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Vancouver missed the playoffs last season. And the Canucks will have to battle to get one of the eight Western Conference playoff spots this season.
But the Canucks think things are on the upswing. In our offseason look at the Canucks, we take a look at what happened last year, what's happening now and what it might mean in Vancouver next season.
Season Review: One long, bad stretch was a killer
| |  | | | Messier |
The entire season was determined in a two-month span (Dec. 4-Feb. 9) when the Canucks went 4-18-4. The team came on late, and it appeared like Mark Messier's leadership was beginning to make a positive affect. A run for a playoff spot fell four points short, but the team finished the season playing playoff-caliber hockey. Overall, the Canucks didn't score a lot of goals and lacked a bona fide scoring threat -- Markus Naslund led the team with 27 goals. Andrew Cassels had a solid season, and the Canucks should be happy with young players like Todd Bertuzzi, Brendan Morrison and Peter Schaefer.
One of the most encouraging elements of the late-season surge was goalie Felix Potvin, who seemed to regain his confidence after languishing with the Islanders for two years. If he played the first few months like he did Feb.-April, he would have been up there with the league leaders in several goalie categories.
The Open Market: A Mess without captain?
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FREE AGENCY
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Key unsigned free agents:
Donald Brashear, Felix Potvin, Brendan Morrison, Garth Snow
Signings/offseason acquisitions:
Corey Schwab |
Messier is gone, opting for the money and glitz of New York. Will they replace him with another big free agent? Doubtful. With Daniel and Henrik Sedin on their way, the Canucks likely will roll out what they have and see how the young kids play. A few of the restricted free agents pose interesting dilemmas. Potvin finally played up to his reputation, but is he worth the same money ($2.7 million) as his last deal? And Morrison had plenty of contract trouble in New Jersey -- ultimately, that's why he was traded to Vancouver. For both, it should be a priority to sign and be in camp. The Canucks need to find out if Morrison can be a 20-plus goal scorer in the NHL. If he misses training camp and some of the season, he'll remain a young, underachieving talent. For Potvin, it's crucial to build upon last season's positives. A holdout, especially an acrimonious one, could put him back where he was before -- with a GAA over 3.00 and a save percentage under .900.
How to improve: Let young flowers bloom ...
With the departure of Messier and the arrival of the Sedin twins, the team makeup changes significantly. It may be another year before they are playoff contenders, but the young talent pool has grown, and that's a positive. Someone needs to take a leadership role in Messier's absence. But if Bertuzzi has another solid year, and Morrison grows into the player everyone expects he can be, the Sedins won't be under too much pressure. It will be interesting to monitor the progress of the Swedish brothers; even though they were targets last season in Sweden, nothing can fully prepare them for the rigors of the NHL. There will be an adjustment period, and it is up to them to tough it out.
The team lost its captain, but things are looking up in British Columbia.
Brian A. Shactman is the NHL Editor for ESPN.com.
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