Vancouver Canucks roundtable: Scoring leaders, playoff chances, more

3. How optimistic are you about their chances of making the playoffs?

Scott Rosenhek

The Canucks won’t be matching last year’s finish, so what does that tell you? We all know the only way the Canucks make the playoffs is if a series of miracles take place. I don’t see Jacob Markstrom pulling off 40 wins anytime soon.

Nor do I see every member of their top six converting on 30% of their shots. Do you want odds? Vegas has 80-1 odds of the Canucks winning the Stanley Cup. So, I’ll guess they have about a 5% chance of making the playoffs.

Alex Hoegler

I don’t think the Canucks will be as bad as people believe; at least five teams will finish lower than them this year. However, a lot simply has to go right for the Canucks to make the playoffs. They need people not named Bo, Elias or Brock to score a lot of goals.

The continually inconsistent defence must become above-average. Markstrom needs to have a major breakout year that will probably never come, especially considering this will be Thatcher Demko‘s team down the road.

I’m expecting the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights to regress. I’m also expecting the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers to get back in the playoffs. Vancouver needs the Pacific Division to reach a new low, which isn’t happening. I’d give them a seven percent chance at the playoffs.

Andrew Nazareth

If Boeser, Horvat, and Baertschi improve on their offensive totals, and Pettersson comes as advertised, I wouldn’t put it past the Canucks to challenge for a wild card spot.

The Canucks would also need 30-plus points each from guys like Nikolay Goldobin, Loui Eriksson, and Brendan Leipsic, as well as solid overall team defence to have a fighting chance. These thresholds for playoff consideration are feasible for this team, but the odds are not in the Canucks favour if the preseason is any indication (which historically it isn’t).

Chris Faber

Not very. This team is still in rebuilding mode, and there should be no rush from anyone in the organization about making a playoff push.

I’m also not saying it is impossible. If everything were to go right for this team, the defence and goaltending were to hold up and young guys took great leaps in talent, then this team could chip away at making a wildcard spot. Likely, that will not all be coming true this season, and that is fine! Let’s load up on another high draft pick and build a team that competes for Stanley Cups down the road.

Tyler Shipley

Utterly not. Not in a thousand years. The Canucks will be lucky to not finish dead last. The disasters in Ottawa and Montreal are the only reason I’m not putting all my money on last-place.