Canucks at a crossroads
Franchise needs to give fans some reason for hope — for now and in the future
For John Tortorella, the escape route isn’t terribly complicated.
While the Vancouver Canucks search for goals — which is a little like searching for Atlantis these days — Torts’s team must adhere to basic defensive principles.
True, this doesn’t make for the most exhilarating on-ice product. But, while they fight for their life in the Western Conference, the Canucks have to play to their strengths, and right now that’s goaltending, team defence and not much else.
“I’m really excited about some of the structure we have in our game (which would make him a minority of one),” Tortorella said following Friday night’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild.
“Until we get something consistent offensively, we need to stay with that.”
Translation: Don’t expect those heady days of three years ago — which now seem like 33 years ago — to return any time soon.
That, at least, is the world according to Torts. But, as the Canucks prepare for today’s Heritage Classic Cash Grab, the dilemma faced by the rest of the organization is more complex.
The lasting images from Friday night weren’t provided by the struggling Canucks and their inept offence, but, rather, by the scores of empty seats in the lower bowl and the complete lack of atmosphere in the building for 95 per cent of the game.
It’s now apparent the Canucks’ once unassailable hold on this market has diminished to a vanishing point, and something — anything — must be done to reinvent this team.
Put it this way. The Canucks haven’t jumped the shark just yet, but if you look at The Rog these days, you can see Fonzie on his water skis. With so much at stake, the moves they make at the trade deadline and this off-season will determine the franchise’s future, and there’s no margin for error.
This brings us around to the always fascinating subject of Ryan Kesler.
The one-time golden boy has given GM Mike Gillis a get-out-of-jail-free card by either asking for a trade or indicating he’s receptive to the idea.
True, it’s never good news when one of your core players is looking for a way out — especially after the Luongo-Schneider mess, the Cody Hodgson affair and assorted other miscalculations which blot Gillis’s resumé. But take a step back, get out the wide-angle lens and consider the possibilities.
The troubling news for the faithful is Gillis seems intent on hitting a home run with Kesler. That means the proverbial roster player, prospect, firstround draft pick package that the team was seeking for Luongo, and we all know how that turned out.
It doesn’t take a leap in logic to imagine the same script — as the noble Lui suggested — playing out with Kesler, and another botched trade would be a massive blow to this organization’s credibility.
But there’s also a slightly different feel about the market conditions this time around. Because the Eastern Conference is a study in mediocrity, virtually every team in a playoff spot can entertain visions of a long playoff run. Kesler, no matter what else he is, could be a difference-maker to those teams, and unlike Luongo, his contract isn’t a deal-breaker.
Of the suitors, Pittsburgh has the look of a potential match. They have the young centre the Canucks would need coming back in Brandon Sutter. They have prospects — hello, Derrick Pouliot. It’s also believed GM Ray Shero is seeking a return to the three-centre configuration (Sidney Crosby, Geno Malkin, Jordan Staal) they employed in their Stanley Cup years. Kesler will be asked to accept a lesser role, and let’s just say he’s a tad sensitive about these things. But, in this case, the positives would greatly outweigh the negatives.
The Canucks, in turn, would have a package of young assets to add to the Bo Horvat — Hunter Shinkaruk —Frank Corrado — Brendan Gaunce — Eddie Lack — Zack Kassian collection and that, they can sell. But whatever happens, they have to give their fan base some reason for hope, some sense that things will change.
They do, and lot of the mistakes of the last three years will be forgotten. But mess this one up and the damage will be incalculable. Either way, this has become a defining moment for this franchise and this general manager. And that’s considerably more exciting than the way the team is playing right now.