Players from the Vancouver Canucks are meeting with the media for the last time this season on Monday, before heading their separate ways for the summer.
If you'd like to watch:
The interviews have just wrapped up as I've posted this blog, so I'll circle back around tomorrow to any interesting nuggets that I might have missed.
Even though last year's season lasted only an extra two weeks before the humbling defeat by the Calgary Flames, right now I hate that empty feeling that descends in these days before the playoffs begin when we don't have a horse in the race.
Now that the final numbers are in the books, let's see where it all shook down:
Looking at the entire history of this franchise, the Canucks' 75 points for the year is kind of a middling number. Twenty times in the team's 45-year history, the final total was lower. But two of those years were the lockout-shortened 48-game seasons in 1994-95 and 2012-13, and this is the lowest points-per-game outcome (.457) since the introduction of the loser point in 1999-2000.
Two numbers sum up just how bad this year really was:
• 191 goals scored—lowest in franchise history over a full-length season and five less than the 196 mark set under John Tortorella in 2013-14
• minus-52—the league's worst goal differential this season. The Canucks actually beat out New Jersey's 184 goals to finish 29th in scoring, but when combined with their seventh-worst defense, Vancouver allowed an average of nearly two-thirds of a goal more than they scored this year.
Let's leave the tire fire smouldering and start looking at what lies ahead.
First off—it hasn't taken long to get confirmation: Brock Boeser will definitely be returning to college for another year.
I am looking forward to coming back to UND for my Soph season to defend our NCAA National Championship!
I'm not seeing anything very definite about where Caggiula might end up signing, but Buffalo pops up a lot in association with his name on Twitter. Not sure if that's wishful thinking on the part of Sabres fans, or more of a "where there's smoke, there's fire" situation.
Finally, from NCAA country, the latest on Thatcher Demko.
Demko had a very good meeting with #Canucks, needs to talk with family, friends and BC teammates this week.
Burrows also mentioned that the outcome of the draft lottery might impact his future with the team. I guess his thinking is that if the Canucks choose a forward who could step in immediately, his return becomes less likely than if the team picks a defenseman or a player who would continue on at junior.
Hamhuis? No real surprise here.
Hamhuis: [Family] enjoys it here in Vancouver. I'd like to re-sign here. But if change is coming, that's an option as well. #Canucks
If the Canucks do want to bring Hamhuis back, they'll still have exclusive negotiating rights up until a few days before July 1—unless they decide to trade those rights for a draft pick. After what happened at the trade deadline, seeing that other teams weren't nearly as excited to acquire him as we expected, maybe he won't attract a big-money offer from a market where he'd like to play?
It'll be an interesting situation to continue monitoring going forward.
Hamhuis also mentioned that he'd been asked to play for Team Canada at the World Championships, but declined because of his contract situation.
Potential injuries and insurance become much bigger issues for impending free agents. Though Hamhuis has been a stalwart with Team Canada over the years, I also figured, after breaking his face earlier in the year, perhaps he'd appreciate some time to rest and recover.
So far, four Canucks have confirmed for this year's tournament in St. Petersburg and Moscow:
World up!
Markstrom and Tanev will both represent their countries at the World Championships 🇨🇦 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/EK26UB8KWw
No mention of Bo Horvat getting a call...or any word on whether Jannik Hansen will suit up for Denmark...
But with all this World Championships talk, it seems like a good day to let you know that I will suiting up again for the Canadian Press, for a second season.
Yes, once again my solution to having hockey summer arrive too early in Vancouver is to head overseas.
I'm a bit overwhelmed by the thought of visiting Russia, but I will be covering the entire tournament this time around. Team Canada's preliminary round runs from May 6-17 in St. Petersburg, then the medal round goes from May 19-22 in Moscow.
In addition to Canada, the St. Petersburg bracket includes Team USA and Finland, as well as France, Germany, Slovakia, Belarus and Hungary. So—in addition to following our Canucks Tanev and Hutton through the first portion of the tournament, I'll also get to watch Auston Matthews, who has already committed to Team USA, and—I'm hearing—fabulous Finns Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi.
Both are still involved in their Finnish league playoffs, playing against each other. Game 7 of their series goes Tuesday, so they won't make the trek to North Dakota for the U18 World Championship later this week. Both players are expected to be part of the senior men's tournament after their great showing at World Juniors.
The Canucks' draft lottery result on April 30 will have a big impact on which of these players I watch most closely when the tournament begins!
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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