Vancouver Canucks Officially Eliminated from Playoff Race
The Vancouver Canucks are mathematically eliminated from the playoff race after losing 4-0 against the St. Louis Blues.
It was a frustrating season for the Vancouver Canucks and their fans. The year was dominated by injuries, tough losses and huge blow-outs more than anything. So it only makes sense that the St. Louis Blues clinched their playoff spot by mathematically eliminating the Canucks in a 4-0 win on home ice.
The playoffs have seemed like a galaxy far away for a while now. But after Friday’s loss, the Canucks are 16 points behind the Minnesota Wild who currently own the final wild-card spot in the standings. Vancouver has eight games remaining and could therefore earn a maximum of exactly those 16 points during that stretch. However, the Wild have won 33 games in regulation, the Canucks have 23.
Only one team has fewer regulation wins than the Canucks this season: the Toronto Maple Leafs at 21. Vancouver has a 27-34-13 through 74 games, which ties them for second last in the league with the Edmonton Oilers, only two points ahead of the last-placed Maple Leafs.
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So, honestly, the Canucks do not deserve to be in the playoffs, even if that is where general manager Jim Benning wanted to be. A devastating season is coming to an end, and all eyes should be turned to the future.
If the Canucks finish where they are right now, they will have a top-six draft pick guaranteed. That gives them a chance to draft one of Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, Jesse Puljujarvi, Matthew Tkachuk, Jakob Chychrun and Olli Juolevi — all outstanding prospects.
In addition, the Canucks have a long list of young players on their roster, including Ben Hutton, Bo Horvat, Jake Virtanen and Nikita Tryamkin, who will all be exciting to watch. Plus, Vancouver signed the Swedish league MVP Anton Rodin and is looking to sign at least one NCAA prospect, including Canucks draftee Thatcher Demko.
So, no matter how this season ends, there is a lot to look forward to in the 2016-17 season. It might not look that way right now, but the future is bright. The upcoming years will likely be an extremely tough time with many more losses, but Benning and his club should be able to turn it around.
The rebuild on the fly failed, but a full-on rebuild is not necessarily worse — in the long term, anyway.