The Vancouver Canucks have been slumping since the beginning of November, and the GM and head coach should be feeling the heat as 2019 winds down.
After a dominating 8-3-1 showing in the month of October, the Vancouver Canucks appeared to be a completely different team compared to the last few that often unraveled in November.
But sure enough, the club continued its inexplicable struggles in the second month of the season. They picked up just five wins in November, and the team is struggling with a mere 3-5-0 record in December — with two of those victories coming in overtime.
Vancouver has quickly fallen out of the Pacific Division crown, too. Entering play on Thursday, they sit eight points behind the first-place Arizona Coyotes, six behind the No. 3 seed Edmonton Oilers and four behind the Calgary Flames for the final wild card spot.
Everything was clicking for the Canucks in October, but they now rank just 13th in goals for per game (3.08), and 15th in goals allowed per contest (3.06). The Lotto Line simply isn’t dominating as much these days, although regression was inevitable.
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Captain Bo Horvat (and the second line in general) has struggled big-time as well. The 24-year-old only has three even strength goals this season, and though Horvat should turn it around soon, the revolving door of wingers for him isn’t helping matters offensively.
Add up all the struggles for Vancouver, and you can see why the blame game is shifting towards head coach Travis Green and general manager Jim Benning. There were plenty of calls for both to be fired after Tuesday’s 3-1 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
Green can only warrant so much blame, since Benning is the one who constructed this roster. But the coach’s system isn’t working, and the club doesn’t look much better than the 2017-18 or 2018-19 versions that Green oversaw.
There’s no denying this year’s team has far more talent and depth, and if Green can’t get the most out of it, then it’s easy to believe that a coaching change could be in order. Look at how it worked for the St. Louis Blues last season, and how it’s fared for the Toronto Maple Leafs thus far.
At the same time, Benning is the one who handcuffed the club with a serous cap problem. Loui Eriksson‘s deal remains a serious burden. Benning is now struggling to dump the final two years of Sven Baertschi‘s deal, and the Tyler Myers contract already looks like a serious long-term concern.
Benning is now in his sixth season as general manager, and the rebuild has not progressed as much as we had hoped for. Green isn’t showing much improvement compared to his first two years as an NHL bench boss.
As the calendar turns to a new decade, both the GM and the head coach should be feeling the heat. If the Canucks miss the playoffs for a fifth straight year, it’s reasonable to think that the Aquilini family will be making serious changes.
No pressure at all, Mr. Green and Mr. Benning. You only have to find a way to get this team to the playoffs, and there’s still more than half a season left.