Canucks Army Monday Mailbag: September 25th

No, and that will just cement the NHL’s status as the whitest, most privileged big sport in North America. It’s unfortunate.

I live in East Van, so you go ahead and take a guess at that one.

It’s a little early to say, but on the Canucks Army Instagram, we posted a gif of a Michael DiPietro save that is out of this world. So let’s go with him.

That Elias Pettersson has two power play points in three SHL games is not concerning, no. It’s a very small sample, and he’s a point per game player in a league made up of adults. If I’m a Canucks fan, I’d be pretty excited about his production to this point.

I’m the wrong guy to ask.

Nikolay Goldobin has to show that he’s willing to use his speed to close gaps in the neutral zone and take away space in the defensive zone. I’d think that Canucks head coach Travis Green should be fairly aware of Goldobin’s offensive prowess, but it’s his ability to play outside the offensive zone that will secure him a full-time gig in the NHL. Another goal or two wouldn’t hurt, either.

As one of those poor souls who had to cover this team all of last season, I can honestly say that this season looks like it will be a much better one than last. Certainly from an entertainment perspective. I think that counts for a lot. It’s not like the scoring depth they’ve added will take them to the promised land. It just means they’re going to be vaguely entertaining for maybe a third of their games. It will be bad, sure, but not nearly as bad as last season.

As for what constitutes a win, is there any answer outside of the first overall pick that works? The Canucks sure could use a Rasmus Dahlin on their blue line.

If you asked me this question a month or two ago, I would’ve said that Jalen Chatfield’s best possible outcome was probably that of a sixth or seventh defenceman. And yet, he keeps scoring, albeit, in the pre-season, and looks even better defensively than when I last saw him in the Memorial Cup. It might not be unreasonable to project him into more of a four or five role.

With the training camp Chatfield has had, I could see him being one of the Canucks first call-ups if injuries strike, and that’s assuming he doesn’t force his way onto the team outright. Chatfield does have five points in two games, after all.

Nikita Tryamkin is almost certainly overrated by Canucks fans.

Yeah, that seems reasonable. I’d probably put Loui Eriksson in Sven Baertschi’s stead, but otherwise, this checks out. My hot take? It’s Brock Boeser who leads the team in points period.

I’ve not been impressed with the Canucks special teams, in either phase. The power play looks similar to last year’s. It’s a 1-3-1 setup, with more bodies down low and an added emphasis on using low-high passing to syphon shots through their blue line. The penalty kill is a little passive for my liking. I’m curious to see what systems changes we can expect when the Canucks have a full lineup and a few months familiarity with the scheme.

I’m really sorry, but I’ve answered this like a hundred times this summer. If you check any of my summer mailbags, you’ll have an answer to this question that’s more or less the same to the one I’d give you today.

I still think Olli Juolevi has top pair potential. There just aren’t that many people in the game who see the ice better than him. That’s going to take him a long way. It’s looking unlikely at this stage, but I’d like to think Juolevi’s ceiling is a high-end Dan Hamhuis with more offence.

Penance for something done in a past life.

How’s that for an understatement? Kole Lind is just terrorizing the WHL, albeit in a small sample. If Lind can score at about a 1.5 point per game pace, I’d say that bodes well for his future of NHL success in a top-six role.

Hartford Whalers, every damn time.

That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. They’ve got a good staff. I’d like to write something on this topic, but timing might prevent me from getting to it while it’s at the front of everyone’s mind. It’s such a sensitive topic, too, and I honestly worry about whether I have the skill or tact to do it justice.

I’ll say this much: I stand with the athletes who are protesting systemic racism in the United States without any reservation. And I think the NHL as a whole has a lot of soul-searching to do.

When a player is on LTIR, the team who places them there gets access to that player’s salary as a cushion above the cap. So, for example, if the Canucks place Henrik Sedin on LTIR at the beginning of the season, they have access to a $7-million cushion above the salary cap.

I think that’s the gist of how it works. If not, I apologize. This is a topic that Jeremy Davis and Ryan Biech are far better equipped to answer.

I wouldn’t say that Scottie Upshall is already beaten out of a spot. In fact, most of what I’ve heard/read suggests he has an alright chance of making the Canucks. It would be tough to fit him into the lineup, but not impossible. And Upshall can still play as a fourth liner, for whatever that’s worth.

The Utica Comets opening night lineup is probably going to look a lot like this:

Markus Granlund seemed to play well in those games.

Considering what Brendan Gaunce is up against this season, if he puts together another year where he’s really damn good defensively, with just a touch more offence, that’s a win. I doubt he’ll go to Utica for anything more than a conditioning stint. Gaunce would have to clear waivers to do so.

Skating has never been a strength of the Sedin twins or Thomas Vanek, no.

I doubt it, since they weren’t actually that bad.

I’d hope not, for the Canucks’ sakes.

I’m terrible at fantasy hockey, so take this with a grain of salt, but try and snag Andrei Burakovsky. He’s primed for a big year.

Usually, Europeans love it in Vancouver. Usually.

Pretty damn good, I would wager. I don’t think Boeser developing into a 30-plus goal scorer is unrealistic, in that span.

They’re looking pretty good. The only real hurdle will be the London Knights, who no doubt will want Juolevi to return to their team.