Vancouver Canucks 2016-17 Schedule: Top 5 Notable Games

The Vancouver Canucks season begins on October 15th against division rivals, the Calgary Flames, and there are many other games to look forward to.

The excitement and unpredictability of the annual NHL Draft is almost upon us; and after that, the impending Free Agent Frenzy. But once the flurry of trades and signings is over, there are only the World Cup, preseason and, finally, the start of the regular season to look forward to — with great match-ups for the Vancouver Canucks.

With the full schedules of all 30 NHL teams now released, it’s time to peek into the near future and mark down some key dates and/or some simply entertaining match-ups for Vancouver. In case you hadn’t already checked out the Canucks’ schedule, The Canuck Way has gathered the need-to-knows for your readerly convenience:

QUICK INFO

• The Canucks’ season opens on Saturday, October 15th with back-to-back games against the Calgary Flames
• This season’s schedule sees the Canucks play 29 games against Pacific Division opponents, 21 against all remaining Western Conference teams, and a further 32 against Eastern Conference teams
• The club will play 16 back-to-back series, with nine coming on the road, three at home, and four being home/road splits
• And as always, lots of mileage: 13 road trips, the longest of which is six straight games, from November 2-10 and again from February 7-16
• There will also be 13 home stands, the longest of which is five games, from March 7-16

A NOTE ON ROAD TRIPS/HOME STANDS

For the November 2-10 road trip, the Canucks’ opponents are: Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings. Lots of good, old Canadian match-ups. Could be a tough two-game visit to the Big Apple, especially as it comes in the middle. Canucks fans watching the game against the Leafs will probably get to see projected first-overall pick, Auston Matthews, line up at center.

The second road stint, several months later in February, will feature visits to Nashville, Columbus, Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. At this point in the season, the Canucks should have a clear direction but a difficult stretch of games away from Rogers Arena, including matchups against the stingy Nashville Predators, the always pesky Boston Bruins, the dynamic Blues, not to mention the defending Stanley Cup champions, might make or break the season.

As for the extended home stand, teams lacing up against the Canucks will be the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, and Dallas Stars. Yikes, that’s an intimidating roll-call of opponents. Home-ice advantage may come in handy there.

PRE-SEASON

The Canucks will play seven preseason games: four at home, three on the road.

• @ San Jose Sharks – September 27th
• vs. Edmonton Oilers – September 28th
• @ Calgary Flames – September 30th
• vs. San Jose Sharks – October 2nd
• vs. Arizona Coyotes – October 3rd
• vs. Calgary Flames – October 6th

But let’s take a look at the most exciting games on the schedule!

Next: October 15th

Saturday, October 15th  vs. Calgary Flames

Not only is this game the season opener for the Canucks, it’s also the home opener and a chance to start off on the right track in 2016-17 against a divisional and Canadian rival. Vancouver vs. Calgary is usually a passionate affair no matter what, but the presence of John Tortorella and Bob Hartley will surely be missed behind the benches (and in between the locker rooms).

Instead, dearly departed ex-Canucks assistant coach Glen Gulutzan will be leading the regular-season charge for the Flames. The plucky Manitoba boy finally gets another shot at, well, calling all the shots.  Besides preseason action, this game will bring Gully back to Vancouver for the first time. Let’s hope the Canucks’ power play doesn’t suffer more for it (can it?).

But seriously, all the best to Gully because he deserves it.

Another storyline to watch for is Hunter Shinkaruk‘s revenge. If he cracks Calgary’s youth-infused lineup next season, Canucks fans might finally see what they could have had in the feisty forward. A 20-plus goal season in red for Hunter would hurt real bad. Based on his post-trade interviews last season, he sure seems fired up enough to prove everybody wrong.

Plus, if he happens to be matched up against Markus Granlund for even one shift and he blows by him… boy, I can see the quick cuts by the sporting networks to Benning’s discomforted face already.

Last Season’s Record vs. Flames: 1-3-1, 13 GF, 20 GA

Next: December 3rd

Saturday, December 3rd  vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Canucks fans will get the chance to see Auston Matthews play a month earlier when the team visits Toronto, but a second one comes along in short order. With outstanding players such as Matthews, William Nylander and Morgan Reilly, to only name a few, watching the Leafs will soon become not only bearable but mesmerizing.

The Canucks are accustomed to being much, much better than the woeful Leafs. But things could change in the coming years, as the Leafs are being rebuilt in grand fashion and they have an impressive host of young talent coming up through the system. Plus, now they have a legitimate No. 1 goalie who will provide them with consistency and goal-tending excellence.

Canucks clubs of a few years ago would’ve consistently relished prime-time match-ups against the lowly Leafs but, as indicated by last season’s performances, everything is about to change for the foreseeable future. Like when the Toronto Blue Jays descend upon Safeco Field in Seattle every year, Leafs fans flock to Roger’s Arena every time the team travels there. A strong Leafs presence in the stands often means really entertaining chant battles and a strange clash of blue on blue, wherein one isn’t really sure which team is the dominant force.

Last Season’s Record vs. Leafs: 0-2-0, 4 GF, 9 GA

Next: December 10th

Saturday, December 10th @ Florida Panthers

The Panthers have their new military style logo and, as a team on the rise the last few years, a whole slew of new fans. They also have a few ex-Canucks in their lineup, including the newly-acquired Jared McCann. Why watch these games? The chance to see Jaromir Jagr play possibly one last time; reunion of Roberto Luongo with his former teammates; the inevitable scrutiny by analysts and media personalities over McCann vs. Erik Gudbranson.

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• Back to the future: How the skate uniforms became a regular Canucks’ feature night
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• 2nd period penalty trouble sinks Canucks in 4-2 loss against Winnipeg

Just like with Shinkaruk, I sincerely hope McCann doesn’t develop into a 20 or 30-goal scorer for the Panthers. By that point in the season, Canucks fans will know who won that trade. I like the acquisition of Gudbranson because it gives the Canucks more size and shut-down ability on their blue line, especially for penalty kill purposes. But, as a general rule, I lament the departure of any prospect or established player who has the potential to produce offensively.

That being said, McCann’s small frame might hamper his production. Again, as with Shinkaruk, Benning obiously saw something he thought would inhibit McCann’s game in its transition to the NHL level.

Maybe an in-depth comparison would prove differently but the Panthers are similar to the Canucks: very solid goaltending, youth-infused lineup, an excellent mix of veterans (especially once Keith Yandle arrives). Florida is what the Canucks should strive to be in the coming years and could potentially be if they surround their youth with the right veteran group — that’s what makes the Panthers an exciting team to watch. Throw in some more offensive producers to compliment the Sedins and you essentially have a Panthers-esque team on your hands.

Last Season’s Record vs. Panthers: 1-0-1, 7 GF, 7 GA

Next: December 20th/22nd

Tuesday, December 20th + Thursday, December 22nd vs. Winnipeg Jets

Another all-Canadian match-up here with the hard-hitting Winnipeg Jets. At least the two-game set will come on home ice and away from those noisy, ear-drum destroying Jets fans (a really amazing hockey atmosphere, by the way) so that Willie’s calls can actually be heard from the bench and the Sedins won’t have to rely solely on telepathy the whole game.

Also known as “the Patrik Laine show.” Most hockey minds are fairly certain Laine will make an immediate impact on an already youthful Jets club. Therefore, Canucks fans will get a chance to see the player they could’ve had in all his Finnish glory during this double match-up on home ice. Every time Laine puts the puck in the net, it will sting immensely. If he turns out to be the Jets’ version of Alex Ovechkin, the team won’t remain at the bottom of the league’s rankings for long. The Jets will undoubtedly be a team to watch for the next decade.

In a few years we may see a renaissance with all the Canadian hockey clubs. It’s happening already. Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto,

Edmonton

are all improving. Montreal is a contender right now but they need to fix some of their weaker areas. Vancouver will need to keep pace with their fellow Canadian teams but starting this season they’ll really get a taste of what the new hockey landscape in Canada will be.

Last Season’s Record vs. Jets: 0-3-0, 3 GF, 11 GA

Next: April 8th/9th

BONUS GAMES

A few other games of note:

First, Tuesday, March 11th at home versus the iconic Montreal Canadiens, who always put on a good show when they come to town. Might the behemoth centerman Logan Brown be in the opposing lineup? If the Canucks draft Pierre-Luc Dubois in the first round of this year’s draft and he cracks the opening day roster (unlikely but still possible), there will be some solid battles between the two pivots. Some scouts have Brown ranked as high as No. 5, so there’s a potential debate about who is the better face-off tactician.

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• Canucks send Jack Rathbone and Vasily Podkolzin down to Abbotsford
• Canucks acquire Ethan Bear, Lane Pederson from Carolina
• Brock Boeser, Curtis Lazar placed on injury reserve
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Second, on Saturday, March 11th the Stanley Cup champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins, stop by Vancouver on their way to defending their title. Sidney Crosby! Evgeni Malkin! Phil Kessel! Kris Letang! What’s not to like?

If the Canucks are in the thick of things come March, look for the California roadtrip — games against Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Jose — from the 2nd to 5th to be a gruelling test of their mettle and a true taste of the playoff hockey to come. Luckily the trip is sandwiched between two of the season’s lengthier home stands, so the Canucks will be well-rested for those tougher match-ups.

So, once again the Vancouver Canucks will travel more than the majority of the teams in the league but luckily they get a good variety of match-ups against both Western Conference teams outside their division, as well as Eastern Conference teams they used to not see for long periods of time — before the re-formatting of the league, that is.

Next: Vancouver Canucks Roundtable: The Final Draft Debate

Playing in the tough Pacific division will never be easy, what with the Ducks, Kings, and Sharks, not to mention the up-and-coming Flames and Coyotes. The Edmonton Oilers won’t be bad forever, as hilarious as that would be, so in order to keep pace with all the solid teams, the Canucks will need to improve their overall play (I know: an understatement, to be sure).