I think this a pretty good list. I see a lot of people saying the Canucks are too high due to the guys they lost, which I really don't.
-D is improved with Schmidt/Joulevi vs Tanev/Stecher. They needed to get far more mobile and did that. Tanev is a very good D, but Schmidt is a different caliber player. Stecher was a small local bottom 6 fan favorite, but people forget how bad he was for long stretches, especially last year. Whether it be Joulevi/Rafferty/Rathbone/Tryamkin we will be able to adequately replace him.
-Toffoli and Boeser played 2 games total together prior to game 2 of the Vegas series. We never really had both, just one or the other. I feel our forwards come back a better than last season based on our young guys having another offseason to train and develop. \
-Goaltending will be tougher to replicate. We went with our young guy who we've developed for the past six years who has excelled at every level over our 30 year old MVP who locked into a 6 year deal that is not moveable and buyout proof. I feel that was the right move for the long term, but will hurt to a degree in the short term. That degree of hurt depends on whether you feel you get Playoff Demko or last regular season Demko.
While the Canucks aren't dramatically improved this year, I have a hard time thinking they take a step back. They are set up to lose all of their dead weight contracts over the next two seasons, add in a few more of our prospects, and build around the young core. That is a really good spot to be in, regardless of how next season shakes out.
