Speculation: How much do we regress, if at all?

[Hit the post]

Your right, i should change my avatar

You have a name change coming up. Do you have any ideas yet? Maybe rellim ot tdimhcs ?

 

[iceburg]

Unless demko can be playoff demko for an entire season (not possible) they will need a few things to go very right to be better than last year:
1. Gaudette and Virtanen learn to play in their own zone
2. Hughes and Pettersson take another significant step
3. One of Juolevi, Rafferty, or Rathbone show they’re a solid top 4
4. Coaches change system to shut down number of shots on goal (not clear whether this would be a net benefit)

 

[M2Beezy]

You have a name change coming up. Do you have any ideas yet? Maybe rellim ot tdimhcs ?

I was thinking

Deh Eeladid

 

[VNCVR]

I like 'Tavroh ot Nizlokdop'

 

[VanJack]

The only way the Canucks will regress, is if injuries hollow out their blueline. If the top four of Schmidt, Hughes, Edler and Myers stays healthy, it's clearly better than it was a year ago. And that assumes Benning won't sign a depth d-man or two, which I think is unlikely once he has Ferland's cap space available.

Posters are making a big deal about the departure of Leivo and Tofoli, but they were basically unavailable to the Canucks in the playoffs anyway. So it all comes down to goaltending. If there's a big drop-off then I agree the Canucks are in trouble. But I just don't see that happening.

 

[J Corso]

Why do people keep calling Holtby the backup?

You don't sign cup winning goalies at 4.3 million a year to make them the backup.

 

[VanJack]

Why do people keep calling Holtby the backup?

You don't sign cup winning goalies at 4.3 million a year to make them the backup.

My prediction is that in this condensed 56 game sprint to the finish line, Demko and Holby will split the games almost evenly. So interchangeable goalies means that the 'starter' and 'backup' labels are basically meaningless.

 

[Didalee Hed]

stnegaeerfegabrag ot gninneb

 

[Paulinbc]

Holtby+Clarke will be a big plus. I think he’ll find his game this year.
The skaters remain to be seen. Can’t make a prediction until I see opening lineup.

 

[ChilliBilly]

The only way the Canucks will regress, is if injuries hollow out their blueline. If the top four of Schmidt, Hughes, Edler and Myers stays healthy, it's clearly better than it was a year ago. And that assumes Benning won't sign a depth d-man or two, which I think is unlikely once he has Ferland's cap space available.

Posters are making a big deal about the departure of Leivo and Tofoli, but they were basically unavailable to the Canucks in the playoffs anyway. So it all comes down to goaltending. If there's a big drop-off then I agree the Canucks are in trouble. But I just don't see that happening.

Damn I hope dimjim isn't that dim. Can you imagine where this team would be right now if we hadn't blown so much money on overpaid free agents. There are bargains available to people with cap space. Schmidt for example.

We have 4 guys fighting for 2 D spots. Rafferty Rathbone Juolevi and Benn. With Woo as a maybe. But next year we should add Tryamkin.

We have signed and overpaid for Beagle Eriksson and Ferland. Etc.

I hope he learned his lesson and waits to see where we are at the trade deadline. Blow it then, you get far better leverage.

 

[rypper]

He could bring in an NHL level depth defender as insurance. If they make 1m or less you can send them down without cap implications.

 

[J Corso]

My prediction is that in this condensed 56 game sprint to the finish line, Demko and Holby will split the games almost evenly. So interchangeable goalies means that the 'starter' and 'backup' labels are basically meaningless.

I'm expecting 60/40 Holtby, especially since there's not many back to backs.

 

[ChilliBilly]

I'm expecting 60/40 Holtby, especially since there's not many back to backs.

I expect them both to get a minimum of 1/3 of the games, and the other 1/3 going based on performance. If they both play equally well or badly, they split. Green will otherwise favor the one who's playing the best. And only time will tell on that.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I expect them both to get a minimum of 1/3 of the games, and the other 1/3 going based on performance. If they both play equally well or badly, they split. Green will otherwise favor the one who's playing the best. And only time will tell on that.

That is basically how I see it, but I do think some leniency will be given to Holtby because he's a veteran who has won a Cup. Like, he'll have to be noticeably worse than Demko for a while to get a Demko edge. Grand scheme, I'm thinking like 30 for Holtby 26 for Demko, but nearing the end of the season one of those guys will be getting the lion's share of starts.

 

[VanJack]

If Pettersson and Hughes can actually improve (probable); If one of Juolevi, Rafferty and Rathbone can replace Stecher on the depth chart (possible); If Demko and Holtby can give the Canucks comparable goaltending to Markstrom (possible); If Boeser can bounce back with a big season, and make people forget about Tofoli (possible); and if Roussel, Bailey, MacEwen, Hawyrluk, Michaelis or somebody else can step up on the bottom lines (possible); If Gaudette morphs into a third soring option in the middle (possible)....but you get the picture.

If all of the 'ifs' work out, the Canucks could actually be better. But was we always see from past experience, some of the 'ifs' will happen, but others won't. I still don't think Benning has finished tinkering with this lineup yet.

 

[rypper]

Ifs, buts, and maybes: the Jim Benning story.

A made for tv movie coming to the Hallmark Channel soon.

 

[nucksflailtogether]

Another possibility here is that the top offensive players just carry the load here. Petey surges forward like he did in the playoffs, Miller plays around the same level, Boes has a career year, Hughes avoids the sophomore slump and Horvat repeats his inspired playoffs. That wouldn't necessarily negate the lack of depth but it could go a long way to mitigating it. Those playoffs were huge for giving these guys a chance to show what they can really do in crunch time and that confidence boost can't hurt

 

[VanJack]

When you look around this Canadian Division, every team is in the same boat as the Canucks. They all have holes, and are one or two injuries away from disaster.

For example, what happens in TO and Winnipeg if Andersen and Hellebuyck go down? The drop off to the backup is huge. And what about the Oilers? McDavid and Draisaitl have been amazingly healthy for the past three seasons. But what happens if one or (shudder) both were to go down? Edmonton would be done. The depth in Montreal will be tested before the year is out, and Ottawa really can't afford injuries to anybody.

Calgary looks to be the one team that is stacked and might not falter even if players go down. But they still have a lot riding on Markstrom.

So in a condensed 56-game schedule with games piling up, virtually anything can happen including the Canucks actually 'improving' rather than 'regressing'.

 

[IComeInPeace]

Marky had 60 starts in each of the previous two seasons before the COVID shortened season. Demko had *NEVER* played remotely close to 60 games in a season (amateur or pro career). I would be less worried about Marky’s ‘injury history’ than Demko’s lack of being tested over the marathon of a regular season even with Holtby as backup (who hardly put put great numbers lately).

In this shortened season, Demko still won’t be asked to play anywhere near 60 games. It will probably be, a 60/40 split between him and Holtby.
But, then you also have to factor in the new North Division means way less travel (no crossing the border, and regular season ‘series’ amongst teams)...

 

[m9]

Depth is going to be so key this year and teams like Montreal and Ottawa have done a a good job of creating deep rosters. I don't think either have the firepower to win the division but both will stick around in the playoff mix all year.

 

[bossram]

The only way the Canucks will regress, is if injuries hollow out their blueline. If the top four of Schmidt, Hughes, Edler and Myers stays healthy, it's clearly better than it was a year ago. And that assumes Benning won't sign a depth d-man or two, which I think is unlikely once he has Ferland's cap space available.

Posters are making a big deal about the departure of Leivo and Tofoli, but they were basically unavailable to the Canucks in the playoffs anyway. So it all comes down to goaltending. If there's a big drop-off then I agree the Canucks are in trouble. But I just don't see that happening.

It wasn't just the goaltending. The Canucks also significantly outperformed their underlying numbers last season and got a LOT of goals from their PP2, which you can't really expect to continue. It's gonna be a tough ask, unless Petey and Hughes go to Hart/Norris level. We're going to need Miller ad Horvat to keep up with their career-year levels, which again, might be a tough ask.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Middle of the pack... not much in the way of progression or regression. We lost some older, potentially diminishing guys and will have to rely more on younger, potentially plateauing guys.
Like every other team ever, we need to stay healthy.
Like every other team ever, we need our goalie(s) to excel.
Like every other team ever, we need our young players to keep improving.
If all three happen, we will improve.
If all three don't happen, we will regress.
Two out of three? Then it really depends on the other teams' luck in the same categories.

 

[StreetHawk]

Basically banking on health of the top 4 D, continued improvement from forwards 25 and under, and excellent goaltending.

not expecting much from the 30 something year old forwards. Only Roussel due to his age I could see him bouncing back with a season closer to his first season with Vancouver. Everyone else, they are what they are now.

forwards, I am confident about what they will get from Petey, Miller and Bo. Boeser want to see him improve his skating and see a return of his shot. Get back to a plus 30 goal pace. Then it’s Gaudette and Virtanen. Is either a legit 2nd liner?

next season isn’t much better aside from the additions of younger forwards due to another cap crunch with the raises to Petey and Hughes. But another hit to the D with Edler ufa. So need the young D to step up.

 

[bandwagonesque]

Ifs, buts, and maybes: the Jim Benning story.

A made for tv movie coming to the Hallmark Channel soon.

We're making predictions and those words are used to describe variables. You're picking a fight with the English language.

 

[rypper]

We're making predictions and those words are used to describe variables. You're picking a fight with the English language.

No, I was making a joke about a common theme throughout Jim's time as general manager.