[Discussion] Are the Canucks now a legitimate playoff team?

[cory40]

Just now, highwayman3 said:

I'm not lol.  I'm looking at past history, statistics and how the defence fits together and am not liking what I'm seeing.  Jim has put together a fantastic group of forwards but the d is putrid.

Past History has been good in Vancouver. try following Edmonton. Or even Toronto. Even when the Canucks were winning the presidents trophy the media was ripping them. The defense will surprise you with the media your listening too. 

[Josepho]

It's very hard to say, but I don't think the odds are necessarily in our favour, even with the terrible division we're in.

 

I think Vegas and Calgary will finish 1 and 2 in the division. I think SJ and Anaheim will finish 7 and 8. LA's made some great additions, Edmonton has had a horrendous offseason but Hyman does improve the team and a team with McDavid/Draisaitl will always be competitive, I think Seattle botched their long-term situation but the team should definitely be able to challenge for a wildcard to start. 

 

I think it's unlikely we finish ahead of all three of those teams, but it's certainly possible.

 

 

[BPA]

14 minutes ago, cory40 said:

Does that include Ferlands cap hit?

Yes it includes Ferlands cap hit.  Once Canucks reaches the max cap, then Canucks can use the LTIR money .

[highwayman3]

5 minutes ago, cory40 said:

Past History has been good in Vancouver. try following Edmonton. Or even Toronto. Even when the Canucks were winning the presidents trophy the media was ripping them. The defense will surprise you with the media your listening too. 

What? We were 6th in GA and lost our two best ES defenders.  Toronto's defence is much better than ours - although their forwards don't have what it takes to win even one round in the playoffs.  

 

Not sure why you keep saying I'm relying on the media for my opinions, I couldn't give a rats ass what the media says.  A lot of the media for example loved the Myers contract which I knew was a mistake the minute the ink was dry.  Apart from the hardcore homers on this site no one thinks the Canucks defense is good.  What is your evidence to state the contrary?

Edited July 29, 2021 by highwayman3

[wallstreetamigo]

10 minutes ago, cory40 said:

Not saying that. But saying he was cuffed as to the team he wanted to build.

There is no actual evidence that he was handcuffed to any great degree. He built the team he wanted. It is still on him that the team he built for a long time was pretty crappy.

 

Aquilini, like all owners, has input on what happens. But explaining away any Benning miscue by saying he had no choice is simply not realistic. Look at the players he brought in. They SCREAM Jim Benning all the way back to his Boston days. Valuing intangibles over skill.

 

If anything, it almost seems like this offseason was less in Bennings hands and more collaborative with guys like the Sedins. The focus clearly shifted and who knows why. 

[derr12]

Im thinking we are a bit short on snarl and a #1/2 RHD to go for a real deep playoff run.  Absolutely convinced this is a team thats in the playoffs this year tho.

[Junkyard Dog]

To be determined. 

[eeeeergh]

1 hour ago, NUCKER67 said:

I imagine the competition for a D spot at camp will be unreal.

 

Locks

OEL

Hughes

Myers

Hamonic

Poolman

 

Competition for last spot

Juolevi

Rathbone

Schenn

 

 

I cant believe how much depth we now have lol. Juolevi, Rathbone, Schenn, Hunt are all NHL players. Rathbone and Hunt are small and can put up points to replace OFD injuries, Juolevi and Schenn can replace DFD injuries. 

Pretty stoked. 

[eeeeergh]

40 minutes ago, derr12 said:

Im thinking we are a bit short on snarl and a #1/2 RHD to go for a real deep playoff run.  Absolutely convinced this is a team thats in the playoffs this year tho.

If Hamonic and Poolman don't prove capable and that's the only piece missing from being a real contender, JB will get it done at the deadline. I don't think the Canucks are going with the traditional top heavy structure (a clear #1-2 with plugs at #5/6). Based on the lineup, it looks like they're gonna spread minutes around and put guys to work in their areas of strength-

OEL probably plays some shutdown minutes, PK minutes, and 2nd powerplay
Hughes probably 1st powerplay, offensive zone starts, bullies other team's weaker defensive lines
Hamonic plays shutdown minutes, PK, defensive zone starts
Poolman plays shutdown minutes, PK, defensive zone starts
Myers gets some PP time, offensive zone starts, matching against weaker opponents
Juolevi gets sheltered minutes - probably offensive zone starts, matching against weaker opponents

Schenn over Juolevi if we want more snarl.

i don't see a clear hierarchy in our defenders - (except maybe Juolevi/Schenn would be near the bottom of the list). Otherwise, all our guys could play somewhere in the top four, depending on who they were partnered with. Poolman too - he was paired with Josh Morrissey and basically carried the pair defensively. 

[Maddogy]

14 minutes ago, eeeeergh said:

I cant believe how much depth we now have lol. Juolevi, Rathbone, Schenn, Hunt are all NHL players. Rathbone and Hunt are small and can put up points to replace OFD injuries, Juolevi and Schenn can replace DFD injuries. 

Pretty stoked. 

It sure is a major tragedy that we don't have an overpaid and grumpy Nikita Tryamkin to bolster our lackluster LD.

[The Listening]

I think we are only making the playoffs because the rest of the division is looking so weak. Once we are in and we have to contend against real teams, that's where we are going to falter. How do we beat Colorado, Minnesota, Vegas? 

[Nucksownyou]

Yes we are, and all the haters can suck it!

[73 Percent]

18 minutes ago, The Listening said:

I think we are only making the playoffs because the rest of the division is looking so weak. Once we are in and we have to contend against real teams, that's where we are going to falter. How do we beat Colorado, Minnesota, Vegas? 

We brought vegas to 7 games...did vegas improve since then?

[King Heffy]

20 minutes ago, The Listening said:

I think we are only making the playoffs because the rest of the division is looking so weak. Once we are in and we have to contend against real teams, that's where we are going to falter. How do we beat Colorado, Minnesota, Vegas? 

Colorado lost a ton of their depth and Minnesota lacks scoring depth to begin with.  Vegas is a donut with a hole in the middle and a coach who specializes in destroying the confidence of his goalies.  We can give all three a run for their money.

[RU SERIOUS]

21 hours ago, BPA said:

Canucks (on paper) have a lot of depth now.  Plus the Pacific division teams don't seem to have upgraded much either.  So Canucks should be able to secure a spot.

Agree.   If not and they somehow manage to blow it again for an eighth year under Uncle Jim then he will be Terminated immediately at season's end. 

 

Everyones watching.....

 

[DrJockitch]

It does feel like the Pacific is Vegas-Canada-California. 
The three Canadian teams are major wildcards. 
Who knows what Calgary is but they have Marky and if he gets hot he can carry them.

Edmonton and us are going to have to outscore some issues. At least we have solid goaltending.

Our D, who knows. Too many changes to know anything about how it is going to work out and it will take a while for the pairings to get to know each other. 
The idiot above who wants proof that our d is better than Toronto may want to wait at least until camp starts before writing this D off. Normally I would say mid season given the number of changes but since he has given up before the ink dries, getting at least to the start of camp would be progress. 

[highwayman3]

4 minutes ago, DrJockitch said:

It does feel like the Pacific is Vegas-Canada-California. 
The three Canadian teams are major wildcards. 
Who knows what Calgary is but they have Marky and if he gets hot he can carry them.

Edmonton and us are going to have to outscore some issues. At least we have solid goaltending.

Our D, who knows. Too many changes to know anything about how it is going to work out and it will take a while for the pairings to get to know each other. 
The idiot above who wants proof that our d is better than Toronto may want to wait at least until camp starts before writing this D off. Normally I would say mid season given the number of changes but since he has given up before the ink dries, getting at least to the start of camp would be progress. 

Ad hominems and personal attacks against those who don't agree with you, how mature.  Rielly, Brodie, Muzzin and Holl at at least complement each other and Toronto did have a lower GA than we did (24th to 6th actually) with worse goaltending.  You can bury your head in the sand all you like. 

 

Here, let me phrase things in a fashion you can understand: CaNuCKZZZ for DA CuPPP If Yoou don t like Benigng and DA DEFENSE You ARE BIG DUMB DUMB@!!!!  WOOOOO

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, highwayman3 said:

Ad hominems and personal attacks against those who don't agree with you, how mature.  Rielly, Brodie, Muzzin and Holl at at least complement each other and Toronto did have a lower GA than we did (24th to 6th actually) with worse goaltending.  You can bury your head in the sand all you like. 

 

Here, let me phrase things in a fashion you can understand: CaNuCKZZZ for DA CuPPP If Yoou don t like Benigng and DA DEFENSE You ARE BIG DUMB DUMB@!!!!  WOOOOO

Leaf’s fan alert.  Leaf’s fan alert.  Ya, Morgan Reilly.  

 

[Patel Bure]

I think the Canucks are a playoff team but my concern is that....

 

1) We are likely a 4th seeded calibre playoff team (7th/8th in the Conference)

 

2) Our new long term cap situation likely won’t allow us to make the changes necessary to take the next step.......unless we can somehow find a way to get another team to take Myers off our hands (to which Myers’ 6 milllion dollar salary gets applied towards a true top pairing shut down D man).  
 

My hope is that at the end of this coming season, a team is willing to take on Myers’ entire contract somehow someway.  Maybe Juolevi, etc., would be a strong enough sweetener, but likely not.

[highwayman3]

Just now, Alflives said:

Leaf’s fan alert.  Leaf’s fan alert.  Ya, Morgan Reilly.  

 

Lol.  One clip of Morgan Rielly making a mistake agains the best player in the league is meaningless.  Again the Leafs were 24th in GA compared to the Canucks being 6th and they haven't had great goaltending.  It's silly to think that the Canucks defense is better after losing Edler and Schmidt (who I don't blame JB for).