Biggest Offseason Needs [Discussion]

[PunjabiCanucks]

With us being out of the playoffs, what are your 3 biggest components the Canucks must work on to be a playoff team, NOT a wild card team.

 

1) Penalty Kill --- we were one of the best 5 on 5 teams this year and Demko was a huge factor in that. With Richardson and potentially Sutter Back next year, will our teams PK be better next year. If it wasn't for our penalty kill I legit think we would have won some games we lost, and salvaged a few extra points into a wild card or 3rd spot in the Pacific this year.

Is giving the likes of Podkolzin and Petey PK time a true answer.

 

2) Moving Myers

Myers has been a much different player with Boudreau compared to Green with a much better +/- , However at times I question wth is he doing and looks like an idiot during certain plays. He and OEL aren't worth their combined salary, but moving Myers gives us some financial freedom. The biggest task is finding his replacement.

 

Hughes- Schenn --- this pairing works for now, since the 2 have the best chemistry.

 

Ideally Schenn plays with OEL next year, and our 3rd pairing is Rathbone and Dermott ?

 

We need a true 1RD that can score potentially 30 points, but stick up for Hughes and be a defensive defenceman that can shut down top line players.

 

 

 

3) A 1LW

 

No offence to any of our top boys, but right now I see the following next year based on Chemistry

 

Pearson Miller Boeser

____ Horvat Hoglander

Podkolzin Petey Garland

 

Our LW depth sucks assuming we roll 3 offensive lines. Pearson gets the look with Miller due to him performing better with Miller then Horvat imo.

We lack a star LW in our organization and yes we have 3- 30 goal scorers, but no superstar goal scorer yet. Don't get me wrong I'm sure Petey will eclipse 40 at one point and hope Boeser will one day too.

Now I know this gets beaten down every time, but if it wasn't for Evander Kane in Edmonton, EDM would not be 2nd in the Pacific. He played a huge component in their rise in the last 20 games since they signed him.

 

Evander Kane at a 5 million year contract x 2 would be amazing for us and this team physically too. 

 

--

 

Anyways, give me your top 3 moves we must do. I know for the PK I didn't really target a player in the league, but is there a defence-man or bottom 6 forward you feel we need to bring in for that hole in our game our do we have the people on our team already

[Alflives]

Take a step back

 

Trade:

MILLER

MYERS

BOESER or GARLAND 

 

Hire Maurice.

 

These must be done or we will stay a sock sucking middle of the pack team.  

[hammertime]

 

[Nucker 67]

36 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Take a step back

 

Trade:

MILLER

MYERS

BOESER or GARLAND 

I agree with this (although I'm not sure I'd prefer Maurice over Boudreau). The Canucks have been trying to get back to the 'real' playoffs for 10 years. How bad is that?

 

What they really need, IMO, is to tear it down to the core, keep some of the support players that are cheap and perform.

 

Draft or trade for a good prospect goalie, Demko won't be here forever, and DiPietro is not an NHL goalie.   

 

Build around Pettersson, Podkolzin, Hoglander, Lockwood, Hughes, Dermott.  

 

Maybe keep Garland, Chiasson, Highmore, Lammikko, Schenn and Burroughs 

 

Try to get many picks/prospects/young players in trades

[-DLC-]

1 hour ago, Alflives said:

Take a step back

 

Trade:

MILLER

MYERS

BOESER or GARLAND 

 

Hire Maurice.

 

These must be done or we will stay a sock sucking middle of the pack team.  

They should probably just hire you, Alf. Pencil it in.

[zimmy]

What are the chances that in re-interpreting this team, management goes too far for some, and not far enough for others? Will anybody be satisfied?

 

The collected responses on these forums to the off season question seem to be in such opposition. I know I’m trying to find a middle ground between extremes while enjoying the mostly healthy debate.

[Crabcakes]

They need a RHD who can watch Hughes' back.  Somebody younger and more mobile than Schenn

 

A proper 3C would be nice.

 

But first, some cap flexibility would allow them to do what they need to do to take this team to the next level.

 

Names?  Boeser, Garland (or Miller pick em), and the Chaos Giraffe

[higgyfan]

19 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

I agree with this (although I'm not sure I'd prefer Maurice over Boudreau). The Canucks have been trying to get back to the 'real' playoffs for 10 years. How bad is that?

 

What they really need, IMO, is to tear it down to the core, keep some of the support players that are cheap and perform.

 

Draft or trade for a good prospect goalie, Demko won't be here forever, and DiPietro is not an NHL goalie.   

 

Build around Pettersson, Podkolzin, Hoglander, Lockwood, Hughes, Dermott.  

 

Maybe keep Garland, Chiasson, Highmore, Lammikko, Schenn and Burroughs 

 

Try to get many picks/prospects/young players in trades

Aku Koskenvuo   https://thehockeywriters.com/aku-koskenvuo-2021-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

 

Similar attributes as Demko (large frame, atheletic and fast) + hand-picked by Clarke.

He will go to Harvard next year, so we probably won't see him in Vancouver for 3yrs.

He will follows Demko's path to the NHL.

 

Demko will be 30yrs when his contract is up.  I see no reason why he wouldn't be re-signed.

The great goalies continue to perform well in their 30s. He will be Aku's mentor.

 

Still, it never hurts finding another keeper in the upcoming drafts.

[Heretic]

All we need is our forwards to score more. Simple. They are paid just as well as any other forward group in the league - so they need to step up.

[MikeBossy]

9 minutes ago, Crabcakes said:

They need a RHD who can watch Hughes' back.  Somebody younger and more mobile than Schenn

 

A proper 3C would be nice.

 

But first, some cap flexibility would allow them to do what they need to do to take this team to the next level.

 

Names?  Boeser, Garland (or Miller pick em), and the Chaos Giraffe

Two I could see fitting this bill are:

Scott Mayfield from the Islanders and Josh Manson - only way I see Manson coming here is if we move Myers

[Ballisticsports.]

41 minutes ago, zimmy said:

What are the chances that in re-interpreting this team, management goes too far for some, and not far enough for others? Will anybody be satisfied?

 

The collected responses on these forums to the off season question seem to be in such opposition. I know I’m trying to find a middle ground between extremes while enjoying the mostly healthy debate.

I think that would be on the results of the team and what management's plan is ?

If they make moves for 2-3 years and state that is the plan, i think people will accept

If they keep most and tweak i think with results people will buy in too and give the management team the benefit of the doubt either way

In the end we all want the same thing and hopefully this team can get us there

[BlastPast]

2 hours ago, PunjabiCanucks said:

We need a true 1RD that can score potentially 30 points, but stick up for Hughes and be a defensive defenceman that can shut down top line players.

 

Oh, that should be done easily enough, lots of guys like that available ; shouldn't even cost that much either.

[DownUndaCanuck]

Trade Poolman and Dickinson for picks.

Sign Tierney 3M x 3yrs.

Ideally flip Boeser or Garland for a top RHD.

 

 

[JM_]

1 minute ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

Trade Poolman and Dickinson for picks.

send them to AZ for future considerations. No UFA is going to sign up to play in a college dorm room so it should be an easy trade to make. 

 

1 minute ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

Sign Tierney 3M x 3yrs.

Ideally flip Boeser or Garland for a top RHD.

 

 

I'd like to take a run at signing Paul over Tierney but that's a fair deal. 

[DrJockitch]

Same answer I had last year and only thing that wasn’t done. 
A stable youngish partner for Hughes. Spending assets and not getting that is irresponsible at this point. 
OEL can’t be traded, Myers seems like it would probably cost a tonne to move his contract (but after moving Hamonic and actually getting assets back, anything is possible).

So money and assets probably need to come off the wing.  Makes sense as Podz and Hogz will improve and our best prospect outside of Abbotsford is a good sized shooting winger that looks like a middle six player. 
I don’t think you get picks for Poolman or Dickenson, I think they cost picks or move in a reclamation project for reclamation project type of trade. 

[JM_]

2 hours ago, Alflives said:

Take a step back

 

Trade:

MILLER

MYERS

BOESER or GARLAND 

 

Hire Maurice.

 

These must be done or we will stay a sock sucking middle of the pack team.  

curious - what do you see Maurice brings over Bruce?

[DeNiro]

We have three 30 goal scorers in Miller, Horvat, Pettersson.

 

Four likely 20 goal scorers in Podz, Pearson, Garland, and Hoglander.

 

Thats seven 20+ goals scorers not including Boeser. The offense is good. It’s obvious Boeser is the odd man out.

 

Trade him for another top 15 pick and a prospect. Trade Myers for whatever.

 

That’s 12 million dollars to get two defenseman (9 million) and a third line center (3 million). 

[24K PureCool]

This is gonna be a spicy off season.

 

Most important is to get some cap flexibility.

 

To this end, Myers need to be traded for whatever we can get. Boeser also need to go with his lack of speed.

 

Miller should also be traded to get us the quality depth we need unless he is willing to sign a sweat heart extension. 

 

Ideally Dickinson and Poolman are also traded for picks but that is gonna be a tough sell. 

[hammertime]

3 hours ago, PunjabiCanucks said:

We need a true 1RD that can score potentially 30 points, but stick up for Hughes and be a defensive defenceman that can shut down top line players

So you want a unicorn?

 

I think I would trade or let Brock walk I wouldn't expect much in return a 2nd would be ideal. But I imagine we'd be taking a contract back I think we would be lucky to make a hockey trade along the lines of. 

 

Brock to 

NJ for Ryan Graves 6'5 defensive D 

Pitty for Danton Heinen surrey boy utility mid 6er wont cost Brock money.

Ott Artem Zub 

Det Oskar Sundqvist

 

I think we should go after Nichushkin in free agency and sign right shot bottom 6C pest Sam Carrick. Our team needs to be harder to play against we don't have to go crazy with it but we do need more aggressive checkers. To bring more of a team aggression identity out of Bo Pearson Hoglander Pete  

 

Nich Miller Garland (In your face)

Pearson Pete Pod (Run the offence through Pete as it should be with wingers who dig pucks)

Hoglander Bo Dickinson (I think Dicki will rebound as a winger)

Lammiko Carrick Lockwood (You mad bro?)

Richardson Highmore

 

I don't mind our D especially if we get Rathbone involved. The fundamental issue is age in 2 years we will not be fine. I think we need to fix that through the draft. We don't need flash we need 2 of Lian Bichsel, Ryan Chesley, Maveric Lammeroux and I believe we could trade down to achieve this.  

 

I would like to re sign Richardson retire him a Canuck at the end of next season, hopefully keep him in the org as a skills coach.  

 

I think with this kind of lineup everyone stands an inch taller without needing to goon it up we increase our physical presence exponentially and draw penalties where our PP should be lethal and has begun steps in a positive direction. Along with this our PK must be equal to the task hopefully Richardson can have a Vanek like influence except on or PK. 

 

Special teams are what killed us this year. 5v5 we were among the best. We need to turn our special teams into a strength. If we can do that we will be competitive. Look at Calgary their team went from directionless to contenders all by buying into an identity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by hammertime

[Guest]

I know that a lot of people won't like this, but I would look at giving Poolman a fresh start on our team.  He was thrown into the tire fire under Green and then promptly suffered a pretty bad injury that ended his season except for his return that lasted a period or two.  

 

As far as the question goes, Boeser and Myers are the most straight forward and logical changes. We will probably end up having to take some salary back in a trade but if it allows us to stockpile a few extra picks and prospects then by all means we should do it.  

Losing Myers will hurt quite a bit, while not having Boeser won't be as big of an impact. 

 

We also need to acquire a forward that can create some room for the rest of our guys.  Calgary is a perfect example: they have lots of smaller, skilled guys, but their tough guys go out of their way to create room for Gaudreau, Dube, Mangiapane, etc.