As the season is over a month old, so many storylines are writing themselves. Some teams are off to a hot start, such as the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights. But some teams are searching for answers. One team searching for answers is the 2022-23 Vancouver Canucks. As the team is not off to the best start, Jim Rutherford could shuffle the deck.
2022-23 Vancouver Canucks Could Be Making Changes Amid Slow Start
Rumour: Dan Riccio & Sat Shah from Canucks Central discuss the changes the Vancouver Canucks could make.
The 2022-23 Vancouver Canucks have been something to say the least. Uncharacteristically, they blew five leads and lost five games in a row to begin the year. The team did not get its first win until their eighth game of the season. Nothing seems to be going right for the Canucks and General Manager Jim Rutherford could shake things up and build for the future. Not a rebuild per se, but he is aiming to get younger and more competitive.
The Untouchables
As discussed on the show, there are very few names that are untouchable on this roster. As it stands now he does not believe this is a team capable of contending for the Stanley Cup. But there are players on this team to build around. The untouchable players are defencemen Quinn Hughes and centre Elias Pettersson. Hughes is the steadfast anchor on the back end and should be for the foreseeable future. He has been consistent since arriving and is coming off a career season last year with eight goals, 60 assists, and 68 points.
Pettersson has been the number-one centre since coming into the league. He has surpassed the 60-point mark in every season except for one and like Hughes, is coming off a career year. Pettersson scored a career-high 32 goals, 36 assists, and a career-high 68 points. As it stands right now he leads the team in points with 15. It is safe to say these two are not leaving Vancouver. Whatever they net in a return won’t equal the value they display on the ice.
Who Could Be On The Move?
It is safe to say that majority of this roster could be on the move. There have been numerous players on this roster mentioned in trade talks before, and it will be interesting to see if those talks get revisited. But who could be moved in such a shakeup?
Thatcher Demko
In this segment, starting goaltender Thatcher Demko was mentioned. The only problem with such a move is that there is nothing in the pipeline to replace him internally. Spencer Martin is in the rings, but he does not bring the same value as Demko. Demko saw his heaviest workload last season starting in 61 games and posting a 33-22-7 record. He set career highs in goals against average (2.72) and save percentage (.915.
This season has been brutal for the guy. His GAA is down badly (3.90) and the same with the save percentage (.879). He is allowing 6.8 goals more than expected. Not great. There are teams around the league that need goaltending, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, but unless Rutherford brings in another goalie, moving Demko is not the first move to be made.
Bo Horvat
It was mentioned in discussions that Rutherford does not necessarily want to move Bo Horvat, but if he keeps playing the way he is the return could be higher. Horvat has spent his entire career with the Canucks and is their team captain. In 585 games, he has scored 182 goals, 200 assists, and 382 points. And this year, he is one of the team’s best forwards. Horvat leads the team in goals (12) and is second in points (16). He has chipped in on the man advantage and has scored five power-play goals.
There is an issue: Horvat needs a contract extension. Rutherford has taken his time getting him signed and it remains to be seen which direction he heads with his captain.
Honourable Mention Candidates:
Brock Boeser and Conor Garland. Both have been heavily involved before and could be on the move for real.
What Do The Canucks Do Now?
The 2022-23 Vancouver Canucks are in a weird spot. As currently constructed the roster has a ton of hefty contracts and aging veterans. Rutherford is looking to shuffle the deck and get young, but competitive. There are pieces in place that are worth building around, but changes are coming. And anything is possible and that could even mean the coach.
See you all tomorrow night, #Canucks fans 😌 pic.twitter.com/N4tQBfQN2O
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 9, 2022
