Contender or Pretender? A Discussion of the Vancouver Canucks

49 comments

1. If Demko misses a lot of the season, then comes back with a month left for warmup, that could be a setup for a really strong playoff for him.

2. I think the Canucks will be back in the playoffs this year but i don't see them getting as many points as last year. They might have to start the playoffs on the road as a lower seed this year. Which might actually be better for them to play the role of underdog. I see them finishing somewhere around 95-100 points.

3. Contender
   – Flyers fan

4. if canucks gets in playoffs they are contender then😄

5. The Vancouver Canucks are contenders for sure, but I do agree that they could use another top 4 defender to really push them over the edge

6. I think the Canucks are certainly in the play of contenders. Do I think they did enough to advance past their 2nd round exit from last year? Not really.

7. I miss demko.

8. Canucks have a lot of depth actually. I feel Juulsen is overlooked.

9. If everything goes according to plan I would say their ceiling is WCF appearance

10. been watching & playing hockey for over 45 years …. this is one of the strongest core groups Nucks have ever had, and probably the best Coach/Management duo's they've ever assembled as well.

    yes, they are lacking depth on D, and Demko plagued with some mystery knee injury really sucks…..but with a bit of luck on the injury front, and the acquisition or development of one more really good Dman…I can definitely see this team surprising a lot of people this year…perhaps even a cup final appearance.

    Really excited this year!!! Go Nucks!!!!!

11. It they can just have a relatively healthy roster (especially Demko) come playoff time, I think they have a shot. I won't rank them as a top contender, but I think they will be a solid team and should have another 100 points or more season.

12. It's a contract year for Boeser so expect him to at least get 30-35 if he stays healthy.

13. Silovs will bring them the cup. Screenshot this

14. They drafted Quinn instead of Zadina; remind me who is more of a contender right now, VNC or DET? 🤔

15. At 8:00, Soucy, Myers, Desharnais, Forbert are all third pairing D's. That D is going to struggle.

16. With this mgmt. And coaching staff the nucks are contenders. Enough said.

17. Contenders, solid management, coaches, excellent pickup in lankinen for depth especially at 875,000 a year their draft picks are close to cracking the line up, especially on defence. GO CANUCKS!

18. I know they’re saving the Poolman money for the trade deadline but I think they’ll need help on D before then. I like their forward group but I think could have gotten another D instead of all the forwards. Maybe they’ll use one that’s not working out in a trade too… not a lot of cap room unfortunately

19. I don't get why we're talking about "What if Boeser had puck luck would he have hit 50" he shot 19% he had 40 BECAUSE he had puck luck.

20. If the Cunucks made a trade with Montreal for one of the depth defensemen, who would want and what would the trade price be? I only say this as the habs have too many players coming up and not enough spots to play them. I didn’t think the likes of struble/barron would be replaceable this soon, but here we are and I’d rather they not loose them on waivers for nothing.

21. "Whatever happens next, it's not gonna go the way you think itxs gonna go."
    -Mike Ehrmantraut, hockey expert

22. I think they're coming back this year with a lot more experience under their belts playing Rick Tochett's system, and two deep and difficult rounds of playoffs. Demko being healthy is definitely going to be one of the biggest factors in them pushing deep, but getting Lankinen was an absolute STEAL and helps tremendously.

23. Can we just give D-Peaty some PP time this pre season. Just to see how the PBP guy's deal with it!

24. I think Vancouver will definitely be a playoff team, but them doing so well with, let's be honest, a mediocre roster, kinda shows how truly awful the west was last season.

25. Nux are an above average team but that's really all you can about them right now, they have the advantage of being in the western division and in a weak conference which helps them squeak into the playoffs, sometimes a few rounds in, but they're not gonna beat any of the top teams currently.

26. Not sure but it's nice to see them be a part of the conversation rather than being an endless mediocre meme

27. I think its funny watching the spin this year after last year. Last year canucks fans were very cautiously optimistic, thinking about maybe making the playoffs, while the rest of the hockey world thought they were awful. This year, canucks fans are very cautiously optimistic, fairly confident in making the playoffs, while the rest of the hockey world appears to be picking between them, Dallas, Edmonton, and Colorado to come out of the west.

28. Contender

29. As an Oilers fan the Canucks are 100% the real deal. Realistically they were 1 game away from potentially being the position the Oilers were in last season. If Demko can be healthy at the right times, there's no reason to think they can't go on a deep playoff run this year.

30. contenders if Demko is back, not if he is out.

31. They have Tocchet…they'll win games

32. Go Canucks Go

33. Damn, you really love to fluff this team. Pretty jersey colors, but ZERO Stanley Cups in half a century should make you temper your expectations a wee bit.

34. Can we say no All Star game this year?

35. The Canucks beating the Oilers in the playoffs, thats our Stanley Cup…

36. 100% a playoff team , being a true contender will come down to demkos health

37. You overlooked a player that is about to breakout. Aatu Raty at Centre. IF Blueger does not make it back to start the season. Watch for Raty to get a spot. Other player that will surpass Juulsen on D, is D-Pettersson, although Juulsen is a RHD & D-Petey a LHD. But, D-Petey may start in Abby.
    Watch for Canucks' to break the 2 goaltender rotation and go with 3. Until Demko plays 10-15 games without a knee injury problem.

38. I think they could make a run if they get hot at the right moment. I think the additions if Debrusk and Sherwood outweigh the loss of Lindholm. Keep in the mix until Demko is healthy and go pedal to the metal when he's back.

39. Last season they overachieved by a lot, I don’t expect them to win the division again but we ought to play that 2-3 playoff matchup

40. Vancouver is a very weird city, and the hockey fanbase is unlike any other in Canada…and not in a good way.
    Maybe it's the lack of a hockey weather season.
    Maybe it's the sheer cost of going to a game, in a place where rampant money laundering has utterly destroyed any connection the housing market had to economic realities.
    Maybe people are just more focused on soccer and rugby (..which are also cheaper).

    So for a Canadian franchise, and technically in a large and affluent (…!) market, this one really has some serious issues that affect the potential of the entertainment product.

41. Contender, weak division and conference, the forward group is deep enough, the goalies are good enough, defense first pair is also solid, but overall it lacks a little depth … if Demko is healthy and does what he does best anything can happen in the playoffs.

    Maybe Garland gets dealt for some defensive depth.

42. Pretenders

43. They’ll pretend to contend.

44. LA finally gets a round 1 win

45. D’Lias Pettersson!

46. I think the Canucks have a good team. I was one of the few who thought they had a good team going into last year and even think I made a comment saying so on one of last year's preview videos. I don't think, right now, they are a cup contender. I think they can develop into a cup contender, even during this season. Some teams do get better during the season. It all depends on goaltending, and that means if Demok's healthy or one of his replacements up their game. They have the three keys to a championship team: an ace center (Pettersson) an ace d-man (Hughes) and a first rate goalie (Demko). For all the hype over Toronto the last ten years they've never had those three things at any time. Now the Nucks have to fill in around those 3.

47. The Canucks were fantastic last season I’ll give credit where it’s due

48. What you don’t mention the coaching, management and the team Moral right now.

49. Demko is being treated like him being playoff healthy it the priority.

    Healthy demko, Allvin deadline acquisitions, The extra goal scoring in the lineup. The two main pieces lost were Lindholm and Big Z, Both picked up along the way, so why not do something similar.

    This team is very much built for playoff hockey. You saw that when they were outplayed by EDM and NSH for games they ended up winning. When you shutdown the other team, you don't need to play better you just need to our score.