Poll: Dog Days of Summer. Where Will We Finish in The 2023/24 Western Conference Standings?

[DrJockitch]

Anyone who says they know how this team will do this year is likely a drunk alien. 
3rd in division will be tough. Weird year, got the champs, an improving LA, Edmonton all well ahead of us on paper, a team that could be anything in Calgary but I suspect will implode, a team that played above their heads in Seattle and a couple bad teams in Anaheim and SJ.  We fit somewhere in the middle of that group. 
Who knows how things will go. The first month will be really tough. I expect poor start, stabilizing to slightly sub 500 team until half-way or all star break then improvement to a slightly better than 500 team which ends up coming up short of playoffs. Same as last 2years but with less amplitude. 
So many things need to go right to do well. Demko needs to be late season Demko, not early season Demko, JTM needs to be late season JTM not early season JTM. Our cobbled together defence needs at least 2 of the new guys if not all three to step up a level they haven’t played consistently before. We need a third line centre and at least 2 less mini-wingers. 
Crazy crap shoot of a year. 

[Alflives]

4 minutes ago, DrJockitch said:

Anyone who says they know how this team will do this year is likely a drunk alien. 
3rd in division will be tough. Weird year, got the champs, an improving LA, Edmonton all well ahead of us on paper, a team that could be anything in Calgary but I suspect will implode, a team that played above their heads in Seattle and a couple bad teams in Anaheim and SJ.  We fit somewhere in the middle of that group. 
Who knows how things will go. The first month will be really tough. I expect poor start, stabilizing to slightly sub 500 team until half-way or all star break then improvement to a slightly better than 500 team which ends up coming up short of playoffs. Same as last 2years but with less amplitude. 
So many things need to go right to do well. Demko needs to be late season Demko, not early season Demko, JTM needs to be late season JTM not early season JTM. Our cobbled together defence needs at least 2 of the new guys if not all three to step up a level they haven’t played consistently before. We need a third line centre and at least 2 less mini-wingers. 
Crazy crap shoot of a year. 

Alf’s empties know and see all. 

[HorvatToBaertschi]

13 hours ago, iinatcc said:

I think this is the case of predicting a best case scenario for the Canucks and worst case scenario for other teams again.

 

I remember this similar argument last season with the LA Kings thinking everyone will regress and Doughty and Kopitar all suddenly regressing to become OEL's and Loui Erikssons respectively (), Vegas collapsing because Robin Lehner was going to be out all season, and the Canucks will have elite goaltending and Boeser will somehow become 30 to 40 goal scorer.

 

Reality things just don't work like that. Thinking every possible positive outcome will go in Vancouver's favor while other team will not have the same advantage. Universe doesn't work like that.

 

Example Kuzmenko had a crazy high shooting percentage last season. History shows that is not sustainable. William Karlsson is a good example, his first season in Vegas he had 23.4% shooting percentage and dropped to 14.2% next seaosn (almost half). Don't be surprised if Kuzmenko only gets around 20 goals next season.

I agree with you on most points. I'll fight you on this one; Kuzmenko's shooting percentage is sustainable because 30 of his goals (probably an exaggeration) were from tip-ins into open nets. He doesn't actually shoot the puck very often. 

[spook007]

1 hour ago, Alflives said:

All true except we already saw Petey and Quinn elevate their games in the playoffs. Petey was more than a ppg, and Quinn set the record for most playoff points by a rookie D man. 
Imhao, and Alf’s empties support this, we will get 105 points this season. We will be third in our Conference. We will make a deep playoff run. And the best part will be the other teams’ posters who come here pretending to be our fans will go elsewhere. They will bow and kneel to Alf’s empties! Those puck suckers!

Yeah how long ago was that now?

3years? Not to butst your bubble, cause I want part of it too, but a lot of changes has happened since, and we now have to see if the 'new'ish' tram has it in them as well. 
During the bubble the driving forces were Demko, Bo and Motte...

I the supporting cast can elevate their game, sure why not, but it remains to be seen. 
Bring it on... I'm ready. 

[Coconuts]

9th, they'll be competitive but injuries and slumps will do them in. Would still be a step forward.

[IBatch]

On 7/31/2023 at 5:29 PM, Canucks_fo_life said:

Pacific Division standings at seasons end, I think 5 Pacific Division teams get into the playoffs

 

1. Edmonton*

2. LA*

3. Vegas*

4. Vancouver* - WC

5. Seattle* - WC

------------------

6. Anaheim

7. Calgary

8. San Jose

 

 

Also feel five teams come out of the Pacific.    NSH and some other central teams are on the downswing (re-tooling or about to soon).    SJ is the only clear bad team in our division, and even they can't hit rock bottom.  

[Alflives]

3 minutes ago, IBatch said:

Also feel five teams come out of the Pacific.    NSH and some other central teams are on the downswing (re-tooling or about to soon).    SJ is the only clear bad team in our division, and even they can't hit rock bottom.  

Seattle will stink. Calgary will stink. San Jose will stink. Anaheim has Zegras, so they will stink. 
standings will be:

Oilers

CANUCKS!

Kings

Vegas

Calgary

Seattle

Sharks

Ducks (the Zegras factor) 

[IBatch]

I'd like to be bullish like coming into last season after Bruce's torrid bump.   However reality has set in.   Figure the best we can do, is a wild card spot.   Worst maybe 6th.  That's a baby step in the right direction.    So 4-6.    So went with 5. 

 

Vegas and EDM are clearly ahead of us.    After that LA likely, then it comes down to CAL/VAN/Kraken.   

 

Edit:  Also to be clear - feel both wild card spots come from our division.   Will need 94-96 points to get in as well.    That's a solid season. 

Edited August 4, 2023 by IBatch

[mikeyman109]

Like many teams from the past Canucks history this team has under performed the last few seasons.

Demkos injury and bad goaltending took us out of contention for the playoffs early last season.

No D and that disastrous penalty kill cost us a lot of points in the standings.

How many times did we jump out to big leads, 3 goals, and give that up?Can we get solid goaltending this season? Its possible

Can we have a better PK? Its possible

Can the D just be a little more consistent? Its very possible.

 

Like many teams from the past 52 seasons there is reason to be optimistic.

A Healthy Demko, hopefully bubble Demko, would go a long ways to having success.

If the new D additions can work into the system early so we have success out of the gate and not be 1-9 or 2 and 8 after the first 10 would help.

Hopefully Petey continues to get better.

If history continues to repeat itself what we will see is this team squeak into the playoffs, maybe even win a round or two depending on Demko, and everyone will anoint them the next years champs. Then we will crash and burn again. Soucy Cole irwin Hronek all have an upside and didnt play on this team last season. add in Hirose who looks pretty good they may surprise on D

 

IMHO the season and its success rides on Demko. If he can play like we all know he can they make the playoffs. If he doesnt play well they struggle again.

[Gurn]

 

So many variables.

A healthy Demko should help, but sometimes healthy goalies just suck for a year, and rebound after that. 

Kuzemenko, has a year of experience, but that shooting % is not sustainable, and often sophomore players have a poorer second year.

Miller, played ok at center for  parts of last year, but has also played poorly at center, for stretches of time as Canuck.

Petey, has been brilliant and also played poorly as a Canuck.

Meyers, might rebound, might not.

Hronek, likely helps- but what if that shoulder doesn't hold up, or has taken a couple of mph off his shot? Maybe he decides he can't use that shoulder to hit people with?

and on

and on

 

So many variables, just on how the Canucks will play, and then the other teams-remember the other teams? They are trying to win too.

 

I'll wait till at least training camp, to even begin thinking about how they place this season.

 

[DrJockitch]

3 hours ago, IBatch said:

I'd like to be bullish like coming into last season after Bruce's torrid bump.   However reality has set in.   Figure the best we can do, is a wild card spot.   Worst maybe 6th.  That's a baby step in the right direction.    So 4-6.    So went with 5. 

 

Vegas and EDM are clearly ahead of us.    After that LA likely, then it comes down to CAL/VAN/Kraken.   

LA is way ahead of us. 
Never know, our October is really tough and our recent history is awful, historically awful, starts. If JTM and Thatcher Demko come in like they did last year our season is over before November and we are back to doing what terrible teams do, buying players at the deadline and trying to scrape out every point to move us into the top standings of non-playoff teams.  Oh wait, that isn’t what terrible teams are supposed to do. 
We are the Mats Sundin Leafs. Stuck with a great player and no idea how to build a team around him. Every year we think we are one more move away from competing for a cup but are really barely competitive to make the playoffs. 

[IBatch]

7 hours ago, DrJockitch said:

LA is way ahead of us. 
Never know, our October is really tough and our recent history is awful, historically awful, starts. If JTM and Thatcher Demko come in like they did last year our season is over before November and we are back to doing what terrible teams do, buying players at the deadline and trying to scrape out every point to move us into the top standings of non-playoff teams.  Oh wait, that isn’t what terrible teams are supposed to do. 
We are the Mats Sundin Leafs. Stuck with a great player and no idea how to build a team around him. Every year we think we are one more move away from competing for a cup but are really barely competitive to make the playoffs. 

LA isn't "way ahead of us".   They are just enjoying a proper re-tool.   I don't see an EP or QHs coming up ... just a few good players plus a Sedin 34 level Doughty on D, and Kopitar.   They could actually make it work with their next core though.   Hard to say.   

 

As far as the Mats Sundin Leafs go, they are the only other team aside from

Gilmour led, that managed a true 100 point plus season without loser points.   I'd be stoked if we had 4-5 years of playoffs at this point...wouldn't you?   Those teams were better than anything we've seen in a long long time, and they did it during the dead puck era.   As far as Mats Sundin goes himself, nothing but respect for not taking that almost 19% of the cap deal from Mike Gillis (are you freaking kidding me?  Would be worse then Messier ... completely killed our club and talk about nepotism given he was his client too - 2 x 10 today would be shocking for a guy who basically was a PPG guy his entire career at 38 or so...6'4" center or not who cares ...).    Would have been the most ridiculous contract in NHL history.   There were a dozen or so guys who had better careers around when he started and ended.    
 

Remember those days well, the battle of Ontario was for a little while anyways, a thing.   TO played the MTL, OTT played the Nords (battle of Quebec, aside from the absolute destruction - still it was fun to watch for awhile Alfie vs Sundin that is).     But appreciate the sentiment. 

 

Who, in LA, is up and coming?  Byfield?  

 

This roster, is also way worse, than the Sundin led teams IMO and can't see anyone, who's replacing Kopitar, Doughty, Quick,  Carter, Richards etc except maybe Fiala for now anyways.   Have mad respect for Blake though and for trading what he could, when he could . 

[wai_lai416]

6 hours ago, IBatch said:

LA isn't "way ahead of us".   They are just enjoying a proper re-tool.   I don't see an EP or QHs coming up ... just a few good players plus a Sedin 34 level Doughty on D, and Kopitar.   They could actually make it work with their next core though.   Hard to say.   

 

As far as the Mats Sundin Leafs go, they are the only other team aside from

Gilmour led, that managed a true 100 point plus season without loser points.   I'd be stoked if we had 4-5 years of playoffs at this point...wouldn't you?   Those teams were better than anything we've seen in a long long time, and they did it during the dead puck era.   As far as Mats Sundin goes himself, nothing but respect for not taking that almost 19% of the cap deal from Mike Gillis (are you freaking kidding me?  Would be worse then Messier ... completely killed our club and talk about nepotism given he was his client too - 2 x 10 today would be shocking for a guy who basically was a PPG guy his entire career at 38 or so...6'4" center or not who cares ...).    Would have been the most ridiculous contract in NHL history.   There were a dozen or so guys who had better careers around when he started and ended.    
 

Remember those days well, the battle of Ontario was for a little while anyways, a thing.   TO played the MTL, OTT played the Nords (battle of Quebec, aside from the absolute destruction - still it was fun to watch for awhile Alfie vs Sundin that is).     But appreciate the sentiment. 

 

Who, in LA, is up and coming?  Byfield?  

 

This roster, is also way worse, than the Sundin led teams IMO and can't see anyone, who's replacing Kopitar, Doughty, Quick,  Carter, Richards etc except maybe Fiala for now anyways.   Have mad respect for Blake though and for trading what he could, when he could . 

they dont have a QH coming up but i think we are writing off byfield too early.. 20 year old that's slowly being eased into the nhl playing 3/4C at 13-14mins a night.. and at this point i still take doughty over QH until doughty start showing a signficant drop off.. he can still put up points and is far superior defensively. LA kings defense is solid and still better than ours imo. Brandt clarke will play a bigger role this year.. and their top 9 is more well rounded than ours. only questionable is their goaltending..

 

it's most likely vegas/edmonton fighting for 1/2 LA unless their goaltending falls apart.. we prolly make the playoff because no one in the central is prolly getting a wc.. and it's really just seattle calgary vancouver fighting for 2 spots.. so if we make it it's not really because we gotten significantly better.. it's everyone else gotten significantly worse.. 

[IBatch]

4 hours ago, wai_lai416 said:

they dont have a QH coming up but i think we are writing off byfield too early.. 20 year old that's slowly being eased into the nhl playing 3/4C at 13-14mins a night.. and at this point i still take doughty over QH until doughty start showing a signficant drop off.. he can still put up points and is far superior defensively. LA kings defense is solid and still better than ours imo. Brandt clarke will play a bigger role this year.. and their top 9 is more well rounded than ours. only questionable is their goaltending..

 

it's most likely vegas/edmonton fighting for 1/2 LA unless their goaltending falls apart.. we prolly make the playoff because no one in the central is prolly getting a wc.. and it's really just seattle calgary vancouver fighting for 2 spots.. so if we make it it's not really because we gotten significantly better.. it's everyone else gotten significantly worse.. 

The Pacific has gotten significantly better.    For me anyways, it's about even with NSH and WNP finally sliding.   Dallas and COL are powerhouses,  ARI is close to finally turning the corner with its glut of youth...LA is way better then they were when Blake tore it down to the studs but wouldn't say their top 9 is better then ours.   EP and Miller > then Kopitar and Fiala,  after that Kuzmenko and Ilya M = to whomever you pick for LA's next up.   Where they do have us is likely on D.    Still ranked them higher than us, but it's not a foregone conclusion either.    CAL is a mystery box.   Seattle a little bit too, not sure they got any better this off season.      Agree LA's goaltending is suspect.   

Edited August 4, 2023 by IBatch

[wai_lai416]

54 minutes ago, IBatch said:

The Pacific has gotten significantly better.    For me anyways, it's about even with NSH and WNP finally sliding.   Dallas and COL are powerhouses,  ARI is close to finally turning the corner with its glut of youth...LA is way better then they were when Blake tore it down to the studs but wouldn't say their top 9 is better then ours.   EP and Miller > then Kopitar and Fiala.    Where they do have us is likely on D.    Still ranked them higher than us, but it's not a foregone conclusion either.    CAL is a mystery box.   Seattle a little bit too, not sure they got any better this off season.   

EP is definitely better than Kopitar at this point.. but i'll take even the current Kopitar over the current Miller everytime.. Kopitar barely less than Miller production wise but defensively and his 2 way game is lightyears ahead of miller and probably still stronger than EP at this point in all aspect. Fiala Miller is more of a wash.. production wise they are the same defensively they are both meh... but add in a PLD.. it easily swing in their favor

 

EP Miller Mikahev kuzmenko boeser garland beauvillier blueger (Hogs/podz/aman/joshua)whoever u want to fit in the last slot

 

Kopitar Fiala PLD Kempe, denault, avidsson, moore, byfield  and then the last slot (whoever else kinda like ours) 

 

down the middle alone they can trot out 3 center that we can maybe match or win 1.. last year season series.. we were lucky to be 2-2 with 1 OT or shootout win.. the 2 win the goalie stole the game.. they badly out shot us in the 2 wins and easily stomped us in the 2 loss.. adding a PLD only makes them even stronger in the 2 way game.

[IBatch]

On 7/31/2023 at 5:30 PM, kloubek said:

I think we will make the playoffs. That's all I can say I believe to be true. But there are lots of variables:

 

- Seattle has been better than I think most of us expected. Can they continue their strong play?

- How good are the Avs now? They made the playoffs, but were handily disposed of. Are they currently a playoff team?

- Do the Flames return to form as a playoff team, or are they just screwed for years now?

 

...and for us, Can the Canucks play like their team on paper would suggest? Will the team find a groove under Tocchet? Did management actually fix our D?

But yeah. I'd say this is a playoff team, but probably not good enough to make any extended waves during post-season.

Edmonton
Vegas

Vancouver

Dallas

Calgary

LA

Minnesota

Seattle

Winnipeg

St. Louis

Nashville

Arizona

Chicago

San Jose
Anaheim

Don't forget about COL.

 

Just for fun, here is my predications, and know they never work out lol.   There are always some surprises, and some let downs. 

 

Contenders 

Vegas, Dallas, COL, EDM

 

Dallas has had too many great runs the past couple years not to have them in this group.   A great mix of vets, youth and primes aligning.   EDM has two more cracks at it, and right now it's the McDavid/Draisaitl show ... might as well enjoy it, haven't seen that since Mario/Jagr.    These teams are the best in the West right now.   Two cup winners as well...when's the last time the West has won two in a row anyways? 

 

Playoff teams 

 

MIN, LA 

 

Both these teams make a solid argument to end up third  in their respective divisions.   That's an automatic spot ... although i'd suspect MIN might not get as many points as the at least one wild card spots. 

 

Playoff contenders/ Wild Card spots 

 

The guys left over.  Normally i'd have at least one coming from the Central, not that long ago, both even.    Power is shifting though, the Pacific is clearly better with only one dud in SJ.    And even they can't bottom out properly.  Each of these teams, has a reasonable argument to say they belong in a wild card spot.     But I think both come from the Pacific.   

 

Seattle.    Of all the teams left, they are one that could afford to make a huge splash before the season, and bump LA.   Rumours that EK might go there, persist.   Losing Soucy and gaining EK ... well not sure who they will lose to gain EK but at the peak of his powers on a better team, if there ever was a guy to win the Conn Smythe without making the final, at least in recent history anyways, it was EK versus PIT.   Even if they do nothing, hard not to have Seattle take one of those spots.   
 

CAL.   TT is gone ... so is Sutter.   CAL should be a playoff team but something is wrong in their room right now.    Trade rumours around Hanifin and Lindholm, and other solid players make you wonder if CAL is starting to consider a rebuild already.    Feel they will give it one more go this season.    The MT effect is lingering.    Still on paper anyways, the for sure have a valid chance of bumping LA...for now. 

 

VAN.    Canucks need playoff reps, last season it was goaltending and again the PK that killed us.    Scoring?  Not an issue ... how many 3 goal leads did we blow again?   Sure hope Tochett will scrub that out of the teams memory banks.   Management appears to be addressing the defense the best they can.   Soucy ... made us better and Seattle a little worse.    One of the reasons I wanted him was to watch him flatten guys, hope he enjoys taking it to his former teams.    Canucks modestly improved key areas this off-season.   Even with the usual ups and downs, on paper this team fixed some needs.   

 

WNP/NSH.    WNP loses Hellbuyck they are done.    They've done the best they can, with a difficult problem.   Guys just don't want to play there as much as other cities.     Not sure how that room will manage without Wheeler.    Huge loss, even though his best hockey is gone, he's a big body and a huge leader.  

NSH ... strange moves.   They need a rebuild, instead buys out?   And bring in O'Reilly who's clearly on a decline trajectory and Schenn.    Suppose that's Trotz leadership group in place for the next phase, but it will also keep them from bottoming out.    Playoffs don't seem likely for them.   

 

[IBatch]

59 minutes ago, wai_lai416 said:

EP is definitely better than Kopitar at this point.. but i'll take even the current Kopitar over the current Miller everytime.. Kopitar barely less than Miller production wise but defensively and his 2 way game is lightyears ahead of miller and probably still stronger than EP at this point in all aspect. Fiala Miller is more of a wash.. production wise they are the same defensively they are both meh... but add in a PLD.. it easily swing in their favor

 

EP Miller Mikahev kuzmenko boeser garland beauvillier blueger (Hogs/podz/aman/joshua)whoever u want to fit in the last slot

 

Kopitar Fiala PLD Kempe, denault, avidsson, moore, byfield  and then the last slot (whoever else kinda like ours) 

 

down the middle alone they can trot out 3 center that we can maybe match or win 1.. last year season series.. we were lucky to be 2-2 with 1 OT or shootout win.. the 2 win the goalie stole the game.. they badly out shot us in the 2 wins and easily stomped us in the 2 loss.. adding a PLD only makes them even stronger in the 2 way game.

Not debating that LA is better then us right now on paper at all.   Have them more or less a lock for the 3rd spot in our division.     Don't forget we also had enviable center depth the past few years until the Horvat trade.    Valardi actually paced PLD points wise more or less last season.    Iaffalo also got his points.   Blake made that trade, to create an heir apparent for Kopitar.    And give them a shot to do some damage once there (playoffs now). 

 

Actually have used Blake as an example of what a proper re-tool should look like several times.   He traded away all the good support and even one core player, from what was left of those cup teams, LA of course then sucked for awhile, and then used his cap wisely and re-assembled it around at the time, Doughty, Kopitar and Quick.     Doughty for sure is a HHOF D... a little older than EK.   Also been saying for years, star blue chip defenseman's prime is longer than forwards, and can have their best seasons 32-34.   Look at Burns.   LA likely makes the playoffs, but won't go far without trading for a better goalie tandem. 

 

As far as goal scoring/forward groups, Canucks is just fine.    Blowing 3 goal leads lol.   Whoops!   We absolutely need a proper 3C, but will have to likely wait a year to get that ...  Canucks season is probably over if EP goes down.   QHs we could manage with Hronek at least.     LA can survive losing either Kopitar of PLD for a period of time.   They don't have the wing depth we do.   Not many teams do though.  

Edited August 4, 2023 by IBatch

[IBatch]

On 8/2/2023 at 7:58 AM, DrJockitch said:

Anyone who says they know how this team will do this year is likely a drunk alien. 
3rd in division will be tough. Weird year, got the champs, an improving LA, Edmonton all well ahead of us on paper, a team that could be anything in Calgary but I suspect will implode, a team that played above their heads in Seattle and a couple bad teams in Anaheim and SJ.  We fit somewhere in the middle of that group. 
Who knows how things will go. The first month will be really tough. I expect poor start, stabilizing to slightly sub 500 team until half-way or all star break then improvement to a slightly better than 500 team which ends up coming up short of playoffs. Same as last 2years but with less amplitude. 
So many things need to go right to do well. Demko needs to be late season Demko, not early season Demko, JTM needs to be late season JTM not early season JTM. Our cobbled together defence needs at least 2 of the new guys if not all three to step up a level they haven’t played consistently before. We need a third line centre and at least 2 less mini-wingers. 
Crazy crap shoot of a year. 

I think the club will surprise and not come out sucking.   Believe Tochett's style will help the young players and even guys like Miller.   They won't come into camp out of shape.    But in "game shape".    That's going to help.  

 

Our PK won't be as bad.   And feel we won't blow leads.     Not expecting blow outs the other way too.      Agree a lot has to go right for the team to get one of the wild card spots.    Cautiously optimistic. 

[IBatch]

On 8/1/2023 at 2:50 PM, Ted Lasso said:

Mid-Summer power rankings have us at 13th in the West.

 

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/nhl-power-rankings-which-teams-are-on-the-rise-at-the-mid-summer-mark/

 

Using their order, here is an attempted tier list for the division:

 

tier 1 - contenders 

 

Colorado

Vegas

Edmonton

 

tier 2 - playoff calibre (trending up, fairly complete roster)

 

Dallas 

LA 

Seattle

 

tier 3 - playoff hopeful (trending flat, missing an important piece, like 1C)

 

Minnesota 

Nashville 

 

tier 4 - teams in flux (decent rosters, but key players want out)

 

Calgary

Winnipeg

 

tier 5 - not close to the playoffs

 

St. Louis 

Arizona

 

tier 5 - rebuilding 

 

Anaheim

Chicago

San Jose

 

On paper, I can see us hanging with Seattle at our best, and possibly taking 3rd in the Pacific.

 

More realistically, we should be competitive in tier 3, while watching the rearview for the Jets or Flames to turn things around faster than expected.

 

Knowing management is committed to the playoffs, I voted for 7th. 

 

Lasso, read the comments after ... don't even think they were Canucks fans ... SN writer did us pretty dirty saying that other the EP and QHs etc etc ... What about Miller?  Or Kuzmenko?   Or Demko.  Or as Button sure thinks, Hronek?   "ranked at least ten spots too low"  Is actually right on.   26 - 16.   That's about where we are now.   Mushy middle a bubble playoff team.   Some of the teams were completely over or under rated.   Actually see a lot more pragmatic, realistic,  observations on this forum.    Do you or anyone else, really think we are going to finish sixth worse in the league?   Yikes.    That's a bad bad take.   Yikes are we that bad?  Overrated?  Detroit.   Yzerman is likely going to pull the plug earlier this time "searching" for his game breakers.    We all know bad - mediocre goaltending and a mostly terrible PK (2 years running now!) and a bad defense killed our playoffs last season (and horrible start ... two years in a row now).  

 

Not saying we are vastly improved either.  Silvos was unreal this summer.   And well, our PK won't have to rely on OEL, QHs and Myers anymore (thank you lord!  QHs did admirably, but don't need him playing those types of minutes.    Will need him come playoffs.   At least plan for that. 

Edited August 4, 2023 by IBatch

[DrJockitch]

27 minutes ago, IBatch said:

Lasso, read the comments after ... don't even think they were Canucks fans ... SN writer did us pretty dirty saying that other the EP and QHs etc etc ... What about Miller?  Or Kuzmenko?   Or Demko.  Or as Button sure thinks, Hronek?   "ranked at least ten spots too low"  Is actually right on.   26 - 16.   That's about where we are now.   Mushy middle a bubble playoff team.   Some of the teams were completely over or under rated.   Actually see a lot more pragmatic, realistic,  observations on this forum.    Do you or anyone else, really think we are going to finish sixth worse in the league?   Yikes.    That's a bad bad take.   Yikes are we that bad?  Overrated?  Detroit.   Yzerman is likely going to pull the plug earlier this time "searching" for his game breakers.    We all know bad - mediocre goaltending and a mostly terrible PK (2 years running now!) and a bad defense killed our playoffs last season (and horrible start ... two years in a row now).  

 

Not saying we are vastly improved either.  Silvos was unreal this summer.   And well, our PK won't have to rely on OEL, QHs and Myers anymore (thank you lord!  QHs did admirably, but don't need him playing those types of minutes.    Will need him come playoffs.   At least plan for that. 

Not likely to finish 6th worst in the league but our chances of making the playoffs probably rank somewhere around there. Pretty much the middle of the league is a crap shoot.  Who knows what Columbus, Winnipeg, Calgary, Nashville, Detroit, Buffalo, Minnesota and NYI are going to be. They could be competitive playoff teams or running for the basement. We fit in that group of “who knows?”, maybe it comes together maybe not. We could be as high as 3rd in our division,if Edmonton is really inconsistent again, or we could be comfortably near the bottom of the league.