The Canuck Way Mailbag: Playoff chances, Olympics, Ennis, more

As much as Canucks fans want me to say yes, the reality is his chances are quite slim. They’re not impossible, but they’re really not that great either.

I’m not trying to knock on Horvat. He’s a very talented two-way player. But when it comes to Team Canada and the Olympics, there is just so much talent to choose from. The nation could seriously deploy a second team and still have a realistic chance at winning gold.

Sportsnet’s early roster predictions have Mathew Barzal and Mark Scheifele as the extra skaters, and the list doesn’t even include players like Ryan O’Reilly, Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin and Logan Couture.

That’s just too much talent for Horvat to overcome. He’ll need an incredible 40 games to start the season. One with MVP calibre statistics, along with a slew of injuries that forces Canada to reach deep.

Odds: 10%.

According to reports, the Canucks have their eyes on Tyler Ennis.

The word on the street is that Ennis could soon be on the receiving end of a professional tryout (PTO) and, personally, I’m all for a little bit of friendly competition.

The Canucks haven’t shied away from PTO’s in recent years. It’s a good way to get the blood flowing at training camp, and it makes the players know their roster spot isn’t always guaranteed.

As for Ennis, he’s a player I believe is often overlooked, but he’s also a guy who can still contribute points in a pinch. With Tyler Motte unlikely ready to start the regular season, why not give Ennis a shot to make the team?

I hope they sign him.

That about does it for this edition of The Canuck Way mailbag! As always, it’s been a pleasure answering your questions and I look forward to when we do this all again. Keep an eye out on Twitter for our next mailbag tweet so that you can get in on the action!