2020 Is Not the Canucks Year

Why Not 2020?

Yes, the Canucks have a strong team. But they still will not be able to compete with the likes of the Bruins, Lightning, Capitals, and Blues. As those four teams get older, the gates will start to open for teams such as the Canucks to take over the throne.

Currently, the Canucks have a strong top-six. However, the bottom-six still has question marks. A big question mark with the bottom-six is how well Jake Virtanen plays coming out of the unexpected break. Virtanen was finally finding himself and sitting two goals away from a 20-goal season.

Another big question mark is how the young players will play in the playoffs. With more pressure on them and having to handle the Vancouver media during the playoffs. Elias Pettersson is a stud in the regular season, but the playoffs are a different monster, it is faster and more physical. And it’s been proven many times before fewer penalties get called.

When Will the Time Come?

The time is not as far as some may believe. Elias Pettersson is a great young player while only being in his second season and seems to have much more in store to dazzle fans around the league. Canucks fans also got a taste of young electric defenceman Quinn Hughes. Hughes managed to put up 53 points in 68 games, getting his name thrown into the Calder Trophy contention.

The Canucks still have captain Bo Horvat locked up for three more seasons, which undoubtedly will play a big impact on the future state of the team. Horvat brings many things to the Canucks, such as his play on both ends of the ice, his leadership, and his physicality which will be needed during any playoff run. Like Horvat, the Canucks have J.T. Miller locked up for another three seasons. The addition of Miller this season seemed to light a fire within the Canucks organization. In a shortened season, Miller led the team in scoring with 72 points in 69 games played.

A major X-factor in how long it really takes would be Brock Boeser. Boeser is currently on a two-year bridge deal, so the Canucks need to act fast, as it seems unlikely that they will be able to afford to keep the core together. Fans know that when Boeser is hot, he is a special player, finishing second in Calder voting two seasons ago. Unfourtintly he seems to be the odd man out when it comes to keeping the core intact.

To add to Canucks fans’ hope, there are some interesting prospects on the rise. Such as right-winger Vasily Podkolzin out of the KHL and another young Swedish star, Nils Hoglander out of the SHL. Fans will not be seeing Podkolzin until at least the 2021-22 season, which happens to be Boeser’s last season under contract. As for Hoglander, he should get a shot at playing in Vancouver next season. Other prospects Canucks fans should be looking forward to defencemen, Jack Rathbone, from Harvard University, and Jett Woo from the WHL.

Closing Thoughts

Although Canucks fans have high hopes for the 2020 playoffs, this may not be the year to get too excited. The way the team is heading, and players are growing fans should look forward to 2021-2022. By that time, Pettersson and Hughes should be miles ahead of how they are currently playing. And Boeser will be in his contract year playing for a big contract. 2020 is not the Canucks year. But 2022 might be.

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