. How this gets overlooked or just shoveled under the carpet is ridiculous.
6). Healthy season from EP40... you can say all you want about 9's 99 point season, but the heart and soul of the success of the Canucks rests on EP40's and BB6's shoulders. When they are on, the Canucks win. Period. Never ever break them up.
7). Best goalie in the conference, let alone division. Demko is Demgod. Teams hate playing against him, he steals games, and now he won't have to steal as many, have a lighter workload along with a very consistent schedule.
8). #43. Hughes is Makar light, and he can take over and dominate games. Expect him to up that game this season.

That is why they will win the division. I could pick apart the other teams, but that is for a different thread other than this... Kings had peak seasons from aging veterans, Flames got worse and had career seasons from the team (That cannot repeat itself), Oilers stayed Neutral all around, but there will be improvements from within (Bouchard, Broberg), Knights stayed neutral/worse in net, Sharks and Ducks will be better but not quite playoff teams. Maybe the Kraken will improve, but I am not sure honestly.

Overall, Canucks will win the division, and it is going to shock people... but not me.

 

[Canuckle1970]

I picked us 2nd if we still have Miller.

So many things could go wrong, but just as many could go right. We start off well having BB coaching, and every player that counts being healthy (EP40 in particular). Like Edmonton, our forwards will compensate for our weaknesses on defense, but we have the better goaltending in Demko and Martin (assuming he is the reliable back-up we've been missing).

Will Calgary overuse Marky to another breakdown? Is Jack Campbell an upgrade on Smith in Edmonton?

Every team in our division is vulnerable if key players get injured, so that's a wash. Stay "healthy", and we finish 2nd.

Signed, the eternal optimist.

 

[wetcoast]

Edmonton
LA
Calgary
Vancouver *wildcard*
‐--‐-----------
Vegas
Anaheim
Seattle
San Jose


Full year and training camp with competent coaching staff.

Offense has good depth. Weaknesses like speed and penalty killing were addressed in off-season.
Goaltending is excellent. Demko is a top 5 goaltender will be able to steal a bunch of games. Defense, particularly the right side, is such a glaring weakness it's difficult to rate us higher than 4th in the division.

I do think the Pacific got better. We will hear all year long how bad the division is no matter what the teams look like....just how it is around hf. So even though I have them only reaching 4th place, I do think it will be a considerably better year for us.

We look like a bubble team and probably will be. Unless Petey, Boeser and Hughes ascend to even higher levels; Miller maintains his elite play; players like Dickinson and Poolman bounce back; and Kuzmenko is an NHL level talent - I just dont see a contender unless all these variables are accomplished.

Good post although I see the wildcard coming from the Central again and also think that Vegas will overcome their lack of an NHL goalie....maybe.

 

[logan5]

If JT is still with the team, the Canucks are in the hunt for 1st place imo. Their pk should be fixed, and they will be even stronger offensively. If the Oilers and their poor Defense and poor goaltending can contend for 1st, well then so can the Canucks. That 106 point pace was for real.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

I really don't think they're done with their off-season moves. Of course, I am often wrong.
I'll make my prediction closer to training camp. I will probably be wrong.

 

[Mr. Canucklehead]

I’m an eternal optimist, so I’m going to say we get in in a wildcard spot.

If things are left unchanged, our forward group is deep and our goaltending is excellent. Our patchwork defense was able to have a solid run under Boudreau last season - maybe it’ll be enough over the course of a whole season as well.

Our chances greatly improve if we improve the blueline somehow, though.

 

[NoShowWilly]

I hope we take a big step this year. Figure out the pk and i think we are for sure a playoff team.

 

[TruGr1t]

Assuming no major injuries and everything falls pretty much the Canucks way, they will be in a fight with Vegas behind the Alberta teams and LA. Should be better than SJ, Anaheim and Seattle, but weirder things have happened.

 

[Baby Pettersson]

1st place AINEC. Going to quote this at end of the season.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Results of the poll so far, look more optimistic for the Canucks than not...A great number of other predictions have the LAK ahead of the Canucks..Even with Fiala, I 'm not convinced LAK are clearly better than the Canucks..

I wouldnt be surprised if the Pacific is a close 5 team pack (LVGK,VAN,CAL,LAK,EDM) all year, with nobody running away with the division.....Any one of those teams could be leading the division throughout certain points of the season if they get a hot streak.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

I think 3rd is a very likely outcome this year.

If the Kings kids make major strides and don't suffer from setbacks in development or Vegas finds away to get league average goaltending either one or both of them could pass us up.

I don't see us beating Oilers / Flames in the standings as is.

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

I think 3rd is a very likely outcome this year.

If the Kings kids make major strides and don't suffer from setbacks in development or Vegas finds away to get league average goaltending either one or both of them could pass us up.

I don't see us beating Oilers / Flames in the standings as is.

Oh I’m sorry, I guess you weren’t watching in 19/20 Back In The Bubble. This core with Bruce a full year. Cmon.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Oh I’m sorry, I guess you weren’t watching in 19/20 Back In The Bubble. This core with Bruce a full year. Cmon.

How could I even see with my human eyes all the way across the Atlantic ocean AND the North American continent in to Vancouver?!

Check mate.

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

How could I even see with my human eyes all the way across the Atlantic ocean AND the North American continent in to Vancouver?!

Check mate.

Streaming

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Streaming

Gulf Stream?

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

Gulf Stream?

Any way the wind blows

 

[bossram]

They are what I said they were last year: A bubble team.

I think they'll be in a dogfight to get in the last WC spot with LA. But when your max upside is "wildcard", that's not a great indictment of the state of the club.

1. CGY
2. EDM
3. VGK
WC: LA or VAN.

I'm gonna go with 4 teams from the Central getting in fairly comfortably (COL, MIN, STL, NAS), so 1 WC spot up for grabs.

 

[Fatass]

I think 3rd is a very likely outcome this year.

If the Kings kids make major strides and don't suffer from setbacks in development or Vegas finds away to get league average goaltending either one or both of them could pass us up.

I don't see us beating Oilers / Flames in the standings as is.

I agree. We will be either 3,4, or 5. I think Vegas is going to have trouble, but LA is young and very good, so maybe fourth is about where we finish?
I don’t think we are in the playoffs through. Everything was near to perfect for the club (after the BB hire) and we missed. I’m seeing about the same. We will end up missing the wild card by 2-5 points.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

I agree. We will be either 3,4, or 5. I think Vegas is going to have trouble, but LA is young and very good, so maybe fourth is about where we finish?
I don’t think we are in the playoffs through. Everything was near to perfect for the club (after the BB hire) and we missed. I’m seeing about the same. We will end up missing the wild card by 2-5 points.

Other than Fiala, LAK are being led by veteran players..If 36 year old Quick, and 35 year old Kopitar regress, they are in trouble.

 

[wonton15]

Miller trade and any improvements to our defense will have us anywhere from 2nd to last...

If we don't trade Miller and we keep essentially our current team, i'll say wildcard.

 

[Fatass]

Other than Fiala, LAK are being led by veteran players..If 36 year old Quick, and 35 year old Kopitar regress, they are in trouble.

LA is proven to be better than us. If they are in trouble, where are we?

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

LA is proven to be better than us. If they are in trouble, where are we?

a team that isnt dependant on players closer to 40 than 30..

 

[The Stig]

a team that isnt dependant on players closer to 40 than 30..

Yea that's the thing. They still depend on Kopitar and Quick. I also do NOT think they're proven better than us. Making the playoffs once doesn't prove anything. We made it to the second round a couple years ago.

 

[krutovsdonut]

second or fifth. they either surprise or struggle.