{Article} Can Canucks become playoff team? Jason Botchford

[ruilin96]

I do believe we will make the playoffs if everything goes right:

My projection of our lines (as of now baring any trades or new signings) looks as this:

 

Forwards:

 

First Line:

D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Eriksson

 

Expect the Sedins to bounce back, because last year up until Henrik's injury they are a point a game player, adding Eriksson a sold 2 way winger would only make the Sedins better. They will also have some extra time to familiarize with each other playing for Sweden in the World Cup of hockey before the start of the season, and that should be a plus when it comes to developing chemistry.

Projection: Daniel 22~26 goals and 70~80 points, Henrik 12~18 goals and 70~80 points, Eriksson 25~32 goals and 55~65 points

 

Second/Third Line:

??? - Sutter - Hansen

 

A healthy Sutter is capable of scoring 20 goals and play smart shut-down defensive hockey and also able to help out our penalty kill drastically. Hansen and Sutter are both hard working guys are aren't afraid to go to the net and go to the dirty areas. On the left side of this line, I don't see permanent guy playing there throughout the season, it will all depend on the chemistry, injuries, who's hot and who's not. We will see the likes of Rodin, Etem or Virtanen rotating on the left side of that line.

Projection: Sutter 20~24 goals 36~46 points, Hansen 15~20 goals 35~45 points

 

Second/Third Line:

Baertchi - Horvat - ???

 

Having Sutter back full time will give Bo more sheltered ice-time and reduces a fair-share of his responsibility and work-load. Bo was our leading scorer for the 2nd half of the season, where he scored 14 of his 16 goals. Sven also took off around December and January, the two looked great together and developed some great chemistry. Both Sven and Bo will likely get 2nd unit PP time as well, and I expect this to be another solid line of ours. Candidates for the right wing of this line would be Rodin, Etem, Virtanten, Gaunce or Dorsett, all depending on chemistry, injury, who's hot and who's not.

Projection: Horvat 18~24 goals and 45~55 points, Baertchi 20~25 goals 40~50 points

 

Fourth Line:

Gaunce/Burrows - Granlund/Gaunce - Dorsett

 

I like the shaping of our fourth line with strong veteran presence on the wing in Burrows and Dorsett, 2 guys who works hard everyday and a great role model for the 2 younger guys on this line in Granlund and Gaunce. One of these guys will be up in the press box every game, and that would all depend on injuries and performance. Granlund and Gaunce both can play center/wing which gives us a good option to take a look at both of them in different positions. There are potentially other candidates such as Virtanen or Etem may also be slotted into this line sometime in the season. This line has a good mix of good grit and skill, and it is going to be line that we can depend on defensively and also chip in the odd goal.

Projection: Burrows 10~15 goals and 25~30 points, Granlund 10~15 goals 25~30 points, Gaunce 5~10 goals 20~25, Dorsett 5~10 goals and 18~23 points

 

Wild Cards or X-Factors among forwards:

Virtanen - Main question for Virtanen is, will he be able to have a solid training camp after a solid summer of hard work to earn himself a roster spot and have a bounce back second year similar to Draisaitl's last season. I don't think he would put up the numbers Draisaitl put up last season yet and think a bounce back for him would be a solid 10+ goals and 30+ points guy? Or is he going to start his season in Utica and earn his way back up to the big league in call-ups? If he puts everything together and have a solid year improving his production to 10+ goals and 30+ points and his strong physical presence, we will have a solid player that would not only just help us get to the playoffs but also be a great player to have when we are in the playoffs.

 

Rodin - Perhaps the biggest question mark of our forward group is Rodin. He is been able to light it up in the SHL, but can he translate his game to NHL ice when the ice is smaller? Can he still put up offense playing against the big, bad and tough Western Conference heavy teams? Is he our Artemi Panarin or would he just be another player who can play in the European leagues but not the NHL (he like most likely somewhere in the middle)? He is definitely the most difficult to project the goals or points he is going to put up, but his style of play suggests that a top 6 scoring role is definitely much more suitable for him. He should be able to make his way out of camp and anything onward would depend on how much he can adjust to the NHL ice. 

 

Etem - If the last 5-10 games of last season is any indication of the real Emerson Etem, we definitely have got ourselves another quality top 6 winger if he can consistently put up those numbers on a regular basis. He was acquired last season to improve our bottom 6 scoring, but since his days in Anaheim, I have always believe that he can be solid top-6 scorer in the NHL if he is about to utilize all his tools. Personally I like to see him on the line with Horvat and Baertchi as it seems he played his best hockey as a Canuck when he plays with Bo Horvat. It is hard to project how many goals he will score because I believe it can be anywhere between 10-15 goals or even 20 goals if everything goes right for him. I see him making our line-up out of camp, but anything onward is all going to depend on him.

 

Defense:

 

First Pairing:

Edler - Tanev

 

Despite the constant bashing and ripping of Alex Edler, I still believe him and Tanev are still our best defencemen heading into next season. Our records last year without Edler was abysmal and he is really not as bad as most people here describe him as. The Acquisition of Gudbranson is a significant upgrade to our D-corp in general, and it will reduce some penalty killing and defensive responsibility from both Edler and Tanev. Edler is a much more effective player when he isn't counted on to do everything at every situation. He was a great player for us when we had other guys like Bieksa, Hamhuis, Erhoff and Salo at their prime sharing his workload. I expect Edler to have a solid bounce back season, and he may also improve his offensive numbers now as we don't have to drain him out game after game now that we have a better defensive depth. The World Championship winning experience should be great for Tanev, and he has always been a solid smart, shut-down defenceman for us, don't expect much change to Tanev's style of game and he should still gradually improve since he is still 26.

Projection: Ice Time: 22-24 minutes per game. Offence: Edler 8~12 goals/30~40 points; Tanev 4~7 goals and 20~25 points.

 

Second Pairing:

Hutton - Gudbranson

 

Hutton was a nice surprise form last year's training camp and had a very solid rookie season putting up 25 points. He has also been working out hard this summer, and should have another good year of hockey and solid improvements from his game. Many criticizes his +/- stats last season, but keep in mind that the Canucks as a team last season has the league worst goals differential of a -52, and most people on our team has an abysmal +/- stats. Considering the fact that Hutton played a lot of tough minutes with the injuries last season to Edler, Tanev and Hamhuis and also constantly playing with defensive liability partners in Weber/Bartkowski and bailing out those 2's mistakes as a rookie. No doubt those are factors of why his +/-  takes a hit. This season, he would be playing with Gudbranson, a solid intimidating shutdown defenceman who is considered a goalie's best friend (sea Lou's reaction on twitter on this trade). Gudbranson's solid defensive game would mean that Hutton can have more time to go out and develop his offensive game to reach the potential of an offensive puck moving defenceman. Gudbranson also serve as a guardian of our backnd protecting our goalie and young defenceman like Hutton from being pushed around by oppositions. Gudbranson would also help improve our penalty kill and Hutton may also get some power play time as a quarter back in our 2nd unit and duo could both improve our special teams.

Projection: Ice time: 20-22 minutes per game. Offence: Hutton 5~7 goals/30~35 points; Gudbranson: 3~6 goals/12~18 points.

 

Third Pairing: 

Sbisa - ???

 

Sbisa is another one of CDC's favorite whipping boy but just like Edler, he isn't as bad as most of the people on this board thinks he is. Last season was an injured riddle season for him, but when he was away from the line-up, the team miss his toughness from the back-end. He is much more effective when playing on a 3rd defensive pairing, and he still has rook to grow. Playing much sheltered minutes and less of a significant role would also help him to focus on his game and boost his confidence. His defensive partner would be a rotation between, Tryamkin, Pedan, Larsen or Biega (atleast 1 of 4 would be sent down in Utica to start the season). And this would depend on performance and injury.

Projection: Ice time: 16~18 minutes per game. Offence: Sbisa 5~7 goals, 16~20 points.

 

Wild Cards or X-Factors among defencemen:

Tryamkin - For him to make it to the opening night roster, it will solely depend on how hard he trains over the summer to stay in shape and how much he impresses the coaching staff during training camp and pre-season. He looked solid last season with the 13 games he played in. Most CDC here expect him to be the second coming of Chara but please note that Chara really just focused on his defensive game early on his career and his offensive output did not take a leap until his 6-7th season in the NHL and did not become a Norris caliber Dman until his 11th season. Tryamkin should also follow the similar foot-step, whether or not he becomes a Chara or not, I see his floor would atleast be a solid Top 4 defenceman in the NHL. If Tryamkin is hoping to be a regular in our line-up, he needs to show that he is capable of playing a solid defensive game and Gudbranson should be a great person for him to learn from.

 

Pedan - Pedan has speed, a hard shot, a big body-frame that is perfect for hitting and intimidating to play against. The question would be can he translate this to the NHL? Can he show the coaches and management that he can be the player that they have hoped to be? Last season in the call ups he show flashes of his brilliance and also revealed some signs of his weaknesses defensively. Similar to Tryamkin, if he wants to be a regular, he needs to show our coaching staff that he can play a solid defensive game in the NHL.

 

Larsen - Larsen was a puck moving offensive defenseman in the KHL, and he was brought in to improve the offence from the back end and the potential of becoming a solid quarter back for the power play. Larsen's biggest question would be translating his game to the NHL and able to play that same game consistently. Interesting note is that he requested for his rights to be traded away from Edmonton as he really wants to make a come back in the NHL and refuse to play for the Oilers organization (I mean who doesn't )

 

Goalies:

 

Starter:

Ryan Miller - Yes, I do think atleast going into this season, Miller would be our starting goalie. Last season, in most nights, he was the only guy playing on the ice and most of the time, he kept the game close and give us a chance to win. He was often left hung out to dry with our injured and lack of depth defensive group last year, and it does not help him at all. With a much improved group of defense, Miller should have a bounce back year. However, given his age and the direction this team is heading in the future, I think his work load would be reduced, and Markstrom will likely get a few more starts then the average back-up goalie of the NHL. Miller is also a competitor and he is definitely working hard to prove that he is still a No. 1 goalie in the NHL. He is also  a strong veteran presence in the locker room, and if we are in a playoff spot by the deadline, I see him play his way out of the contract and become a UFA next season before passing on the torch to Markstrom.

Projection: Games Played: 55, Wins: 28~30, Save-Percentage 0.919%, GAA: 2.38

 

Back-up:

Jacob Markstrom - As much as the fans love to put Markstrom as the starter, I think another season of backing up to Miller is not going to hurt his development. He had shown last season that he can be a NHL goalie, just like Miller, a lot of nights, he seems to be the only guy playing and give us a chance to win every game. His overall stats should also improved with our upgraded defensive group. I am predicting his stats to be slightly better than Miller because fewer games played and improvement over the season. We just signed him to an extension and if he can keep improving his game and become our version of Ben Bishop, his contract would definitely be one of the best bargaining contracts in the league.

Projection: Games Played: 33, Wins: 17~20, Save-Percentage 0.921%, GAA: 2.33

 

 

 

Wild Cards or X-Factors among Goalies:

Thatcher Demko - Demko should find himself sharing the net in Utica with Richard Bachman to start the season. However, if there is a possibly of an injury to one of our two regular goalies, would he be our first call up? And if this call up does happen, is he able to turn some heads and become a NHL regular sooner than most expected? This would depend on how he translates his game from college to the professional level. Goalies took the longest to develop and reach their prime after being drafted, fans and management should be patient with his development and don't rush him by throwing him out to a pack of wolves before he is ready. I saw him at the development camp in the practices and scrimmages, from my memory, he gives up very few goals and make the save look easy. He also doesn't give up many rebound as well. 

 

Overall:

I think the management group have upgraded our team overall and if everything goes right and the guys can find chemistry and win some games early on, I think this team would definitely make the playoffs and might even make some noise as a more underrated team. I think this squad would have a similar season to the 2014-2015 squad, wanting to prove it to the league after a bad year.

Team Projection: 45~50 Wins and 96~103 points, making the playoffs finishing anywhere between 2nd place in the Pacific Division to the final wild card spot of the Western Conference.

[mll]

3 hours ago, kingofsurrey said:

Fair enough. We saw Willie roll all 4 last year.  Seems to want to save minutes on hank and dank .

Seemed weird to see prust and dorset get minutes.

 

I see rolling the top 3 lines.   4th not so much.....

I am kind of hoping they will.  

 

Baertschi will be on the 4th with how things are shaping up - they don't like him with Horvat (WD says it's better for him to play with defensive wingers) and don't see him on the 2nd.  Kuzma reported in March that WD hopes to have Baertschi at LW4 because it meant having better options. 

 

I am hoping he comes close to his total of last season (just under 13:30).  Less minutes but a more offensive role.  I expect the goal scorer to be Rodin or possibly Virtanen.  The line in March (save for injuries) was Baertschi-Granlund-Virtanen.  

[Phat Fingers]

4 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Providing they don't get too battered with injuries, I can see this team allowing 30 fewer goals as the defense has improved, externally and hopefully with internal improvement of Hutton and Tryamkin.

 

Agree with you that scoring 30 more goals isn't very likely.

Given that we stay relatively healthy, I am more sure about an increase in Goal production, than a massive drop in goals against. 

 

Eriksson will easily improve on Vrbrata's production and Sutter should improve on his, there is 30 goals more next season.  

 

This is does not mean that we won't be better on D, we are more balance, opposing fore checkers should be a lot more hesitant to fly into our zone, but we need to be patient.  D chemistry can take some time to form, and we could see a few growing pains from Hutton, Trymakin, Larsen and Pedan. 

[Baggins]

5 hours ago, kingofsurrey said:

Don't see Sutter as a  2 C. 

 

Prefer to have a 2 C that can pass the puck and make linemates better.  Keep Bo as the 2C. 

Last year Bo went into "Kesler mode" and started trying to split the D and do it all himself to often. He'll actually have an easier time this year as 3C and letting Sutter fill 2C + shutdown duties. I see Bo's production increasing as a result of easier match ups.

[Proud-Canuck-Fan]

56 minutes ago, ruilin96 said:

I do believe we will make the playoffs if everything goes right:

My projection of our lines (as of now baring any trades or new signings) looks as this:

 

Forwards:

 

First Line:

D. Sedin - H. Sedin - Eriksson

 

Expect the Sedins to bounce back, because last year up until Henrik's injury they are a point a game player, adding Eriksson a sold 2 way winger would only make the Sedins better. They will also have some extra time to familiarize with each other playing for Sweden in the World Cup of hockey before the start of the season, and that should be a plus when it comes to developing chemistry.

Projection: Daniel 22~26 goals and 70~80 points, Henrik 12~18 goals and 70~80 points, Eriksson 25~32 goals and 55~65 points

 

Second/Third Line:

??? - Sutter - Hansen

 

A healthy Sutter is capable of scoring 20 goals and play smart shut-down defensive hockey and also able to help out our penalty kill drastically. Hansen and Sutter are both hard working guys are aren't afraid to go to the net and go to the dirty areas. On the left side of this line, I don't see permanent guy playing there throughout the season, it will all depend on the chemistry, injuries, who's hot and who's not. We will see the likes of Rodin, Etem or Virtanen rotating on the left side of that line.

Projection: Sutter 20~24 goals 36~46 points, Hansen 15~20 goals 35~45 points

 

Second/Third Line:

Baertchi - Horvat - ???

 

Having Sutter back full time will give Bo more sheltered ice-time and reduces a fair-share of his responsibility and work-load. Bo was our leading scorer for the 2nd half of the season, where he scored 14 of his 16 goals. Sven also took off around December and January, the two looked great together and developed some great chemistry. Both Sven and Bo will likely get 2nd unit PP time as well, and I expect this to be another solid line of ours. Candidates for the right wing of this line would be Rodin, Etem, Virtanten, Gaunce or Dorsett, all depending on chemistry, injury, who's hot and who's not.

Projection: Horvat 18~24 goals and 45~55 points, Baertchi 20~25 goals 40~50 points

 

Fourth Line:

Gaunce/Burrows - Granlund/Gaunce - Dorsett

 

I like the shaping of our fourth line with strong veteran presence on the wing in Burrows and Dorsett, 2 guys who works hard everyday and a great role model for the 2 younger guys on this line in Granlund and Gaunce. One of these guys will be up in the press box every game, and that would all depend on injuries and performance. Granlund and Gaunce both can play center/wing which gives us a good option to take a look at both of them in different positions. There are potentially other candidates such as Virtanen or Etem may also be slotted into this line sometime in the season. This line has a good mix of good grit and skill, and it is going to be line that we can depend on defensively and also chip in the odd goal.

Projection: Burrows 10~15 goals and 25~30 points, Granlund 10~15 goals 25~30 points, Gaunce 5~10 goals 20~25, Dorsett 5~10 goals and 18~23 points

 

Wild Cards or X-Factors among forwards:

Virtanen - Main question for Virtanen is, will he be able to have a solid training camp after a solid summer of hard work to earn himself a roster spot and have a bounce back second year similar to Draisaitl's last season. I don't think he would put up the numbers Draisaitl put up last season yet and think a bounce back for him would be a solid 10+ goals and 30+ points guy? Or is he going to start his season in Utica and earn his way back up to the big league in call-ups? If he puts everything together and have a solid year improving his production to 10+ goals and 30+ points and his strong physical presence, we will have a solid player that would not only just help us get to the playoffs but also be a great player to have when we are in the playoffs.

 

Rodin - Perhaps the biggest question mark of our forward group is Rodin. He is been able to light it up in the SHL, but can he translate his game to NHL ice when the ice is smaller? Can he still put up offense playing against the big, bad and tough Western Conference heavy teams? Is he our Artemi Panarin or would he just be another player who can play in the European leagues but not the NHL (he like most likely somewhere in the middle)? He is definitely the most difficult to project the goals or points he is going to put up, but his style of play suggests that a top 6 scoring role is definitely much more suitable for him. He should be able to make his way out of camp and anything onward would depend on how much he can adjust to the NHL ice. 

 

Etem - If the last 5-10 games of last season is any indication of the real Emerson Etem, we definitely have got ourselves another quality top 6 winger if he can consistently put up those numbers on a regular basis. He was acquired last season to improve our bottom 6 scoring, but since his days in Anaheim, I have always believe that he can be solid top-6 scorer in the NHL if he is about to utilize all his tools. Personally I like to see him on the line with Horvat and Baertchi as it seems he played his best hockey as a Canuck when he plays with Bo Horvat. It is hard to project how many goals he will score because I believe it can be anywhere between 10-15 goals or even 20 goals if everything goes right for him. I see him making our line-up out of camp, but anything onward is all going to depend on him.

 

Defense:

 

First Pairing:

Edler - Tanev

 

Despite the constant bashing and ripping of Alex Edler, I still believe him and Tanev are still our best defencemen heading into next season. Our records last year without Edler was abysmal and he is really not as bad as most people here describe him as. The Acquisition of Gudbranson is a significant upgrade to our D-corp in general, and it will reduce some penalty killing and defensive responsibility from both Edler and Tanev. Edler is a much more effective player when he isn't counted on to do everything at every situation. He was a great player for us when we had other guys like Bieksa, Hamhuis, Erhoff and Salo at their prime sharing his workload. I expect Edler to have a solid bounce back season, and he may also improve his offensive numbers now as we don't have to drain him out game after game now that we have a better defensive depth. The World Championship winning experience should be great for Tanev, and he has always been a solid smart, shut-down defenceman for us, don't expect much change to Tanev's style of game and he should still gradually improve since he is still 26.

Projection: Ice Time: 22-24 minutes per game. Offence: Edler 8~12 goals/30~40 points; Tanev 4~7 goals and 20~25 points.

 

Second Pairing:

Hutton - Gudbranson

 

Hutton was a nice surprise form last year's training camp and had a very solid rookie season putting up 25 points. He has also been working out hard this summer, and should have another good year of hockey and solid improvements from his game. Many criticizes his +/- stats last season, but keep in mind that the Canucks as a team last season has the league worst goals differential of a -52, and most people on our team has an abysmal +/- stats. Considering the fact that Hutton played a lot of tough minutes with the injuries last season to Edler, Tanev and Hamhuis and also constantly playing with defensive liability partners in Weber/Bartkowski and bailing out those 2's mistakes as a rookie. No doubt those are factors of why his +/-  takes a hit. This season, he would be playing with Gudbranson, a solid intimidating shutdown defenceman who is considered a goalie's best friend (sea Lou's reaction on twitter on this trade). Gudbranson's solid defensive game would mean that Hutton can have more time to go out and develop his offensive game to reach the potential of an offensive puck moving defenceman. Gudbranson also serve as a guardian of our backnd protecting our goalie and young defenceman like Hutton from being pushed around by oppositions. Gudbranson would also help improve our penalty kill and Hutton may also get some power play time as a quarter back in our 2nd unit and duo could both improve our special teams.

Projection: Ice time: 20-22 minutes per game. Offence: Hutton 5~7 goals/30~35 points; Gudbranson: 3~6 goals/12~18 points.

 

Third Pairing: 

Sbisa - ???

 

Sbisa is another one of CDC's favorite whipping boy but just like Edler, he isn't as bad as most of the people on this board thinks he is. Last season was an injured riddle season for him, but when he was away from the line-up, the team miss his toughness from the back-end. He is much more effective when playing on a 3rd defensive pairing, and he still has rook to grow. Playing much sheltered minutes and less of a significant role would also help him to focus on his game and boost his confidence. His defensive partner would be a rotation between, Tryamkin, Pedan, Larsen or Biega (atleast 1 of 4 would be sent down in Utica to start the season). And this would depend on performance and injury.

Projection: Ice time: 16~18 minutes per game. Offence: Sbisa 5~7 goals, 16~20 points.

 

Wild Cards or X-Factors among defencemen:

Tryamkin - For him to make it to the opening night roster, it will solely depend on how hard he trains over the summer to stay in shape and how much he impresses the coaching staff during training camp and pre-season. He looked solid last season with the 13 games he played in. Most CDC here expect him to be the second coming of Chara but please note that Chara really just focused on his defensive game early on his career and his offensive output did not take a leap until his 6-7th season in the NHL and did not become a Norris caliber Dman until his 11th season. Tryamkin should also follow the similar foot-step, whether or not he becomes a Chara or not, I see his floor would atleast be a solid Top 4 defenceman in the NHL. If Tryamkin is hoping to be a regular in our line-up, he needs to show that he is capable of playing a solid defensive game and Gudbranson should be a great person for him to learn from.

 

Pedan - Pedan has speed, a hard shot, a big body-frame that is perfect for hitting and intimidating to play against. The question would be can he translate this to the NHL? Can he show the coaches and management that he can be the player that they have hoped to be? Last season in the call ups he show flashes of his brilliance and also revealed some signs of his weaknesses defensively. Similar to Tryamkin, if he wants to be a regular, he needs to show our coaching staff that he can play a solid defensive game in the NHL.

 

Larsen - Larsen was a puck moving offensive defenseman in the KHL, and he was brought in to improve the offence from the back end and the potential of becoming a solid quarter back for the power play. Larsen's biggest question would be translating his game to the NHL and able to play that same game consistently. Interesting note is that he requested for his rights to be traded away from Edmonton as he really wants to make a come back in the NHL and refuse to play for the Oilers organization (I mean who doesn't )

 

Goalies:

 

Starter:

Ryan Miller - Yes, I do think atleast going into this season, Miller would be our starting goalie. Last season, in most nights, he was the only guy playing on the ice and most of the time, he kept the game close and give us a chance to win. He was often left hung out to dry with our injured and lack of depth defensive group last year, and it does not help him at all. With a much improved group of defense, Miller should have a bounce back year. However, given his age and the direction this team is heading in the future, I think his work load would be reduced, and Markstrom will likely get a few more starts then the average back-up goalie of the NHL. Miller is also a competitor and he is definitely working hard to prove that he is still a No. 1 goalie in the NHL. He is also  a strong veteran presence in the locker room, and if we are in a playoff spot by the deadline, I see him play his way out of the contract and become a UFA next season before passing on the torch to Markstrom.

Projection: Games Played: 55, Wins: 28~30, Save-Percentage 0.919%, GAA: 2.38

 

Back-up:

Jacob Markstrom - As much as the fans love to put Markstrom as the starter, I think another season of backing up to Miller is not going to hurt his development. He had shown last season that he can be a NHL goalie, just like Miller, a lot of nights, he seems to be the only guy playing and give us a chance to win every game. His overall stats should also improved with our upgraded defensive group. I am predicting his stats to be slightly better than Miller because fewer games played and improvement over the season. We just signed him to an extension and if he can keep improving his game and become our version of Ben Bishop, his contract would definitely be one of the best bargaining contracts in the league.

Projection: Games Played: 33, Wins: 17~20, Save-Percentage 0.921%, GAA: 2.33

 

 

 

Wild Cards or X-Factors among Goalies:

Thatcher Demko - Demko should find himself sharing the net in Utica with Richard Bachman to start the season. However, if there is a possibly of an injury to one of our two regular goalies, would he be our first call up? And if this call up does happen, is he able to turn some heads and become a NHL regular sooner than most expected? This would depend on how he translates his game from college to the professional level. Goalies took the longest to develop and reach their prime after being drafted, fans and management should be patient with his development and don't rush him by throwing him out to a pack of wolves before he is ready. I saw him at the development camp in the practices and scrimmages, from my memory, he gives up very few goals and make the save look easy. He also doesn't give up many rebound as well. 

 

Overall:

I think the management group have upgraded our team overall and if everything goes right and the guys can find chemistry and win some games early on, I think this team would definitely make the playoffs and might even make some noise as a more underrated team. I think this squad would have a similar season to the 2014-2015 squad, wanting to prove it to the league after a bad year.

Team Projection: 45~50 Wins and 96~103 points, making the playoffs finishing anywhere between 2nd place in the Pacific Division to the final wild card spot of the Western Conference.

If I could give more plusses I would. Agree with almost everything that you have said.

 

I am very excited for this season to begin. Certainly a lot more positive posts then in the past which is always nice to see. I would expect that since you gave numbers though that there will be the regular destructive fans in all of their knowledge that will add everything and tell you how stupid these numbers are.

 

I especially liked seeing that the projections of our "rotten" core had increased their numbers, which is usually only possible in other cities or if there is a first overall draft pick involved.

 

Next important question is.

Does Henrik pass the cup to Daniel first? Does he make him wait?

I think he's gotta go Danny 1st.

[Realtor Rod]

I put their odds at 50%...

[mll]

6 hours ago, Wilbur said:

I disagree with a few of those statements:

 

1)  The Gudbranson trade wasn't made just to make the playoffs this year.  He could be here for the next 10+ years.  This wasn't a "sacrifice the future for now trade", it was a "we really wanted to solidify our defense now and for the future" trade.  Gudbranson is 24 not 34, yeesh.

2)  Just because Horvat would slot down to "3rd line centre" does not mean he will play a defensive role.  If Brandon Sutter centres the second line, I'm sure that line will most of the defensive responsibilities.  The template of 1st line = primary scoring line, 2nd line = secondary scoring line, 3rd line = shut down line, 4th line = energy line is become less and less relevant.

 

Bottom line though, is this a playoff team?  If 90% of things go right, then I say yes.  They're playing on a thin margin though so I wouldn't put much money on it.  Time will tell though, that's why we watch the games.

You really think they want Sutter in defensive duties?   I get that was his role in Pittsburgh but that's not how he was deployed here - it was Horvat that was playing shutdown even when Sutter was healthy.

 

Don't they need to figure out if Sutter can be a legit C2.  Kuzma wrote: "Nobody has more incentive to prove Benning right and the centre’s doubters wrong. He’s strong in the circle, a prime playmaker with 20-plus goal potential".  They want a proven goal scorer for his line  - why would they use him in a defensive role?  

 

WD also made the comment at the end of the season that he sees Horvat as a good checking centre (for full quote see the Horvat thread posted mid-July by TimberWolf).  I am guessing it will still carry into next season - doesn't mean they won't develop his offensive game at a later stage.  I think that's also why WD has strongly hinted that he will not play with Baertschi as 'it's better for Horvat to play with defensive wingers'.

[Putgolzin]

What's most surprising to me is that a Botchford article has spawned intelligent discussion.

 

Usually the tripe he serves up only produces discussion of a similar quality. 

 

I thought this was a great article, is he getting better?!

[smithers joe]

3 hours ago, Proud-Canuck-Fan said:

If I could give more plusses I would. Agree with almost everything that you have said.

 

I am very excited for this season to begin. Certainly a lot more positive posts then in the past which is always nice to see. I would expect that since you gave numbers though that there will be the regular destructive fans in all of their knowledge that will add everything and tell you how stupid these numbers are.

 

I especially liked seeing that the projections of our "rotten" core had increased their numbers, which is usually only possible in other cities or if there is a first overall draft pick involved.

 

Next important question is.

Does Henrik pass the cup to Daniel first? Does he make him wait?

I think he's gotta go Danny 1st.

who is our rotten core?

[ruilin96]

5 hours ago, Proud-Canuck-Fan said:

Next important question is.

Does Henrik pass the cup to Daniel first? Does he make him wait?

I think he's gotta go Danny 1st.

Haha, I would love this to be our problem if that ever happens. If we win next season, is Henrik to Daniel then to Burrows (likely will retire after next season) and then to Miller and then everyone else who was part of the 2011 run should get it before the new comers/kids.

[higgyfan]

4 hours ago, mll said:

You really think they want Sutter in defensive duties?   I get that was his role in Pittsburgh but that's not how he was deployed here - it was Horvat that was playing shutdown even when Sutter was healthy.

 

Don't they need to figure out if Sutter can be a legit C2.  Kuzma wrote: "Nobody has more incentive to prove Benning right and the centre’s doubters wrong. He’s strong in the circle, a prime playmaker with 20-plus goal potential".  They want a proven goal scorer for his line  - why would they use him in a defensive role?  

 

WD also made the comment at the end of the season that he sees Horvat as a good checking centre (for full quote see the Horvat thread posted mid-July by TimberWolf).  I am guessing it will still carry into next season - doesn't mean they won't develop his offensive game at a later stage.  I think that's also why WD has strongly hinted that he will not play with Baertschi as 'it's better for Horvat to play with defensive wingers'.

Just by the fact that JB is searching for a 'gritty 2ndLW that can score' tells us that he wants Baer on the 3rd line, where Horvat will C and Hansen will support the younger players)  Sutter will be 2C and will shelter/transition Rodin or Virtanen.

 

I think they see Horvat very similar to Couturier, but with a little more offensive upside.  I believe Bo has considerably more upside than Sean, but the 3C is an ideal position for him to continue developing his game (especially with Baer and Hansen on his wings).

 

As far as the OPs question goes...The Canucks will have a much better season this year, but will have to be healthy and operating on all 6 cylinders to make the playoffs.  They also really need that 'gritty 2ndLW that can score' doing his job.

[Alflives]

10 minutes ago, higgyfan said:

Just by the fact that JB is searching for a 'gritty 2ndLW that can score' tells us that he wants Baer on the 3rd line, where Horvat will C and Hansen will support the younger players)  Sutter will be 2C and will shelter/transition Rodin or Virtanen.

 

I think they see Horvat very similar to Couturier, but with a little more offensive upside.  I believe Bo has considerably more upside than Sean, but the 3C is an ideal position for him to continue developing his game (especially with Baer and Hansen on his wings).

 

As far as the OPs question goes...The Canucks will have a much better season this year, but will have to be healthy and operating on all 6 cylinders to make the playoffs.  They also really need that 'gritty 2ndLW that can score' doing his job.

Landeskog?  

[higgyfan]

Just now, Alflives said:

Landeskog?  

Absolutely!

[mll]

1 hour ago, higgyfan said:

Just by the fact that JB is searching for a 'gritty 2ndLW that can score' tells us that he wants Baer on the 3rd line, where Horvat will C and Hansen will support the younger players)  Sutter will be 2C and will shelter/transition Rodin or Virtanen.

 

I think they see Horvat very similar to Couturier, but with a little more offensive upside.  I believe Bo has considerably more upside than Sean, but the 3C is an ideal position for him to continue developing his game (especially with Baer and Hansen on his wings).

 

As far as the OPs question goes...The Canucks will have a much better season this year, but will have to be healthy and operating on all 6 cylinders to make the playoffs.  They also really need that 'gritty 2ndLW that can score' doing his job.

Two weeks ago WD already said that Sutter will play with Hansen on the 2nd line so not with Horvat.

 

Before the Nashville game, Daniel commented that there were too many young players on the team and that they were playing in positions that they were not ready for.  Getting the vets back will allow them to play lower in the lineup.  After these comments I do not see how they will play Virtanen on the 2nd.  

 

This Baertschi-Horvat reminds me a bit of last year re Sedins-Vrbata where WD had already hinted that they would not play together.  Baertschi-Horvat stopped playing together in March.  Baertschi has been on a line with Granlund or Vey.  It's only injuries that had them back together temporarily. 

 

WD has said a couple of times that it's better for Horvat to play with defensive wingers and that playing him with Baertschi was taking him away from his game.  As for Baertschi's play - mid-March WD got interviewed and made the comment that Baertschi got his game to another level in particular the last 10 games.  The last 9 games were played away from Horvat with Vey or Granlund as his C.  

 

I think Baertschi-Horvat were together only because to paraphrase WD, Baertschi was not doing anything offensively but was not hurting the team defensively, so he was able to use him to shutdown the scoring lines with Horvat.   Now that his offensive game is coming back - I don't think they want to keep him in a checking role with Horvat.

 

Baertschi was brought in for his playmaking.  I am guessing that's the part of his game they want to develop and with Horvat he does not really get the puck.  It's Horvat that brings the puck in and Baertschi just goes to the net and waits for the puck to get there.  With Granlund and Vey he was used more offensively and had the puck and was the one making the play.  It wasn't as productive, but WD went out of his way several times in his post-games in March to comment that he was making things happen.

 

WD also made the comment that Granlund is an offensive player - he sees Horvat as a defensive player.  I think the lines that finished the year are likely to stay:

Burrows/Etem Horvat Dorsett

Baertschi Granlund Virtanen/Rodin

[higgyfan]

2 minutes ago, mll said:

Two weeks ago WD already said that Sutter will play with Hansen on the 2nd line so not with Horvat.

 

Before the Nashville game, Daniel commented that there were too many young players on the team and that they were playing in positions that they were not ready for.  Getting the vets back will allow them to play lower in the lineup.  After these comments I do not see how they will play Virtanen on the 2nd.  

 

This Baertschi-Horvat reminds me a bit of last year re Sedins-Vrbata where WD had already hinted that they would not play together.  Baertschi-Horvat stopped playing together in March.  Baertschi has been on a line with Granlund or Vey.  It's only injuries that had them back together temporarily. 

 

WD has said a couple of times that it's better for Horvat to play with defensive wingers and that playing him with Baertschi was taking him away from his game.  As for Baertschi's play - mid-March WD got interviewed and made the comment that Baertschi got his game to another level in particular the last 10 games.  The last 9 games were played away from Horvat with Vey or Granlund as his C.  

 

I think Baertschi-Horvat were together only because to paraphrase WD, Baertschi was not doing anything offensively but was not hurting the team defensively, so he was able to use him to shutdown the scoring lines with Horvat.   Now that his offensive game is coming back - I don't think they want to keep him in a checking role with Horvat.

 

Baertschi was brought in for his playmaking.  I am guessing that's the part of his game they want to develop and with Horvat he does not really get the puck.  It's Horvat that brings the puck in and Baertschi just goes to the net and waits for the puck to get there.  With Granlund and Vey he was used more offensively and had the puck and was the one making the play.  It wasn't as productive, but WD went out of his way several times in his post-games in March to comment that he was making things happen.

 

WD also made the comment that Granlund is an offensive player - he sees Horvat as a defensive player.  I think the lines that finished the year are likely to stay:

Burrows/Etem Horvat Dorsett

Baertschi Granlund Virtanen/Rodin

Not liking these lines...

 

?   Sutter   Hansen   Instead of gritty, scorer, ? will need to be a speedy, play-maker with those 2 on his line.  Seems like wasting 2 'heavy lifters' on one line.

 

On a good team, Bur and Dorsett are not 3rd liners.  Classic shut down line with little offence.  Expecting Bo's +/- to go down, along with his pts.

 

Baer   Gran  Virt/Rodin   Keep your heads up sons.

 

It's a long season and the lineups will likely change often enough.  WD is the coach, so it will be what it is.

[kloubek]

Barring serious injuries,  we will make the playoffs.  

 

First, we brought in Eriksson,  who by himself is going to score waaayyy more than vrbata.   Count on minimum 15 more goals.   That already wins us several games more through a season.

 

We have a couple of wild cards which may or may not work out in Larsen and Rodin,  and to a far lesser degree a bunch of new younger guys. 

 

All the younger guys we had before are likely even better now.   Virtanen (if he makes the team), Horvat,  Etem,  Gaunce, Hutton, Tryamkin,  Markstrom should all be improved.  This will possibly be offset a bit by the Sedins slowing down,  but should still be far in our favour. 

 

It is unlikely we are going to be hit with as much injury as last year,  and if we do,  we have better depth to compensate.

 

Our defense is noticeably better.   We have far more physicality now,  and our guys can focus on the roles they should be,  instead of trying to do it all themselves. 

 

This isn't hopeful thinking guys.   The team is better in many facets,  and with so many one goal games lost,  even if half the above points ring true we are going to win noticably more games than last year. 

 

I'm much more excited for this season than I was the last. 

[Tony Da Tigre]

How about we keep drafting in the top 5 for the next 2-3yrs and hope we get the high-end talent to replace the Sedins once they retire...

 

It's scary to see that no one can take over if we take the Sedins out of the team right now...

[Honky Cat]

14 hours ago, kingofsurrey said:

Sorry  - ain't going to happen this year.

 

Forwards are a lethal combination of both too old  ,  and too young.

 

Not enough forwards in their prime.

 

Look for drop in first line production  ( older players getting yet older and declining )

 

Look for gain in second line production ( kids developing and improving ) 

 

This will end up being a wash  so look to finish where we were last year in scoring. 

 

In terms of Defence we have the best chance at improving.  Losing Hammer will definately hurt. Guddy may almost provide the same minutes though.  Big question mark for me is Edler.  I see his game declining   year after year.

Tanev and Hutton are the X factors -  Will they take another step up .

Overall i see our D possibly improving next year.

 

Goaltending.   I think we have solid goaltending last year. Not sure if improvement is possible. It may be controversy time as Marky is getting to the point now of really being our number 1.  We had great goaltending last year so i doubt it is an area we can improve on.

 

Overall.  Forward proeduction down. Defence up. Goaltending likely down.

 

Next week - lets look at special teams. 

Why would goaltending be down..?..That was one of the bright spots last season (even with Markstrom out with an injury to start the season..he came back exactly where he left off)....Miller and Markstrom is a great 1-2 punch..least of our worries.

[Nucker 67]

Sedin replacements:  Horvat & Boeser

 

If Horvat isn't considered a top line player, we still have a few years before needing to replace the 1C position. I'm not worried.

[ForsbergTheGreat]

29 minutes ago, Tony Da Tigre said:

How about we keep drafting in the top 5 for the next 2-3yrs and hope we get the high-end talent to replace the Sedins once they retire...

 

It's scary to see that no one can take over if we take the Sedins out of the team right now...

It's really hard to say there isn't no one.  It takes opportunity for some players to step up and show that they can fill that role. 

 

When iggy left calgary, it left a massive hole in their leadership, flames didn't know what they would do, but then at the same time if gave Gio the opportunity to step up and take over, since then he's been one of the league best D when healthy.

 

Same thing in Vancouver, After Mogilny, Bure and messier era, we didn't know what we had, but those holes created opportunity for a player like Naslund and Bert to step up a reach there potential.