{"id":457566,"date":"2024-12-03T09:15:44","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T14:15:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=457566"},"modified":"2024-12-03T08:42:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T13:42:25","slug":"what-if-the-vancouver-canucks-do-nothing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2024\/12\/03\/what-if-the-vancouver-canucks-do-nothing\/","title":{"rendered":"What if the Vancouver Canucks Do Nothing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

No one thinks the Vancouver Canucks will do nothing about their weakened defence. The Canucks making a trade or a mid-season signing could all be on the table. Something is always<\/em> an option with Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford<\/a> at the helm.\u00a0 But so is surprising their fan base, and what could be more surprising than continuing to put this six onto the ice?<\/p>\n

The Canucks Can’t Do Nothing. Can They?<\/h2>\n

The instant Vancouver lost Filip Hronek<\/a>, all other absences were forgotten. J.T. Miller<\/a> pulling himself away from the team? A big deal, but not the most important thing. Thatcher Demko<\/a> getting closer but not quite here? Eh, we’re used to it. Seeing Hronek wincing?<\/p>\n

Okay, that’s trouble.<\/p>\n

Now, don’t get us wrong. Erik Br\u00e4nnstr\u00f6m<\/a> has been an amazing find<\/a>, fitting in perfectly with the Canucks needs. Carson Soucy<\/a> has started to emerge from whatever somnolescence afflicted him early this season. Quinn Hughes<\/a> still exists. The defence has plenty of virtues it can claim.<\/p>\n

But there are also plenty of weaknesses – and ones that have been there since the season’s start. Adding size to the blue line as a top priority wasn’t the best move, and the emergence of Br\u00e4nnstr\u00f6m is proof. Maybe it will improve when Derek Forbort<\/a> returns, but for now, it looks like size at the expense of skill.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, if Hughes is going to play 30+ minutes a night<\/a>? Maybe the Canucks can do nothing about their defence. For now, at least.<\/p>\n

While a Canucks Trade Might be Possible, Nothing is An Option<\/h3>\n

We do know that the team has been making calls, even if they don’t publicly announce it. As part of Rutherford’s and Allvin’s team-building strategy, they keep in contact with teams around the league to see what trade options exist for the Canucks. If an opportunity presents itself, they can act quickly and with a good idea about the cost.<\/p>\n

But it’s a truth universally acknowledged, that a team with injured players will be offered anvils, not life preservers. Players that may have been available last week might not be there anymore. Their cost, if not value, increases with desperation.<\/p>\n

That Hughes played 30+ minutes of Sunday’s game doesn’t exactly prove the team isn’t desperate. As well as he’s been producing, Br\u00e4nnstr\u00f6m and partner Vincent Desharnais<\/a> only played around 13 minutes each. Coach Rich Tocchet clearly doesn’t trust his third pair.<\/p>\n

The recent trade<\/a> of David Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek<\/a> for a handful of draft picks and a young player shows the price of potential. The Canucks don’t want to trade for potential, they want players who are ready to contribute now. Those may be more expensive than anyone is comfortable playing.<\/p>\n

Canucks Can Do Nothing and Something<\/h3>\n

Calling players up from Abbotsford beyond Mark Friedman<\/a> probably isn’t an option just yet. Friedman is a decent player as an emergency recall and has some NHL experience. But without knowing how long Hronek will be out, it’s hard to call him a fix.<\/p>\n

While the prospect pool has improved, handing one of them NHL minutes is hazardous. Cole McWard<\/a> is the only right-handed defenceman with NHL experience in Abbotsford, and he only has six games.<\/p>\n

Soucy has plenty of experience playing the right side, but he is getting middle-six minutes now. Putting a rookie into that position when the NHL defencemen aren’t getting that much time isn’t an option. Christian Wolanin<\/a> has shown decently on the left side, but he’s just not a point producer.<\/p>\n

Adding a player from outside – if they add anyone – looks like their best choice. The Canucks could choose to sign a free agent, odd as that sounds in December. There are a few out there who haven’t retired yet. The only question is what they have left in the tank.<\/p>\n

Outsiders to the Rescue?<\/h3>\n

Adding a free agent right now flies in the face of management’s desire to accrue cap space. If anyone is picked up, it will be for a single year and on the cheap. Some older players might not want to go through the hardship of getting into NHL shape for little reward.<\/p>\n

The 35-year-old Kevin Shattenkirk<\/a> was always known as a points-getter, and he played 61 games for the Boston Bruins<\/a> last season. He had a solid Corsi, played just under 16 minutes, and had a very reasonable $1.05 million paycheque. Not a bad price for six goals and 24 points.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old Justin Schultz<\/a> might be a little more inclined to join the locals, being a BC boy. He was in 70 games with Seattle<\/a> last season, averaging 16:30 ice time with seven goals and 26 points. He’d have to put his body through the NHL again for far less than $3 million, though.<\/p>\n

If the older guys aren’t up for it, is taking a chance on younger veterans worth the risk? Calen Addison<\/a> going without an offer for 2024-25 could get his attention. He is a talented offensive player and just 24 years old. Sure, he had a lousy season in San Jose<\/a>, but who didn’t?<\/p>\n

Canucks Won’t do Nothing. Probably.<\/h3>\n

If the Canucks do not talk a veteran out of non-retirement or take a chance on a young guy or manage to swing a trade, then they’re stuck. What you see is what you get. These players will have to do until Forbort returns. Which is a possibility, as long as they’re fine playing Hughes for half the game.<\/p>\n

Given how injuries are often a result of overuse, fans probably shouldn’t bet on that option. We still don’t know how long Hronek is gone for, either. If it is a re-aggravation of his previous injury, he could be absent for six weeks or longer.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, with Demko returning relatively soon and Brock Boeser<\/a> finding his feet, they might get away with it. Even at reduced strength, the Canucks have enough to stay over the playoff line in a weak division. Which, funnily enough, could help them on the trade front.<\/p>\n

If a team has presented an offer and expected Allvin to jump, the asking price can come down the longer Vancouver proves they don’t need it.<\/p>\n

This is not a shy management group. If they think there’s a deal to be made, they’ll chase it down. It just might not happen when fans expect.<\/p>\n

Main Photo Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No one thinks the Vancouver Canucks will do nothing about their weakened defence. The Canucks making a trade or a mid-season signing could all be on the table. Something is always an option with Patrik Allvin and Jim Rutherford at the helm.\u00a0 But so is surprising their fan base, and what could be more surprising […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3171,"featured_media":457671,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,2,4547,4548],"tags":[1586,631,1630,380,2138,852],"class_list":["post-457566","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canucks","category-featured","category-hockey","category-nhl","tag-erik-brannstrom","tag-filip-hronek","tag-j-t-miller","tag-justin-schultz","tag-quinn-hughes","tag-thatcher-demko"],"modified_by":"Alec Roberson","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457566","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3171"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=457566"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457566\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":457672,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457566\/revisions\/457672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/457671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=457566"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=457566"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=457566"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}