With the offseason underway for a number of teams, with the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.
2016-17 Grade: F
The Vancouver Canucks finished the year with the second-worst record in the league, and if not for a few stellar individual performances from Bo Horvat and the remarkable ineptitude of the Colorado Avalanche, they could have easily finished dead last.
To say that the Canucks hit some rough stretches last season would be the understatement of the NHL year.
Vancouver managed losing streaks of at least three games a mind-boggling seven times, including eight- and nine-game tailspins.
Daniel Sedin registered his lowest point total in four years, the blue line struggled mightily, and in net? Well, let's just say somewhere Roberto Luongo is smiling.
Despite already owning a handful of exciting young prospects - such as Olli Juolevi, Nikolay Goldobin, and Jake Virtanen - Vancouver still badly needs an injection of talent before it can start calling itself a playoff contender once again.
The above letter grade also corresponds fittingly with the category the Canucks should file their 2016-17 season under: F, for "Forget it ever happened."
Free Agents
Despite the majority of the Canucks' "core" returning next season, general manager Jim Benning still has a busy summer ahead of him with names like Erik Gudbranson, Ryan Miller, and Horvat on his restricted and unrestricted free-agent lists.
| Player (Position) | 2017-18 Status | Age | 2016-17 Cap Hit | '16-17 Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Horvat (F) | RFA | 22 | $894167 | 52 |
| Brenden Gaunce (F) | RFA | 23 | $863333 | 5 |
| Anton Rodin (F) | RFA | 26 | $950000 | 1 |
| Joseph Cramarossa (F) | RFA | 24 | $724500 | 10 |
| Reid Boucher (F) | RFA | 23 | $715000 | 10 |
| Drew Shore (F) | RFA | 26 | $600000 | 2 |
| Michael Chaput (F) | RFA | 25 | $600000 | 9 |
| Jack Skille (F) | UFA | 29 | $700000 | 9 |
| Erik Gudbranson (D) | RFA | 25 | $3.5M | 6 |
Benning has previously made his opinion known that he believes Miller is the No.1 in Van City, and as recently as April, voiced his desire to have the veteran return next season.
| Goalie | 2017-18 Status | Age | 2016-17 Cap Hit | '16-17 SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Miller | UFA | 36 | $6M | 18 |
2017 Draft Picks
The Canucks have six picks in the upcoming draft, including a fourth-rounder from the San Jose Sharks that was sent Vancouver's way in the Jannik Hansen trade.
| Round | Picks |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 1 |
| 4 | 2 (Own + Sharks) |
| 5 | 0 |
| 6 | 0 |
| 7 | 1 |
Summer Priorities
Ink Bo Horvat long term
Horvat was by far Vancouver's best player last season, and let's be honest, after him, what do the Canucks have up front to rely on moving forward?
I'll wait.
Strike gold at No. 5
If Vancouver didn't have bad luck they wouldn't have any at all.
However, Cale Makar or Owen Tippet are two names that should still be available at No. 5, and both offer skill sets that would slot in nicely on the Canucks' roster.
It will be interesting to see how the club rebounds from falling in the draft lottery for a second straight season.
Stop the bleeding in net
The goalie situation in Vancouver has been unsettled since the Luongo-Eddie Lack fiasco that plagued the club during the 2013-14 campaign, and last season was no different.
Miller and Jacob Markstrom were each given an opportunity to claim the cage for themselves, but both netminders struggled to find consistency and the team as a whole suffered because of it.
If the Canucks want to even start dreaming of the postseason, they will have to find an answer in the blue paint, and fast.
2017-18 Outlook
Despite Vancouver's crop of exciting young talent - both NHL-ready and otherwise - the next few seasons will be painful for Canucks fans.
The team was dealt another raw hand in the draft lottery and will be forced to select outside of the top three once again, further slowing the rebuild of a club in need of help up and down the lineup.
In short, a lot of things need to go right in the next few months for Vancouver to have a successful 2017-18 season.
If the Canucks can manage to draft well with their top pick, make smart moves in free agency, and get some form of consistent goaltending, then they may be able to treat their fans to playoff puck for the first time since 2015.
Don't hold your breath, Vancouver.
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