The Vancouver Canucks ended the 2015-16 season as the worst in nearly two decades. They ended just sixth in the Pacific Division and faded quickly down the stretch with quality replacements to step in for injured regulars.
Some notes of discontent were rumored throughout the locker room as the roster is said to have been disappointed by an apparent youth movement without a focus on the playoffs.
Dillon Dube 59 tries to control the puck as Gullaume Brisebois 54 defends – Photo by Jack Lima 2016 Young Stars Classic
The club shed a number of players including Chris Higgins, Jared McCann, Linden Vey, Radim Vrbata; D: Matt Bartkowski, Dan Hamhuis, and Yannick Weber.
In their place, the Canucks brought in Erik Gudbranson on a trade and Loui Eriksson, Jason Megna, Phillip Larsen, and Anton Rodin.
Vancouver surrendered 2.92 goals against in the regular season, good for 23rd in the NHL.
The power play struggled at 15.8%, 27th in the NHL, while the penalty kill was effective at an 81.1% efficiency, 17th in the league.
Neither special teams unit was effective and both will need the infusion of the off season acquisitions to make any move up the western conference ladder.
Ryan Miller and a push from backup Jacob Markstrom,Ryan Mill and Jacob Markstrom will continue to man the crease for the Canucks.
Gudbranson is projected as a second defensive-line player and Eriksson, at $6 million a year for six years, will be expected to add scoring depth on the front line.
The question is whether the Canucks’ front office did enough to improve an anemic offense from last season.
In addition, Miller is getting older and Markstrom needs to pressure the number one goalie for a bigger piece of the crease this season.
The prediction for this season is an early push and hope to hold the line heading to the final weeks of the season. But the more likely outcome is another fade from an aging group of stars without enough backup to sustain the early drive.
Then the fire sale begins in earnest to make the rebuild a foundational process that gives Canucks’ fans hope for the not too distant future.
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