Will this Canucks team be better then our 2014-15 playoff team?

[xereau]

34 minutes ago, Pears said:

I wonder if, even though we have quite a lot of depth, we’ll make a play for someone who’s been there and done that, like a Williams type player. Once we’ve got Boeser signed and moved some salary out of course. 

 

Ferland - Pettersson - Boeser

Pearson - Horvat - Miller

xxxx - Gaudette - Virtanen

Roussel - Beagle - Motte

Virtanen Gaudette MacEwen. Play Jake on his natural wing and let him use his speed to make forehand plays to the middle of the ice. Zack and Gaudette both play in front of the net. So much potential for an emergent strong 3rd line this season. Everything hinges on Sutter/LE being moved.

[khay]

That was a veteran team that knew how to win games in the regular season. Richardson was a good third line center for us looking back. Bonino a good second line center. Hansen and Burrows were still effective as well. Vrbata put up 30+ goals. And of course, the Sedins were still very effective in that season, in other words, 18-20 minutes of ice time where the opposition doesn't get to touch the puck.

 

I think this team has more talent but not sure if they have figured out how to grind out and win games. Veterans that we acquired will help but don't think we are a 100 point team. 

 

Having said that, I voted yes to all of the questions

 

[EdgarM]

20 minutes ago, khay said:

That was a veteran team that knew how to win games in the regular season. Richardson was a good third line center for us looking back. Bonino a good second line center. Hansen and Burrows were still effective as well. Vrbata put up 30+ goals. And of course, the Sedins were still very effective in that season, in other words, 18-20 minutes of ice time where the opposition doesn't get to touch the puck.

 

I think this team has more talent but not sure if they have figured out how to grind out and win games. Veterans that we acquired will help but don't think we are a 100 point team. 

 

Having said that, I voted yes to all of the questions

 

Key word(s) being regular season...……….. Our character and grittiness will eventually carry us farther as we progress.

[kanucks25]

This year's team has more overall/balanced offensive talent for sure.

 

The 14/15 team had quality veterans with a little bit left in the tank that just knew how to get the job done on a daily basis. Unfortunately they just weren't good enough in general to be a threat in the playoffs.

 

This year's defense is the biggest question mark. 14/15 didn't have a great D group either but Edler and Tanev had excellent seasons. X-factor this year might be Tanev having a bounce back season. We've seen over the last handful of seasons how different our defense looks with a good, healthy Tanev vs. no or bad Tanev. I can see this team squeaking into the playoffs if the dominoes fall the right way but like 14/15, it's probably a 1st round exit. However, this would be seen as a building block moving forward instead of the final nail in the coffin like it was for the old core.

Edited July 13, 2019 by kanucks25

[ilduce39]

1 hour ago, kanucks25 said:

This year's team has more overall/balanced offensive talent for sure.

 

The 14/15 team had quality veterans with a little bit left in the tank that just knew how to get the job done on a daily basis. Unfortunately they just weren't good enough in general to be a threat in the playoffs.

 

This year's defense is the biggest question mark. 14/15 didn't have a great D group either but Edler and Tanev had excellent seasons. X-factor this year might be Tanev having a bounce back season. We've seen over the last handful of seasons how different our defense looks with a good, healthy Tanev vs. no or bad Tanev. I can see this team squeaking into the playoffs if the dominoes fall the right way but like 14/15, it's probably a 1st round exit. However, this would be seen as a building block moving forward instead of the final nail in the coffin like it was for the old core.

That’s a fair take and I pretty much agree.  14-15 had the advantage of having “president’s trophy” level effort and consistency from the vets.  

 

Can this current group find that consistency is one of many questions going in to this season.  

 

I do think our current team is built a lot better for playoff hockey, though.

[Nave]

I think this team will have a worse record, but will do much better in the playoffs. We are built to be a playoff team now.
The 2014-15 team over-achieved because of the excellence of the Sedins and Vrbata. But I'm much more comfortable with the future of the team now than I was back then.

 

[kanucks25]

9 minutes ago, ilduce39 said:

I do think our current team is built a lot better for playoff hockey, though.

Yeah, we're definitely a more well-rounded team now. Miller and Ferland give our top-9 an element we haven't had since Burrows and Kesler (physical, scrappy, in-your-face stuff).

 

It's important in the playoffs, but IMO we have a long way to go on the defense to be a contender. And that's if the goaltending holds up.

[BCNeil]

48 wins?  Don't see that happening this year.  

[Guest]

I think that the league and level of play has gotten much better since then. Almost every team now has their own young star, instead of just a couple teams per division, and the overall standard of play has gotten much better. I feel we have a much better team than 14/15, but we’ll perform worse in comparison due to the prowess of the other teams. 

[IBatch]

Absolutely.  Yes.  Because that team was systematically dismantled by the same guy we just signed.   The 2009-2014 was great, but it didn’t have enough toughness when it mattered. Beiksa was the only that really pushed back it it wasn’t enough.  Love the guy he had heart in spades and spades.   Dorsett too later on.   In 2011 Beiksa drove Eager mad and he’s a big part of the reason we got by SJ.  But Ferland hit the crap out of us in 2014 and yes I believe with Miller and Horvat we are a better then that team, even if we don’t get as many points in the regular season (think we were 7th overall then).   Our middle six is much better as is our second line.   We would pick apart that team in a head to head series I’m sure.