First of all before I get going, I want to make clear that this article is about “making the playoffs” rather then “winning the cup”. I know that most fans would agree that “It’s not good enough to just make the playoffs” but when your team fails to even get that far in the previous season, we need to lower our expectations!
It always stings when your team fails to make the postseason, and it especially sucks when your team SHOULD be making the playoffs. Some believe that last year was an anomaly for those in Canuckland, and I would be inclined to agree.. to a point. Yes, injuries decimated the Vancouver Canucks last season, but it just seemed like this team needed to be shaken up. The usual rabid fan base here in Vancouver seemed way to mellow last year, and when the Canucks underperformed it was sort of.. expected. It’s hard to explain the feeling (this must be how cities that host repeatedly bad teams feel), but the Canucks needed a shakeup during the offseason, and we have not been disappointed.
With the loss of players like Ryan Kesler, Jason Garrison, Roberto Luongo, and Mike Santorelli, as well as acquisitions of Ryan Miller, Nick Bonino, Luca Sbisa and Radim Vrbata (among others), the Canucks are definitely a different looking team coming into training camp. This not only bodes well for a team that definitely needs rejuvenation, but for the fans of the city who want to watch an uptempo style of play that we have been used to seeing in the past.
That being said, the only thing that matters in this league are wins and losses. With the new playoff structure in place (and the Western Conference playing host to the majority of the NHL‘s heavyweights) the Canucks will start the season realistically looking to lock up one of the 5th-8th seeds. The Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings will more then likely occupy the top 4 spots in the Conference, with the St. Louis Blues in the fray as well. Even trying to lock up one of the final seeds won’t be easy, as the Dallas Stars improved heavily this offseason, and the now very dangerous Colorado Avalanche looking to make another playoff push as well.
I believe if the Canucks can get solid goaltending from Ryan Miller on a consistent basis, that may be enough to mask some of the deficiencies in this lineup and steal them some games. As any Canucks fan knows, the shootout is not their strong suit. Luongo was absolutely horrendous when it came to the shootout, and apart from Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler, the Canucks did not have any real shootout “specialists”. Radim Vrbata should solve some of those woes, as he is 34/80 for a 42.5% success rate over his career in the shootout. Stealing those extra points in close games could mean the difference in whether or not this team is battling for a playoff position or tee times come April.
Like any team who have had their core group modified, it will take some time to adjust. The Sedins are still around, and most of the offense should be coming from them. However, the “Boston Method” of building all 4 lines solidly and with offense in mind should help to alleviate the absolute need for the Sedins to provide most (if not all) of the goals. General Manager Jim Benning has definitely stamped his seal on this team with the roster changes and the hiring of Willie Desjardins, and it will be fun to watch it all come together once the season kicks off.
After the NHL Draft and the free agency period starting, odds makers in Vegas had the Canucks improve from 55/1 favourites to win the cup down to 33/1. So I’m not alone in thinking that the team has improved during the summer. The way that the arms race is shaping up in the Western Conference, however, has me thinking that the Canucks will be battling for the 7th or 8th seed right into April. Because I have to believe in my team, I am going to go on record and predict that the Canucks end up squeaking into the playoffs as the 8th seed next year, en route to at least a 1st round upset of one of the powerhouses. My crystal ball can’t see any further then that, however.
Go Canucks Go!
You can follow James on Twitter: @hashtagswag604
