I think right now we have one potential generational player, one elite but one-dimensional sniper and one very good top six center. That's about all that is exceptional about the Canucks. I really like Beagle and Roussel is growing on me. But this team is barely at .500 and has huge holes in it.
I think this team is four to six players away from being any sort of threat in the post-season. I also think our defense is a time bomb that's going to explode in the next year or two when we're going to have really only Stecher as a NHL quality defenseman. Edler is getting older and could potential bail to a better team this off-season. I don't know why Tanev would stay when his contract is up. Both Edler and Tanev are on the wrong side of 30 and downtrending, if winning is important to them, both have significant motivation to try greener pastures. We are downtrending significantly on the backend and this could be a potential disaster if management doesn't un**** this situation.
1) Edler and Tanev aren’t going to decline THAT much in 1-2 years.
2) Edler and Tanev want to stay in Vancouver
3) Outside of Hughes and Juolevi, we’ll likely have atleast 1, maybe 2, defensive prospects that will make it in (ie Woo).
4) It’s not a 100% guarantee, but Tryamkin looks like he wants to come back.
5) The Canucks will have some significant cap room when guys like Sutter, Gudbranson, and Gagner come off the books in 1-2 years. Eriksson will also likely be gone (won’t go into detail here as to why this will likely happen, but 31 of 36 million of Eriksson’s contract will have been paid to him in real dollars after July 1st 2020).
I think you worry too much and you need to relax.
Canucks defense will be fine. It won’t take 4-6 years for the Canucks to be competive. As I’ve said for many years:
2019: miss playoffs but barely. We turn heads.
2020: make 1st round but get Twinkie’s shoved up our noses.
2021: big jump here. We are a 2nd round caliber team that will either be on par, be upset in the first round, or overachieve.
2022-2030: see 2021.
Just sit back and enjoy the ride.