coastal1

Exactly, expected performance by key players and some tweaks to the line up and we have a totally different situation.

Bottom line is, in my opinion, this team has to focus on a better start to the season next year, from day 1 of training camp. A good start and things will fall into place, because the talent is there. With a good start, the confidence will grow instead of the fear of failure that we see now. I think this year will serve as a lesson for next year.

Is that enough? it's necessary of course, but is it enough? We all know the answer to that. I would say you could ask anyone from Toronto about that!

2 points: 1- Don't feel bad for Markstrom, this will make him a very rich man, he will be the highest paid Canuck next year 2- What do you think were management's expectations given they protected their first round pick this year in the Miller trade? Why do fans have higher expectations than management who put the team together?

Do you mean the Leivo who scored one of the two goals and was named the game's second star?

That explains the Columbus sweep?

What do you mean by "for real"? Are we better than LA or Detroit? Absolutely. Are we a play-off team? Not many picked the Canucks, besides their fans, to make the top 8 this year. I mean even JB wanted protection for missing the play-offs in the Miller trade, tells you what his confidence level was for this year. It takes time. So if you mean a contender by "real" then you are asking the team to prove something they can't prove.

Exactly, its tough to go to bed around 4AM and play the next evening. This game was close until late (and tied if Horvat scores from in close) and that is quite the accomplishment given the circumstances. You try to win some of those games but you can't be too upset if you lose them.

Way better than the record shows. We are victimized by the injuries and the crappy schedule. Winnipeg was sitting at home waiting for us to fly in late last night after a tough game in Chicago. That is brutal.

Do you even remember where you stored it 4 years ago?

Almost every team has an anchor signing

Everyone knows that the games do not matter until April. That is what teams are judged by, and only that. Anyone cares that St Louis was in last place overall in early January? Anyone cares that Tampa Bay finished first? Did Calgary have a good season last year, or how about Colorado?

Is "the draft is coming" right up there too?

Exactly. My guess is that he will be in Sweden for the next two years for starters.

Give it 5 years at least, probably 7. It's like Virtanen, it's still way to early to know if it was a good or a bad pick as he still needs 3-4 more years of development.

Yes, I would say for Gaudette, one more year of NCAA and then 2-3 years of AHL and then we can see what we have.

Exactly. 20 is very young in life. 20 is NOT very young for a top NHL prospect. When you are very far from NHL ready at 20, three seasons after being drafted, there has to be some concern. Not many top prospects make it at 18, quite a few make it at 19 (top prospoects I said), a lot make it by 20. Are you a top prospect when you are now dominant, a difference maker, at the AHL level at 20?

And what's the point is keeping him in the NHL when he is not ready? He has been pointless in his last 6 games now, in NCAA play! And now for confirmation that he is not ready we have Craig Button calling him one of the best players outside the NHL. Look at Kyle Connor's numbers last year and see how that translated at the AHL level. Boeser has great potential but he is years away from being NHL-ready, pretty much on par with Virtanen right now.

I agree, i would say you give him 2 seasons in the AHL and then you see if he can find a spot on the team. And then from there he can make his way to top six within a few years. He is obvioulsy a long term project.

Fair enough, he is not ready, then he is not ready, irrespective of who else we have. Is Virtanen ready?

You are not of the school of thought that the best players should be in the line up?

It also talks to the depth of the canucks defence.

what a joke the Canadiens are. Everyone knows we picked the top defenceman in the draft. And then we send him back to the OHL because he is not ready yet. The Canadiens pick a lower rated defenceman from the same league and he will start the season with the team. What does that say about the quality of the defence in Montreal!

He still might, dont underestimate the monkey.

You should not compare Virtanen to yourself.