It’s not the signs of enjoyment, it’s the writing the lines of kids who have never played a professional game in and suggesting “that’s the team gonna win is a cup”. Literally every team has that same stock of young talent, most of them better than what the Canucks have. So by all means, enjoy the wins, be excited for the future, but there is still a very long way to go before this team is truly competitive again.
- 1970vintage

Nope. Our stockpile of prospects is better than most teams.

These next 10 games will give the fans a better idea about this team. Most GMs say you can get a good idea what type of team you have around the 20 game mark. American Thanksgiving.

In the next 10 games we play Pitt Ana VGK NJ Dal SJ Cgy StL Det and Phi. That will be one mother of a stretch. I think we will be very lucky to go .500 .

I look at the roster and I still see the Twins and LE still on the roster so this is where we come back to reality. I see that draft list available and there are some really really nice pieces.

If Canucks did get the same result as the first 10 games I would be super shocked.
- VANTEL

Yes that is a good 10 game test indeed.
Anything above 500 & we get a better picture at the 1/4 pole.
Vet depth will help us much more this year than the past.

I can see which side of the fence you fell onto. I prefer optimism.

Here's how I see the team. Currently with a 6-3-1 record with a very young still inexperience core with a bunch of older players that are not producing.

Currently the teams best prospects is having the best draft plus 1 season ever in the SHL.

There is talk about Demko being the best goaltending prospect not in the NHL.

Craig Button says Canucks prospect Adam Gaudette has been one of the best players in the NCAA this year.

A 5OA D prospect that seems to be finding his stride in a Men's league in Finland.
- manvanfan

Next draft has some top D talent for us.
Looking good for us imo

Van has 2 goals from the D this year and both by Tanev.
- manvanfan

After the PP i focussed on D scoring being our Achilles heal.
Its a top priority next draft.

The direction of the Vancouver Canucks has been nothing but a spinning compass ever since Jim Benning took over as general manager in 2014. Until now, that is.

In the first few years of Benning's tenure, the Canucks were a team that desperately needed to start a full-on rebuild, but refused to do so. He signed miscast veterans like Ryan Miller and Loui Eriksson in an effort to win now, instead of letting young talent play a more prominent role.

But that's all changed, as the Canucks - led by younger players who represent the future of the club - are off to a surprising 6-3-1 start this season. Here's why things are looking up:

The future is now

It is still awfully early, but Brock Boeser has come as advertised. After tearing up the NCAA over the past two years at the University of North Dakota, the 20-year-old has made a seamless transition to the NHL, leading the Canucks with nine points despite playing in only eight of the team's 10 games.

Both Sven Baertschi, 25, and Bo Horvat, 22, have also been key contributors offensively. The latter leads all Canucks forwards in ice time.

But perhaps the most telling sign that the future is now in Vancouver is that Henrik and Daniel Sedin rank eighth and ninth, respectively, among Canucks forwards in time on the ice.

Stacked prospect pipeline


For the first time in a long time, the Canucks have a loaded farm system.

In the crease, Thatcher Demko might be the NHL's best goaltending prospect. After a great career at Boston College, he struggled to begin his first AHL season, but sported a .913 save percentage across his last 26 appearances. This year, Demko has taken his game to a whole new level with a .960 save percentage and 1.26 goals-against average, albeit in just four games.

On the back end, Olli Juolevi, Vancouver's fifth overall pick in 2015, is coming off a somewhat disappointing season with the OHL's London Knights, but he's back home playing in Finland's top professional league, and is off to a strong start with four points in six games.

And Vancouver's most intriguing prospect might be its most recent first-round pick, Elias Pettersson. Also taken fifth overall by the Canucks, the 19-year-old currently sits fifth in SHL (Sweden's top professional league) scoring with five goals and 14 points in 12 games.

Cap flexibility on the way


The Canucks are tight against the cap right now, but that's about to change when the Sedins come off the books this offseason. Each brother carries a cap hit of $7 million, so Benning will have $14 million in additional flexibility to play with.

That opens up a whole host of options. Will the Canucks be in on the John Tavares sweepstakes? Will they make a push for Vancouver native Evander Kane? Will they look to add a much-needed top defenseman in the form of John Carlson? Or, will they simply save the money to lock up their young core when the time comes?

Benning has made his fair share of questionable decisions, but with emerging young talent, plenty of cap room, and what seems like a nice coaching hire in Travis Green, he has a great chance to right the ship.




Shamelessly plagiarized.
Thanks Josh

My goalies are killing me this week.... (frank)ing price and holtby are gonna hand nuck4u a win...

- Pres.cup

The spinning compass was more the fans overreacting too soon.
We did get 2 top 5’s after all & that was then & this is now.

If we are drafting outside 5 I hope we draft Jett Woo . I am looking forward to the headline Benning and the Jett.

Or when he scores we yell Woo Who?
- VANTEL

🎶B B Benning & the Jett Jett🎶

I like most people in here. Don't always/ever agree with a bunch but at the end of the day it's a pretty decent bunch.



You can be a bit of a drama queen.
- Marwood

99% of the time i'm just (frank)ing around.

I couldn't care less if I like or dislike anywhere in here. It's a forum to voice and here others thoughts on the team.

Threw out the idea to move to somewhere in BC, to the wife today. Kelowna/ Kootenay/ Nelson you know somewhere around there.

She left me.
- manvanfan

Kamloops is good value & far enough & close enough to Van

$400k is good choices

After the PP i focussed on D scoring being our Achilles heal.
Its a top priority next draft.
- Nighthawk

It would be nice to get someone who can put the puck in the net from the backend to help out the forwards.

99% of the time i'm just (frank)ing around.

I couldn't care less if I like or dislike anywhere in here. It's a forum to voice and here others thoughts on the team.
- manvanfan

STFU.

Kamloops is good value & far enough & close enough to Van

$400k is good choices
- Nighthawk

Kamloops is further north then i'd prefer to be if I moved out there.

I really think that Juolevi is going to be a Mattias Ohlund
Type player comes in with offensive skills some size and ability to defend. He will be a player who follows traditional growth patterns for a defense man. Salo will do a lot to prepare him for the rigors of an NHL season, but he will not become a dynamic important part of the defense corps until part way through his second season is my prediction. He could play 2 yrs in FIN while the team grows and improves and he will be that much better for it. Imagine a calm poised puck moving D passing to mature or developed true NHL forwards, will be fun to watch.

STFU.
- Marwood

There's the Marwood we have all come to know so well.

Just found out why the wife left to see her sister. Went for the first ultrasound. Knew she was pregnant.

It would be nice to get someone who can put the puck in the net from the backend to help out the forwards.
- manvanfan

Say that again lol

Say that again lol
- Nighthawk

OJ 3 games 3 goals. MAYBE!

I really think that Juolevi is going to be a Mattias Ohlund
Type player comes in with offensive skills some size and ability to defend. He will be a player who follows traditional growth patterns for a defense man. Salo will do a lot to prepare him for the rigors of an NHL season, but he will not become a dynamic important part of the defense corps until part way through his second season is my prediction. He could play 2 yrs in FIN while the team grows and improves and he will be that much better for it. Imagine a calm poised puck moving D passing to mature or developed true NHL forwards, will be fun to watch.
- Nucknab23

Other side of the coin is a good breakout passing D can make forwards better

Ultimately a great skating D who can skate out of trouble & lead/start the rush would be the greatest addition we can use. Add an offensive flair to it & awesome.

Who comes out when LE is good to go?
- 1970vintage

LE after we Nancy Kerrigan him

I’m a fan (fanatic) win or lose there is no choice in the matter
- Nighthawk

And there is nothing wrong with that. You are very consistent with you Positive posts

🎶B B Benning & the Jett Jett🎶
- Nighthawk

I lost out on lucic too lol could have used the extra pms and hits

- SMP8719

That's okay you are so set up now thanks to Pres lol...

Kamloops is further north then i'd prefer to be if I moved out there.
- manvanfan

3-3 1/2hrs from Vancouver only

There's the Marwood we have all come to know so well.

Just found out why the wife left to see her sister. Went for the first ultrasound. Knew she was pregnant.
- manvanfan

Hilarious... you know you are irking her having just moved lol. But heard the nursing freeze hire is over in Vancouver area and they are short staff again.

And there is nothing wrong with that. You are very consistent with you Positive posts
- VANTEL

Following the Canucks for 52yrs & saw many things.
So no point getting to wound up while we retool this team like we r.

There's the Marwood we have all come to know so well.

Just found out why the wife left to see her sister. Went for the first ultrasound. Knew she was pregnant.
- manvanfan

congrats