Micheal Ferland has been a popular topic this week. Stephan covered his slow start in this week’s edition of What Would You Do Wednesday, and he’s been the frequent subject of debate on Vancouver’s local radio stations. What do you think is going on with him? Should fans be concerned, or should they be practicing patience?

Getting sick and losing 10 lbs in the preseason most likely took a ton out of Ferland and even after he came back healthy, it’s tough to imagine he was 100%. He could have been physically but to get back into proper game shape on top of finding a fit on a brand new team compounds the issue.I’m not worried about Micheal Ferland yet but if it’s 20 games in and he still only has two or three points, the question will need to be asked if he’s going to need a healthy scratch to get his attention.
You know who is good right now? Tim Schaller. Let’s re-sign THAT guy. #SchallerNothing

In a contradictory answer, I’m going to say that Micheal Ferland’s lack of production is a bigger deal than most are making it out to be…and also that it’s actually nothing to worry about. As has been pointed out elsewhere on the site, it’s not just a result of Ferland’s preseason bout with illness – he’s only got a couple of goals in his last 40 regular season games, going back to his time in Carolina. In reality, Ferland’s scoring has decreased dramatically since his last serious concussion, and any hopes of him being a perennial 20+ goal scorer may have been unrealistic from the get-go. He’s still slumping, but it might not be as big a slump as most believe.
With that being said, Ferland brings a lot of non-scoring value to the roster, and I still believe he’s fairly paid for his contributions. His physical play has also been lacking thus far, but that’s probably more attributable to his illness than his lack of production. At $3.5 million, having Ferland score 20+ on a regular basis would constitute a bargain. It’s still a fair deal for a player who will chip in a reasonable amount, keep opponents on their toes, and protect his teammates – and you know damn well that he’ll step his game up the next time the Canucks are in the playoffs.

I wouldn’t worry about Ferland too much right now. He is known to be a streaky scorer and unfortunately he has not found chemistry with any line mates just yet. I wasn’t a fan of Ferland on a line with Pettersson and Boeser because they are distance shooters and Ferland isn’t the best in the offensive zone when cycling the puck. I think Ferland will find his role on this team when Antoine Roussel returns from injury. Roussel and Ferland will be a thing and that thing will be a vexatious line that can get under the opposing team’s skin. For now Ferland hasn’t been bad but the fact that this conversation is already coming up doesn’t bode well for Ferland and his four year contract.

Put me in the camp that thinks it’s a bit too early to worry about a guy adjusting to a new system and linemates. Many people talk about his physicality as being a big part of his game, but he is hitting at a higher rate through these nine games than he did last season. What I find more curious about his game is that he’s not shooting. After averaging 2.2 shots per game, he’s down to just 1 shot per game in Vancouver. I know that everyone shoots more in Carolina, but that’s a vast difference and we are talking about a guy who needs to get the puck on net, not one who’s known for slick passing.

This is just the kind of player Ferland is. By all accounts, he went cold for long stretches during his time with both Calgary and Carolina. All scorers are streaky, but he fits the bill better than most. In this case, it may be more of an issue of expectations than anything else. Ferland’s career-high is 41 points, and it would take only a few strong games to put him back on pace to hit that mark again. What really concerns me is how much he appears to have fallen out of favour with the coach. He’s routinely been the low-minute man for Travis Green, and was unceremoniously booted off the top line after a few disappointing games. Historically, he’s been most successful playing in the top six, albeit not consistently, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at all concerned about how he’s been utilized so far, especially given the extremely poor underlying numbers he’s put up thus far.

Give it time, he’s saving his best for when he lines up against Kevin Bieksa.