The Vancouver Canucks announced Friday that defenceman Noah Juulsen would miss approximately 12 weeks after undergoing a lower-body operation, and though he had become a key part of the team as the season grew longer, the Canucks will have no problem finding a Juulsen replacement.
Juulsen, 27, failed to record a goal or an assist in his 35 appearances for the Canucks this season. His modus operandi, of course, is to throw hits, block shots, and kill penalties. There are no problems with that, but at the same time, it is not exactly a surprise that the Canucks have struggled to score as badly as they have when they feature multiple players of Juulsen's profile.
The good news for the Canucks is that they have put their heads together to bring in some defencemen capable of filling the void. Between the recently acquired Victor Mancini, prospect defenceman Elias Pettersson, and Carson Soucy, the Canucks have a variety of players they can insert into the lineup on a permanent basis.
Soucy, a top trade target, can either continue to bolster his trade value or try to save his Canucks career with further improved performances. For Mancini and Pettersson, NHL experience will be extremely valuable for the two youngsters, who have played just 26 combined NHL games.
With Pettersson recording his first point of the season on Feb. 2 against Detroit - incidentally Juulsen's last appearance of the season - both he and Mancini have produced more offence than Juulsen has this season. That alone is an upgrade, and we can figure that both players will only continue to improve in this area over time, especially if the Canucks can make some upgrades at the forward position.
Soucy will be a name to watch during the NHL trade deadline, but Pettersson appears to already nailed down his place in the lineup. That leaves Mancini and Soucy to battle with veteran Derek Forbort who, like Juulsen, is a pending unrestricted free agent.
For the Vancouver Canucks, the future is now.