RWJC

Again, there’s good and bad with almost every player. Myers is certainly a whipping boy for a number of reasons but when we lacked minute munching Dmen, at least we had someone to step up and try to manage that in that role. If he’s out of his depth, it’s because of coaching decisions and a lack of personnel to offset. Regardless he is still a legit bottom pairing NHL Dman that has parlayed a pretty good career through the years despite many armchair GMs critical analysis. He’s overpaid and overplayed and at the same time somewhat under appreciated for what he does provide, imho. To each their own perspective.

Why not? If VGK can do it we should be able to play their game also. As well, it solves some of the W logjam issues and maybe bides more time to make any required trades and potentially with a better return

You obviously don’t appreciate Shaolin Temple style Myers. On the flip side, his reach prevents a lot of opportunities as well. It doesn’t absolve the negative, but you have to accept some of his positives as well.

That’s a plausible scenario Sir Alfred, but not for Crouse. He’s worth a lot more to a team like us and we’d likely have to pay above fair market for him. Could definitely be a hockey trade somewhere though. I can see CHI or a team in that position taking Myers on. I’d accept a Foligno or Corey Perry in return in a heartbeat.

Canucks' Tucker Poolman not expected at training camp: Report It appears the Vancouver Canucks will begin the 2023-24 NHL season without Tucker Poolman. CHEK-TV’S Rick Dhaliwal reported Tuesday morning on the Donnie and Dhali show that Poolman — who signed a four-year, $10 million deal with the Canucks in 2021 — won’t be at training camp in Victoria later this month. The veteran defenceman has been suffering from migraines since his first season with Vancouver, when he was limited to just 40 games played, including only one game after January 2022. Poolman attempted to return last season, but managed to play in just three games on the season-opening road trip, his last appearance coming on Oct. 18, 2022, in Columbus. He did remain around the team for the remainder of the year and occasionally skated on his own but never came close to returning. The Canucks declined to comment on the report. Assuming Poolman is not able to play to start the season, the Canucks could place him on long-term injured reserve, allowing them to replace some or all of his US$2.5 million cap hit. The right-shot defenceman’s contract calls for him to be paid $3 million in actual salary for the next two seasons. Drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in 2013, he skated in 120 games for the Jets from 2017 to 2021. pjohnston@postmedia.com

I think the article accurately describes what it might take to simply make the playoffs. To ensure we are within position of the expected candidates.

You know what would really make things interesting…if a team had the guts to offer sheet EP as an RFA. Here’s the list of who still has their next 4 1st round picks, which is what the compensation would be if he agreed to a any potential deal above 10.725 per. Excluded because they don’t currently qualify are: BOS, CGY, FLA, PIT, TB. https://www.capfriendly.com/offer-sheet-calculator#:~:text=Compensation is determined by the,five (5) years Of course we would match but that could still have repercussions. Hronek is another candidate for it but obviously the tactic is rarely used anymore. Too bad as it would really create excitement for fans, but on the flip side unfortunately escalate contract values into further absurdity.

Where Will Patrick Kane Sign? September 4th, 2023 at 12:15pm CST • By Josh Erickson When Patrick Kane said he’d be undergoing a hip resurfacing procedure in June, it became clear he wouldn’t sign a new contract anywhere until deep into his recovery, closer to the start of the 2023-24 season. That’s exactly what happened – more than two months into free agency, the three-time Stanley Cup champion remains unsigned but, if you ask him, is ahead of schedule in his return to playing health. Now, in the dog days of summer, rumors have been ramping up about where the longtime Blackhawks winger might end up. The Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and New York Islanders were named as potential suitors by The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta last month, while the Chicago Daily Herald’s John Dietz reportedyesterday a desire to reunite with former teammate Alex DeBrincat may influence Kane to sign with the emerging Detroit Red Wings – if they come calling, that is. There’s been no reporting to suggest Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has interest in acquiring Kane. What remains a complete unknown is what Kane is willing to take in terms of payment on his next deal. He won’t receive anywhere close to his previous $10.5MM AAV, but how low is he willing to go on a one-year deal to join a potential contender? He’s also one year away from being eligible for a 35+ contract, meaning he cannot receive performance bonuses on a contract signed for this season. The answer to that question could very well determine his options. If he wants something with more significant compensation, Colorado or Detroit will be his two options among the reported potential destinations. The Avs still have around $2MM in cap flexibility as captain Gabriel Landeskog is destined for LTIR, per CapFriendly, while the Red Wings have slightly over $5MM in space remaining. Dallas or New York wouldn’t be able to accommodate much above the league minimum $775K salary unless a corresponding trade is made. The Buffalo Sabres, Kane’s hometown team, remains a wildcard option. There’s been nothing concrete connecting the two parties throughout the offseason, however – it remains just speculation. Signing Kane would give Detroit a bonafide core of four top-six wingers with him, DeBrincat, David Perron, and Lucas Raymond, but is Kane still going to be able to handle first-line minutes on a playoff team without the star-studded help he had around him with the New York Rangers post-deadline last season? Given his pre-injury decline and recovery from such a severe procedure, it’s a fair worry to have.

They offered the captain Horvat less than what they are paying Boeser. Even if previous mgmt set that precedent, you don’t take that much of a haircut under the team salary structure when you are out producing the majority of the roster. it was insulting but it was intentional imho so as to make the first steps in facilitating change, which was the right move anyway. Team had become stale.

They’re going to have to decide that soon with two major RFAs due for new contracts. Could eventually lose both EP and Horny after next season (which also means the waste of a 1st round pick) if we can’t show we can compete. The longer we remain outside the playoffs we also lose standing with any decent UFAs or players who could’ve been acquired through trade who have NMC’s. Then we overpay. There has to be a slight sense of urgency with this franchise this season, imho. Mgmt has been positioning everything quite nicely but it has to deliver by mid season, meaning we are squarely in the hunt for a definitive playoff position. Anything less than that (including wildcard chase) is flirting with disaster, imho it’s asking a lot but a lot is riding on this season alone

If the Canucks MUST make the playoffs in 2023/24, what does ‘all in’ look like? PHOTO CREDIT: © BOB FRID-USA TODAY SPORTS By Stephan Roget 11 hours ago The Mission Impossible franchise just debuted the seventh instalment in its film franchise with Dead Reckoning Part One. The Mission Improbable series, however, will conclude with Episode IV, which could be titled Dead-Set on Reaching the Postseason. If you’re just joining us, in this series we’ve decided to take Elias Pettersson’s ominous wording and Elliotte Friedman’s interpretation of that wording as seriously as possible, and we’re operating from the premise that Pettersson — in one way or another — has communicated to GM Patrik Allvin and Co. that he won’t sign a long-term extension unless the Canucks make the playoffs in this upcoming season. Now, this is the Vancouver Canucks we’re talking about, an organization that never needs much convincing to make a push toward postseason revenue. But the prospect of “make the playoffs or watch your franchise player walk” certainly gives that push some higher stakes than it’s had in recent memory. We’ve looked at the teams the Canucks will need to leapfrog. We’ve peered at the teams they’ll need to fend off from the sides and below. We’ve guessed at how many extra points the Canucks themselves will be able to accumulate. Now, it’s time to get away from all the numbers and get down to the spirit of the thing. What does the 2023/24 look like if the Canucks are all-in and going all-out to make the playoffs? Or, put differently, what can the Canucks do to give themselves the very best chance of making an appearance in the 2024 postseason? We’ve got some ideas to present (that shouldn’t necessarily be taken as recommendations.) (Over)Play the stars, especially Demko Well, we really didn’t expect this to be a popular article, so why not start with one of last year’s hottest controversies? Some fans were frustrated to see core talent like Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, and Thatcher Demko “overplayed” down the stretch run in 2022/23, despite the Canucks being realistically out of the playoffs long before then. But if they really want a shot at the 2024 postseason, that’s exactly what they need to do again this year. The Canucks’ depth has improved, but they’re still a team that is reliant on its stars to win, and that means those stars do need to play as much as possible to give the Canucks their best shot each night. Every point is going to count in the chase for the playoffs, so there can be no nights off. The player that this applies to the most is clearly Demko. Put bluntly, the Canucks’ chances are sunk without him, and the only real avenue they have to the postseason is to have Demko starting upward of 60 games and winning a better-than-decent chunk of them. He’s either up to it or the season is a bust anyway. Hang on to Tyler Myers (or find a replacement) Within a week or so of this being published, Tyler Myers’ $5 million signing bonus will be paid, and he’ll be available to acquire at the low, low price of just $1 million in salary (but still a $6 million cap hit). There are many who have waited all summer for this point, assuming that Myers would be traded the second he became a cheaper asset. But if the playoffs are the goal, then keeping Myers is almost a must. The Canucks are still short on RHD, and even if one of Carson Soucy or Ian Cole joins Filip Hronek on that side, Myers still represents the next-best option on the depth chart — and as good an injury replacement as they could possibly find this late in the game. Myers might not handle those 20+ minute deployments very well, but he can handle them, and that’s more than can be said about anyone lower than him on the depth chart. Reducing the capacity of the blueline is simply not an option, which means that Myers stays on. (Or, alternatively, a suitable replacement must be found before Myers is traded. This is where a healthy Ethan Bear could enter the picture again.) An all-veteran center rotation Forward units both literally and figuratively revolve around their centers. Which is why, if they want to give themselves the best chance to win on a nightly basis, the Canucks should probably go with an all-veteran center rotation in 2023/24. That means going Pettersson, JT Miller, Pius Suter, and Teddy Blueger, and probably in that order. Sorry, Nils Åman, but you’re on the outside looking in for now, unless you can come into Training Camp and straight-up steal a job from someone older. Veteran centers are great at doing all the “little things” that add up to hockey victories: defensive coverage, faceoff wins, chippy stuff. To make the playoffs, the Canucks need the consistent stability of their centerpieces far more than they need the upward potential of someone like Åman. Employ some form of load management “Load management” is still a controversial term in hockey circles. We’re probably never going to get to the point of the NBA, where star players are regularly healthy scratched just to keep them fresh and healthy, but perhaps there is a middle ground worth exploring. We’ve already noted how much the Canucks are going to rely on their stars playing big minutes. Could they compensate for that with occasional nights off? Or at least nights of reduced minutes? When Chicago rolls into town, should it be automatic to give Demko the night off and chop Hughes’ ice-time by five minutes? Alternatively, and perhaps more popularly for players who loathe losing ice-time, perhaps the team could explore a reduced practice schedule for certain players, or something along those lines. Or, the team could say “to heck with it,” because it’s making the playoffs that is the goal, not sticking around once they get there. Pick a captain now We’ve been talking captaincy all summer, and the general consensus amongst fans and media alike seems to be that the Canucks should not name a captain for the 2023/24 season. But while most prefer to wait, that’s not exactly conducive to an “all-in” attempt at the playoffs. Teams do typically need leaders, and going all year without an official ‘C’ could represent both a distraction and a lack of focus, potentially to the team’s detriment. Teams do make the playoffs frequently without a captain, but they are the exception to the rule. If the 2023/24 season is going to be a mad drag-race to the finish, it makes plenty of sense for someone to have their hands firmly on the wheel, whoever that might be. Up the physicality (especially against Pacific rivals) Believe it or not, the Canucks finished eighth in the league and first in the Pacific Division in 2022/23 with 2024 hits. To give themselves the best chance of rising up the Pacific standings in 2023/24, that needs to both continue and intensify. The Canucks aren’t the most physically-imposing roster, but they have added some bangers in Soucy and Cole, and some existing players, like Dakota Joshua, are probably capable of giving more on this front. Making up for the loss of Luke Schenn and Kyle Burroughs, isn’t easy, but it is doable by committee. The Pacific Division has lost a lot of muscle over the last couple of offseasons. The opportunity is there for the Canucks to, if not physically dominate, at least make their physicality a factor on a night-in, night-out basis. Doing so both ups their chances of reaching the playoffs and makes them more ready when those playoffs arrive. Cut and demote players mercilessly If every point counts, the Canucks can’t abide any passengers in 2023/24. That starts with Training Camp, where competition should be fierce and anyone not up to snuff should be cut in favour of those who are. That’s regardless of age, status, or contract, too. From then on out, the Canucks finally have enough depth to really lean on their hot hands. If someone in the bottom-six isn’t contributing much, it’s probably time to swap them out for someone on a roll down in Abbotsford. If a veteran starts slumping, they’ll need to come out of the lineup for a while until they’re back up to speed. The Canucks can’t afford to be as nice about who’s “on the team” anymore if the stakes are as high as we think they are. Pay up to create cap wiggle room Speaking of roster management, the Canucks are still tight up against the cap, and getting under it before opening night may prove tricky if Tanner Pearson really is as healthy as they say. Some options include running with a roster of fewer than 23 players. But for a team that travels and incurs injuries as often as the Canucks do, this isn’t really workable. What the Canucks need is some wiggle room, and the only way to get that is to pay up. At this point, that probably looks like giving someone a draft pick or a prospect to take the returned Pearson off their hands. Whatever the cost, such wiggle room would allow the Canucks to A) ice a full 23-person roster and call-up and demote players with abandon throughout the season. That’s the kind of flexibility they’re going to need to maximize their point-earning potential. Acquire a better backup, or recall Arturs Silovs frequently We’re not here to be cruel or callous, but Spencer Martin was the worst backup in the NHL last year, and it wasn’t even close. Yes, Demko is going to play the lion’s share of the games in 2023/24, but the Canucks can’t look at all of their backup games as near-guaranteed losses and still expect to make the playoffs. Nor can they sit around and hope that Martin will magically rebound. Perhaps using that aforementioned wiggle room, the Canucks need to acquire a better backup. There are seemingly plenty available on the market. Or, alternatively, the Canucks need to use the close placement of Abbotsford to get Arturs Silovs up with the big club as often as possible, his development be damned. This could look like Silovs getting a lot of home appearances and Demko starting almost all the road games, but so be it. Whatever gives the team the best chance to win each night is the only way to go. Keep Anthony Beauvillier as a self-rental We can keep this one short and sweet. Anthony Beauvillier is the Canucks’ most valuable expiring contract. For almost any team in the stage of development that the Canucks are in, the smart move would be to trade him at some point during the season for a futures-based return. But not if the goal is making the playoffs. Under that context, it makes more sense to hang on to Beauvillier as a sort of “self-rental,” even if the team fully intends on letting him walk come the summer. Any extra points he brings to the table in the meantime will have been worth it. Trade that first round pick Sorry about this. But one thing we can probably guarantee is that the Canucks won’t be comfortably in a playoff spot by the Trade Deadline. If they’re in it, they’ll be in the thick of it, and that will lead to a desire to “buy” at the deadline, not sell. The Canucks are already down their 2024 second rounder, and they only have a handful of quality prospects that they desperately need to hang onto. That means that their best trade chip is the 2024 first round pick, and if they’ve absolutely, positively gotta make the playoffs, then what else can they do but trade it? The pick shouldn’t come cheap, and it should almost certainly be spent on a top-four defender. To say that such a move would prove controversial isn’t even a guess, as we already went through this with Hronek last year. But if that’s what it takes, then that’s what it takes.

List Of NHL-Affiliated Prospects Expected To Play In The WHL This Season September 3rd, 2023 at 5:04pm CST • By Josh Erickson NHL preseason is just 20 days away, but the WHL season kicks off even sooner the day prior. One of the NHL’s largest feeder leagues is getting a new market this season – Central Washington’s Wenatchee Wild, who were relocated from Winnipeg earlier this summer. It has the largest United States presence of all three of the major Canadian junior leagues and churned out last year’s first overall pick – Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats (now of the Chicago Blackhawks). Nine teams do not have any drafted prospects projected to suit up in the WHL next year: the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning. If you’re a fan of one of the other 23 NHL teams, keep reading to find out where your team’s future players are skating next season if you’re looking to catch some WHL action. Anaheim Ducks F Connor Hvidston (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 fifth round, 139th overall F Nico Myatovic (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 second round, 33rd overall D Vojtech Port (Edmonton Oil Kings) – 2023 sixth round, 161st overall F Yegor Sidorov (Saskatoon Blades) – 2023 third round, 85th overall Arizona Coyotes F Conor Geekie (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 first round, 11th overall D Terrell Goldsmith (Prince Albert Raiders) – 2023 fourth round, 102nd overall D Justin Kipkie (Victoria Royals) – 2023 fifth round, 160th overall Boston Bruins G Reid Dyck (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 sixth round, 183rd overall Buffalo Sabres F Zach Benson (Wenatchee Wild) – 2023 first round, 13th overall D Mats Lindgren (Red Deer Rebels) – 2022 fourth round, 106th overall G Scott Ratzlaff (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 fifth round, 141st overall F Matthew Savoie (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 first round, 9th overall Calgary Flames F Parker Bell (Tri-City Americans) – 2022 fifth round, 155th overall F Samuel Honzek (Vancouver Giants) – 2023 first round, 16th overall F Jaden Lipinski (Vancouver Giants) – 2023 fourth round, 112th overall Chicago Blackhawks D Kevin Korchinski (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2022 first round, 7th overall Colorado Avalanche D Jeremy Hanzel (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 sixth round, 187th overall Columbus Blue Jackets D Denton Mateychuk (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2022 first round, 12th overall F Martin Rysavy (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2021 seventh round, 197th overall Detroit Red Wings F Nate Danielson (Brandon Wheat Kings) – 2023 first round, 9th overall F Emmitt Finnie (Kamloops Blazers) – 2023 seventh round, 201st overall Florida Panthers D Marek Alscher (Portland Winterhawks) – 2022 third round, 93rd overall F Josh Davies (Portland Winterhawks) – 2022 sixth round, 186th overall F Gracyn Sawchyn (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 second round, 63rd overall Los Angeles Kings F Koehn Ziemmer (Prince George Cougars) – 2023 third round, 78th overall Minnesota Wild F Riley Heidt (Prince George Cougars) – 2023 second round, 64th overall D Kalem Parker (Victoria Royals) – 2023 sixth round, 181st overall Nashville Predators F Kalan Lind (Red Deer Rebels) – 2023 second round, 46th overall D Tanner Molendyk (Saskatoon Blades) – 2023 first round, 24th overall F Austin Roest (Everett Silvertips) – 2023 sixth round, 175th overall D Graham Sward (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 fifth round, 146th overall New Jersey Devils F Josh Filmon (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 sixth round, 166th overall Philadelphia Flyers G Carson Bjarnason (Brandon Wheat Kings) – 2023 second round, 51st overall D Carter Sotheran (Portland Winterhawks) – 2023 fifth round, 135th overall Pittsburgh Penguins D Owen Pickering (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 first round, 21st overall F Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2023 first round, 14th overall San Jose Sharks G Mason Beaupit (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 fourth round, 108th overall D Luca Cagnoni (Portland Winterhawks) – 2023 fourth round, 123rd overall Seattle Kraken D Lukas Dragicevic (Tri-City Americans) – 2023 second round, 57th overall F Jagger Firkus (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2022 second round, 35th overall D Kaden Hammell (Everett Silvertips) – 2023 fifth round, 148th overall D Caden Price (Kelowna Rockets) – 2023 third round, 84th overall Toronto Maple Leafs D Noah Chadwick (Lethbridge Hurricanes) – 2023 sixth round, 185th overall F Brandon Lisowsky (Saskatoon Blades) – 2022 seventh round, 218th overall F Fraser Minten (Kamloops Blazers) – 2022 second round, 38th overall Vancouver Canucks D Sawyer Mynio (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 third round, 89th overall G Ty Young (Prince George Cougars) – 2022 fifth round, 144th overall Vegas Golden Knights F Jordan Gustafson (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2022 third round, 79th overall F Ben Hemmerling (Everett Silvertips) – 2022 sixth round, 177th overall Washington Capitals F Andrew Cristall (Kelowna Rockets) – 2023 second round, 40th overall F Brett Hyland (Brandon Wheat Kings) – 2023 seventh round, 200th overall F Alexander Suzdalev (Regina Pats) – 2022 third round, 70th overall Winnipeg Jets F Connor Levis (Kamloops Blazers) – 2023 seventh round, 210th overall G Thomas Milic (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 fifth round, 151st overall

Who knows what Tocchet might be able to make out of Garland this season (while we still have him). I think there’s a bit more to him still but wouldn’t mind if that’s realized on another team.

And has experience at the NHL level. Ritchie my not be ideal but we need another someone who can step in if need be against the heavier or larger teams that can easily physically wear down smallish defensive forwards on board battles etc. Perhaps we’ll just have to make do with what we have in the org for now.

If a player on a two-way contract is sent to the minor-leagues, their salary does not count towards the salary cap. Cap hits are pro-rated, though, and they'll only count toward the cap when they're in the NHL.

Does BB6 last the season with us? many predicting he will finally eclipse the 30 goal mark this year. If so he might finally live up to the annual salary. His trade value will have increased if so… methinks two of Garland, Beauvilier, Pearson and one of our Abby prospects are traded out in different deals this season for better fits and cap space. Pearson and Myers might be TDL depending on where we are in standings as I think we’re still going to need him on D again to ensure we have ample able bodies. Pearson will go to a contender if he’s healthy. Just my dumb predictions.

Or by TDL where we can stock up for a deep playoff run

Agreed but camp isn’t about shedding salary. I know what you’re getting at and that’s a resolution for post camp. At least in offering multiple PTOs you have insight off the hop as to how someone might gel or perform with the club and can then offer a cheap 2 way deal that becomes a depth option once the spare part salaries have been cleared out. Interesting that Tatar is still *apparently* available although I anticipate PIT will announce something soon. here’s a list of who’s still available (but doesn’t include certain status eg. Klefbom possibly retiring): https://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-agents/ufa/available/ I looooove the waiver wire scramble at the start of the year. Unfortunately think we might end up a casualty of that too though this year. Fingers crossed we can clear some of our better assets who are vulnerable to it or at least replace whomever we lose with equal value.

Who or what is your proposal for a PTO?

Some folks here miss the point. You offer him a PTO to elevate the competition in camp. You don’t have to sign the guy…you utilize him to raise the compete in everyone who is battling for a winger spot on this club. Yeah I’m sure some folks want better options for a PTO roster player. I do too. But PTO is just a try out. Think outside the box a bit here and how much this team needs to be ready to play to start the season. That means lighting a fire under a few asses right away to see what you get from it. PTO a vet back up G while we’re at it please. And maybe even another vet D like the Nick Holden or Patrick Nemeth or Slater Koekkoek or Jake Gardiner types who might still be available. I just want to see this team truly ready come puck drop this year.

In case anyone missed or forgot about this article/interview from back in May. Hope Woo really impresses in camp this season and makes the roster at some point even as a spare Dman to at least absorb some experience with the big club. Canucks re-sign Jett Woo to one-year, two-way contract Jett Woo, 22, made big gains with AHL Abbotsford this past season and GM Ryan Johnson thinks he could play NHL games in 2023-24. Author of the article: Patrick Johnston Published May 31, 2023 • 2 minute read Vancouver Canucks' Jett Woo skates during NHL pre-season action against the Calgary Flames in Vancouver on Sept. 25, 2022. PHOTO BY RICHARD LAM /PNG The solid progress Jett Woo made in the 2022-23 season for the Abbotsford Canucks has won him a new contract. The Vancouver Canucks announced Wednesday they’d re-signed the young defenceman to a one-year, two-way contract. According to CHEK-TV’s Rick Dhaliwal, Woo’s contract calls for him to make $775,000 in the NHL and $100,000 in the AHL. That NHL salary is actually less than the $874,125 qualifying offer his expiring entry-level deal called for, suggesting he traded a higher AHL salary in exchange for a slightly reduced NHL wage. He’s most likely to be an AHLer to start the season again next year, but by retaining him this is a statement by the Canucks that they still think he has a chance to play NHL games. A right-shot defenceman, Woo turns 23 this summer. He’s still a long shot to become an NHL regular, given his place on the Canucks’ depth chart, but he’s come a long way in a year. In 2021-22, he was a regular scratch and when he did play, it was often as a forward. This season, though, he made great progress, something Abbotsford general manager Ryan Johnson highlighted in a post-season press conference. Johnson said Woo finally found his identity as a player under new AHL Canucks head coach Jeremy Colliton. “This year, his growth in his game, building his identity as a player, as a puck-moving, physical, heavy (player). And he contributed offensively as well, he even played on the second unit power play at times,” Johnson said earlier in May. “He’s shot himself forward, that’s for sure.” Abbotsford Canucks defenceman Jett Woo steps onto the ice at the Abbotsford Centre earlier this season. PHOTO BY DARREN FRANCIS Johnson said he thought Woo has built his game up enough that he could play NHL games next season. The Canucks’ depth chart got seriously tested late in the season, with injuries hitting their defence corps in the final months of the season, leading to a number of AHL call-ups. And then some of the AHL call-ups were injured on NHL duty — by the end of the year, all three of Christian Wolanin, Noah Juulsen and Guillaume Brisebois were on the injured list. At the end of the 2022-23 season, there were only two defencemen in Abbotsford on NHL deals who didn’t see NHL action: Woo and Brady Keeper. In the AHL this season, Woo set career professional highs for games played, penalty minutes and points: he skated in 68 games, scoring goals and adding 14 assists, while collecting 96 penalty minutes, most on the team. Abbotsford fans voted him the team’s Unsung Hero.

Lafreniere will be traded by or during next season if he doesn’t show significant progress throughout this year. No doubt in my mind. And we will be in on him but lose out to either a west coast US team or PIT. *takes another bong rip*

What about something along the lines of: NJ: Pettersson, Hoglander, Rathbone For VAN: Hischier, McLeod, Nemec question is why would NJD do that when they already have two dynamite centers in Hischier and Hughes. They likely wouldn’t, but they have the cap space for this though. For me, this is the basis for the type of trade that would be acceptable as an EP deal. Still think we would get some strong parts and pieces in lieu of a bonafide replacement for him though. I’d rather keep him because any team trading with us will be getting the best player in the deal, hands down.

Is he… Confirmed on the Willie D scale: