Pre-Game Talk: Pre-Season - Canucks Power Ranking - Western Conference

[mathonwy]

This team is a playoff team.

7th or 8th in the West and a Wildcard spot easy.

I'd rather have a much higher draft pick but we are going to the playoffs.

After you puff twice.. you pass.

 

[VanJack]

https://www.nhl.com/canucks/news/bold-predictions/c-282584178

The Canucks freelance writer has us being a playoff team. Not sure that I can agree with this since he doesn't take account the other western conference teams.

So the Canucks 'freelance writer' is predicting that this will be a playoff team....now that should cause a virtual stampede to the 'Play Now. com' betting window!

 

[ginner classic]

The one glimmer of hope is that 'parity' has definitely arrived in the NHL....two seasons ago, both LA and San Jose missed the post-season, and nobody saw that coming.....and looking at Minny's roster, they don't look that overwhelming to me...and Anaheim is getting older and a couple of their younger RFA's are still unsigned....you just never know....injuries are so much a part of where teams finish now.

Hope is not a strategy.

 

[PM]

I can't think of a more unbiased source of opinion on the Canucks than the Canucks own beat writer

 

[VanJack]

I can't think of a more unbiased source of opinion on the Canucks than the Canucks own beat writer

Yep....the counterpoint is Gary Lawless in Winterpeg, who's predicting a 14th place finish in the conference....he goes a step further by opining that another meltdown on the ice will create a massive shakeup in the Canucks executive booth and behind the bench...there's not much doubt that jobs are on the line this season.

 

[mathonwy]

Hope is not a strategy.

It's MY strategy.

You got a problem with that?

 

[VanJack]

It's MY strategy.

You got a problem with that?

To quote Andy Dufresne from the Shawshank Redemption: "Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

 

[y2kcanucks]

This team is a playoff team.

7th or 8th in the West and a Wildcard spot easy.

I'd rather have a much higher draft pick but we are going to the playoffs.

LOL this team is closer to 30th than it is to making the playoffs.

 

[ATypicalCanadian]

So even a 5th grader thinks the Canucks will suck . Cool to see someone start that young assuming he keeps it going.

http://www.carterhud.com/2016/10/va...utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&m=1

 

[ATypicalCanadian]

I can't think of a more unbiased source of opinion on the Canucks than the Canucks own beat writer

The writers name is probably a alibis and it's actually management writing it. I can picture Weisbrod, Benning and Linden sitting around a laptop writing a article for the Canucks site. Sounds like a Benning on Empty almost(That's your queue Jyrki )

 

[Steveorama]

Canucks aren't quite bad enough to finish last. Unfortunately for those who wanna commit to a rebuild.
But to make the playoffs, Sedins/Tanev/Edler must remain healthy, Horvat and/or Baertschi MUST take a big step forward, offensively, Miller/Markstrom must improve on last year, and Willie has to do a better job coaching than last year.
One or two of those MIGHT happen...but extremely unlikely that all of them happen.

 

[Vtownfan]

If the Sedins +Eriksson stay healthy I think they can stay out of the basement but will still miss a playoff spot. If they go any length of time without 1 or more Sedins or Tanev they will be bottom 5 in the league again.

Canucks still do not have anything remotely ready to push the Sedins off the 1st line. When your 1st line is 35/35/31 you have serious, systemic franchise problems. The lack of talented forwards was just made worse by trading McCann for a defenseman, then picking another dman 5th overall in the draft. Even if Olli Juolevi turns out to be a complete stud D he still can't replace the 35 year old 1st line.

 

[Biggest Canuck Fan]

If the Sedins +Eriksson stay healthy I think they can stay out of the basement but will still miss a playoff spot. If they go any length of time without 1 or more Sedins or Tanev they will be bottom 5 in the league again.

Canucks still do not have anything remotely ready to push the Sedins off the 1st line. When your 1st line is 35/35/31 you have serious, systemic franchise problems. The lack of talented forwards was just made worse by trading McCann for a defenseman, then picking another dman 5th overall in the draft. Even if Olli Juolevi turns out to be a complete stud D he still can't replace the 35 year old 1st line.

Boesser and potentially Nolan Patrick would fix that.

 

[RandV]

Canucks aren't quite bad enough to finish last. Unfortunately for those who wanna commit to a rebuild.
But to make the playoffs, Sedins/Tanev/Edler must remain healthy, Horvat and/or Baertschi MUST take a big step forward, offensively, Miller/Markstrom must improve on last year, and Willie has to do a better job coaching than last year.
One or two of those MIGHT happen...but extremely unlikely that all of them happen.

I have to disagree here, simply because there's no Buffalo/Toronto/Edmonton teams that look like a clear cut last place team this year. Maybe it's a reflection that there's no McDavid or Matthews up for grab, but there's a good bit of parity among the bottom 5-10 teams, in which the Canucks are included.

Who actually finishes last will likely come down to a combination of injury lack and coaching mishaps, but the field is wide open right now.

 

[y2kcanucks]

If the Sedins +Eriksson stay healthy I think they can stay out of the basement but will still miss a playoff spot. If they go any length of time without 1 or more Sedins or Tanev they will be bottom 5 in the league again.

Canucks still do not have anything remotely ready to push the Sedins off the 1st line. When your 1st line is 35/35/31 you have serious, systemic franchise problems. The lack of talented forwards was just made worse by trading McCann for a defenseman, then picking another dman 5th overall in the draft. Even if Olli Juolevi turns out to be a complete stud D he still can't replace the 35 year old 1st line.

Statistically the Canucks have the oldest first line in the NHL, with an average age 3 years older than the next oldest first line.

When you look at our 2nd line that features Sutter, Gaunce, Hansen, I don't see anyone who will push for top line duties....ever.

 

[Biggest Canuck Fan]

Statistically the Canucks have the oldest first line in the NHL, with an average age 3 years older than the next oldest first line.

When you look at our 2nd line that features Sutter, Gaunce, Hansen, I don't see anyone who will push for top line duties....ever.

I might be wrong, and usually am, but...

I believe the Canucks are hoping for more balance, AKA not having anyone push for the top line atm, but have 3 balanced lines. I am also thinking that Rodin when available will replace Burrows Dorsett...

Anyways I am so frustrated with Willie D... I wish he was fired in the off season.

 

[ATypicalCanadian]

So the Kings might be in deep **** pretty quick. Quick could be gone for awhile due to injury and if they don't patch that spot with a competent goalie they could be chasing a top 3 in the division or wild card spot.

This is where I expect a team like Calgary to jump up the standings if LA flounders without Quick. Heck I could be wrong about Carlyle and his return to the Ducks and they'll stay up there.

 

[mathonwy]

So the Kings might be in deep **** pretty quick. Quick could be gone for awhile due to injury and if they don't patch that spot with a competent goalie they could be chasing a top 3 in the division or wild card spot.

This is where I expect a team like Calgary to jump up the standings if LA flounders without Quick. Heck I could be wrong about Carlyle and his return to the Ducks and they'll stay up there.

Zatkoff was a passable back up for the Pens. 2 to 3 months passable might be a different story though.

No Martin Jones, no Milan Lucic, no Colin Miller, no #13 2015 draft pick....