Welcome back to WWYDW, the only hockey column on the internet that was trained by an older, more experienced hockey column on a boat at sea.

Speaking of mentor-ships, that pun is terrible, and we apologize for it. Just as we apologize for bringing up ‘mentorship’ in general, because we know it’s a term some folks are already sick of hearing.

‘Mentorship’ has, in fact, been a bit of a dirty word in Vancouver Canucks circles in somewhat recent history. Previous regimes seemed to use it as a code for signing veteran players instead of bringing more youth onto the roster. But we’re in a different era now, one in which the rebuild has been fully embraced. And with the youth movement already in full swing, there’s a genuine need for genuine mentorship on this team, and Ryan Johnson and Co. seem determined to meet that need.

Free agent signings Luke Schenn and Jamie Oleksiak, and trade acquisition Brendan Gallagher all seem like part of the mentorship plan. Schenn, in particular, has been highlighted as a culture carrier, and as someone who has seen the best and worst of recent Canucks cultures. It’ll be partly his job to push out some of the bad habits, bring back some of the good ones, and overall instill a new standard for Canucks hockey.

But that’s a big job for just one former Canuck to achieve. Chances are good the Canucks are going to employ a number of veterans in mentorship roles over the seasons to come, and there’s no reason that list couldn’t include some other former Canucks.

With that thought in mind, we thought we’d throw it to you.

This week, we’re asking:

Let it be known in the comment section.

You answered below!

I have honestly not even thought about this. Until we know exactly how far the tear down will go, it’s impossible to really say. If for instance Hronek is kept long-term, the assets acquired for the rebuild will be significantly fewer and thus take longer. The sooner more assets are added, vice versa. It shouldn’t be soon though.

I asked noted hockey historian and military leader Admiral Akbar this very question and he gave me this one sentence reply:

“It’s a trap!”

With the league getting closer and closer to parity, the Canucks could make the playoffs in any given year as the 8th seed. That shouldn’t be the goal. The goal should be to become a true Stanley Cup contender. The fans will support a long rebuild if it gets us a couple generational superstars like a Crosby/Malkin and carefully built up the complementary pieces those future stars need with cost-effective long-term contracts, the fans will be able to see multiple runs to the conference finals, and maybe just maybe win three Cups sometime in the next 20 years.

The Canucks will finally fluke out and win the first overall pick in the draft lottery next year, and will pick Landon Dupont, which will give the Canucks a nice core of young players. By the 2028-29 season, players like Cootes, Malhotra, Buium, Novotny, and Dupont will start having an impact at the NHL level, and the team will make the playoffs.

Hey, we can dream, right?

RealPB:
2042 baby! Right when EP40 is finishing out his last 11-year contract and providing the trolls here with another decade’s worth of material.

Meh, I’ll say seven more years to make it nine years total between playoff years.

I expect the Canucks to make the playoffs when they have built a solid young core of players and are trending towards transitioning to being a perennial contender. When is that you say? I think it’s silly given we are just starting the rebuild to attach any timeline related to future expectations.

Teams often make the playoffs a little ahead of schedule and then fall back the next year. I could see them doing that in 2030.

‘29-30 season at the earliest if everything goes right and Western Conference powerhouses age out.

Ideally it would be nice to see them in a playoff race within four years. Those races are great for the younger guys to gain experience. But unless they get a couple of difference-makers, I don’t see them back for 6-7 years. Nothing more than a guess though…nobody knows at this point how they will progress.

2031 at best. They have not filled a single position on the whole future top line and still need at least one top pairing d-man, another top-four d-man, and a number one goalie. Long way to go just to fill the holes without considering the development required.

This will happen right around the time hell freezes over and they start hosting the Winter Classic…that was from AI.

Seriously, it will take some time if they stick to a proper, disciplined rebuild. At least 4-5 years.

2029–2030.

For me, it’s not when, it’s more that when they do make playoffs, they are able to sustain competitiveness enough to keep being a team talked about winning a Cup for close to a decade after. If that starts next season, then so be it. Just stop being a one and done team for once in my life.

They’re making the playoff this season and going on an epic run that has them hoisting the Stanley Cup! Start marking your parade spots!

JCanuck:
I think they flirt with playoffs in 2-3 yrs but don’t spend assets for a short-term run and start the playoff push in four years.

I’ll go with never. I think the odds of a near-term dystopian society in which the NHL does not exist is more likely.

I think it will take 3-4 years to return to the playoffs, and I lean towards four years.

Canuck have to worry about their draft picks developing, losing future draft lotteries, having their players poached by offer sheets, and losing American players to US teams ala Hughes and Tkachuk.

Canucks will need to get their goaltender sorted out, since Demko is not likely to be with the team when they reach contention.

Their current forward lines will look much different as Boeser, Pettersson, and DeBrusk are all but guaranteed to not be with the team when they contend again.

The defense may be the one position that will be fully developed if its players don’t get poached by other teams. Canucks need to lock in Biuim for long-term as soon as possible.

Umm.. really…:
With a collapse of the Oilers from Babcock and panic, the Golden Knights’ age catching up to them, along with regressions from the Ducks and Sharks; the surprise Canucks playing a rock solid system under a new coach buoyed by a return from injury by a Demko, who earns 45 wins supported by a 125-point effort from Petey, the Canucks sneak into the playoffs this upcoming season. Then we lament Dupont going 1st overall to Leafs.

Four or five years, plus. The teams needs difference-makers and currently have none.

Seven-to-eight years.

I have the ‘28/29 season as the get in as a wild card team and go out in five in the first round. Tweaks happen in ‘29/30, and we will make it to the Conference Final, only to lose in six. For ‘30/31 Vancouver finally brings home the Cup with the rebuild fully in place and a distinction of never drafting at first overall.