Why I am worried about going in to the 2013/2014 season with the lineup we have.

[D-Money]

The same thing that's plagued us for years now will rear it's ugly head again, MG's lack of being able to find elite secondary scoring (top 6) that has a definite role on this team as compared to a bunch of friendly contracts for nice guys that leave the coach with a nightmare of how to assemble a line-up.

I'm excited as heck though. Can't wait for Thursday to see what it looks like.

[Darkstar]

Still think Vancouver finishes 5th in the division. Anaheim, San Jose, LA and Phoenix beat them out. They can still make the playoffs depending on the circumstances though.

If the team loses even one of their bigger pieces (Sedins, Kesler, any of the top four d-men) for an extended period of time, they won't make it.

[canacks1970]

We need to trade some of our not ready youth and a pick for some ready youth if we're serious about this year. A young skilled 3c with some size, think a player like Charlie Coyle though he's probably untouchable. If we could do that and bump Santorelli to the 4th line i'd feel a lot better about things. As it is we're a Kesler/Sedin injury away from being a joke.

Sedins/Burr

Higgins/Kess/Hansen

Booth/Coyle/Kassian

Richardson/Santorelli/Weise

Not really digging this sitting on the fence direction of the organization, go all in or rebuild.

[ImallinRU]

We need to trade some of our not ready youth and a pick for some ready youth if we're serious about this year. A young skilled 3c with some size, think a player like Charlie Coyle though he's probably untouchable. If we could do that and bump Santorelli to the 4th line i'd feel a lot better about things. As it is we're a Kesler/Sedin injury away from being a joke.

Sedins/Burr

Higgins/Kess/Hansen

Booth/Coyle/Kassian

Richardson/Santorelli/Weise

Not really digging this sitting on the fence direction of the organization, go all in or rebuild.

[D-Money]

Kesler only has a season high of SEVENTEEN even strength goals...

[ImallinRU]

Hahah...you say this like that's a terrible statistic.

For pretty much his whole career, Kesler has been used primarily in a shutdown role in even-strength situations. Every time we had an offensive-zone faceoff against the 3rd pairing, he had to get off the ice and let Henrik take over. AV took 'giving your top guys the best chances' to a whole new level, beyond any other coach in the league. So he's never got the chance to be a 'go-to' guy offensively...except for the PP, and look how he has excelled at it!

Despite him still being a shutdown guy, I expect Kesler's ES production to go up quite a bit with the new coach.

Career-High ES Goals:

Dustin Brown - 21

Mike Cammalleri - 20

Anze Kopitar - 20

Patrice Bergeron - 19

Ryan Kesler - 17

RJ Umberger - 17

David Perron - 16

[penaltykiller]

Hahah...you say this like that's a terrible statistic.

For pretty much his whole career, Kesler has been used primarily in a shutdown role in even-strength situations. Every time we had an offensive-zone faceoff against the 3rd pairing, he had to get off the ice and let Henrik take over. AV took 'giving your top guys the best chances' to a whole new level, beyond any other coach in the league. So he's never got the chance to be a 'go-to' guy offensively...except for the PP, and look how he has excelled at it!

Despite him still being a shutdown guy, I expect Kesler's ES production to go up quite a bit with the new coach.

Career-High ES Goals:

Dustin Brown - 21

Mike Cammalleri - 20

Anze Kopitar - 20

Patrice Bergeron - 19

Ryan Kesler - 17

RJ Umberger - 17

David Perron - 16

[higgyfan]

Like your thinking. But I think

If we want a CUP then this is what we need to do:

D.Sedin Kesler Burrows

Higgins H.Sedin Kassian

Booth Santorelli Hansen

Weise Richardson Dalpe/Sestito

1st PP-

D.Sedin H.Sedin Kesler

Kesler is our true #1 centre come PLAYOFFS especially. He will play in every situation along with Burrows,

You can always switch Higgy & Danny but having the Sedins being able to play with other players would add a whole new look.

They have proven they can in the past & if you're a true $6 million player you should be able to adapt...

Schroeder & Jensen are way too soft to inject into our bottom 6 So come trade deadline (or before preferably, asap) we need to replace Sestito with a true heavy weight with some respect eg, C.Neil, Fraser, Big Mac, Orr etc. as well as another to replace a Santorelli like a true 3rd line centre with bite/grit/stiffness/heart...eg. S.Ott, Bolland, K.Brodziak, J.Stoll, Morrow,Handzus Hanzel, etc. & add another Carcillo, Eager, Prust Torres type just cause you can never have enough of them in a deep PLayoff run. And oh yes a Willie Mitchell, Scuderi type on Defence... =LORD STANLEY

[ImallinRU]

Is it PD or OCD? And don't tell me you don't know what I mean...

[A Skylit Drive]

Stopped reading after saw "Oilers" and "power houses" in the same sentence

[Industrious1]

The Canucks are a team trending down that is true but it isn't quite the bleak picture that some will paint. Sometimes to move forward you have to take a step back and that is pretty much where Vancouver is at this point.

I think the boys make the playoffs this year...but just barely.

Should be a nail biter of a season.

[Bang Bang Boogie]

The Canucks are a team trending down that is true but it isn't quite the bleak picture that some will paint. Sometimes to move forward you have to take a step back and that is pretty much where Vancouver is at this point.

I think the boys make the playoffs this year...but just barely.

Should be a nail biter of a season.

[ImallinRU]

The Canucks are a team trending down that is true but it isn't quite the bleak picture that some will paint. Sometimes to move forward you have to take a step back and that is pretty much where Vancouver is at this point.

I think the boys make the playoffs this year...but just barely.

Should be a nail biter of a season.

[Teen Icarus]

I have a suggestion for everyone: Speculate if you have to, but don't scream that the sky is falling if no games have been played yet. After 15 games, you can explain why the team is doomed, but please, not yet.

[Hodgson!!]

I honestly think this is the worst line-up we had in the past 4 years. It's still good, but not as good as any line-up since 09-10. I'm not trying to hate or anything, I'm usually extremely optimistic, but I have a bad feeling about this line-up.

[Riviera82]

I honestly think this is the worst line-up we had in the past 4 years. It's still good, but not as good as any line-up since 09-10. I'm not trying to hate or anything, I'm usually extremely optimistic, but I have a bad feeling about this line-up.

[PhillipBlunt]

Going into the season as a fan with a laundry list of things that worry you is pointless, penaltykiller.

Be positive. What do you have to lose?

[Sugar baby watermelon]

Why are there so many of these Debbie downer threads????

[higgyfan]

How is a lineup with a healthy Kes/Booth worse than the last two years?

Santorelli/Richardson > Ebbett/Lappiere

Already our 2nd and 3rd lines look better.

It's awful early to speculate on the returning players that will have better season, but some of them were underachievers last year, so hopefully they will improve.

[Batmania]

It boggles my mind how some so called fans are so negative. Support your team no matter what!