The Canuck Way Mailbag: Boeser, Gaudette, projected lineups, more
The Vancouver Canucks’ roster looks to be set for the 2020-21 season barring an unforeseen salary dump. That and more was the focus of this week’s mailbag!
This was not a big week for Vancouver Canucks news. The only thing that happened was a minor re-signing of defenceman Guillaume Brisebois. He will more than likely be a callup rather than a mainstay on the blue line, so it was not a very noteworthy development.
Discussions on social media have centered around the Canucks 2020-21 roster, Benning’s inability to move salary, and the inevitable extension of head coach Travis Green’s contract. Even though they still need more depth in both the forward and defensive ranks, it looks like they will be skating into the upcoming season with what they have right now.
That could present some problems down the road, but if the rookies and underperforming veterans step up their game, they may have enough in the tank to make the playoffs.
With all that said, let’s get to some more of your questions!
The Canucks don’t have the same experienced roster depth they had last season, but if rookies like Olli Juolevi, Nils Hoglander and Jack Rathbone step up and have a seamless transition to the NHL, they should be good enough to compete.
However, if injuries rear their ugly head, they may not have the bodies to fill the holes. Then again, they do have Kole Lind, Marc Michaelis, Jalen Chatfield, Ashton Sautner and Jayce Hawryluk as potential options.
So to answer your question, I think they will be in the thick of things throughout the season, but only if injuries don’t become a significant factor. If anyone from the top-six forward group or top-four defence core gets injured, it may get a little dicey because they do not have anyone on the roster to replace a player like Elias Pettersson or Quinn Hughes. If that happens (knock on wood), the Canucks will be attempting to fit a square peg into a round hole with the options they have available on the current roster.
If Tanner Pearson is traded and the Canucks are forced to bet on Sven Baertschi regaining his form in the NHL, things could get a little scary. However, if Baertschi can play the same game he displayed in the AHL with the Utica Comets last season, he could be a Bill Masterton Trophy candidate by the end of the 2020-21 season.
During Brock Boeser’s rookie season in 2017-18, Baertschi had 14 goals and 29 points playing on the top line with Bo Horvat and the aforementioned Boeser, so he has shown some chemistry with them in the past.
The BBB line could be a very formidable second line behind the MVP line of J.T. Miller, Jake Virtanen and Pettersson. Except both those lineup projections are gambling on the assumption that Baertschi and Virtanen are capable of playing consistent top-six roles. I’m not sure that’s a gamble Green and Benning will be willing to take.
I want Baertschi to have another chance in the NHL, so I for one want to see him come to training camp and put on a show for management and the coaching staff. He has to play the Tyler Motte and Adam Gaudette role and force their hand into trading or waiving another veteran on the roster to accommodate him in the lineup. He basically has to reverse his fortunes from last season and be the one inside the circle rather than on the outside looking in.
And how much worse are the other pairings if they are not split up?
— DSto (@DSto2) October 31, 2020
Our first two-for-one question of the mailbag! The Canucks are definitely stronger with the addition of Nate Schmidt, but not necessarily paired with Hughes on the top pairing. With all the eggs in one basket, Tyler Myers and Alex Edler would be the second pairing and either Juolevi or Rathbone would fill out the bottom pairing with Jordie Benn.
With them separated, it could be Hughes and Myers on the top unit, followed by Edler and Schmidt and finally Rathbone or Juolevi and Benn finishing it off.
Looking at that lineup, it will all depend on how Myers plays with Hughes five-on-five for an entire season. He was good in spurts with him when the Canucks were trailing, but I’m not convinced he would be a good option as a regular long-term partner. If he does adjust well enough, they could have a very formidable and balanced top-four.
So to fully answer both your questions, the Canucks are better with Schmidt and Hughes on the top pairing only if Myers can’t play a regular shift with the dynamic sophomore defenceman. If he can’t, they are better off loading up their top pairing with two of their best defencemen and reuniting Edler with his former partner.
Boeser, Gaudette and Aquilini
Is Brock Boeser still capable of being a 30 goal guy, or does it seem more likely he’ll pitch in 20-25 a season?
— Brayden Ursel (@bkursel23) October 30, 2020
I think if Boeser can stay healthy and play some 82-game seasons, he definitely has the potential of becoming a consistent 30-goal scorer. Having said that, he does need to start shooting more from prime scoring areas in order to reach that potential. There were many times in the past two seasons where he has passed up a shot in favour of a pass. He has a lethal one-timer and precise wrist shot (evidenced by his perfect accuracy at the All-Star Game), but we have not seen it since his rookie season.
Boeser has become a more well-rounded player, but to be a goal scorer in the NHL, you have to shoot the puck! His defensive game and playmaking abilities have come through in the last two seasons, but he’s much more valuable to the Canucks if he’s scoring goals, especially if he’s in the top-six and on the power play. Though, even if he becomes a consistent 20-25 goal scorer, it’s not the end of the world.
Can Adam Gaudette be a top-six forward as a winger, or do you see the Canucks grooming him as a third line centre?
— PP1 PODCAST (@ThePP1Podcast) October 30, 2020
Gaudette is capable of being a threat in the top-six as a winger, but he’s much more valuable as a third-line center. As I’ve said in the past, he just needs some skilled players on his line that are not named Brandon Sutter and Antoine Roussel. We saw in the playoffs that he does not play well with grinders, so the Canucks need to give him some skill to work in the form of Nils Hoglander and Zack MacEwen. With both of them flanking him, he should be able to generate a lot more offence from the third line.
However, in order to do that, he has to learn how to win faceoffs more consistently. Without the puck, his skilled linemates will just be chasing the puck around in their own zone rather than creating chances at the other end of the ice. A third line does not need to be full of checkers to be an effective energy unit. If you have the puck, the other team does not. It’s not rocket science.
So basically I’m saying the Canucks are grooming him to be a third-line center, but he will only be a great one if he’s winning faceoffs and playing with some capable wingers.
It's been rumored that Benning was unable to make moves b/c of ownership's oversight. Some say he wouldn't on his own due to big spending next offseason. What, in your opinion, is the reason Van's offseason didn't go as planned?
— Joe (@JoeTek99) October 30, 2020
I don’t think Benning could have spent a lot this offseason on free agents regardless of any restrictions placed on him by ownership. He knows how much money he’s going to have shell out on Pettersson and Hughes’ future contracts, so he’s probably smart not to handcuff himself with any rich long-term contracts.
Having said that, it is kind of strange that the Canucks could not match the contracts Tyler Toffoli and Josh Leivo got from the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames respectively in free agency.
Both of them were reasonable short-term deals with budget-friendly cap hits. Also, every contract they have signed this offseason has not gone over two years, so the rumours could be true after all. Regardless, it may pay off in the long run for Benning, as he will have a lot more money to work with next offseason having not fallen into the trap of free agency.
The Canucks’ offseason has not gone according to plan because of the mistakes of the past and the uncertain economic landscape due to the pandemic. If Benning had not signed Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, Brandon Sutter, and Antoine Roussel to overpriced contracts, they would have a lot more wiggle room under the cap.
Also if COVID-19 did not cast its shadow across the world, the business side of the game would not be in question. But this is the world we live in right now, and Benning and his staff will just have to learn to navigate around it.
Next. The Canucks will rely on their young core to produce offensively. dark
That brings us to the end of another The Canuck Way mailbag. We are now at the beginning of November and firmly entrenched in the dog days of the offseason. Hopefully, we have some new stuff to talk about next week. Follow us @FSTheCanuckWay for more news and analysis, and as always, stay tuned for the tweet announcing our next one.