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Canucks: Big questions heading into the offseason

By Joshua Rey

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - AUGUST 30: Jacob Markstrom #25 of the Vancouver Canucks makes the save on Nick Cousins #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 30, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
EDMONTON, ALBERTA - AUGUST 30: Jacob Markstrom #25 of the Vancouver Canucks makes the save on Nick Cousins #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 30, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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EDMONTON, ALBERTA – AUGUST 30: Jacob Markstrom #25 of the Vancouver Canucks makes the save on Nick Cousins #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 30, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
EDMONTON, ALBERTA – AUGUST 30: Jacob Markstrom #25 of the Vancouver Canucks makes the save on Nick Cousins #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on August 30, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

The Vancouver Canucks’ offseason has just begun and there are some questions that need to be answered in the coming weeks.

After bowing out in seven games to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round, the Vancouver Canucks once again face an interesting offseason. With the flat salary cap and the Roberto Luongo cap recapture penalty not helping, the Canucks are in for an offseason full of tough decisions.

Here are some questions the Canucks have to answer heading into the offseason.

How are they going to fix the defence?

It’s not rocket science that the Canucks defence needs to be improved. Other than Quinn Hughes, the Canucks defence was pretty shaky throughout the playoffs and the regular season.

Chris Tanev is a UFA and Troy Stecher is an RFA.  I don’t think they are both going to return in my opinion and Jim Benning is going to have to decide upon which defenceman to keep and which one he has to let go.

Tanev’s agent Wade Arnott per TSN 1040 insider Rick Dhaliwal says that he wants to stay in Vancouver and that is still his goal.

Dhaliwal also reported that there were casual talks with Stecher’s camp throughout the season.

What also needs to be addressed is the right side. Do the Canucks bring in someone like Brogan Rafferty or Jalen Chatfield to fill that spot? Or do they make a trade for a defenceman who could play the right side or sign one through free agency?

The Canucks have to find creative ways to improve the defence this season and it should be very interesting to see how they do it.

Will we see the Markstrom and Demko tandem again?

Jacob Markstrom is arguably the biggest unrestricted free agent this year. However, Thatcher Demko’s performances in the last three games in the second round and the upcoming Seattle expansion draft have given Benning a lot to think about.

Does Vancouver re-sign Markstrom who has proven that he is a number one goaltender in this league and go with the 1A/1B tandem? Or will Markstrom’s demands be too much and they have to let him walk due to the cap? That would most likely force them to go with Demko as the starter full time.

This actually keeps me up at night and I think it will prevent Benning from getting some shut-eye as well. Decisions, decisions. So little cap space.

Dhaliwal spoke about this on Monday morning while guesting on TSN 1040’s morning show with Mike Halford and Jason Brough stating that the Canucks and Markstrom aren’t close to a deal.

The last we heard about his contract was before the qualifying round began when Benning said that the Canucks will figure something out with Markstrom and his contract.

Markstrom said himself that he would like to stay in Vancouver as well. We got a goalie dilemma here in Vancouver and let’s face it, Vancouver isn’t Vancouver without a goaltender controversy.

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