Vancouver Canucks: 3 takeaways from 4-1 loss in Carolina

Beaten, tired and battered, the Vancouver Canucks just didn’t have anything against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night. Here are three things we learned from their 4-1 road loss.

The Vancouver Canucks didn’t have much of an effort against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but they were even worse against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. Brock Boeser, Chris Tanev and Markus Granlund were all out with injuries, and the Canucks lack of depth up front and on defence were exposed. Again.

Carolina has defined mediocrity this season, but they sure looked like the Hurricanes squad that won the Stanley Cup in 2006. They registered 33 shots on the Canucks, while allowing just 22. Vancouver didn’t generate many decent scoring chances in this one. That’s what happens when you rely so much on 37-year-old twins to carry the offence.

Vancouver has now lost four consecutive games, and it won’t get any easier when they visit the red-hot Dallas Stars on Sunday afternoon. That’s for another day, though. Here are three takeaways from their loss to Carolina.

Frustration is boiling in

It’s hard to believe that this Canucks team was in the playoff race through the first couple two months of the season. They’ve won just nine games since December. Four of them happened between Jan. 23 and Feb. 1. In short: This is just becoming an unacceptable mess with no light at the end of the tunnel right now.

How bad has it gotten? Instead of using the common “one game at a time” cliches, the Canucks aren’t holding back their true feelings:

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Not fair for Troy Stecher to blame himself in this one. The offence hasn’t changed at all with new head coach Travis Green. The blue line is starting to make its case as the least NHL-caliber, and this is not an exaggeration.

For the fourth time in five years, the Canucks are limping to the finish line — simply hoping they’ll be provided with some draft lottery luck. Remember the days when this team was competing for the top seed in the Western Conference? How times have changed.

Thomas Vanek’s hurting his trade value

The NHL trade deadline is just over two weeks away, and Thomas Vanek is choosing the right time to go through a cold streak. He’s been held pointless in his last three games now, and has just two points in his last seven games.

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Remember, the trade market has more marquee names available. This list includes Evander Kane, Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk, Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and Mike Hoffman, among others. It’s not easy for Vanek to stand out from the rest of them.

Teams have been scared of trading for Vanek over the years, due to his inconsistent postseason play and reputation for being a streaky player. And two weeks before the deadline, he is being just that — a streaky player.

If the Canucks are planning to trade Vanek, they’ll have to get more out of him. Other general managers are watching, and can’t feel enticed to give up much for him if this slump continues.

On the bright side…

The Canucks are now just eight points ahead of the 30th-place Buffalo Sabres, who have been playing better hockey as of late. The Ottawa Senators trail Vancouver by just one point for 28th in the league. Meanwhile, other struggling squads like the Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers continue to distance themselves from the Canucks.

In short: Vancouver is looking like they could very well wind up as a bottom-three team, maybe even worse. Though they may not win the draft lottery, finishing at least 29th is vital. The furthest they could move down to is the sixth spot.

Next: Canucks must make a decision on these draft picks

Basically, the Canucks are doing a fine job of ensuring they’ll likely land a top-five pick in the draft. And with every loss, their chances of winning the Rasmus Dahlin sweepstakes grow. That’s one positive for Vancouver Canucks fans.