Could The Playoffs Be Possible and Is That A Good Thing Right Now?

[TheGuardian_]

With LA tanking or at least injured, old and horrible right now, that is one position closer to a playoff spot. Anaheim is somewhat questionable as is Vegas.

It is still really way too early yet to tell but that makes it a 5 team competition for the top 3 divisional spots and a 5 team competition for the remaining 2 wild card spots if not a divisional, that might be doable with a little work and if EP keeps it up, a playoff berth might/may be more than a possibility.

 

So it could be a good thing if a playoff spot is the overall goal. Good for the fans, the owner but the goal of a cup with come cap certainty?

I could be a bad thing as well due to numerous factors.

 

Leaving the lottery reduces the chances to get players like EP or Horvat.

With the CBA and potential lockout on the horizon, if the NHL reverts to past practices, two more poor seasons could result in an extra (2021) top 7 selection and 3 more top 7 picks should almost guarantee a decade of cup contention and maybe a couple at that. There will be teams looking to trade 2 bad years for up to 4 top 7 picks, 3 picks for sure.

 

Making the show right now might mean being stuck in the middle, the upper middle, but still like "kissing your sister", years/decade of "almost there".

 

It is conflicting right now, it is great to see EP, Horvat, Boeser, Virtanen, Goldy and a little bit Gaudette bloom but the D is nowhere close, it needs 3 more players and OJ can't crack/make this group no matter his 3 years of development. Groot, maybe, Hughes, he is just so small for NHL playoffs.

 

In the few games so far it is great to see possibilities for the future but short terms gains in the standings at this juncture in exchange for a mere 2 more lottery years and even longer term certainty/plan of cup contention?

 

It is not JUST the regular season. I cheer when I see those young kids being so successful and cringe if management figure the job is done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dats hockey]

4 minutes ago, TheGuardian_ said:

With LA tanking or at least injured, old and horrible right now, that is one position closer to a playoff spot. Anaheim is somewhat questionable as is Vegas.

It is still really way too early yet to tell but that makes it a 5 team competition for the top 3 divisional spots and a 5 team competition for the remaining 2 wild card spots if not a divisional, that might be doable with a little work and if EP keeps it up, a playoff berth might/may be more than a possibility.

 

So it could be a good thing if a playoff spot is the overall goal. Good for the fans, the owner but the goal of a cup with come cap certainty?

I could be a bad thing as well due to numerous factors.

 

Leaving the lottery reduces the chances to get players like EP or Horvat.

With the CBA and potential lockout on the horizon, if the NHL reverts to past practices, two more poor seasons could result in an extra (2021) top 7 selection and 3 more top 7 picks should almost guarantee a decade of cup contention and maybe a couple at that. There will be teams looking to trade 2 bad years for up to 4 top 7 picks, 3 picks for sure.

 

Making the show right now might mean being stuck in the middle, the upper middle, but still like "kissing your sister", years/decade of "almost there".

 

It is conflicting right now, it is great to see EP, Horvat, Boeser, Virtanen, Goldy and a little bit Gaudette bloom but the D is nowhere close, it needs 3 more players and OJ can't crack/make this group no matter his 3 years of development. Groot, maybe, Hughes, he is just so small for NHL playoffs.

 

In the few games so far it is great to see possibilities for the future but short terms gains in the standings at this juncture in exchange for a mere 2 more lottery years and even longer term certainty/plan of cup contention?

 

It is not JUST the regular season. I cheer when I see those young kids being so successful and cringe if management figure the job is done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tones of player have been picked 20 OA and have been really good players I’m not worried about our draft or Benning thinking his job is done, I’m saying Win to get Karlsson

[TheGuardian_]

1 minute ago, Dats hockey said:

Tones of player have been picked 20 OA and have been really good players I’m not worried about our draft or Benning thinking his job is done, I’m saying Win to get Karlsson

I would think you would be concerned as Benning has only 2 players in five years playing after the #7 selection not counting his first year when he had the benefit of the Bruins scouting reports to help. His late picks are taking more than 4 years to show up, Boeser, Horvat could be past their prime by the time those are rookies and bottom six guys at that. Not sure Gadovitch or Lind are making the top line any time soon.

[coastal.view]

it's never a good thing to make the playoffs

what could the boys ever learn from a playoff run anyway

 

"preserve the tank"

 

amirite ?

[HC20.0]

I'm really happy with our early season success, and man alive the game last night was incredible. However, the Canucks will come back down to earth sooner than later. Our D has too many holes and our goaltending is suspect. We may score a lot of goals, but we're going to give up a lot as well. I don't see us as a bottom 5 team, but I think we'll still get a top 10 draft pick. Just enjoy the ride right now, cause this is some of the best hockey we've seen in a very long time.

[-AJ-]

Definitely a possibility, but I never forget that we were a fringe playoff team on December 5 last year. 

 

And yes, making the playoffs is always a good thing. Our team is ready to start being great again. The rebuild is in the finishing stages.

[coastal.view]

4 minutes ago, HC20.0 said:

I'm really happy with our early season success, and man alive the game last night was incredible. However, the Canucks will come back down to earth sooner than later. Our D has too many holes and our goaltending is suspect. We may score a lot of goals, but we're going to give up a lot as well. I don't see us as a bottom 5 team, but I think we'll still get a top 10 draft pick. Just enjoy the ride right now, cause this is some of the best hockey we've seen in a very long time.

people on here

continually under estimate ep40

 

barring him getting injured this team will do better then you currently think

he is that special of a player

our other stars already look up to him . . look at bo and brock's comments

look at how the team performs when he is in the lineup

he elevates the team

he also brings and element of offense that really cannot be defended

as he is always ad libbing

pure creativity and such high hockey iq

he has "it"

[BlueDragon23]

Possible = absolutely. 

 

Will it happen? = Maybe. We’ll see.

 

I’d love to see playoff hockey again. But not getting too far ahead of myself. We are only a month in. The amount of injuries we’ve had is troubling. We need to find a way to stay healthy, as we will not last long against legit contenders.

 

[Roberts]

This may sound like a silly question, but will the team be doing this good when Beagle and Edler come back? I think so, but you look at the young players battling for positions in the team and I think they might be trying harder than players like Beagle and Edler every game because they know they don't have a spot on the team unless they show they deserve it. I think Gagner being sent down was a great thing because it shows just because you're a veteran, it doesn't mean you can just coast along with the team.

[stawns]

32 minutes ago, TheGuardian_ said:

With LA tanking or at least injured, old and horrible right now, that is one position closer to a playoff spot. Anaheim is somewhat questionable as is Vegas.

It is still really way too early yet to tell but that makes it a 5 team competition for the top 3 divisional spots and a 5 team competition for the remaining 2 wild card spots if not a divisional, that might be doable with a little work and if EP keeps it up, a playoff berth might/may be more than a possibility.

 

So it could be a good thing if a playoff spot is the overall goal. Good for the fans, the owner but the goal of a cup with come cap certainty?

I could be a bad thing as well due to numerous factors.

 

Leaving the lottery reduces the chances to get players like EP or Horvat.

With the CBA and potential lockout on the horizon, if the NHL reverts to past practices, two more poor seasons could result in an extra (2021) top 7 selection and 3 more top 7 picks should almost guarantee a decade of cup contention and maybe a couple at that. There will be teams looking to trade 2 bad years for up to 4 top 7 picks, 3 picks for sure.

 

Making the show right now might mean being stuck in the middle, the upper middle, but still like "kissing your sister", years/decade of "almost there".

 

It is conflicting right now, it is great to see EP, Horvat, Boeser, Virtanen, Goldy and a little bit Gaudette bloom but the D is nowhere close, it needs 3 more players and OJ can't crack/make this group no matter his 3 years of development. Groot, maybe, Hughes, he is just so small for NHL playoffs.

 

In the few games so far it is great to see possibilities for the future but short terms gains in the standings at this juncture in exchange for a mere 2 more lottery years and even longer term certainty/plan of cup contention?

 

It is not JUST the regular season. I cheer when I see those young kids being so successful and cringe if management figure the job is done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

if it's conflicting for you, you need to re-evaluate your status as a "fan".  If you watch this team and don't want to see them in the post season, it's probably best to find another team, imo.

[DS4quality]

2 minutes ago, Roberts said:

This my sound like a silly question, but will the team be doing this good when Beagle and Edler come back? I think so, but you look at the young players battling for positions in the team and I think they might be trying harder than players like Beagle and Edler every game because they know they don't have a spot on the team unless they show they deserve it. I think Gagner being sent down was a great thing because it shows just because you're a veteran, it doesn't mean you can just coast along with the team.

Impossible, Beagle is a workhorse

[gttxc]

It's a catch 22.  If we make the play offs it's because the players we drafted are turning into the players we want them to.  If we don't make the play offs we need higher draft picks to draft players because our current draft picks arnt good enough.

 

Unless we make the playoffs JUST on luck, which we might.   Everyone is playing well right now and we are getting good bounces.  Regression to the mean is a real thing.

 

With all that said, you need to start winning at some point.  If you don't it means you missed on your draft picks.  I think the holes will be filled.  When you get some wins  and star players, you 'll get good free agent signings, Tavares, and be put on NTC short lists.  The rich get richer!

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

Making the playoffs is always a good thing.

 

The experience it would provide for our young guns would be hugely beneficial to their development. And if we manage to maintain current performance levels, it will mean that guys like Pettersson, Boeser, and Horvat are truly thriving as young star players in this league, and we're also getting positive returns from other younger guys like Virtanen, Mottle, etc, and improved play from the likes of Hutton, Pouliot, and the goalies. That kind of overall improvement from our current assets is worth far more to the team, and to the overall rebuild, than gaining spots on the ladder from tanking for draft position.

 

The only danger IMO would be if management decided not to sell off the expiring contracts and some of the surplus veteran players at the TDL.

 

I think if this team makes it to the postseason, it will be on the backs of our emerging young players, and not the veterans. Most of our biggest wins this season have been driven by the young core. The vets help stabilize this group, but they have not been nearly as crucial to our success as the kids and the improvements from younger vets (like Hutton). No matter what spot we're in at the TDL, we need to try to recover some sort of assets on guys like MDZ and Gagner. And we probably should look to trade at least one of Edler/Tanev, possibly one of Baertschi/Granlund, potentially Sutter (if Gaudette and Gaunce are looking NHL ready), Nilsson (if Demko is healthy and pushing for an NHL spot), and even the younger depth guys like Leipsic and others, if our AHL prospects start pushing for spots. We absolutely should not hang on to any expiring contracts or players that aren't going to be part of the future core, just because they might help us in the playoffs.

 

I'm not worried about losing draft position while winning this season. This year's draft is really deep and there are plenty of good options deep into the first round and continuing into the second and beyond. We should be more worried about acquiring some extra picks in this draft than maximizing our draft position.

[canuckster19]

We got Boeser at 23rd didn't we?

[ABNuck]

Mid-season I never look at points...only points %.

 

Right now in points we're 2nd...in points % we are 13th.

 

History with this team suggests that we slump off a bit and would then finish probably in the 17 to 22 slot (out of the playoffs). But this just isn't the same team at all. We have 7 regulars out of the line-up right now...this team could actually surprise us and actually uptick in % and possibly finish near the bottom of the upper 3rd or top of the middle 3rd (say 8 to 13th O/A) when all said and done...there's no history here anymore (EP & Brock vs. Hank and Dank / new goalie coach / Green has more experience / deeper than we've been in many years etc etc etc)

[Rob_Zepp]

44 minutes ago, TheGuardian_ said:

With LA tanking or at least injured, old and horrible right now, that is one position closer to a playoff spot. Anaheim is somewhat questionable as is Vegas.

It is still really way too early yet to tell but that makes it a 5 team competition for the top 3 divisional spots and a 5 team competition for the remaining 2 wild card spots if not a divisional, that might be doable with a little work and if EP keeps it up, a playoff berth might/may be more than a possibility.

 

So it could be a good thing if a playoff spot is the overall goal. Good for the fans, the owner but the goal of a cup with come cap certainty?

I could be a bad thing as well due to numerous factors.

 

Leaving the lottery reduces the chances to get players like EP or Horvat.

With the CBA and potential lockout on the horizon, if the NHL reverts to past practices, two more poor seasons could result in an extra (2021) top 7 selection and 3 more top 7 picks should almost guarantee a decade of cup contention and maybe a couple at that. There will be teams looking to trade 2 bad years for up to 4 top 7 picks, 3 picks for sure.

 

Making the show right now might mean being stuck in the middle, the upper middle, but still like "kissing your sister", years/decade of "almost there".

 

It is conflicting right now, it is great to see EP, Horvat, Boeser, Virtanen, Goldy and a little bit Gaudette bloom but the D is nowhere close, it needs 3 more players and OJ can't crack/make this group no matter his 3 years of development. Groot, maybe, Hughes, he is just so small for NHL playoffs.

 

In the few games so far it is great to see possibilities for the future but short terms gains in the standings at this juncture in exchange for a mere 2 more lottery years and even longer term certainty/plan of cup contention?

 

It is not JUST the regular season. I cheer when I see those young kids being so successful and cringe if management figure the job is done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think Vancouver will be within the playoff bubble come the deadline as the injuries alone will be enough to keep them back.  I agree that another year of strong compete but getting a lottery pick will be in their best interest.    

 

I totally disagree with your embedded slam against OJ.   On a playoff team, he is already in the lineup as he can play minutes like the way Sergachev could in Tampa for example.   He has NHL talent and is showing that right now in AHL on a young team.   The team has him in Utica as there is no rush - for many of the very reasons you note.   You could put him in the lineup and he would be in the top 6 right now but not getting 20 plus minutes, not getting first team PP and PK duties etc.   

[alt kilgore]

4 minutes ago, gttxc said:

It's a catch 22.  If we make the play offs it's because the players we drafted are turning into the players we want them to.  If we don't make the play offs we need higher draft picks to draft players because our current draft picks arnt good enough.

 

Unless we make the playoffs JUST on luck, which we might.   Everyone is playing well right now and we are getting good bounces.  Regression to the mean is a real thing.

 

With all that said, you need to start winning at some point.  If you don't it means you missed on your draft picks.  I think the holes will be filled.  When you get some wins  and star players, you 'll get good free agent signings, Tavares, and be put on NTC short lists.  The rich get richer!

Welcome to CDC.  This is what a lot of tankers don't see.  IF we make the playoffs it means our young players, and even our new free agents, are performing well.  Isn't that the end goal?  Sure it would be great to get both Hughes brothers. What a story too, just when our last pair of superstar brothers retire, we get another. But even if we finished dead last, knowing Canuck Luck, we still wouldn't get him.  But sure, a higher position would be better than a lower position.

 

But IMO, realizing you already have a playoff calibre team, and adding pieces only to compliment that, add to that the experience that young players will get, the Canucks would be much further ahead. The alternative would be that we proved we had a long way to go, while rookies were playing in a cloud of a losing atmosphere. Getting a pick, a few spots higher, compared to that?  Sorry, I'll take the former. Especially with the master late drafter JB at the helm.

[TGokou]

I have been firmly on team tank for the past several years. I was continually disappointed when the Canucks would win their games at the end of the year. I can firmly say now that if the Canucks were to make the playoffs this year I would be fully on board. At this point if we were to finish 10-16th it's way better to make it to the playoffs. Show the kids what a winning environment looks like now and give them their first taste of playoff experience. I absolutely think it is beneficial for them to learn what it takes, and better now than later. 

[aGENT]

I'm with @SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME. By all means it would be great if we're pushing for playoffs, but we should be continuing to sell expiring vets off with our aim squarely at the future. Any playoff success this, or any future years,  will depend on those futures, not expiring vets. 

[Nuxfanabroad]

30 minutes ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Making the playoffs is always a good thing.

 

The experience it would provide for our young guns would be hugely beneficial to their development. And if we manage to maintain current performance levels, it will mean that guys like Pettersson, Boeser, and Horvat are truly thriving as young star players in this league, and we're also getting positive returns from other younger guys like Virtanen, Mottle, etc, and improved play from the likes of Hutton, Pouliot, and the goalies. That kind of overall improvement from our current assets is worth far more to the team, and to the overall rebuild, than gaining spots on the ladder from tanking for draft position.

 

The only danger IMO would be if management decided not to sell off the expiring contracts and some of the surplus veteran players at the TDL.

 

I think if this team makes it to the postseason, it will be on the backs of our emerging young players, and not the veterans. Most of our biggest wins this season have been driven by the young core. The vets help stabilize this group, but they have not been nearly as crucial to our success as the kids and the improvements from younger vets (like Hutton). No matter what spot we're in at the TDL, we need to try to recover some sort of assets on guys like MDZ and Gagner. And we probably should look to trade at least one of Edler/Tanev, possibly one of Baertschi/Granlund, potentially Sutter (if Gaudette and Gaunce are looking NHL ready), Nilsson (if Demko is healthy and pushing for an NHL spot), and even the younger depth guys like Leipsic and others, if our AHL prospects start pushing for spots. We absolutely should not hang on to any expiring contracts or players that aren't going to be part of the future core, just because they might help us in the playoffs.

 

I'm not worried about losing draft position while winning this season. This year's draft is really deep and there are plenty of good options deep into the first round and continuing into the second and beyond. We should be more worried about acquiring some extra picks in this draft than maximizing our draft position.

This is excellent.