Despite changes, Green bullish about 2021
Revamped Canucks lineup heads to camp Sunday, with season set to start Jan. 13
For Travis Green, expectation will always trump trepidation.
While the hockey world wonders how the Vancouver Canucks' head coach will coax his revamped NHL roster to claim a playoff position in an all-Canadian division for a shortened 56-game, 2020-21 regular season that opens Jan. 13, any concerns are countered with outspoken confidence.
Even a COVID-19 pandemic protocol for coaches to wear protective masks during contests isn't enough to throw the loud-and-proud bench boss off his game.
He might have to shout louder, or become more animated while contesting calls, but officials will recognize the familiar tone — even through those layers of protection.
“The refs might have pushed for that rule,” Green chuckled Wednesday while preparing for his team's training camp, which opens Sunday at Rogers Arena. “But all joking aside, it's part of the (COVID-19) safety and there are a lot of things we're going to have to adapt to. We had to do it in the (Edmonton) bubble.”
In the coming season of long-serving familiar faces in new places — Zdeno Chara in Washington, Corey Perry in Montreal and Joe Thornton in Toronto — the Vancouver landscape has shifted with departures and arrivals. However, amid acclimation challenges for noted newcomers and positional battles for prospects poised to take the next step, the camp mantra could be: “Change is good. Embrace it.”
“I'm not worried talking about changes,” Green said.
“Our players understand when you play in the NHL, there is change. And when you play in Vancouver, where there's so much passion and a lot of media coverage, it was no secret what was going on with some of our players who signed with other teams. But on the flip side, there are the players we brought in.
“We're not going to dwell on the team we had last year, it's about what we're going to do this year. Guys are excited to play and that never changes. You do need an off-season. You do need to get away from the game. There has been a lot of uncertainty in our lives — and not just as hockey players and people — but everyone in the world.
“To be able to get back to what feels normal to you is important for everyone. And for us, being on the ice and doing your job is part of it.”
In a condensed camp of two groups and no exhibition games, the pace will be pushed in practices and scrimmages to get a feel for the 23-man roster and four to six players retained on the taxi squad. Factor in a couple of days off and a travel day to Edmonton for the season opener and there will be only seven days on the ice.
When the 2019-20 season was paused by COVID-19, the Canucks' coaching staff worked on systems to improve defensive play.
It paid off in the post-season by reducing goals against per game from 3.10 to 2.65 and will continue to be a theme with Olli Juolevi, Jalen Chatfield, Brogan Rafferty, Guillaume Brisebois and Jack Rathbone in the back-end mix to assess third pairing and taxi-squad priorities.
“We took a step in that area and we're going to have to continue and tweak some things,” Green said.
“It's no secret we're going to have some younger defencemen vying for spots. There's going to be more one-on-one teaching and it's not just going to be defensively, but offensively, too.
“It's how we create goals and how we teach it, I'm just excited going over video the last few days because it's been a good process with different wrinkles we're going to use on the ice.”
It's why despite losing Tyler Toffoli, Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev, Troy Stecher, Josh Leivo and Oscar Fantenberg to free agency during the off-season, the additions of Nate Schmidt and Braden Holtby and competition for roster spots have Green buoyed by what could be.
Not that it's going to be easy to supplant Toffoli.
He had 14 points (8-6) in 17 games after being acquired from Los Angeles in a February trade and looked like a right-wing lock for many years.
If Green wants to reunite Brock Boeser with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, then the camp drama will be who joins Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson?
Loui Eriksson for defensive-awareness sake?
Or Jake Virtanen for pure intrigue?
“There are some combos we've seen in the past that we like and some question marks we haven't answered yet,” Green said. “That right side, there's a lot of talk about who is going to play where. If I said I knew right now, I'd be lying. I don't know what the lines are going to be. I have an idea, like a lot of people. Jobs have to be earned and not given and the guys understand that.”
Another part of understanding is that to know where you're going, you have to know where you've been.
Despite icing 10 post-season newbies, the Canucks displayed an uncanny determination to come within a victory of advancing to the Western Conference final in September.
Pettersson and Calder Trophy runner-up Hughes were better than advertised with 18 post-season points (7-11) and 16 points (2-14), respectfully.
Thatcher Demko looked like a No. 1 stopper. He had 42 saves in a Game 5 win against Las Vegas in his first post-season start and followed with a spectacular 48-save shutout effort.
And Bo Horvat led like a true captain, with 10 goals.
“It answered a lot of things I already knew and I've always believed in,” Green said. “It's been a process to build a culture and to watch how they battled and scratched and clawed and came close to going to the Stanley Cup semifinal was impressive.
“Now we have to reset with some new players and start over on Day 1 and repeat the process and continue to get better. That's our goal.”
Pettersson and Hughes will quicken the coach's pulse. No danger of them resting on their laurels after being hounded and harassed in the post-season and responding by being even more effective.
“That's just the exciting part of our team,” Green said. “We're just kind of scratching the surface and I truly believe that it's an exciting time in Vancouver for the present and the future.”
Green excelled in post-season matchups against Dean Evason of Minnesota, Craig Berube of St. Louis and Peter DeBoer of Las Vegas to prove he's worthy of a considerable contract extension as he heads into the final year of his deal.
“It's always tough to talk about yourself, but I think I handled myself the right way and a coach is only as good as his players perform,” Green said. “I've always felt with our players and the coaching staff that it's a partnership and I'm a better coach today because of the playoffs. And you have to strive every year to be better and not get away from it and learn.”
Quite the selling points for a contact extension.
“I'm not worried about it,” Green said. “I want to be here long-term. I love it in Vancouver and I love the organization and the team. Jim (GM Benning) and I have had good conversations in his beliefs of me being here long-term. Those things will take care of themselves.”