The Vancouver Canucks are coming off of one of the most embarrassing seasons in recent history, which is saying something because they have been a perennial lottery team for the better half of the last decade. They suffered the worst COVID outbreak in the entire NHL season which sidelined them for nearly a month. This halt of play only rubbed salt on the wound because they were already completely out of the playoff picture. It’s safe to say that the organization wants to rid themselves of the stench that was last season.The prior year provided a glimmer of hope for the Canucks after they broke through and made it all the way to the second round of the playoffs in 2020. The front office has certainly been busy this summer with efforts to get them back on track towards Stanley Cup contention. They have moved on from over 10 players and prospects, while also bringing in a similar amount of new faces. However, a level of uncertainty still remains in Vancouver regarding team personnel, execution from the coaching staff, and fan attendance. Let’s explore the questions circling over the Canucks, and see if we as fans should be leaning towards an optimistic or pessimistic approach to the 2021-2022 season.
The biggest move Jim Benning made this offseason was bringing in the combination of Connor Garland and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The deal was done on the day of the NHL draft, which sent the bottom six forward trio of Jay Beagle, Antoine Roussel, and Loui Eriksson, as well as draft compensation including the ninth pick overall, and a second and seventh round pick in 2022 to Arizona. The Coyotes are also retaining twelve percent of Ekman-Larsson’s contract, which will now cost Vancouver around seven million dollars a season. Connor Garland projects to be a first or second line contributor for the Canucks’ elite offence. The real question stems from whether or not Oliver Ekman-Larsson can solidify the defense, which has been one of the Canucks’ most prevalent weaknesses as of late. As a team they ranked twenty sixth in goals against last season, which is a stat that must improve to at least league average if the Canucks want to make a postseason run. Adding Ekman-Larsson should hopefully improve their blueline, enough to make it to the playoffs, but his play has not been trending in the right direction as of late. He recorded one of his worst statistical seasons in years, which puts into question whether or not he can live up to the seven million dollars the Canucks owe him for the next 6 years. Jim Benning has made the bet that Oliver Ekman-Larsson will bounce back and return to form as a Norris caliber defenseman that can be an integral part of a Stanley Cup contender in the future.
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A side effect to trading for Oliver Ekman-Larson and Connor Garland is the salary cap situation for the Vancouver Canucks. Both Elias Petterson and Quinn Hughes have yet to be signed to contract extensions. These two young phenoms are arguably Vancouver’s best players right now, so it is paramount that they both get extended before hitting free agency. The new makeup of this roster may force Jim Benning’s hand to make some tough decisions regarding who they can afford to hold on to, and who they may need to move on from. They are currently stuck with Tyler Myers’ awful six million dollar contract, which seems virtually unmovable at this point. This leaves the Canucks with ten million dollars in cap space, which is not enough to sign both Petterson and Hughes while remaining under the cap. Players like Brock Boesser and Tanner Pearson may have to be moved if Vancouver wants to avoid paying the luxury tax. However, the Canucks have been notorious for waiting until the last minute to extend key players. We could expect Jim Benning to extend both Elias Petterson and Quinn Hughes as early as this weekend.
Preseason action is set to commence next week, with the beginning of the regular season slated for early October. Something that has been on the minds of Vancouverites for over a year now is when they will be allowed back into Rogers Arena to cheer on their favourite hockey team live and in person. At this point in time, the tentative plan for fan attendance in Vancouver is for a fifty percent capacity crowd. Proof of vaccination will be required for entry, as well as masks. While this is far from an ideal fan experience, but it is a step in the right direction for getting back to normal. If the Canucks end up qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs and if the restrictions ease up in 2022, we could return to a full house. It has yet to be seen how the team and the league at large will respond to positive COVID cases this year. If the updated protocols are similar to last year, fan attendance may fluctuate throughout the season in order to minimize risk.
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All of these questions regarding the Vancouver Canucks are likely to be answered sooner rather than later. The best case scenario for the team this year would be a return to form from Oliver Ekman-Larsson, new extensions for Elias Petterson and Quinn Hughes, and the easing of health restrictions that could lead to a full capacity Rogers Arena in time for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Now this may not all come to fruition, but some things will. Some things may surprise us this year, such as the emergence of Vasili Podkolzin. While things may not always go the way we are expecting, it is important to have a good balance of optimism and pessimism as a fanbase. The team is projected to be average to above average this season, which is not ideal but definitely an improvement from last year.I think the biggest certainty about the Vancouver Canucks this year is their willingness to get back on track towards the Stanley Cup, and all the moves that were made this summer reflect this goal.