Vancouver Canucks: Travis Green knows next season will be tough
Jason Botchford from The Province spoke with Travis Green about his team’s roster. There will be challengers, but the coach is optimistic that his squad will fight through it.
I have to give it to Travis Green. Despite his team’s season concluding in April, he’s been hard at work. Seriously, how many coaches in this league have this much influence on roster acquisitions? Travis can laugh off the insinuations all he wants, but these recent moves have a coach’s stink all over them. And the Vancouver Canucks should know that.
Jason Botchford sat down with the Canucks bench boss, discussing all sorts of things. Regarding the club’s dire need for offence, he had this to say.
"“Do I worry about that? Yes, I do,” Green admitted. “You need to score goals. You hope from within guys are going to come back and be better players.“Not all of the players people call our ‘young guys’ are really, really young anymore. This is their time. You’d better be ready to go.”"
Green isn’t stupid. He understands how much offence was lost between the Sedins and Thomas Vanek. The coach obviously wants more from his players and we all know who he is referring to with that last line.
This is make or break for players like Ben Hutton and Derrick Pouliot. Those players in particular are entering their estimated prime years and need to show a lot more if they are part of the long-term solution.
We could add Nikolay Goldobin, Jake Virtanen and Brendan Leipsic to that list. Although, I’m willing to cut a little more slack for 22-year-old players, especially when they hardly receive extending opportunites. Those pesky vets can get in their way for better or worse. The problem is one of those three players is likely on the way out and we know it’s not Virtanen or Leipsic.
Creating or closing opportunities?
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One thing I do like about Travis Green is how often he challenges his players (most of the time). Sometimes, his stubbornness feels out of place, but his high expectations for the offseason extend beyond the young guys.
Green wants all of his vets to ramp up their training this summer. He understands that speed is so important in this league and lagging behind will not cut it anymore. The vets are being addressed directly, but again this applies to Hutton and Pouliot, whose fitness levels were called out last year. One thing that stood out to me was the final quote from Green in the article.
"“Their work ethic and the way they play is going to be contagious. I think that helps young guys with compete level. There’s going to be tough times, but what I do like about the guys we signed is they compete. And you need that. We will need to scratch and claw.”"
Contagious work ethic isn’t something new from an NHL coach. Travis is just excited about his new acquisitions, after all. Green talks about the competition at camp this year elsewhere in the article. However, you aren’t creating competition when there is no chance that certain players can lose a spot.
Maybe, just maybe we will see change
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. When the Canucks waive one of their veterans for a more deserving, younger player, they will receive the benefit of the doubt. Until then, I remain skeptical. Compete is nice and all, but when you live in a world of vague descriptions, you are not held accountable. Last year, the team’s slogan was “Compete is in our nature.” Poor grammar aside, do you know what else was natural for the Canucks during that season? Losing.
I respect the fact that Green isn’t sugar coating it. He knows, next year will be a challenge. I’m not sure if the new fourth line players will make an appreciable difference, but that will be up to Travis to answer when the time comes.
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I like the honesty, even if I disagree with some of his points. It’s always a struggle with the traditional coaching mentality, but perhaps Green will find a new way to adapt. He will have to if his team wants any hope of being more than a footnote by the end of the season.