Good news for the Vancouver Canucks seems to be hard to find recently. With the trade deadline looming and big decisions to be made, the mood isn’t as enthusiastic as it was last year. The team seems unlikely to bring in a Nikita Zadorov or Elias Lindholm this time. Despite doom and gloom coming second nature to Canucks fans, let’s see if we can’t find some light.
Good News and the Vancouver Canucks: Can Opposites Attract?
A lot of the misery fans feel wouldn’t be so sharp if last season’s highs weren’t fresh in mind. Sure, the Canucks rode career highs from several players so it was unsustainable. We knew, they knew, but it was still tremendous fun to watch. Pretty much everyone predicting the season saw a decline in points. But this season has just been silly.
The latest report is that Quinn Hughes got a new injury, which was evident during the team’s one-win road trip. Speaking of which, they just had a one-win road trip, coming home with two of a possible ten points. Not exactly the 6-1-1 streak they had before the break.
If you want to have rose-coloured glasses in a loss, the Canucks could well have had three wins instead. The game kicking off the tour could easily have been Vancouver’s win intsead of it going to the Golden Knights. Even the least likely score, their 6-3 loss to the Seattle Kraken, would have been different with a bit more luck in the first period. But they didn’t get it, so here we are.
Good News for the Canucks Overall
“Good” being a relative term here, but the team should be favoured to get the final playoff spot. Their grasp is far more tenuous than earlier in the season, but they are the front-runners. Their competition all have flaws of their own. Any of them could go on a hot streak, but so can the Canucks.
The Calgary Flames score fewer goals than even Vancouver. They have the same number of points and are technically ahead because they have one more regulation win. The St. Louis Blues are just one point back, but have played two more games. And they needed a 4-1-1 streat to get there. Both Calgary and St. Louis have wose special teams than Vancouver, too.
The Utah Hockey Club is probably the most dangerous of the pursuers, being two points back but giving up a game to Vancouver. They have some young talent, and an owner who would love to start their hockey career with a playoff appearance. It’s going to be interesting to see if they bring in talent at the deadline.
Speaking of which, the Canucks have a LOT of cap space right now. They have about $10 million worth, so if they want to bring in talent, they can. Or they can use it to act as a go-between for other teams, skimming off draft picks in return for retention. There are a lot of things Vancouver can do this week.
And as far as special teams go, Vancouver scored as many short-handed goals as they gave up penalty killing on that trip. They only scored two on the power play, but the kill continues to be solid, as it has been all season long.
Good News With the Players
Right, then. Hm. Finding good news for individual Canucks could be a bit tougher.
Starting with the obvious, Quinn Hughes exists. He has a ludicrous 60 points in just 50 games and is signed for another two years. The new injury is unfortunate, but probably a compensatory one – different muscles trying to make up for his pulled obliques. Rest, like the three days between games they currently have, should fix that.
In his absence, we now know Filip Hronek can anchor his own pair. And once again people are reminded that despite his reputation, there’s a reason why Tyler Myers keeps getting the ice time he does. His mistakes are noisy, but not as plentiful as you’d think.
The defence overall has been improved considerably since the start of the season, including emerging young players. Marcus Pettersson has fit in well, reliably pairing with Myers as a second pair. His six-year deal will help what has been a sore point for years. Elias Pettersson and Victor Mancini looked comfortable in brief tryouts, and could push for spots next year.
A lot could be said of the AHL Canucks here, but we’ll keep the focus with what happens in the NHL for now. And Kevin Lankinen signing on was a pleasant surprise. He’s got his five-year deal at a “1B” price, giving the team one less thing to worry about.
Two other new arrivals, Filip Chytil and Drew O’Connor, change what the team looks like out there. Both as a lot of speed the Canucks generally lack, and it shows. They’ve produced, too, with Chytil scoring twice with six points in nine games and O’Connor with two and four in thos same games.
Anything Else?
It’s a very, let’s call it “flexible” time in Canucksland right now. A loudly disappointed fan base wants to get out of a decade’s worth of doldrums. The tantalizing glimpse of freedom last season makes the utter disaster of this one is all the more horrific for it.
That being said, it is just one year. A management group that hit on most of their swings last season haven’t done as well this one, but they still have a pretty good average. While they do tend to cut their losses quickly, they don’t stop trying to improve the team. Some of those are going to be misses.
A lot that can change over the next week, short and long term. We know what the salary cap is going to do over the next three years – hopefully – and teams can plan around that. Having cap space going into the trade deadline is something we’re not used to seeing around here. They have almost all their draft picks for the next three seasons, too.
Something is going to be happening. And if these bits of good news aren’t quite enough for you, rest assured about one thing.
This team is never boring.
Main Photo: Jason Parkhurst- Imagn Images
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