WHO WILL DISCOVER SCORING?
Pundits conclude the Canucks again overspent in free agency and came up short of finding the needed offensive firepower
The reviews are in and the critics haven’t been kind to the Canucks’ free agency strategy.
It’s been called “confusing” by some. One predictive free agent contract model by Hockey Graphs editor Matt Cane — by far the most reliable there is — had the Canucks signing three of the 13 most over-inflated, or worst, contracts on July 1. That doesn’t seem good. It seems signing a few veterans who could score you 13 goals if all goes well doesn’t light the world on fire.
And it hasn’t addressed the Canucks’ biggest need.
From 2015 to today, only one NHL team has scored fewer goals than Vancouver — and that’s Vegas, which participated in just one-third of those games.
Last season, the Canucks had a top-10 power play but still finished 26th in goals. Gone now are the Sedins and Thomas Vanek, who combined for 146 points.
If the Canucks scored 218 goals with those three in the lineup, what will they do without them?
As to who is going to pick up the slack, the question was not answered this week.
The Canucks have four forwards who have put up more the 40 points in an NHL season. Two are Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat, and that’s good because both are good, young players who should be better in the years to come.
The other two, however, are Loui Eriksson and Sam Gagner, who so far have been significant disappointments and would need massive turnarounds to become offensive difference makers again.
The outlook for next season would be different if you could count on Eriksson and Gagner for a combined 100 points, which was the dream when they were signed.
But that’s almost double what they produced last season together.
So on one hand, the Canucks are a deeper team today than they were a month ago. On the other, they have not added real offensive depth. If there are injuries to Boeser and Horvat again, it looks like it could be catastrophic for the team’s fortunes.
The bright side is, there is time. It’s July and the Canucks have the bodies and cap space still to make some moves and should be motivated to do it.
There is a log jam in free agency right now.
Including Jake Virtanen, an unsigned restricted free agent, Nikolay Goldobin and Elias Pettersson, the Canucks have 16 forwards who would realistically be considered for the NHL roster.
Add Reid Boucher, Tyler Motte, Darren Archibald and Jonathan Dahlen and the Canucks are up to 20.
Among the forwards who could be on the bubble, Goldobin, Markus Granlund, Brendan Gaunce, Archibald, Boucher and Virtanen all require waivers.
The Canucks would risk losing them for nothing if they don’t make the team and they aren’t really in a position to lose any assets for nothing.
There’s a similar issue on defence, where the team will have eight signed after inking Troy Stecher to a new deal.
That doesn’t leave much room for Quinn Hughes to compete for a spot this fall. The Canucks are enthusiastic about signing the dynamic, elite-skating Hughes and you can see why. When he arrives he will infuse this team with a skill set they just don’t have anywhere else.
He has the potential to be a game-changer, but can he get ice time on a team that already has Alex Edler, Michael Del Zotto, Derrick Pouliot and Ben Hutton as left-side defencemen?
Hughes gave a nod to this problem Tuesday when he met the media for the first time in Vancouver and said:
“I wouldn’t mind going back to Michigan if they don’t know where I fit in.”
That sure reads like someone who has been scanning the depth chart.