The Return

Hello again all.

After a couple of years away from posting on my hockey blog, I've decided that maybe I could get back into it a little.

My first post in my return will be about "my" team, the Vancouver Canucks!

I was reading through some recent articles surrounding the team and seeing who has survived the pre-season with out being cut and it made me think; will this team amount to anything this year? Or am I cheering for a draft pick already?

There is the obvious upside to the team with Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser and last seasons Calder Trophy winner, Elias Pettersson.
The middle of the road players who, if they have "up" seasons, could propel the team into the playoffs. Players like, Brandon Sutter, Michael Ferland and Jake Virtanen (all middle to bottom six forwards), need to have steps in the right direction to help this team accelerate their re-build/re-tool or whatever it is you want to call it.

Of the big three that I mentioned earlier, I would like to see, and expect, around 25-30 goals from each. Of course that is also dependent on if they can all stay healthy or not.

What are you doing, Chris Tierney? pic.twitter.com/Kjb6OJAnQt

— Daniel Wagner (@passittobulis) September 24, 2019

Since Boeser has already entered concussion protocol once this pre-season, it may be a stretch for them all make it through the grind of an 82 game season.

With all of that said about some of the forwards, it won't mean a thing if the defense on the team doesn't mesh and they can't keep the puck from entering their net.

The free agency addition of hometown boy Jordie Benn from the Montreal Canadians, the back end seemed to get a little more grit inserted into the lineup. He will add a nice veteran presence, along with Alex Edler, to the youthful squad on the blueline. But learning the in's and out's of a new team can take some time, no matter how much you are on the ice in the early stages of the season. I don't expect to see many growing pains from Benn, but you never know when it comes to new systems and coaches.

Young Quinn Hughes only had five games at the end of last season to show what he can do in the NHL, but he managed to tally three assists in those games and show everyone what he already believed; he was ready. Expect Hughes to pair up with a vet, probably Benn, in the early part of the season until he gets his feet wet and gets himself comfortable.

In net there is the same duo from most of last season. Jacob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko.
With a combined total of 32-26-10 record last year, (the rest of the games were covered by Anders Nilsson, Richard Bachman and Michael DiPietro) there is still room for improvement. Especially if they want to make the post season and prove their worth to this management team.
Markstrom will get the bulk of the starts again this year, but with decent numbers posted by Demko, he may be able to take a few more games off and relax a bit.
It seems that Markstrom performs better when he sees a lot of rubber fired at him. While Demko appears to play better when he sees consistent shots and play through the game.
When Demko has a lot of shots in a short period of time, he occasionally gets a little scrambled and the puck will then end up in the net.

While both goalies are good, they are not what you would call bonafide starters. Since Roberto Luongo, there hasn't been a solid (ok maybe Ryan Miller) starter in the lineup for the Canucks.  With one still seemingly missing, both of these goalies are going to have to work in tandem to stay consistent and perform well to help this team win some games.

With a lot of potential on the front end showing some heavy firepower, big bodies, speed and skill, the Canucks have a shot to make it through the regular season and into the post season. But like every other team out there, staying healthy and consistent will be the key.

Every hockey fan loves September/October, since it's the most optimistic time of year for both them and their teams. Myself included.