On Friday’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal discussed where the Vancouver Canucks might realistically finish in the standings – and how much their final point total depends on factors outside their control.

Harm began by laying out the range of outcomes he sees for Vancouver. “Finishing in the low-80s range, I could absolutely see that being the case,” he said. “It’s tough to nail down exactly where they’re going to land. They’ve had some injuries, so with guys getting healthier, there might be a case for them picking up the pace for the rest of the year.”

But it quickly became clear how much rides on two names: Thatcher Demko and Filip Chytil. “We don’t know how many games Thatcher Demko is going to be able to play for the remainder of the season, even if he does come back, and it’s the same with Filip Chytil,” Harm explained. “If you get meaningful contributions and games played from one or both of them, that certainly increases the probability of them getting 80-plus points and being in that mid-80s range. If both guys are out for the majority of the rest of the season, I could see a case where they slip under 80 points.”

“The big variable is what happens at the trade deadline,” Harm continued. “At that point you may sell pieces – you don’t know how deep they may go on the selling front. It probably won’t be very deep, but there are some scenarios where they do cut deep.” He reminded listeners that Jim Rutherford himself hinted last year that this draft class is strong, subtly acknowledging that a top pick could be valuable if the season continues trending in a negative direction.

With all of that in mind, Harm noted that most projections have Vancouver finishing with around 86 points. “That’s around what the majority had them at,” he said, “but I actually think that could be a bit optimistic depending on how many games played these models have projected for Demko and Chytil. Plus again, the uncertainty around if the season ends up going off the rails – they could sell and their true talent on the roster could become worse.”

Earlier in the show, Harm discussed another topic he felt strongly about: Aatu Räty‘s playing time.

“He’s looked really good to me, and in my mind it’s time to bump his ice time up,” Harm said. “Stop deploying and sheltering him like he’s a fourth-line centre; he’s earned enough opportunity. There aren’t enough middle-six difference makers, especially at the centre-ice position – I want to see more Räty.”

Analytically, the case is strong. “His defensive metrics have been really strong,” Harm noted. “The Canucks are up 9-7 goals-wise in his five-on-five minutes, they’ve been outshooting opponents with Räty’s line, scoring chances are about break-even, and all that is admirable considering the team as a whole this year has struggled to control play.”

Despite modest point totals, Räty has been quietly effective. “He has six five-on-five points in 20 games, and when you convert it relative to his ice time, it’s 1.58 points per 60. That’s low-end top-nine impact – it’s not like he’s been a black hole offensively,” Harm said. “He’s producing five-on-five points at a low-end third-line level, he’s putting up really good defensive numbers, and even just by the eye test, he wins battles down low.”

He also praised Räty’s chemistry with Drew O’Connor. “We know the biggest drawback with Räty’s game is his lack of pace, and O’Connor helps compensate for that,” he said. “Räty has barely gotten offensive zone starts, so even though he isn’t getting a lot of ice time, it’s not as if he’s being fed these easy assignments where you’d expect him to have good numbers. He’s still starting in the defensive zone on a fairly regular basis. I think he’s earned and deserves more trust.”

From the sound of it, both Vancouver’s short-term and long-term trajectories hinge on availability, deadline decisions, and deployment choices – with the final point total still very much up in the air.

You can watch the full replay of the show below!

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