NHL.com Canucks season preview

[BrockBoester]

NHL.com 31 in 31 - Canucks season preview

 

1) Inside look at Vancouver Canucks

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NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 31 teams throughout August. Today, the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks spent the offseason adding talented veterans to their young core in order to help them return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs sooner rather than later.

Vancouver, which improved by eight points from 2017-18 but missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, acquired forward J.T. Miller in a trade from the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 22 and added defensemen Tyler Myers and Jordie Benn as free agents on July 1 before signing forward Micheal Ferland on July 10.

 

They join a young group that includes forwards Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson, who was voted the winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year for 2018-19, and defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was the No. 7 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and had three assists in five games at the end of last season.

 

"Our goal is to make the playoffs so our young players can experience what playoff hockey is," general manager Jim Benning said after signing a three-year contract extension Aug. 20. "That's an important part of their development. So by signing some of these players we did this summer, it's with the goal in mind we want to keep getting better and be a competitive team that can compete for a playoff spot."

 

Horvat is the only member of the Canucks' young core that has NHL playoff experience, playing mostly in a fourth-line role as a rookie when Vancouver last made the postseason in 2014-15. The 24-year-old had NHL career highs in goals (27), assists (34) and points (61) in 82 games last season despite playing with different linemates and often matching up against the other team's top forwards.

 

Coach Travis Green, who is entering his third season, is counting on that type of continued growth from the rest of his young players. He said he believes additions like Miller will provide leadership in that process.

 

"Everyone talks about how the guys we added over the summer are going to really help us, but they are going to help our young guys," Green said. "Our young guys are the guys we are waiting on to see where they are at. We need our young players, who are elite talents, to continue to progress to take us to the next level."

The Canucks consider that next level making the playoffs, and that will require them to score more after they averaged the fewest goals per game in the NHL over the past four seasons (2.44). The new additions should help.

 

Miller had 47 points (13 goals, 34 assists) in 75 games playing mostly on the third line with the Lightning last season but scored at least 22 goals playing in a top-six role in each of the previous three seasons with Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers. He is comfortable working down low on the power play.

 

Ferland had 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 71 games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season, his second in a row with at least 40 points, and has proven capable of playing with skilled players on the power play (NHL career-high 13 power-play points last season) and taking on a physical role (third on Carolina with 182 hits).

 

Myers had 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in 80 games last season with the Winnipeg Jets and 36 (six goals, 30 assists) in 82 games in 2017-18 while playing mostly on the third defense pair. However, the 6-foot-8 defenseman should see an increase in opportunities in the offensive zone playing in a top-four role with the Canucks.

 

Even Benn, who was signed as more of a stay-at-home defenseman, is coming off an NHL career-high 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 81 games with the Montreal Canadiens last season.

 

Add it all up, and Green is excited about Vancouver's chances of taking that next step and ending its playoff drought.

 

"I feel like our team is going to be a lot more equipped to play the way I think you need to in order to have success in the NHL," Green said. "And when you watch the playoffs and teams that win, you have to have enough skill to get into the playoffs, and enough size and compete and grit to win in the playoffs."

2) Vancouver Canucks fantasy preview

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Elias Pettersson, C (NHL.com rank: 30) -- The center led all rookies with 66 points (28 goals, 38 assists) in 71 games last season, 21 more than the next highest total from a first-year player (Brady Tkachuk, 45). Pettersson also led rookies with 10 power-play goals and 22 power-play points and won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie. Pettersson has a ceiling of finishing top five at the position if his linemate Brock Boeser stays healthy for the full season.

 

Brock Boeser, RW (71) -- The right wing had an NHL career-high 56 points (26 goals, 30 assists) but missed time because of injury for the second straight season. Boeser brings exposure to Pettersson on the top line and first power-play unit but may fall in drafts because of injury concerns. The reward with Boeser far outways the risk, and he should be targeted in the fifth or sixth round of standard 12-team fantasy drafts with a chance to score 35-40 goals.

 

Quinn Hughes, D (116) -- The rookie defenseman had three assists in five games last season and could be among the most-valuable first-year skaters in 2019-20. Much of Hughes' impact will depend on whether he brings PP1 exposure to Pettersson and Boeser. Hughes is worth drafting among the top 30 defensemen based on intrigue and has the ceiling to finish among the 20 best at the position.

 

Bo Horvat, C (139) -- The center had a career-high 61 points (27 goals, 34 assists) in 82 games last season. Horvat led Vancouver forwards in average ice time (20:50 per game) and shots on goal (227). He gains value in fantasy leagues that count face-offs after leading the NHL with 2,018 attempts, including the second-most wins (1,083) behind St. Louis Blues center Ryan O'Reilly.

 

J.T. Miller, LW/RW (167) -- The wing had an NHL career-high 20 PPP with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. Miller, acquired by the Canucks on June 22, was fourth among Lightning forwards in power-play ice time per game (2:35), impressive considering Tampa's loaded offense with forwards Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point. It was Miller's second-straight season with at least 18 PPP, and he'll likely slot in on Vancouver's top unit with forwards Pettersson, Boeser, Horvat and either Hughes or defenseman Alexander Edler.

 

Jacob Markstrom, G (170) -- The goalie was a quality streaming option last season, going 28-23-9 including one shutout and a .912 save percentage. Markstrom is a fantasy sleeper candidate with 30-win potential and should see the majority of starts over rookie Thatcher Demko, who appeared in nine games last season.

 

Alexander Edler, D (171) -- The veteran defenseman was on pace for 50 points last season but missed 26 games with multiple injuries. Edler has not played a full 82-game season since 2011-12 but is worth drafting as a bench defenseman that could set a career-high in points (previous best: 49) if he stays healthy and captures the PP1 spot over Hughes.

3) Canucks key statistics

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1. Horvat's face-offs

Bo Horvat led the NHL with 2,018 face-offs last season and was second with 1,083 wins, three behind Ryan O'Reilly of the St Louis Blues. He also led the NHL with 892 face-off wins at even strength; his winning percentage (54.1 percent) was sixth among forwards who took at least 1,500 even-strength draws. Horvat, who has led the Canucks in face-offs in each of the past four seasons, took 1,260 more face-offs last season than Jay Beagle, who was second on Vancouver with 758.

 

2. Miller's power-play points

J.T. Miller had an NHL career-high 20 power-play points with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season and was fourth among their forwards with an average of 2:35 of power-play ice time per game. It was Miller's second straight season with at least 18 power-play points, and he'll likely play on Vancouver's top unit with Horvat, forwards Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser, and either Alexander Edler or rookie Quinn Hughes at defenseman. Pettersson was the only Canucks skater who had at least 20 power-play points last season (22), but it's worth noting that Edler (17 in 56 games) and Boeser (15 in 69 games) each missed time because of injury.

 

3. Pettersson's points

Pettersson led NHL rookies with 66 points (28 goals, 38 assists) in 71 games last season, 21 more than Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk, who was second. He also led rookies with 10 power-play goals and 22 power-play points before being voted the winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. Pettersson's average of 0.93 points per game was third among rookie NHL forwards who played at least 50 games since 2007-08, behind Mathew Barzal for the New York Islanders (1.04 in 2017-18) and Artemi Panarin for the Chicago Blackhawks (0.96 in 2015-16). He also had 15 multipoint games, including two when he had five points (two goals, three assists against the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 2; one goal, four assists at the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 9).

 

4) Canucks top prospects
 

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1. Quinn Hughes, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 7 pick in 2018 NHL Draft 

Last season: Vancouver (NHL): 5 GP, 0-3-3; University of Michigan (NCAA): 32 GP, 5-28-33

Hughes (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) made his NHL debut March 28 following his sophomore season at Michigan and impressed with his skating and skill despite an ankle bruise that kept him out of the lineup for more than two weeks.

The 19-year-old played 21:42 in the season finale April 6 after he got 15:36 of ice time in his debut. He is expected to play an important role in his first full season, especially on the power play.

"My job as a coach is to also taper pressure and make sure these guys develop the right way, but in his five games, he went from 15 to 22 minutes and showed us a glimpse of what he can do," coach Travis Green said. "He's going to help in a lot of areas. He's going to help our breakouts, our power play."

Projected NHL arrival: This season

 

2. Vasily Podkolzin, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 10 pick in 2019 NHL Draft 

Last season: SKA St. Petersburg (KHL): 3 GP; 0-0-0; SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL): 12 GP; 6-2-8

Podkolzin is under contract in the Kontinental Hockey League the next two seasons playing in his native Russia, but the Canucks liked his combination of size (6-1, 190), skill and competitiveness enough that they were willing to make him their first pick in the NHL Draft they hosted June 21-22 despite knowing they'd have to wait for him.

General manager Jim Benning said he is confident the 18-year-old can jump right to the NHL after two seasons in the KHL and sees the forward as an ideal complement to Vancouver's other skilled young forwards. 

"He plays a heavy game," Benning said. "He's got the size and strength, he's good along the walls, can get to the net. He's the type of player that takes puck battles personal. He wants to win his puck battles, and I think that that's what makes him an effective player."

Projected NHL arrival: 2021-22

 

3. Olli Juolevi, D

How acquired: Selected with No. 5 pick in 2016 NHL Draft 

Last season: Utica (AHL): 18 GP; 1-12-13

Juolevi (6-2, 182) has yet to play in the NHL after an injury-plagued start to his career, including knee surgery in mid-December that ended his first professional season in North America.

Barring injuries to defensemen ahead of him on the Canucks' depth chart, the 21-year-old will start this season in the same position as last season, trying to establish himself in the American Hockey League with an eye on earning a promotion. 

"Our hope this year is he starts off well and can play NHL games," Benning said.

Projected NHL arrival: This season

 

4. Nils Hoglander, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 40 pick in 2019 NHL Draft 

Last season: Rogle BK (SHL): 50 GP; 7-7-14

The 18-year-old turned heads with his skill and finish at Canucks development camp in June. Despite his size (5-9, 185), he showed a willingness to take pucks into tough areas in front of the net and engage physically, which has the Canucks excited about his ability to make the NHL sooner than expected.

"Powerful, agile, not afraid of contact and high skill," Canucks senior director of player development Ryan Johnson said. "The power in his legs, and the skill set he has, there's something special there."

Projected NHL arrival: Next season

 

5. Tyler Madden, F

How acquired: Selected with No. 68 pick in 2018 NHL Draft

Last season: Northeastern University (NCAA): 36 GP; 12-16-28

Madden shed his draft-day label as a defensive, two-way forward with a breakout offensive season as a freshman at Northeastern University. That isn't easy when your father is John Madden, a Selke Trophy winner and three-time finalist for the award as the top defensive forward in the NHL, but the 19-year-old has shown more offensive upside while maintaining a similar level of defensive aptitude. 

All of which bodes well for a future in the NHL despite being a bit undersized (5-11, 152).

"His hockey sense of the game is elite," Johnson said. "For not an overly big guy, he's plays a heavy game, he's got a heavy stick, and then at the end of that is a really high-end skill set."

Projected NHL arrival: 2021-22

5) Three questions facing the Canucks

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1. Can the power play improve?

The Canucks were tied for 25th in the NHL in scoring last season (2.67 goals per game) and were last in the League over the past four seasons combined (2.44). To help turn that around, they will need more from their power play, which was tied for 22nd last season (17.1 percent).

Coach Travis Green said there are two reasons for optimism.

First, Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson have experience on the top power-play unit after taking over last season for retired forwards Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin.

Second, the Canucks have more quality depth for their two units after trading for forward J.T. Miller and signing defenseman Tyler Myers and forward Micheal Ferland as free agents. They will also have defenseman Quinn Hughes, the No. 7 pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, for a full season after he had two power-play assists in five games after making his NHL debut March 28.

"When we finished ninth (on the power play) two years ago, we had 31 goals from the top unit, but we also had 22 goals from our second unit," Green said. "No slight against the players last year, but a lot of times we had guys that weren't true goal-scorers on that second unit. We were pretty top-heavy, and everybody talks about that top unit not getting it done, but you need contributions from your second unit too."

 

2. Can goalie Jacob Markstrom keep improving?

Markstrom is coming off his best season in the NHL, setting career highs in starts (60) and wins (28) with a .912 save percentage that was above the NHL average (.910) for the first time in his career.

Markstrom had a slow start but got better as his first season with new goaltending coach Ian Clark progressed, going 20-14-6 with a .921 save percentage in his final 40 games. The Canucks are counting on continued improvement from the 6-foot-6 goalie. The 29-year-old said he sees it as a long progression and is excited for a second season with Clark.

"I feel like it's just getting started," Markstrom said.

 

3. Will they get more offense from their defensemen?

Vancouver's defensemen improved at both ends of the rink last season. They helped the Canucks go from 26th in the NHL in goals-against in 2017-18 to tied for 17th, from 3.16 to 3.02 goals-against per game, and slightly improved their offensive production, from 21 goals and 122 points in 2017-18 to 27 goals and 135 points last season.

The improvements weren't enough, though, and the Canucks made significant changes at defenseman this offseason.

After two seasons with the same personnel, they didn't re-sign restricted free agents Ben Hutton and Derrick Pouliot. They signed unrestricted free agents Myers, whose nine goals and 31 points last season for the Winnipeg Jets would have ranked second to Alexander Edler (10 goals, 34 points) among Vancouver defensemen, and Jordie Benn, who had NHL career highs with five goals and 22 points for the Montreal Canadiens. Add in Hughes, a rookie who had three assists in his first five NHL games.

"We've got to have more offense from our D, and I think we're better equipped to do that," Green said.

 

PHEW okay now that that's out of the way, here's my take, and I'd like to hear from everyone else on this wall of text from NHL.com!

 

The TL;DR -

 

The first bit seems to be summarizing that Green is happy with the players he has to work with this season. Meaning that he, like us, thinks that the roster is greatly improved.

Our top fantasy players from the 2nd article/section definitely stand out as potentially huge impact players for us this year. I think Petey at 30th overall is both a great compliment and also maybe a bit low I could definitely see Pettersson being higher than the 30th best fantasy player if he continues his upward trajectory.

 

It seems that Bo's legendary faceoff skills made a short list of 3 "key stats" for the Canucks this year, along with Petey's production and Miller's potential contributions to the power play. I think all three are definitely important attributes to our team and so I say that NHL.com is 3/3 so far.

 

The prospects part is interesting and I like that they still have Juolevi on the list. Great to see Madden, Podz, Hogz, etc get a shoutout. But they're forgetting about our stud russian D man - NIKITA "THE CAP" TRYAMKIN!

And the "Three questions" facing the Canucks are no surprise to any of us - Marky's goaltending (will it continue to go as well as last season), offense from the D (will we get more of it), and can our powerplay improve? I hope all three of these questions are answered quickly and early on so that any potential haters and critics can be silenced as soon as possible.

Pretty good read here and I have to say NHL.com is mostly spot on in their analysis, and it's very refreshing to see them having some optimism and positive things to say about the Canucks after years of "bottom three in the league" projections (which for the most part were also accurate).

 

What do you guys think?

Edited August 28, 2019 by BrockBoester

[xereau]

[DeNiro]

I try to not watch Canucks previews on NHL.com, they’re usually pretty clueless. 

 

So basically in the video they say that the team hasn’t bottomed out enough over the years for a rebuild (despite picking top 10 four years in a row) Also despite having back to back Calder nominees (1 winner) and a potential 3rd in a row nominee in Hughes, we still need to draft high apparently.

 

Yet they mention New York as a team that’s doing it right despite the fact that they only picked top 5 once before going out and breaking the bank to become a playoff team. This is where the bias is obvious against the Canucks. They praise the Rangers who have rushed their rebuild way more than we have.

 

Their seems to still be this belief that if you just keep stockpiling top 5 picks that a team will automatically pull itself out of the gutter, which has proven to be false.

 

How about they analyze the Leafs who have 3 top 5 picks, went out and spent a bunch and are still not real contenders. Maybe they should have bottomed out a couple more years? Or maybe the veterans you add to your young core actually do matter, and that’s the real path to building a contender?

[BrockBoester]

9 minutes ago, xereau said:

We need more Loui Eriksson memes around here! I added a brief summary at the bottom of the main post. It's not super long to read and it's broken down into bite-size paragraphs.

[Fanuck]

This entire thread summed up if I may, "Canucks fans have reasons to be optimistic this season."

 

 

[Canuck Surfer]

Should we sign Hutton to a $1 mill / season show me contract?

 

Or should we save that extra roster spot for Olli Juolevi...

 

Edler Myers*

Hughes Tanev

Benn Stecher

Fantenberg

 

To me the most interesting discussion, is not Miller & Ferland, its our D. The forwards are simply beter, and more physically capable. Our D? Looks better defensively & offensively. If we can use the change to create an up tempo game? Unleash Hughes & let him run! IMO it may be the single biggest determinant of both our future? And the now...

 

Will Hughes grab Edlers top PP job?

I actually prefer Tanev on our top pair IL of Myers.  But its more danderous like this if we play a more offensive game?  And we can shelter QH with Chris Tanev.

[BrockBoester]

1 minute ago, DeNiro said:

I try to not watch Canucks previews on NHL.com, they’re usually pretty clueless. 

 

So basically in the video they say that the team hasn’t bottomed out enough over the years for a rebuild (despite picking top 10 four years in a row) Also despite having back to back Calder nominees (1 winner) and a potential 3rd in a row nominee in Hughes, we still need to draft high apparently.

 

Yet they mention New York as a team that’s doing it right despite the fact that they only picked top 5 once before going out and breaking the bank to become a playoff team. This is where the bias is obvious against the Canucks. They praise the Rangers who have rushed their rebuild way more than we have.

 

Their seems to still be this belief that if you just keep stockpiling top 5 picks that a team will automatically pull itself out of the gutter, which has proven to be false.

 

How about they analyze the Leafs who have 3 top 5 picks, went out and spent a bunch and are still not real contenders. Maybe they should have bottomed out a couple more years? Or maybe the veterans you add to your young core actually do matter, and that’s the real path to building a contender?

Oh yeah, I didn't have time to watch all the videos yet it took me like 5 minutes just to cut and paste everything lol but yeah what they WROTE was pretty fair and accurate - I suppose the videos have a bit more idiocy then?

[xereau]

Just now, BrockBoester said:

We need more Loui Eriksson memes around here! I added a brief summary at the bottom of the main post. It's not super long to read and it's broken down into bite-size paragraphs.

They forgot about Sutter, as has most of CDC. If he is healthy, Bo Horvat gets to play a MUCH different game than last season.

 

It's mostly just cut and paste 'analysis'.

 

Lazy, vanilla hack journalism.  Not even a single Cheech reference.

[DeNiro]

2 minutes ago, xereau said:

They forgot about Sutter, as has most of CDC. If he is healthy, Bo Horvat gets to play a MUCH different game than last season.

 

It's mostly just cut and paste 'analysis'.

 

Lazy, vanilla hack journalism.  Not even a single Cheech reference.

That’s what you always seem to find with Eastern coverage of us.

 

Its like they check what the narrative is in Vancouver among media. “Oh it’s still popular to dump on the team and management?” I guess we’ll put a negative spin on the team.

 

And then in their next analysis they’ll praise a team like Edmonton for all the promise they have...

 

Its really just a popularity game.

[CRAZY_4_NAZZY]

I do think Canucks still lack offensively creative players.

 

We have a ton of good complementary offensive finishers, but you still need someone to stir the pot creatively.  Outside of Petey, maybe Goldobin has the best offensive creativity, yet he is struggling to nail down a full time roster spot. 

 

Lots of middle six guys, wonder if you can find a way to peddle one or two of them off for a guy who can consistently create offense.

[-AJ-]

I think they've got a lot of things right, but I think they're underestimating the potential our current core to go deep. Few fans are predicting the team to be a contender next year, but in 2 or 3 years, it's very possible. We didn't load up on Miller, Myers, & Ferland to win the Cup in 2020, we did it so we can do it 3 or 4 years from now, which these analysts seem to struggle with.

 

All in all, I'm still tending to agree that we'll be short of the playoffs, but only just--I think we'll be heartbreakingly close to making the final wild card seed. I have us finishing as the best team in the West outside of the playoffs. I expect continued improvement in 2020-21 and the playoffs.

[6string]

I've been following this 31/31 on YouTube and it's all business, I actually suffered watching through this but I needed to know how the messaging works.

 

They have Arizona making the playoffs, they rave about the Metropolitan as if it rules the NHL - seriously the Metropolitan?

 

I knew the Canucks were not in their playoff predictions going into tonight. But I'm reminded annually how their group of experts at NHL.Com fail miserably at picking playoff teams and eventaul Stanley Cup Winnners - they are brutal with their picks!

 

GCG seventh place this coming season!

[Canuck Surfer]

56 minutes ago, CRAZY_4_NAZZY said:

I do think Canucks still lack offensively creative players.

 

We have a ton of good complementary offensive finishers, but you still need someone to stir the pot creatively.  Outside of Petey, maybe Goldobin has the best offensive creativity, yet he is struggling to nail down a full time roster spot. 

 

Lots of middle six guys, wonder if you can find a way to peddle one or two of them off for a guy who can consistently create offense.

Quinn Hughes maybe?  

 

Boeser is also much better than a complimentary offensive finisher.

 

Quietly more dexterous at handling the puck than anyone other than Petey and Hughes. Capable of zone entries. Handling the puck in tight. Holds the puck out wide, shielding opposing D, or forwards, it matters little as he's solid. From poking at the puck. And glides across zones, in front and behind traffic, creating angles to shoot or pass. Watch him on the PP, he does it all the time! He is not lightning quick, an ankle breaker. He just beats checks far more often than given credit for.

 

Too little credit for Boeser also.  

[Crabcakes]

7 minutes ago, Canuck Surfer said:

Quinn Hughes maybe?  

 

Boeser is also much better than a complimentary offensive finisher.

 

Quietly more dexterous at handling the puck than anyone other than Petey and Hughes. Capable of zone entries. Handling the puck in tight. Holds the puck out wide, shielding opposing D, or forwards, it matters little as he's solid. From poking at the puck. And glides across zones, in front and behind traffic, creating angles to shoot or pass. Watch him on the PP, he does it all the time! He is not lightning quick, an ankle breaker. He just beats checks far more often than given credit for.

 

Too little credit for Boeser also.  

Since Boeser has had a full summer of relative health to train, I can't wait to see how he does out of the gate

[Smashian Kassian]

Kevin Woodley did a good job, much much better than Rosen & Johnston in the 31/31 video. Its nice having someone who watches & follows the team analyze unlike Rosen.

 

I think they did a good job outside of that video, unfortunately some of the smaller clip videos sprinkled in wouldnt load on my phone.

 

Were improved in the areas we needed to improve, still not sure we're a playoff team but for the first time in awhile we have a chance.

 

[Canuck Surfer]

35 minutes ago, 6string said:

I've been following this 31/31 on YouTube and it's all business, I actually suffered watching through this but I needed to know how the messaging works.

 

They have Arizona making the playoffs, they rave about the Metropolitan as if it rules the NHL - seriously the Metropolitan?

 

I knew the Canucks were not in their playoff predictions going into tonight. But I'm reminded annually how their group of experts at NHL.Com fail miserably at picking playoff teams and eventaul Stanley Cup Winnners - they are brutal with their picks!

 

GCG seventh place this coming season!

I agree with this whole heartedly. NYI's managed to burst through last year on good coaching. 

 

And weak opposition. Carolina also made it through...

 

Washington went out in the 1st round.  And they're not spring chickens. Ovi will be 34 by puck drop, Oshie 33 early in the season. Holtby will be 30 this year, Backstrom 32. Carlson 29 is probably their best play driver still in his prime. But they don't have a strong supporting crew on D. Therefore, IMO, vulnerable.

 

Unless you include Kuznetsov? Who is cheesed off Mike Richards & Jaret Stoll were too old to participate in the WC's? Nor do they have a strong prospect group to lift the team.  Tom Wilson has his role, but its not ground breaking...

 

Pitt may have one year left in them???

 

But I could easily see Philly, NJ, and even the NYR's knocking all these teams out of the play off's. These guys are on the way up.

 

Those other teams?  Carolina may have a whisper. Isles have to wait for more D prospects (which they have). Otherwise, not so much...

[Pears]

What I didn’t like is how they weren’t so sure on having us just outside of the playoffs, you could clearly hear it in their voices. Did they also not see the key pieces San Jose lost? Like who do they have outside Couture, Meier, Kane, Hertl, Labanc, Burns, and Karlsson who we have no idea if he’s even fully healthy? Vegas should still make it. Stacked top six yes, but, not that great of a bottom six and a really weak defense after Theodore and Schmidt. 

 

I see a 4+4 playoff year from the West. In no particular order us, Calgary, Arizona and Vegas from the Pacific and Colorado, Nashville, Dallas, and St. Louis from the Central. Although I could see Chicago stealing a spot from Vegas if their lack of depth on defense proves to be too much to overcome. 

[Canuck Surfer]

20 minutes ago, Pears said:

What I didn’t like is how they weren’t so sure on having us just outside of the playoffs, you could clearly hear it in their voices. Did they also not see the key pieces San Jose lost? Like who do they have outside Couture, Meier, Kane, Hertl, Labanc, Burns, and Karlsson who we have no idea if he’s even fully healthy? Vegas should still make it. Stacked top six yes, but, not that great of a bottom six and a really weak defense after Theodore and Schmidt. 

 

I see a 4+4 playoff year from the West. In no particular order us, Calgary, Arizona and Vegas from the Pacific and Colorado, Nashville, Dallas, and St. Louis from the Central. Although I could see Chicago stealing a spot from Vegas if their lack of depth on defense proves to be too much to overcome. 

Central is easily the best division in hockey.

 

i have Dallas & Nashville ahead of cup champs St Lou who have not lost anyone. Maybe Colorado as well who have kids of talent. But a bit raw. Winnipeg will drop on loss of D. But is still to good, just my opinion, to fallout of the post season. I have 5 mid west teams in play off’s.

 

Calgary & Vegas as Favorites in our division. We have to beat SJ.

 

Pettersson, Boeser and Hughes have to be better than Burns, Karlsson and Meier. I like our chances over time. Burns is amazing. And Karlsson can still fly. I’m nervous about this year. It’s a lot to expect Petey to be a better play driver than Burns so early in his career.

 

But I’ll be cheering...

[BrockBoester]

1 hour ago, Canuck Surfer said:

Quinn Hughes maybe?  

 

Boeser is also much better than a complimentary offensive finisher.

 

Quietly more dexterous at handling the puck than anyone other than Petey and Hughes. Capable of zone entries. Handling the puck in tight. Holds the puck out wide, shielding opposing D, or forwards, it matters little as he's solid. From poking at the puck. And glides across zones, in front and behind traffic, creating angles to shoot or pass. Watch him on the PP, he does it all the time! He is not lightning quick, an ankle breaker. He just beats checks far more often than given credit for.

 

Too little credit for Boeser also.  

Give this man a medal. How did Boeser EVER become underrated by OUR fan base? Or at least a few of them lol

 

I still can't believe people are saying he isn't worth 7 million - one guy even said if he wouldn't take 6 or lower, that we should trade Brock. XD

[Crabcakes]

6 hours ago, BrockBoester said:

Give this man a medal. How did Boeser EVER become underrated by OUR fan base? Or at least a few of them lol

 

I still can't believe people are saying he isn't worth 7 million - one guy even said if he wouldn't take 6 or lower, that we should trade Brock. XD

It was his back injury mainly.  To pick a hole in Boeser's game it's his first 2 strides which he wasn't able to improve over his first off season due to the back injury.  Then there was the mysterious wrist injury which affected the velocity of his shot.  Do fans forget how electric this player can be?

 

Like I said above, Boeser finished the season with relative health by all accounts which will free him up to train well and work on his stride.  I felt that if Boeser can separate from other players more effectively, with that release, the sky's the limit.  Lock that boy up long term before he pot's 40 Jimbo!