On today’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal tackled the big question on every fan’s mind: what exactly is this Canucks team at this stage of the season? After a 6-1 loss last night to a contender in the Jets amid a slew of inconsistent performances, should they be viewed as sellers or buyers as the trade deadline looms closer?
Quads opened with a frank assessment of the team’s current state:
“I once thought if they were able to acquire another top-four defenceman, a lot of their problems would go away. Puck-moving matters, and I still think it’s the biggest thing plaguing this team, but it’s not the silver bullet I once thought it could be. At the end of the day, as long as J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson keep playing like poop, you’re not going anywhere. We saw the whole team together last night with Demko and Hughes healthy—and we saw a 6-1 embarrassing loss. This is this team.”
Harm offered a more patient perspective, suggesting that the Canucks still have time to prove their worth:
“The burden of proof is on the players and the team to show they deserve an all-in push. We don’t know exactly what this team has been through the first half of the season, and as dire as the situation looks to this point, I’d still argue that we don’t really know. We’ve had one game with them essentially having close to their full lineup. I’d be giving them until the Four Nations break on February eighth to see if they can gel. Ultimately, the deadline is still a ways away, and that’s when you’re forced to make a decision on buying or selling.”
Quads countered by questioning whether short-term success would justify making big moves:
“Even if we go with that thinking and give them some time, they start to pile up wins, are you still adding to this team if Pettersson and Miller aren’t firing on all cylinders? I’m at the point where I don’t care what you show me, you’re either showing you don’t deserve to be gutted or you deserve another shot at it next year. This core has had too many last chances.”
Both hosts agreed that the core’s performance—or lack thereof—is central to the team’s future decisions.
“I’m not rushing to extend Brock Boeser right now. I’m definitely listening on Pettersson and Miller,” Quads added. “Pettersson has three points in his last 10 games; fifth highest-paid player in the league. At what point do you know what this core is, and you know they’re not good enough? At the end of the day, it’s four coaches and the same core. There’s one person I’m not listening on right now, and it’s Quinn Hughes.”
Quads raised a key question: “How far can they go in the playoffs if they add to the team?”
Harm didn’t shy away from the limitations of this roster:
“I’ve been clear from the beginning that they should not be paying high prices for rentals. Even if the team reels off a bunch of wins and you have everyone healthy—a big part of that is also Pettersson and Miller looking like the players they were last year, which is a must if your team has any chance of doing damage in the playoffs—let’s say those cards line up, your top players are going, your back end is stable, and you convince yourself if you add another piece it could be competent, you’re still only looking to add a piece that’s going to be a fit for multiple seasons, and you’re not giving up a Tom Willander or Jonathan Lekkerimaki to make that type of move happen.”
If the Canucks can’t get back on track, Harm noted that tough decisions will need to be made:
“This isn’t an all-in year. If the team continues scuffling, you can’t justify adding to them, and you’ll have to have bigger conversations about waiving the white flag on the season and what that means for the team beyond this year. For J.T. Miller, Boeser, the core, the timeline, the contention window—you’re going to be forced into a lot of uncomfortable discussions and positions if this team doesn’t get back on the rails.”
You can watch the full replay of today’s show below!
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