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The Tide Has Turned in Vancouver: A Prediction


King of the ES

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But this team could easily be whole with a new piece involved as well by the time the playoffs start. All the Canucks have to do is make the playoffs.  After that its anyone game.  I could care less where we end up in the standings as long as we enter the playoffs playing well and healthy

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I doubt if the Canucks will make the playoffs this year. If they have a bad start, and I expect they will, it will be almost impossible to recover from. MG has made too many disastrous trades, and has gutted the team's future. When we need young players to step into the lineup there are none.

- MG had seven months to get a center and he's done nothing.

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Because he's not a fan, he's only here to antagonize and cause trouble. He makes these threads and these posts daily. Please refer me to a single post that indicates he's actually a Canucks fan and not just a troll. Actual fans are getting really sick of the daily negative thread, dozen or so posts that follow, and constant barrage of status update comments.

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I think the OP made a bold, but ultimately flawed prediction; while it's certainly possible the Canucks won't make the playoffs, I would have to call it unlikely.

It's an impressive feat to call having what may be the best goalie tandem in the League "a fiasco." The only real downside to keeping both goalies this season is the cap hit, and given the dearth of available backups, both players may be too valuable to move right now. (As it stands, it looks like Joe Cannata would be the backup if we moved Lu or even Schneider.)

As for complacency, I don't see it. Yes, fewer players went overseas than on other teams, but I think it balances out in the long term. I also think having the core practice together during the lockout did help, especially as many of the players who went overseas will have got used to different roles and following different systems with different players.

As for teams getting better, I think Calgary's a very long shot to make the playoffs, let alone win the division. I think both the Oilers and the Wild improved more than the Flames and I would not be surprised to see one of them make the playoffs. No one can deny the Oilers' talent, but I see them continuing to struggle with defense and consistency.

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In a sentence, I am officially predicting that the Vancouver Canucks will MISS the playoffs in 2013.

Here's why:

-Goaltending fiasco. Don't care about PC responses from the players or the GM, this will be a major distraction that will have an adverse effect on team morale. Awkward locker room. Poor allocation of cap dollars. I've said for a long time that the Canucks really missed the boat by not trading Schneider for something that could've seriously helped up in a Cup run last year, and it will for a long time be a regret of ours, IMO. Whatever we get for Luongo will be unexciting and we'll still have a relatively unproven goalie backstopping an alleged "team built to win now". Not a good combination.

-Complacency. Why didn't anybody go to Europe? Practicing with the UBC team is hardly an adequate preparation for the season. Makes me think that this bunch has largely lost their hunger. A 5-game post-season exit last year adds credence to this thought. By not going to Europe/Russia, the message in essence is that they'd rather stay in their posh Vancouver homes than be bothered to go try and compete to help stay sharp. Not a good sign. Of course, this doesn't include everybody, but the vast majority of the team chose to not play hockey in the downtime. I expect it to cost them.

-Calgary has gotten better. Added good scoring depth in Hudler, and late-season acquisition Cammalleri. Got rid of Jokinen, which is addition by subtraction. Got a proven PP QB in Wideman. Most importantly, a new coach. Would not surprise me at all to see the Flames win the division, somewhat like the Canucks did in '06-'07, out of nowhere and under AV's rookie year behind the bench.

-Edmonton has gotten better. Justin Schultz is going to be a star. I like the Fistric acquisition a lot. Dubnyk was very good at the Spengler Cup. Heavy momentum going into the year. Key guys are already in mid-season form.

-Minnesota has gotten better. Granlund, Parise, & Suter should all have an immediate and material impact.

David Booth's injury announcement yesterday just makes me more confident that this is one of those years where essentially everything's going to go wrong for the Canucks. The Jason Garrison signing is also one that I was/am vehemently against. Don't expect it to turn out good. Sami Salo's presence on the back end will be sorely missed.

And no, I am not "hating", so please don't suggest that I am. This is an opinion of mine that I am fully entitled to. Feel free to debate and/or include your own prediction.

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ok if no one is going to say it... i will...... saying players don't have the drive because they didn't go to Europe is stupid... i consider any north american born player that went a sell out...i can understand European born players wanting to go home and play..... but some have family to think about and didn't want to disrupt there kids if this very thing happened...

no desire because of a quick exit in last years play-offs. that is explained by the team... they were on cruse control from the game against Boston in January to the play-offs ..imo is that they are a good team and cruised to the play-offs .. it wasn't a fight and it wasn't very hard...it took them a series to get into it the year before...that Chicago series got them into play-off mode... the 11-12 play-offs the kings had been playing play-off hockey from January just to make the play-offs..the canucks learned there lesson.. it won't happen again..there is no goalie controversy.. that is trumped up by the media... they are both being paid and they will both play...what is there to be distracted about...nothing....it is a non issue to me.

and just because a player goes down with injury doesn't me that's the end of the season...it just gives the guys waiting in the minors an opportunity to show they deserve a chance...

your whole post is looking at the worst possible scenario of everything... i for one am not worried...

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So, King of ES, let me get this straight...this is the starting lineup of the team you think will win the NW:

RW - Jarome Iginla

Just turned 35, and currently injured.

C - Roman Cervenka

Never played a game in the NHL, or on North American ice.

LW - Mike Cammalleri

Hasn't scored more than 50 points in a season since 2008-09.

D - Jay Bouwmeester

Three seasons with Calgary now (246 games), and a total of 12 goals. -21 last year.

D - Dennis Wideman

Career -39.

G - Mikka Kiprusoff

Had a great year last year, but the year before was fairly average. Is 36 now, so some decline isn't totally out of the question. Nobody to back him up if he falters.

...Whereas, this is the starting lineup of a team that will not make the playoffs:

RW - Alex Burrows

Elite penalty killer, who has also averaged over 27 even-strength goals a season in last 4 years.

C - Henrik Sedin

Recently won Hart and Art Ross. 1.17 point-per-game average in last 3 seasons.

LW - Daniel Sedin

Even more recently won Pearson and Art Ross. 1.18 point-per-game average in last 3 seasons.

D - Dan Hamhuis

Defensive specialist, but in 146 regular season games with Vancouver, already has 10 goals and a +58.

D - Kevin Bieksa

Not only +20 better than Wideman last season, also had only 2 less points despite having less than half the PP time.

G - Cory Schneider

Best goalie stats in the league for the last 2 years combined, just entering the prime age for goaltenders. If he falters early, we happen to have a perrenial allstar to take over for him.

Is that right? Now that I see it in writing...sure, makes total sense!

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So, King of ES, let me get this straight...this is the starting lineup of the team you think will win the NW:

RW - Jarome Iginla

Just turned 35, and currently injured.

C - Roman Cervenka

Never played a game in the NHL, or on North American ice.

LW - Mike Cammalleri

Hasn't scored more than 50 points in a season since 2008-09.

D - Jay Bouwmeester

Three seasons with Calgary now (246 games), and a total of 12 goals. -21 last year.

D - Dennis Wideman

Career -39.

G - Mikka Kiprusoff

Had a great year last year, but the year before was fairly average. Is 36 now, so some decline isn't totally out of the question. Nobody to back him up if he falters.

...Whereas, this is the starting lineup of a team that will not make the playoffs:

RW - Alex Burrows

Elite penalty killer, who has also averaged over 27 even-strength goals a season in last 4 years.

C - Henrik Sedin

Recently won Hart and Art Ross. 1.17 point-per-game average in last 3 seasons.

LW - Daniel Sedin

Even more recently won Pearson and Art Ross. 1.18 point-per-game average in last 3 seasons.

D - Dan Hamhuis

Defensive specialist, but in 146 regular season games with Vancouver, already has 10 goals and a +58.

D - Kevin Bieksa

Not only +20 better than Wideman last season, also had only 2 less points despite having less than half the PP time.

G - Cory Schneider

Best goalie stats in the league for the last 2 years combined, just entering the prime age for goaltenders. If he falters early, we happen to have a perrenial allstar to take over for him.

Is that right? Now that I see it in writing...sure, makes total sense!

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So, King of ES, let me get this straight...this is the starting lineup of the team you think will win the NW:

RW - Jarome Iginla

Just turned 35, and currently injured.

C - Roman Cervenka

Never played a game in the NHL, or on North American ice.

LW - Mike Cammalleri

Hasn't scored more than 50 points in a season since 2008-09.

D - Jay Bouwmeester

Three seasons with Calgary now (246 games), and a total of 12 goals. -21 last year.

D - Dennis Wideman

Career -39.

G - Mikka Kiprusoff

Had a great year last year, but the year before was fairly average. Is 36 now, so some decline isn't totally out of the question. Nobody to back him up if he falters.

...Whereas, this is the starting lineup of a team that will not make the playoffs:

RW - Alex Burrows

Elite penalty killer, who has also averaged over 27 even-strength goals a season in last 4 years.

C - Henrik Sedin

Recently won Hart and Art Ross. 1.17 point-per-game average in last 3 seasons.

LW - Daniel Sedin

Even more recently won Pearson and Art Ross. 1.18 point-per-game average in last 3 seasons.

D - Dan Hamhuis

Defensive specialist, but in 146 regular season games with Vancouver, already has 10 goals and a +58.

D - Kevin Bieksa

Not only +20 better than Wideman last season, also had only 2 less points despite having less than half the PP time.

G - Cory Schneider

Best goalie stats in the league for the last 2 years combined, just entering the prime age for goaltenders. If he falters early, we happen to have a perrenial allstar to take over for him.

Is that right? Now that I see it in writing...sure, makes total sense!

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It's an impressive feat to call having what may be the best goalie tandem in the League "a fiasco." The only real downside to keeping both goalies this season is the cap hit, and given the dearth of available backups, both players may be too valuable to move right now. (As it stands, it looks like Joe Cannata would be the backup if we moved Lu or even Schneider.)

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I don't buy too much into the prediction thing especially when the season hasn't even started yet. I'll make my preiction and opinions when I have some credible stats to go off of. As for most players not going overseas to play, yes that could bite us in the behind, but we'll just have to see.

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