The Canuck Way Mailbag: Golden Knights, Markstrom, Myers, more
The Vancouver Canucks have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. Let’s get into your mailbag questions for this week.
It’s been a while since I’ve written about the Vancouver Canucks for The Canuck Way. Now I’m back in the fold and ready to answer questions from you, the fans!
It’s been an-up-and down week of Canucks hockey, from dropping two straight games on back-to-back nights to bouncing back in Games 5 and 6 to ultimately advance to the second round of the playoffs.
The Canucks surprised everyone by going toe-to-toe with the defending Stanley Cup champion, St. Louis Blues, and by coming out on top.
Young stars Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes have shown their meddle throughout and we’ve even seen unsung heroes like Tyler Motte step up to the plate and blast one out of the park. It’s been a fun ride, and all I know is that it’s great to be a Canucks fan right now.
So without further ado, let’s get to the mailbag!
The Vancouver Canucks have shown they can run with the big dogs. If they happen to get past the defending champions, do they have what it takes to knock out teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars?
— PP1 PODCAST (@ThePP1Podcast) August 21, 2020
The Canucks have shown an incredible ability to have players step up when needed and deliver goals and points. Now they are going up against arguably one of the best teams in the league in the Vegas Golden Knights.
They have had Vancouver’s number since entering the league in 2017-18, going unbeaten in 10 games (8-0-2). The Canucks have won two games — one in overtime and one in a shootout — but have never come away with a victory in regulation. That will have to change if they hope to get out of this series and into the final four.
As for your question, I think the Canucks have what it takes to beat the Golden Knights. Granted, they do not have the same depth offensively, but I really believe they have the great equalizer in Jacob Markstrom and the game-changing presences of Hughes and Pettersson to really challenge them in this series. It will be a tough battle, probably their toughest yet, but if there’s one thing this team has taught me in 2020, it’s to never count them out.
With both Tyler Myers (separated shoulder) and Tyler Toffoli (foot) out of the lineup, who would help this team win more games if/when they return? Why?
— Adam Dane (@AdamDane7) August 21, 2020
That’s a tough one since they both bring different things to the lineup. Tyler Toffoli brings skill and goal scoring to the top-six, not to mention experience, having won a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. He also gives head coach Travis Green more options when he puts his lines in a blender to change momentum. Additionally, the power play gets a boost with his return as well.
Tyler Myers‘ size and puck-moving abilities were sorely missed when he went down with an injury in Game 4 against the Blues. Say what you want about his propensity to take penalties, he brings something to the lineup that Jordie Benn doesn’t, and that’s size, reach and mobility. He is able to push the puck up to the forwards, and handle the bigger forwards on the opposing team, and that’s something the Canucks will need a lot of in the next series.
So to make a long story short, the Canucks could really use both in the upcoming series because they will need all the help they can get against the depth of the Golden Knights. Though, if I had to pick one, I would choose Myers because of his ability to move the puck up the ice as this series will be won and lost in the transition game.
Re-signing free agents
Would you consider re-signing Fantenberg and if so what would be the term/money you'd be comfortable with?
— Canucks Speakeasy (@CanucksSpeak) August 21, 2020
Oscar Fantenberg‘s performance in the postseason so far has been very impressive. He’s averaging 15:07 in ice time, leads all defencemen in hits with 18, and is a plus-one. He has quietly done his job as a member of the third pairing with Benn and has also done an admirable job of penalty killing too. So, all-in-all, he’s been a solid addition to the defence core since he was signed in the 2019 offseason as a free agent.
Everyone thought that he would be the seventh defenceman on the Canucks when he arrived, but like Alex Biega before him, he impressed Green enough to consistently get into the lineup. In fact, when Alex Edler returned from injury during the regular season, it was Benn that became a healthy scratch, not Fantenberg. Since then, he’s been a regular in the lineup and has deserved every second of ice time he has received from the coaching staff.
As you can tell by now, I am all for re-signing Fantenberg in the offseason. He is a solid number six/seven defenceman who isn’t afraid to throw the body and block shots, and he’s mobile too, which is just the icing on the cake for a depth defenceman.
I wouldn’t give more than a two-year term with a $1 to 2 million average annual value (AAV), though. With all the cap issues the Canucks are going to have in the offseason, you can’t spend too much on a bottom pairing defenceman, especially with cheap entry-level contracts arriving soon in Jack Rathbone and Olli Juolevi.
Who are the priorities to sign in the off-season? Markstrom? Tanev?
— Mcsuper🏒 (@Macusian12345) August 21, 2020
Keeping with the theme of re-signing players, I think Markstrom has to be a priority for general manager Jim Benning in the offseason. He has already shown his value to the team in the regular season and has just continued lt in the postseason. He is arguably the best goaltender left in the Western Conference bubble and could be the difference-maker in the upcoming series against the Golden Knights. Thatcher Demko will be a great goaltender in the NHL, but I still think he needs at least a couple of seasons as a backup before he takes the reigns.
Right now, Markstrom is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, and the Canucks cannot let him go quietly into the night as a free agent. His AAV will probably come in around $6.5 to 7 million, so it will be a struggle to fit him under the new flat salary cap, but it would be a mistake if Benning didn’t at least try to get something done.
Chris Tanev, who has stayed relatively healthy throughout the season and the playoffs, will be tough to fit in as well. He has been a warrior for the Canucks for a long time and is a key part of the run they are on right now. His leadership and connection to this young core cannot be overstated, and I think it would be a detriment to the locker room if he was allowed to leave. He won’t be cheap, and I’m sure other teams will be knocking on his door with more money and term, but I’m banking on a hometown discount from the man the young guns call “Dad”.
Outlook on defence
Looking at Canucks D for upcoming season, assuming camp goes well, Juolevi, Chatfield, Rafferty, Sautner, who makes Canucks, realistically which current Canuck D gets moved out, can Seattle factor in somehow, lots to unpack here
— CanuckJake16 (@CanuckJake16) August 21, 2020
The defence core could have a very different look next season, especially if Tanev is not re-signed. Juolevi has looked good since coming back from the long layoff and Brogan Rafferty just finished a season where he led all Utica Comets’ defencemen with 45 points, so they both will be pushing for spots. With the addition of Rathbone to the mix as well, the competition will be fierce when training camp for the 2020-21 season begins.
Ultimately, I think Juolevi will end up taking a spot on the blueline, considering he already has a taste of NHL hockey in a postseason game. I think he will take that experience and work hard to come back ready to take a permanent spot in the Canucks’ lineup.
Realistically, I see the Canucks parting ways with Benn and despite Troy Stecher’s strong playoff performance so far, Benning could be forced to trade him as well, as much as it pains me to say so. With the tight cap space he is dealing with, he may have to part ways with a few pieces that, in a perfect world would stay with the team going into the 2020-21 season.
As for the additional wrinkle of the Seattle Kraken, I think that warrants a whole article to unpack all the different scenarios that could happen. So I will leave the answer to that question for later.
Keeping with the theme of defence prospects, Jett Woo is someone I am really excited to see in the NHL one day. His combination of size, skating and physicality is something the Canucks really don’t have in their lineup right now. Even though he took a step back offensively with the Calgary Hitmen in 2019-20, I still think he has a lot of potential at the NHL level.
Woo was given a more defensive role and the Hitmen were not as skilled as the Moose Jaw Warriors, so his production obviously suffered. On the bright side, he did still finish with 46 points in 64 games, so it’s not like he didn’t produce in his final Western Hockey League season.
Woo will make the jump to the AHL with the Comets next season and could be paired with Rathbone on the top unit. His character and work ethic are off the charts, so I have no doubt that he will make positive strides in his development next season. He may need some AHL seasoning before we see him with the Canucks, but he’s just another exciting prospect to watch as the team continues to grow into a perennial Stanley Cup contender.
Next. Canucks: The fans waited a long time for this. dark
That wraps up another edition of The Canuck Way mailbag. It’s great to be back, as the Canucks get ready for the second round and the Golden Knights on Sunday.