The Canucks had another weird off season as they said they would go into a rebuilding mode but they signed lots of veterans in free agency to try and keep themselves out of the league's basement. The team lacks any really good veterans while the prospect pool of NHLers is weak besides Bo Horvat. The Canucks will be one of the worst teams again and if their prospects don't start performing they could be there for a while.
Arrivals/Departures
Arrivals: Sam Gagner, Michael Del Zotto, Anders Nilsson, Alexander Burmistrov, Patrick Wiercioch
Departures: Ryan Miller, Luca Sbisa, Nikita Tryamkin, Jack Skille, Philip Larsen, Drew Shore, Borna Rendulic, Alexandre Grenier, Mike Zalewski
Forwards:
Bo Horvat is now the clear number-one forward on this team after a great season where he put up 52 points with no other players helping him out. Horvat is the only exciting young player who is proven on the Canucks and he will be the new face of the franchise and future captain. Daniel and Henrik Sedin are both on the decline as neither are players you have to game plan around, if their decline continues, 40-point seasons are very likely from the two former stars. Loui Eriksson may have been the worse free agent signing from last off season as he only scored 11 goals when the Canucks expected him to add about 30. Markus Granlund is steadily turning into a good player for the Canucks as he scored an impressive 19 goals in 69 games for somebody whose previous high was eight goals. Sven Baertschi also had his best season as a pro after he scored a career high 18 goals but he really needs to improve his defence to become a legitimate top-six forward. Brandon Sutter started off the season strong with the Canucks but he struggled down the stretch; either way he is still a very good third-line center. The Canucks' best prospect is Brock Boeser and after scoring four goals in nine games last year he seems ready to make the jump to the NHL. Sam Gagner was the Canucks' biggest off season addition after reinventing his season with a 50-point season in Columbus. Alexander Burmistrov will join the Canucks after a season split with the Jets and Coyotes; he will likely be their fourth-line center. Tough guy Derek Dorsett missed almost all of last season but he will still likely make the roster to protect the young guys from their physical division opponents. Reid Boucher never lived up to his potential with the Devils so the Canucks claimed him off waivers; Boucher will get a good chance to make the opening day roster as the Canucks lack depth. Michael Chaput, Brendan Gaunce and Jayson Megna will all also compete for a roster spot after they all appeared in lots of games in 2016.
Defencemen:
Chris Tanev is still the Canucks' best defenceman but compared to other team's top defencemen, he is a very weak first option as he would be better suited as the third or fourth defenceman on a roster. Alexander Edler has been with Vancouver for a while and he is no longer the same defenceman he once was. Edler has lost his offensive burst and struggles to stop opponents so he will have to play more minutes than he is capable of. Ben Hutton had another good season in his second year and if he improves like he has been it will not be long before he is the Canucks best defenceman. In his rookie season, Troy Stecher was a decent player on the Canucks blue line showing some hope to be a future top-four defenceman. Michael Del Zotto was also added during free agency to boost the power play from the back end and provide the depth Vancouver has not had on defence. Erik Gudbranson's first season with the Canucks was a forgettable one as he missed over half the season with an injury only scoring one goal; if he does not improve he could be on the way out of town. Patrick Wiercioch, who was another free agent signing, will likely be the seventh defenceman. Olli Juolevi was drafted fifth overall in 2016 and should be making the jump to the NHL but the Canucks management would rather see him take his time.
Goaltending:
Last year's goaltending tandem of Ryan Miller and Jacob Markstrom struggled to find ways to win games so Miller is gone and replacing him is Anders Nilsson. Markstrom will be given the starting job for the first time in his career but if he does not live up to expectations, it could turn into a goalie tandem. Anders Nilsson had a good year with the Sabres and is a capable backup.
Projected Lineup:
Daniel Sedin
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Henrik Sedin
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Loui Eriksson
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Sven Baertschi
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Bo Horvat
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Markus Granlund
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Sam Gagner
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Brandon Sutter
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Brock Boeser
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Reid Boucher
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Alexander Burmistrov
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Derek Dorsett
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Brendan Gaunce
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Michael Chaput
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Jayson Megna
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Alexander Edler
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Chris Tanev
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Ben Hutton
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Troy Stecher
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Michael Del Zotto
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Erik Gudbranson
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Olli Juolevi
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Patrick Wiercioch
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Jacob Markstrom
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Anders Nilsson
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Thatcher Demko
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Top 10 Players:
10. Sam Gagner
9. Brandon Sutter
8. Alexander Edler
7. Jacob Markstrom
6. Ben Hutton
5. Chris Tanev
4. Loui Eriksson
3. Henrik Sedin
2. Daniel Sedin
1. Bo Horvat
Projected Finish: 74 Points (7th in Pacific)
Last Year: 69 Points (7th in Pacific)
Photo credit for Sam Gagner goes to http://www.cbc.ca/. Bo Horvat goes to https://www.si.com/. Chris Tanev goes to https://www.cbssports.com/. Daniel Sedin goes to https://www.thestar.com/.
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