I started my PITB career in 2016-17 by writing up three shutouts in a row. And the Canucks weren’t doing the shutting.
Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»is on pace for a franchise low number of goals scored. They average 2.19 goals-per-game, or 29th in the league, ahead of only the woeful Colorado Avalanche. Their power play is also 29th. They’re about as offensive .
Additionally, they’ve been shut out 10 times this year. Over this 82-game season, you basically had a 1-in-8 chance of witnessing no goals.
I feel for fans in the stands. Paying good money to see zero goals? That's .
The rebuild has been (kind of) acknowledged. The kids are (sort of) playing. But if management wants a team that puts bums in the seats, they can’t afford another season like this one.
I’ve heard folks, , claim that the Canucks lack grit and toughness. I don’t entirely disagree, but that should be, like, 4th on the team’s list of priorities (right behind re-signing Ryan Miller and .)
Firepower, . Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»needs defenders who score, centres who score and wingers who score. Fans desperately, existentially need some young players who can put the puck in the net. Don’t you agree Benedict Cumberbatch?
Does Boeser make it better?
No.
He’s looking great, but no. The team needs scoring touch from top to bottom.
He is, however, the right idea. Brock Boeser is a natural shooter. I mean, look at this shot attempt… drag, curl and shoot. Beautiful.
Oh, so much more of that please.
What’s to be done?
Aside from praying? Well a homerun in the 2017 draft would go a long way. Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»needs to select a dynamic forward. Put down your “Defence Wins Championships” signs and step away from the Cal Foote. The Canucks need scoring, especially at centre.
(Can you believe that last off-season some considered this team to be “deep” down the middle?)
Another avenue for improvement: a coaching change is almost assured. It’s the end of Willie Desjardins’ contract and I doubt they’ll renew. Mixed feelings about this one. I appreciate his calm thoughtfulness, but the torches and pitchforks crowd must be appeased.
A coaching change scares the daylights out of me, though. If Trevor Linden hires a new coach, might he not be tempted to “stay the course” and see how the group fares under new leadership?
Yikes. I’ve griped all season about perplexing coaching decisions. So many weird choices, and so much Jayson Megna. But c’mon... it ain’t the coaching.
The most plausible path is to trade a defender for scoring help. Jason Botchford mentioned this () in his most recent Provies.
I agree. This club can’t forge ahead with such protracted scoring ineptitude. It’s awful, fans will wither up and die watching it.
Do I want them to trade a top defenceman? No. Would you? A Canucks squad without Chris Tanev or Alex Edler is gut-churning, but what else can be done? What else fetches a player capable of appreciably boosting that scoring?
I won’t delve into trade targets, that’s not my thing. But I believe there are some young scorers who could be had, and they would complement a rebuild nicely.
(In before it is brought up: no Evander Kane for you! Bad Benning!)
I’m not suggesting a quick fix, but scoring and hope is in short supply. A smart trade might benefit the team, sell a few more tickets next season, and ensure this hockey blogger retains some colour in his hair.
Be dead last in the league; be young and inexperienced; be anything, just don’t be boring. If nothing changes? Daniel and I will make a killing selling these.
