Where do you think the Canucks will finish this year?

[Archangel]

I see in several thread we have a discussion that either has the Canucks not missing a beat and getting back into the playoffs or the Canucks are on the verge of a deep cliff

Where do you see the team finishing? Since we now know the team we will more or less have--what is your guess?

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[The Stig]

We aren't as bad as last year. If the kids progress as they should and Markstrom plays more than Miller, they contend for a wildcard.

 

[Josepho]

2nd last. There are no teams clearly tanking this year like last year and the draft stakes aren't nearly as high. We improved, but so did everyone else near the bottom. This year will really expose the teams that are terrible.

Toronto - Matthews, Nylander, Marner, Andersen, were already a good possession team to start.
Edmonton - Lucic, Larsson, a full year of McDavid.
Columbus - A full year under Tortorella (who I legitimately like). Still not entirely sold on these guys, but they did decently after canning Richards. Bobrovsky will also likely have a better year.
Calgary - Elliott, Brouwer, Gulutzan.
Winnipeg - Another young team getting better and better, also a good possession team last season.
Coyotes - Analytically focused now, added Goligoski, more progression from guys like Duclair and Domi.

Were we pretty depleted last season? Sure. But so were most of the teams near the bottom. And we've always had injury problems. Guys like Tanev and Gudbranson are a pretty good bet to miss at least 10 games a year. Sutter's sports hernia isn't exactly an easy thing to recover from. Eriksson has had an issue with concussions. We're likely going to suffer more injuries than the average team.

We also have a pretty difficult schedule to deal with. Lots of long eastern road trips and we have lots of back to backs, as shown by this.



I totally expect Willie to be fired rather quickly and I doubt adjusting to this new coach will be easy.

I can't think of 5 teams worse than us. We suck. Embrace it and hopefully welcome Nolan Patrick or Timothy Liljegren to Vancouver.

 

[Virtanen2Horvat]

If they get that other top 6 forward they want, probably outside of the playoffs. They are strapped for cap though so idk.

 

[Nucker101]

With the current roster? 25-26th range.

 

[David Bondra]

they will finish in the bottom-5, if not bottom-10. Aside from the Eriksson signing (which I like), they have done nothing to help out their chances of making the playoffs. That defense plus the aging Ryan Miller really sticks out as well. It also does not help that they're not really good up front after the Sedins and Eriksson. The players that could surprise are the youngins, but I am not going to expect a team to make the playoffs because their roster is loaded with young players who could be good.

 

[crazyforhockey]

Let see they added Ericsson to top line plus full season of Sutter and added half season of edler
Have grubdson (sp)
Will have a decent team if healthy

 

[The Designer]

It's safe to assume they finish 26th - 29th. How much of a impact do you see Gudbranson, Larsen, Eriksson and Rodin making?

 

[JuniorNelson]

I hope they can cope with the physicalities better this season, although there is nothing to suggest this. Better luck, I'm hoping for. Even healthy, this team doesn't seem to have much scoring. Several players would have to have breakout or career seasons for this team to make it into the playoffs. One of the defensemen has to become an elite playmaking powerplay quarterback and the kid line has to barge into the top six and they need elite goaltending and somebody to run the bench and then they might make it.

 

[coldsteel79]

It's safe to assume they finish 26th - 29th. How much of a impact do you see Gudbranson, Larsen, Eriksson and Rodin making?

Quite a bit? That's a top 4 and a top 6 player, as well as two guys that performed really well over seas

 

[Nuckles]

Quite a bit? That's a top 4 and a top 6 player, as well as two guys that performed really well over seas

Gudbranson isn't a top 4 d-man and he's a downgrade from Hamhuis.

 

[The Designer]

Quite a bit? That's a top 4 and a top 6 player, as well as two guys that performed really well over seas

That's very true. The new guys should bump them up but for some reason I'm predicting quite a few injuries this season.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Eriksson provides some life for the Sedins and makes us all wish he could have showed up 5 years ago.

The youngsters continue to gain experience and make slow but steady progress.

They try hard, but other teams also try hard with better players and non-clueless coaching.

I'm guessing they'll improve from last year. Not enough to get back into the playoffs, but enough to salvage a bit of self-respect and just enough to give us a mediocre 1st round pick.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

If they stay relatively healthy, just outside the playoffs/wild card. If any of their cornerstone players (Sedins, Horvat, Edler, Tanev, Markstrom) goes down for any length of time, bottom 5... perhaps even worst overall, if there's a ********* of bad luck.

 

[Balls Mahoney]

I voted 26th-29th but my heart wanted to vote Hello Sailor.

 

[PetterssonSimp]

Eriksson and the Sedins produce like first liners. Canucks don't get any scoring beyond the kid line in the depth roles. Even then my expectations of the kid line is 75 goals between the 3 as a top end scoring prediction.
IMHO the Canucks won't be scored on as much as last season but also won't be able to overcome the scoring droughts to get out of the basement. October is gonna be a hard month for WillieD'ontKnowWhatImDoing to get through employed.
Imma put the over under for season goal total at 175.5. Anyone wanna venture their own?

 

[ATypicalCanadian]

26th-29th.

I'll take a hunch and say Edler/Tanev goes down before December and we lose a Sedin or Eriksson for a bit mid season really crippling the defence + scoring.

Goaltending deployment will be a big factor also and I'm curious to see if Miller gets 50ish/+ starts again.

 

[biturbo19]

If things go well, important players stay healthy, young players take steps forward...as high as inside the playoffs as a Wildcard.

If things don't go well and there are significant injuries to key players, young players regress or stagnate, as low as bottom-5 in the league.

Somewhere in that range. Depending on how a number of at this time, completely impossible to predict factors go...ie. Luck.

 

[Horse McHindu]

I see in several thread we have a discussion that either has the Canucks not missing a beat and getting back into the playoffs or the Canucks are on the verge of a deep cliff

Where do you see the team finishing? Since we now know the team we will more or less have--what is your guess?

I'll go out on a limb and predict that we'll finish 7th or 8th in the conference (i.e. 1st or 2nd Wildcard), and lose in the 1st round.

I know most on here hate Jim Benning and are down on the team, but the truth of the matter is that the Canucks were decimated by long term injuries to very key players last year (Sutter, Edler, etc.). Yes, injuries occur all the time, and teams should be equipped to handle injuries, but the Canucks dealt with key LONG TERM injuries to key players.

The Canucks fell off a cliff last season when Edler and Sutter went down. When both men were in the line-up however, our record was reflective of a team that would finish 7th/8th.

 

[quat]

I'm convinced! A cup run to victory!


The top feels lonely, so lonely. brrr

With any significant injuries, they'll bottom out, but with good health should just finish outside the playoffs.

 

[VanJack]

Voted 21-25... but a lot has to go right for them to even achieve that....sure the Canucks are a little better, but so are the teams they're chasing and they've all improved even more....only consolation is that Willie likely won't survive the carnage....and next move will be up to the owner.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Voted 21-25... but a lot has to go right for them to even achieve that....sure the Canucks are a little better, but so are the teams they're chasing and they've all improved even more....only consolation is that Willie likely won't survive the carnage....and next move will be up to the owner.

I could see Willie getting axed if the team does poorly, but I think Benning will be here for the long haul due to Linden's presence. Linden and Benning have the exact same view of the team.

If the owners want Benning gone, they'll likely have to let Linden go as well. I can't see that happening any time soon.

 

[VanJack]

I could see Willie getting axed if the team does poorly, but I think Benning will be here for the long haul due to Linden's presence. Linden and Benning have the exact same view of the team.

If the owners want Benning gone, they'll likely have to let Linden go as well. I can't see that happening any time soon.

Could be....but the question is, how many empty seats would there be by the end of the season if the team was to limp home with another 28th place finish....Canucks had one of the worst home records in the entire NHL last season....if attendance, merchandise sales and TV ratings all crater, surely the owner would have to do something?...and would be a bad time to sell.

 

[Nick Lang]

I said just outside the playoffs. I's amazing how very similar looking NHL teams can perform so differently from year to year. I think last year was a transition year regardless of injuries. Many people will be surprised to see how hockey really works.

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

About 23rd or so