It was the least bit pretty for the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night in the Sunshine State. There are few positives from this game, but three key takeways from their 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers.
The Vancouver Canucks sure did a good job in making the Florida Panthers — eight points out of the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference — look like a legitimate playoff contender on Tuesday evening.
Old friend Roberto Luongo sat this one out, and a Panthers team that’s lacked both scoring punch and reliable defence sure dominated the Canucks in every possible aspect. Side note: Erik Gudbranson did nothing to enhance his trade value.
The Canucks are lucky they only lost 3-1, because it really felt like the scoreboard read 10-1. On the bright side, Vancouver is now 28th in the NHL standings. They’re getting a little bit closer to securing a top-five pick in this year’s stacked draft class.
Now, let’s dive into three things we learned from the 3-1 loss.
Erik Gudbranson needs a new home
Gudbranson is among the more notable names on the trade block, but general manager Jim Benning said that the team would like to extend the 6-foot-5 defenceman, per Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.
Sorry Mr. Benning, but you need to trade Gudbranson, out of respect for the man himself. The third-overall pick from 2010 has had the time to prove he’s worth staying in Vancouver. He’s not. It’s time to trade Gudbranson and let him reset his value as he nears free agency on July 1st.
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Gudbranson struggled all over the ice on Tuesday. This graph presented last week also outlines why it’s a no-brainer to trade him:
Erik Gudbranson is having a horror season and if the Canucks are really getting any kind of offers for him I will weep afresh for the sport I love. pic.twitter.com/cpMt3WBTxJ
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) January 30, 2018
Please, Jim Benning. This is a contract year for you. Do not overpay to keep a bottom-pairing defenceman that will not reach his full potential here. Just do the smart thing and deal him to a team that needs the physicality and toughness for a playoff run.
Jacob Markstrom needs a rest
Once again, Jacob Markstrom was up to the challenge and did his job in trying to keep the Canucks in this one. He stopped 37 of 39 shots faced, but the struggling Canucks offence couldn’t buy him more than a goal.
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Markstrom has started the last six games, while Anders Nilsson hasn’t played since the Jan. 21 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
By the way, Nilsson played fine in that game by allowing just one goal in 35 shots.
Before this season (Markstrom’s already played in 40 games), his career high was 33. Head coach Travis Green needs to think about giving Markstrom a little more rest. He’s being outworked way too much, thanks to a very unproductive defence.
Nilsson hasn’t performed as well as Markstrom, but he certainly is good enough to not be given a two-week rest.
Green needs to let Nilsson play at least every four games at this point. Markstrom hasn’t been terrible by any means. But Green is playing with fire by overplaying a guy who has already surpassed his career high in games played by a wide margin. Give Nilsson some more starts.
Once again…no scoring depth
This has been one of my three “key takeaways” many times throughout the season. But I refuse to stop using it until the problem is addressed. When the Sedin twins, Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat have quit and unproductive nights, somebody else has to score.
Okay, fine. Markus Granlund tallied his eighth of the year and workhorse Brandon Sutter registered the only assist. But shouldn’t $6 million man Loui Eriksson do a little bit more scoring? What about youngster Jake Virtanen or speedy forward, Sam Gagner?
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There’s a little too much talent over the top-nine for the Canucks scoring to be this putrid. Coach Green is going to have to continue experimenting with new lines, and he’s going to have to start changing up the system a bit. Making your top-five forwards carry the load is not a recipe to get any better.