First half Analysis after 42 games ..

[Mickey107]

This is especially concerning because the hands should be the last thing to go, and it is their hands combined with their intelligence and strength that made me think they had a good chance to be those Jagr-type rare players who could be effective (if not stars) into their early 40s.

Actually the hands are the first thing to go according to a few retired pros i've heard interviewed.

Make no mistake, the legs go first. Generating speed quickly is the first sign of a waning career.
Older guys say hands because they see their production go down along with most of their stats.
So you take statements like that metaphorically.
If you can no longer get yourself in a position to shoot or get back to your defensive zone as quickly, it's pretty embarrassing to say I can't skate fast anymore.
In the case of the Sedins, the lack of or poor shooting is STILL confidence, you can see the hesitation.
Arm, wrist and hand strength can be retained well into your 40s...

[Mickey107]

WUsaint also pointed out how much better the Canuck stats are when Tanev and Edler are in the line-up.
Well I should hope so.
Two experienced d-men, goes without saying!
And a much better balance of ice-time, obviously.

[UWSaint]

The defence is in excellent shape with Juolevi and Brisebios coming. The goaltending is in excellent shape, apparently Demko has been lights out lately. I'm a little more optimistic with the D than UW's Eeyore opinions on the D, what's not to like? Edler is the oldest at 30. It's been awhile since we've had a good grouping of young D like this.

My eyeore opinions on the upcoming D core said it was probably the best grouping in all my 25 years following the Canucks.... My skepticism is that there are gaps between where the guys in the NHL are (Stetcher, Hutton, and Tryamkin) and where they need to be to be solid top 4 players on a playoff-caliber team (think the quality of St. Louis) and that there are real question marks about gaps in their play to get there. Only Tryamkin, in my view, seems to simply need experience and polishing as opposed to jumping a chasm. Luca Sbisa is a great example of a guy that his first teams were high on and could play in the NHL right away, but it has taken until this year before taking any step forward (and his gap was psychological (like I perceive Hutton's gap), not physical or core skills (like Stetcher's gap)). Put differently, if you had 4 Luca Sbisa's in your system 5 years ago, you'd be excited. But a top 4 comprised of 4 Luca Sbisas in 2015-2016 would have given you the worst defense in the league.

[UWSaint]

So I'm thinking "great analysis", and then I get to

And it is even a team with enough young talent to think that its new core can be a playoff contender.

By "playoff contender", did you mean the contend to make the playoffs, or a contender once the playoff tournament began ? There's a big gap in talent between the two concepts. I agree with the former, but think that they are still at least a couple of impact players away from the latter. Maybe if Juolevi achieves nigh-Lidstrom levels....

Oh, definitely the former (year in year out contention to make the playoffs, not to succeed once there). Nashville in the 2010s might serve as the analogy. The next-next level is being a serious Cup Contender, and that will take at least 2 impact players.

[SKYO]

More concerning to be about the Sedins is not their speed (I don't actually think that's taken the hit many other posters observe) or recent play, but their lack of can-you-believe-that creativity and the deterioration of core puck skills that was still apparent when they were scoring more.

Henrik's passing is not nearly as crisp as in the past and both players are having far more problems receiving off-the-mark (or even on-the-mark) passes than ever. This is especially concerning because the hands should be the last thing to go, and it is their hands combined with their intelligence and strength that made me think they had a good chance to be those Jagr-type rare players who could be effective (if not stars) into their early 40s.

Yeah their passing isn't as insanely good anymore, but still good enough to be a solid #1b almost #2 line now.

In my ever so humble opinion, I believe they'll play out their last year of their contracts here and if we don't go on a deep darkhorse run in the playoffs this season or next, they could very well sign a one year deal for one last kick at the can with a contender.

I would say at the halfway mark the Canucks, thorough a fair amount of luck that has been offset somewhat by injury, are producing exactly the kind of product that management could realistically hope for. It is a competitive team most nights.

It is a young team anchored by veterans, but the young players are getting their roles increased -- exactly how it should work during a transition. It is a team with the right attitude; the kind of team that is not going to get distracted from understanding the process and individual development is needed to achieve the end goals (that's a result of shipping out bad attitudes, alcoholics, and the impatient know-it-alls).

And it is even a team with enough young talent to think that its new core can be a playoff contender.

But in the future, the Canucks are two difference makers short (three, if Markstrom isn't good enough to be a #1) of really getting to the next-next level. Imagine the 2009-12 Sedins on the 2018-19 Canucks.... Of course, add two superstars to most NHL teams.....

Still, if this season isn't considered a "good" season according to the plan, then the expectations have been way out of whack. There is improvement nearly everywhere and reason for cautious optimism. I am not sold that Twitchy Willie has been the right kind of in-game coach or tactician, but I am fairly convinced that he is an extremely good coach for individual player development. Players from other organizations have improved (he is getting more from their potential) players that the Canucks gave up on have not (they didn't have the talent-capacity or self-discipline, it wasn't like Willie didn't tap it or help it grow).

I think there is reason to doubt whether the overall talent level is enough. But the Canucks have played the hand they have been dealt well.

All eloquently put UW, all the analysts didn't consider much from the young guys developing in Canucks land, and assumed we'd be what the Avalanche are this year.

And even though I'm not the biggest Willie fan, for the most part he's gotten a lot out of the young guys, and has shown he won't put up with bullshit, players that play hard from practise on out will get ice time, players who earned their role get to play as they have earned WD's trust. (for the veys/megna's etc, WD had success with Vey before, and megna I believe has worked hard every day, so he get some slack from Willie, he has shown a bit of loyalty to players he has coached from preseason onwards, he's taking his time putting in rodin and boucher...imo rodin has a wonky knee, that's probably 80% ish, those knee injuries for a speedster really hampers your confidence a bit, just ask Bure.

The powerplay is his weakness, but then again we don't have all the necessary pieces yet, no powerforward, our QB's are still relatively inexperienced, plus no true snipers/game breakers yet, but Horvat and Granlund are looking dangerous every game, Grans snipes to the corners a lot, when his confidence is at an all time high, he could be a consistent threat like a young Tomas Tatar.

[Tciso]

This is especially concerning because the hands should be the last thing to go, and it is their hands combined with their intelligence and strength that made me think they had a good chance to be those Jagr-type rare players who could be effective (if not stars) into their early 40s.

Actually the hands are the first thing to go according to a few retired pros i've heard interviewed.

Yeah, it's not what you'd expect, but it's what we've observed on many players in their twilight years. Any sport physiologists on this board who can tell us why?

You don't need to be a physioogist to know goal scoring is about timing. Lose a fraction of a second of speed and reflex, and your timing is off when making a shot, and you are just that fraction slower getting the shot off, so it is blocked, saved, or your stick is held. Slow down just a bit, and you look like the offensive juggernaughts of Skille/Chapoo

[SKYO]

Sbisa and Sutter earning their contracts this year.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Sbisa and Sutter are closer to earning their contracts this year.

Fyp

[ESQ]

As the 3rd quarter has come and gone, I thought I'd give this a bump.

Horvat is on the exact same pace as at 42 games, 57 points. Henrik's pace has dropped off slightly to a projected 49 points. Baertschi has also dropped off slightly, but along with Daniel should crack 40 points. (I was surprised as I thought Horvat has heated up, but he's been clicking along all season).

Loui had been on a 40-point pace, but his production went in the toilet and is now on pace for 30 points in 82 games. Sutter has dropped off slightly, but could still hit 40 points/20 goals. Granlund has maintained a 35-point pace.

On special teams, Canucks have 3rd-worst PP, 4th-worst PK, 3rd-worst GF, 11th-worst GA, and not surprisingly have the 6th-worst record. For the draftists, there's 2 points separating the Canucks from 28th place. For the dreamers, the Canucks are 6 points from the 2nd wild card.

If you want some hope for the future, the Canucks have $20 million tied up in Sedins/Eriksson, who have a combined projected 124 points. They have under $3.7 million in Granlund, Baertschi and Horvat (excluding bonuses), and those 3 have a projected offense of 131 points.

I thought before the season started that the Canucks needed first-line production from the Sedins, and to see them in the 60-point range. If the Canucks had been able to score another 10 goals, that would put them into the range of LA and Philly, who have 5 more standings points right now.

If the Canucks can find that 10 extra goals next season, they could be a playoff team. The play of Burrows in Ottawa makes me think that more offense could have been found on the current roster with a different coach/system, as Burr now has 4 points in 3 games, while in January and February with the Canucks he only managed 5 points.

At any rate, we seem to be witnessing the Twinsition in effect. Daniel and Henrik are producing like 2nd-liners. Horvat is producing like a low-end first level, but is trending in the right direction, as is Baertschi. If they continue as they have, they could both be in the 50-70 point range next season. By the time the Sedins hit the 70-point range, they still had Bert and Naslund putting up over 70 points and Anson Carter riding shotgun.

[Hockey Widow]

Sbisa and Sutter are closer to earning their contracts this year.

Fyp

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[Blob Mckenzie]

Fixed your post

I seem to have a lot of post maintenance to do with some of these posters but it is what it is.

[SKYO]

That's an infraction blob.

[Hockey Widow]

Fixed your post

I seem to have a lot of post maintenance to do with some of these posters but it is what it is.

Thanks. I'm still old school in so many mays!

[Topper]

Fred Yearns for Pampers

[Topper]

Thanks. I'm still old school in so many mays!

and it's only March