Canucks News N Notes 25-26

[Blob Mckenzie]

Miller gave them a one team trade list. Prey tell.... what centre did the Rangers have to offer up for JT? They weren't giving up Kuylie. People need to get their heads out of their asses.

Pettersson scored at a 58 point pace last year. That is hardly 3rd line numbers. Weibo the Grouch called him a 3rd liner but his beard was clearly covering his eyes as he maintained Juulsen was better than Cole and was trending to be a top 4 d man. 58 points is 2nd line production all day.

[UWSaint]

Part of me thinks it is better to wait to see if Pettersson bounces back. If he returns to the Alien then you know where team weaknesses are. If he is a 45-50 point player then you know where your team weaknesses are. If he shows up as atop six centre then we are still looking for one more top 6 centre. But if he shows again with 3rd line points then we are down 2 top six centres. If we are going to have to trade a blue chip prospect I'd rather wait for us to get a handle on what we already have.

We weakened our centre position trading for D. Seems kind of silly to now weaken our D to land a top 6 centre. Cootes is at best 2-3 years away from being with the big club and even further away from showing what he can do. We are in a pickle but I'd rather see a short term solution using our cap than making a panic trade, again.

The main focus of the return on Miller should’ve been a centre, one that’s substantially better than Chytil the Lemon. Or the 1st round pick we received from the Miller trade should’ve been parlayed into a centre and not M. Pettersson. Allvin became too obsessed with his former player M.Pete (who turns 30 next May) and lost sight of shit and now we have this massive gaping hole in the middle of the ice with little to no “quality” assets to fix it with, we certainly better not be trading the 2026 first round pick in one of the better draft classes we’ve seen in awhile to fix the problem they created.

Our centre depth was once the envy of the league and now it’s the joke of the league. And yes, Cootes is a few years away from being a legitimate contributor if he ever will be one and Raty’s ceiling is 3rd line centre at best. If the Alien has gone home, we got a problem, Houston. A serious malfunction due to a calamity of errors thanks to Allvin and Rutherfords fumbles.

The only way you can fix the Center ice position is by putting Willander or D.Pete or the 2026 first round pick on the table. And losing any of those amazing assets to fix their fuck up at centre ice would be a damn shame. The team is in no position to be trading futures right now when they barely classify as a wildcard contender. And if they do sneak in through the back door of playoff contention, they will be nothing more than first round fodder

Miller wasn't going anywhere but New York. Trocheck was part of the reason Miller was willing to waive to go to NYR; Miller wasn't going to waive if Trocheck was coming back. Zibanejad's going in the wrong direction, he has a NMC, and the Rags had little flexibility to retain without a lot more moving.

So they obtained the first. Do you think that asset (2025 12th overall -- though no one knew it would be that instead of NYR 2026 1st until a week before the draft) lands the second line center? The 15th overall didn't -- wasn't it reported Guerin wanted that and a top tier prospect for Rossi?

As it stands, the Canucks have a very good potential to be extremely strong defensively -- with a very good set of defensive personnel if one of DEP, Mancini, TW, KK can play bottom pairing effectively (and a great group if one pushes Myers out of the top 4), a very good (if healthy) goaltending group, and fairly decent forward core (defensively), and a weak forward+defense group in terms of projected scoring. I don't know that making a defense group closer to average to make the forward group closer to average wins more hockey games -- it may win fewer. (And I certainly don't want to add a defensively questionable center unless Chytl moves out). And if none of the defense prospects take a step forward, it wasn't the NHL level strength it looks now to be (though it would still be a good group absent injury, IMO).

I'm also not sure that this imbalance is all that bad in the prospect pool. The Canucks have an excellent set of defensive prospects in quantity and quality. But developing prospects is a game of numbers -- there will always be misses -- and having "too many" hit means that you are able to deal from the NHL roster (or now sure thing prospects) without a significant marginal impact on the quality of defensive play -- and if you move roster, you are getting ELC/early-RFA value w/r/t the cap. If you have a more balanced prospect group, its harder to plan where the internal improvement is going to come from.

None of this is to say I'm categorically against using the D to obtain help up front, but I don't think now is the time to do it. In the first half of next season, we will learn whether this current imbalance wins hockey games. We will learn whether the lower ceiling/higher floor Abby adds (Raty, Karlsson) can contribute a little bit of offense to fill their replacements. We will see whether Chytl's a net asset or a net liability to the starting group, and if he plays well, having 80-90% of a second line center is good enough. And we might learn that what's holding the team back isn't scoring as much as, say, a possible decline in the PK with Suter and Joshua gone. In sum, the Canucks will have a lot more certainty about the marginal value changes (up and down) of moving players in and out -- and they should have this without their being a decline in the value of the assets that they'd be trading (and quite possibly an improvement in their top stock). That's a better time to make a move -- more information, internal value with a greater chance of being more highly valued, greater chance of knowing of assets out will be replaced).

I think the patient approach also makes sense here because I don't think the Canucks fell apart after the Miller trade. In certain areas, they looked better. In other areas worse. But generally competitive. And that was with a lot of missing-or-not-quite-himself Demko, an injured QH (whether in or out of the lineup), and an injured and/or not-himself EP40. The season was a disaster on nearly every level -- and they ended up with 90 points, and not an efficient 90 points either, given their subpar performance in the skills competition (OT and shootout) and their blown leads.

Don't get me wrong, the ceiling of a pre Miller trade group was much higher. I don't feel near as confident about this group as I did heading into last year. But the Canucks aren't starting with a 2018-era roster -- they have a decent roster with a comparative advantage on defense and in net. This is going to be a hard team to generate a lot of chances against if the Canucks play connected. Its not necessarily going to be pretty hockey, but it has potential to be effective hockey.

[Cornuck]

None of this is to say I'm categorically against using the D to obtain help up front, but I don't think now is the time to do it. In the first half of next season, we will learn whether this current imbalance wins hockey games.

I think we should wait before trading any top prospects. Let's see what we have - we'll have an idea 20 games in, and know by 40.

The D & G should be good enough to keep us in games. We have potential to win more than we lose, but I'm not counting on those being exciting wins.

[Meds]

Miller wasn't going anywhere but New York.

This is where they bungled the whole thing.

It was Miller who requested the trade. They should have told him that if he wants out then he has to open things up to more teams. If I’m the GM I would be telling him I won’t even bother looking for a fresh start for him until that list has 16 names on it…..if not, then you can stay here and be miserable and tank your reputation or mutually agree to terminate your contract.

[Picker of Cherries]

IMO Mancini needs to cook a bit more in Abby to develop consistency and more physical play. Willander will be a top four before long, but should start in Abby. I expect if everyone stays healthy, it will be a process over the season to get the defence set with everyone in their correct place the following season, something like this:

Sept 2025
Hughes Hronek
M-Petey Myers
Forbort D-Petey
Joseph

With Willander, Mancini and Kudryavtsev getting bigger minutes in Abbotsford to start the season, but bouncing back and forth as injuries occur.

Dec 2025
Hughes Hronek
M-Petey Willander
D-Petey Myers
Forbort Joseph

April 2026
Hughes Hronek
M-Petey Willander
D-Petey Myers
Forbort Mancini

They won’t bring back Forbort and Joseph the season after next and hopefully Mancini can start replacing Myers in the last year of Myers contract.

Sept 2026

Hughes Hronek
M-Petey Willander
D-Petey Mancini
Kudryavtsev Myers

Of course nothing like this plan will actually happen as injuries and trades will determine something completely different. But we all know at some point a whole bunch of these D-men will be on IR and they once again won’t have enough.

[Cornuck]

I expect if everyone stays healthy, it will be a process over the season to get the defence set with everyone in their correct place the following season...

I think this progression will be one of the fun things to watch this season.

[Blob Mckenzie]

IMO Mancini needs to cook a bit more in Abby to develop consistency and more physical play. Willander will be a top four before long, but should start in Abby. I expect if everyone stays healthy, it will be a process over the season to get the defence set with everyone in their correct place the following season, something like this:

Sept 2025
Hughes Hronek
M-Petey Myers
Forbort D-Petey
Joseph

With Willander, Mancini and Kudryavtsev getting bigger minutes in Abbotsford to start the season, but bouncing back and forth as injuries occur.

Dec 2025
Hughes Hronek
M-Petey Willander
D-Petey Myers
Forbort Joseph

April 2026
Hughes Hronek
M-Petey Willander
D-Petey Myers
Forbort Mancini

They won’t bring back Forbort and Joseph the season after next and hopefully Mancini can start replacing Myers in the last year of Myers contract.

Sept 2026

Hughes Hronek
M-Petey Willander
D-Petey Mancini
Kudryavtsev Myers

Of course nothing like this plan will actually happen as injuries and trades will determine something completely different. But we all know at some point a whole bunch of these D-men will be on IR and they once again won’t have enough.

Myers won't be going from a solid #4 to a #8 in one year. He's turning 35 and he's still got a lot of hockey left in him. The hate he gets here is hilarious.

[Tciso]

Part of the problem with trading Joshua is that we are weaker without him, contributing to the need to make a big trade. But, moving him didn't free up all that much cap. Certainly not enough to afford the center Blob et. al. are hoping for. Instead, we have to trade Chytil as well, -plus- the assets to make up the difference.

So, we trade Joshua, Chytil, and either a 1st, or Willander for Mason McTavish, and Karlsson fills in for Joshua. Is that what has you people sopping wet between the legs?

And, that still relies on Anaheim coming to the dance with a bucket and a mop.

I hope that there were better reasons than hope to trade Joshua. Was it his dink stirring JT's drink??

[dangler]

Part of the problem with trading Joshua is that we are weaker without him, contributing to the need to make a big trade. But, moving him didn't free up all that much cap. Certainly not enough to afford the center Blob et. al. are hoping for. Instead, we have to trade Chytil as well, -plus- the assets to make up the difference.

So, we trade Joshua, Chytil, and either a 1st, or Willander for Mason McTavish, and Karlsson fills in for Joshua. Is that what has you people sopping wet between the legs?

And, that still relies on Anaheim coming to the dance with a bucket and a mop.

I hope that there were better reasons than hope to trade Joshua. Was it his dink stirring JT's drink??

Maybe you didn't hear. Canucks acquired Evander Kane making Joshua expendable and redundant. The cap space allows the Canucks to try and make a deal for a center without having to try and shed cap from a position of weakness. Hellooooooo!

[Cousin Strawberry]

Was it his dink stirring JT's drink??

Maybe Kane's dink will now stir Petterssons drink?

[Tciso]

Part of the problem with trading Joshua is that we are weaker without him, contributing to the need to make a big trade. But, moving him didn't free up all that much cap. Certainly not enough to afford the center Blob et. al. are hoping for. Instead, we have to trade Chytil as well, -plus- the assets to make up the difference.

So, we trade Joshua, Chytil, and either a 1st, or Willander for Mason McTavish, and Karlsson fills in for Joshua. Is that what has you people sopping wet between the legs?

And, that still relies on Anaheim coming to the dance with a bucket and a mop.

I hope that there were better reasons than hope to trade Joshua. Was it his dink stirring JT's drink??

Maybe you didn't hear. Canucks acquired Evander Kane making Joshua expendable and redundant. The cap space allows the Canucks to try and make a deal for a center without having to try and shed cap from a position of weakness. Hellooooooo!

Kane wasn't brought in for the 3rd line, right?

[Tciso]

Was it his dink stirring JT's drink??

Maybe Kane's dink will now stir Petterssons drink?

Maybe I need to watch less Shorsey. But, damn, the helicopter episodes are too damn funny.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Part of the problem with trading Joshua is that we are weaker without him, contributing to the need to make a big trade. But, moving him didn't free up all that much cap. Certainly not enough to afford the center Blob et. al. are hoping for. Instead, we have to trade Chytil as well, -plus- the assets to make up the difference.

So, we trade Joshua, Chytil, and either a 1st, or Willander for Mason McTavish, and Karlsson fills in for Joshua. Is that what has you people sopping wet between the legs?

And, that still relies on Anaheim coming to the dance with a bucket and a mop.

I hope that there were better reasons than hope to trade Joshua. Was it his dink stirring JT's drink??

Maybe you didn't hear. Canucks acquired Evander Kane making Joshua expendable and redundant. The cap space allows the Canucks to try and make a deal for a center without having to try and shed cap from a position of weakness. Hellooooooo!

Kane wasn't brought in for the 3rd line, right?

I think it's adorable that you are the only one on the board having a meltdown over the departure of Dakota Joshua.

[Hockey Widow]

Ya I don't get the angst over losing Joshua. I mean I too liked the good Joshua. I was very impressed with his career year. But I was dismayed at the 3.25 x 3 year contract. It was an overpayment. He was also called out quite a but by Tocchet for his lack of focus and intensity. He was inconsistent. Yes having cancer after a career year really sucked for him. And yes he may have 2 good years as a 25-30 point 3rd liner. But he is overpaid.

Even if we can't land another centre before the start of the year we can start the season with cap room should something unfold during the course of the season. We also have Bluger and Hoglander on the cusp of being shown the door. What we need, and I think we can all agree, is for 2-3 Abbey players to step up and provide what those guys can at at much lower cap. If we have that in the system all the better moving forward. If not, those type of players are always available.

They want Sherwood back but cap and term are the problem right now. Sherwood was great for us and I think more valuable than Joshua but at what cost?

Can we get the season started already......

[Blob Mckenzie]

I'm all good the season is 2 1/2 months away. The move gives Vancouver roster flexibility. Not sure why that's a bad thing, but here we are......

Dakota Joshua shot like 21.4% two year ago. That's not sustainable. He is usually about 13% on average.