Popular Post ButterBean Posted July 11, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted July 11, 2019 I’m for once excited to see us play San Jose this year. Idk if there’s a team in the league that has trounced us more than they have for the last 5 years or so. Pacific division will be wide open this year and I think every team is beatable with our recent additions. 1 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 1 hour ago, aqua59 said: I believe they have leapfrogged Edmonton and left any notions of Lucic coming here done. Calgary is another team. i say that because of Vancouver's goaltending and the realignment in front of them. Vancouver's goaltenders just got a bit more room. Stellar. Calgary still has a much better d group but I like our F depth a lot more, and I'd be pretty worried if we were going into next season with Talbot. I think we'll be able to stand up to Cowgary much better, that 3rd spot in the division is not a lock imo. LV, SJS, then I think we have a decent shot at beating Calgary for it if we can take the season series against them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyman109 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 52 minutes ago, Mathew Barzal said: Highly dependent on how big of a step Pettersson takes forward in his development and with the opposition likely hyperfocused on him, it'll be interesting to see. I think we leapfrog the Coyotes, but that's about it. Our defense doesn't stack up with the top three. I think Petterson gets a bit more room out there with Ferland around. The defense will be better without one(Edler) or two guys (add Tanev) having to take on all the hard minutes. Its a top 4 of 3-4's and that can work well.Hughes is likely a top 1-2 but he wont have to play that way on D with the other 4 here 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HC20.0 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) I’d say we’re ahead of LA, and Edmonton. We’re about on par, if not a bit better than Arizona, who should also contend for a playoff spot this year. However, Calgary, San Jose, and Vegas are definitely all ahead of us. I think Calgary won’t win the west again, but are trending in the right direction, despite their awful postseason performance. Goaltending is a huge question mark though. Vegas will likely take a step back this year, but will still compete. Despite losing Pavelski, San Jose should remain relatively unchanged standings wise. The wild card is Anaheim. They had a horrendous time under Carlyle, but showed significant turn around after he was canned. Edited July 11, 2019 by HC20.0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post spur1 Posted July 11, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, spur1 said: I think you may have it backwards.....do teams not play more games against their division? That means with all the good teams in the Central there is less chance of the Central taking both wild card spots. 43 minutes ago, Canucks_fo_life said: Central division is so stacked, atleast 4 teams get in if not 5, leaving 4 spots for San Jose, Vegas and Calgary, wild card will be between Arizona, Edmonton, Minnesota and Vancouver Right now with the Pacific being weaker it gives a strong Pacific team a better chance to make the playoffs. Canucks are now a strong Pacific team. Canucks did not miss the playoffs by a lot last year. The thinking was that 1, or even better 2 players could have made a huge difference in the year. So what does Benning do? He goes out and gets himself two defencemen and two impact forwards plus more depth players all the while being criticized for each move. Are the Sharks better this year? Are the Flames better this year? Are the Knights better? We all know the Oilers weren't. Although they may surprise. LA? I don't really care how stacked the Central is the Canucks can get it done right here in the Pacific. I forgot to add that I had a great day after the signing of Ferland. I popped Bubbles with my granddaughter as my grandson blew up his little army. To top it off I had stuffed tomatoes for dinner. Edited July 11, 2019 by spur1 2 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Our defense is still below average, so I think we'll sneak into 8th spot this year. Calgary was great last year so even though they haven't improved in the off-season, you'd still have to say that they're a better team then us at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris12345 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 18 minutes ago, spur1 said: Right now with the Pacific being weaker it gives a strong Pacific team a better chance to make the playoffs. Canucks are now a strong Pacific team. Canucks did not miss the playoffs by a lot last year. The thinking was that 1, or even better 2 players could have made a huge difference in the year. So what does Benning do? He goes out and gets himself two defencemen and two impact forwards plus more depth players all the while being criticized for each move. Are the Sharks better this year? Are the Flames better this year? Are the Knights better? We all know the Oilers weren't. Although they may surprise. LA? I don't really care how stacked the Central is the Canucks can get it done right here in the Pacific. I forgot to add that I had a great day after the signing of Ferland. I popped Bubbles with my granddaughter as my grandson blew up his little army. To top it off I had stuffed tomatoes for dinner. Where's the scotch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coconuts Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Given how our team is built we should be ahead of LA, Anaheim, Edmonton and Arizona. We're in the mix with Calgary but I'd still put us behind San Jose and Vegas til proven otherwise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hammertime Posted July 11, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted July 11, 2019 I honestly see the Canucks as this years Colorado. They will surprise everyone and be the most improved team in the league in the first half of the season. Teams will then take notice and wins will be harder after x mas they will sneak into a playoff spot on their heels a bit. They play a well fought first round make it to 7 possibly even make a 2nd round appearance but will inevitably loose playing in uncharted waters for this team. 2021 playoffs we add Podkolzin after the KHL season as well as Tryamkin and thats when the Canucks start to really challenge after wetting their appetite the previous year. 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kloubek Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) I am not going to go over all the ways we improved from last season, but we are better in literally every conceivable category. I feel we have a strong team now and I can see us really competing. I think we are way above the bottom feeders now, though there are still several really good teams we will have to keep up with. San Jose is still strong as is Calgary... I have no idea what to expect from Vegas. I will say this though - I feel we are the most improved team in the west - if not the league. It is gonna be exciting. Edited July 11, 2019 by kloubek 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rob_Zepp Posted July 11, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted July 11, 2019 2 hours ago, Fanuck said: Nashville St Louis San Jose Calgary Winnipeg Vegas Colorado Dallas The real question is, realistically, which of these playoff teams won't make it next season? Winnipeg, Vegas, Dallas would be my pre-season picks to take a step back leaving the door open perhaps for......another team to step up. Calgary will likely take a step back next year. Given their playoff "success", they will try and adjust their style of play and confuse everyone. A few guys demonstrated that they don't like certain defensive strategies and look for teams to hit them hard with those strategies. Finally, they have nothing but question marks in goal right now. Nashville could be interesting to watch too. Cozy contract and Duchene may make him more the player Colorado last saw and like him or otherwise, Subban's minutes were huge and tough to replace. Finally, St Louis could have a massive hangover and feel "hey, we coasted until January last time, we can do that again" sort of thing. It happens. Vegas is one more Fleury groin tweak away from M Subban and his .900 'tending minding the ranch. The west did not improve a lot. Ironically I am not sure Dallas takes a step back....I think they may be improved. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJockitch Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Who knows. A lot of turnover this year (which was needed). ‘May mesh well, may not. 100% dependent on some very young players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spur1 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) 50 minutes ago, Chris12345 said: Where's the scotch? Mostly in my belly but still some in my hand. Edited July 11, 2019 by spur1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 8 minutes ago, Rob_Zepp said: The west did not improve a lot. Ironically I am not sure Dallas takes a step back....I think they may be improved. I'd put Dallas and Colorado as some of the most improved teams in the West. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spur1 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) 4 minutes ago, VancouverHabitant said: I'd put Dallas and Colorado as some of the most improved teams in the West. Maybe according to the leastern press. Colorado yes. Edited July 11, 2019 by spur1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 2 minutes ago, spur1 said: Maybe according to the leastern press. Dallas just added Joe Pavelski and Correy Perry. The defenceman that they got Andrej Sekera is as good as either one of the ones we acquired. Colorado's one of the best teams now in the West. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBackup Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 3 hours ago, Alflives said: Those are the very same people who believe retiring in edmonton is more attractive than here. I know Mrs. Alf and I had serious talks about retiring in .edmonton. Retiring in Edmonton is a better option if you're the kind of retiree who wants to do nothing but sit and watch tv all day. If you plan on leaving the house at all its definitely not. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaudette Celly Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 1 hour ago, Jimmy McGill said: Calgary still has a much better d group but I like our F depth a lot more, and I'd be pretty worried if we were going into next season with Talbot. I think we'll be able to stand up to Cowgary much better, that 3rd spot in the division is not a lock imo. LV, SJS, then I think we have a decent shot at beating Calgary for it if we can take the season series against them. Didn't we take the season against the Flames this year? If not, it was even or very close. We seemed to match up well with them, and should even more this year with a bigger faster more skilled team whereas they are struggling just to re-sign their RFAs. I think the key for us will be just that -- how we play against our division. We simply MUST feast on the likes of Edmonton, LA, Anaheim, and Arizona. There were probably 3+ games that we had no business losing against the Coyotes, and when you project even some of those points out we are barely out of the playoffs. We've not been able to run with Vegas so hopefully we can handle them better now as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spur1 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 55 minutes ago, VancouverHabitant said: Dallas just added Joe Pavelski and Correy Perry. The defenceman that they got Andrej Sekera is as good as either one of the ones we acquired. Colorado's one of the best teams now in the West. So they added 2 of the over the hill gang. Sekera? Are you kidding or trolling? You might want to look at who they lost as well after all one is a prize signing in Toronto. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgarM Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 The most important aspect that we need to look at is the development of the young core. Obviously none of them have reached their potential and this will take time. I think we will be competitive this year but we will only get better in the next couple of seasons and we will gradually grow stronger. Add in a couple of more pieces from the minors and then we will be off and running. Similar to what Colorado is doing. The other key element we have is that we have the pieces already in place to help the kids. The bottom 9 were added last year and this year top 6 and D were added. We also have good competition with our goalies so everything is pointing to continued success as the next few seasons progress. Barring our usual parade of injuries, we will make the playoffs this year and we will get stronger as our kids gain experience and maturity. JB has built a system in which we should see continued success from here on out for many years to come. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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