sashimii Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 (edited) For those that don't know, a hot-take is a bold, often counter-intuitive prediction. Training camp is just about a month away and with the Suter signing we should have a pretty decent idea of what the roster will look like. With so many variables and unknowns heading into this year it's really hard to say how the season will go. So let's make some wild predictions. I'll start. Andrei Kuzmenko will be the first Canuck to score 50 since Bure Why it will happen: Kuzmenko was just getting started last year and scored 39. He bounced around lines at the start of the season and was even a healthy scratch. His conditioning wasn't great and both coaches had trouble trusting him in his own end. He's clearly been putting in the work this summer and will come to camp in stellar shape. He'll earn Tochett's trust by showing improvement on D and being in great shape. The kid wants to earn his ice-time and he'll do just that and more. He'll be a staple on Petey's wing and the net-front of PP1 from opening night. The chemistry between him and Petey was already insane last year, imagine the damage they'll do with more time to grow as a duo. He's steadily improved each year of his career and I see him continuing that trend. He'll be more prepared to handle the rigours of a 82 game year and will want to prove last season wasn't a fluke. Yes his shooting percentage was insane last year (27% I believe) but that's because he's an insanely efficient scorer. He's a tap-in and empty net wizard who is able to deke his way around goalies and slide the puck into the empty net. He's always in perfect position with his stick on the ice waiting for a pass. He would have scored 60 with the Sedins. I also believe he'll shoot more this year. He won't keep up the insane shooting percentage but a modest shooting percentage decrease to the high teens combined with more of a shooters mentality will have Kuzy pot 50. Kuzmenko finishes the year with 52 goals and 40 apples. Book it. Why it won't happen: Regression, regression, regression. Kuzmenko and his 27% shooting is the most obvious candidate to regress in the whole NHL. It's simply unsustainable. No one has a shooting percentage that high for an extended period of time. He got lucky last year and benefited from being an unknown player in the league. Defenses will focus on him a lot more he'll have a hard time finding the open ice he did last year. Sophomore slumps are so common for a reason. He will regress to about 20 to 25 goals and 45 to 60 points, which is a lot more indicative of the player he actually is. ---------------- Alright there it is. My hottest take for this year. Am I an idiot? Is it possible? What's your hottest take for the year? Let's hear em! Edited August 21, 2023 by sashimii 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whaleroad Train Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Demko to score a goal and three assists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drakrami Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 I seem to remember people saying JT Miller will get 110-115 points after his 99 point season. Or Canucks will have 9 players with 20 goals last season. Why does your post seem eerily similar with the same reasonings lol. Not saying it can't happen, because Kuzmenko is a great player. But there really aren't many 50 goal scorers in the league. Possible, but not likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elias Pettersson Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Bure and Mogilny are the only players in Vancouver Canucks history to break 50 goals. If anyone can break it again it will be another Russian. So I am betting on Kuzmenko to do just that. Kuzmenko's shooting % will obviously drop which is why people are saying he will regress. However, he will make up for it by simply taking more shots and getting more opportunities to shoot. He only had like 143 shots last year, Ovechkin as a comparable had 294 shots. Kuzmenko's shots are normally from close in, taps ins, empty nets after he dekes out the goalie, etc., so that is why his shooting % is so high. He will need to take way more shots to keep being productive, which I believe he will. Also, he will be playing with Petey all year most likely. When you are playing with a 100-point centre who will get 60+ assists, then Kuzy will have a shot at 50 for sure. The power play will also be the key. If he is given prime PP1 minutes, then he will flourish and have a shot at 50. If Tocchet gives Boeser the PP1 time, then Kuzy will be hard pressed to get even 40. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpyone Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Bold? you want Bold? Canucks team gels early and wins the Pacific division. Oilers fall flat on their faces and McDavid demands a trade. Leafs lose in the first round of the playoffs....again. ( ok, that one's not bold ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuckin_futz Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 (edited) My take - More of the same. Depends on injuries but we are a team that maybe sneaks into the playoffs and is first round fodder or drafts #13. Edited August 21, 2023 by nuckin_futz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nucker 67 Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Canucks shock the world and win the Pacific division. Playoffs baby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strawbone Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Canucks easily make the playoffs finishing second in the Pacific and Tocchet wins the Jack Adams. 1 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe-max Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 The Canucks D gets hit by injuries early and Wolanin, Hirose, Woo, Brisebois and Rathbone all get significant playing time throughout the year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_314 Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Ekman Larsson proves he's still a top-4 defenseman in the NHL. Tampa probably misses the playoffs with their subtractions and the attrition. ************************************************************************************************************ Vancouver's good enough to finish as high as 3rd in the Pacific (if the Knights have a Cup hangover; they're probably as good as the Kraken with the additions made). Take out Di Giuseppe and presumably drop Aman, insert Suter as 3rd C, maybe Pearson comes back? We have a solid top-12. Myers as a #5/ #6 (hopefully) isn't terrible, and the top-4 now looks stable. Demko and Silovs/ Martin looks good if they can get off to a good start and 35 stays healthy. 1st line: McCann = Kuzmenko, Petey > Beniers, Eberle > Beauvillier or Mikheyev 2nd line: 65/ 72 - Miller - Boeser > Schwartz - Wennberg - Burakovsky Depending on our 3rd line's final product, Seattle probably has the better unit (*Tolvanen-Gourde-Bjorkstrand). 4th lines are probably a draw (Tanev-Bellemare-Yamamoto vs. Joshua-Blueger-Hoglander/Podkolzin?). 1st D: Dunn-Larsson is roughly = Hughes - Cole (Hughes may score more but their unit's familiarity can't be overlooked) 2nd D: Soucy-Hronek > Oleksiak-Borgen (no puck mover on their 2nd). 3rd D: Seattle's by a fair bit (Dumoulin-Schultz >> [whoever/ Myers]). Goaltending's tough to call, Demko had a rough year but finished strong; can't tell how good Silovs/ Martin will be. Overall, I think we have a slight edge in the higher-end parts of the roster, so if the depth holds its own we could get 4th in our division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhippy Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 I got a few for ya. 1. Columbus surprises everyone and puts it together in a major way 2. Buffalo takes that next step and Sabre Fan makes his triumphant return 3. Larsson shows he is still a top 4 in a more sheltered Florida 4. Pittsburgh falls absolutely flat and Malkin is gone by the TDL 5. Gillis gets hired on as a GM somewhere back east mid to late season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBackup Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Calgary completely collapses and wins the draft lottery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 More Canucks staff get fired midseason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pears Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 (edited) You want really bold? Canucks take a divisional playoff spot and win a round, while Pettersson shatters Henrik Sedin’s single season points record and is a Selke finalist. Edited August 21, 2023 by Pears edited to make more sense 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSVII Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Demko stays healthy for the season (and playoffs) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Biestra Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 (edited) Frank Caprice comes out of retirement to play the last half of the season when Thatcher Demko develops malaria. Becomes the first goalie in NHL history to score a hat trick when Pittsburgh pulls their goalie repeatedly in a desperate attempt to tie the score in game seven of the Stanley Cup final versus Vancouver. Edited August 21, 2023 by Kevin Biestra 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stawns Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 Aatu Raty takes a huge step in Abby and becomes the 1C by mid season. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citizen Erased Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 1. Boeser will score 40+ goals 2. Pettersson will outscore MacDiver to win the Art Ross Trophy. 3. Hughes will score 15+ goals in addition to 75+ assists to win the Norris Trophy. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stawns Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 52 minutes ago, Citizen Erased said: 1. Boeser will score 40+ goals 2. Pettersson will outscore MacDiver to win the Art Ross Trophy. 3. Hughes will score 15+ goals in addition to 75+ assists to win the Norris Trophy. Lets try to stay original. This dusty old gem gets trotted out every August/September 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuck73_3 Posted August 21, 2023 Share Posted August 21, 2023 8 minutes ago, stawns said: Lets try to stay original. This dusty old gem gets trotted out every August/September It is a valid hot take is it not? Not surprising with your history you had to comment on it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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