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Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 11:55 am At the beginning of the season, I thought we had a reasonable chance to make the playoffs and win a round, possibly 2. That depended on things going right. From there, we would have had something to build on and, in theory, progress each year.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion and you were certainly not alone in voicing this one, especially at this site where it seems to me at the time rose colored glasses were available at discount pricing.

My impression looking at the lineup was if "everything" went right we might fight for a WC spot but certainly no round 1 win was in my thoughts.

"....you just need a ticket to the dance and anything can happen...." is a nice cliche but this appeared a team not built for post season success.

They just don't have the horses from more than one team building perspective.

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 11:55 am Narrator: "But things did not go right."

I humbly suggest that it was a fools errand to assume all the "ifs" would pan out.

Is it worse than could be expected, yes, of course, the injury bug has been unkind to the Canucks for sure.

But Demko, Chytil staying healthy (counting on Chytil as your #2 given his history is a bit laughable - even the most staunch Canuck defenders must realize that), EP finding his game, Kane working out, Lankinen finding the same game he had last year which was not relative to career performance, Bains (lofl) et cetera....to much to ask for with such a weak back up plan (credible and available NHL level in place replacement value for instance) on tap.

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 11:55 am This season has proven that we can't rely on things to go our way.

Hmmm...not sure what this means, not sure this would ever be the case.

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 11:55 am Demko is done as a reliable #1. Our 2C is done. Add in the other injuries that were not expected, and we're right where we should be - near the bottom of the division & league.

And Thatcher is signed for 3 years (with a no move) after this one at 8.5 while Lankinen is signed through 29/30 at 4.5 with a no move for 2 and a modified no move after that.

The mind boggles.

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 11:55 am I think our D is good to excellent and should get better with time.

To a degree yes...I think Hughes is gone but MP, EP2, FH, TW "could be" a credible enough top 4 group and QH asset return could add to that.

They also have the Kudy dude in Abby who shows promise

And Mancini.

Our D s/b good to go as you say.

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 11:55 am We have a great centre prospect in Cootes coming - maybe as early as next year. But that's about it for things to forward to. :/

He's a credible prospect indeed.

Great remains to be seen.

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 11:55 am The next question is for management - what do you do about it? Rutherford says that he can fix this. I don't think he can. I don't believe we have the assets to attract top-six talent without decimating our D. Do we have the time to draft our way out of this? That will take 2-6 years, with a likely 4 year window to build, assuming we hit some home runs in the drafts.

Agreed on Rutherford.

We have a major asset in QH and, as noted above, what seems to be enough talent to build a top 10 D with him gone.

Trade Hughes for a series of assets, keep your #1's, draft intelligently and there is hope for short term "transitonary" "adjustments" that could push us back into the discussion with the WC up and comers.

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 11:55 am The final question is - do we blow it up and start over? Petey has the NTC, but I could see him waiving for a bigger market. We have control over Hughes. After that, we might get a couple of 2nds and 3rds (maybe a 1st or two, depending on how desperate teams are at the TDL.

A bigger US market for EP maybe....how about LA to replace Kopitar.

Dobson got the Isles Heineman, 6'2" 205 lbs who went 10G/8A in 60 games with the Habs (after scoring 22G in 59 games for Laval) and is 9G/6A thus far this year projecting to 34G and 56 points over the season and 2 firsts in last years draft.

Hughes is top 3 D in the league and miles above Dobson.

Do the math.

Cornuck wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 11:55 am This season could have gone 2 ways, and it went downhill fast. Every hole we have has been exposed. And that is what makes being a Canuck fan so special.

Well...I would argue more than 2 but the way it has gone is clearly about as bad as it could have gotten.

But.

You reap what you sow.

Regarding the injury bug some of this can be blamed on management for the type of roster they assembled. We rely heavily on smallish to slight players at the top end of our line up (Pettersson, Hughes, Garland, Hoglander, Lekkerimaki) along with hoping and praying that players with a history of injuries (Demko, Chytil, Hronek and Boeser) don’t get injured. Management needs to do better at bringing in more hardy type players who can handle the trench warfare that the NHL is over an 82 game season and post season warfare called the playoffs. Time and time again, we see the Stanley Cup winning teams possessing a line up that is a healthy mix of size and players who are not injury prone.

I don’t think we need to rip it down but if we could at least for one draft year (this one coming), if we could stay in the top 10 lottery zone where with some luck we make like what we saw with the Islanders (Schaefer) and combined with that - moving some vets out (selling) for picks or prospects.

Even if we don’t win the roll we are still getting a solid prospect in the top 10.

Any of you cats wondering where your rose tinted sunnies are at…..check under the heel of Lever’s boot.

Leves rounding up the cats (like the gentle Gestapo did) and stompin' out the fantasy with his Ugg booties to show you the brutal reality you need to see.

Fair rebuttal, Donnie - and yes, I start each season with my rose coloured glasses firmly in place. The good thing is that I don't manage this team, or I'd have to do some harsh reality checks and know that my 1G and 2C were not going to be around for the year.

It's only 20 games in, and I've pretty much lost all hope for the playoffs. Now I'm in the "let's just have some entertainment" phase of the year.

Carl Yagro wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 2:17 pm Leves rounding up the cats (like the gentle Gestapo did) and stompin' out the fantasy with his Ugg booties to show you the brutal reality you need to see.

Don’t use “Gestapo” so flippantly. I’ll think you’re Swedish.

Roflmao

Alright, I'll keep that in mind.

Can I use "detention center"?

Carl Yagro wrote: ↑Sun Nov 23, 2025 2:46 pm Alright, I'll keep that in mind.

Can I use "detention center"?

It is definitely preferable to gulag or concentration camp.....those tend to trigger our Scandinavian compadre.

https://youtu.be/SwkgW1PM4XE

Old but still funny. This was played on a Calgary station a bunch of years back after the Oilers lost something like 10 - 1.

Nice find!

The Blues have terminated Milan Lucic's PTO and he has been released from the team

Our next project?

Solid first period for Skinner this evening.

donlever wrote: ↑Tue Nov 25, 2025 7:00 pm Solid first period for Skinner this evening.

Screenshot_20251125-195938_theScore.jpg

Trade them Demko

You're kidding and despondent over the player of course but Demko is about as unmoveable as it gets....

....outside of backing up Carey Price in San Jose of course.