Vancouver Canucks: Real fans shouldn’t cheer for tanking

Even though the rebuilding Vancouver Canucks face a slim chance of making the playoffs, real fans shouldn’t be cheering for this team to tank in 2018-19. Here’s why you should be rooting for victories.

The Vancouver Canucks sit at 14-16-4 through their first 34 games of the season, which isn’t that bad when you consider the amount of injuries to core players like Brock Boeser, Sven Baertschi and Alexander Edler.

In comparison to last season, the Canucks were 15-15-4 through their first 34 games. Hardly a difference, but this year’s team looks considerably better than the 2017-18 club. Some guy named Elias Pettersson has something to do with that.

Last year, the Canucks were better than the 2015-16 and 2016-17 teams that finished 28th and 29th in the league standings, respectively. Vancouver finished with a 31-40-11 record last season, placing them 26th in the NHL.

But as everybody remembers, the Canucks didn’t get any draft lottery lock. That being said, getting standout University of Michigan defenceman Quinn Hughes with the seventh overall selection was still a nice add for general manager Jim Benning.

Which brings me to my next point.

First point: They’re not bad enough

This year’s Canucks are simply a far better team than the 2017-18 club. They have a legitimate franchise superstar in Pettersson, an even more productive Bo Horvat and a refreshed Jake Virtanen, who looks poised to hit 20 goals for the first time in his career. Boeser is also enjoying a productive sophomore season with 18 points in 21 games.

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Look at all the young talent here, and you can see the Canucks simply aren’t bad enough to bottom out for a realistic shot a winning the draft lottery. And that’s not the only reason why they face long odds of drafting Jack Hughes first overall in June, when Vancouver will be hosting the draft.

Second point: There are worse teams

The Canucks are significantly better than the Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues. Three of those teams were perennial playoff teams that have seen their competitive windows close. New Jersey is unsurprisingly regressing after an unlikely return to the playoffs last season.

There is little to no chance that either of those teams catch up to Vancouver. Chicago and Los Angeles, especially, have ageing cores and little young talent in their lineup. They’ll be struggling throughout the remainder of the season.

Then there are mediocre  teams like the Arizona Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators. They all sit below the Canucks in the standings. What are the odds more than two of them finish ahead of Vancouver when the season ends?

Third point: Stop hating on winning

Folks, remember how dreadful the 2013-14, 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons were? The Canucks were old and slow. Ownership and the front office thought those three squads were capable of competing for playoffs.

Now, we’re watching the young stars take over in the post-Sedin twins era. Despite a ton of injuries and flaws all over the roster, Vancouver is just barely under .500, and they’re somewhat hanging around in the playoff race.

It’s not even halfway through the season, and this team already looks significantly better than the clubs we’ve watched over the last three years. Please do not tell me that you’re actually cheering for them to tank now.

The Canucks have beaten quality teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins. This young group is showing they can hang around with the top teams in the league. Isn’t that more exciting compared to other years, where they couldn’t even keep up with other bottom feeders across the NHL?

This Vancouver team simply isn’t bad enough to earn much of a shot at the draft lottery. There are a handful of teams that are far worse than the Canucks. And they’re winning some very entertaining hockey games, thanks to a young core that’s developing quicker than we expected.

So please, don’t tell me in December that you want the Canucks to bottom out and earn a better chance at getting a higher draft selection. Sit back and enjoy the rise of a new era. The future is bright. Let’s relish it.