Tell me why I shouldn’t worry about the Canucks slipping

[Raistlin]

From a talent perspective it would be some sort of travesty if they managed to miss the playoffs with a roster that good.

That said, "having a coach like Tocchet" is a statement that really means nothing when he's made the playoffs in 2 of his 9 seasons as head coach. I'm not hopping on that hype train just yet, maybe in due time.

to be fair, a cohesive organisation will make everyone look good. The Panthers were a laughingstock team not too long ago until Zito changed all that. Maurice wasnt a tier 1 coach until he stepped into a good organization and he got the support to shine, you can see that extra bounce his step during the run.

 

[Machinehead]

One answer: PDO

The PDO thing with Vancouver last year was kind of a meme.

They got off on a bender the first third or so of the season, but they finished the season 7th in CF% and 8th in xGF%. They were legitimately one of the top teams at 5v5.

They did end up 1st in PDO but it was buoyed by a ridiculous start, and it's not that meaningful when you have other metrics to back it up.

That's not to say they'll definitely be a good team, because who knows the future, but they were last year.

 

[jackjohnson]

to be fair, a cohesive organisation will make everyone look good. The Panthers were a laughingstock team not too long ago until Zito changed all that. Maurice wasnt a tier 1 coach until he stepped into a good organization and he got the support to shine, you can see that extra bounce his step during the run.

I agree, people here still think Benning is managing the team and forgot we changed all of our staff, management, coaches, assistant coaches etc. Heck Canucks fired even their writers, hotdog stand person etc. Plus we now have Sedins, Malhotra, Gonchar, Foote, Tocchet and others that have cup experience or been in this business for ages. Definitely the opposite of mickey mouse ran organization that was headed by Benning and a guy who couldnt fax paperworks to NHL in Weisbrod

 

[Bgav]

Stranger things have happened. I know you’re emotionally bound to them. Good luck this season.

Going back 26 points with their current roster would be something. But yes - we shall see

From a talent perspective it would be some sort of travesty if they managed to miss the playoffs with a roster that good.

That said, "having a coach like Tocchet" is a statement that really means nothing when he's made the playoffs in 2 of his 9 seasons as head coach. I'm not hopping on that hype train just yet, maybe in due time.

Fairest thing that's been said in this thread. If they take a step back sounds like people think they will be going down 20 plus points. lol

 

[jackjohnson]

The PDO thing with Vancouver last year was kind of a meme.

They got off on a bender the first third or so of the season, but they finished the season 7th in CF% and 8th in xGF%. They were legitimately one of the top teams at 5v5.

They did end up 1st in PDO but it was buoyed by a ridiculous start, and it's not that meaningful when you have other metrics to back it up.

That's not to say they'll definitely be a good team, because who knows the future, but they were last year.

Only thing that could make them miss playoffs would be slew of major injuries. Otherwise it would not be likely at all for them to miss playoffs especially playing in a weak division. Calgary, SJ and Anaheim are pretty much rebuilding teams guaranteed to miss playoffs. Which leaves a weak seattle team that cant score much and LA without Doughty now. Even Vegas is neutered with the ampunt of players they have lost over the years in Stephenson, Tuck, Marchy, Pacioretty etc. Edmonton will be tops and probably the only road block for Canucks.

 

[Rafafouille]

Want to bet your house on it? I doubt you would if you have one

Imagine all that depth and having a coach like Tocchet, foote and Gonchar not only miss playoffs but finish in bottom 10. Man the things i read on HFboard is hilarious. It woulf be similar to me saying Oilers or Florida will miss playoffs.

Canucks forward group

Sprong-Miller-Boeser
Lekker-Pettersson-Debrusk
Joshua-Raty-Garland
Hoglander-Bluger-Suter
Sherwood, Heinen, Blais

Yeah i cant imagine a team that has 2 20 goal scorers on line 4, 2 20 goal scorers on line 3, 2 30 goal scorers on line 2, 2 40 goal scorers plus a 20 goal scorer on line 1 plus players like sherwood, Heinen, Blais, Di Giuseppe as extras miss playoffs
The depth of our forward group is so.much we might have to waive players like Heinen or Di Giuseppe.

That's arguably the worst LW lineup in the entire NHL. Sprong won't play there, he needs to be hidden on the 4th line(average of 11:25 on Seattle, 12:00 on Detroit) so his atrocious defence isn't exposed and Lekker is a 20 year old rookie who will most likely spend time in the AHL. As for the RW, you have 3 2nd liners. Boeser never had more than 56 points before last year, Debrusk 50 points high, Garland 52 points high, there's no game changers here either. That team lives and die with Petey and JT. The rest is very mid. Wouldn't call that incredible depth.


They're not missing the POs with that horrible western conference but that lineup doesn't scream elite.

 

[M2Beezy]

Hoglander is hitting 100 points

And it isn’t even debatable if he’ll reach it
It’s a forgone conclusion

And water is wet. So sick of these obvious statements that everyone already knows ffs

 

[Oleksiak]

Only thing that could make them miss playoffs would be slew of major injuries. Otherwise it would not be likely at all for them to miss playoffs especially playing in a weak division. Calgary, SJ and Anaheim are pretty much rebuilding teams guaranteed to miss playoffs. Which leaves a weak seattle team that cant score much and LA without Doughty now. Even Vegas is neutered with the ampunt of players they have lost over the years in Stephenson, Tuck, Marchy, Pacioretty etc. Edmonton will be tops and probably the only road block for Canucks.

They still only have Ekholm and maybe Stecher as NHL quality blueliners. They got lucky and played over their heads last year, but they had one of the worst D groups in the history of the sport and it's even worse this year. Add in a captain with massive character issues and a GM who can't be trusted around the players' children, and it's a recipe for disaster.

 

[quat]

Its not emotions talking, its facts which is shared by most experts and people here. Dont let your hatred for Canucks cloud your judgement. I hate the oilers but at least i dont make asinine claims of them missing the playoffs.

I don't know. You've got Lek and Sprong penciled into your top six. That's a lot of hopeful given one's a rookie and the other has bounced around several teams on the fourth line.

The Canucks should make the playoffs, but there's a great deal of positive thinking affecting your judgement. Given the roster, the idea that the Canucks will end up being a sub 90 point team seems pretty unlikely.

 

[MessierII]

Canucks will take a step back there is no doubt. They’ll still make the playoffs though pretty easily. The thing is the other pacific regulars namely Vegas and LA are both worse as well. None of the young teams in the pacific are close to displacing anyone. Maybe Seattle gets back in if a lot goes right but even then I think they would bump Vegas before Van even with all their question marks.

 

[Ace of Hades]

That's arguably the worst LW lineup in the entire NHL. Sprong won't play there, he needs to be hidden on the 4th line(average of 11:25 on Seattle, 12:00 on Detroit) so his atrocious defence isn't exposed and Lekker is a 20 year old rookie who will most likely spend time in the AHL. As for the RW, you have 3 2nd liners. Boeser never had more than 56 points before last year, Debrusk 50 points high, Garland 52 points high, there's no game changers here either. That team lives and die with Petey and JT. The rest is very mid. Wouldn't call that incredible depth.


They're not missing the POs with that horrible western conference but that lineup doesn't scream elite.

Boeser is definitely a top line player. Hes looking to build off his damn solid season from last year.

 

[sting101]

That's arguably the worst LW lineup in the entire NHL. Sprong won't play there, he needs to be hidden on the 4th line(average of 11:25 on Seattle, 12:00 on Detroit) so his atrocious defence isn't exposed and Lekker is a 20 year old rookie who will most likely spend time in the AHL. As for the RW, you have 3 2nd liners. Boeser never had more than 56 points before last year, Debrusk 50 points high, Garland 52 points high, there's no game changers here either. That team lives and die with Petey and JT. The rest is very mid. Wouldn't call that incredible depth.


They're not missing the POs with that horrible western conference but that lineup doesn't scream elite.

Who's does?
And sorry bud Boeser other than 2yrs with a slew of debilitating injuries and his father dying is absolutely a front line scoring winger.

It's a very deep and balanced forward group that got heavier and harder to play against with 2 top Cs a Norris D and a Vezina level goalie at the tops. That's a recipe for success in a capped league.

 

[The Panther]

Peterson has a lot to do with it. They really need him to be elite he is the center depth on that team.

He is, but I think what he needs to do is focus on being strong down the stretch and in the playoffs. Last year's playoff showing was dismal. He needs to avoid getting burned out in February.

There will be ups and downs, and almost certainly the Canucks won't be as good as last season. But as I don't really see any Pacific team running with the flag, the Canucks will still easily make the playoffs which is what Canuck fans should focus on.

(Remember "1940!, 1940!" with the Rangers in '94? The Canucks' franchise has now reached the same period of Cuplessness.)

 

[hirawl]

Can't help you here sorry. Just crawl up in a corner.

 

[Video Nasty]

Going back 26 points with their current roster would be something. But yes - we shall see


Fairest thing that's been said in this thread. If they take a step back sounds like people think they will be going down 20 plus points. lol

If you actually read my post, you would see that I said a step back to 2022-2023 wouldn’t surprise me. 83 points is not my prediction. With a classic sports comedown after a really successful year for an up and coming promising squad and Demko being something of a question mark, 90-92 points is about where I think they might land. If Demko was ready to go, I’d be more willing to expect 100 points. When the lifeblood of the team is not 100% to start, I’m wary.

I’m sure you’ve possessed similar optimism going into the next season after a really successful one for this franchise during this century. There’s been plenty of tangible declines (zero doubt in my mind you called for the playoffs after what they showed in 2021-2022).

They’re an exciting team and they have a bright future. Nothing wrong with balancing out the fans who probably think Conference Finals appearance at worst.

 

[Paulinbc]

First in Pacific
Just miss out on President's Trophy
Stanley Cup Finalist.

 

[Regal]

That's arguably the worst LW lineup in the entire NHL. Sprong won't play there, he needs to be hidden on the 4th line(average of 11:25 on Seattle, 12:00 on Detroit) so his atrocious defence isn't exposed and Lekker is a 20 year old rookie who will most likely spend time in the AHL. As for the RW, you have 3 2nd liners. Boeser never had more than 56 points before last year, Debrusk 50 points high, Garland 52 points high, there's no game changers here either. That team lives and die with Petey and JT. The rest is very mid. Wouldn't call that incredible depth.


They're not missing the POs with that horrible western conference but that lineup doesn't scream elite.

Boeser has shown he can be a top line scoring winger when healthy and mentally checked in. They have two star centres, a top line winger, two second line wingers (DeBrusk and Garland), some pretty solid bottom 6 players (Joshua, Heinen, Suter, Blueger, Sherwood) and two guys who have shown they can score at a high rate in low minutes but have flaws (Hoglander and Sprong). In today’s cap world it’s pretty good depth.

You’re focusing on point totals, but there’s only so many slots to go around. A lot of those guys actually score at pretty good rates 5v5 and the PP has shown it’s been good in the past even though it dried up in the second half last year. Last year, Pettersson won his minutes with weak wingers, Miller and Boeser won their minutes with anyone next to them and Joshua-Garland won their minutes with whoever was centering them. If those lines can have similar success, it’s a good forward group, though they need Pettersson to be who he can be and not what he showed down the stretch and in the playoffs and they need Garland to continue to drive a line on his own. They have a unique set up because they spread those lines out quite a bit and they could use one more clear top 6 forward (though so could almost every team), but they should be on the back end of a top 10 forward group.

 

[jackjohnson]

I don't know. You've got Lek and Sprong penciled into your top six. That's a lot of hopeful given one's a rookie and the other has bounced around several teams on the fourth line.

The Canucks should make the playoffs, but there's a great deal of positive thinking affecting your judgement. Given the roster, the idea that the Canucks will end up being a sub 90 point team seems pretty unlikely.

I dont think you have good hockey knowledge if you think this roster is not even able to get sub 90 in points. Sprong and Lekker even not making the team would still leave Hoglander on 2nd line who is capable of 25 goals and Suter on the top line just like last season plus the additions of sprong, Heinen, sherwood on the bottom line. You also forgot Joshua and Garland being the best 3rd line in the league. Its ok if you miss last season, thinking Canucks will miss playoff due to their forward depth is wild

 

[jackjohnson]

They still only have Ekholm and maybe Stecher as NHL quality blueliners. They got lucky and played over their heads last year, but they had one of the worst D groups in the history of the sport and it's even worse this year. Add in a captain with massive character issues and a GM who can't be trusted around the players' children, and it's a recipe for disaster.

True, their D corps is a lot worst this year. I dont consider Stecher quality D though, he will get pushed around by our forwards. Oilers will have a much softer D to play against with loss of Deharnais, Broberg and Ceci.

 

[jackjohnson]

That's arguably the worst LW lineup in the entire NHL. Sprong won't play there, he needs to be hidden on the 4th line(average of 11:25 on Seattle, 12:00 on Detroit) so his atrocious defence isn't exposed and Lekker is a 20 year old rookie who will most likely spend time in the AHL. As for the RW, you have 3 2nd liners. Boeser never had more than 56 points before last year, Debrusk 50 points high, Garland 52 points high, there's no game changers here either. That team lives and die with Petey and JT. The rest is very mid. Wouldn't call that incredible depth.


They're not missing the POs with that horrible western conference but that lineup doesn't scream elite.

Wow Boeser is a 2nd liner while having 40 goals and 30 goals seasons. How about Hoglander getting 25 goals? Is he a 4th liner based on your analysis or just an AHL scrub? How about Garland? 4th liner or scratch? Joshua? Is he even NHL material? I guess Sherwood and Heinen and Suter are all ECHLers.

Honestly if you are really thinking Canucks forward depth is bad then I dont even know what to say. You can hate the team but at least be logical. Boeser is not a 2nd line player if he can get 40 goals.

 

[CycloneSweep]

In theory they should be a worse team this year, but not by much. They will for sure still be a playoff team but I don't see them having that stranglehold on first in the division.

 

[jackjohnson]

In theory they should be a worse team this year, but not by much. They will for sure still be a playoff team but I don't see them having that stranglehold on first in the division.

Is it the same theory that was used last season to predict Canucks missing the playoffs??

 

[CycloneSweep]

Is it the same theory that was used last season to predict Canucks missing the playoffs??

No?
I think their roster on paper is worse than last years, and I don't see Edmonton or Vegas having as bad of years/starts either.
Hard to stay at the top multiple years in a row.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

The fact that Demko is out and also if he comes back, he might not play as well as last year. They count way too much on goaltending given the gap in performance between Demko and DeSmith last year.

 

[Oleksiak]

True, their D corps is a lot worst this year. I dont consider Stecher quality D though, he will get pushed around by our forwards. Oilers will have a much softer D to play against with loss of Deharnais, Broberg and Ceci.

Stecher is a borderline NHLer, which is still an upgrade over any of their D other than Ekholm. This is a historically bad group and it's honestly a disgrace to the sport to see the Oilers try to pass off these pylons as a blueline.