To say this past year for the Vancouver Canucks was nothing short of a disaster would almost be an understatement. Fans watched as two number one goalies were traded away. They endured the pain of having John Tortorella behind the bench and saw their team miss the playoffs for the first time in six years.
Management Out with the Old, In with a Legendary Vancouver Canuck
But there is hope on the horizon. Both general manager Mike Gillis and coach Tortorella were fired and Canucks legend Trevor Linden was named president of hockey operations. Linden was tasked with finding the next general manager for the team and with the official announcement of Jim Benning as GM, it is a step in the right direction. Benning was the assistant GM in Boston and he brings a winning pedigree to the team. It is with great hope that Benning can instil a culture change into the organization, as things have grown stale and a shakeup was badly needed. That said there is much work ahead before the Vancouver Canucks arrive for training camp
Coaching
One of Benning’s first tasks is to find a new head coach and there are a lot of solid choices out there. Barry Trotz is surely at the top of the list. Seeing what he did in Nashville with very little he had to work with, it is impressive and despite being let go by the Predators, he is one of the best coaches in the league. Adam Oates, who couldn’t get the Washington Capitals to the playoffs this past year could be a candidate who will be looking for a second chance. Or the Canucks could still be waiting on to see whether Dan Bylsma in Pittsburgh becomes available.
Ryan Kesler
One of the biggest questions facing the Canucks is what to do with Ryan Kesler. As the heart and soul of the Canucks, Kesler is an integral part of this team. A fan favourite in Vancouver, trading Kesler is fraught with peril. He has injury problems, though he did play 77 games this season, not including the Olympics. He is a two-way player that plays heavy minutes and often is tasked with the toughest defensive assignments amongst the forwards. He is a fixture on the power play and penalty kill. Kesler had a limited list of teams he was willing to be traded to and a few teams showed interest but that list limits what the Canucks can work with. Ultimately though, the question remains, does Kesler want to be traded as there were many rumours of him requesting a deal, or is the new coach and management a big enough change to convince him to want to stay in Vancouver?
Goaltending
The goaltending is inexperienced to say the least. Barring any attempt to bring in a more veteran goaltender such as unrestricted free agents Ryan Miller or Jonas Hiller, Eddie Lack and Jacob Markstrom will go into the fall as the two guys duking it out to be number one. Both share a lot of similarities such as they are both big and athletic goaltenders, both hail from Sweden and have a lot to prove. Lack was a free agent signing who is trying to live up to what Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider accomplished. Markstrom is attempting to live up to his draft status (31st overall in 2008) and the hype he has had since he was teenager, as he spent several years as one of the top ranked goalie prospects in the world. While that luster and status have faded from Markstrom, and he has been surpassed in the rankings of most analysts, the talent and potential is still there. He just needs to bring it out in a new environment.
Vancouver Canucks Key Veterans
But make no mistake, this is a veteran laden hockey team, where youth is not in abundance. Key guys like the Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Kesler, Alexandre Burrows and Kevin Bieksa are not getting any younger and with that, drafting and developing has to be a focus for the Canucks. Under Mike Gillis, their drafting record was very poor and the fact there aren’t many youngsters on the roster speaks volumes.
Canucks Youngsters and Prospects
Zack Kassian, acquired in the infamous Cody Hodgson trade, continues to tease and frustrate. Kassian has that rare blend of size and skill but his inconsistency and bone headed plays draw the ire of fans. Kassian needs to emerge as that power forward the team desperately needs as he has all the tools but it is left to be seen if he has the toolbox to go with it.
The Canucks’ prospect pool is still pretty shallow but there is promise. Bo Horvat, the player drafted with the pick in the Cory Schneider transaction, is an excellent two-player with leadership but his potential is still unclear. Hunter Shinkaruk has a dynamic offensive skill set but he is on the small side and he lacks muscle. He needs to pack on the pounds to help prevent himself from getting injured as much and win those battles that smaller players need to work even harder to win. Brendan Gaunce has the potential to develop into a power forward while Nicklas Jensen has the size and skill to become something special. As for the other prospects in the organization, defenceman Frank Corrado has developed nicely from a 150th overall pick in 2011 to a potential future as a top four defenceman on the team.
2014 NHL Draft
For the upcoming draft, the Canucks hold the sixth overall pick and there are a lot of nice options for them. Swedish forward William Nylander is one of the most talented players in this draft class as he did well playing against men in Sweden and playing against his peers at the World U-18s. If the Canucks are looking for bigger guys with goal scoring ability, they could look to Nick Ritchie, Brendan Perlini or local boy Jake Virtanen for that role. Haydn Fleury of WHL Red Deer would be a nice option if the Canucks choose to bolster their defense. You can check out all of LWOS NHL Draft coverage here.
Having cleaned house on the management level, the winds of change are sweeping through Vancouver. The city is hungry for a championship and rightfully so. Since the inception of the team, fans have seen 42 seasons without a Stanley Cup. Hopefully Benning take the lessons he learned on the job in Boston and apply them to the Canucks. It is crucial they hire the right coach to get the most of the veterans and develop their current and future youngsters. This team has a ways to go before they are back in Stanley Cup contention but they have a lot to work with. It’s nowhere but up for the Vancouver Canucks.
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