Another week of no hockey for the Vancouver Canucks has come and gone, meaning it’s time for another edition of The Canuck Way mailbag. Plenty to talk about as nearly the entire Canucks roster has entered the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list. Let’s jump right in!
Will the Canucks play again this season?
— Ryan Hank (@always90four) April 2, 2021
Honestly, it’s hard to say at this point, but TSN’s Pierre LeBrun summed things up pretty nicely in a tweet. The main points being that the Canucks shut down will last longer than originally expected and that the NHL is still confident all 56 regular-season games will be played. View the entire list of expectations below.
Via sources, here is the latest on the Canucks outbreak. Again, hockey is secondary.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 3, 2021
There are 16 players and three coaches currently affected but that list is likely to grow.
More developments ⤵️@TSNHockey @TheAthletic pic.twitter.com/sAoh5ghJUc
The most important thing right now is the health of everyone involved. Getting the players, coaching staff and their families past this virus is the top priority, and anything and everything hockey-related can wait. But this does raise a lot of red flags in terms of Vancouver moving forward.
According to the latest news from TSN’s Darren Dreger, the total number of cases in the Canucks organization has surpassed 20, not including the family members of the hockey players who have also tested positive. It’s a scary situation with the Brazilian variant at play. Players experiencing vomiting, cramping and dehydration, with team medical staff entering the homes of players to set up an I.V. drip.
I don’t have the answers for you on this one, but I could see it being very difficult for the Canucks to find the proper motivation required of them to pull off a playoff comeback. They are currently in sixth place in the North Division, and this nasty bug could be what separates them from playoff contention.
Do you think this outbreak hinders their chances at making any deals at the deadline?
— Chris Roy (@C_Roy33) April 2, 2021
Obviously their heath and their families' health is more important than hockey, but it's a hockey topic so...
Without a doubt.
The NHL Trade Deadline is just eight days away, and the Canucks are currently in the early stages of quarantine. The virus will keep players off the ice until days after the deadline has already passed, and it’ll knock the infected players down a notch when it comes to their overall game speed.
Vancouver could still try and move players at the deadline who are not sick, but looking at the players who are on the COVID-19 protocol list, the Canucks don’t have much to work with. Nonetheless, Benning will be working the phones closer to April 12th.
Is there any chance of a 24 team play-in happening again if the season has to be cut short due to rising Covid cases? If there is indeed a chance, what would it take for this to happen?
— Bimjothaniel Jennington (@BroomOfLoui) April 3, 2021
I haven’t heard anything about a potential 24-team play-in happening again in the case of another COVID-19 pause that shuts down the season. However, I do know that before Canada got the green light on travel, the NHL was prepared to have the North Division meet inside another Edmonton bubble.
Looking at how serious this Canucks situation has become, I wouldn’t say something like this out of the question. With cases soaring across the nation, it might be something for the NHL to seriously consider, although it’s probably the last thing the players want to do.
For now, the NHL will likely try and find alternative routes to please the players. But if it comes down to it, the league is depending on their season to be completed, and that TV deal money is too rich to halt the season entirely. If it has to be done, the North division could find itself back inside the bubble.