Vancouver Canucks: 5 bold predictions for 2019-20

5. Canucks finish top 10 in goals against

The Canucks haven’t finished as a top 10 defensive team (in terms of goals against), since the 2011-12 season. They won the Presidents’ Trophy that year after allowing just 198 goals (fourth-fewest in the league).

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The best Vancouver has finished in goals against in the past seven years? 12th overall — back in the 2012-13 season when they surrendered 121 in the 48-game lockout-shortened season. The lack of responsible play in their own end has been Vancouver’s most glaring weakness over the past seven years. No question about it.

Well, Benning finally decided to make some major changes on the back end. It was long overdue. Ben Hutton and Derrick Pouliot have moved on, and he signed Oscar Fantenberg, Jordie Benn and Tyler Myers in free agency.

Criticize the Myers signing all you want, but his toughness and decent offensive skills will be extremely useful. Benn carried a superb 53.4 Corsi For percentage last season, and he recorded 128 blocked shots along with 124 hits. That’s the ideal stay-at-home defenceman this team has needed for quite some time.

And of course, Alexander Edler and Chris Tanev will continue to eat up valuable minutes in the top four and on the penalty kill. Rookie Quinn Hughes promises to bring some much-needed offence from the blue line. Troy Stecher is coming off the best season of his career, and he should be able to build off it.

This blue line has a nice mix of reliable toughness, physicality, smarts and skill. And when all is said and done, the Vancouver’s defence will go from a perennial weakness to a major strength in 2019-20. They’ll finish top 10 in goals against this season. My educated less? They’ll allow just 232 — a nice drop from the 254 from last season.