VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 03: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Vancouver Canucks skates the puck againsts Evgenii Dadonov #63 of the Las Vegas Golden Knights during the second period in NHL action on April, 03, 2022 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
There isn’t a lot of news surrounding the Vancouver Canucks at the moment. It’s the dog days of summer folks and it’s blazing hot in Vancouver and British Columbia.
While the Canucks are talked about endlessly on social media and Sportsnet 650, other Vancouver sports teams’ seasons are in full swing. Sports fans in Vancouver have flocked to Nat Bailey Stadium to catch the Canadians, the Langley Events Centre to watch the Fraser Valley Bandits or BC Place to watch a BC Lions game or a Vancouver Whitecaps match.
The Whitecaps on Wednesday won their second Canadian Championship title as they beat Toronto FC in a thrilling game that went to penalties in front of over 24,000 at BC Place. I was covering that game for the Area 51 Sports Network and even got to watch the penalty shootout on the sidelines.
That was an experience I will never forget. That was also one of a few reasons why I took a few days off from writing about the Canucks. Our contributors have also taken some time off for various reasons. It’s summer after all.
Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten my duties here at TheCanuckWay.
So with August approaching, here are five questions heading into the season for the Canucks.
#1: Will the defence be fixed before the season starts?
Yeah, this is the big one.
Unfortunately, the Canucks defensive core is the same as last season. That’s not a good thing. The Canucks going into next season with the same defence would be unacceptable, especially considering how poor they were last season. (Especially with the breakouts)
But Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford admitted that fixing the defence has been harder than expected.
“We have to address our defence, which has been harder to do in the offseason,” said Rutherford on Wednesday’s edition of the Bob McCown Podcast. “There were some defencemen available in free agency, it didn’t work for us, whether it was term or what they were looking for. It appears that it’s going to take longer to address the defence than we would have liked. We’re going to have to do it through trades.”
Rutherford also said it’s all about finding the right partner to trade with.
“We need to do more than what we’ve done, but you can only do things if you have a partner to do it,” he said.
So it looks like changes to the defence could happen but it will be tough. We all know the Canucks need help on the right side. They were linked to the Carolina Hurricanes’ Ethan Bear before free agency and John Marino of the Pittsburgh Penguins in trade rumours. But Bear re-signed with the Carolina Hurricanes to a one-year deal worth 2.2 million dollars and Marino was traded to the New Jersey Devils for Ty Smith and a 2023 third-round pick.
So the Canucks have to go for other options. They have been linked to some interesting names.
I don’t see the fit because Klingberg is turning 30 this year and even if the Canucks did have the cap space for him, signing a 30-year-old to a big contract is always a risk. (Update: on Friday morning, it was reported that Klingberg will sign a one-year deal worth seven million dollars with the Anaheim Ducks.)
Now, this would be an excellent get. Dobson is 22 and coming off a 51-point season. He still has a ton of upside and would be the perfect long-term partner for Quinn Hughes due to his ability to excel on both ends of the rink.
However, I don’t see the Islanders moving him and would be surprised if they do because he is the future of their blue line. Kuzma suggested J.T. Miller could be involved in a trade for Dobson. But they would have to give up more than just Miller. Players like Jack Rathbone and Nils Höglander would probably have to go to Long Island for Dobson.
It is tempting and the Canucks should kick tires if Dobson is on the trade block. I could be wrong but it doesn’t look like he is. But remember, Lou Lamoriello traded Devon Toews for two second-round picks so it is not impossible.
Looks like the Canucks will have to find the right partner and offer if they want to acquire a right-handed defenceman before the season starts in October.
Mar 17, 2022; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Tanner Pearson (70) intercepts the mishandled puck from Detroit Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (39) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Detroit won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports /
#2: Will a forward (or two) be moved out before the season starts?
One way to get help for the defence is to get rid of a forward. They can potentially get futures for one too.
Here is how the Canucks projected forward lineup for opening night from Matt Sekeres of the Sekeres and Price show,
Of course, Miller’s name is the biggest name for trade bait but talks have been quiet. Conor Garland is also one but he should be traded only for the right offer. Tanner Pearson is an ideal piece to trade but the question is, will there be any interest in him? Jason Dickinson as a likely healthy scratch wouldn’t be ideal but it is very unlikely he gets traded.
It also doesn’t look right seeing Vasily Podkolzin on the third line. He progressed well in his rookie season and playing him in the top six could help him get to the next level. Höglander is also looking to bounce back after a tough sophomore campaign. It doesn’t look right seeing him on the fourth line.
Trading a forward or two could also elevate Podkolzin and Höglander in the lineup. But could the Canucks actually do it? Let’s find out.
#3: How will the newcomers do?
The Canucks did bring in a bunch of players in free agency. The most notable ones are Curtis Lazar, Ilya Mikheyev and Dakota Joshua.
The one that will be under the microscope is Mikheyev. The speedy Russian winger signed a four-year deal worth 4.75 million dollars per season with the Canucks. But will he build off his 21-goal season and live up to his contract? Mikheyev was signed to bring scoring and some defensive stability to the top six. Could he live up to expectations?
The Canucks hope Lazar is the defensive penalty-killing centre
Joshua is an interesting player. Apparently, Rutherford is quite fond of him which he told CHEK TV’s, Rick Dhaliwal.
Rutherford thinks F Dakota Joshua should be on line 3 or 4, he really likes this player.
Joshua is a player that brings some snarl and physicality to the Canucks fourth line. I feel like this is a player that could potentially become a fan favourite. He seems like a player that could also be a pest on the fourth line.
EDMONTON, AB – APRIL 29: Goaltender Spencer Martin #30 of the Vancouver Canucks skates against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at Rogers Place on April 29, 2022 in Edmonton, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images) /
#4: Will Spencer Martin prove to be a capable backup?
Spencer Martin was traded to the Canucks from the Tampa Bay Lightning last summer for future considerations and frankly, it looked like he would be goaltending depth in Abbotsford.
However, he got called up to the NHL for the first time when the Canucks were dealing with COVID-19. The best part is that he did well. Martin had a 3-0-3 record with a 1.74 goals against average and a .950 save percentage. Not bad for a guy who hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2016-17 season.
The Canucks signed Martin to a one-way, two-year contract shortly before last season ended. So they have confidence he can be a capable backup to Thatcher Demko. Demko played 64 games last season and which was third-most in the NHL and he started 61 games which were the fifth most in the NHL.
The Canucks cannot overplay Demko again and Martin needs to prove he can handle the backup role. This time, he needs to prove it over a whole season. Luckily for Martin, he will continue to learn under goaltending coach Ian Clark who is a master at teaching goalies.
#5: Does Jack Rathbone stick around in the NHL this time?
Rathbone looked like he was ready for the NHL last season. However, he only played nine games with the Canucks. With Abbotsford, it was clear he was too good for the AHL. Rathbone had 40 points in 39 AHL games.
This preseason and training camp is a big test for Rathbone. Will he prove that he belongs in the NHL? He has the offensive skills but the one thing that Rathbone needs to work on was his play away from the puck.
It could be a make-or-break year for Rathbone. If he doesn’t make the NHL this year, it will be disappointing to see him in Abbotsford again. Hopefully, Rathbone learned a lot from last year.
Next. What’s in store for Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s second year with the Canucks?. dark
What other questions surround the Canucks heading into next season? Let me know in the comments below!
