cupbearer Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Make the playoffs? 1. Score more goals. we were dismal in goals/game last year. As the OP says, better stuff from young guns and better winger for Sedins 2. Win more games. managing leads in 3rd period alone would make us better. These are affected by the ideas of injury (which is hard to control), so add the need for depth at all positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Provost Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Realistically we are currently a bubble team. Not as good as two years ago and not as bad as last season. Since you can't plan for injuries, the keys for me are: 1. Sign at least one top 6 UFA winger. 2. Use our cap space to trade for another top 6 forward where we get a steal from a cap strapped team. 3. Swap out Sbisa for a more offensively oriented D for the 3rd pairing to give us more balance. 4. Send Virtanen to the AHL next year and let him be an injury call up and not starting as a regular. 5. Sign a cheap older veteran as a bottom 6 guy (the 1yr, $1 million type of deal) to give up depth and help the kids not have to be thrust into situations they aren't ready for. If the cap is going to be completely flat or even go down, our chances of moving Burrows or Higgins are effectively zero now. That may result in Higgins retiring, and Burrows could be a decent trade chip at the deadline for a contender. Sbisa can be moved on his contract because it isn't bad value and many teams need another D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimberWolf Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 24 minutes ago, McHortanen said: Horvat Baertschi Virtanen Hutton Tryamkin Granlund Gaunce Gudbranson Etem Sutter Boeser Demko Markstrom Didn't start yet? How is this a rebuild? Getting some players through the draft (as all teams do) and trading for a few older players? We're in a retool, not a rebuild. I'm not arguing the merits of either but calling it what it is and preaching some patience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCNate Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 On 6/4/2016 at 11:15 PM, GettinGuddyWithIt said: The title is pretty self explanatory and I think these are the 3 keys the Canucks will have to accomplish to compete in the playoffs. 1. They need the young guns to take the next step. Bo had a great year for the position he was put in and he will only improve being sheltered behind Sutter. Bæ started off slow and but progressed nicely throughout the latter half of the season. If he can take this season and improve on the areas he needs to I see a big year ahead. Hutton is just a gem and exceeded all our expectations. I love this guy (hence the profile pic) and he put up great numbers. I could see him taking an even bigger step alongside Guddy and taking more risks offensively thus putting up 40-45 points. 2. Less injuries. Sutter, Hamhuis and Edler were injured thus placing the rooks in a harder position. With a healthy Sutter, Edler and Hamhuis we would've likely made a wild card spot or at least battled for a position. If luck is on our side on the injuries, I see a real good year ahead. 3. Giving the Sedins a good winger via free agency. In the 2014/15 season we saw the Sedins revitalized playing along side Vrbata. If Thornton could produce at 36 years old so can the Sedins but they need a player that complements their style. I feel like Okposo/Brouwer or Erikkson will give the Sedins 70+ points on the season and carry some of the load offensively which we lacked this season. These are my 3 keys but feel free to add anything else you think will help our team compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I agree with all of your points. They essentially all result in secondary scoring. Horvat, Baer, and Hutton need to take the step from being very good young players to being very good players. If we can get 50 points from Horvat, and 25-30 goals from Baer, we would be in good shape. Markstrom needs to get better, and take more starts from Miller. Last year he would have been in the 25-30th range in terms of starters, he needs to be in the 15-20 range and start 40- 50 games. This is probably a big ask of him. Injures crippled us last year. We just don't have the depth to sustain long term injuries to our top players. Sutter, Edler, and Hamhuis are all very good players, their replacements are fringe NHLers. A healthier D would hopefully allow Hutton to take on more of an offensive role. I think Erikkson is the key for us in the UFA market. He could reasonably be expected to score 30 goals with the sedins. I don't see a better fit for us in the market. He would also push Hansen down the line up, where he would give us more of a scoring threat on the 2nd or 3rd line. We also need to be at least average in OT and the shootout. We missed the playoffs by 12 points, and lost had 13 OT/SO losses. We need to get at least 5 more points out of these games. We need an awful lot of things to go right for us to be a playoff team next year. Really all of the non playoff teams from last year are going to be competing for the Wild's spot, as I don't see any of the others missing. Personally, I'd rather watch games that count down the stretch and just miss the playoffs, than be a bottom feeder looking for high picks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positive Canuck Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 1 hour ago, Qwags said: Do we see the Sedins transition into second line players this season? Ill take Ericsson if Lucic comes over as well, offset the softness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baggins Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 On 6/6/2016 at 8:23 AM, TimberWolf said: Rebuilding takes time and we haven't really started yet. Been sleeping the last two years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovy Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 On 2016-06-05 at 8:15 AM, GettinGuddyWithIt said: The title is pretty self explanatory and I think these are the 3 keys the Canucks will have to accomplish to compete in the playoffs. 1. They need the young guns to take the next step. Bo had a great year for the position he was put in and he will only improve being sheltered behind Sutter. Bæ started off slow and but progressed nicely throughout the latter half of the season. If he can take this season and improve on the areas he needs to I see a big year ahead. Hutton is just a gem and exceeded all our expectations. I love this guy (hence the profile pic) and he put up great numbers. I could see him taking an even bigger step alongside Guddy and taking more risks offensively thus putting up 40-45 points. 2. Less injuries. Sutter, Hamhuis and Edler were injured thus placing the rooks in a harder position. With a healthy Sutter, Edler and Hamhuis we would've likely made a wild card spot or at least battled for a position. If luck is on our side on the injuries, I see a real good year ahead. 3. Giving the Sedins a good winger via free agency. In the 2014/15 season we saw the Sedins revitalized playing along side Vrbata. If Thornton could produce at 36 years old so can the Sedins but they need a player that complements their style. I feel like Okposo/Brouwer or Erikkson will give the Sedins 70+ points on the season and carry some of the load offensively which we lacked this season. These are my 3 keys but feel free to add anything else you think will help our team compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. You are pointing out the reasonably obvious but I agree with the points. 40-45 for Hutton would be HUGE for the team (and Edler in terms of pressure). I´d be happy with 30-35. Bo could add 5-10 points which would be awesome too, all things clicking as hoped for. Personally I do not like the idea of Eriksson mainly for the lack of grit. He had a good year but that line needs some sandpaper too. Maybe Okposo? Brouwer had a good playoff so maybe the price is inflated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustABandwagoner Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Screw playoffs. Cant wait for another draft lottery even tho next years draft is pretty weak apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovy Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 On 2016-06-06 at 7:07 AM, Riviera82 said: I wasn't necessarily saying "tank". More what I'm hoping for is that JB and company dont go the route of cobbling together a team with high-priced free agents and trading away picks and prospects to get good but not great players in an attempt to just make the playoffs. We'll most likely never win a cup that way and more likely become what Detroit is now, a team that always gets in but isn't a threat to win anything. Haven't we seen enough of that over the years with this team? We need some serious star power and selling the farm to get Stamkos or whoever isn't the way to go. Just one guy's opinion though. Pretty good comeback bro. The club needs to honour a will to win, period! Tanking is a disgrace to everyone, fans, players and staff. Bleed trying and you will be loved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovy Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 On 2016-06-06 at 7:57 PM, Qwags said: Do we see the Sedins transition into second line players this season? Behind who? Who is even close to challenge? If we were in that position it would be amazing! Ehhh... but we`re not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McIlhargey the Lesser Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 I think the third key is what's really going to make the difference. One should assume that injuries will not plague us like they did last year and a solid right winger for the Sedins is a real key piece that's missing from the team right now to be competitive. Not just a bubble team, but a team that can be competitive in the playoffs. We should be a solid team for the next two or three years at which point hopefully the Sedins will transition to second liners while Bo and the boys take their steps forward. At that point I think the acquisition of a pmd might put us over the top. But so many things can happen between now and then. Here's hoping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puckster Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 lets see.... if we converted Half of our OT losses last year, we make the playoffs!!!! interesting. A healthy team, and the changes already instituted and we clearly make the show. But....where is that second line scoring that is ready to usurp the first line from the twins??? THAT is when we are a CONTENDER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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