Vancouver Canucks: Looking at home opener vs. Oilers
By Alex Hoegler
The Vancouver Canucks’ home opener will take place on October 7th, when they welcome scoring champion Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
The NHL released the home opener for all 31 teams in 2017-18, and the Vancouver Canucks are set to welcome long-time foes — the Edmonton Oilers.
It’ll be the third time in five seasons where Vancouver plays its first home game against Edmonton. The Calgary Flames were the Canucks’ first home opponent in each of the last two seasons.
This game will prove to be an early test for Vancouver. Connor McDavid won the scoring title this season (and was the only player to hit 100 points), as his Oilers fell within a game of reaching the Western Conference Final — so the Canucks will have their work cut out for them.
There are a few things to pay attention to as fans count down the days until the home opener.
New era in Vancouver
For the first time in nearly two decades, the Canucks are unofficially a rebuilding team.
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The first three years in the Jim Benning era were highlighted by a failed attempt to “rebuild on the fly”.
But, president Trevor Linden finally admitted that the Canucks are entering a rebuilding stage. So for the first time in years, there may be virtually no optimism about this team reaching the playoffs.
New head coach Travis Green will be tasked with getting the young players like Brock Boeser, Nikolay Goldobin and Jake Virtanen ready as full-time pros. You’ll be seeing a much younger (and hopefully faster) Vancouver team in 2016-17.
It remains to be seen whom the Canucks will take with the fifth selection. Veteran Chris Tanev could still be traded, and Jacob Markstrom will be the team’s new starter in 2017.
All told, the 2017-18 Canucks will be in the midst of a rebuild as they inject more youth. So brace yourselves for a brand new era of hockey in Vancouver.
Related Story: Canucks jerseys for 2017-18 season revealed
Not your same old Oilers
Remember the days when the Oilers provided Vancouver with a guaranteed three to five wins a season? Edmonton was in the Western Conference Basement from 2007-2016 — while the Canucks were often winning Northwest Division titles.
Well, Edmonton loaded up on top-five selections for years — and now they’re repaying the Canucks for those years of bullying.
With McDavid and Leon Draisaitl among the NHL’s elite players, Edmonton will be a championship contender for the next 10 years. Vancouver is just starting on a painful rebuilding project that should have taken place four years ago.
It’ll be interesting to see how this rebuilding Canucks team looks against one of the Western Conference powerhouses.
Enjoy the season!
2017-18 figures to be one of the many painful years to come for Canucks fans. And that’s okay.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins (three Stanley Cups each since 2009), spent a good five-seven years rebuilding as they moved out veterans and stockpiled on draft picks.
In the salary cap era, the only way to build a winner is through the draft. You can’t throw money at top free agents any more. This isn’t the ’90s.
And hey, it’s quite clear many Canucks fans were sick of rebuilding on the fly. This team finally seems devoted to restarting entirely — and that means bringing in youth and skilled players.
Next: Why Jim Benning should trade for 3rd pick
Just enjoy the home opener and the new players in Vancouver. The home opener will be exciting as the Canucks launch into a different era.