Where does the Canucks forward group rank?

[Stewie Griffin]

Somewhere in the 10-20 range.

 

[Drew Doubty]

so you have a history of exaggeration?

Where do you get that from?

Based on them having the 20th best forward group, use your head

I didn't think that the reason they'll have the 20th best forward group in the league is because they have the 20th best forward group in the league. Great argument!

 

[Drew Doubty]

How’d they do 1 year ago?

Without Pettersson and Garland? Not great, but I'm betting they'll bounce-back, and I think most people who understand hockey would bet the same

 

[UrbanImpact]

How’d they do 1 year ago?

In a season where they had the biggest covid outbreak in sports history?
without their superstar for most of the season
without newly added Connor Garland.

They finished 24th in scoring

Year before that they finished 9th

 

[TheOrangeDesk]

Bottom 6 is league average. Not going to hurt them and not going to win them games so I think we can be comfortable rating them on their top 6. I’d put these teams ahead in top 6 talent

Tampa (great bottom 6)
Edmonton (below average bottom 6)
Colorado (great bottom 6)
Toronto (average bottom 6)
Winnipeg (average bottom 6)
Boston (average bottom 6)
Penguins (below average bottom 6)

A couple others are certainly debatable, but I think its fair to put canucks forwards around 10th in the league

 

[bossram]

Aligning the forwards as presented makes the group seem weaker than it is. Good top-six, meh bottom-six.

If you spread the talent across three lines, then the Canucks actually have the forward depth to rival contenders.

...As long as you ignore the blueline

 

[BCNate]

1st line of Miller-Pettersson- Boeser is excellent.
2nd line of Hoglander-Horvat-Garland should be very strong.
3rd line of Pearson-Dickinson-Podkolzin should be a pretty solid checking line. So much of how they do depends on how well Podkolzin transitions. Dickinson is very good defensively, as is Pearson.
4th line of Motte-Sutter-Highmore is pretty meh, but most 4th lines are.

2nd powerplay unit will be much better with the additions of OEL and Garland
Bottom pair is light years better than last year.

I like the look of this group. I think they would rank in the 10-15 range next year. I think you'd be hard pressed to find 17 better groups than this.

 

[Drew Doubty]

Bottom 6 is league average. Not going to hurt them and not going to win them games so I think we can be comfortable rating them on their top 6. I’d put these teams ahead in top 6 talent

Tampa (great bottom 6)
Edmonton (below average bottom 6)
Colorado (great bottom 6)
Toronto (average bottom 6)
Winnipeg (average bottom 6)
Boston (average bottom 6)
Penguins (below average bottom 6)

A couple others are certainly debatable, but I think its fair to put canucks forwards around 10th in the league

Tampa's bottom six isn't great anymore imo. Average, maybe good, but a lot of question marks. Their top six is still way better than the Canucks

 

[EdJovanovski]

In a season where they had the biggest covid outbreak in sports history?
without their superstar for most of the season
without newly added Connor Garland.

They finished 24th in scoring

Year before that they finished 9th

Their record after their covid outbreak was better than their record before it.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Can you name 18 or so forward groups you prefer?

Tampa
Colorado
Toronto
Edmonton
Pittsburgh
Washington
Carolina
NY Rangers
NY Islanders
Florida
Vegas
Calgary
Boston
Ottawa
Montreal
Chicago
Philadelphia
St Louis
Winnipeg

 

[bertuzzi2bure]

Canucks top 6 is top 10 in the NHL. I dont think its even debatable.

Even on the very, very low end we should expect:
Petterson - 70 points
Boeser - 60 points
Miller - 60 points
Horvat - 55 points
Garland - 50 points
Hoglander - 40 points

Likely it will be:
Petterson - 80 points
Boeser - 70 points
Miller - 70 points
Garland - 60 points
Horvat - 60 points
Hoglander - 50 points

Not sure there are 10 more teams that can boast a more productive top 6. TBH I think Petterson breaks out this year and pushes 90+. I also wouldnt be surprised if Hughes pushes 70+ points.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Canucks top 6 is top 10 in the NHL. I dont think its even debatable.

Even on the very, very low end we should expect:
Petterson - 70 points
Boeser - 60 points
Miller - 60 points
Horvat - 55 points
Garland - 50 points
Hoglander - 40 points

Likely it will be:
Petterson - 80 points
Boeser - 70 points
Miller - 70 points
Garland - 60 points
Horvat - 60 points
Hoglander - 50 points

Not sure there are 10 more teams that can boast a more productive top 6. TBH I think Petterson breaks out this year and pushes 90+.

So on the "very, very low end" we should expect everyone except Miller & Horvat to have career highs in points? There are many teams who will have multiple PPG players, and have way better depth in the bottom 6.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I’d say top 10 pretty easily. I don’t think there’s more than a half dozen teams that have as good a top 6. The bottom six is also improved a lot.

 

[Drew Doubty]

So on the "very, very low end" we should expect everyone except Miller & Horvat to have career highs in points? There are many teams who will have multiple PPG players, and have way better depth in the bottom 6.

What are you even talking about. He said Horvat would score 55 on the low end, he scored 61 2 years ago and has paced for better than that for the last 2 seasons. He also said Miller would get 60 when he had 72 the season before last and paced for more than that last season.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Canucks top 6 is top 10 in the NHL. I dont think its even debatable.

Even on the very, very low end we should expect:
Petterson - 70 points
Boeser - 60 points
Miller - 60 points
Horvat - 55 points
Garland - 50 points
Hoglander - 40 points

Likely it will be:
Petterson - 80 points
Boeser - 70 points
Miller - 70 points
Garland - 60 points
Horvat - 60 points
Hoglander - 50 points

Not sure there are 10 more teams that can boast a more productive top 6. TBH I think Petterson breaks out this year and pushes 90+. I also wouldnt be surprised if Hughes pushes 70+ points.

I think those are pretty reasonable projections and even a bit conservative if all stay healthy. All those players have essentially already paced for those totals and in many cases higher totals in the shorter Covid seasons.
As with you, I think EP breaks the PPG mark this year as he’s already come close.

 

[EdJovanovski]

What are you even talking about. He said Horvat would score 55 on the low end, he scored 61 2 years ago and has paced for better than that for the last 2 seasons. He also said Miller would get 60 when he had 72 the season before last and paced for more than that last season.

So on the "very, very low end" we should expect everyone except Miller & Horvat to have career highs in points? There are many teams who will have multiple PPG players, and have way better depth in the bottom 6.

 

[Drew Doubty]

My bad. I can't read.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

So on the "very, very low end" we should expect everyone except Miller & Horvat to have career highs in points? There are many teams who will have multiple PPG players, and have way better depth in the bottom 6.

Kind of a dumb post. We’ve just had two short Covid seasons. Many young players and not just Canucks will be breaking their career highs this year. The same thing happened after each of the strike shortened seasons as well.
Heck, even a couple of young Rangers might set new career highs.

 

[AsparaGus]

Yuck. Like 20th or something. That forward group looks awful.

 

[Pucklington]

Tor, Edm, Win, TB, Col, Wash, Bos, Car, Fld, and Pitt are better off the top of my head.

So 11-15 is reasonable. I guess that puts them in average range.

 

[Drew Doubty]

Tor, Edm, Win, TB, Col, Wash, Bos, Car, Fld, and Pitt are better off the top of my head.

So 11-15 is reasonable. I guess that puts them in average range.

I'd say this is accurate. As a homer I believe they will be in the top 5 this year, but who knows.

 

[garbageteam]

Not any better than a couple of seasons ago after the TDL. Pettersson, Horvat and Boeser were in good form and Miller, Pearson, Virtanen and Gaudette all were having major career seasons, and then they add Toffoli too who was just entering the prime of his career. That was as good as their forward corps had gotten in 6 seasons.

This season is a certain improvement over the last but not by much.

 

[Sinistril]

Top 10 easily

 

[Drew Doubty]

Not any better than a couple of seasons ago after the TDL. Pettersson, Horvat and Boeser were in good form and Miller, Pearson, Virtanen and Gaudette all were having major career seasons, and then they add Toffoli too. That was as good as their forward corps had gotten in 6 seasons.

This season is a certain improvement over the last but not by much.

That year they also had the 8th best offense in the league without Toffoli. You're also forgetting that the forward group never played together, Boeser was injured the entire time Toffoli was around during the regular season. During the playoffs when they came together they lost in the 2nd (3rd counting the play-in) round in game 7 to Vegas.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

Best forward group in British Columbia.