Friday Roundtable: Playoffs? Yeah, We’re Talking About Playoffs

7 years ago

Well, if nothing else, the Vancouver Canucks acquisition of Erik Gudbranson signals that they have no designs on rebuilding. Logic be damned.

I could quibble with their defiance. I have before, I will again and so will many of the writers included in today’s roundtable. I’m going to pass up on that opportunity, though. For today, I just want to find out what exactly the Canucks can do to actually advance their short-term goal of making the playoffs.

So, I brought the question to the Canucks Army staff. Their answers, as always, were insightful and didn’t disappoint.

Petbugs

Relegate themselves to the AHL

Ryan Biech

There is still plenty of work to be done to get this team into the playoff conversation. What sticks out to me is that they will need to address their forward depth. With the trades of Shinkaruk and McCann over the last few months, aside from Gaunce, they have no other possible impact forwards who can go up and down without waivers.

They could also use a top winger that can move throughout the lineup.

They will also need to address their log jam of defenceman, and ideally they would peddle one of those players to address the forward depth.

Jeremy Davis

If playoffs next year is really the goal, I don’t think that they’re _too_ far off. They’ve marginally improved their defensive depth, a steady rotation in net should keep their goaltenders tandem fresh and effective. They have “depth” up front, but what they really lack is scoring depth.

Luckily, they can bandaid over that but adding some high profile UFAs this off season. I’m already on record saying that they should chase Okposo, but why not go after Loui Eriksson too? Grab a few scoring wingers and bump your young players down a rung. Hell, with most of the scoring prospects traded away, it’s not like you’re really blocking anyone anyways. Provided that they have at least decent injury luck (as in nearly full seasons from the Sedins, Sutter, Edler and Tanev), and some standard growth from Baertschi, Horvat, Virtanen, and Hutton, this group should be able to drag themselves to at least one more first round exit. Huzzah.

Maybe that’s just the reality while the Sedins are still here. And if it all goes to hell again, there’s always Nolan Patrick.

Matt Henderson

They need forward depth. If they get the goaltending they got in the second half, and some solid defense, they could get there likely, if getting pummled in the 1st round by whomever they face is what they aspire for. Injuries killed them this past year, as Jeremy noted, and Baertschi/Horvat/Virtanen/Hutton showed promise.

Taylor Perry

It is clear to almost anyone who follows the Canucks that there are some severe offensive deficiencies. Beyond the Sedins, there are a lot of question marks and very little reliable offence. However, scoring goals – and, more broadly, creating scoring chances – ultimately begins with moving the puck up the ice and spending less time in the defensive zone.The Canucks had just two defensemen (Hutton and Edler) reach the 20-point mark (although Tanev would likely have reached it too, had he not been injured). Chasing a puck-moving defenseman who can help the power play in the off-season would be an excellent start. Of course, as Ryan mentions, they already have a logjam on defence. This surplus could be used to provide more offensive depth.

The goaltending has proven serviceable and should be enough to keep the Canucks in the hunt, provided they can score some goals. With a precipitous drop-off in quality after the top three teams, the Pacific Division still manages to give the Canucks a chance.

Dylan Kirkby

The question you have to ask is: where are the goals going to come from? The young guys taking some more steps forward is nice, but the sedins getting another year older is going to offset that. If this canucks team is to have any hope of competing next year, they’re going to need some high end offensive talent. The free agent crop might help address the problem, but without making trades (and giving up significant assets, likely in the form of prospects or picks) for high end forwards, I don’t see any way this team can be remotely competitive next year.

Jackson McDonald

What makes this thought exercise so difficult is that injuries can derail things very quickly. Realistically, if the team wants to make the playoffs, they’ll have to address depth across the lineup.

Thankfully, I think the Canucks have enough bottom-of-lineup players to ice a competitive bottom-6. The problem is at the top of the lineup. So, they’d have to go out and sign the best free agent forward they can get, and maybe try to acquire one via trade as well. You’d still have to hope for Horvat and Baertschi to make significant strides, but it’s a start.

The next step would be to address the biggest problems on the back end: offence, and the ability to transition the puck out of your own zone and up the ice.

If the goal is simply to make the playoffs, then that means you go all in on Tyson Barrie, regardless of the futures it would likely cost you. That pushes Gudbranson to the bottom pairing where he belongs, and now you’ve got a top 4 and top 6 that are able to compete for a playoff spot.

Then, you hope everything goes right. You hope Desjardins is closer to year 1 Desjardins than year 2. You hope nobody gets injured, and your young players get better.

Honestly, that’s probably all I needed to say: you hope, because what you have right now isn’t likely to get it done.